The Mom Hour

Neither Meagan nor Sarah is a resolution-maker, but we both love starting fresh after the holidays with renewed energy and focus. Today we’re talking about fitness, food, and self-care – our own intentions for 2016 as well as what has worked for us (and not so much) in the past. Are you new here? Welcome!LINKS MENTIONED:Past episodes of The Mom Hour you might have missedImproving Your Media Diet (Ep 3)Creating A Life You Love When You’re Done Having Babies (Ep 11)Healthy Routines For Happy Moms (Ep 20)Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping (Ep 23)Self-Care Is More Than Bubble Baths & Pedicures (Meagan’s cancer story)Beyond Baby: Creating A Life You Love When Your Kids Aren’t So Little (Meagan’s 2014 eBook)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.

As Christmas fast approaches, we're here to remind you that YOU too deserve great, thoughtful gifts under the tree this year! Join us as we talk about our own wish lists and favorite gifts from holidays past, and get some ideas you can drop as not-so-subtle hints this week!LINKS MENTIONED20 Can’t-Miss Holiday Gifts For Moms (our 2012 guide at The Happiest Home – all the ideas stand the test of time!)10 Great Gifts For Moms (our 2014 guide at The Happiest Home)All the great tech tips and products from Cool Mom TechThe gorgeous products from FASHIONABLE, the fantastic social good company whose tagline is “Beautiful products by women who have overcome.”Long “wear around the house” cardigans like this one from PattyBoutikHoodies from American GiantWarm feet – Muk Luks like these, the UGG boots Sarah wants this year, inexpensive slide-on slippers, and over-the-knee boots like the ones Meagan and Shana talked about in this episode of The Style HourHigh quality paper products, stationary and cards – we like Minted, Staples, and mom-owned kristinshopKitchenAid stand mixerGift certificate to Art.comHome and personal electronics like Meagan’s LG Electronics Tone Pro Bluetooth Headset and Sarah’s Belkin Charge and Sync Dock, or a wireless/bluetooth speaker like this one from BoseSubscription services like Spotify, Amazon Prime, AudibleMORE 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.

Have you been meaning to watch old holiday film classics but never get around to it? Or are you just as disturbed as we are by some of the mid-century Christmas TV programming (looking at you, Rudolph)? In Episode 31 Meagan and Sarah talk about our favorite – and not-so-much – holiday movies, TV, books, and music. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:MOVIES & TVIt’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, and White ChristmasMiracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version and the 1994 remake)The SnowmanAnnie (the 2014 version)Love ActuallyA Christmas Carol (the 1984 version)The Polar ExpressRudolph, the Red-Nosed ReindeerHow The Grinch Stole Christmas! (the 1966 animated version)Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas and Mickey’s Twice Upon A ChristmasChristmas Vacation, Home Alone, and A Christmas StoryOne Magic Christmas (favorite listener award goes to anyone who also watched this movie as a kid!)The Nutcracker (the 1993 Macaulay Culkin version and the 1977 version with Baryshnikov)BOOKSA Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) – FREE on Kindle!The Christmas Magic (Lauren Thompson)The Little House series (Laura Ingalls Wilder)Books by author Jan BrettThe Nativity (Julie Vivas)Oh, What a Christmas! (Michael Garland)MUSICMeagan’s Christmas Hour (Spotify playlist)Come Let Us Adore Him and Sing Noel (The Lower Lights)Sarah likes this version of The Nutcracker (The Orchestra of The Royal Opera House Covent Garden)OTHER STUFFABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas 2015 Schedule25 Christmas Movies You Can Stream (Digital Trends)Best Holiday Movies for Kids (Commonsense Media)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.

"Simplify" has become one of the buzziest holiday buzzwords over the last decade, and today Meagan and Sarah are unpacking what that really means in their homes. Whether you really do want to scale back this season or whether, like us, you're just out to maximize magic and minimize stress, we hope you'll join us for Episode 30!LINKS MENTIONED:Be The Best Parent You Can Be – FREE online parenting video series beginning this week!5 reasons I’m not simplifying Christmas this year (updated) – Laura VanderkamHoliday Episodes of The Home HourCreate a Calmer Holiday with Doña Bumgarner (Episode 44)Saving Money at the Holidays with Amy Clark of MomAdvice.com (Episode 9)Simplifying the holidays with Tsh Oxenreider of Simple Mom (Episode 7)Low-Stress Traditions with Sarah Powers (the first time we ever recorded together! Episode 14)Christmas at Home with Meagan & Sarah (last year’s holiday chat – Episode 46)Living Well on Less with Amy Suardi of Frugal Mama (Episode 5)Blogging and Life with Rebecca Woolf of Girl’s Gone Child (Episode 16)Essays and posts we’ve written on creating holiday joy and enjoying the seasonHolidays, The Easy Way (a four-part series on The Happiest Home)Why Holiday Traditions Aren’t Mom’s Responsibility (Sarah for The Huffington Post)Believing in Santa, for now (Meagan for The Washington Post)The Reason For The Season? Joy. (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.

From helping a toddler adjust to a new baby, to coping with bickering, to creating a family culture that honors both individual kids and sibling relationships, parenting siblings is no small task. Join us for Episode 29 of The Mom Hour, where we get real about the dynamics among our own kids and share thoughts on raising siblings who like each other (well, most of the time).LINKS MENTIONED:Peaceful Parents, Happy Siblings (Dr. Laura Markham)Episode 6 of The Home Hour, where Meagan interviews Heather Shumaker, author of It’s OK Not to Share and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate KidsHappy Families Have Stories – Meagan’s post in response to the New York Times article by Bruce Feiler, “The Stories That Bind Us”My Kids Like Each Other…And That’s Enough (Meagan for The Happiest Home)Paper Swimsuits And The Stories They Tell (Meagan for The Happiest Home)Cuisinart CSB-79 Smart Stick 2-Speed 200-watt Immersion wired Hand Blender with AttachmentsKitsch’n Glam aprons, like this oneWine Enthusiast 3-Pack Wine Glass Writer Metallic PenMORE 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.

Get our complete guide to gifts that your kids will still be playing with next year (and beyond!), PLUS enter to win one of TWO amazing scooters from Micro Kickboard!Gifts for babies & toddlersSarah loves Fisher-Price Little People – the Fun Sounds Farm, and Builders sets like this one are a great precursor to Duplo and LEGOLittle Tikes Cozy CoupeA crawl-through play tunnel like this one from Melissa & DougPlay kitchen (Sarah has one from Step 2 similar to this)Standing easel (Meagan loves this one from One Step Ahead)Gifts for preschool & little kidsThe expensive-but-so-worth-it Magna TilesLEGO Duplo starter sets like this oneSchleich plastic animals like these dragonsInexpensive knock-offs of more expensive brands, like Li’l Woodzeez and Our GenerationDoll house (Sarah loves this one from Melissa & Doug)Play silks from Magic CabinPuppet theaterGifts for big kids & teensChomp Card GameDrone with HD Camera$49 Kindle FireBig-kid and adult-sized footie pajamasOther great stuff we talked about7 ways to survive playing board games with your kids (Meagan for The Happiest Home)Meagan’s interview with Sarah Mackenzie on the Read Aloud Revival podcastThe Overdrive app that connects you to your local library for digital lending, and the Kindle Lending Library for Amazon Prime subscribersRebrickable, the site for LEGO lovers that provides instructions for new creations based on the sets you already ownMORE 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.

Those sweet, pudgy things keep you up at night? News flash: they'll be adults before you know it. In honor of Meagan's oldest turning 18 this week, we're devoting Episode 27 to talking about the adults we're raising: what we hope for them, what we imagine they'll become, and just how much control we have over how they turn out.LINKS MENTIONED:Why I’m not worried about my late-blooming teen (Meagan for The Washington Post)Parents of Teens: We Need to Redefine High School ‘Success’ (Meagan for The Huffington Post)You Probably Won’t Remember This Later…And That’s OK (Meagan for The Happiest Home)And don’t forget to listen through to the very end to hear Meagan chat with Jacob on his eighteenth birthday. Enjoy!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.

Episode 26 of The Mom Hour is all about dealing with criticism. Whether it's in-law tension, the "back in MY day" comments from relatives, or your own inner critic (isn't she the worst?), we offer our own stories and tips for taking it all in stride.LINKS MENTIONED:What’s your parenting Achilles’ heel? (Meagan for The Happiest Home)Zen Parenting Radio’s most recent podcast episode, How To Handle Criticism, and Meagan’s interview with Todd and Cathy Adams on The Home HourHandling the grandparents’ unsolicited parenting advice (NY Times Motherlode)4 tactics for handling parenting criticism from the in-laws (SheKnows)Dealing with parenting criticism (SimpleKids.net)7 tips for handling criticism (Gretchen Rubin)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 Halloween week! Whether it's your first time dressing up a little pumpkin or your teenagers are beyond trick-or-treating, we hope you'll join Meagan and Sarah as we share stories and tips to make Halloween fun, safe, and totally-not-stressful at every stage.LINKS MENTIONED:Halloween costumes from One Step Ahead, marked down like crazy right nowAll the fantastic Halloween costume ideas for babies and toddlers from the Rookie MomsSome of our Halloween-related posts from The Happiest Home4 Ways To Bring Your Parenting A-Game This Halloween (Sarah)Eat that candy, kids. (On high-fructose corn syrup, special occasions, and life). (Meagan)A Simple, Special Halloween (this post is full of Meagan’s family and growing-up Halloween photos – don’t miss it!)3 Easy Halloween Decorating Ideas (Meagan)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.

By popular request, we're following up Episode 19 (Things We Shouldn't Have Freaked Out About (As New Moms)) with a show all about the things that stressed us out when we were parenting toddlers. From potty training to introducing a sibling, we unpack our toddler-mom stresses and worries (with the added benefit of hindsight) in the hopes that we can help you worry just a little less. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.