What does it look like when two busy moms hit the end of the year and finally take a breath? 

In this holiday episode, we reflect on the beautiful chaos of mid-December, the kind that sneaks up quickly and somehow feels both magical and exhausting. As the year rushes to a close, we revisit the traditions that anchor us: Christmas movie marathons, Hanukkah celebrations, and the annual antics of the Elf on the Shelf that leave parents wondering why they ever started in the first place.

We also take a candid look at the cultural and political moments that shaped the year, including Trump’s controversial pardons and the kind of headlines that made us pause, laugh, or say, “Are you kidding me?” These reflections sit alongside the smaller, more personal dilemmas of the season like navigating thoughtful gift-giving for teachers and nannies, reminding us how ordinary and extraordinary this time of year can be.

As we look back on our very first year of podcasting, we share the gratitude that has carried us: for the listeners who showed up, the sponsors who believed in us, and the guests who helped shape conversations we’re proud of. We also open up about what’s ahead, offering a glimpse into where the show is headed next.

This year is both a celebration and a chance to acknowledge the wins and WTFs, while sending you into the holidays with warmth, humor, and our heartfelt thanks.

We discuss:

00:00 – Welcome to Momarchy: Calling out BS in politics and motherhood

04:00 – ChatGPT makeup advice & makeshift podcast studios

07:15 – Trump tells steelworkers to “buy fewer gifts” – seriously?!

08:30 – Erika Kirk compares husbands to the government

13:30 – Trump pardons 1,500+ Jan 6 rioters and drug traffickers

17:00 – Launching a business + this podcast = real startup life

23:00 – WTF Kid Moment: Pooping on a book (yes, really)

28:30 – Ask a Millennial Mom: Do we *really* need to give 12 teacher gifts?!

41:00 – Elf on the Shelf: Meet “Neil” and his magical guilt trips

51:00 – De-stress your holiday: Zoo lights and hot chocolate work just fine

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her year-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to find people to talk to about Traitors.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

YouTube: @momarchy

Substack: @momarchy

Instagram: @momarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypodcast

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wish parenting came with a Hallmark-style guarantee? Ninety minutes, one conflict, a cozy ending? Same.

In this episode, we welcome our first-ever family guests and our first dads on the podcast to share their perspective on modern parenting: Luke Macfarlane and Hig Roberts.

We dive into everything from their journey to fatherhood, to balancing high-profile careers with nap schedules, to the real and unfiltered experience of raising a child. We also zoom out to the bigger conversations: how society views same sex families, the shifting political landscape around parenting rights, and what it truly means to show up for your child when the world feels unpredictable.

And in true Momarchy fashion, we land where it matters most: the beauty, the mess, the questions, and the love that make modern parenting work… whether your life looks like a Hallmark movie or absolutely does not.

We discuss:

00:00 – Welcome to Momarchy + show mission

05:00 – Launching the Momarchy YouTube channel

07:20 – Costco sues over tariffs (politics update)

10:40 – Katie Miller controversy: “waffles vs spaghetti”

16:50 – Introducing guests Luke & Higgs

21:00 – Rapid fire: parenting & relationship dynamics

33:00 – Becoming dads as a gay couple

47:30 – NICU discrimination story

01:06:30 – Hallmark movies vs real-life parenting

01:19:40 – Family rights, hope, and closing reflections

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her year old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to find people to talk to about Traitors.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

YouTube: @momarchy

Substack: @momarchy

Instagram: @momarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypodcast

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever looked at the news, looked at your kid's half-eaten snack plate, and wondered if the entire country is gaslighting you at the same time?

In this episode, we talk about the Epstein files, the political circus surrounding them, and why so many of us are feeling politically homeless as 2025 drags itself to the finish line. Nothing about this season feels calm, and pretending otherwise is its own kind of delusion.

We get into power, accountability, the way both parties talk down to parents, and how moms end up carrying the emotional load of a political system that refuses to just say the quiet part out loud. We also bring back our DGAF Mom Moment with the Hot or Not Edition, because sometimes laughing at the chaos is the only thing keeping us upright.

If you are tired, confused, or one performative political lecture away from snapping, grab your hot drink and tune in.

We Discuss:

(04:05) The boycott drama and why parents are over the judgment

(12:16) The Epstein files explained without the noise

(18:34) Trump's pivot and the political spin around the release

(27:51) Why so many of us feel politically homeless in 2025

(33:22) How exhaustion fuels gaslighting and misinformation

(41:00) The gap between what parents need and what politics delivers

(46:45) How to stay engaged without burning out

(51:18) Our DGAF Mom Moment: Hot or Not edition

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypodcast

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a mother realizes that staying on the sidelines is no longer an option? For Shannon Watts, that moment came after the Sandy Hook tragedy, when the fear every parent carries turned into a determination she could not ignore.

In this episode, we look at how Moms Demand Action began with one Facebook post and grew into the largest women's volunteer organization in the country. Shannon shares why mothers so often become the steady force behind major social movements and what she has learned from watching everyday women transform concern into influence.

We also explore the emotional reality of raising kids in a country where safety cannot be taken for granted. Shannon talks about the guilt and pressure that often follow women who choose to speak up, and how activism can feel grounding when it offers community instead of isolation. She also shares insights from her new book about how women can identify what drives them and take meaningful steps toward the life they want.

Shannon Watts is a speaker, author, and the Founder of Moms Demand Action. She has been named a Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 Over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year. She is the author of Fight Like a Mother and Fired Up, a New York Times and USA Today bestseller about helping women break limitations and ignite what comes next.

We Discuss:

(06:14) How the Sandy Hook tragedy pushed Shannon into action

(08:40) Why mothers often end up leading major movements

(11:56) Activism as grounding instead of burnout

(13:54) Navigating polarization and finding real common ground

(17:42) Why guilt shows up when women raise their voices

(24:09) The gap between "pro-life" rhetoric and gun safety

(29:26) How women use values, abilities, and desires to define their path

(34:17) Supporting teens who fear going to school

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: @momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypodcast

Email: [email protected]

Find more from Shannon Watts:

Instagram: @shannonrwatts

X: @shannonrwatts

Website: momsdemandaction.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever feel like the holidays are stressful enough without your uncle turning Thanksgiving into a cable news audition? Same.

In this episode, we're breaking down how to survive political conversations at the holiday table without ruining the pie or your sanity. From setting expectations before you walk in the door to gracefully exiting bad-faith debates, we're giving you the tools to make it through the season with your peace intact.

We're also bringing back Pardon My Politics: Thanksgiving Edition. JD Vance and Erica Kirk's viral hug, the New York Times' messy headline, Trump ignoring a guest fainting in the Oval Office, and the Colorado organizers who quietly flipped their entire city council.

To lighten things up, we dive into some truly unhinged White House Thanksgiving history. JFK skipped the turkey, Nixon served cottage cheese with ketchup, Obama baked sweet potato pie, and Trump… well, he brought out the Big Macs. We also imagine what Thanksgiving would look like with a woman in the Oval Office.

And in Ask a Millennial Mom, we talk teaching gratitude when your family can't agree on basic facts, choosing between the parade, football or the dog show, and the "I'm trying, but I'm a parent" dishes that always come through. Yes, the Whole Foods hot bar and boxed stuffing absolutely count. Tune in.

We Discuss:

(00:20) The "Hot Louvre Thieves" and the strange glamorizing of viral criminals

(08:56) Why holiday family gatherings turn into unexpected political minefields

(14:02) How to exit heated conversations without drama or guilt

(15:45) The invisible mental load moms carry during the holiday season

(24:29) Pardon My Politics: viral hugs, bad headlines, fainting scandals and big wins

(35:34) The wildest and weirdest Thanksgiving traditions from the White House

(43:53) Ask a Millennial Mom: teaching gratitude, handling family tension and easy mom dishes

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypodcast

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could you imagine that a bakery job at 15 would shape the way someone leads a nation?

In this episode, we sit down with Secretary Deb Haaland, former Secretary of the Interior and now candidate for governor of New Mexico.

Deb shares how her early lessons in hard work and humility shaped her belief that leadership begins with empathy and discipline, not power. We talk about how running became her way to think and heal, why "Be Fierce" isn't just a campaign slogan, and how motherhood has grounded her leadership in compassion and courage.

We also discuss the connection between public service and personal values, and what it really takes to build a future where families and the planet can thrive together.

Deb Haaland is the 54th Secretary of the Interior, a proud member of Laguna Pueblo, and she is now running for governor of New Mexico. She's dedicated to protecting public lands, empowering communities, and ensuring future generations inherit a world worth caring for.

We Discuss:

(00:01): Politics, Parenting, and Pop Culture

(15:24): Politics with Purpose: Meet Secretary Deb Haaland

(17:00): From Bakery to Ballots

(20:21): How Running Became Her Form of Meditation

(22:56): When Women Win, Everyone Benefits

(26:56): What "Be Fierce" Really Means

(30:44): Why Empathy Is Her Strongest Leadership Tool

(36:33): How We Protect the Land We Love (and Why It Matters)

(44:37): The Power of Kitchen Table Politics

(52:30): How to Teach the Next Generation to Care for the Planet

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypodcast

Email: [email protected]

Find more from Secretary Deb Haaland:

Instagram: @secdebhaaland

X: @SecDebHaaland

Facebook: @SecretaryDebHaaland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever feel like politics makes as little sense as parenting a toddler? Same.

In this episode, we're launching our first-ever Momarchy Fantasy Draft: Make It Make Sense Edition, where we each pick the wildest political stories of the week and attempt the impossible: explaining them like rational adults. (Spoiler: we fail, but it's fun.)

Between Trump's latest antics, the East Wing demolition, and the never-ending government shutdown, we're breaking it all down with plenty of laughter and side stories about food poisoning, hand-foot-mouth disease, and why Target is basically church for moms.

Because when democracy feels like a toddler on Halloween candy, sometimes all you can do is pour a ginger ale (or wine) and laugh through the madness.

We Discuss:

(00:01) Food poisoning, packing chaos, and recording from home

(03:51) Sick kids, vaccine shortages, and the annual preschool panic

(08:12) The first-ever Momarchy Draft: making political nonsense make sense (kind of)

(12:25) Target runs, scheduling fun, and why "self-care" looks different for moms

(18:03) The myth of balance and the art of stop pretending we can do it all

(24:51) He's not babysitting, he's parenting

(33:02) The AI poop video, the yelling leak and more: the week's wildest headlines

(51:30) Sweaty gym clothes, diaper bags, and the ultimate Momarchy Challenge

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypod

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you launch your campaign for Congress the same week you find out you're pregnant? In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Vedernikova Khanna (a first-time candidate, communications strategist, and soon-to-be mom), to talk about what it really looks like to chase big political dreams while growing a human.

Lisa shares how her mother's journey from Soviet Russia shaped her understanding of the American dream, why lived experience matters in policymaking, and what she's learned about resilience on the campaign trail. We talk about pregnancy, power, and the policies that actually support families: from paid leave to childcare to maternal healthcare in rural communities.

We also discuss what it means to redefine "family values" in today's political climate, why resting is a luxury most moms can't afford, and the importance of electing more mothers to Congress.

Lisa Vedernikova Khanna is running for Congress in Virginia and previously worked with the New York Times and the Democratic National Committee. She's passionate about building a government that truly reflects and supports working families.

We Discuss:

(00:01) Love Is Blind, Denver edition: why love is definitely not blind in Colorado

(07:34) 100,000 downloads: from texting our moms for listens to thousands tuning in every week

(10:35) How Momarchy started

(17:15) Recording from our kitchens, hiding from toddlers, and still trying to sound confident

(20:05) Keeping hope alive when politics feels like a dumpster fire

(23:29) Cold DMs, lucky yeses, and the moment people actually started reaching out

(25:24) Why Momarchy isn't our full-time job (yet)… and yes, we are paying to do this

(30:04) Campaigning and morning sickness: when "leading and lactating" become the same conversation

(31:50) Meet Lisa Vedernikova-Khanna: running for Congress while pregnant, and redefining what power looks like

(34:51) The policies she's fighting for and why lived experience belongs in Congress

(44:24) The "how will you do both?" question, the myth of pro-family politics, and the reality of doing it anyway

(55:15) Her message to moms everywhere

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypod

Email: [email protected]

Find more from Lisa Vedernikova-Khanna:

Website: www.lvk.vote

Instagram: @lisaforvirginia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder why Halloween and election season overlap every single year? Spoiler alert: it's not a coincidence, and both involve way too much door-knocking and people losing their minds.

In this spooky special episode of Momarchy, we're diving into the intersection of Halloween, motherhood, and the original cancel culture: the Salem Witch Trials. Because nothing says "happy Halloween" quite like realizing that being accused of witchcraft in 1692 was basically what happens now when you have an opinion on the internet.

We're talking about the pressure to create Pinterest-perfect Halloween memories, how political campaigns have ruined this holiday for anyone who's ever worked on a race, and why the Salem Witch Trials were just mass gaslighting with deadly consequences. Plus, Love is Blind drama, king-size candy bars, and why being called a witch really just meant you were a woman who refused to stay quiet.

We Discuss:

00:24 - Election Day reminder: November 4th is one week away

01:43 - Love is Blind finale predictions and the Nick/Annie breakup we all saw coming

02:07 - Joe and Madison's cringy Mexico pool party moment that made us all uncomfortable

04:12 - Halloween as a mom: First-timer nerves vs. fourth Halloween wisdom

08:24 - Family themed costumes: Worth the effort or just added pressure?

17:36 - That time Tanya threw up from exhaustion (not drinking) on Halloween 2016 in Colorado Springs

22:01 - Does social media make Halloween worse? The crafty mom pressure is real (or is it?)

27:24 - The Salem Witch Trials deep dive begins: The OG gaslighting campaign

34:02 - How the Salem Witch Trials mirror Democratic Party infighting today

36:09 - The opposite of hate is indifference: When fear keeps people silent

37:21 - It only takes ONE person in power to start a witch hunt (literally)

38:34 - JD Vance, toxic churches, and "boys will be boys" responses to racism

45:52 - Being a witch just means being too powerful for your time

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypod

Email: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to rebuild a political party that's lost its way? In this raw and unfiltered episode of Momarchy, we sit down with Amanda Litman, whose organization Run for Something has recruited thousands of young people to run for local office.

We dive into the backlash Amanda faced after posting about vaccinating her daughter, what the Make America Healthy Again movement is really about, and why the Democratic Party's resistance to generational change is costing us elections. We also discuss "responsible authenticity" and why being yourself in politics doesn't mean saying everything you think.

Amanda Litman is the founder and president of Run for Something, author of "When We're in Charge," and a proud mom of two who lives in Brooklyn. She's a former Hillary Clinton campaign staffer who decided the best way to fight back after 2016 was to recruit the next generation of leaders.

We Discuss:

02:32 - Taylor Swift's new album: Our favorite songs and guilty pleasures

06:28 - Pardon My Politics: The unfiltered segment begins

06:41 - The vaccine post that went viral: Death threats, CPS reports, and millions of views

10:16 - Breaking down the Make America Healthy Again movement and its dangers

14:17 - Why young moms are particularly vulnerable to health misinformation

18:35 - The power of economic boycotts and why they brought Kimmel back

19:10 - Responsible authenticity in leadership: Being your best self, not your real self

21:34 - Why American politics refuses to pass the torch to younger leaders

27:13 - Navigating anti-Semitism and safety concerns within the Democratic Party

38:10 - How to run for office when you feel disillusioned with your own party

39:17 - Resources for moms who want to run: Free trainings, asynchronous learning, and support

44:20 - DGAF Mom Version: The one thing Amanda doesn't give a fuck about

Learn more about:

Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver.

Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches.

Website: momarchypodcast.com

Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy

Instagram: @themomarchypodcast

TikTok: @momarchypod

Email: [email protected]

Find more from Amanda Litman:

Website: https://www.amandalitman.com/

Instagram: @amandalitm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.