The Mom Hour

Latest Episodes:

Envisioning Your Week Of Ideal Meals: Episode 331 Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Our “Week Of Real-Life Dinners” is beloved around these parts, and we have another installment coming up next month! And while normalizing the pivots and misses (and hastily ordered pizzas) that characterize EVERY family’s real-life dinners is super important, we also know that revisiting the values and ideals that serve as your foundation can help re-energize the meal-planning process. In short: there’s nothing wrong with real-life dinners, but there’s also nothing wrong with shooting for an ideal plan. In Episode 331 Meagan and Sarah reflect on the what’s and why’s of our own week of ideal family meals, acknowledging the pain points we’re trying to avoid and the north star we’re shooting toward. We also look at the “ingredients” that go into a week of meals that nearly hits that elusive ideal. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Check out all our episodes on Feeding a Family, including our series of “A Week of Real Life Dinners.”
Listen to Envisioning Your Perfect Ordinary Day, to hear what WE would love to eat throughout the day.
In Episode 327, we discuss our energy patterns and how they affect things like meal planning and cooking.
Read how our Contributor Jayme Sherrod turned a simple treat into a ritual of connection with her son in The Magic of Porch Popsicles

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Managing Kids’ Extracurriculars (What We’ve Learned & What’s On Tap This Fall): Episode 330 Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

Whether you’re trying to scale back to a simpler schedule or ramp up after a pandemic hiatus, adjusting to kids’ activities and extracurriculars is a huge part of settling into a fall routine. In Episode 330 Meagan and Sarah look at this topic with some hindsight (sharing what we learned about ourselves and our kids by trying different activities during the little years), and also through the lens of Fall 2021 (what our kids are playing and trying now, and how a year off has changed things in our families). We also reflect on how our own childhoods influence our family cultures around extracurriculars, and what has surprised us about how older kids and teens find their passions and pursuits. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Listen to Helping vs. Helicoptering? Part 1: Episode 194 and Part 2: Episode 195 where we talked about nurturing our kids’ independence.
Look back on The Fall Sarah Quit Everything: Episode 233 to hear what happened when the Powers family was over-scheduled.
Check out Nurturing Kids’ Talents (and When to Let Them Quit): Episode 164
Season 2 of Mother of Reinvention is premiering this week!

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More Than Mom: The OTHER Four Senses Sep 12, 2021

Show notes

Our favorite foods and flavors are WELL-documented on the podcast, but what about the other four senses? Sights, smells, sounds, and textures can all contribute to a boosted mood OR a not-so-great sensory experience. In today’s More Than Mom episode – our first one back after a summer hiatus! – Sarah and Meagan chat about whether our sensory preferences change with the seasons, how our sensitivities have changed with age, and what specific textures, scents, and sounds we’re drawn to. We round out the episode by talking about how trends influence our favorite colors, and which ones we’ve loved our whole lives. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Sarah is obsessed with the feeling of slipping into her sheets from our sponsor Cozy Earth. For 40% OFF go to cozyearth.com and enter promo code THEMOMHOURPODCAST
Listen to Speaking Our Kids’ Love Languages & Knowing Our Own: Episode 296 for more about how we feel about physical touch.
In House Rules for Easier Mornings: Episode 328 we talk about being not being able to answer questions while backing out of the driveway.
In Home Decor & Dining Out: Episode 77, we talk about our decorating styles and our favorite foods, drinks, and treats to order at restaurants.

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Our Birth Stories (And Your Questions About Them!): Episode 329 Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

Every pregnancy, baby, and birth is unique–and between us we’ve had eight of them! From planned c-sections to hospital births that didn’t go as planned, birthing centers, home births, and water births: we haven’t experienced everything, but we’ve been through a lot! Coming off of Labor Day (wink wink), Meagan and Sarah are looking back on the births of our eight babies in Episode 329. We answer your questions about how we prepared, some funny and not-so-fun moments, and what we wish we had known about birth. Join us!

We know birth stories can be hard to hear. If you’re struggling with infertility you might find encouragement in this episode; if you’ve experienced a pregnancy loss, we recommend this episode; if you’re going through a medically difficult pregnancy or difficult diagnosis, try this one or this one; if you’re experiencing infant loss or a tough NICU stay, this episode may help you feel less alone.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Email hello@themomhour.com with your topic suggestions for our More Than Mom episodes
Join our special Facebook Group for The Mom Hour Listeners (make sure to answer the questions to be approved!)
Check out our other episodes about pregnancy

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Inside The Morning Hustle: Voices 64 With Lisa Payne & Ashley Schafluetzel Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

Ever wondered how other moms get everybody up, ready, fed, and out the door with all their parts and pieces? We think it’s fascinating to peek behind the curtain at different families’ routines and rituals, so in today’s episode Sarah chats with two moms from our Contributor team. Lisa is a full-time working single mom of four kids (at three schools!) who has great ideas for keeping mornings calm, making time for herself, and giving kids increasing independence as they grow. Ashley is a kindergarten teacher and mom of two kids, one with Cerebral Palsy, so mornings present a different set of challenges in her house. Find out what’s working well so far this fall for Lisa’s and Ashley’s families, how they’re dealing with setbacks, and what they’ve learned works for them when it comes to morning routines. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Listen to House Rules for Easier Mornings, Episode 328
Get to know our Contributor team, including Lisa and Ashley!
Learn more about Ashley’s family by listening to our conversation about Life & Motherhood After a High-Risk Pregnancy and Premature Birth
Read Ashley’s blogpost: Eighteen Summers with My Kids
Get a special email from us on the first Monday of the month by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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House Rules For Easier Mornings: Episode 328 Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Stress out by mornings? You’re not alone. But good news: we found the source of all solutions for smoother mornings… THIS COMMUNITY. The latest episode in our House Rules For… series is full of our listeners’ genius ideas for prepping ahead, managing morning screen time, and how, when, and where Mom Signs All The Things. Whether you have early risers or slow-to-movers, listen to Episode 328 to hear how experienced parents in our community are setting boundaries, teaching responsibility, and taking the guesswork out of the morning hustle. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Most of the House Rules we collected for this episode are comments on this Instagram post
Meagan mentioned last week’s episode about energy patterns
Join our special Facebook Group for The Mom Hour Listeners (make sure to answer the questions to be approved!)
Check out our other episodes in the House Rules series

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Want More Energy As A Mom? Start By Learning What Drains (& Boosts!) You: Episode 327 Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Expectations these days feel like … a lot. When your energy is finite and the demands on you feel, well, INfinite, we find it helps to begin with self-awareness. What drains your energy as a mom? When are you naturally at your best? If you’re depleted, is it physical, mental, or emotional energy that’s in shortest supply? And if you’re in a low-energy season – whether it’s a day, a week, a month, or a year – can you reprioritize and reframe so that you’re not further weighed down by guilt or unrealistic expectations? Sarah and Meagan look at these questions and more in Episode 327. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

For more episodes on productivity and time management, click here

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What’s For Breakfast This Fall: Episode 326 Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

Every family’s breakfast routine looks different – and that’s OK. Whether you’re all about prep-ahead dishes that fill up hungry kids on weekday mornings, or are just trying to make it out the door in one piece with a cereal bar for the road, we’re here to validate that not every single breakfast needs to look perfect, or tick every nutritional box. Join Meagan and Sarah for Episode 326, a zoom in on the first meal of the day. We talk about our family cultures around breakfast, how weekends look (very) different from weekday mornings, and how things have shifted as kids have gotten older. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

We mentioned our series on feeding toddlers including the episodes Feeding Toddlers, Part 1: Feeding A Toddler In Transition, Feeding Toddlers, Part 2: Help! I Have A Picky Eater., and Feeding Toddlers, Part 3: Toddler Eating Strategies, Meal By Meal
We love the podcast Didn’t I Just Feed You for all things feeding a family (all their breakfast-themed episodes are here)
For more episodes about feeding our families, head here
Sarah mentioned loving her blender, popsicle molds and Hexclad pans
Meagan mentioned her Kitchenaid Electric Kettle and her Pampered Chef Batter Bowls

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Late Summer Grab Bag & What We’re Loving Lately: Episode 325 Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

Meagan and Sarah are inviting you in for a good old-fashioned catch-up sesh as we wind down Summer 2021. There’s a bit of everything in today’s episode: updates on our own kid and family milestones, reflections on the second pandemic summer (a few fails, some sweet moments, and everything in between), thoughts on the strange time of year that is mid-August, and some of what’s been keeping us entertained lately (books, TV, podcasts, and more!). Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Meagan shared about Clara’s summer camp nervousness here
Sarah talked about one of her kids’ inflexibility and penchant for extreme disappointment in this episode
If you’re still getting to know us, you might like other “grab bag” style episodes like these:
Behind The Scenes & End Of Summer Catch-Up: Episode 276
Grab Bag Catch-Up & Reading While Traveling: Episode 236
More Than Mom: Late Summer Check-In & Procrastination
Late-Summer Check-In & Managing Seasonal Transitions: Episode 168
What We’re Watching, Reading & Listening To, Summer Edition: Episode 59
Overcoming Mid-Summer Malaise: Episode 14
Sarah’s older two made this recipe for muffin tin pizza as part of Kids Cook Dinner night in the Powers house
Sarah’s media picks (those mentioned, and a few we didn’t have time for) include:
BOOKS | Dusk Night Dawn by Anne Lammott, Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano (affiliate links)
PODCASTS | Your Own Backyard, Even The Rich Madonna Series, Toxic (The Britney Spears Story)
TV | The Right Stuff, Ted Lasso, Top Chef,The Good Place
DOCUMENTARIES | Penguin Town, The Last Man on the Moon, Biggest Little Farm

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Working Motherhood & Behind The Scenes At The Mom Hour: Voices 63 With Amanda Park Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guest is a working mom with three kids under five, a career journey punctuated by curiosity and leaps of faith, and a brand new role as Content Manager for The Mom Hour! Please help us welcome Amanda Park to the team, and join us for a conversation that covers her working mom journey through several big industries, how she found The Mom Hour as a listener (and eventually joined our team), and what it’s been like working behind the scenes as we expand our content goals this summer. We also chat about personality stuff, Amanda’s current wins and challenges in the trenches of motherhood, and offer a sneak peek into what’s coming up this fall with our new team of contributors. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

Meet The Mom Hour Contributor Team!
Meagan recommended that Amanda look at the Misidentifying articles at Enneagram Institute (Sarah benefitted from Misidentifying 1 and 6, for example; Meagan was helped by Misidentifying 2 and 7)
Anytime we mention the Enneagram, we like to recommend this test, and the type descriptions found here

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