Mother Effort

Ilana celebrates her 5 year anniversary of being a stay at home mom, something she never anticipated.  Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, raising kids is a mother effer!  Ilana and Beth discuss the perceptions versus the reality of being a stay at home mom as well as the good and the not so good moments that Ilana wouldn't trade in a million years!

What do you get when you cross a mom with two kids, a dog, a spouse and impending meal time?  Hopefully something edible!  When your a mom time to cook a meal is all but non-existent so the girls discuss some hacks to keep your pantry fully stocked in order to make a meal in a pinch.  They also discuss how to save time using the Instant Pot, an airfryer, make ahead meals and one pot meals when little ones are hungry and also trying to open a hot oven!

After a hiatus due to the day to day chaos of living with littles the mother effort girls are back! It has been a whirlwind of a month, Beth and Ilana discuss how "back to school season" has been going and how Beth is handling being back at work full time.  Doctor's trips for all!  Beth also makes an exciting announcement that shocks Ilana! 

Ilana reaches out to her facebook mom group to figure out how to deal with the anxiety of sending her child to kindergarten for the first time! Beth shares her fears about going back to school and being   a mom and how to juggle these two careers with only enough time to do one full time. The girls wrap up the episode by sharing the best moments of their summer.  Happy Fall Everyone!

Ilana reaches out to her facebook mom group to figure out how to deal with the anxiety of sending her child to kindergarten for the first time! Beth shares her fears about going back to school and being   a mom and how to juggle these two careers with only enough time to do one full time. The girls wrap up the episode by sharing the best moments of their summer.  Happy Fall Everyone!

What is it like when your family of three becomes a family of four?  How do you even make the decision to bring another baby into the mix?  Beth and Ilana sit down to discuss growing your family with Ilana's friend Kari, a newly minted mom of two!

Summer has been a ton of fun, but it is time for Beth to face reality.  What is it like to go back to work full time after staying at home with your baby?  Ilana and Beth discuss a few things that will make the transition easier to handle for both baby and mom!  This episode also has the first ever Mother Effort Giveaway! Listen to find out how you can be the winner of Beth's favorite baby products from Lil' Sidekick! 

Instagram: lil.sidekick 

A lot goes on in the brain of a mom each day.  Beth and Ilana discuss the topic of "mental load" and why it seems Mother's carry the majority of it, making us very tired.  We explore ways in which to share and lighten the mental load.  

Who wants to go to the beach? The beach is not the same type of fun that it was before kids, but Ilana is here to save the day and make your beach trip a breeze!  After a short hiatus Ilana and Beth return to give you some beach hacks for Independence Day and the rest of the summer!   

Ilana is able to handle her first kindergarten event pretty well until Ezra can't.   Beth searches for a wine sponsor to send her wine in bulk due to her taxing, yet exciting week with Max. Beth and Ilana discuss what goes into planning birthday parties and the mom hacks that make it easier to plan and how to make it fun for the adults that are "obligated" to come.