We can work together to make this easier for everyone. In this episode I talk about a mother of four grocery shopping during a pandemic (it's me, I'm the mom). It can be hard not to get caught into the current buying frenzy.

Looking for something to do with your free time? It isn't too late to throw some seeds in the ground and try your hand at gardening this summer! And don't tell me you have a black thumb--you just need practice! There is a learning curve to gardening, but the results are so worthwhile. Let's get started! This episode delves into starting your own backyard garden this summer.

In the last episode, I talked about how to start basic prepping with essential food and supply storage. This episode delves into organizing your supply by thinking about potential disaster scenarios and what foods could be used for well-rounded meals. Staying prepared for Coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing is just as important as the many other potential disasters you might face year-round. Keeping a balanced food storage of 1-2 weeks of food year round is a good practice in case of emergency.

Are you prepared in the case of an emergency? You don't have to be a doomsday prepper to be ready for unexpected disasters. In this episode I talk about how to start a basic (and reasonable) stockpile of necessity items in case of a natural disaster, disease epidemic or other emergency scenario. Keep your beginner prep storage year round, rotating it out as you go so you are always ready to some degree for things that could go wrong. Plus, find out how easy it is to start--even on a very low budget!

When you see the potential in every item, it can be hard to let go. This episode, I delve into life as a pack rat and how to start shifting the thinking towards less clutter. Learning to let go will help make your space freer and reduce the mental burden affected by clutter.

With a black husband, I knew my kids' hair would be different than I was used to with my own hair. My first baby caused me to stop and really do my research. Without knowing it as a method, I was practicing the Curly Girl Method (CGM) on her within the first few months of her life. Once I discovered the CGM, things got even easier because the rules were clearer. Taking care of mixed and black hair really means usually taking care of curly hair that might be more porous, coarse and dry. When it comes to kids, there are some important things to consider. This episode delves into caring for kids with curly hair.

For some unknown reason, I start this podcast off with a rant about Costco. We have a love-hate relationship at this point. I move on to talk about the Curly Girl Method and what you should do if your products don't seem to be working. If you have started Curly Girl and want to know if you should change products, this post is for you. Application methods, routines, ingredients--I cover it all on this episode.

What happens when you start Curly Girl and your curls don't improve? Never fear, you are probably just going through transition. On this episode, I talk about transition hair. What is transition hair and how can you get through it? Tips and tricks to help you get healthier curls with the Curly Girl Method.

Ever heard of Curly Girl? It's a lot like joining a cult for your hair. Okay, not really, but it is a method of taking care of curly, dry hair. After years of abuse, my once beach-wavy blonde hair was basically a fluffy poof of damage. After my fourth kid, I figured bleach, pregnancies and hot tool styling had destroyed my hair. But starting the Curly Girl Method was a turning point in my life. There are no specific products or magical routine--everyone's hair is different. The CGM basically says no silicones or waxes in your products and NO MORE SHAMPOO! Yep, listen in to find out what it takes to be a curly girl with this podcast episode.

Hi! I'm Alethea and I blog as MidKid Mama over at www.midkidmamablog.com where I share all kinds of tips, recipes and things I'm excited about. I have four mixed kids and a husband of almost 9 years. We live in semi-urban Midwest America, so I write about many things with that angle. I actually recorded this first podcast episode several months ago, but I've been a bit slow on deciding when and how to publish it. But most of the time my overthinking all the details is my biggest hindrance. So, here I am getting this thing started!

I love cooking, gardening, photography, painting, drawing, teaching, yoga, the Curly Girl Method and so much more! Personally, I like listening to podcasts while I work out or do basic jobs around the house. So, I decided to have a little fun with my own podcast to add something more to my blog. I hope you will get value out of this podcast on all things mom and Midwest.