Mondays with Mom

My mom does not like being caught stranded... And yet it seems to have happened to her a bunch! Hopefully you don't catch yourself stranded by your husband with just a bra in Gi- bra -ltar, but maybe this episode could help you with what to do.... or not. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

It's the follow up you've been waiting all week for... the shocking (literally) finale of Balcony Bound! We ended last week with a very confused Jo and Lia, a floor beginning to heat up, humidity and a flooding fridge. This episode answers many questions... What was causing the flooding? What would you take with you in case of a fire, and most importantly... Why exactly is this episode/ se...

Part 1 of a special two-part story. This week we lay the foundation and discuss how getting trapped on a balcony reminded my mom of another balcony related incident that we both experienced not that long ago. A holiday gone wrong from the start, spirals into chaos, construction and questioning whether the fridge flooded. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Trib...

No guests, no curtains, and one lonely staff member running the hotel thing. Why was this hotel recommended to us again? An abandoned hotel is not my first choice when looking for accommodation... And I can safely say that it is not my mom's first choice either. Find out whether she managed to escape the one-man hotel! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tr...

Top 10 tips when hosting a barbecue (braai): 1. Make sure you have enough food 2. A single tomato is not a salad 3. Make sure you have ice 4. Stock the right drinks for your guests 5. Make sure you have enough cutlery 6. If you run out of knives and forks, don't give a guest your husband's that he is currently eating with 7. Make sure you have enough plates for your guests 8. Tea biscuits...

You've heard of Grey's Anatomy , but nothing will prepare you for Lia's Anatomy .... Lessons. Bags of bones, pranks, suspicious liquid, creepy sterile rooms, and even Shakespeare. This episode has it all. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

We go looking for God when we're going through something. When my grandmother got cancer, my mom searched for God, for some sort of sign to let us know if she'll be okay. This story is about the messages from God my mom received and how she got through a really tough time. Years later, it's like we're still getting messages from my Giagia Matina that she's still looking out for...

What would you do if the the wild ocean waves stole your bikini top? Now what would you do if another wave brings it back, but also a crisp R20 note as well? What do you reach for? What if you found yourself in the Mediterranean sea with a wardrobe malfunction and suddenly you can make out someone screaming "Medusa!" Well we hear what my mom did when she experienced exactly that! Get com...

My Great Grandfather, or my mom's grandfather was a very special person to my mom- they adored each other! From his devotion to his family to his "sweet" tips and dutiful nature, this episode honours him and the love and laughter he brought to my my mom's life. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

My mom is definitely solution-oriented. In fact, I joke that she will find solutions for her solutions! So when she encountered some mysterious marks (stains?) on her dressing table, she tried everything! But this time that can-do spirit ended up causing more problems instead of solving them... at least at first. But, as we learn, it's important to never give up even when the situation seems d...

My heart's a stereo... This week's story is how my stepdad George courted my mom. And while all the high adrenaline and super cliche romantic stuff made an impression, one of the most romantic things George did for my mom was deal with a mess of wires and an outdated sound system. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Pi...

When my sister Tina finally found an apartment, the next challenge was how to furnish it when money was tight... Cue my mom, ever resourceful and on a mission to help Tina out in any way she could (although Tina didn't need much help from mom in the end). What Tina definitely did not expect was that this would include bringing a microwave all the way from Greece in a carry-on suitcase! ——— Int...

A story with an unusual start and another story with a surprising link. Kindness and treating patients as human leads to an unlikely friendship between my mom and a man she meets in ICU. And somehow there are also ants and wasps thrown in the mix! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

This week we talk about dreaded early morning phone calls, the link between water and grief and how our little townhouse flooded (which I was allegedly responsible for). In a moment of panic and despair, we're grateful we can look back at how it all started with a good sense of humour! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo P...

Kindness truly changes lives. This week focuses on some of the times my mom was on the receiving end of unexpected kindness in hard times, and how her own kindenss was repayed back to her. As the saying goes, it pays to be kind, and these stories are proof of that. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

What happens when a hotel room is overrun by carpet bugs, or when a giant parktown prawn appears where you least expect it? In this episode of Mondays with Mom , my mom shares hilarious, shocking, and slightly traumatic stories about the insect invaders and creepy crawlies that have made their mark over the years. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of No...

In my mom's life, nothing seems to just be easy and simple. I am a prime example of this. Picture this, a first time mom (soon to be single mom too) panicking because her baby just won't eat! (... allegedly *cough* *cough*). Moms all deserve an award for putting up with us and my mom really deserves a whole solid gold statue for her perseverance, love, creativity and ingenuity to get her f...

Before the days of LinkedIn and being ghosted by companies' recruiters online, my mom talks about her own work experience during a rural hospital block rotation which was nothing short of wild. Getting super sick, far away from home was definitely not the plan, but it ended up working out in the end and led my mom to her first job. And if all I have to face is some rejection emails, I'm pr...

Your fiancé is sick in hospital and your future in-laws put you in charge of feeding their pitbulls while they're away. This might be the wildest puppy-sitting story you'll listen to because while the dogs were fine... The house wasn't! A wild case of a puppy party gone wrong, and a surprise workout routine all in one! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed...

Mine and Mom's first sailing yacht trip felt like a disaster! While of course we are so blessed to have had the opportunity, it was hard to remember this while feeling sea sick and being flung around the boat by powerful waves! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

The two of us love our dogs, even when they do some wild things! This week my mom talks about one of her beloved childhood dogs, Pepito and the crazy adventures he got up to in suburbs, the farms, and even the city centre. Pepito was one loyal, loving and adventurous dog who seemed to get himself into all sorts of trouble. And maybe, just maybe, his legacy continues still to this day. ——— Intro/ O...

My mom tells us a few stories of a very cranky car that despite many attempts to get rid of it, had a lot of staying power. And maybe certain cars, can build character. ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

My mom has been through some crazy times, which if the title is any clue, bring to mind the lines of the classic Nancy Sinatra song "Bang Bang". This week's stories make us think we were never made for the violence of the wild west.... And we're grateful for it! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Picture this: you just got off the bus, and as it drives away you realise you don't have your bag. What would you do? Well we find out just what my mom did in this episode! ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With You” licensed from Tribe of Noise Pro Cover Art by Jo Piagalis

Hair is an important part of your identity and how you present yourself to the world. So with that in mind, this week's story is all about a certain hair-raising situation in which a Marilyn Monroe costume does not turn out the way it should have. Be careful because this episode may cause you to flip your wig! (metaphorically, of course). ——— Intro/ Outro Music by Roads- “Moments I Have With Y...