The Kettle with Meagan Francis

What does it take to be a good host? If Instagram has you convinced hospitality requires lots of money to spend on decor and the guest accommodation level of a four-star hotel, it's time for a reframe. What if true hospitality – the kind that makes people feel welcome and comfortable – didn’t have to cost a lot of money or require a ton of space or skill? In this episode of The Tea’s Made, we’re going to be talking about real hospitality – the art of welcoming people in and making them feel loved, accepted, and at home, whether it’s for a few hours, a few days, or even for several weeks. I share some of my tips for showing up just as you are as a host and how to make your guest’s stay more comfortable, plus a few crowd-pleasing recipes. I also share some ideas for taking care of yourself as a host – so important, and often overlooked! It’s all in this episode of The Tea’s Made.

In This Episode:Featured Tea: Tazo Turmeric Bliss

Join my private community for women, The Tea Circle!

Featured Partner:

Vionic shoes keep my feet snug, stable, and supported, no matter the season. Get 15% off your first order at Vionic.com after you log into your account, with code TEASMADE!

Some of my favorite festive non-alcoholic beverages:

TOST Sparkling – a tea-based (yay!), fizzy, refreshing and dry bevvy reminiscent of a sparkling wine. Completely alcohol-free and delicious, would be great for a NYE toast! Comes in both a white ginger and rose flavor – I love the convenient mini-bottles as well!

FRE Sparkling Brut – a great base for a non-alcoholic mimosa: dry and crisp.

Fever Tree Grapefruit Soda – I have these in my pantry at all times! Make a great mixer for a n/a mimosa and are yummy on their own – light, refreshing, a bit tart and not overly sweet.

Apple Cider Punch Recipe

• 2 parts apple cider to 1 part cranberry juice or orange juice
• 1 part soda water (or prosecco for an alcoholic version) 
• 1 part ginger beer or ginger ale (can leave soda water out if using ginger ale) 
• Rum or bourbon mix well too 
• Can add star anise or cinnamon sticks

Creamy, Garlicky Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

Note: I found this recipe online on a blog, Mrs. Happy Homemaker, over a decade ago and have been making it ever since.

Ingredients: 

• 3 lbs. red potatoes washed and sliced super thin (can use a mandolin or a really sharp knife)
• Block of gouda cheese (7-8 oz.) shredded and divided in half, I have also used gruyere
• ½ stick of butter
• 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups of heavy cream
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

• Butter or grease a 9 x 13 baking dish
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Melt butter over medium-low heat and and saute the garlic in it until fragrant (be sure to remove garlic from heat before it gets too brown)
• Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, sprinkle half the gouda cheese on top, top with the other half of the potatoes, pour the butter and garlic mixture on top,
• Sprinkle the rest of the gouda or gruyere on top

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaganfrancis.substack.com/subscribe

From big life changes like divorce, remarriage, career transition or moving, to more everyday changes like kids getting older, holiday celebrations are always evolving. In this episode I share how my family's holiday traditions have evolved in the seven years since I divorced and I talk with author Kelle Hampton about she and her kids' first holiday season in a brand-new home with a whole new life. Kelle and I also share what lights us up during the holidays, our favorite traditions, and how allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and ask for help has changed everything.

In This Episode:Special Guest:

Kelle Hampton is the author of the NYTimes best-selling book Bloom: Finding Beauty In the Unexpected. You can find her on Instagram at @ETST.

Featured Tea:

Gorge Sunrise by Good Medicine Tea – get 15% off your first order with code TEASMADE.

Join The Tea Circle:

Join my private community of women for in-depth conversation and real connection in a safe, social-media-free space. Check it out!

Featured Partner:The Hazal is my go-to fall boot – the slight wedge dresses up jeans or leggings while Vio-Motion technology keeps my feet snug, stable, and supported. Get 15% off your first order at Vionic.com after you log into your account, with code TEASMADE!

Featured Tea:

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaganfrancis.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to my brand-new podcast, The Tea's Made - a place for women to step out of the busy-ness of day-to-day life with cozy conversations about wellness, creativity, nurturing routines and more. Pour yourself a cup and pull up a comfy chair...the tea's made and I'm glad you're here.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit meaganfrancis.substack.com/subscribe

The next episode of Mother of Reinvention will drop in less than 2 weeks...but with a new name, look, and feel. Listen to this quick update from Meagan about the cozy new focus of the podcast (and why now is a good time to binge the archives.)

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Have you ever thought about writing a memoir? What holds you back? And, on a side note – if your kids wrote a memoir, what do you think they would they say about YOU?

In this episode I talk with Michigan writer T. Marie Bertineau, whose beautiful and nuanced memoir The Mason House deals with tough topics like poverty, violence, and addiction with humor and compassion. Its setting in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula is near and dear to my heart, since that’s where both my grandma and mom were born, and I loved Marie’s take on her home region, the complications of writing honestly about difficult family histories, and more.

Listen for an inspiring discussion about how therapeutic it can be to dig deep into one’s own story, the benefits of letting that story marinate until midlife, and how exploring our own coming-of-age stories can help us define our own legacy as mothers.

About our guest:

• T. Marie Bertineau’s author website
• Follow T. Marie Bertineau on Instagram
• Read “The Mason House” by T. Marie Bertineau



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Happy mornings start with healthy sleep routines. Teach your body and mind to fall asleep easily and wake up peacefully with the Restore 2, from Hatch, featuring soothing sounds for sleeping and waking, plus gentle light patterns that stimulate your body’s natural rhythms. Get $20 off your Hatch Restore 2 by using my link!

 

Make eating well easy! Prep a week’s worth of healthy meals in just 1-2 hours a week with PrepDish. Menus, shopping lists, and detailed prep and cooking instructions for a variety of eating styles. Head to http://prepdish.com/mor to try your first two weeks, FREE.

OSEA is my go-to skincare brand, made with clean, botanically-sourced ingredients.  Get 10% off your first order by using the code REINVENT at OSEAMalibu.com.

Comfortable and fashion-forward, Vionics are stylish self-care for your feet. Shop their collection of boots and booties for fall, like the Hazal lug-sole ankle boot, and be sure to use code REINVENT15 for 15% off your order at VionicShoes.com.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

For women in perimenopause and beyond, sleep can be elusive. In this episode I share just why struggles with night waking (complete with racing, circular thoughts), sluggish mornings and more are so common in midlife, and the products and tactics that have helped me improve my sleep – plus, I give you the details of my bedtime routine!

Links Mentioned In This Episode

Why sunrise alarm clocks are saving my midlife sleep + my favorite models

Give your sleep routine an autumn makeover

7 ways to get better sleep in perimenopause and menopause

5 essential elements of my bedtime routine

3 herbal tea blends to help you sleep

CNN: Women in midlife aren’t getting enough sleep

Shop Our Featured Partners

Happy mornings start with healthy sleep routines. Teach your body and mind to fall asleep easily and wake up peacefully with the Restore 2, from Hatch, featuring soothing sounds for sleeping and waking, plus gentle light patterns that stimulate your body’s natural rhythms. Get $20 off your Hatch Restore 2 by using my link!

 

Make eating well easy! Prep a week’s worth of healthy meals in just 1-2 hours a week with PrepDish. Menus, shopping lists, and detailed prep and cooking instructions for a variety of eating styles. Head to http://prepdish.com/mor to try your first two weeks, FREE.

OSEA is my go-to skincare brand, made with clean, botanically-sourced ingredients. The Seaglow Resurfacing Scrub is my favorite-ever exfoliator! Get 10% off your first order by using the code REINVENT at OSEAMalibu.com.

Comfortable and fashion-forward, Vionics are stylish self-care for your feet. Shop their collection of boots and booties for fall, like the Hazal lug-sole ankle boot, and be sure to use code REINVENT15 for 15% off your order at VionicShoes.com.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ever been so mired in a situation – like a job that demands all your energy, or a messy relationship – where you don’t have the time or energy to visualize a clear path to something better? With no reserves to figure out your next steps, did you just stick it out in misery – or take a leap into the unknown? When writer, podcaster, and recovering perfectionist Christine Koh found herself in a demanding work situation that left no margin for the ups and downs of normal life, she decided to jump without a net – even though it terrified her recovering perfectionist side a little. In this episode of the Mother of Reinvention podcast, Christine and I talk about that decision and how she’s using the white space it’s opened up in her life to pursue dreams, creativity, and a sense of peace. We also dig deep on scarcity issues and money fears and talk a bit about the shift in family life that happens when a kid goes off to college. Listen on for that conversation in this episode of the Mother of Reinvention podcast!

About Christine Koh:

Christine Koh is a self-described recovering academic, emotional robot, and perfectionist as well as an author, podcaster, and creative director. She hosts the Edit Your Life podcast, writes the Substack "There's Always A Story" and is active on Instagram.

Love this conversation? Check out an exclusive unpublished segment of my interview with Christine on my Substack, ReInventing.

Shop Our Featured Partners

Happy mornings start with healthy sleep routines. Teach your body and mind to fall asleep easily and wake up peacefully with the Restore 2, from Hatch, featuring soothing sounds for sleeping and waking, plus gentle light patterns that stimulate your body’s natural rhythms. Get $20 off your Hatch Restore 2 by using my link!

 

Make eating well easy! Prep a week’s worth of healthy meals in just 1-2 hours a week with PrepDish. Menus, shopping lists, and detailed prep and cooking instructions for a variety of eating styles. Head to http://prepdish.com/mor to try your first two weeks, FREE.

OSEA is my go-to skincare brand, made with clean, botanically-sourced ingredients. The Seaglow Resurfacing Scrub is my favorite-ever exfoliator! Get 10% off your first order by using the code REINVENT at OSEAMalibu.com.

Comfortable and fashion-forward, Vionics are stylish self-care for your feet. Shop their collection of boots and booties for fall, like the Hazal lug-sole ankle boot, and be sure to use code REINVENT15 for 15% off your order at VionicShoes.com.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If there’s anything moms don’t typically get enough of, it’s time alone – and when kids are small, outdoor ventures can be a ton of work. Four years ago, I took a solo hiking, camping, and backpacking trip in the woods of northern Michigan and it wound up being a life-changing experience that taught me the value of pushing my limits and taking quiet time with myself Listen to hear more about my trip as well as what I learned, what I’d do differently this time around, and how you can get started with solo adventure – no matter where you’re starting from.

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

• Read the blog post I wrote about the solo trip that inspired this episode!
• My recommended gear guide

Shop Our Featured Partners

Make eating well easy! Prep a week’s worth of healthy meals in just 1-2 hours a week with PrepDish. Menus, shopping lists, and detailed prep and cooking instructions for a variety of eating styles. Head to http://prepdish.com/mor to try your first two weeks, FREE.

OSEA is my go-to skincare brand, made with clean, botanically-sourced ingredients. The Seaglow Resurfacing Scrub is my favorite-ever exfoliator! 10% off your first order by using the code REINVENT at OSEAMalibu.com, FREE Shipping 9/14-9/15!

Comfortable and fashion-forward, Vionics are stylish self-care for your feet. Shop their collection of boots and booties for fall, like the Hazal lug-sole ankle boot, and be sure to use code REINVENT15 for 15% off your order at VionicShoes.com.

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Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

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From getting up off the floor to checking a blind spot on the highway, our daily lives are filled with small movements that require mobility to do with ease and comfort. As we get older, these movements can start to become more difficult or even painful, and typical workout sessions can create imbalances that stress our joints and make us more prone to injury.

In this episode I talk to health and fitness coach Angela Metrou, CPT and owner of Modern Mind & Body, about the differences between simple stretching and true mobility training, how strength training and mobility training work together, and why it’s vital for us to be thinking about our joint health and range of motion as we enter midlife, whether we’re elite athletes or just trying to reach into a high cupboard without a twinge.

Links In This Episode:

• Learn more about our guest Angela Metrou, CPT at her website, ModernMindandBody.com and on her Instagram account.
• The “getting up off the floor” reel that led me to reach out to Angela
• Angela’s Foot & Ankle Mobility Program

Shop Our Featured Partners

Make eating well easy! Prep a week’s worth of healthy meals in just 1-2 hours a week with PrepDish. Menus, shopping lists, and detailed prep and cooking instructions for a variety of eating styles. Head to http://prepdish.com/mor to try your first two weeks, FREE.

OSEA is my go-to skincare brand, made with clean, botanically-sourced ingredients. The Seaglow Resurfacing Scrub is my favorite-ever exfoliator! 10% off your first order by using the code REINVENT at OSEAMalibu.com.

Comfortable and fashion-forward, Vionics are stylish self-care for your feet. Shop their collection of boots and booties for fall, like the Hazal lug-sole ankle boot, and be sure to use code REINVENT15 for 15% off your order at VionicShoes.com.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Midlife skincare can be more than befuddling. With so many cleansers, toners, serums and creams on the market, how do we know what to use on our aging skin? Is it possible to turn back the clock with chemicals? And, how do we really feel about Botox, fillers, and other age-defying procedures? In this episode I share my favorite skincare products, including my daily step-by-step routines, as as well as the midlife skincare philosophy that’s helping me make tough decisions about what I’m willing to do – and NOT willing to do – to help my skin look its best.

PRODUCT LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE:

OSEA:

Ocean Cleansing Milk (If you like a less-creamy cleanser I also like the OSEA Ocean Cleanser.)

Seaglow Resurfacing Scrub

Sea Vitamin Boost Spray 

Hyaluronic Sea Serum 

Advanced Protection Cream 

Atmosphere Protection Cream

Essential Hydrating Oil.

Seaglow AHA Overnight Serum

Burt’s Bees

Burt’s Bees Facial Oil

Burt’s Bees Oil Cleanser

Toups & Co

Reparative Serum

Tallow Balm in Sweet Girl scent

Other:

My skincare routine

My DIY facial oil

Gua Sha tutorial

Sun Bum Tinted Mineral Skin Primer 

Shop Our Featured Partners

Make eating well easy! Prep a week’s worth of healthy meals in just 1-2 hours a week with PrepDish. Menus, shopping lists, and detailed prep and cooking instructions for a variety of eating styles. Head to http://prepdish.com/mor to try your first two weeks, FREE.

OSEA is my go-to skincare brand, made with clean, botanically-sourced ingredients. Get up to $108 in FREE product with purchase through September 4. 10% off your first order by using the code REINVENT at OSEAMalibu.com.

Comfortable and fashion-forward, Vionics are stylish self-care for your feet. Shop their collection of boots and booties for fall, like the Regan (pictured at left) and be sure to use code REINVENT15 for 15% off your order at VionicShoes.com.

Happy mornings start with healthy sleep routines. Teach your body and mind to fall asleep easily and wake up peacefully with the Restore 2, featuring soothing sounds for sleeping and waking, plus gentle light patterns that stimulate your body’s natural rhythms. Get 15% off the Hatch Restore 2!

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/mother-of-reinvention-with-meagan-francis/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy