

The Mom Hour
Mom Hour Media
Co-hosts Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers offer practical tips and real-life encouragement for moms who want to enjoy motherhood more, and cut back on comparison, worry, and stress. We’re not experts, we’re moms who’ve been there. We’re not perfect, we’re real. Welcome to The Mom Hour, where you'll find more than 800 episodes on parenting and motherhood at every stage. Production of new episodes ended in June 2025; enjoy the back catalog!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 28, 2020 • 52min
School Volunteering That Fits Your Personality: Episode 245
The preschool and elementary school years provide lots of opportunities to be involved at your kids’ schools…but for many moms the process of finding their place in the school community takes some time. Sarah is deep into the school years now, and Meagan is in her seventeenth consecutive year as an elementary school mom (!!), so we’ve learned from experience how to show up for kids and teachers in a way that suits our skill sets, our personalities, and the season of life we’re in at the moment. In Episode 245 we look at the different approaches we’ve taken, what we’ve discovered about ourselves and our schools, and what’s next for us as school parents in the coming years. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah mentioned our episode on Toddlers vs. Teenagers, Episode 192 from January 2019Check out our January Spotify PlaylistsYou can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting. The deadline to sign up is January 31!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.

Jan 26, 2020 • 58min
More Than Mom: Talking About The Weather (No, Really.)
Weather chat has a reputation for being what you talk about when you have nothing else to say…but we have LOTS to say, and we still love to talk about the weather. Climate and temperature has a big impact on our lives as moms—from the clothes we wear and how we dress our kids, to the activities we can enjoy as a family and even our seasonal moods. This More Than Mom episode isn’t small talk at all—it’s Meagan’s and Sarah’s big thoughts on the weather where we live, all year round, and how it impacts our lives. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Check out our episodes on winter and summer gear: Must Have Gear For Winter, Kids’ Clothes, Shoes and Gear For Summer and Must Have Gear For The Beach & PoolYou can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting. The deadline to sign up is January 31!Check out Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole 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.

Jan 21, 2020 • 45min
Family Food Values & What’s Working For Us: Episode 244
We take the long view when it comes to feeding a family: What kind of food experiences and memories do we want our kids to have? What’s the culture around the dishes we serve and the tone around the table? And what are the core values around food and eating that we strive for in our families? In Episode 244 Meagan and Sarah share some of the “food truths” we aim for in our homes, as well as some specific areas of feeding a family that are working well right now (and a few that could use a 2020 reset). Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Meagan and Sarah’s aspirational food truths:We are grateful for the work that went into preparing every meal, whether or not we enjoy the food.We all have a part to play in making a successful family dinner We linger at the dinner table.We give everyone a chance to speak and be heardWe try new things.We celebrate old favorites.Check out more episodes on the topic of feeding a familyMeagan talked about her budget overhaul in Episode 205 from April 2019You can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money PodcastingMORE 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.

Jan 14, 2020 • 43min
10 Things We Love About Toddlers: Episode 243
Toddlers get a bad rap – out in the world and even here on the podcast, where we’ve occasionally uttered the phrase: “One-year-olds are the worst.” But there’s so much to love about the toddler stage, too—from verbal explosion to hilarious antics. In Episode 243 Meagan and Sarah share stories from our own toddler-parenting years and offer, with the benefit of hindsight, ten things we love about toddlers. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah’s essays on toddlers: The World of Two and The Second YearYou can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link until January 15Check out Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole 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.

Jan 12, 2020 • 50min
More Than Mom: Small Habits That Make A Big Difference
Overhauls and reinventions sound attractive, but they can be overwhelming and even cause us to crash and burn before we ever see results. We’re both interested in the role small habits and little improvements play in our daily rhythms, productivity, and overall happiness—we’re even reading books on the topic! Join Meagan and Sarah for a totally achievable approach to resetting our good habits and improving the ones that aren’t serving us as we head into the new year. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah is reading Atomic Habits by James ClearMeagan is reading Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy WoodSarah is documenting her #40daysto40 over on her InstagramYou can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link until January 15MORE 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.

Jan 10, 2020 • 41min
Staying Organized & Motivated As A Full-Time Working Mom: Voices 44 With Sarah Hart-Unger
A full-time physician with three young kids and a couple of side hustles, Sarah Hart-Unger relies on some time-tested systems to make sure she doesn’t miss a meeting, carves out space for her own creativity, and prioritizes date nights with her partner. She’s here to share tips and ideas with Sarah Powers as they chat all things planners, planning, goal-setting, and to-do list management in this month’s Voices interview episode. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah Hart-Unger is one of the hosts of the Best of Both Worlds PodcastThe planner Sarah Hart-Unger uses can be purchased straight from Japan, from Jetpens, or on AmazonOther planners recommended by Sarah are Erin Condren planners, Inkwell Press, Emily Ley Simplified Planner or Day Designer, Agendio, and The Plum Paper PlannerCheck out Sarah’s blog, theshubox.comSarah mentioned following the Instagram account PlannerismaMeagan and Sarah were both guests on the Best of Both Worlds Podcast! Listen to Meagan here, and Sarah here The Mom Hour’s Podcast Club has launched!You can sign up now for the Life, Listened course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link until January 15MORE 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.

Jan 7, 2020 • 42min
Listener Questions (Vol. 23): Episode 242
Thoughts on how we handle sick days, encouragement for a mom of two-under-two struggling with accepting help when it’s offered, troubleshooting a six-year-old with a nightwaking habit, and commiserating with parents whose toddler only wants dad–Meagan and Sarah are here with advice, empathy, and our experience as we take on another round of your listener questions. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah talked about the voices episode with Colleen Curtis from The Mom Project on career challenges as moms, Voices 41You can find all of our listener questions episodes hereHave a question for Meagan and Sarah? Send us your question by email to hello@themomhour.com, or even better we love when you record your questions using Speakpipe!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.

Dec 31, 2019 • 33min
Cozy Year-End Chat With Meagan & Sarah: Episode 241
We’re not quite ready to get all crazy-intentional about 2020, but we’re also over the holidays and feeling a little reflective. Episode 241 is a casual year-end fireside (we wish!) chat with Meagan and Sarah as we close out another year as moms, family managers, business owners, and humans. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:The Spotify video that sums up our growth and stats for 2019Listen to the full archives of The Mom Hour hereCheck out our page for new listeners hereOur Podcast Club has launched!Our Word Of The Year discussion from early 2019Kidliterate, Sarah’s podcast co-hosted with her 11-year-old daughter all about smart media picks for the whole familyExpecting, our pregnancy podcast, launches in 2020You can sign up now for our course Make Money Podcasting, and get $100 off when you sign up through that link Meagan and Sarah discussed that they love Kyran Pittman’s Instagram (specifically her 50th project) and her book, Planting DandelionsMeagan wrote about her yoga challenge in this postLet us know your thoughts on live events with The Mom Hour – email us at hello@themomhour.comCheck us out on Instagram, Facebook, and TwitterBe sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter!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.

Dec 23, 2019 • 45min
Listener Questions (Vol. 22): Episode 240
A mom in the trenches wonders exactly when things will start to feel easier, playdates with school-aged boys whose house rules differ on video games, dealing with disappointment as a mom (especially around built-up big days like holidays), and a request for Sarah to share where she gets her news media and how to consume it without getting anxious. Such great questions sent in by our listeners this week! Join Meagan and Sarah for a pre-holiday helping of nuanced advice, gentle encouragement, and our signature “It’s all gonna be okay”.LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah mentioned many of the ways she likes to consume news media, including the NPR One App, Pantsuit Politics Podcast, Up First Podcast, and InstapaperYou can find all of our listener questions episodes hereHave a question for Meagan and Sarah? Send us your question by email to hello@themomhour.com, or even better we love when you record your questions using Speakpipe!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.

Dec 17, 2019 • 58min
Kids’ Haircuts, Styling & Maintenance: Episode 239
When your baby comes home one with one of those hospital-issued fine-toothed combs, the nurses don’t warn you about awkward baby mullets, the heartache of cutting off toddler curls, or the volume of screeching elicited by soap in the eyes and combing out tangles. They also don’t mention lice, greasy tween hair, bad haircuts, getting slime stuck in long locks. In Episode 239 Meagan and Sarah discuss all things related to kids’ hair, from baby to teen. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Queue it up! Check out Sarah’s new podcast with her daughter, Kidliterate! Each episode they’ll discuss the, books, shows, podcasts, and music that their family enjoys.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.


