The Mom Hour

Meagan has big news. Sarah has alllll the questions. Join us for a fun dive into all the plans and details!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• We mentioned other episodes where we share personal news while couching it in a larger context, such as:
• Self Care As Self-Preservation: Episode 104
• Talking About Our Own Kids. Or Not.: Episode 364
• Eric found a vintage wedding ring set from Gesner Estate Jewelry on Etsy
• Follow @meaganfrancis on Instagram or sign up for email updates at meaganfrancis.com to stay in the loop!
• Episodes from the archives about Meagan’s journey to finding love after divorce:
• More Than Mom: Finding Love After Divorce
• Dating & Romance (For Single Moms & Married Ones, Too!): Voices 45
• More Than Mom: Dating As A Divorced Mom
• Meagan’s Divorce Update (One Year Later): Episode 150
• Managing Stress and Uncertainty with Divorce Coach Jessica Ashley: Voices 15
• Meagan’s writings about finding love after divorce
• Why I Bought A Camper Last Week (On Moving On After Divorce)

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Deciding where to go on a family vacation with littles can be overwhelming. How will the kids adjust to all the changes? Will the adults enjoy their time, too? In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan chats with team member Catie Parrish about her family’s spring break trip to Florida. Listen to hear all about Catie’s favorite things they did, as well as her top tips for happy travels with young kids. Catie also shares how she preps her house before a big trip, as well as how to make it easier to come home. Enjoy!

About Our Sponsor

Thank you to VISIT FLORIDA for sponsoring this episode and making Meagan’s and Catie’s trips possible.

Choosing where to go on a family vacation is easier than you think. Florida is filled with experiences you and your family will never forget. From 825 miles of beaches and 700 freshwater springs to over 1,300 trails with breathing room to run and play, there are so many reasons a Florida vacation is just, the best.

Start planning YOUR best-ever vacation at Visit Florida today!

Links We Mentioned (Or Should Have) In This Episode:

• Learn more about Catie Parrish a member of The Mom Hour Team.
• Dezerland Park is Orlando’s largest indoor attraction featuring 800,000 sq. feet of bowling, axe throwing, trampoline park, go karts and much more! Perfect for families of big and small kids!
• Museum of Illusions in Orlando is a collection of holograms, where you can look closely at each optical illusion, and observe each exhibit.
• Catie and her family spent time at Disney Springs, an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort.
• Catie highly recommends dining at The Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill and Bar.
• Gatorland, located in Orlando, is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles with a petting zoo, bird sanctuary, mini water park and much more!
• The Orlando Science Center offers hundreds of exhibits, programs and labs, planetarium shows, cinedome, and 10 interactive halls with remarkable opportunities to explore, experiment and discover.
• Enjoy a dinner with sand between your toes in St. Pete’s/Clearwater Florida at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill.
• Enjoy a dolphin cruise with the family on Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise!
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium is where you and your family can see rescued dolphins, sea turtles and more!
• Catie couldn’t say enough great things about The Avalon Club Hotel, a boutique hotel located along Clearwater Beach Florida, offering guests a luxurious way to enjoy their vacation.
• Planning a trip to Disney World? Check out our episode on Disney Planning / Disney Parenting

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Becoming a mom as a teen or young adult years comes with unique challenges (and also some sweet memories!). In today’s episode, Meagan and regular contributor Kia compare our personal experiences as young moms and explore how young motherhood shows up in parenting our own teens and young adults. We also compare notes on fourteen-year-old girls and share our love of big families and grown sibling dynamics. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Follow Kia on Instagram
• Episodes of The Mom Hour featuring Kia:
• What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries
• Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond
• Preparing Kids (Of All Ages) For A New Baby: Voices 67 With Kia Hammond
• Kia wrote the following blog posts for The Mom Hour Community:
• How A Postpartum Nurse And 4th-Time Pregnant Mom Packs Her Hospital Bag.
• Preparing Your Preschooler For Big Kid School Experiences
• How I’m Navigating This Sports Season With Littles

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From music and timers to one-touch rules and baskets for EVERYTHING, moms are beyond creative when it comes to getting kids to help clean up. In the latest episode in our House Rules series, Meagan and Sarah share dozens of smart ways moms in our community make tidying up with kids a little easier. Join us for this grab bag of tidying up strategies you can try with your family!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Here’s a link to the Facebook thread where you all provided your House Rules for Tidying Up.
• More from our House Rules Series:
• House Rules For Gifting & Giving: Episode 393
• House Rules For After School: Episode 380
• House Rules for Playdates: Episode 340
• House Rules For Halloween: Episode 335
• House Rules For Kid Hygiene: Episode 332
• House Rules For Easier Mornings: Episode 328
• House Rules For Kid Birthdays: Episode 323
• House Rules For Travel And Vacation: Episode 319
• House Rules For Sibling Harmony: Episode 314
• Please take our 2023 Listener Survey!

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Spring brings with it pretty flowers, warm sunshine and fresh scents…and also bugs, rain and mud. In today’s More Than Mom, Meagan and Sarah get in the mood for spring by comparing how our different climates show up for the season, how we lean into spring in our homes, and what our outdoor spaces have to show off this time of year. We also reflect on how spring is a full sensory experience and chat about bringing the outside IN to spruce up our homes. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• We’d so appreciate it if you’d take our 2023 Listener Survey! And thanks to all who have done so already!
• Sarah enjoys an Organic India Tulsi Sweet Rose Tea in the springtime.
• Sarah mentioned the episode Getting Rid of Stuff: Episode 402.
• Don’t forget to listen to our episodes Do This Now; Enjoy Summer Later (Part One) and Do This Now; Enjoy Summer Later (Part Two).
• Below is a list of episodes from the archives you might enjoy if you liked this one!
• More Than Mom: Outdoor Décor & Patio Style
• More Than Mom: Décor Nostalgia
• Home Décor & Dining Out: Episode 77
• Seasonally-Inspired Homemaking & Parenting: Voices 79 With Katherine DeVries

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to get ahead before the May madness sets in? Do these things now and set yourself up for a less stressful summer! In Episode 412 Meagan and Sarah return for the second in a two-part series with tips from our own lives and from The Mom Hour community, including identifying micro-seasons within your longer summer plans, anticipating shifts in kids’ sleep patterns, and saving money this summer by recognizing what you probably WON’T do this summer. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Do This Now; Enjoy Summer Later (Part One): Episode 411
• Please take our Listener Survey! It’s really helpful for us to get a more holistic idea of what’s top of mind for all of you in parenting.
• Check out Kelly Hampton’s summer bucket lists!
• Episodes from the archives focused on summer:
• Simple Summer Rituals & Traditions: Episode 367
• Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Summer Planning: Episode 359
• Preparing Kids (And Ourselves!) For Summer Independence
• A Summertime Chores, Life Skills & Freedoms Reset: Episode 315
• (Realistic) Summer Schedule Intentions: Episode 263
• It’s Time To Plan For Summer: Episode 201
• Here’s a link to the Facebook and Instagram threads where you all provided your “do this now; enjoy summer later” suggestions

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summer has a funny way of sneaking up on us. Whether you’re a plan-it-all-out mom or a go-with-the-flow mama, there are things you can do now to set your summer up for more joy and less stress. Join us for the first episode in a two-part series as Meagan and Sarah share some of our well-earned experience and practical tips (plus some from The Mom Hour community!) for prepping for the upcoming summer season. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Please take our Listener Survey which we use to plan content, find brand partnerships that match up with your lifestyle, and continue to evolve our brand Thank you in advance for your support!
• Here’s a link to the Facebook and Instagram threads where you all provided your “do this now; enjoy summer later” suggestions
• Don’t miss what’s new on the blog: 7 Picture Books To Spring Your Family Into Climate Action
• A few episodes from the archives are great companions to today’s episode:
• Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Summer Planning: Episode 359
• More Than Mom: 8 Calendar Planning Lessons We’ve Learned
• A Just-Structured-Enough Summer Schedule For Kids
• Simple Summer Rituals & Traditions: Episode 367

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Taking kids to Disney should be a magical experience, right? From meeting Mickey to flying on Dumbo, memory-making abounds. But LOTS of planning and strategizing goes into all that magic, and LOTS of parenting challenges present themselves inside the park gates. Today Sarah chats with Katie Gouldner from The Mom Hour team about the weeklong Disney trip she’s planning for later this spring. From rope-drop strategies to how to land the best dining reservations–it’s a lot! Katie then looks to Sarah for her best Disney parenting tips and advice for navigating long days at the parks with littles. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• You can get to know more about Katie Gouldner on instagram at @katiegouldner.
• We talked about how to use Genie+ for navigating long lines at various attractions at Disney. Learn more about this service in this article.
• Katie mentioned a few Disney-focused podcasts that’s helped her plan her family’s first trip.
• Rope Drop Radio (advice for which rides to use Genie+ for and what to rope drop in the parks)
• Addicted To The Mouse (great dining reviews)
• Here’s a link to all Dining at Disney World.
• Learn more about the four Disney World Parks and the two Disneyland Parks if you are on the fence about planning a trip to one or the other!
• Katie mentioned Hersheypark in this episode, which is a great amusement park for families.
• Disneyland With Littles: Where To Splurge, How To Save & How I Really Feel About Mouse Ears a blog post written by Katherine Devries has great info if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland.
• Meagan wrote About “Those Parents” At Disney in 2019. Check it out.
• Sarah recommends downloading the My Disney Experience App prior to your trip to get familiar with how to place food orders, average wait times, and more.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let’s go deep on the fluffiest of topics: personal adornment. In today’s More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share our approaches to everyday jewelry, special gifts and heirloom pieces, jewelry trends and finding our personal styles. We also talk about where we like to buy jewelry, how motherhood seasons have intersected with accessorizing phases, and what our storage wins and woes are these days. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Meagan referenced the movie Thoroughly Modern Millie with Julie Andrews
• If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these from the archives!
• Cozy Winter Style Inspiration: Episode 397
• More Than Mom: Fall Style Update
• More Than Mom: The State Of Our Style, One Year Into COVID
• State Of The Style Situation, Head To Toe: Episode 139
• Sarah typically purchases earrings from Lucky Brand and has purchased dainty style jewelry from (past podcast advertiser) Ana Luisa
• Meagan loves Mata Traders, whose founder Meagan interviewed on Mother of Reinvention

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s our Podcastaversary (yep, we just made up a new word)! Today we are celebrating eight years of The Mom Hour by reflecting on some of your most-asked questions over the years. Beyond recurring queries like “should I have that third baby?” or “what’s the ideal spacing between kids?,” we’re digging into some deeper through-lines that point to the fears, insecurities, and hopes of our community. We also provide snapshots of the many places we have recorded our 640+ episodes (the floor, the bed, different states and more). Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• If you want to take it WAY back to March of 2015, you can listen to The Mom Hour’s Very First episode, Mom Meltdowns, Oh No! Episode 01.
• Sarah mentioned the episode Business Behind-The-Scenes & State Of The Podcast Chat: Episode 396.
• Sarah just finished reading Tiny, Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed which is a compilation of the author’s Dear Sugar articles over the years. 
• Here is a great list of Dear Sugar’s quotes in one place.
• The Mom Hour Listener Community Page on Facebook is a helpful space to vent or to ask moms for advice. 
• Meagan’s reading Laura Tremaine’s book Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First (this is an affiliate link) which encourages people to be open up and be vulnerable with others.

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.