The Mom Hour

Plans vs. reality. Pretty menus vs. the aftermath of a spontaneous smörgåsbord. Now, more than ever, we find it fascinating to look back at what our families ate for dinner in a given week and how the reality of those meals departed from our best-laid plans. Meagan and Sarah (plus Kelsey from our team) each wrote down our dinners for the past week and we’re here to discuss what worked, what failed, and how we’re faring as we feed our families during a global pandemic. Join us!This episode was recorded on March 28, 2020.A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.LINKS MENTIONED:Meagan’s Pork & Sweet Potato HashCheck out our other episodes on the topic of feeding a familyMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tackling digital clutter means working toward a system where there’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place—if that sounds daunting, we get it! Our desktops get messy, too. Join Meagan and Sarah for the final episode in our special series on digital spring cleaning as we talk about file storage, folder systems, that pesky-but-essential “cloud,” and more. Enjoy!This episode is Part 3 in our series on Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life. Listen to Part 1 by clicking here, and Part 2 by clicking here.LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah talked about Google Backup & Sync, a desktop application for syncing to Google Drive (they have both Mac and PC versions)All the posts and notes from this series are collected on this pageMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we’re busy spring cleaning…our digital space! In Part 2 of this special series, Meagan and Sarah discuss the state of our email inboxes. From whether we aim for “inbox zero” to how we find that email we know is in here somewhere, this is both a realistic and an aspirational look at managing information that comes at us via email. Join us!This episode is part of our 3-part series on Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life. Listen to Part 1 by clicking here, and look out for Part 3 tomorrow.LINKS MENTIONED:In the first episode in this series we talked about digital photo organizationIf you want a really detailed inbox-zero system, we’re big fans of The Girl Next Door podcast’s Kelsey Wharton, who wrote this one up on her blogOur friends at Spawned with Kristen & Liz have a podcast episode from 2019 with great expert advice on dealing with digital clutterMeagan had moderate success with Unroll.me; Sarah uses GMail filters to route deals to a separate label while skipping the inboxMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With lots of time spent at home these days, we’re motivated to do a little spring cleaning…and not only in our physical space. Join us for a special 3-part series this week, all about getting a better handle on our digital clutter. In Part 1, Meagan and Sarah tackle digital photos—from how we organize and back up the thousands on our phones right now, why on earth we end up with so many screen shots, and how we make use of new technology to do cool things with older photos. Join us!This episode is part of our 3-part series on Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life. Part 2 is here, and Part 3 comes out on Friday!LINKS MENTIONEDGoogle Photos, Photos for iOS, Amazon PhotoWe mentioned this More Than Mom: Apps episode where we share our favorite apps and app-organization strategies (or lack thereof) – see below for a photo of Sarah’s iPhone home screenChatbooksSkylight FrameMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s been a week of new reality, new schedules, and new opportunities to get to know ourselves as moms. Along with all the stress and changes brought about by current events, we’ve been thrust into a position of radical self-care, of ensuring we’re able to meet the needs of our families while navigating unprecedented times. Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful—and even funny!—conversation about the specific things we’re doing to manage our time, energy, and moods at home these days. This episode was recorded on March 21, 2020.A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah mentioned our bonus episode Homeschool Moms: “You’ve Got This. Here’s What’s Most ImportantOur Facebook group is growing, and full of helpful moms (please answer the questions when you request to join!)New to the show? Check out our page just for new listenersMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Parents everywhere are now the overseers of their kids’ remote learning–in other words: Apparently we’re all homeschooling now? In this special bonus episode, Sarah chats with two seasoned homeschooling moms about how they manage schedules, what home learning looks like during stressful seasons, when to add more structure and when to back off, and more. This is the episode you need to approach home learning calmly, without putting pressure on yourself, and even with an attitude of fun. Enjoy!This episode was recorded on March 18, 2020.A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.Links Sarah mentioned:Sarah’s essay Parents: Let’s not making temporary homeschooling a competitive sport.Our listener Facebook groupOur page just for new listenersLinks Amy mentioned:Humility & Doxology, Amy’s blogFollow @humilityanddoxology on InstagramA Year of Memory Work, the poetry memorization project Amy documented on her blogSarah mentioned this book: Poems To Learn By HeartSarah also mentioned this book: The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction, by Meghan Cox Gurdon Links Joy mentioned:Joy’s Nature Study Hacking resourcesJoy uses the iNaturalist app (Apple | Google Play) and Sarah’s family loves Seek, made by the same company (Apple | Google Play)Joy’s YouTube channelFollow @joycherrick on InstagramArabian NightsMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Activities and products to keep kids busy? Got ’em. Some tips for setting the tone in your home during a stuck-inside season? Check. Updates on how COVID-19 has affected our communities in Southwest Michigan and Southern California? Yep (as of recording date, 3/13). We’re coming to you from a new reality this week, and we hope you’ll join us for some thoughtful discussion and helpful tips for managing time at home with kids.This episode was recorded on March 13, 2020.A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as well as our own thoughts and feelings–so you may hear things that feel a bit dated if you’re catching up on older episodes. Just know that we’re experiencing this in real time just like you, and that we’re working hard to follow the latest recommendations for the safety of our families and our communities. We’re also working hard to bring you timely, relevant podcast episodes in a world that’s changing very quickly.LINKS MENTIONED:Our Facebook group is growing, and full of helpful moms (please answer the questions when you request to join!)Some products we mentioned for when we are stuck insideMelissa & Doug Puffy Sticker Activity Books (affiliate link)Advent CalendarsBig brick cardboard blocks (affiliate link)Kinetic Sand (affiliate link)PaperToy (affiliate link)Make sure you are following us on Instagram and Facebook and look for some surprises this week as we celebrate our 5 year anniversary!Check out Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole familyJoin our Facebook group for listeners, The Mom Hour Listeners Community (be sure to answer the questions to be approved!)MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you naturally match up with friends who share your individual quirks and preferences, or are your relationships more a case of opposites attract? In our years-long working relationship and close (but long-distance) friendship, we’ve got a little bit of both going on. Get to know Meagan, Sarah, and our partnership a little better in this fun More Than Mom episodes all about the little and not-so-little ways that we’re similar and different. Join us!Note: We know that COVID-19 is top-of-mind for everyone. Tuesday’s episode will focus on how to cope with stuck-inside days at home, and address the latest developments more directly. Today, enjoy a little escape with some fun and fluff.LINKS MENTIONED:Things We’ve Changed Our Minds About (a recent More Than Mom episode where Meagan *may* have admitted to once liking a pickle)What We’ve Learned From Each Other (our 200th episode, which pairs nicely with this one)Love personality tests and Enneagram stuff? Listen to this episode, and then this one. And also this one.MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is everyone you know planning a family vacation, or does it sometimes just feel that way? In our experience, there are “vacations” that feel like a lot of work, and other ways to spend school holidays that feel more relaxing and don’t break the bank. In today’s episode (Part One of Two in a series all about planning family travel) we’re talking about what goes into planning a family vacation you’ll actually enjoy–from knowing yourself as a mom and being realistic about the ages of your kids, to finding the sweet spot between getting a break from the responsibilities of home and over-extending yourself on the road.We also have some frank talk about the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and how its arrival on the scene has (or has not) impacted our own travel planning this spring. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah likes this NPR comic for helping lead conversations with kids about COVID-19, and a listener suggested this article from PBSOur Spotify playlists are a fun way to go back in the archives and listen by topic or theme! Our March playlists are Home, Life & Time Management, and For My Friend, About To Be A MomMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’re parenting a child who walks through the world a little–or a lot–differently, or if you’re hoping to raise kids who see differences as opportunities instead of deficits, this conversation is for you. Sarah chats with Debbie Reber, mom of a 15-year-old “differently wired” son and leader of TiLT Parenting, a movement that both celebrates neurodiversity and recognizes the challenges that kids and parents face in navigating a world designed for one type of learner.Sarah and Debbie discuss why grouping differences like giftedness, anxiety, sensory processing issues, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder all together can give parents a sense of community and advocacy in a way that keeping them separate cannot, and what parents of differently wired kids can do to keep themselves afloat during stressful times. We also take a few questions from our listener community–take a listen!LINKS MENTIONED:Find more information about Debbie’s podcast- The TiLT Parenting Podcast, TiLT Education, and other resources on her website TiltParenting.comCheck out Debbie’s book, Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope (Amazon affiliate link)Debbie mentioned Jessica Lahey’s book The Gift of Failure (Amazon affiliate link)Debbie talked about the TiLT Together Facebook GroupFollow TiLT on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.