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

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 Sty

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&nbs

"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)Bloggin

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 w

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 K

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

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 Californi

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!)Si

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.

Feeding a family can be fun or frustrating, simple or complicated, rewarding or full of resentment. The one thing it will always be? NECESSARY. If you have a family, they have to eat, and in this episode we talk about how that works - from grocery shopping to meal planning to gaining confidence as a home cook.LINKS MENTIONED:How an hour in the kitchen gave me back my evenings (Meagan for The Happiest Home)The six-meal shuffle: extremely simplified meal-planning (Meagan for The Happiest Home)What I make for dinner when I don’t feel like making dinner (Sarah’s post about “copout dinners”)How we beat the fast-food habit (Meagan for The Happiest Home)The beginner’s guide to shopping at Aldi and How does Aldi keep its prices so low? (Meagan’s Aldi-love on The Happiest HomeAnd just for fun, How Trader Joe’s sells affordable goods (since Sarah is a TJ’s shopper)Episode 63 of The Home Hour, all about The Homemade Kitchen (Meagan’s interview with Alana Chernila)MORE HELPFUL

Where Meagan lives in Michigan, temperatures are dropping and leaves are turning. For Sarah in SoCal, people just wish those things were true. Join us as we laugh about everyone's favorite season to talk about - from Pumpkin Spice Lattes to late-90s J. Crew pea coats. We also share a few ideas for bringing fall into the kitchen, no matter what the thermometer says outdoors. Enjoy Episode 22, and thanks for listening!LINKS MENTIONED:An Open Letter To People Who Can’t Stop Talking About Pumpkin Spice Lattes (Sarah’s most viral post ever)4 Easy “Hunk-o-Meat” Dinners PLUS Leftover Ideas (Meagan also has tons of specific cooking tips, products, and other great stuff in this post for The Happiest Home)Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage & Vegetables (Sarah’s recipe with tricks for getting comfortable experimenting with soups and stews)Scanpan (Sarah’s go-to saute pan, also oven-safe)MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private liste

Showing support for your child’s school and educational experience matters. But does that mean we all have to chaperone field trips and join the PTA? Meagan and Sarah say, rather emphatically, nope. In Episode 21 we tackle eight myths surrounding what it means to be a “good school mom,” and help debunk those myths for those of you new to the school parenting journey. We also talk about the meaningful ways we have found to volunteer or participate at school, and share some advice from teachers that might surprise you.LINKS MENTIONED: 7 “Good School Mom” Myths, Debunked! (Meagan for The Happiest Home)Hilariously Honest PTA Form Goes Viral (The Huffington Post)Sometimes Good Moms Miss The Class Party (Allison Slater Tate)6 Themed Dress-Up Days This Mom Can Totally Get Behind (Sarah for Scary Mommy)The Parent-Teacher Relationship (Meagan’s interview with teacher and author Erica Ladd)Laura Fuentes’s lunch-packing resource Momables.com, and Meagan’s

Routines are powerful. When they're just right, we feel energized and balanced. When they're a little off, we feel unsettled. And when they completely fall by the wayside, we sometimes need a complete reset to get back on track (looking at you, back-to-school season).LINKS MENTIONED:LaCroix water, specifically Meagan’s favorite flavors: apricot, blackberry-cucumber, and cherry-limeMusic Together, Sarah’s favorite activity for moms and babies or toddlers to do togetherDear Moms: Sleep Deprivation is Nothing to Brag About (Meagan for The Happiest Home)Sarah’s thoughts on early risers (including that handy night-light that changes color at wake-up time)Rookie Moms’ genius hack for getting out the door without yelling (which inspired Sarah’s evening lullaby playlist)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 a

Once upon a time, Meagan and Sarah were new moms. And we worried - a lot. Years later, we look back at some of the things we could have lightened up about just a tad. (Or a lot.) Episode 19 is for new moms - and anyone who can remember being one. We talk about agonizing over ounces pumped and hours slept (or not slept), and offer a little perspective from where we are now.LINKS MENTIONED:La Leche League’s breast milk storage guidelines (Kelly Mom also has good ones)Rookie Moms, an online resource for new moms that we both loveMotherhood Around the World series (Joanna Goddard, A Cup of Jo)Babies (2010 documentary from Focus Features)Some posts we’ve written about new motherhood:On labels & limits: why I no longer calls myself an ‘attachment parent’ (Meagan)A letter to my friend, about to be a mom (Sarah)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 me

Meagan has never identified as a "sports parent," but this fall she has four kids in four different sports. Sarah is still learning to find the balance between protecting precious time at home and allowing her younger kids to explore different activities.LINKS MENTIONED:‘I love to Watch You Play’ but Not Every Game (Sharon Holbrook for The New York Times Motherlode blog)Minimalist Parenting, authored by our friends Asha and ChristineMORE 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.

Do the supply lists and back-to-school clothes shopping expectations overwhelm you? You’re not alone. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah share real-life tips and tricks for minimizing back-to-school stress and enjoying the process of returning to routine.LINKS MENTIONED:Posts from The Happiest HomeMeagan’s Lunch Box Challenge series from 2011 (the giveaway is obviously years out-of-date, but the featured products remain staples in Meagan’s kitchen)11 Children’s Books About Starting SchoolMeagan’s strategy for Organizing Off-Season Clothes & Hand-me-downsOn Love, Laundry, and Finding Satisfaction in the Work of NurturingThat gorgeous bento box lunch is explained in this post (and no, Meagan didn’t make it)Other podcast episodes you might love…Meagan’s interview with Erica Ladd, teacher and author of Candid ClassroomMeagan and Sarah’s back-to-school episode of The Home Hour from 2014Episode 16 (in case you missed it!) about choosing the right school

Repeat after us, moms: It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay. Choosing a school for your child can seem like a life-altering, permanent decision. In Episode 16, Meagan and Sarah are here to reassure you that it isn't. We share our own experience making school choices for our kids, from private to public to home schooling to charters to magnets to lotteries to... (Nope, not kidding. We've actually experienced, and discuss in this episode, all of those things.)LINKS MENTIONED:Posts on The Happiest HomeHomeschool, Private School, Public? Education Choices & The ‘Ideal Mother’How To Be Confident In Your School ChoiceWhy Meagan’s Daughter Didn’t Go To Preschool (And What They Did Instead)* Satire Alert! * Mother Still Searching For Preschool That Focuses Exclusively On Her Son (The Onion)Sarah’s piece on The Mid: The Homework I Wish My Child Brought Home From SchoolWhy We Don’t Stress Out About Choosing a School (Design Mom)Afterschooling: An Update&n

In episode 15, Meagan and Sarah get into the details of chores, home management, delegating, and helping kids take on age-appropriate responsibilities.LINKS MENTIONED:Relevant posts from The Happiest Home:Delegate Like Downton: A Strategy For Managing Home HelpersConfessions of a Chore-Chart DropoutThe Honey-Do List & Why It Works For UsHow Meagan Learned To Keep A Cleaner HouseSometimes It’s OK To Be a Control Freak (or, why Meagan doesn’t delegate certain tasks)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.

Well, we've reached THAT point in the summer. The one where you have no idea what day it is and your kids eat Otter Pops and Nutella-straight-from-the-jar for breakfast (and if you think we're exaggerating, just WAIT). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.