The Mom Hour

It’s time for another edition of The More-Than-Mom Hour! Every once in a while we set aside parenting and motherhood topics and catch up about what’s making us happy in other areas of life. In Episode 77 we talk about decorating! Meagan has a new nook of her own to make pretty, and we both love changing up home decor for the holidays. We also share our favorite foods, drinks and treats to order when we’re dining out. Enjoy!Meagan’s Office Coming Together!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.

November is National Adoption Awareness month, and for our latest Bonus Interview episode Sarah interviews adoptive mom (and podcaster/writer/teacher) Erica Ladd. Erica shares her family’s foster-to-adoption story, offers encouragement for others going through the process, and has great tips for friends who want to support adoptive families but aren’t sure what to say. Enjoy the See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do we handle the holiday “gimmies,” when kids claim to NEED everything on their gift list? What’s the best way to cultivate a practice of gratitude (and does it have to involve a craft?)? How can we include kids in meaningful giving during the holidays – and all year round? These are big questions and we’re taking them on in Episode 76 of The Mom Hour. Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful, no-judgment conversation on raising kids to be thankful (even when they still REALLY want that toy…).LINKS MENTIONED:How we help curb the ‘I want that!’s during the holidays (Tsh Oxenreider for The Art of Simple)20 Gratitude Activities for Kids (more than half of which do NOT require crafting/making/projects) (Rebecca Eanes for positive-parents.org)A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World (DK Children & UNICEF, via Amazon)The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money (Ron Lieber, via Amazon)Playmobil Advent Calendar Playset (via Amazon)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.

It’s officially cold and flu season and we’re devoting Episode 75 to coping when kids get sick. Join Meagan and Sarah for our tips on knowing when it’s time to get in to the pediatrician, dealing with ER and Urgent Care visits, and making the best of those times when a virus seems to take down the whole house.Disclaimer. We’re not doctors, we’re moms. This episode isn’t medical advice, it’s story-sharing. The end.LINKS MENTIONED:Nose Frieda Nasal Aspirator (Amazon)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.

Nesting. Naming. Decorating. Gender revealing. There are so many fun ways to anticipate the arrival of a new baby, and we’re talking about all of them in this week’s podcast! Whether you’re expecting (congrats!) or just really love talking about baby names (Sarah raises hand), we think you’ll love Episode 74. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Episode 38, all about our pregnancy and childbirth experiences, more from a healthcare/symptoms/physical perspectiveThe Baby Name Wizard, Revised 3rd Edition: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby (book by Laura Wattenberg)The amazing data tools at BabyNameWizard.com, like the The Baby Name Wizard, Revised 3rd Edition: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby, which looks at name popularity and trends over timeNameberry.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.

Rosalynn let her five-year-old quit an activity she had begged to start and wonders how to handle the same situation as kids get older and the commitment-stakes get higher for sports and activities. Tessa asks about helping a trio of girl cousins get along without forcing inclusiveness or letting hurt feelings dominate. Finally, we talk about weaning a breastfeeding toddler as suggested by an anonymous participant in our listener survey. Join us for another round of Listener Questions!LINKS MENTIONEDEpisode 18, all about sports and activitiesEpisode 29, about raising siblings who like each otherHow to wean your three-year-old with a cupcake (our friend Doña Bumgarner of Nurtured Mama for Motherwell Magazine)Other episodes where we’ve taken your listener questions: Episode 41, Episode 52, and Episode 65MORE 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.

Meal plans are great, but how often do we get to the end of a well-intentioned week and realize that things didn’t go exactly (or at ALL) as planned? Pretty often.So this week we’re giving you a look at a week of totally honest, no-filter dinners in our homes. We each kept track for a week of what we fed our families for dinner, and in Episode 72 we share it with you – from the slow-cooked pork shoulder and roasted vegetables (nailed it!) to the everyone-ate-standing-up-and-mom-had-cereal-for-dinner (twice!).LINKS MENTIONED:Episode 23, about meal planning and grocery shoppingEpisode 70, about kids in the kitchenEpisode 55, about saving money on groceries and household suppliesMeagan’s interview with with Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner, A Love Story on an episode of The Home HourMORE 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 a regular listener, you know all about the kids in Meagan’s and Sarah’s houses. But we haven’t shared much about our furry, feathered and scaly friends on the podcast. In this week’s show we talk about family pets – including the ones we own and have owned – and how they impact our lives as we raise our families.For tips on adding a new pet to the family, what kinds of caged creatures tend to work better than others, finding pet care while you’re traveling, dealing with the loss of a pet, and just how much help to expect from older kids who promise they’ll help take care of a new pet, listen to Episode 71 now!LINKS MENTIONED:Check out this awesome video of Meagan’s crested eyelash gecko!@CheeseHands on 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.

If you shy away from political discussions to avoid ruffling feathers, you’re not alone. But after listening to Sarah’s interview with writer, podcaster, and mom of three Sarah Stewart Holland, you might have a different perspective on those heated political Facebook comment threads. Join Sarah and Sarah in this special bonus episode for a thoughtful See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When they’re tiny, having kids with you in the kitchen can be challenging (to put it mildly); during these little years it’s all about keeping them occupied while you put together a meal or put away the groceries as fast as humanly possible. As they get older, though, including kids in cooking and meal prep can be a great way to bond while teaching them important kitchen skills – all at a much more leisurely pace.LINKS MENTIONED:Wait, they want to eat every DAY? (Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping) – Episode 23Kitchen Helper / Safety Tower like this one from Guidecraft via AmazonHow to cook dinner with a toddler underfoot (Meagan for The Happiest Home)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.