The Mom Hour with Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers

Maryanne asks if we’ve ever requested our kid change teachers at school, Danya hopes to find balance between accepting her postpartum body and sticking to a realistic fitness routine, and Janine shares that her safety worries are keeping her from getting out with her little ones. In Episode 110 of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah tackle these three listener questions–listen to see what we have to say! Sponsor Spotlight Need an on-the-go snack that tastes great and is made from real ingredients you can actually see and pronounce? We love Kind Snacks, and had so much fun sampling their variety pack! Listeners of The Mom Hour can get a Kind Snacks variety pack delivered to your door for just $10 (shipping is free!)–that’s a $30+ value! Meagan recently took KIND Snacks on a backpacking trip and loved the Peanut Butter Breakfast Bar. To get your variety pack, head to kindsnacks.com/themomhour. When you order, you’ll also get to try KIND’s Snack Club, where you’ll receive monthly snacks at a discount – starting with $10 off your first Snack Club order. Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 110 Like this episode? All our Listener Questions shows can be found [...]

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Anyone who’s been through a divorce or other major life change knows that stress, uncertainty, and feeling out of control are unavoidable. But you CAN find ways to quiet the chatter in your head, take care of yourself, and take steps toward creating the kind of life you want to live – no matter what circumstances you’re in. In episode 15 of The Mom Hour Voices, Meagan chats with Jessica Ashley, certified divorce coach and founder of Single Mom Nation, about managing stress and getting your feet back on solid ground during uncertain times. Check out Jessica’s divorce coaching packages at a special rate reserved just for listeners of The Mom Hour! And if you’re facing a life “reinvention” like changing jobs, pursuing a creative passion, or just trying to make the pieces of your life fit together better, Meagan would love for you to take this survey indicating your interest in a new course she’s putting together.   

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What do parades, pretend play, Dr. Seuss books, and playground swings have in common? If you’re a longtime listener, you already know the answer. They’re all things Meagan and Sarah kinda-sorta hate and aren’t ashamed to admit it. Episode 109 is an encore presentation of one of our most popular episodes to date–the one where we confess to hating fun. You’ll hear an update on how things have changed for us in the fun-hating department and lots of fresh commentary and new laughs on the subject, plus a re-airing of the best parts of the original gripe-session. Join us! Links we mentioned in the original We Hate Fun conversation: For The Mom Who Hates The Swings, It’s OK To Be A Boring Grownup, and Know Your Strengths – posts of Meagan’s on The Happiest Home Meagan’s interview with Read Aloud Revival‘s Sarah Mackenzie Raising joyful readers: It’s a family affair (Sharon Holbrook for The Washington Post) Sarah’s library uses the Overdrive app for free digital (audio and ebook) downloads – yours may use the same, or something similar! The Case For Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World (book by Susan Linn) Have you taken a moment to review The Mom [...]

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Can your preschooler unload the dishwasher? Can your 3rd grader walk the dog on her own? Can your middle schooler remember his sports gear before every practice? Or, maybe a better question: Can ours? Join Meagan and Sarah in Episode 108 of The Mom Hour for an honest look at how competent our kids are at completing household tasks and being independent out in the world. We confess that it’s so often easier for mom to do everything herself, and offer ideas for increasing your kids’ competence and independence as they grow. Featured Sponsor Need an on-the-go snack that tastes great and is made from real ingredients you can actually see and pronounce? We love Kind Snacks, and had so much fun sampling their variety pack! Listeners of The Mom Hour can get a Kind Snacks variety pack delivered to your door for just $10 (shipping is free!)–that’s a $30+ value! Sarah had to share her Dark Chocolate Chunk Healthy Grains bar with a certain four-year-old and is still dreaming about her next one. To get your variety pack, head to kindsnacks.com/themomhour. When you order, you’ll also get to try KIND’s Snack Club, where you’ll receive monthly snacks at a [...]

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Where have all the shoulders gone? Meagan needs to know. Sarah can’t figure out intentionally saggy boobs and is apologetically kind of over slogan tanks that reference coffee, wine, yoga, Jesus, or mascara. Join us for a fun discussion of fashion trends we just can’t get behind–plus a few we’re loving this summer. Sponsor Spotlight Care.com is the easy and reliable way to find care for everyone in the family—when and where you need it. Whether you need childcare while you’re at work or want to line up a date night sitter, Care.com can help you find sitters and nannies, PLUS housekeepers, dog walkers, senior care, tutors, errand runners and more. Podcast listeners can save 30% off a premium membership by visiting care.com/momhour. Links we mentioned (or should have!) in Episode 107 Funny story, guys. When we recorded this episode we had ZERO affiliation with Target…we just happened to mention them a thousand times in the show. A few days after recording we were invited to join their affiliate partner program, which means that if you click through and purchase any of the Target items listed here you’ll be supporting The Mom Hour at no additional cost to you. We’re thrilled [...]

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Going off the grid for vacation sounds great in theory, but most of us rely on technology to make family travel possible. From iPad-enabled airplane rides to road trip playlists for the whole family, both Sarah and Meagan see tech as a great enhancement to vacation parenting in the digital age. In Episode 106 we talk all things tech and travel, from how we keep devices charged and organized to how we manage screen time while on vacation. We’ve got tons of product recommendations and little hacks to make your next vacation easier and more fun–no matter how plugged-in you are. Join us! Featured Sponsor Sarah needs a way to get vacation photos off one device onto another, and Meagan has an old computer with some priceless old videos on it. Our new favorite solution? Picture Keeper Connect! Easy device backup in a sweet, simple package: simply download the free app, plug the drive into your device, and launch the app! With Picture Keeper Connect, you’re able to view, select, backup and delete single items or entire albums with just the touch of a button. Flash drive and adapter work for Android or iOS devices as well as computers, and [...]

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What happens when a busy family with four kids and a beautiful home decides to sell their house and hit the road in an RV for a year? Meagan chats with blogger Jill Krause of BabyRabies.com about her new adventure with Happy Loud Life.

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Are you totally satisfied with your work/mom balance? Turns out, a lot of you are. But when we asked listeners to weigh in on this question, two-thirds said they either wished they could be home more (or work in a more flexible way) OR that they were home but wished they could find some fulfillment or income outside the home. Episode 105 is about finding satisfaction in your situation, whatever it is, and also how to take baby steps toward a different one if it feels like it’s time. We cover staying at home full-time, working outside the home, freelancing and part-time work, and everything in between. And, as always, we’re here to tell you that no matter what your choice and how you feel about it, it’s totally okay. Sponsor Spotlight Telling family stories is a huge part of the culture in both Meagan’s and Sarah’s families, so we are loving what StoryWorth does to help families preserve and share their stories. When you gift a subscription your family member receives weekly emails with questions to prompt a memory of a story, and at the end of the year their stories are bound into a beautiful book. Podcast listeners can save $20 [...]

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There’s everyday self-care, and then there’s survival mode: when taking care of yourself isn’t just a smart thing to do but also your only means of making it through the day. We’re talking about the kind of physical, mental, and emotional self-care that becomes especially crucial in a crisis, and we’re addressing it head-on in Episode 104. Join us. Sponsor Spotlight Are you ready to bust out the DSLR camera this summer and really use it? Shoot Along, an online photography community for parents, is here to help! Sign up for their 8-week short course and get weekly photography lessons delivered to your email PLUS membership in a private Facebook group where you can share your progress and connect with other participants. Visit shootalong.com/themomhour or use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 10% ON SHOOT ALONG’s 8-WEEK COURSE!Registration is open now and the course begins June 12, 2017. Links we mentioned (or should have) in Episode 104: Sarah’s interview with Doña Bumgarner of Nurtured Mama (Voices Episode 8) Parenting Through Hard Times (Episode 42)

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We talk about raising kids on this show all the time, but we don’t always spend time talking about OUR kids specifically. In Episode 103 Meagan and Sarah discuss why it’s sometimes hard to talk about your kids without sounding like you’re bragging, especially as they get older. We then take turns sharing a few awesome things all of our (eight!) kids are up to lately. Join us! Featured Sponsor Are you ready to bust out the DSLR camera this summer and really use it? Shoot Along, an online photography community for parents, is here to help! Sign up for their 8-week short course and get weekly photography lessons delivered to your email PLUS membership in a private Facebook group where you can share your progress and connect with other participants. Visit shootalong.com/themomhour or use promo code THEMOMHOUR to save 10% ON SHOOT ALONG’s 8-WEEK COURSE!Registration is open now and the course begins June 12, 2017. Also Thanks To… BarkBox delivers natural treats and fun toys to your doorstep every month, keeping your dog entertained and you from forgetting to hit up the pet aisle! Meagan’s Moxie and Sarah’s Xander both loved their BarkBox surprises this month and we think your pups will too. Podcast listeners can [...]

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