We first released this conversation with actress and singer Lea Michele in November 2021. At the time, she was a new mom and bravely shared her pregnancy and postpartum experience, including her struggles with PCOS and infertility. Since the release of this episode, Lea’s baby boy is now a toddler and she has taken on one of the biggest roles of her career - Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway! The critics love her and fans can’t help but give a standing ovation to the entire cast after every performance. Listen to this episode to hear Lea share her real and honest experiences with motherhood and a high-stakes career.  Follow @vanessaquigley   Make a Chatbook and use code POD20

How Motherhood Changed Lea Michele’s Life

Welcome to The Mom Force Podcast! We know that parenting is the hardest job in the world, and we’ve got you covered! Vanessa Quigley, mother of 7 and co-founder of the Internet’s favorite photo book company Chatbooks, hosts this refreshing take on all things mom as she chats with parenting experts to answer some of our toughest parenting questions. And check out our Facebook group — the #momforce by Chatbooks — to see the power of women supporting women. That’s the MomForce!

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Join Abby Cox as she shares her inspiring journey from small-town farm life to residing in the governor's mansion in Salt Lake City. Growing up in the small town of Fairview, Utah she never imagined herself living a life in politics. Since becoming First Lady, Abby created the “Show Up” initiative, which invites everyone to show up in their community through service opportunities.  This year she has refocused her efforts on the larger nationwide initiative of “Disagree Better”. Meant to help ease the political discourse that has gotten so impassioned over the years.  During the conversation, Abby shares how she has personally learned how to “Disagree Better”. She explains what she does when she disagrees with her husband or kids on political issues, how we can better understand each other, and why it is important to never stop doing the work.   

From Farm Life to First Family: Abby Cox's Journey as Utah's First Lady

Known for her incredible talent on the dance floor, Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy has helped so many women who struggle with infertility feel seen and known as she has shared her journey to becoming a mother. We originally aired this episode last year and had an incredible response from our community so I wanted to share it again. Jenna’s adorable baby boy Rome is now 1 and has accompanied her on tour with the Dancing with the Stars team.  Jenna is a bright light in the dance community and you're going to love learning more from her including what it was like meeting her husband on Dancing with the Stars and how they ultimately fell in love and started their family.  Use code: MOMFORCE for 20% off your first  Chatbooks order! Make a book for Mother's Day! Follow Vanessa Follow Jenna  Follow Chatbooks Try out  HeyFam our new family chat app  

Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy's Difficult Journey to Motherhood Amidst Life in the Spotlight on Dancing with the Stars (Encore)

What jeans should I be wearing?! Fashion designer, content creator, mom of three, and style educator Merrick White is answering that question and so many more during this episode of The MomForce Podcast. She has been in the blogging space for more than a decade and shares daily fashion tips to help guide us all. Merrick is responding to questions from the MomForce community about how to do a successful closet cleanout, how to find your personal style, and of course – what  jeans will make you feel good! I know you will love this episode and what Merrick has to say about fashion in motherhood. Not only that she shares a great guide for teaching our teens and tweens about making appropriate clothing choices. You don’t want to miss it!  Time codes:  5:35 Jeans 101  13:30 Finding your personal style  14:45 Postpartum fashion  16:30 Capsule wardrobes  20:00 Criteria for a closet clean out  22:00 What Vanessa should keep and what she should get rid of  30:15 Selling clothes and organizing a clothing swap  40:00 The pajama pants trend and how to help teens make appropriate clothing choices  Use code: MOMFORCE for 20% off your first  Chatbooks order!  Follow Vanessa Follow Merrick  Check out Merrick’s first viral post  How to find your personal style quiz Follow Chatbooks Try out  HeyFam our new family chat app

Enter the Chat: Navigating Style and Motherhood with Merrick White of @merricksart

World famous ballerina Misty Copeland has an incredible story to share. When she discovered ballet at the age of 13 she was living in motel rooms and struggling to find a place to sleep on the floor between her five siblings. Thanks to a ballet class offered at the Boys and Girls Club and a mentor that took special interest in her abilities, Misty was on pointe shoes within three months of starting classes. A true prodigy, she began performing professionally less than a year after that.  Misty’s mentor and teacher from the Boys and Girls Club invited her to live in her home so that she could provide the stability Misty needed to focus all of her time and energy on ballet. From there Misty continued to excel in every aspect of the ballet world.  On June 30, 2015, she became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theater's 75-year history. Since that time she has used her voice to promote inclusion and diversity in ballet through her foundation. You are going to love hearing from Misty. Time codes:  00:50 Photos of her son Jackson that have a fun backstory  13:30 Support your kids dreams and listen to them  14:00 How to be a hands on parent and nurture your kids interests  15:00 If Misty will have her little boy do ballet  17:30 The importance of representation in ballet and the steps Misty has taken through her foundation and philanthropy to make that happen  19:50 Why Misty is hopeful for the future of diversity and inclusion in the dance world  21:30 How to help move diversity and inclusion forward wherever you are  26:25 Misty’s ultimate mom hack secret  28:00 The role journaling has and still does play a part in Misty’s life  29:30 Creating a Chatbook of her little family and sending it to relatives as a surprise  31:15 Misty on growing her family and writing her next children’s book, Bunheads 2  Use code: MOMFORCE for 20% off your first  Chatbooks order!  Follow Vanessa Follow Misty  Check out the Misty Copeland Foundation  Follow Chatbooks Try out  HeyFam our new family chat app

Motherhood in Motion: Misty Copeland's Inspiring Journey as a World-Famous Ballerina

Becoming a first-time mom is quite the adjustment period. I knew that I wanted to be there for my oldest daughter as she began her motherhood journey but I did not want to be overbearing or step on any toes.  Going into the experience of becoming a grandma I wanted to be as helpful as possible so I reached out to this amazing MomForce community for advice. You all shared heartfelt experiences and tips that I decided to pack into this mini episode for you. From freezer meals to the nighttime shift I am truly grateful for everything that was shared. Thank you for sending your thoughts and if you are about to become a mom or grandma I know that you will find something helpful in this episode!  The joy that our new granddaughter has brought into our family cannot be overstated. If you want to see a few of my favorite moments so far find me on Instagram @vanessaquigley.  Time codes:  00:55 Vanessa’s experience having her babies  1:40 Treat the new mom like your baby, get her everything she needs  2:30 Don’t ask to hold the baby constantly, help with everything else around the baby like cooking and cleaning 3:45 Let the new parents do the baby stuff, you help run the household  4:30 Let the new mom hold the baby  5:00 How to be proactive but not presumptuous  5:20 How to help with meals and snacks 6:00 Be a gatekeeper for unwanted visitors  6:15 Run all the errands  7:00 The night shift  8:05 How to reassure the new parents that they can do it and are totally capable 9:00 Take all the pictures and videos  Use code: MOMFORCE for 20% off your first  Chatbooks order!  Follow Vanessa Follow Chatbooks Try out  HeyFam our new family chat app

How Motherhood Changed Lea Michele’s Life

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