Hold On, I'm Calling My Mom

This week I called my mom because we're FINALLY back from Mexico, and let's just say our family vacation came with a few unexpected surprises… including someone nearly ending up in a Mexican jail.

We're recapping our trip to paradise, where an airport incident nearly derailed the entire vacation, a few "innocent" comments led to tears, and an unexpected family confrontation had me questioning how the people closest to me really see me.

Meanwhile, I found myself facing a temptation I hadn't experienced in nearly two years, while Barb reflected on just how different this vacation felt from the family trips that once ended in arguments and tears.

International incidents. Family drama. Temptation. And Barb.

Just another week of I Called My Mom ;)

This week I called my mom because a mysterious stranger showed up at Barb's home claiming to have legal papers for her… and now we're trying to figure out what the HELL is going on.

We discuss the man who aggressively banged on her door, claimed he needed to deliver a subpoena, and then seemingly disappeared without a trace. Who sent him? What does he want? And why does Barb seem more concerned about how early he showed up than the possibility of having to appear in court?

Meanwhile, Barb and I are coming in HOT this week with a growing shit list, and Chick-fil-A and Dunkin' Donuts are sitting comfortably at the top. Between questionable interviews, a drink that looks like Barney took a shit in a cup, we're officially over this week.

Plus, we're preparing for our family vacation to Mexico, where all I want is a massage, a tropical view, and some peace and quiet. But naturally, there's already a possibility of a hurricane.

Mysterious strangers. Shit lists. Legal drama. And Barb.

Just another week of I Called My Mom ;)

This week I called my mom because Barb went viral… and apparently we have a much bigger problem to unpack: why does this woman insist on living in 1996 when the rest of us are in 2026?

We discuss her completely normal decision to visit not one, but TWO different banks just to pay her car payment and her insistence that everyone else is doing the exact same thing.

Meanwhile, I experience my first robotic massage, which somehow leads my mom to casually reveal that a massage therapist once FELL ASLEEP while she was lying there naked.

Plus, Jordan is redoing our apartment, and while I appreciate everything he's doing to make our home better, the process brought up a childhood trigger I really wasn't expecting.

Technology. Trauma. Two banks. And Barb.

Just another week of I Called My Mom ;)

We're back for a whole new season :)

This week I called my mom because she's getting ready to move across the country to Southern California and thought she found the one that would make it all worth it… until it wasn't exactly what she expected.

We recap my latest trip back home to New Jersey to help my mom get her shit together and discover a homemade shrine dedicated to the last family member I expected.

Plus, an uncomfortable realization courtesy of my brother and boyfriend: sometimes the people we love most become the practice ground for our hardest moments.

And speaking of family… we have a pretty major update from my boyfriend's side.

I Called My Mom is back for Season 4 ;)

This week I called my mom because after months of searching, she finally found the place she was going to call home and was getting ready to move across the country to be closer to me.

Then her dream home fell through.

We talk about the disappointment of hitting a major roadblock in a move we've been planning for months, my first-ever Erewhon experience (yes, it only took me 10 years), and whether the Hailey Bieber smoothie is actually worth the hype.

Plus, I share a huge realization I've had about this chapter of my life. For so long, I've been looking at everything that's happened through the lens of loss and setbacks. But what if this isn't the chapter that's breaking me? What if it's actually the chapter that's building me?

And maybe the biggest realization of all: I thought I was doing it alone, but I've had a team behind me this whole time.

This week I called my mom because there was a lot to catch up on!

We talk about her birthday, her Joshua Tree adventure, and continue our search for a new place for her and my brother to call home in LA. But somewhere in the middle of the conversation, I tell her something I've been feeling since her trip.

Sometimes I feel like she protects my brother more than me. Definitely not in a way where she loves him more, but in a way I feel misunderstood by her from how I'm feeling… so we do what we always do and hash it out on the podcast like most families do, right?

Plus, a little life update from both of us before we head into our summer hiatus and return in September.

This week I called my mom because it's her mothafuckin birthday… and somehow that turned into me going through decades of home videos realizing our entire relationship has basically been documenting itself in real time.

Between Spice Girls performances in the living room, me telling my mom to "shut up" as a child, emotional homecoming speeches, vag wax updates, getting lost in a lake, and me discovering I've apparently had the same need for validation since 2004… this episode quickly spiraled into a chaotic time capsule of how our relationship somehow evolved from mother/son to whatever the hell this is now.

Because nothing says "happy birthday" quite like emotionally unpacking your childhood through old family videos and realizing your mom accidentally shaped your entire personality. Happy birthday, Barb <3

This week I called my mom because it's Mother's Day… and naturally, we decided to test the boundaries of a mother/son relationship.

Shout out to our listener-submitted situations, Barb and I try to figure out what's actually considered "too far" between a mom and her adult son… which quickly spirals into oversharing, my biggest insecurities, Barb's biggest ick, and a childhood memory involving our dad that we absolutely did not need to unpack publicly.

Because nothing says "Happy Mother's Day" quite like accidental family trauma and oversharing on a podcast.

This week I called my mom because I think showing up for myself is starting to upset people.

What started as a conversation about something happening in my own life quickly turned into something bigger, about boundaries, sensitivity to other people's energy, and the pressure to stay in a version of yourself that others are comfortable with.

After being told to "stay in my role" and not use my voice, I found myself questioning what it actually means to show up as myself… and whether that comes with consequences.

As we talked through it, I realized my mom has been here before.

There was a point in her life where she stepped into who she really was… and it caused friction with the people who were supposed to support her the most. Including my dad.

Which is why, more recently, she found herself asking a question she didn't expect to be asking again, when do you show up for someone else, and when do you choose yourself?

So for a moment… it flipped.

It wasn't just "hold on, I'm calling my mom."

It was "hold on… she's calling me."

This week I called my mom because… my high school bully just followed up asking to hang out.

And I don't know how to feel about that...

Which it made me think about the episode where he first slid into my DMs AND came out to me.

At the same time… a year ago, my mom was hesitant to even think about moving across the country. Now she's sending me listings every day trying to find the perfect place in LA.

So we're revisiting a moment where everything felt uncertain…

knowing where it all stands now :)