Raising creative kids isn’t just about paintbrushes and piano lessons—it’s also about noticing how they think, solve problems, and dream up deas. Both Meagan and Sarah come from creative backgrounds and hope to raise creative kids, but we’ve learned that creativity shows up in unexpected places—from storytelling and party planning to building weird contraptions out of couch cushions. We share what’s worked in our own families, where we’ve had to shift our thinking, and some of the misconceptions we’ve had about what being “creative” really means. Join us!HELPFUL LINKS:Episodes From The Archives You May Enjoy:More Than Mom: Writing, Motherhood & Creative PracticeMidlife Lady Leisure Pursuits: Episode 484More Than Mom: Creative Hobbies (Now … Soonish … Maybe SomedayOTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s NextVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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56:57
Motherhood Nostalgia & Why It Matters: Episode 514
We’ve heard from so many listeners who say that The Mom Hour helped you through your early years of parenting. Your notes of gratitude got us thinking (and feeling all the feels) about what a uniquely intense and tender season “active mothering” really is—and why it inspires a certain nostalgia when viewed later from a distance. Join us as we share some of your own words as well as memories of our own, reflecting on the pop-cultural, sensory, emotional, and unexpectedly specific things that instantly transport us back. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Episodes Mentioned In This One:The Muscle Memory Of Motherhood: Episode 363Giving Ourselves Credit & Compassion: Episode 506Magical Night Visitors (Elves, Bunnies, Fairies & Jolly Fat Dudes): Episode 96Last Firsts & First Lasts (Milestones We Notice, And A Bunch We Miss): Episode 166OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s NextVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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55:53
On Balance & Busy-Ness
This week, we’re talking about busy-ness—that always-running hamster wheel we either can’t get off… or can’t seem to climb onto. Meagan and Sarah each look back on times in our lives when our relationship with productivity felt off—whether we were drowning in to-dos or floating in a weird limbo of not-enough-to-dos. Where are we at now on the busy scale? How do our personalities lend themselves to being busy – or not? And is there even such a thing as the perfect balance? Join us!This is Part 1 of a three-part series about Time running this spring. Check back next month for Part 2!HELPFUL LINKS:The Fall Sarah Quit Everything: Episode 233Episodes From The Archives On Time Management:The Lazy Genius Helps Fix Our Time Management Troubles: Episode 485Time Management For The Season You’re In: Episode 483Time Management & Productivity Tips For Savvy Working Moms: Voices 54 With Whitnee HawthorneProductivity & Time Management Tips For Moms: Episode 169OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s NextVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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53:34
Home Management Then Vs. Now: Episode 513
From sandbox maintenance and the endless cycle of outgrown kids’ clothes to the rise of sourdough starters and evolving gardening ambitions, today's episode is about how our home management tasks have shifted as our kids have grown. We each share a few “then vs. now” snapshots, offering little insights into what domestic work looks like during different seasons of family life. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Meagan wrote the blog post Organizing Kids' Clothes: Seasonal And Hand-Me-Down Storage Made Simple back in 2014 about the storage and swap-out of seasonal clothes and handmedowns that she used for her four boys for a decade.Meagan mentioned the book The Domestic Revolution by Ruth Goodman (affiliate link) Episodes From The Archives You May Enjoy On Home/Life/Time Management.OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s NextVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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50:41
What & How We're Reading This Spring: Episode 512
Hey, book lovers! This week, Meagan and Sarah catch up on our latest reading adventures. We share some books we’ve been loving lately, our TBR lists and check in on our library habits. We also discuss how reading habits change when we’re on vacation or just shaking up our routines. Oh, and with Meagan’s book launch on the horizon, we’re giving you a peek into how she’s keeping up with all the new releases and buzz in the book world. So grab a cup of your fav beverage and let’s dive into this bookish catch-up!HELPFUL LINKS:Episodes From The Archives On Reading & Libraries:7 Habits Of Moms Who Make Time For Reading: Episode 492More Than Mom: For The Love Of LibrariesMeagan and Sarah both use the Libby App to borrow books from the local library.Sarah subscribed to The New YorkerMeagan’s Books (book links are affiliate links)The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency SeriesThe Domestic Revolution: How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything by Ruth GoodmanA Walk Across America by Peter JenkinsHero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell is on Meagan’s TBR listThe Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies is on Meagan’s TBR ListSarah’s Books(book links are affiliate links)Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come: One Introvert’s Year of Saying Yes by Jessica PanWintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine MayJedidiah Jenkins, author of Mother Nature, was featured on Armchair Expert.Meagan wrote about her current relationship with the library in a new Substack post.Meagan interviews Gretchen Rubin on her podcast The Kettle on April 15OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s NextVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Co-hosts Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers have eight kids between them, little to grown. Weekly conversations offer practical tips and real-life encouragement for moms who want to enjoy motherhood more, and cut back on comparison, worry, and stress. We’re not experts, we’re moms who’ve been there. We’re not perfect, we’re real. Welcome to The Mom Hour.
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