The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers

It's December, and that means it's all about the joyful chaos that is December with a lead up to Christmas.  Join Anke, Alisa, Kim, Tammy and Heather as they discuss the start of the Christmas season including preparations for the Mums' Annual Karaokefest.  What are your favourite karaoke hits?  The mums are talking Musical tunes (Wicked for Good mention), hip hop preferences, and more.  Join in next week for a post-Karaoke recap to hear all about the high jinx the mums got up to!

The mums talk favourite advent calendars they have had, or that they organize for their kids, including homemade calendars, chocolate calendars, tea advent calendars, beauty advent calendars and even advent calendar romance novels.  Shout out to Jacquie Lawson eCards Advent Calendar from Kim!  There is even an advent calendar experience in a village at a new person's house every day!  Listen in to find out all about some of these extremely clever advent calendar ideas.

The start of December means it's also Christmas rom-com (Romantic Comedy) time... and the Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers is all in.  The mums will review a Christmas rom-com every week this month - so tune in every week!  This week's Christmas rom-com is "A Merry Little Ex-Mas" starring Alicia Silverstone, Melissa Joan Hart, Oliver Hudson, Pierson Fode, and Jameela Jamil.  Find out what made this rom-com special for the mums including THE HOUSE, what we think of the British characters that appear in it (team Jameela), how entertaining we find Chet, and how many glasses of proscecco each of the mums are rating it!  We will also be posting our ratings on our Instagram so check that out too.

The ladies move on from Christmas rom-coms and other favourite Christmas movies to "competitive momming" during the holidays... everything from doing detailed Christmas cards to decorations to homemade food and all of the other pressure mums put on ourselves during the holidays.  Find out from the mums what we can do to avoid pressure override!  But of course, when mums see the eyes of the kids light up with joy during the holiday season, it all seems worth it!

#netflixfilm #netflixuk #ukmompodcast #motherhood #perfectlyimperfect #mumsofinstagram #girlgang #femalefriendship #podcast #recordingsession #femalepodcast #visitscotland #visitedinburgh #scotland #edinburgh #christmasromcom #christmasromance #christmas #aliciasilverstone #melissajoanhart #jameelajamil #jacquielawsonecards #oliverhudson

Its the week after the ladies had a massive Friendsgiving dinner party at Heather's, and the mums are catching up post-event to chat!  Anke, Kim, Lissy, Rebecca and Heather recap about the food and the fun that was Friendsgiving .. and what the mums are grateful for this year.   What do listeners love about Thanksgiving/Harvest Festival Dinners?  Find out a trick pulled off by a woman in the news who was travelling for the holiday and wanted to avoid paying the baggage fee... has anyone else tucked their clothing into a giant bra and cares to tell their tale?

It’s official, the radio stations are all at it already playing Christmas music! Is it too soon?  The mums talk Edinburgh at Christmas time.. all of the events and activities from the Christmas Market, to the light shows and the Big Wheel in the center of town.  Get the mums' advice on things to do around town and book in Santa soon!

Finally the ladies can't wait to dive into Christmas Rom-Coms.  This Christmas, the mums will review a Christmas Rom-Com every week and share thoughts with listeners.  Stand by for some proper chat and laughter.  Bring on the bubbly!  It's Christmas time in Edinburgh!

#ukmompodcast #imperfectlyperfect #motherhood #visitedinburgh #visitscotland #edinburgh #femalepodcasters #Christmas #Thanksgiving

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/real-nice  License code: WROMHBTJ1CUCYMOB

The mums are back and are celebrating friendship on the 40th Anniversary of the Golden Girls!  The Golden Girls premiered on September 14, 1985 - a monumental 40 years ago - and we still love it!  It was groundbreaking because it centered on four women over 50 at a time when Hollywood heavily favored youth. It proved that stories about aging women were hilarious, relevant, and wildly successful (winning 11 Emmy Awards).  Join Lissy, Anke, Rebecca, Tammy and Heather as they chat about how friends make our lives better - even allowing us to live longer!

Strong female friendships are a powerful protective factor against anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.  Did you know that research shows social engagement in midlife significantly reduces the risk of dementia by 38%?  Also, there are longevity studies that show that having a strong social network reduces the risk of death by 60% over nine years!  Frequent visits with friends are related to a lower subjective age (feeling younger than you are) which contributes to greater life satisfaction... cheers to that!

Back to the Golden Girls... why do the mums love it?  1. Because of the timeless themes:  economic instability, family drama, the search for identity, and the power of love.  2. Because of the comfort factors: moments such as gathering around the kitchen table for cheesecake is a cozy wee symbol of safety and unconditional support.  3. Because of the excellent characters and writing: the sharp writing, comedic timing, and iconic personalities make it endlessly quotable and relevant in modern meme culture. 

Ending this friendship/Golden Girls podcast is a wee Golden Girls Trivia session you won't want to miss!

Join the mums for a bit of female friendship time which feels like a warm hug or your own slice of cheesecake at the kitchen table.

#goldengirls #motherhood # ukmoms #ukpodcast #edinburgh #scotland #visitedinburgh #visitscotland #imperfectlyperfect #friendship #femalepodcast #femalefriendship

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/real-nice  License code: WROMHBTJ1CUCYMOB

Lissy, Rebecca, Kim, Anke, Tammy & Heather are back again post-Halloween with a wee Halloween recap and a giggle.  Who else is guilty of eating some of the kids' candy?  The mums are raising their hands. 

The ladies then move on to the main topic for the week... a very difficult one which hits the ladies hard: Bullying.  Did you know that 66% of Britons say they have been bullied at some point in their lives, with 59% being bullied as a child and 21% as an adult?  Sadly in 2025, bullying goes way beyond the school yard! 

On the subject of tackling toxic behaviour, the ladies talk strategies: everything from communicating and enforcing boundaries, preparing non-emotional statements, and creating a paper trail if the bullying is at work.

Next the ladies discuss how to support your kids if they are being bullied, including staying calm, creating emotional safety, listening and believing and then taking action together.  Do you think that smart phones have made bullying worse?  What do we do if we get the call that it’s OUR child doing the bullying?

The ladies dig deep in the discussion to move to how to change the culture.  How do we change the culture to prevent bullying and squash the toxic comments immediately?

You need to listen to the end of this podcast for the final real-life unbelievable segment which happened to one of the mums recently... What happens when your school bully contacts you YEARS later?

Stand by for some laughs and some good mum chat on this difficult subject.  Disclaimer: the mums DO NOT support punching bullies though admittedly some of us may fantasize about it occasionally.  

#motherhood #bullying #imperfectlyperfect #visitscotland #visitedinburgh #scotland # edinburgh #keepedinburghthriving #moms #ukmoms

Rebecca, Anke, Tammy, Lissy and Heather are back with Part 2 of the Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers 2025 Halloween Guide... and this week's episode is not to be missed!  The mums are talking all things CREEPY, SCARY, GHOSTLY.  Stand by for some truly creepy stories that take place at Edinburgh landmarks.... and even in the Mums' own homes!

The ladies discuss the Ghostly Piper and the Grey lady of Edinburgh Castle, the MacKenzie Poltergeist of Greyfriar's Kirkyard, the Banshee of the Underground Vaults, the ghost of Mary King's Close, and the Last Drop Pub... where condemned prisoners took their last pint.

Moving on to personal ghost stories, Lissy and Rebecca have some absolutely shocking stories to share.  Do you believe in ghosts?  You may start believing after these terrifying stories from some of the mums!

Shout out to The Nursery & Schools Guide for Edinburgh & The Lothians for the gorgeous feature in their online Newsletter and on their Socials... as well as a shout to the mum's photographer!  Be sure to check out her gorgeous photos of Edinburgh on Insta at @EdiEnthusiast. 

Also a big Shout to to Nashy & the Team behind Keep Edinburgh Thriving for sharing  our Podcast and our story on Social Media....be sure to check them out onInstagram. Also...Nashy has a podcast for Dads!! Dads and Dudes!

#halloween #edinburgh #visitscotland #visitedinburgh #keepedinburghthriving #edienthusiast #nurseryandschools_edinburgh #motherhood #imperfectlyperfect #mothers #scotland #marykingsclose #edinburghcastle #greyfriarskirk_official

Lissy, Rebecca and Heather are back and ready to chat about Halloween Events for families and adults around Edinburgh!  Edinburgh has a uniquely creepy connection to Halloween with a rich history of ghouls and spooky architecture.  Burke and Hare history is discussed as are the atmospheric Old Town and the famous Edinburgh Vaults.  Did you know that the vaults used to be workshops under the South Bridge which were  subsequently abandoned due to damp and they were then used sometimes by criminals... and are VERY HAUNTED?

The mums go on to chat about Costumes (make them or buy them?), local pumpkin patches (Craigie Farm and Conifox), and family and adult activities around and outside of the city during the Halloween season.  In particular the mums discuss the ancient tradition of the Samhuinn Fire Festival: a unique, major local event that ties directly into the season on Calton Hill.  Will the mums shed their clothes and their inhibitions enough to participate this year?  Stay tuned.

Classic Edinburgh Haunts and Event are discussed including The Real Mary Kings Close, the Edinburgh Dungeons, and the Ghost Tour.  

What Edinburgh and environs Halloween events do you recommend?  Please send us your recommendations!  Also any adult Halloween themed cocktail recipes would be greatly appreciated.

As always, stand by for laughs, chat and setting the world to rights on this Halloween podcast! 

Photo by #edienthusiast

#marykingsclose #edinburgh #visitscotland #keepedinburghthriving #visitedinburgh #motherhood #craigies_farm_shop #halloween #morphcostumes #edienthusiast

Lissy, Kim, Rebecca, Tammy, Anke and Heather are having a quick catch up right before the October school break.  The mums have had a photoshoot... which was AMAZING... and are looking fab for this wee chat!  Look for The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers featured soon in the School Guide Edinburgh & The Lothians!

More Guilty Pleasures are discussed (listen in to last week's podcast for more... not to be missed!) including the merits of Married at First Sight vs. Love is Blind vs. the Real Housewives and Naked Attraction.  Find out what shows to watch (Married at First Sight Australia is extra spicy), and which shows were extra entertaining.  What would the mums prefer?  To meet and get engaged to someone in a pod?  Or reveal everything just to get a date?  Find out all about new rabbit holes the mums are willing to go down in the name of "research".

The mums are heading to Corfu, Kos, Sardinia and the US... and the upcoming trips are discussed.  Edinburgh airport breakfast/prosecco stops are debated.  Travel tips are shared (pack the snacks!). 

Join the mums pre-holiday as they laugh, chat, and set the world to rights!

#visitedinburgh #visitscotland #scotland #perfectlyimperfect #motherhood #nurseryandschools_edinburgh

What's the most unproductive thing you did this week that brought you pure, unadulterated happiness?  Lissy, Rebecca, Tammy & Heather are back and are chatting all about “guilty pleasures”.  Why should fun feel like a crime?  The ladies are calling this podcast session a judgment-free zone where lowbrow is the highest art.

Why do mums, in particular, feel guilt over harmless fun? The mums discuss the constant feeling of doing 'productive,' 'educational,' or 'self-improving’ tasks instead of listening to the Eras Tour Soundtrack for the for the 10000th time.

The ladies take a deep dive into TV/on demand media which gives us that feeling of “guilty pleasure”, such as XO Kitty, And Just Like That, Below Deck, Gilmour Girls, Friends, and island survival shows.  Whether the ladies are tired and fed up, need a good cry or a laugh, or need to tap into the nostalgia of youth, these shows do the trick.   Later on in the podcast the ladies talk our favourite rom-coms… stand by for a lot of guilt with the pleasure in this category.  How many times can we watch The Holiday?  Loads.

What music do you secretly listen to?  Find out what tunes the Mums are listening to when no one else is listening… from Lil’ Kim to NYOTB to Vanilla Ice and Celine Dion power ballads (sung at FULL VOLUME), the Mums are dishing on what gives us that special jolt of happiness once in a while.  Question for our listeners: do power ballads hit differently in your 40s? 

What books do you read which give you a feeling of guilty pleasure?  The ladies reveal what their choices are of books these days… everything from books with a historical backdrop, books about people and their wacky choices, books that allow us to relax… The ladies call them “brain candy”: everything from a good beach read, to a cheesy romance novel, to a spicy cowboy rom-com in book form.  They’re not exactly literary masterpieces and they’re not winning any Pulitzers, but they bring happiness and humour to our days!

In terms of Food and Beverages… the Mums are sneaking biscuits from a closet stash, maintaining our own snack drawer (hands off kids!) and eating snacks directly out of the fridge (so the calories don’t count).  Who doesn’t love a bit of left over from big family celebrations?   Find out who is buying all of the Mulled Wine from Tesco and drinking it cold.

Tammy coins the phrase “WWDD”… What Would Daddy Do… Is this what us Mums need to change these pleasures from "guilty" to "healthy"?  How can we flip the narrative to make these guilty pleasures self-care instead?

Join the ladies for this group therapy session for guilty Mums.  Please let us know about your guilty pleasures and secret Mum behaviour too via our socials.

#visitedinburgh #edinburgh #scotland #motherhood #friends #xokitty #gilmourgirls #NKOTB #sexinthecity #andjustlikethat

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/real-nice  License code: WROMHBTJ1CUCYMOB

We've been in a lunar eclipse portal, which means we haven't been sleeping... and so Anke, Kim, Rebecca, Lissy and Heather are back with a very cheeky topic: It's all about Pants!

First the ladies have a wee historical overview of the evolution of underwear.  Everything from corsets to knickers are discussed, before the ladies move on to a very unusual, and very special item which was for sale on Antiques Roadshow.  Would you believe some of Queen Victoria's knickers were up for sale?  How much would you expect they were sold for?

The ladies move on to global underwear (or lack thereof) traditions including, of course, Scottish traditions.  Find out the kind of high jinx that can happen at a Scottish wedding from the ladies... and gain some advice on what not to provide to wedding guests.  

As you would expect, there are differing opinions on the comfort and fit of various kinds of pants from the ladies.. and the difference between what the ladies found acceptable when younger ("display thongs") vs. today (comfy granny pants) is also discussed.

Finally, the ladies discuss a write-in letter -- what would you think if your mother-in-law gifted you granny pants?  Is it a sign of affection?  Or is it too uncomfortable to consider?  Opinions vary.

Stand by for some hilarity, chatter, and good times from The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers!

#motherhood #femalepodcasters #choreplay #perfectlyimperfect

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/real-nice  License code: WROMHBTJ1CUCYMOB

The ladies are back with the 20th podcast episode of The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers!  Cheers to that!  Anke, Kim, Tammy, Alisa and Heather catch up, firstly on the terrifying risk of getting locked in the office and what we could do to help a friend get out, before moving on to trips we have taken over the lovely, long September weekend: biking in the mountains and visiting Whinfell Forest Center Parcs in Cumbria. 

Moving on, the girls take a deep dive into the world of "Love Languages".

A concept developed by Dr. Gary Chapman, Love Languages explores how we express and receive love.  The ladies chat all about the five love languages: what they are, what it means to speak each of the love languages, and how they resonate to each of the ladies.  All of the ladies share personal stories, and discuss what about what makes each of the mums tick.  

Grab your favourite drink, get cozy, and join the ladies as they laugh, chat, and set the world to rights! 

#CenterParcsWhinfellForest #Lovelanguages # drgarychapman #visitscotland #visitedinburgh #imperfectmoms #ukmothers #motherhood #tinafey

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/real-nice  License code: WROMHBTJ1CUCYMOB