Hey, Sister!

Who’da thunk she’d love that?! Sisters and hosts Courtney and Carley each share 3 things they enjoy, but never imagined they would like. Lipstick, mini-vans and Chic-fil-a are just a few of the surprising discoveries shared in this episode. As part of the summer hot topics series, this episode will have you asking yourself what “who’d thunk?!” products or activities you never knew you’d love!

Call to Action: 

In a conversation with someone else, ask what they thought they would not like, and then, as it turns out, “who’da thunk?!”  they love it!

Resources: 

Prior Episodes Referred to: 

Episode 38: Textiquette

Episode 37: Freedom to Comment 

Episode 35: Fast Friends 

Connect with Hey, Sister! Podcast Online:

• www.HeySisterPodcast.org
• Hey, Sister! Instagram
• Hey, Sister! Facebook

Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction

3:45 Carley’s 3 “who’da thunk?!” loves: Asian/Dim sum/Thai cuisine, Lipstick (*LipSense by SeneGence), Mini-vans

14:30 Courtney’s 3 “who’da thunk?!” loves: Chic-fil-a, grocery pickup, living outside of Texas

22:30 Carley’s haircutting experience and motivation

26:00 Call to action, closing remarks, outtakes

Texting + Etiquette = Textiquette. Sisters Courtney and Carley swap opinions and share survey responses regarding text messaging dos and don’ts across multiple generations. Read reports and the use of emojis, GIFs and ellipses are discussed as well as timely responses and using phones during social gatherings. This episode is part of the summer hot topics series, airing June and July 2022. 

Call to Action:

Be cognizant of your phone use in social situations. If you use your phone to text or accept a call, explain the reason why to the person/people you are with. 

References: 

“The story I’m telling myself”- Brené Brown

Connect with Hey, Sister! Podcast Online:

https://heysisterpodcast.org

https://www.instagram.com/theheysisterpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/heysisterpodcast

Timeline: 

0:00 Episode introduction and announcements

3:30 Texting corrections in a thread, styles of text: paragraphs vs. stream of consciousness

5:45 Read reports, timely responses

7:15 Reactions to texts

9:00 iWatches, shorter replies for convenience

12:00 Bait and switch, demanding texts

13:15 Elipses…

19:15 Androids vs iPhones for group messages, reactions, group planning

23:15 Social settings and cell phones

29:00 Call to action, closing thoughts, outtakes 

Courtney and Carley discuss the freedom of speech and the art of commenting in love and disagreement on Facebook. Four tendencies of common social media reactions are explained as well as the human need for expressing opinions. 

Call to Action:

Comment on a post you disagree with on social media this week; show respect and love while articulating your differing opinion. 

References: 

The Happiness Lab: Social Media and our Brains with CNN's Chasing Life 

The Pour Over News Instagram

Connect with Hey, Sister! Podcast Online:

www.HeySisterPodcast.org

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction, 1st Amendment rights (SPAPAR: Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition and Religion) 

3:00 Four tendencies of commenting: (1) not commenting/staying silent (2) commenting with adoring affirmations (3) commenting with polarizing disgust (4) commenting with love and disagreement

10:00 Roe v. Wade: be socially aware on social media (let love guide your posts and comments)

11:00 Commenting is emotionally healthy, keeps you from feeling silenced, reference to The Happiness Lab Podcast

15:15 Avoiding echo chambers 

17:15 Personal stories: Courtney’s example of having a cousin respectfully disagree, Carley’s example commenting in loving disagreement on a friend’s post

22:45 Taking time to craft the right comment/response

23:45 Call to action, closing thoughts, outtakes 

Courtney and Carley swap opinions on the 5 Ws of babysitting: who makes a great sitter, what’s the going rate, where do you find the ideal babysitter, when to connect with a babysitter, and why utilizing a babysitter is essential. Recommendations for how to make a babysitter more comfortable as well as features of babysitters that “wow” parents are also discussed. This is the fourth episode in the summer hot topics series, airing June-July 2022. 

Call to Action:

Book a babysitter this week! Share what you did with your kid-free time with us on social media. We’d love to hear.

Referenced Episodes: 

32 It Takes a Village // Beth Ann Sands

35 Fast Friends

Connect with Hey, Sister!:

HeySisterPodcast.org

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Resources: 

Average pay for babysitters by state (Parents.com)

Care.com

Show Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction of topic, announcements

4:30 Love of babysitting from youth, why babysitters are important

5:45 Who: the criteria for babysitters

8:15 Where: the search for babysitters, locations to use babysitters

13:15 What: the going rate for a sitter

18:00 When: other occasions to involve/support babysitters 

19:45 How: driving a babysitter for pick-up/drop-off, equipping babysitters with essential information (home address, house rules, phone numbers, reminders)

23:45 Wow: impressive traits of babysitters, basic expectations of babysitters, above and beyond care

28:45 Call to action, concluding thoughts, outtakes

Sisters Courtney and Carley explore the hot topic of expanding our social circles in this week’s episode all about fostering new friendships. Carley shares her strategies for striking up a conversation with a new acquaintance and Courtney advises on the art of introducing others. Both sisters share examples—good, bad and ugly—from their own personal experiences in this light-hearted episode. This is the 3rd episode in the summer hot topics series, airing summer 2022. 

Call to Action:

Picture two friends from different social circles who don’t know each other. Think about how you would introduce them to each other using a compliment. 

Referenced Episodes:

(in order of reference)  

• Episode 33 Fun Mom Summer 
• Episode 34 Man, I Feel Like a Woman 
• Episode 14 Social Light with Hanalei Gene

Resources: 

Carley’s Audible Recommendation:

• Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People by Vanessa Van Edwards

Courtney’s Summer Schedule Recommendation (free download): 

• The Incremental Mama Best Summer Schedule for Kids Free Printable

Connect with Hey, Sister:

https://heysisterpodcast.org

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction of episode and recap of previous hot topics

4:00 Craving friendships as moms, personal experiences (high school, college, introversion vs. extroversion tendencies)

6:30 Listen to “Captivate” on Audible, KIAPIA reference (know it all pain in the *behind)

8:00 “Captivate” take-aways mingled with Carley’s advice:

1. Look for social sweet spots (standing at the bottom of the slide, pushing kids on swings)
2. Be yourself
3. Ask questions, like: “What are your passion projects?” or “How long have you lived in the area?”
4. Listen to the other person (strive for 50/50 talking/listening)
5. Bridge back: if you leave a conversation (i.e. to tend a child), make mental note of their answers to questions to bridge back into the conversation, referring to something previously said
6. Introduce yourself and ask their name as soon as possible
7. Use their name in the conversation to aid in remembering 
8. Have confidence in yourself (it’s okay if you feel awkward—we’re all relearning socializing post-pandemic)

14:00 Carley’s experiences (good and bad)

19:00 Courtney’s advice: the art of introducing friends to each other using compliments, 3 personal poor examples

22:00 Call to action

24:00 Concluding thoughts, outtakes

In honor of Father’s Day and as part of the summer hot topics series, sisters Courtney and Carley share their beliefs about the divine nature of men and women. Faith-based values are discussed as well as personal experiences navigating the roles of husband and wife within the family. This is the second episode in the summer hot topics series airing June and July 2022.  

Call to action: If you are married, recognize and be grateful for your spouse’s unique traits. (If you are not married, reflect on your own unique God-given traits)

Referenced Resources/Quotes: 

Episode 33: Fun Mom Summer

The Family A Proclamation to the World

Matt Walsh Documentary “What is a Woman?”

“There are two important days in a woman's life: the day she is born and the day she finds out why.” - Terry Tempest Williams

Connect with Hey, Sister:

https://heysisterpodcast.org

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Show timeline: 

0:00 Show introduction

3:15 Men and women are different, knowing we are children of God is a blessing

5:00 Discussion about The Family Proclamation and that gender is eternal

7:30 Loving womanhood and maternal role even when some days are challenging

8:15 Asking “Who is a woman?”, two important days in a woman’s life quote

9:45 Teamwork within a husband/wife relationship, soccer analogy

13:45 Call to action, concluding thoughts, outtakes

Courtney and Carley kick-off the summer hot topics series with an episode all about choosing to be a fun mom in the face of play place closures throughout the United States. Speculation about why play places continue to stay closed and simple summer activity ideas are swapped. This is the first episode in the eight-part summer hot topic series, which dives into a variety of subjects the sisters feel passionately about. 

Call to Action:

Part 1: Give thanks to local businesses in your community who offer play places/children’s activities.

Part 2: Voice frustrations with businesses and organizations in your community that aren't meeting your family’s needs and expectations.

Part 3: Host a play date.

Connect with Hey, Sister:

Hey, Sister! Website

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Show Timeline: 

0:00 Show introduction and confusion about play place closures

4:15 Speculation about play place closures: fear of liability, convenience and cost saving

14:00 Reacting to closures: giving thanks and voicing frustrations

16:30 Ideas for activities: LEGO playdates, story time and puzzles, Play-Doh, Diet Coke geyser, frozen tee-shirt race, toy in ice cubes, marbles in kiddie pool, red light green light, paper airplanes

24:30 Benefits of play dates, incorporating various ages, including moms

28:00 Call to action

28:15 Concluding thoughts: Harkins Movie Theatre, Oriental Trading Company, outtakes

Does it still take a village to raise a child in today’s world? Beth Ann Sands, Texas mom and DJ, joins the Hey, Sisterhood for an episode filled with mic drop moments about positively influencing and relating to teenagers in our communities. This is the fifth and final episode in the 5-part series on motherhood, airing May 2022. 

Call to Action: Support a teenager by hyping them up and listening to them.

“Go hype up a teenager! Whether that be commenting on somebody's social media that you follow from your church congregation, your community— hype them up there, give them a compliment! When you see them, make them feel seen. If you have teenagers and you don't regularly do family dinner, make a goal to just do one family dinner. Make a goal to just be available to them.

And the biggest call to action is to just listen to your teenagers because there will be other people that will listen to them, but you want it to be you. You want to be that safe space.” 

- Beth Ann Sands, Texas Mom and Community DJ

Referenced Links and Episodes: 

• Beth Ann Instagram 
• Beth Ann TikTok 
• Learn more about the BeReal app
• Ep 28 Scrunchy Mamas 
• Ep 29 Birth Mothers and Adoption // Steve Sunday 
• Ep 30 Meme Girls // Rachel Homolak 
• Ep 31 Mom of All Trades // Tyla Bearss

Connect with Hey, Sister:

Visit HeySisterPodcast.org

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Show Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction of topic and guest expert

4:45 Getting to know DJ Beth Ann

10:45 Finding our purpose, families are fundamental unit of society, Beth Ann’s village-approach: meet youth where they are 

14:30 Be a consistent/stable adult in a youth’s life, youth are fighting wars today (within themselves, with the world)

18:30 Staying bubbly and optimistic when youth are challenging (Courtney’s husband’s memory)

20:45 Shout-out to Beth Ann’s *seminary class and their advice to adults within their community: “if we don’t respond, please don’t take it personal”

23:30 Teenagers and phones: utilizing phones in positive ways for teaching

25:45 Balancing: parenting and serving other youth simultaneously

29:15 Adults need a reserve of confidence, don’t expect youth to reciprocate

30:45 Authenticity, managing stress and anxiety 

34:00 Listening to teenagers: advice from high school counselor, counting “wins”, no phone time in car, family dinners, competitive conversational games

37:00 Modeling being a good friend, recognizing and following maternal inspiration

39:30 BeReal App as a communication tool for families 

40:45 Call to action, Beth Ann’s social media

44:00 Concluding thoughts, outtakes, shout-out rap to Beth Ann’s 7 a.m. seminary students

*The seminary program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a four-year religious education program for youth. Learn more at churchofjesuschrist.org

Tyla Bearss of Cake-N-Tyla joins co-hosts Courtney and Carley and shares her experiences, tips and tricks for pursuing personal passions as a mom. Tyla, Courtney and Carley swap stories and personal philosophies about trying to manage motherhood responsibilities while carving out time to practice new skills. This is the fourth episode in the 5-part series on motherhood, airing May 2022. 

Call to Action:

Put yourself out there and try something you’ve been interested in! 

“We, as moms, get so wrapped up in our kids and what they need. We sometimes forget we have needs as well and we also have talents and hobbies and things that can enrich other people's lives and our kids' lives by them seeing us pursue those things, seeing what brings us joy. They say, “a happy wife, a happy life.” And I feel like when I'm doing things that bring me joy, I'm a better mom at home.

So I just say, put yourself out there. Try something new. Even if you're nervous to do it, it doesn't hurt to try! And if you don't succeed the first time, just keep trying. ‘Cause I promise, practice makes perfect—well, no— practice makes progress is what I'll say, because it's never, always going to be perfect, but practice definitely makes progress.”

- Tyla Bearss of Cake-n-Tyla 

Referenced Links and Episodes: 

• Cake-n-Tyla Facebook 
• Cake-n-Tyla Instagram 
• Episode 10 Wise Up // Mindy Schoen 
• Episode 2 Hit It 

Connect with Hey, Sister:

https://heysisterpodcast.org

https://www.instagram.com/theheysisterpodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/heysisterpodcast

Show Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction of topic and guest host

5:15 Tyla’s cake decorating journey: husband’s M&M cake beginnings, encouragement from friends, Stranger Things cake story, husband support in the middle of the night, early successes and difficult lessons

14:30 Personal growth: overcoming feelings of inadequacy, prioritizing time for passion projects

16:30 Involving kids vs. excluding kids from involvement in passion projects

18:45 Lessons children learn watching moms practice new skills: things don’t come easy/free, you have to work hard in life

20:00 Balancing act: a continual work in progress, bike analogy

21:30 Balance v. Harmony in life: discussion on “mom guilt”

24:15 Personal lessons learned: You can do hard things, recognizing progress and celebrating the milestones, keeping motivation up by continually learning new techniques

26:15 Social media comparisons: recognizing room for growth and making changes, not getting impatient with yourself along your journey

29:45 Personal passions as a source of income: providing Christmas, finding harmony and recognizing “discord” and how to resolve it

34:00 Intentional with use of time: moms can still make life fun on the go/doing chores/working

36:00 Call to Action: examples of trying new things—musical numbers and running

38:30 Supporting women in your life in their passion projects

40:45 Closing remarks: Tyla’s contact information, 3 baking tips, outtakes

Rachel Homolak, founder and administrator of the popular Bluey Memes Facebook group, joins the Hey, Sisterhood for a witty conversation about the importance of embracing laughter during the “dramedy” of motherhood. The art of the meme, messy cars, and worldwide friendships based on a shared love for a kids’ TV show are all discussed in this third episode of the 5-part series on Motherhood, airing May 2022. 

Call to Action: 

Embrace laughter in your everyday life! Laugh out loud today.

“Make sure that you always include humor in all aspects of your daily life. It's so important! I'm a theater teacher, and in theater we learn there's the drama side and the comedy side with the two-faced masks. That's the symbol with theater and it's correct. You've got to make sure you maintain that balance. Life is always going to have ups and downs and have its challenges. There's always going to be something, but the one thing that you can make sure that you're consistent with is to make sure that you keep that humor in your daily life.

So my call to action is: if you're ever feeling down or inadequate or just not having a good day— Don't forget to laugh! And if something like going to a group with memes helps you and makes you smile and chuckle a little bit, please do that. We're all in this together and it's so important to make sure that you keep that laughter in your everyday life.

So please sisters make sure that you take time to laugh.”

- Rachel Homolak, Founder of Bluey Memes (a private Facebook group)

Referenced Links:

Join the Bluey Memes Facebook group

Watch the unique Bluey/Encanto Parody 

• This musical parody was created using content contributed by various members of Bluey Memes Facebook group. Original “We don’t talk about Judo” meme creator: Katey Parson. Video creator: Eileen Nestman. Thank you to all who contributed to this creative song which brings a smile to the face of any Encanto + Bluey fan.

Connect with Hey, Sister!

Hey, Sister! Website

Hey, Sister! Instagram

Hey, Sister! Facebook

Referenced Episodes: 

Vacation Ready Series (previous month’s theme)

Ep 24: Wanderlust // Madeline Becker Hamilton

Ep 25: Hostess with the Mostess // Courtney Sandberg

Ep. 26 Vacation, All We Ever Wanted // Brit Snarr

Ep. 27 Bippity Boppity Book It! // Alexandria Palmer

Show Timeline: 

0:00 Introduction of topic and guest expert, reminder of past month’s theme and Courtney’s voice disclaimer

3:50 Getting to know Rachel: wife, mother and  theater and music teacher

5:10 Bluey Memes Facebook Group origin story

7:45 The importance of laughter in the world: phycological benefits and the need for laughter as a parent

10:00 Memes: a quick fix to accompany hard information to swallow, an inside joke between friends/strangers across the world

10:45 The art of the meme: crossovers, history of memes, Courtney’s home-builder marketing reference, an education in pop-culture

12:30 Laughter deepens relationships: credit to Bluey writers/creators, feeling seen as an individual, feeling unified with other parents all over the world

15:45 Rachel’s Bluey Memes group backpack story, Carley’s messy mini van story

18:10 Bluey (the show): inspiring kids and adults to be more imaginative, strengthening child-parent bonds

19:00 Bluey Memes domino effect: “We don’t talk about Judo” story

23:00 Bluey Memes Group: creative content, courage to post, safe place to “geek out”, rewarding experience to be a part of/founder of the group

26:15 Finding Bluey Memes Facebook group: privacy settings

27:30 Call to Action, concluding thoughts, outtakes