The Middle of Everything

In this episode, we rant (and rave a little) about the best and worst kids menus we have seen out there. While some restaurants phone it in with fry...

With summer vacations on the horizon, this week we are chatting about air travel with kids. Sarah is taking her first flight with the kiddos this summer, while Claire is a seasoned long-haul traveler, since her kids were toddlers. Claire gives Sarah some of her best pointers on screen time, snacks, and keeping little ones occupied on a long flight - and we also talk about seating arrangements, motion sickness and how to adjust everyone's expectations and roll with the punches.

 

This week we talked about:

Sea-Bands for Kids (https://smile.amazon.com/Sea-Band-Wristband-Anti-Nausea-Acupressure-Sickness/dp/B004L4D0DU/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g3905707922?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8)

Motioneaze Essential Oil Roll On (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Motioneaze-Motion-Sickness-Relief-Topical-Oil-08-fl-oz-20-application/12346124?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=1150&adid=22222222227000158291&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40754428952&wl4=pla-78606807392&wl5=9026563&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112549851&wl11=online&wl12=12346124&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy-2g2rr04gIVhNdkCh3hKwkKEAQYAiABEgIbpvD_BwE)

Dramamine for Kids (https://www.amazon.com/Dramamine-Sickness-Childrens-Chewable-Dizziness/dp/B007TIVLQ8/ref=asc_df_B007TIVLQ8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=242003539383&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15969975660314502930&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026563&hvtargid=pla-404766406079&psc=1)

Our friend Paul is the Director of the amazing Rock Band program at Riverfield - producing up to 15 rock bands each school year with kids from 4th-12th grades. This week we chatted with him about ways to introduce your kids to music, tips for starting music lessons, handling recitals, and learned more about the process it takes to put together actual rock bands full of opinionated kids. We also took some great tangents into our first concerts, advice for parents who have kids that want to pursue the arts, and of course, the dreaded KidsBop.

When medical marijuana was legalized in Oklahoma last year, dispensaries, billboards and headlines started popping up everywhere we looked and became one of those "tough" conversations in many households. When our friend Abby Mashunkashey started researching the subject for an article she was writing, we invited her on the podcast to talk with us about ways to handle the conversation with our kids. Join us while we chat with Abby (with a few cameos by her adorable puppy!) about tips for talking with kids - and other parents - about safety, ways to break the stigma around medicinal marijuana, and our thoughts about some of the problematic marketing around the medicinal herb.

In this episode we talk about:

Oklahoma SQ 788 (https://ballotpedia.org/Oklahoma_State_Question_788,_Medical_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(June_2018))

THC Universal Symbol (http://omma.ok.gov/thc-universal-symbol)

Children's Hospital Colorado, Marijuana: What Kids Need to Know (https://www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions-and-advice/marijuana-what-parents-need-to-know/talking-to-kids-about-marijuana/young-children/)

ince severe weather and school cancellations kept us from recording a new episode this week, we thought it would be appropriate to re-release one of our early episodes on storm prep, our kids storm anxiety and how we handle severe weather. For complete show notes, check out Episode 05!

This week we celebrated Mother's Day by sharing some traditions and fun facts from around the world, with Sarah sharing her counterpoint as a Mother's Day (and most holidays, really) Grinch. After Claire brought it back around with her Mother's Day Eve tradition, we shared some of our plans for the weekend. Maybe it's just this time of year? Is Mother's Day just one more thing to think about in May?

In this episode, we talk about:

Toy Story Trilogy (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Story-Collection-Blu-ray-Disney/dp/B01FURLH40)

Mother's Day Eve - EPISODE 06 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colleen-mccarty-author-mom-law-school-student-on-juggling/id1375558498?i=1000411479553)

Anna Jarvis and other Mother's Day History - History.com (https://www.history.com/news/why-the-founder-of-mothers-day-turned-against-it)

Remember that Jeopardy category called Potpourri? That's a little of what this week's episode is. We had some audio issues while recording remotely, so heads up, there are some odd cut-ins.

We are both suffering from overwhelm from the end of the school year - between the concerts, field trips, school projects due, assemblies and parties, our calendars look like a flow chart of who is doing what and when. Throw in some working mom guilt over missed events and schedule conflicts, and we are both counting down the days along with our kids.

We also share some news about an upcoming guest segment we have on the Tulsa Talks Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tulsa-talks-a-tulsapeople-podcast/id1419753902), and dive into what our dream podcast guest hosting gigs would be, including Claire's NPR dreams.

As if our kids schedules aren't enough to wear us out, we also chatted about our Pop Culture Fatigue after seeing Endgame and Game of Thrones over the weekend.

Just a little bit of everything to round out your week guys! Enjoy!

In this episode we talk about:

My Favorite Murder Live Shows (https://www.myfavoritemurder.com/live-shows/)

The Blue Whale on Route 66 (https://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.653)

Tulsa Talks Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tulsa-talks-a-tulsapeople-podcast/id1419753902)

Judge John Hodgman (https://www.maximumfun.org/shows/judge-john-hodgman)

How Did This Get Made (https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/)

In this week's episode, Sarah grills Claire about sleepover how-to...when to have your first one, what to do with that pesky sibling, and how to manage parents and kids expectations (including some rookie mistakes!). We give some of our best tips including best night of the week, how much of a plan to have, and how to have awkward conversations with parents you don't know very well.

We decided to re-release one of our favorite early episodes with Abbie Peraza, to celebrate the opening of her newest business venture, PopLife Coaching and Consulting (https://www.poplifecoaching.com/)! We couldn't be prouder to call Abbie a friend and encourage anyone that needs a push in the right direction to give her a call. From the PopLife site:

When you're living the POP//Life, you have more well-being, more confidence, more abundance, more impact and more joythan you ever thought possible.

My passion is helping people live a life that POPs.I believe that work and life should flow seamlessly together into an effervescent state of being.

I focus on helping people accelerate their businesses, transition their careers, improve their health and wellness, and support their employees and team members - all through the lens of living the POP//Life.

 

Here are the original show notes, if you are interested in the transition Abbie made from the corporate world to owning her own business and fulfilling her goals, hop to about 40 minutes in.

Enjoy!

Claire’s family has decided to host a French exchange intern next fall, so we thought it would be a perfect time to talk with Abbie Peraza, owner of Studio Pop Tulsa - since she has hosted several of her own!  In addition to exchange students,  Abbie has years of experience working with Au Pairs (it’s cheaper/easier than you think!), living internationally with kids (and without) and has some great tips for both! After living abroad, Abbie came back to Tulsa and got a nudge from the universe (spoiler) to reinvent her career...going from the corporate world to opening Studio Pop, a cycling + yoga studio in Downtown Tulsa.  She shares her amazing story and how she made it all happen!

In this episode we talk about:

Abby Peraza and Studio Pop (https://www.studiopoptulsa.com/)

Au Pair in America (https://www.aupairinamerica.com/)

Joshua Johnson at 1A and the Beyond Mother’s Day Series (https://the1a.org/beyond-mothers-day-series-1a)

Tulsa in May (http://tulsagardencenter.com/azalea-garden/)

Abby’s Vision Statement (https://mailchi.mp/studiopoptulsa/a-little-nudge-from-the-universe-sy7ul2nmfg)

Buti Yoga

Goat Yoga (https://goatyoga.net/)

Studio Pop Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/studiopoptulsa/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/studiopoptulsa/)

This week Sarah chats with Lauren Ranalli, author of The Great Latke Cookoff about the importance of diversity in children's books. Lauren shares how she started writing her book after she found the selection of children's Chanukah books lacking for her son. Lauren also shares some of her favorite resources for finding diverse children's books, a few of her favorite titles for various age groups and sheds some light on the process of self publishing, working with an illustrator and keeping up with a side-side hustle while working full time.

 

In this episode we talk about:

The Great Latke Cookoff (https://www.laurenranalli.com/shop/the-great-latke-cookoff-softcover-book)

One Bad Mother podcast (https://www.onebadmotherpodcast.com/)

It Feels Good to Be Yourself (https://www.amazon.com/Feels-Good-Be-Yourself-Identity/dp/1250302951)

Living by the Page (https://www.livingbythepage.com/)

Little Brother For Sale (https://www.amazon.com/Little-Brother-Sale-Rahma-Rodaah/dp/0995922934)

We Are Grateful (https://www.amazon.com/Are-Grateful-Otsaliheliga-Traci-Sorell/dp/158089772X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)

All the Ways to Be Smart (https://www.amazon.com/All-Ways-Smart-Davina-Bell/dp/1947534963/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2R0T69ZBXBKQC&keywords=all+the+ways+to+be+smart+childrens+book&qid=1554775815&s=books&sprefix=all+the+ways+to+be+s%2Cstripbooks%2C164&sr=1-1)

Front Desk (https://www.amazon.com/Front-Desk-Scholastic-Gold-Kelly/dp/1338157825/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)

No Fixed Address (https://www.amazon.com/No-Fixed-Address-Susin-Nielsen/dp/1783447443/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554775900&sr=1-1)

LaurenRanalli.com (https://www.laurenranalli.com/)

We Need Diverse Books (https://diversebooks.org/)

Read Brightly (https://www.readbrightly.com/)

Who Was... (http://www.whowasbookseries.com/books/)

The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (https://www.amazon.com/Country-Pendant-COUNTRY-LITTLE-W-Hardcover/dp/B00QPHC5BY/ref=sr_1_3?hvadid=241646560706&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026564&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=17790664539828802177&hvtargid=aud-649564993678%3Akwd-4954800866&keywords=country+bunny+and+little+gold+shoes&qid=1554776218&s=books&sr=1-3)

Mo Willems (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mo+willem+books&hvadid=241611914322&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026564&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11762897051287778677&hvtargid=aud-649564993678%3Akwd-10733185199&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_6z5fj13ous_e)

Ruby's Worry (https://www.amazon.com/Rubys-Worry-Tom-Percival-illustrator/dp/1408892138/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=59298628753&hvadid=286039648228&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026564&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12004977279677157018&hvtargid=aud-649564993678%3Akwd-475221671193&keywords=ruby%27s+worry&qid=1554776281&s=gateway&sr=8-1)

Grace for President (https://www.amazon.com/Grace-President-Kelly-DiPucchio-ebook/dp/B07J31FPGN/ref=sr_1_2?hvadid=174272072286&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026564&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16687875146942240233&hvtargid=aud-649564993678%3Akwd-6460951724&keywords=grace+for+president&qid=1554776308&s=gateway&sr=8-2)

The Monster on Main Street (https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Main-Street-Emily-Siwek/dp/1947989081)