The Mom Hour

Who knew we’d have so much to say about beverages? That’s the fun of our More-Than-Mom series–it’s a deep dive into the super superficial, with bits of nostalgia thrown in for fun. Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss memories of our favorite childhood drinks, what kept us going in high school and college, and how we like to imbibe lately. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Meagan & Sarah Interview Each Other (the episode where Meagan talks about detasseling corn)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.

We get a ton of listener questions on the topic of sending kids off to kindergarten–how to know if they’re ready, what to do about those tricky summer birthdays in terms of sending a kid or holding him back, and how to prepare kids to be successful as they transition into elementary school.Lucky for you all, this month’s Voices interview features kindergarten teacher and mom of two Kelly Hiltz, whose experience in the classroom and as a parent brings a calming voice of reason to this often amped-up topic. Join Sarah and Kelly as they discuss all things kindergarten, plus offer more general thoughts on how to develop a great relationship with your child’s teacher no matter what year of school they’re in.LINKS MENTIONED:Chatty Sisters Podcast, the show Kelly co-hosts with her sister Caroline@ChattySistersPodcast on InstagramAll school-related episodes of The Mom Hour are on this pageSarah highly recommends this book on early childhood education by Erika Christakis (affiliate link): The Importance of B

What if “I can’t do it all” wasn’t a statement of parenting failure and instead an opportunity to expand our kids’ horizons and our own support system? What if instead of trying to be all things to each child, we recognized the importance of other role models in our kids’ lives?Meagan and Sarah look at these questions in Episode 146 of The Mom Hour as we discuss the importance of other adults in our kids’ lives and how to help kids cultivate these important extra-familial relationships. Plus, Katie Addiss joins Sarah for a struggle, success and discovery at the end of the show. Join us!LINKS MENTIONEDFor The Love of Cousins! (Episode 126)Tweens: Is This A Thing? (Episode 143)Free-Range Parenting, Part 1 and Part 2 (Episodes 12 and 13)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/priv

Love it or hate it, social media is a part of our lives. Join Meagan and Sarah for a meandering chat about our favorite ways to be social online. This episode is part of our More Than Mom series, where we set aside the practical parenting tips (which you can still find in each new Tuesday episode!) in favor of a lighter topic unrelated to motherhood. Come on in–it’s funLINKS MENTIONED:Your Media Diet: Is It Healthy? (our third episode EVER)Follow us on social!Sarah is @PowersOfMine on Instagram and TwitterMeagan is @MeaganFrancis on Instagram and TwitterWe are @TheMomHour on Instagram and Twitter, and here’s our Facebook page@LifeListened is also on Instagram, Twitter, and FacebookVoxer, Anchor.fmMORE 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.c

Between sick days and snow days, new babies and school holidays, we know firsthand how hard it is to be stuck inside with kids for what feels like eternity. In Episode 145 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer tips for stocking your home so that when that stomach flupocalypse does strike, you’re prepared with enough staples to not only keep you alive, but also have a little fun. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah’s go-to Cream of Tartar Playdough RecipeHere’s a No Tartar Playdough Recipe, too (but we haven’t vetted this one)Play tent or play tunnel (Sarah has a castle play tent similar to this one)Smart Tech & Family Travel (Episode 106)Uggg…Sick Days (Episode 75)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-m

Can you remember the skincare products and fragrance you swore by in middle school? How do you feel about clear mascara or yellow nail polish? Can you sing the Jhirmack shampoo jingle at full voice? (One of us can. Guess who.) Laugh along with Meagan and Sarah in a more-than-mom special episode all about beauty product nostalgia. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:32 Beauty products you probably used in the ’90s (SheKnows.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.

Moms need tribes, right? So we’re told. But what if friendships in motherhood are a little more dynamic, evolving, and complicated than just finding the right group and sliding on in. Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful discussion about what it really means to “find your tribe” as a mom, PLUS we offer 10 kinds of friends we think every mom needs. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Other episodes we’ve done on this topic:Keeping Friendships Alive (Episode 78)Online Pals Turned Real-Life Friends (Episode 51)How To Make Mom-Friends (a super old episode of The Home Hour from when Meagan hosted it and Sarah was a guest)Podcast episodes on this topic from other shows in the Life, Listened familyThe Friendship Episode (Selfie, Episode 21)The Importance of Female Friendships (Crunchy Cocktail Hour, Episode 4)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

Tweens are not just overgrown little kids or mini-adolescents. Caught between the two, they really are in phase worthy of its own discussion–and its own podcast episode! Join Meagan and Sarah as we discuss what makes 8-12-year-olds unique and how to up our parenting game to meet their needs as they grow.LINKS MENTIONED:Other episodes of The Mom Hour you might enjoy:What To Expect From The Middle School YearsBecoming Screenwise with Devorah HeitnerKids & Friendships with Eileen Kennedy-MooreFree-Range Parenting – Part 1 and Part 2How (And Why) To Spend One-On-One Time With Your KidsPositive Parenting Your Tween (from Sarah’s favorite online parenting resource, AhaParenting.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

When Christine Koh started making t-shirts for herself as a creative release and weekend hobby, she had no idea that within a matter of months her designs would be seen on celebrities, in magazines, and as a meaningful part of social good movements around the country.Join Sarah as she chats with Christine (who is also a blogger, podcaster, and author) about the launch of Brave New World Designs after the 2016 election, what it’s like to go from being a digital creator to a maker of physical products, the cross-section of activism and creativity, and what it’s like to own a business with her husband.LINKS MENTIONED:ChristineKoh.comBraveNewWorldDesigns.comBrave New World Designs on EtsyBrave New World Designs on InstagramBostonMamas.comThe Teacher/Hero tee supporting Teach For AmericaEdit Your Life podcast (which Christine co-hosts with the wonderful Asha Dornfest, who chatted with Sarah in a 2016 episode of this podcast)Minimalist Parenting, the book Christine and Asha wrote togetherBo

We’re taking listener questions this week, all around the topics of working outside the home, staying at home full-time, and the tension the often exists no matter where you spend your days. (Spoiler alert: Two moms with totally opposite schedules both wrote in to say that 4:00pm is a totally brutal time of day.)Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful follow-up to last week’s episode where we shared the details of our own work schedules (you can listen to that one here). Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Want to leave us a recorded message like listener Sarah from Canada did? Use SpeakPipe, or email us an audio file to hello@themomhour.com!Book ideas for discovering your strengths, personality, and potential future job ideas:The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen RubinCure For The Common Life: Living In Your Sweet Spot by Max LucadoPlaying Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Cre

The picture of fatherhood we see depicted in pop culture is fraught with stereotypes. From the bumbling dad who can’t fasten snaps on a onesie to the overly intense sports dad who pushes his kid on the ball field, the generalizations often don’t represent the truth and in many cases can be harmful to dads’ efforts to be involved and engaged in their kids’ lives. In Episode 141 of The Mom Hour Meagan and Sarah chat with writer, blogger, and activist Whit Honea, who helps bust open some stereotypes about dads and instead craft a picture of fatherhood that is inclusive and inspiring.LINKS MENTIONED:Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org)Whit’s website (WhitHonea.com)#TalkEarly on TwitterMORE 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 newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://a

Meagan and Sarah are both working more than we have in a long time–and our work schedules have changed recently. In Episode 140 we talk about what’s working (ha!), what isn’t, and how things have evolved since the drop-a-toddler-off-at-daycare years. We also talk about how working moms and stay-at-home moms can support one another, how nothing is forever, and what apps, shortcuts and hacks help us keep it together when work gets overwhelming. 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.

What’s the state of our wardrobes? Glad you asked. In Episode 139 Meagan and Sarah go Head-Shoulders-Knees-and-Toes through what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to style for us lately.Find out what Meagan loves about having longish hair for the first time in a decade, why Sarah continues to struggle with leggings and can never find her socks, and hear our takes on two different popular online bra retailers. Plus Katie Addiss joins Sarah at the end for a fashion-related struggle, discovery, and success. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Other “More-Than-Mom” episodesJane.com (affiliate link / Sarah’s new go-to for really inexpensive trendy pieces)Sarah’s summer hat (left, below) and winter hat (right below)Infiniti Pro by Conair Instant Heat 20 Ceramic Flocked Rollers (Meagan’s new hot rollers)True&Co (the online bra retailer Meagan tried)Third Love (the one Sarah tried)Meagan’s go-to socks by Point6 and SmartWoolSalomon Women’s Hime High Snow Boot (Meagan’s n

What daily habits do happy moms practice? Our answers may surprise you. Join Meagan and Sarah for the second in our two-part series on cultivating happiness during motherhood.LINKS MENTIONED:10 Habits of Happy Moms, Part 1 (Episode 137)What Are Your Mom Superpowers? (Episode 44)Routines, Rituals & Traditions (Episode 129)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.

Sarah R. Bagley mothers, writes, podcasts, teaches group fitness, and runs a local women’s entrepreneur group–all while keeping up with the demands and schedules of a toddler, a preschooler, and a first-grader. She’s the first to admit that this hybrid working/momming thing isn’t easy, but her philosophy is all about leaning in to both creative ambition AND the chaos of motherhood.Sarah (Powers!) interviews Sarah (Bagley!) in this episode of The Mom Hour Voices, our first of 2018. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah (Powers) on the Sarah R. Bagley PodcastMeagan on the Sarah R. Bagley PodcastLesley Miller (formerly of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast) on The Mom HourSarah’s one little word for 2018: SantoshaSarah’s website25% Friends, Sarah’s podcast with Kim Schoenauer@SarahRBagley on InstagramSarah R. Bagley on FacebookMYERS-BRIGGS test from 16personalities.comENNEAGRAM test from ecclecticenergies.comAfter you take the tests, we recommend the full Myers-Briggs type descriptions found here, a more in

What do happy moms do on a regular basis to stave off stress, grumpiness, and dissatisfaction? We know that no mom is happy ALL the time, but in Episode 137 we’re digging deep into five habits of mostly-happy moms. Next week we’ll share five more habits to round out this two-part series. Enjoy! Part 2 of See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy New Year, friends! Before we launch headlong into 2018 we’re taking a quick look back at what happened for each of us–and the podcast–in 2017. Looking back at the year behind us is a helpful way to discover what we want to see more (or less) of in the coming year. Join us, and let us know what hopes and intentions you have for 2018!LINKS MENTIONED:Our look-back was inspired in part by this episode of The Girl Next Door Podcast: 2017 Wrap-Up & Skin Care Like A BossAlso this from Gretchen Rubin made us think: An Interesting and Useful Exercise: The Year-End Review with Myself.And Gretchen’s post led us to this article by Marci Alboher on the New York Times Shifting Careers blog: Year-End Review, With YourselfMORE 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 newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy

A toddler who won’t stay in his room at bedtime, a seven-year-old with a fibbing habit, and the age-old questions of “what do you do with a two-year-old while you put the baby to bed?” and “why do my kids have such a hard time occupying themselves?”. In Episode 135 of The Mom Hour, Sarah and Meagan offer empathy, encouragement, and a few helpful tips for these listener questions. Take a listen!LINKS MENTIONED:Meghan Leahy, Parent Coach and On Parenting from The Washington Times contributor on dealing with a toddler who won’t stay in bedKids and Lying, an excerpt from Positive Discipline A-Z by Jane Nelson, from positivediscipline.comWill a little girl’s lies become a lifelong bad habit? Meghan Leahy, Parent CoachOur Little Liars, an interview with Dr. Laura Markham on themotherco.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 newslette

We’re answering a TON of your parenting questions in this week’s episode, and it’s all about navigating the holidays. From getting kids to thank grandma appropriately to keeping toddlers on a schedule, we weigh in on the topics you suggested in this Instagram post. Take a listen!LINKS MENTIONED:The Instagram post where listeners asked these questionsAll our holiday-related podcast episodes are on this pageThe episode where we talked about teaching gratitudeThe episode where we talked about cousinsMORE 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’ve enjoyed Katie’s new mom segments over the past year, you’ll love this week’s episode. We listen to Katie highlight one struggle, one success, and one discovery from her life as a mom of two littles, then Meagan and Sarah weigh in with their thoughts PLUS share struggles, successes and discoveries of our own. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Katie’s go-to humidifier: Vicks Filter-free, Ultrasonic, Visible Cool Mist HumidifierMORE 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.