It's ASK THE EXPERT time again, and we have a perfectly timed episode to help you achieve your spring garden goals! Scott Rusch, GM of BloomStudios, is here to tell us ALL the things about gardens, planting, and even indoor plants. We cover the right time to get started, ways to just start out with a vegetable garden, where to get annuals, seeds, and vegetables, and what to plant if you have a mostly shaded yard. Finally, Scott gives us all the reasons why gardening is beneficial for mental health. So save your sanity... and get to the garden!

See the episode notes for all links to Scott's seed recommendations and his choices for annuals, shade plants, and indoor options.

So let's get down and dirty! (in the garden, of course!)

Ah, the ever elusive "mom friend."

In this episode, we brainstorm what it means to be a quality mom friend and explore the idea of the overly conceptualized "mom tribe." Is it all a fake image, or is it possible to keep a group of fully supportive mamas around you at all times? Were you unknowingly sworn into a super secret society when you became a mother, or are you actually just trying to combat the daily isolation as best as you can?

Get ready. We're diving into the truths of mom friends and recounting our experiences with (or without) them.

Faster than you can say SKIP IT, we're back with part 2! In the second half of our nostalgic obsessions, we talk about actors and movies, TV (sooo much TV), magazines, teen hearthrobs, the stores we went to (that no longer exist), and foods.

It's THE NOSTALGIA EPISODE! An "oldie but a goodie"... OMG, are we old?

In this episode, we travel back in time to our grade school, middle school, and even high school years. In Part 1, we explore what music, fashion/accessories, technology, toys, and games looked like in the 1980s and 1990s. Mostly fun and sometimes creepy (why the animatronics?), we talk about why Elizabeth wasn't allowed to listen to Janet Jackson's "IF" album, why we're #TeamChristina, and how Stephanie set the bar way too high for her niece's future concert experiences.

In this interview with Families on the Fox Owner Chrissy Somers, we talk about how she started her business and what she does to help community members get out and about as they discover new faces and places in their own neighborhoods.

Do you live in the Fox Valley area, or are you planning a visit? Let Families on the Fox help you find local businesses and events in our areas on their free website!

In this second installment of our #AskTheExpert series, Elizabeth and Stephanie talk with Dr. Emily Kelly about all the ways we can keep the interactions of our kids and pets happy and healthy. She discusses breed insights, general pet care tips, and the many things to consider when choosing a dog for your family. We also dive into dog rescue and all opportunities that exist for you to save the life of your next pet.

In this episode of our "Ask the Expert" series, we learn about all the benefits of having a doula for your baby's infancy period; plus, we gather some key information for you about all the hot topics: sleep, feeding, advice books, self-care, and even some of our very favorite "magic" baby products. Sara shares her insights on baby care in that tricky, exhausting "fourth trimester" and explains to us what a doula can do to guide you through it.

In this super fun episode, Elizabeth and Stephanie enjoy our first FEATURE WINE from Brandon Allen, winemaker and founder of SLO Down Wines, and share our interview with him about his unique and entertaining approach to wine, marketing, and customer service. As we sip on our "Broken Dreams" Chardonnay, we explore the sticky situations us moms so often find ourselves in as we navigate the world of other moms and their kids.

Welcome to Modern Domestic Moms, a podcast where we discuss the joys, challenges, and possibilities of what it means to be a mom in the world today. We're bringing you all kinds of family, women, and kid-related topics, mixed in with relevant expert guest interviews.

Come join in on the conversation! Because mommin' ain't easy... and you don't have to do it alone. You can come sip with us!

In this episode, Elizabeth & Stephanie first address a major oversight from the previous episode (we forgot to add a cooking show!), then move on to discuss the challenges of finding "me time" in a world of kids' schedules, activities, pets, cooking, cleaning, and general momming chaos.

Being a mom often means setting everyone else's priorities before our own. But what if we take a second to remember what makes US happy? (Even if it's in that 5 minutes of alone time we get a day). Let's reflect, reconnect, and brainstorm to help us, even in small ways, find OURSELVES once again.