The Mom Hour

From structured gratitude practices to spontaneous texts, this time of year provides lots of opportunities to appreciate the moments–and the people–in our lives. In this second part in our special series on Creating Holiday Memories, Meagan and Sarah talk about cultivating a habit of gratitude and appreciation–for ourselves as well as with our families. Join us!This episode is part of our 3-part series on Creating Holiday Memories. Check out Part 1 here, and Part 3 here.LINKS MENTIONED:Download the Chatbooks appListen to Part 1 in this seriesMORE 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.

Moms are great at planning the holidays. Check-listing the holidays. Executing the holidays. But for those of us who want to create lasting holiday memories for ourselves and our families, it starts a much simpler place: noticing small moments of connection, beauty, and magic all around us. In this kickoff to our special series on Creating Holiday Memories, Meagan and Sarah offer our thoughts on the importance of noticing, and how busy moms can incorporate it into their holiday season this year.This episode is part of our 3-part series on Creating Holiday Memories. You can listen to Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.LINKS MENTIONED:Download the Chatbooks appSarah’s essay about noticing holiday decorations with little kids: Comet, The Red-Nosed MinivanMORE 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.

Feeling distracted, forgetful, or just sorta fuzzy? We’ve been there. Listener Erin asked about “mom brain” and how we’ve handled it over the years, as well as how to keep your adult conversation skills from completely atrophying when you’re in a phase of life that doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for intellectually stimulating discussions. We dive into small talk, how to navigate awkwardness in groups of adults where everyone seems to know each other, and how to nurture interesting conversations in mixed company. Join us!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.

Heartburn in pregnancy means babies born with lots of hair; boys are harder when they’re little, girls are harder later on; third babies are super chill: These are just a few myths and supposed truths that beg to be tested by reality. We asked YOU, our listeners, to help us come up with as many mom myths as possible, and in Episode 234 Meagan and Sarah discuss whether they’ve held true for our combined eight kids. It’s a fun one–join us!LINKS MENTIONED:The Mom Hour Podcast Club is going to be available in just a few days! Check it out at themomhour.com/clubYou can always reach us by email at hello@themomhour.comGet to know more about our sound engineer Brian Thomas at YokaiAudio.com.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.

Meagan and Sarah have been lifting weights this fall! After bemoaning our fitness situation back in late summer, we got (sorta) serious about doing trainer-led workouts–and we found a way to do it “together,” remotely! In today’s More Than Mom episode we’re full of updates, from how sore we are to what changes we’ve noticed after 6+ weeks of weight training. We also discuss where we want to go from here with our fitness routine, tips for working with a trainer or accountability group, how we feel about smartphone apps for fitness, and more. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Kansas City, MO area listeners can check out Mark’s new gym Fit Street coming to the Crossroads neighborhood (20th & Washington St) in 2020Interested in training with Mark through the Train Heroic App? Contact Mark at fit30gym@gmail.com, or email us at hello@themomhour.com 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.

Taking your child to see a counselor, therapist, or psychologist feels heavy…but it doesn’t have to be. As our understanding of childhood mental health expands and the stigma associated with seeking help shrinks, the growth and support opportunities for our kids that exist with the help of a trained professional are worth approaching with curiosity, not fear or sadness.In this month’s Voices interview Sarah chats with child psychologist, professor, and therapist in private practice Dr. Erin Lanphier. Dr. Erin explains patiently, and with all the detail Sarah loves, what the process of finding and working with a therapist for your child is like. We also discuss anxiety and childhood fears, how to know whether it’s time to seek outside help, and more. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:You can always get in touch with us by emailing hello@themomhour.com (let us know if you have a question for Dr. Erin or would like to hear her back on the show on a particular topic!)Phoenix area listeners can reach Dr. Erin at her private practice at (480) 222-1575MORE 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.

The road to extracurricular insanity is paved with good intentions…or so the saying goes. Sarah has always resisted the pressure to sign her kids up for multiple sports, clubs, and activities, but somehow Fall 2019 landed the Powers family with a crazy after school schedule. Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss how it happened, what it revealed, and how it’s all coming to an end this week. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:You can always get in touch with us by emailing hello@themomhour.comMeagan mentioned the episode Nurturing Kids’ Talents (And When To Let Them Quit) (Episode 164 from July 2018)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.

From gift giving to special meals, family gatherings and classroom celebrations, creating special birthday traditions for your kids is a multi-faceted affair. Even if you’re not into big parties, there is still plenty to think about–and to keep you busy when multiple kids have birthdays in the same season, as is the case for Meagan’s family. Join us for a thoughtful look at the family culture around kids’ birthdays in Episode 232 of The Mom Hour. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Want to hear more on the topic of kids’ birthdays? Check out Kid Birthdays, Part 1 (The Kids In Your Family (Episode 68 from September 2016), Kid Birthdays, Part 2 (Other People’s Parties) (Episode 69 from September 2016), and Birthday Parties The Easier Way (Episode 155 from May 2018)Queue It Up! Sarah is a guest on Best of Both Worlds with Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger this week, AND both of us chat with Alana Dawson on The Podcasting PartyMORE 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.

Weirdest thing Meagan and Sarah are afraid of? You’ll never guess in a million years (and please tell us if you share our weird fears!). And then there are the more typical things that creep us out, from the minor heebie-jeebies to the big-time stuff that truly terrifies us. Join us for a fun, funny, not-at-all-scary More Than Mom episode all about the things that scare us!LINKS MENTIONED:Meagan is right about “heebie-jeebies”We talked about thrill-seeking personalities in our Adventure As A Family Value episode, and its More Than Mom counterpart: Adventures Great & Small, which is more about adventures in our own livesSarah once wrote about her scorpion encountersYou can always get in touch with us by emailing hello@themomhour.comMORE 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.

Roasts, stews, gourd-shaped baked goods, and soups that pair with a storybook read-aloud–we are leaning in hard this fall to cozy seasonal cooking. Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss what we’ve been feeding our families lately, what we aspire to make and bake this fall, and how we like to bring the season to our table in both the food and décor departments. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:This episode was inspired by Sarah’s recent interview with the hosts of the Didn’t I Just Feed Youpodcast, Feeding Your Family Without The Guilt, and a recent episode about feeding families on the The Girl Next Door PodcastMeagan’s kids love her pork and sweet potato hash – here’s a step-by-step recipe as written for her young adult son IsaacBuy Meagan’s Nordic Ware Wheat & Pumpkin Loaf Pan on Amazon (affiliate link), and see the recipe on MomAdvice.com for Easy Homemade Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread that inspired the purchase!Sarah’s favorite chili recipe (originally from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (affiliate link), modified by The Cake Chica here)Sarah’s butternut squash soup with apple, bacon and sage recipePumpkin Soup, by Helen Thomas (affiliate link)Queue It Up! Meagan suggested an episode from last year about Halloween Costumes and Halloween Picture Books (Episode 177)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.