Uh-oh it's the big 4-0! Turning 40? Bah! Who cares? Forty might be the new 30, but it's definitely not the new 20. So, let's count our blessings and take a deep breath. There's something special about nearing the big 4-0 - it's the perfect time to be comfortably content in our own skin. Women, embrace it: you're wiser, more confident, and no one can tell you what to do Plus, they say sex is better than ever (you heard it here first!). Seriously though, turning 40 is a time of major reflection. It marks an opportunity for you to take stock of your life, make changes, and set new goals to achieve. So when the big day comes, just remember that you still got it - even if it's a little more seasoned! Embrace your age, celebrate your fabulous self, and live your life!

In this episode, we discuss self-esteem and owning your confidence! Parenting is not one size-fits-all, but teaching kids responsibility and to be proud of themselves is something all kids need. We discuss some examples of how to do this and some challenges we have faced and got through to the other side! Teaching our kids about confidence is one thing, but we also need to model this for ourselves. Own who you are and what you believe and don't late the haters bring you down! Let us know if you try the Brag Book!

Love and Logic links*:

Early Childhood (birth to 6 yrs): https://amzn.to/3ZzMEwJ

Ages 2-12, updated version: https://amzn.to/41CJ5HW

Teens: https://amzn.to/3Y7S9kZ

Gluten Free Kodiak Cake mix Amanda swears by!

https://amzn.to/3KZVM9R

Here is the article we were referencing in today's episode.

https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/how-to-build-your-childs-self-esteem/

*We do make a small commission if you use our links to purchase through Amazon. Thanks for supporting fellow moms!

Who doesn’t love a good Pinterest recipe? I know I do which is why it’s my go-to whenever I'm trying to figure out what the heck is for dinner! If you're anything like me, you can get lost for hours scrolling through all the amazing recipes on this heavenly catalog of goodness. When selecting my winner recipe, I always evaluate two things. One… How many reviews does it have and what are they? Anything under 4.5 stars isn't gonna cut it for this self-proclaimed foodie. The second thing I look at is if I think I can actually make the dish in the timeframe they suggest. A general rule of thumb for me is to add at least a 30-minute cushion to their 'prep time' suggestion. (I'm not Wonder Woman in an apron, so if the prep time listed is more than 30 minutes, I politely peace out because I’m just not that mom!

Okay, enough blabbering! Let's check out this amazing recipe from Pinterest created by Natasha Kravchuk from 

Link to receipe: https://natashaskitchen.com/beef-stew-recipe/

Pinterest Link: https://natashaskitchen.com/beef-stew-recipe/

IG Link: @natashaskitchen

Amanda-Fied…

I never follow recipes exactly because I have self-diagnosed Mom of Three Energetic Boys ADD and can’t remember one step to the next. Plus, I love adding my own spin of what I know my family likes and what I like too. 

Bacon: I used Tender Belly Signature Dry-Rubbed Uncured Bacon because it's what I had on hand... Also, I used the whole package. What's the point in using just 6oz when the whole thing is so delicious?? Bacon-y goodness for all!

Flour: Skipping the gluten and using Kodiak Cakes waffle/pancake mix here. I know it sounds odd, but believe me, it's amazing!

Wine: Cabernet for me all the way. There's more than 2 cups in a bottle, so of course I had to pour it out for the homies, while keeping the rest for myself. 

Mushrooms: I'm a baby bella or cremini mushroom fan all the way. As it happens, I had cremini mushrooms this time. 

Garlic: This mama loves keeping the vampires and mosquitos away, so I almost always double the garlic! No one will be tapping on my window any time soon!

Potatoes: It's like Sophie's Choice, but with potatoes - they're all so damn tasty, it's a real dilemma! I solved it the only way I knew how - with a mini medley bag, so no potato gets left behind!

You just found out your kid has dyslexia... now what? In this episode Arielle and Amanda spill all the tea on everything they learned, endured and experienced on the rough ride to get information and services for their kids. They share the hard punch to the gut feeling when they received the news and how, despite all the bullshit, they managed to come out of it as a stronger and better than ever. It certainly wasn't a smooth road but hey, what would life be without a few bumps and scrapes along the way? Learn, cry and laugh, as Arielle and Amanda recount their tales of the many failures they encountered while trying to get their boys the education they deserved... only to realize it was totally worth it!

The book Arielle mentioned she gave her son about the people who are famous or successful with Dyslexia is this:

https://amzn.to/3SEqBm1

We earn a small commission for the sale of Amazon products with our link. 

In this episode we discuss an online mom hack list we found...and discover we DO have some of our own mom hacks!

Some articles that discuss "Fiver" or "Tenner Parties" with included verbiage for invitations.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a26657386/fiver-party-birthday-party-trend-invite-wording/

https://babyology.com.au/occasions/parties/fiver-parties-the-new-birthday-party-trend-that-makes-so-much-sense/

*We earn commission on Amazon products purchased with our links.

The conversation cards are called Drive-A-Logue: 

https://drivealogue.com/products/drive-a-logue-2

The book about would you rather:

https://amzn.to/41jwr0p

Some other conversation cards that we have not used, but got good reviews and are a good price: 

https://amzn.to/3kp3SxM

Happy Valentines Day lovers! We hope you're ready for an extra special edition of The Mob Squad podcast. Join us as we explore how Amanda and Arielle celebrate the day of love with their husbands and children. Whether it be gifts, quality time or anything else--you can bet there'll be plenty of love and laughs to go around. Plus, as an added bonus, Amanda will be discussing her philosophy of 'if you feel it, do it'. So get ready to reignite that spark and 'knock some boots' with your sweetheart. Challenge yourself and your loved one to an 'if you feel it, do it' experience and make this VDay one to remember!

We discussed love languages in our episode. If you don't know you or your spouses love language, we highly recommend this book! We do make a commission for purchases with our link.

https://amzn.to/3YVn2ua

Audiobook version:

https://amzn.to/3YX9kan

We know what you're thinking: "Why on earth would you wait until 8th grade to give your kids a cell phone?!" Believe us, we get it. If we didn't know better, we'd probably be judging us too. But here's the thing: parenthood is hard enough without worrying about the dangers of the world wide web. We're trying to raise independent, responsible humans who make wise decisions, and even if we don't make it all the way to 8th grade, we'll try our best to teach them all they need to know to stay safe on the web. Until then, for the safety of our children, we leave them phonelessly in the dark. Ha, ha! Keep up the good work, fellow parents.

Full disclosure here: we're not experts, just two moms trying to raise boys in a world that seems to be in a hurry for them to grow up! We know every parent makes the best decisions for their child and family and we fully support your parenting. But this is what we've chosen for our family because it simply feels right in the present. 

We all struggle with the dinner time vendetta! What should we make?? Why won't my kids eat new things? Why does a 20 minute recipe take 2 hours to create? Listen in, if you struggle with dinners too! 

Hey there, boy moms!
Are you ready to laugh and reminisce about the hilarious and humbling experience of raising boys? In this funny episode, we talk about the need for stocking up on Kleenex and navigating the competitive sports
world for our pre-teens. From babies to pre-teens, there’s no shortage of laughs and life lessons to be gained. So get out the wine glasses and press play—it’s time to get your funny boy mom fix!

We thought it would be funny to include a link to the kleenex on Amazon this mom bought, but full disclosure, we make a commission if you use our link to purchase. 

https://amzn.to/41pmQVx

In this episode we discuss how it went for Amanda implementing the daily checklist for her boys. Spoiler: it went super well! Check it out to hear her story and why it worked so well, as well as some tips and things we struggled with.

Please check our instagram for the checklist. @mobsquadpodcast (still working on it-hang on!)

The EASY road is never the road that gets you anywhere in life...it's just easy. No one wants to choose the hard road, but when it comes to parenting, it's the road we are all put on. Parenting is HARD. It only gets more complicated as they get older. In this episode, we dive into why it's so hard and how we try to navigate it from baby-hood to college. We discuss freedom and resposibility, balance, not being on the same page as a partner, making mistakes, parenting different ages/personalities/maturity levels, and more.

Arielle discusses starting motherhood off exhausted, a little traumatized and sleep-deprived. Amanda discusses letting kids stay up later as they get older and having more freedom heading into the teen years.

Call to Action: use our AM/PM checklist and let us know how it went!

*Sometimes we use bad language. This may be inapproriate for children to listen to, you decide what is best for your family.

Legal Disclaimer: we are not experts. We share our real life experiences and stories, but none of it is advice for your specific family and your specific needs.