Toddler Purgatory Toddler Purgatory

Do you look in your bank account and wonder where all your money has gone? We asked our listeners for the small ways they save and and budget every month to make money less of a mystery.
Molly and Blaire discuss:

Blaire's amazing Poshmark selling skills

Why it's important to pay yourself first

Sinking funds


Investing a little bit of time in some of these solutions reaps big rewards budget-wise, so seriously, start eensy teensy tiny. Look in your fridge to see what you need to use up before going to the store. Join Facebook Marketplace or your local "Buy Nothing" group. Budgeting is a muscle that you have to exercise consistently in order to get good at it, so give yourself some grace!
Here are all the resources we mentioned in the episode!

Here's the original thread in the What Fresh Hell Facebook group

Flipp

Fetch Rewards

Receipt Hog

ibotta


YNAB (You need a budget)

Mint

eMeals

FB Marketplace or your local "buy nothing" groups

Mercari

Poshmark


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What does it mean to have "happy motherhood?" And is it even a realistic goal to have, given the ups and downs of being a parent? We asked our listeners about their tips to help new parents have a "happier" first year.
Molly and Blaire discuss:

The perils of Mom Instagram

Ways to make extra room for joy in your early motherhood

How to sit in discomfort


Managing your expectations was a key theme in the answers we got - so many moms want everything to be perfect, so they are inevitably disappointed when they don't get their twins out the door in matching outfits every single morning! But guess what? No one is perfect, even though it may seem every other mom on Earth has it more together than you.
Join our Facebook group for more advice, laughs, and support: www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcast

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How do we get our kids away from screens without breaking the bank or planning elaborate outings? Erica Domesek's new book "P.S. - We Made This!" has plenty of ideas for kids' crafts that require zero shopping, zero traveling, and zero (okay, minimal) stress.
Erica Domesek is a social media maven, and an extremely cool + crafty parent! She is the founder of the innovative DIY lifestyle brand P.S.–I Made This, which launched in 2009. She has been a distinguished expert in the areas of design and style as well as a leader in brand marketing for 15 years. PS.–We Made This: Super Fun Crafts that Grow Smarter and Healthier Kids follows in the footsteps of her first two books, offering similarly creative and colorful at-home projects– but now invites the whole family to join in the fun! 
Molly, Blaire, and Erica discuss:

Being artistic vs. being crafty

How to use what you have around the house for crafts rather than buying materials


Here's where you can find Erica:

https://psimadethis.com/about

@psimadethis

@abramsbooks

Buy Erica's book: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781419756108




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We're all muddling through right now, and while we are definitely Team Lowered Standards at this time, there's only so many viewings of Encanto a parent can withstand. Here are some easy, fun ways to change things up around the house and keep things fun. From cleanup races to "spooky baths," our listeners have some great ideas, and in this episode we discuss them all!

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So is it cool to drop off your kid at his friend's house for a playdate and then go home for an hour and take a nap? No? That's bad playdate etiquette? Ok, just checking. Here are some playdate do's and don'ts for when your little one finds a friend.
In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss:

How playdates help your child develop

How to find possible playmates in suburban versus urban areas

Good practices for both hosting and visiting someone else's house for a playdate


Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
Nicole Yezzi for First Things First: "Four things to consider when setting up a playdate"
Maureen Ryan for Verywell Family: "Attending or Hosting a Play Date for Toddlers"

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Self-care can sound like another chore. Seriously, who has time for a bubble bath? And is that really the best use of 20 free minutes, assuming we had them? 
But as Haley Jena points out in this article for What To Expect, self-care isn’t selfish. It's what we need in order to keep going as parents. It's not optional.
In this episode, we discuss what definitely doesn’t work for us, what kind of does, and what we’re going to start (like reading actual books and not just our phones). 
Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 
Moira Lawler for Everyday Health: What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important To Your Health? 
Forbes: Practicing Self-Care Is Important: 10 Easy Habits To Get You Started
Haley Jena for What To Expect: 19 Self-Care Ideas for Moms That Aren't Just 'Take a Shower'

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