Moms Got This

Being a single mother, potty training, good napping, pooping in the tub, bedwetting, sharing the facts of life, doing standup comedy while pregnant, and being raised by a single mother. Julie Kottakis, comedian, lawyer, and "Madge the Vag" on ScaryMommy.com, shared her Mom Journey with Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

(Instagram: @theweirdjulie and @madgethevag)

In this episode:

Being a writer and talent for "Madge the Vag" for Scary Mommy

Being a single mother

Still poddy training at nighttime

And naps two hours/day

When "my tummy tickles" means poop

Poop in the bath, and when a husband has no idea what to do about it

Bedwetting

Talking about sex with your child, making it technical

Being a lawyer who's also a comedian

Standup when pregnant

Being raised by a single mother herself

Julie is a New York based comedian who can be seen ​on the very popular web series "Madge the Vag" as Madge and behind the scenes as a cowriter. Julie has been featured on Fox's Laugh's TV. Her solo show, "Does This Dress Make Me Look Alone?" was in the New York International Festival 2014. Julie was a finalist in the She Devil Comedy Festival 2017 and released her first comedy album, "Tiny Roommate", in May of 2018. Julie's comedy comes from the perspective a solo mom, giving a dark and edgy view on motherhood.

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

When your child goes to camp, social anxiety, when your child decides to act maturely, the genesis of the Aluna superhero character and why she's Paula's alter ego, and prep school. Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar, The Shield, Clockstoppers, Dangerous Minds, All My Children, On My Block, and creator of The World of Aluna superhero comic books) shares her special moments and aspirations as a mom with Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

(Paula's Instagram: @therealpaulagarces)

Presented by Keepsake Frames. Print, frame your photos easily and fast from your phone – handmade in the USA and delivered with free shipping. Use discount code #MOMSGOTTHIS at www.keepsakeframes.com for 30% off first order.

In this episode:

Dylan in camp, writing letters to counselors

Stuttering, social anxiety

When your child says they are not going to cry

Career goals

Going to ComicCon and discovering no Latina superheroes, so she created one

Became comic book series, video game, alter ego

And the excitement of Paula's son getting into prep school

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

Solving sleep with pacifiers, waterproof makeup every day, an amazing makeup remover, Korean cosmetics, and how different raising babies with a 22 year gap can be. Actress Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar, The Shield, Clockstoppers, Dangerous Minds, All My Children, On My Block, and creator of The World of Aluna superhero comic books) shares her mom products and solutions with Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

(Paula's Instagram: @therealpaulagarces)

In this episode:

Michelle on her #secondchildmommynewness and new mom products and solutions

Two and a half years of too little sleep, and the pacifier is the answer!

How Michelle bought every pacifier on the market and tested them all!

Why Michelle's baby is now sleeping for 3 hours at a time

Paula on Cargo Cosmetics swimmable waterproof line makeup – no time for touchups

Makeup longevity when you are sweating all the time because hands on with  a four year old, and walks everywhere

Boscia – awesome black charcoal activators

A gel-like makeup remover that is amazing

Seeking and loving Korean makeup

From welfare at 18 and no fancy products for daughter back then, using what she could afford, to more possibilities today

Embracing the pacifier for sleep

How Paula breastfed both kids, but with daughter did not have any products or breast pump or fancy bras

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

Managing gym class and 45 daily minutes of self care, being bicoastal, a JLo-like spin class teacher, shooting "On My Block", a child's social anxiety, balancing the entertainment business and motherhood, a built-in-babysitter, and how what's on the outside impacts how you feel on the inside. Actress Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar, The Shield, Clockstoppers, Dangerous Minds, All My Children, On My Block, and creator of The World of Aluna superhero comic books) shares her mom routines and relationships with Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

(Paula's Instagram: @therealpaulagarces)

In this episode:

Gym Class

45 min a day of self care, doing anything you can, how makes you a better mom, better person

Being bicoastal

Paula's JLo-like spin class teacher

"On My Block" on Netflix, handling shooting 1-2 days/week

Why public school, social anxiety

Balancing entertainment business  work responsibilities with motherhood

A built-in-baby sitter with her older daughter, and her husband is in the business

Paula looks young for her age, so she and her daughter sometimes have looked like sisters

Feminist at heart, but works hard for a healthy body, and will be comfortable with showing it.

If you like what you see outside it makes you feel good inside

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

Michelle had her baby! Trying to remember things from when you had your first baby,  how having a baby interrupted an acting career, having kids that are 22 years apart in age, living your own truth, pregnancy in your 40's, and an inspiring moment when community rallied around a mom in need.  Actress Paula Garces (Harold and Kumar, The Shield, Clockstoppers, Dangerous Minds, All My Children, On My Block, and creator of The World of Aluna superhero comic books) shares her Mom Journey with Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

(Paula's Instagram: @therealpaulagarces)

In this episode:

Michelle announces she's had her baby!

How Michelle's new baby is more "chill" than her first baby

Michelle forgot so many things from the first time she had a baby

Paula started her acting career in soaps, All My Children, Guiding Light

When she was pregnant, offered part on All My Children

Paula looks like she’s very young

Paula's two children, one 26 years old, one 4 years old

How Paula has always felt she was going to accomplish what she put her mind to

Everyone said she destroyed her career when she had a baby, and one year later she was acting in Hollywood across from Michelle Pfeiffer---then didn’t work fro two years, went on welfare

Ultimately Paula nabbed roles on Law and Order, then the Harold and Kumar series then a big role on The Shield

And now she’s in new Netflix show On My Block

Don’t give up what you live and your truth is, make it happen for yourself, keep living like an artist

She tried naturally fora second child for a long time, had several miscarriages, was  feeling guilt being pregnant at an older age

Being there at a pivotal "almost–pregnant" moment with Stacy when Paula was newly pregnant

An incredible #MOMSGOTTHIS moment for Paula when strangers rallied to help her in a rough moment

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

Breaking down in front of your child, admitting to emotion and owning it to your kids, nobody needs to be perfect, apologizing to children, creating healthy humans,  launching a new wellness business, living life like Chinese medicine, how a family is like an ecosystem, defining the job of a parent, and kids are intuitive. Acupuncturist and traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Deb Ruffalo Ross shares her mom moments and aspirations with hosts Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

Presented by Keepsake Frames. Print, frame your photos easily and fast from your phone – handmade in the USA and delivered with free shipping. Use discount code #MOMSGOTTHIS at www.keepsakeframes.com for 30% off first order.

In this episode:

Michelle on going through baby stuff to prep for second one, and got brought back, remembering all you did to keep a kid alive

Those last minutes trying to get out the door every day

When you’re going to lose it, if you lose it, say that you lost it and apologize to the kids

You’re not perfect, and they should not expect you to be perfect, and they shouldn't feel like you need them to be perfect

Saying you’re sorry

Creating healthy humans

When Stacy started crying and had a moment, first time breaking down in front of her son

Next part of Deb's business is creating a place to get healthy

The Well Center, focused on retreats, meditation, utilizing her network, allowing clients to have a place they feel safe, a solution, a place to feel heard

Being prepared to launch into a startup, sacrificing numb-out time

Being at ease prevents disease

Viewing life in general as Chinese medicine, macro is microcosm of home life, moderation, flexibility, never too much of one thing, balance

Finding flexibility in the moment

Not trying to be "Buddha on the mountain"

Family is an ecosystem, learn, take, feel together

Being sympathetic, symbiotic as a parent

The job as parent is to let kids be the best version of themselves

Evolving where you’re at, not where you think you want to be in future

How kids are very intuitive, they get it

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

A cool new brush that blows hair, a beauty balm that makes all the difference, no more time for the gym, and short pilates-based workout routines. Acupuncturist and traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Deb Ruffalo Ross shares her mom products and solutions with hosts Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

Support for today’s episode comes from luxury footwear brand Tamara Mellon. Visit tamaramellon.com today to receive a $100 gift toward your first order using code MOMS100!

In this episode:

All in one hair dryer, Revlon all in one hair dryer - a brush that blows hair, don’t needs straightener or brush again

Air drying hair

BB (beauty balm) cream, mixing with moisturizer

No time, giving up gym visits

Melissa Wood Health – pilates based short workouts

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

When you don't know what day it is, juggling schedules and priorities between spouses, the transformation of moving to the suburbs, learning to drive again, the return of romance after having kids, and the schedule flexibility of owning your own business. Acupuncturist and traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Deb Ruffalo Ross shares her mom routines and relationships with hosts Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

In this episode:

What day is it? And mom exhaustion leads to confusion...

When spouses assume each other's schedules

Mom as the constant guiding post

How Deb and her family moved to suburbs last summer

How moving from city to suburbs was massively transformational

Having to learn to drive again, feeling confident with kids in the car

Commuting two days a week, working late, not coming home until 10pm those days, other days she’s present with girls

How Deb kept setting herself up for failure, and how she now makes sure to get that extra 30 minutes of sleep

Romance, when theres a return to yourself and relationship with partner

Date nights, trips without kids, important to be about each other and not family once in a while

Missing your spouse from business trip, a reminder of what you miss and take for granted

Going from 5 work days to 2-3 days, and why now not working Saturdays

The beauty of Deb's  business is making her own schedule, and allowing it to evolve as her kids evolve

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

When kids lie, the massive shift in identity when becoming a mom, a very difficult labor, activating her network to get healthy after 10 months of post-birth misery, the pressure to appear happy, the transition between the first and second child, and the ride home from the hospital. Acupuncturist and traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Deb Ruffalo Ross shares her mom journey with hosts Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

In this episode:

Deb's work in acupuncture, herbal therapy, Chinese massage cupping, lifestyle and nutrition, and as a health coach

Stacy on a new phase with Dylan, figuring out whether he is telling a lie or not

Stacy's strategy of saying lies bring monsters into the bedroom – testing for a lie

Deb's two girls ages 3 and 6

The identity shift of becoming a mom, how Deb was surprised at how lifechanging it was

What it means to become a mom, how Deb couldn’t find a lot of people who identified, massive shift in identity

"Before kids Deb", and  "after kids Deb"

Working makes her feel like herself

The added benefit of becoming a mom, and a spectrum of experiences with her kids

Howdy had a vaginal birth after a C-section

A very difficult labor

Deb's C-section after 1 hours of labor

Visiting nurses for one month after birth, how Deb didn’t feel well, took a while to find happiness

Around 10 months she decided treating herself like a patient, and activated all the healers in her network

How having children changed career, being able to treat based on her own experiential knowledge

The importance of feeling understood

Searching for mom friends to be yourself with, but too many weren’t able to relate in truth and the reality

The pressure to act like you’re all happy

Two tragedies on the way home from the hospital with her baby for Michelle

A transition between kids #1 and #2, feeling more prepared

The drive home with the second child, when she felt she’s got this, got her crew

It is all about the moments

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

Recording moments to capture them forever, leading kids to live a fulfilling life, building a company with an inspiring ethos, when your child starts becoming more aware and interacting with people and friends, and how it goes by fast. Grace Choi, PhD, host of Cooking with Grace on The Cooking Channel, CEO/Founder of Cookable Inc., and Adjunct Professor at The New School, shares special moments and aspirations with hosts Stacy Igel and Michelle Park.

Presented by Keepsake Frames. Print, frame your photos easily and fast from your phone – handmade in the USA and delivered with free shipping. Use discount code #MOMSGOTTHIS at www.keepsakeframes.com for 30% off first order.

In this episode:

Recording moments in the 1-2-3 period to hold on to them

When Michelle's daughter covers her in kisses and lets her cuddle

Inspiring her daughter to live a fulfilling life

Building a company that provides everyone involved the opportunity to spend time with family, being inspired

When Grace's daughter Kasper waked her up to "boop" her nose

Becoming more aware of other people, friends

Obsessed with babies, prying babies from their mothers' arms

Realizing it goes by so fast

To share your #MOMSGOTTHIS MOMENT just call 833-844-THIS-MOM (833-844-7666) and leave a voicemail with your first name and city along with your moment.

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