Best of Both Worlds Podcast

In today's episode, Laura interviews Harmony Smith, who practices law, writes at creatingmykaleidoscope.com and is raising her family of 5 with an eye towards financial independence. In the Q&A, Sarah and Laura address a question from a listener about how to keep track of and deal with life's minutiae without feeling overwhelmed. Episode Sponsors: Pampers : Check out Pampers Cruisers 360 -- th...

Today's episode is all about reading! If fall makes you feel like curling up with a book and hot beverage, this episode is for you. Sarah and Laura share current reading habits, preferences, favorite titles, and more. In the Q&A, they answer a listener question about PTO involvement. Episode Sponsors: Pampers : Try Pampers Cruisers 360 -- the best diaper for active babies! Learn more about you...

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah open with a discussion of their favorite financial podcast + bloggers. Then, Laura interviews Farnoosh Torabi , host of the popular So Money podcast and author of A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life . In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a listener questioning whether or not to hire a designer to help...

In today's episode, Laura discusses the concept of Golden Hour to reframe the hours between late afternoon and bedtime. Many of us spend that time just sort of wishing the hours away, or going into autopilot -- but is there a better way? She and Sarah dissect this time period and the ways (both big and small) we might refigure and reimagine it to be more enjoyable and rewarding. Episode Sponsors:...

Laura and Sarah open with a discussion of things that evoke feelings of anxiety, and then Sarah interviews author and therapist Dr. Kathleen Smith who she connected with after reading her recent book, the aptly-named Everything Isn't Terrible . Dr. Smith discusses Bowen theory and offers many concrete suggestions for how we can manage anxiety about our families, in parenting, at work, and in a str...

In today's episode, Sarah and Laura do a round-up of digital tools that might be used to enhance your family management. They cover some interesting uses for generative AI, subscription services, shared calendars + lists, and more! In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about when kids' birthday parties tend to transition from family-centered to friend-based -- and is there a way to combine t...

Sarah and Laura recorded this episode together in Boston (well - they tried. This version ended up being round 2!). They open with a discussion of time spent away from the home, and then dive into the (somewhat related) topic. This episode was inspired by a listener who was inspired to add up the house her kids spent with her after her partner wondered if the day care providers were the ones reall...

Today's episode was recorded live (Sarah + Laura together!) in Boston, and after some back-to-school catchup, Sarah answer a number of mailbag questions. Topics include: - school choices - date night babysitters - procrastination - goals vs to-do items - sleep and hobbies with young kids . . .and more! Episode Sponsors: Quince : Get luxury quality fashion at affordable prices for the whole family...

In this episode, Laura and Sarah discuss their favorite things right now -- what is really WORKING for them this fall! Laura opens with an overview of their recent family trip overseas (Norway!) and then each host takes turns sharing some of her fall favorites in several categories, from food to productivity to fashion and more. Episode Sponsors: Pampers : Check out Pampers Cruisers 360 -- the bes...

Sarah and Laura share current meal planning challenges. Then, Sarah interviews Allison Schaaf, mother of 2, meal-planning expert, and founder of PrepDish. They chat about effective and efficient meal planning, Allison's favorite kitchen hacks, and how her business has evolved and grown. Find PrepDish and try it for 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/bestof Find Miscarriage Hope Desk (Allison's nonprofit...

Laura is a time management expert and Sarah definitely has strong feelings about planning tools and techniques. Today, they share their favorite time management tips -- everything from multitasking (or not) to the value of having adequate childcare! In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking a popular question: if you know you want them, how do you decide when to start having kids? Episode Sponso...

Sarah and Laura discuss some challenges related to seeking routine healthcare. Then, Sarah interviews Dr. Lisa Doggett -- a family physician with years of experienced caring for undeserved populations. When her youngest child was just 2, Lisa became ill with multiple sclerosis. She discusses how she navigated this difficult path, including how her perspectives on our health care system were shaped...

Laura and Sarah love chatting about the back to school season, and this year is no exception! With kids ranging from preschool to 11th grade, topics run the gamut from school lunch to homework to daytime/nighttime routines and more. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about the logistics of 1:1 days with kids, including managing fairness between kids. Episode Sponsors: Thrive Causemetics :...

In this episode, Sarah and Laura answer a listener question about the 'later stage' parts of moving - how long does it take to really feel like you are *home* in a new place? Then, they answer a variety of mailbag submissions from questions about later evening activities for kids, boundary setting, hormonal mood changes, and more! Episode Sponsors: Pampers: Check out Pampers Cruisers 360 -- the be...

An ERG is an Employee Resource Groups, often created at larger companies to help provide support for specific groups of employees, especially those traditionally underrepresented in the workplace. Experts Sarah Johal (Parents in Tech Alliance) and Lori Mihalich-Levin (of Working Parent Group Network + Mindful Return) discuss and offer great advice for those who may be interested in leading or part...

Sarah and Laura open this episode chatting about recent longer family vacations they have taken, and then they delve into workday shutdown! This post was inspired by a recent blog post of Sarah's ( https://theshubox.com/2023/07/feeling-done.html ) - many readers commented they also struggled feeling 'finished' at the end of a less clearly defined workday (academics, entrepreneurs, part time worker...

In this episode recorded together, Sarah and Laura answer a variety of questions from Patreon + Instagram! Episode Sponsors: Pampers : Check out Pampers Cruisers 360 -- the best diaper for active babies! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah open with a discussion of their own family biking habits. Then, attorney and DC-dweller Sonja Ralston joins Sarah to share her story of how their family got into cargo biking - a way to avoid parking woes, lower the family's carbon footprint, build in some outdoor time every day, get in some daily movement, and more. Some useful links shared by Sonja: Article me...

Cindy Everett has a big job (CFO) and little kids (3 + 5) -- but she still makes time for some fascinating and unusual hobbies, from architecture to WWE wrestling! She chats with Laura about family logistics, making time for what she loves, and more in this fun episode. In the Q&A, a listener ponders taking a remote position with a company based on another time zone. Things to consider? Episod...

This topic is frequently requested, so Laura and Sarah are here today to discuss many aspects about having >2 children! They discuss cost, logistical issues, career considerations (spoiler: both believe you can have multiple kids AND a big/meaningful career!), and some positive aspects of having a more crowded dinner table! In the Q&A, they address a listener looking for kid-friendly packin...

In this mid-year check in episode (now a BOBW tradition!), Sarah and Laura review progress on their 2023 goals, from work to fitness to family and more. Both refer to the 2023 annual goals episode - if you're curious, you can find that episode linked here: https://lauravanderkam.com/2022/12/best-of-both-worlds-podcast-2023-goals/ In the Q&A, they answer a question on babysitter onboarding. Boo...

In this final installment of the BOBW Screen + Tech miniseries, Sarah and Laura discuss approaches to their own adult screen time. They discuss their favorite books on the topic, differing opinions on social media, and more. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking for advice on finding more time to read. Episode Sponsors: Thrive Causemetics : Fantastic products that also give back! Right now,...

In the second installment of the BOBW screen + tech miniseries, Laura interviews Devorah Heitner, the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World and Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World (out this September!). They discuss how things have changed and how to navigate moving forward, along with other fascinating discussions around kids + tech. In...

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah discuss their different approaches to kids and tech. Sarah discusses their recent experiment with "screen free May" and Laura addresses the escalating complexities as kids get older. In the Q&A, a listener writes in about ideas for how to best use time on a writing retreat. Episode Sponsors: Better Help : This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Discover yo...

Megan Stepaniak is a long time BOBW listener and Patreon member, and she has worked in several management-level positions within large companies over the years. She put her hand up as a 'regular person' guest to chat work + life, and we were excited to have her on to discuss everything from the benefits of exploring lateral career moves to general life management! Megan has 3 children from pre-K t...