After Hours With Amanda

Latest Episodes:

Time Is Passing, But You Are Not Behind | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 7 Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about time passing, feeling behind, dreams, motherhood, Disneyland, grief, and the version of me who once could not see how the story would unfold. I read from the journal I started when I was pregnant with London, back when I was working retail and aching to be home with her, and I talk about why Disneyland feels like coming home to my mom, Adam, and younger me. If you feel stuck, scared, or like everyone else got the map except you, this is your reminder that time is passing, but it is not leaving you behind.

00:00 Sixteen Days Until Disneyland
01:11 Jeans, Socks, and Parent Jokes
02:54 The Disney Trip Plot Begins
05:39 No Means Not Yet
06:55 Page Joins the Disney Campaign
09:06 Sometimes I Do Not Want to Grow Up
11:39 We Are Going to Disneyland
12:18 Why Disneyland Feels Like Home
13:50 Grief, Cremation, and Having No Place to Visit
15:08 Main Street Memories
16:09 Disney and the Younger Parts of Me
17:31 My Simple Goal Journal
18:37 Reading My Pregnancy Journal
25:45 Missing My Mom While Becoming a Mom
27:10 Time Passing and Working Retail
30:15 Wanting London to Know Me
31:48 Watching the Game When You Know Who Wins
33:27 The Page Turned Six Months Later
34:11 Coming Home Full Time
36:44 The Pressure We Put on Tiny Things
38:04 Time Can Work for You Too
39:38 You Do Not Have to Have the Whole Plan
44:30 Time Is Not Leaving You Behind
45:23 Learning Is Not Getting Everything Right
46:20 It Is All Happening for You
48:27 Final Encouragement

You Are Being Refined, Not Broken | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 6 Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about dreams, self worth, purpose in pain, and what it means to be refined, not broken. This is a long voicemail about the new podcast sign, dream journals, the Macy’s Day Parade, Disneyland, chronic pain, tiny queens growing up, Whitney Houston, and learning to kick other people’s voices out of your head. I’m not pretending hard seasons are easy, but I do believe future you may look back and say, “Look at us. We made it.” If your inner voice has been loud or your dream feels far away, sit with me for a bit.

00:00 Welcome Back and the New Sign
00:23 Academy Awards and Dreams
01:31 Life Does Not End at 40
02:09 Loving the Process
03:04 Dream Journals and Big Goals
04:02 Disneyland, Dissociation, and Looking Ahead
05:12 Changing Your Mind Is Allowed
07:41 Change Means Growth
08:17 Pain, Fire, and the Uncut Diamond
10:42 Testing, Faith, and Proving It to Yourself
12:04 There Is Purpose in Your Pain
13:32 Bitterness Does Not Heal You
14:09 Empathy After Physical Pain
16:11 You Are Stronger Than You Think
17:40 Whitney Houston and the Greatest Love
18:41 Who Is Living in Your Head?
19:16 Boundaries Are Not Always Simple
20:42 The Village Can Be One Person
22:41 Learning to Love Yourself
23:16 Getting to Know Your Kids Again
25:33 Getting to Know Yourself Again
27:25 The Last First Tooth
30:21 Raising Them to Leave You
32:27 Getting to Know Yourself in Every Stage
34:13 The Diamond Analogy
35:43 Your Best, Hottest Version
36:17 Ten Years Ago Amanda
38:01 The Hard Season Can Still Refine You
39:09 Sing Whitney in the Car
40:49 Shine Light on the Dream
41:55 Planning the Week and Fighting the Inner Voice
43:19 You Are Being Refined
44:02 Calling Out the Lies in Your Head
46:40 Becoming the Future You
47:26 Creating a Safe Space
48:27 Big Dreams for the Podcast
50:33 You Are a Diamond
51:35 One Day, a Live Tour
52:02 Final Encouragement

Why Are Women Still Fighting Each Other? | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 5 Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about comparison, content creation, women judging women, motherhood, childfree conversations, working moms, stay at home moms, and what we teach our tiny queens when we tear each other down. This is a long voicemail about fake nails, ASMR rage, Comparison Katie, Julie Jealousy, losing my job in 2020, falling into content creation, and why someone else’s life does not have to threaten the value of yours. If comparison has been loud lately, come sit with me for a bit. We are doing our best.

00:00 Rerecording the Lost Episode
00:33 Is Life Better After 30?
01:12 Video Podcast Anxiety
01:28 Fake Nails and Hyperfixation
03:25 Harvest Snaps and ASMR Rage
04:11 Comparison Katie Shows Up
05:02 Content Creation and Job Loss
06:27 Brand Deals, Auditions, and ROI
08:35 Metrics, Money, and Feeling Behind
09:04 Julie Jealousy and Emotional Regulation
10:12 More Is Caught Than Taught
10:36 DINK Life and Tiny Humans
11:39 The Viral Friday Night Video
13:13 Women Judging Women
14:30 Working Moms and Stay At Home Moms
15:27 The TikTok Stitch
16:01 What You Put In Your Brain Matters
17:25 Choosing Not to Engage
20:26 Losing My Job and Finding This Community
21:11 Mom Culture Fighting Itself
22:03 Moms Helping Moms
23:15 Sharing the Hard Without Scaring People
24:25 You Do Not Have to Want Kids
26:19 Making Each Other’s Lives Better
28:09 Stop Measuring Women’s Worth
28:59 There Is a Right Way to Treat People
29:47 The Transcript Cuts Off

Control: The Great Illusionist | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 4 Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about the illusion of control, the routines that make us feel safe, and what happens when life changes enough that the old systems do not fit the same way. This is a long voicemail about overbooking myself, somatic therapy, emotional hijacking, Starbucks rituals, food routines, In N Out Mondays, motherhood, faith, and learning that structure can support us without becoming the measure of whether we are okay. If your habits have shifted, your body feels different, or you are trying to hold everything together because you love your people, sit with me for a bit.

00:00 An Unintended Episode
00:32 Overbooking Myself Again
01:23 Teacher Features and Mini Golf
02:18 Valentine’s Parties and Garden Class
03:17 Thriving on Chaos
04:01 Somatic Therapy and Inside Out
06:11 When One Emotion Hijacks Everything
07:20 When the Body Holds the Feeling
08:00 Journaling Feels Too Honest
09:15 Reporting Versus Really Feeling
10:38 Family Photos and Full Circle Moments
14:32 Swim, Schedules, and Being Voluntold
15:16 The Illusion of Control
16:33 The Starbucks Ritual
20:31 When the Old Systems Break Down
22:19 Trying Decaf and Feeling Anxiety Rise
25:30 What If This Is Not My Jam Anymore?
26:16 Strawberries, Structure, and Flexibility
28:11 Habits Are Helpful Until They Hijack You
30:49 In N Out Mondays and Holding On
33:08 Faith When Everything Falls Apart
34:38 Control, Birth, and Sacred Moments
36:10 When Systems Become the Bar
37:19 Learning to Slow Down
38:10 Control Can Come From Love
40:24 Shaking Up the Systems
42:10 Parenting the Younger Parts of Me
43:27 Pivoting Without Calling It Failure
44:26 Valentine’s Day and Being Loved

Restriction vs. Restraint | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 3 Feb 10, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about restriction versus restraint in parenting, food, iPads, friendships, exercise, marriage, and the way I treat myself. This is not advice. It is me learning out loud about raising tiny humans who can build judgment, confidence, and trust instead of just hearing “no” at every turn. We get into sugar, screens, peer pressure, food fear after surgery, getting back to movement for mental health, and the joy of hearing my tiny queen call me out when I needed it. If you are trying to parent without making everything all or nothing, sit with me for a bit.

00:00 Still Figuring Out the Video Podcast
00:23 Delilah Radio Energy and Mic Noises
01:08 Bodily Functions and Being Real
02:11 Getting Back in the Gym
04:23 Starting a New Kind of Therapy
06:02 Living Again After Surgery
06:28 Catching the Good Old Days
08:07 Past Me, Present Me, Future Me
08:51 Avatar, Toy Story, and Disney Tangents
10:35 Parenting an Almost Ten Year Old
11:18 Friends, Restriction, and Control
13:07 Restriction Versus Restraint
16:16 Teaching Safety Instead of Just Saying No
17:05 iPads, Sugar, and Building Judgment
21:16 Why Peer Pressure Gets Tricky
24:06 Parenting Is Not a Group Project
26:07 Restriction Versus Restraint With Myself
30:43 Marriage Is Not All or Nothing
33:23 Tools for Friendships and Toxic Relationships
35:31 I Trust Your Judgment
37:01 Conversations With My Tiny Queen
40:16 Final Encouragement

Purpose & People over Productivity & | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 2 Feb 01, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about people over productivity and the way we measure ourselves and each other by what gets done, what gets missed, and which balls get dropped. After months of pain and recovery, I started thinking about how quickly we take things personally instead of asking what might be going on. This is a long voicemail about motherhood, friendship, mental health, hot lunch, tiny queens, boundaries, empathy, and remembering that we are all more than our checkboxes. If you have felt behind, quiet, overwhelmed, or not enough, sit with me for a bit.

00:00 Trying a New Video Podcast Setup
00:44 Mall Walker Energy and Sephora Chaos
02:46 Welcome to After Hours With Amanda
03:28 Feeling the Love After Last Week
04:08 Starting Somatic Therapy
04:35 Why Do I Go on the Defense?
06:21 The Stress of “Can We Talk?”
07:03 Where My Value Comes From
08:34 When the Balls Start Dropping
10:23 Asking What Happened First
12:24 Seeing Our Tiny People More Clearly
13:38 Why Are They Dropping the Ball?
16:10 Chronic Pain and People Over Productivity
18:28 Noticing When Someone Seems Off
21:00 When a Tiny Queen Finally Says the Week Was Hard
23:21 The Village Does Not Have to Be Large
25:07 When People Show Up in the Dark
26:17 Boundaries, Peace, and Collaboration
30:25 Hot Lunch and Letting Go of Mom Rules
33:43 Asking Why Before Moving On
36:03 The Frozen Lake Analogy
38:00 Mental Health Should Not Be Whispered About
41:24 You Are More Than Your Productivity
43:05 Do Something Kind for Someone Else
45:04 People Over Productivity
46:10 Final Encouragement

Botox for My Butthole | After Hours With Amanda Season 3 - Ep. 1 Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m sharing where I have been for the last four months. This is my personal medical story, not medical advice, about an anal fissure, chronic pain, health anxiety, food fear, advocating for myself, and finally being believed. It is vulnerable, chaotic, and yes, somehow includes the phrase “Botox for my butthole.” I talk about pain, surgery, motherhood, faith, asking for help, and what it felt like to have life stop long enough for me to see how much control I was trying to carry. If you are in something life altering, I hope you feel less alone here.

00:00 Filming the Podcast and Feeling Awkward
01:36 Welcome Back After Four Months
02:18 Trigger Warnings and Why I’m Sharing
03:35 When I Thought It Was Hemorrhoids
04:49 Years of GI Issues and Bathroom Shame
07:19 Suppositories, Burning, and Things Getting Worse
08:26 The Night the Pain Took Over
11:51 Getting Diagnosed With an Anal Fissure
14:53 Creams, Pain, and No Clear Answers
17:15 Fiber Counting and Food Fear
20:14 The 50/50 Phone Call
23:24 Spasms, Baths, and Losing Weight
26:22 The Light Leaving My Eyes
28:02 Disneyland in Survival Mode
35:13 The Appointment I Thought Would Fix Everything
36:11 A Triggering Medical Exam
40:14 Needing a Female Surgeon
44:10 Fighting Insurance and Feeling Unheard
50:18 Advocating for Myself Like I Would for My Girls
52:42 Finally Getting the Appointment
55:01 Being Believed Without Explaining Everything
56:14 Surgery, Botox, and Finally No Pain
01:02:25 Why Validation Matters
01:03:30 Faith, Anger, and Feeling Deserted
01:04:34 Motherhood, Control, and Missing Christmas Programs
01:08:09 Finding Joy in the Small Things
01:09:20 Water, Fiber, and Food Exposure
01:11:27 Life Altering, Not Life Threatening
01:12:45 Final Encouragement

The Small Moments That Build Trust With Your Kids | After Hours With Amanda Season 2 - Ep. 13 Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about parenting, trust, emotional safety, and the tiny everyday moments that decide whether our kids feel safe coming to us later. It starts with Christmas decorating and a broken ornament, but really, it becomes a conversation about communication beating condemnation, trust breaking in tiny fractures, and wanting to be the lighthouse my girls can come back to. This is not me saying I get it right every time. I mess up too. But I’m learning that if I want my tiny humans to trust me when life gets bigger, it starts with how I meet them now.

00:00 Two for Two and Taking the Small Wins
00:36 Disneyland Countdown Joy
01:14 Let’s Talk Hemorrhoids, Because Besties
04:12 Christmas Decor Before Thanksgiving
06:18 Halloween, Allergies, and Early Christmas Vibes
07:39 Amazon Storefronts and Life Updates
09:22 Christmas Decor and Holiday Campaigns
10:08 Building Trust With Tiny Humans
11:19 The Windshield Crack Analogy
12:45 Ornament Stories and Family Memories
14:00 The Broken Ornament Moment
16:05 Meeting Mistakes With Safety
17:32 I Want You to Talk to Me Later
19:22 Trust, Acceptance, Love, and Empathy
20:55 The Lighthouse and the Dock
23:33 Teaching Through Our Own Mistakes
26:15 Forced Apologies and Internal Repair
28:19 Teens, Power Struggles, and Communication
33:35 Trust in Marriage and Owning Impact
36:16 Relationship Building, Not Control
38:29 Teaching Emotions as Superpowers
42:23 It Is Never Too Late to Rebuild Trust
47:00 Communication Beats Condemnation
49:17 Final Encouragement

Be in the Moment, Not Just the Checklist | After Hours With Amanda Season 2 - Ep. 12 Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m back with a long voicemail between friends about the holiday season, mom guilt, gift giving, social media comparison, and the pressure to do all the things. I love the cozy magic of the holidays, but I also know how quickly it can turn into a checklist. This is me reminding myself that sometimes giving less means giving more, and the memories that stay with us are often made in the being, not just the doing. If the holidays feel heavy, exciting, lonely, or overwhelming, you can sit here with me for a bit.

00:00 Welcome Back, Friend
01:41 A Long Voicemail Between Friends
02:08 The Bathrobe Story
05:00 Heading Into the Holidays
06:02 Gift Giving and Social Media Comparison
07:43 What Tiny People Really Want
08:49 Sometimes Giving Less Means Giving More
10:35 Giving Without Expecting
11:48 The Hickory Farms Christmas Story
15:06 Being, Not Just Doing
16:20 Bedtime Books and Mom Guilt
18:15 Breathe In Good, Breathe Out Night
19:21 The Holiday Checklist Trap
20:45 When the Holidays Feel Lonely
22:20 Giving Your Time and Presence
23:23 Watching for the Small Moments
25:20 Holiday Activities, Money, and Pressure
28:32 Choosing Where You Want to Be
31:31 Avoiding the Holiday Haze
31:56 Grief, Memory, and What Stays
35:28 You Are Not Alone Here

Why I Don’t Force Clean Plates or Fake Apologies | After Hours With Amanda Season 2 - Ep. 11 Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of After Hours With Amanda, I’m talking about clean plates, forced apologies, food, body cues, empathy, and the tiny ways we teach kids to trust or ignore themselves. This is not me telling anyone how to parent. It is me thinking out loud about what happens when we focus more on the performance of gratitude, manners, or obedience than the internal tools our kids are building. From dinner tables to apologies to gift reactions, I’m asking what it looks like to raise tiny humans who can listen to their bodies, say no politely, repair with empathy, and trust themselves as they grow.

00:00 Sleepytime Tea and a Late Night Hello

02:15 Forts, Toy Story, and Tiny Humans

04:26 The Almost New York Trip

07:03 Phantom, Les Mis, and Big Questions

10:39 What This Podcast Really Is

12:24 The Clean Plate Problem

16:16 Forced Apologies and Real Empathy

18:42 Walking Kids Through Repair

20:38 Teaching Kids to Listen to Their Bodies

23:33 Food Rules, Dessert, and Boundaries

26:34 Trusting Intuition Beyond the Dinner Table

29:19 Teaching Kids to Say No Politely