Mother Effort

What has it been like to be pregnant or anxious during an epidemic?  Ilana and Beth discuss how life has changed and a few positive outcomes from this whole awful situation we are all living through. 

In these uncertain times most of us are overwhelmed, experiencing stress, anxiety and even sadness.  Ilana and Beth talk to Maryland based Psychologist Dr. Melissa Lean about how to cope with the anxiety and decompress, ways to deal with social media, dealing with friends and family during this stressful time and more. Dr. Lean also gives some great insight on how to find help virtually during this time if you need to reach out and talk to someone.  We hope this episode gives you some comfort and some tangible steps to help you get through this difficult time. 

The entire country is shutting down one town and city at a time and most of us are now shifting into a new normal.  Working from home, kids at home, partners at home, it's a lot!  Ilana and Beth discuss some of their fears and then more importantly they discuss what to do to combat these fears and beat the boredom at home with the kids!

This last week was a real mother effort for Beth and Ilana.  To lighten up the week Ilana creates a game show for Beth testing her knowledge of the Saturday morning cartoons of our past.  Are they still on and making new episodes, or did they die out back in the 80s and 90s?  Beth goes head to head with a VERY special surprise guest!  Tune in to see who wins and find out which cartoons you can still watch, with or without your kids!

As Beth hits the single digits of weeks left on her pregnancy Ilana offers some advice for any mom adding to her brood.  What can you expect when the motto of motherhood is really to expect anything and nothing at the same time?

Sleeping strange, in your babyhood, who you gonna call? Lolo Lullaby!  Today the girls call in the professional when it comes to everything sleep training related! From what to do with an infant who won't nap, a "defiant climbing out of their crib" toddler, travel, and the 5 year old who has developed a bad sleep habit that needs to be broken before your sanity is. Lauren Wolf from Lolo Lullaby talks about it all and more on this episode! Connect with Lauren: www.lololullaby.com instagram @lololullaby facebook: @lololullaby

Beth has hit some snags with her childcare in the last week and needs to make a lot of decisions for her future family of four.  In order to lighten the mood, Ilana gets the inside scoop on middle school and quizzes Beth on her knowledge of today's teen slang. 

Happy Mother Effort New Year! In the first podcast of this decade Ilana and Beth talk about their New Years resolutions, some broken, some accomplished, but all well intentioned. Ilana discusses what she has learned after her 6th winter birthday party has been thrown. They also discuss the best holiday and birthday gifts their kids received this year.

Ilana asks Beth if she is buying into and following all the pregnancy myths and rules.   Find out Beth’s secret weapon when experiencing a head cold while pregnant and what foods she is and isn’t eating.

Ilana celebrates her 5 year anniversary of being a stay at home mom, something she never anticipated.  Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, raising kids is a mother effer!  Ilana and Beth discuss the perceptions versus the reality of being a stay at home mom as well as the good and the not so good moments that Ilana wouldn't trade in a million years!

What do you get when you cross a mom with two kids, a dog, a spouse and impending meal time?  Hopefully something edible!  When your a mom time to cook a meal is all but non-existent so the girls discuss some hacks to keep your pantry fully stocked in order to make a meal in a pinch.  They also discuss how to save time using the Instant Pot, an airfryer, make ahead meals and one pot meals when little ones are hungry and also trying to open a hot oven!

After a hiatus due to the day to day chaos of living with littles the mother effort girls are back! It has been a whirlwind of a month, Beth and Ilana discuss how "back to school season" has been going and how Beth is handling being back at work full time.  Doctor's trips for all!  Beth also makes an exciting announcement that shocks Ilana! 

Ilana reaches out to her facebook mom group to figure out how to deal with the anxiety of sending her child to kindergarten for the first time! Beth shares her fears about going back to school and being   a mom and how to juggle these two careers with only enough time to do one full time. The girls wrap up the episode by sharing the best moments of their summer.  Happy Fall Everyone!

What is it like when your family of three becomes a family of four?  How do you even make the decision to bring another baby into the mix?  Beth and Ilana sit down to discuss growing your family with Ilana's friend Kari, a newly minted mom of two!

Summer has been a ton of fun, but it is time for Beth to face reality.  What is it like to go back to work full time after staying at home with your baby?  Ilana and Beth discuss a few things that will make the transition easier to handle for both baby and mom!  This episode also has the first ever Mother Effort Giveaway! Listen to find out how you can be the winner of Beth's favorite baby products from Lil' Sidekick!  Instagram: lil.sidekick 

A lot goes on in the brain of a mom each day.  Beth and Ilana discuss the topic of “mental load” and why it seems Mother’s carry the majority of it, making us very tired.  We explore ways in which to share and lighten the mental load.  

Who wants to go to the beach? The beach is not the same type of fun that it was before kids, but Ilana is here to save the day and make your beach trip a breeze!  After a short hiatus Ilana and Beth return to give you some beach hacks for Independence Day and the rest of the summer!   

Ilana is able to handle her first kindergarten event pretty well until Ezra can’t.   Beth searches for a wine sponsor to send her wine in bulk due to her taxing, yet exciting week with Max. Beth and Ilana discuss what goes into planning birthday parties and the mom hacks that make it easier to plan and how to make it fun for the adults that are “obligated” to come.

Max gets his first teeth while robo-husband is away on business.  Ilana comes to the realization that we are now at the age that our bodies are beginning to break down so she decides to make some changes in her life that include P90x and starting her own graphic design company...you know all while also being a full time mom.  Beth struggles to find a balance between teaching online and nursing Max. 

We need a drink…oh, for the kids, but yeah we need a drink too! Ilana and Beth talk about the perils of parenting when it comes to public restrooms.  The girls also talk sippy cups!  Find out what are the top 5 sippy cups on Ilana’s list and why?  (Links Coming Soon!) #5 Munchkin Clip Lock Sippy Cup #4 CamelBak Eddy Kids 12oz Water Bottle #3 The First Years Take and Toss Spill Proof Sippy Cups #2 The Munchkin Miracle 360          The Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer (for the littler ones!) #1 Munchkin  The click lock bite proof sippy cup Bonus cup:  the new  tiny   EZPZ cup for those BLW kids!