our village

our village

This week Catie and Danielle are catching up after a whirlwind stretch of guest episodes — trading summer camp chaos, girls' trip stories, and real talk on the friendships that carry you through motherhood. Danielle recaps her 20-years-strong girls' trip to Islamorada with her "LST" crew — boat days, a stray dog named Murph, and the now-infamous "Dick Pick David." The two dig into what it actually takes to keep friendships alive through decades of life changes — breakups, weddings, kids, moves — and why showing up for each other (not proximity) is what makes it stick. Then Catie gets real about a hard week: Jack's tearful camp drop-offs, the mental load of the transition from meetings to mom-mode, and finding relief in a Diet Coke and a good cry with a friend. Plus: Calvin gives up his binky (unprompted), Catie's new gig as an assistant soccer coach tests her control issues, and both moms share how they're squeezing the most out of summer before school prep creeps back in. A lighter, more personal one this week — grab your coffee (or Diet Coke) and join the village.

kindergarten readiness with brittany brady

Everyone panics about the ABCs. Brittany Brady — school social worker turned founder of Bright Starts Co. — is here to tell you to put the Target workbook down. This week we get into what kindergarten readiness actually means (spoiler: it's emotional regulation, independence, and grit, not reading at five), why preschool doesn't automatically guarantee a smooth transition, and how to survive the drop-off meltdown without crying in your car. Brittany breaks down routines vs. "rhythms," the kissing-hand goodbye ritual, prepping kids for the bus, and her 5-minute night-before reset that working moms swear by. Plus: the one thing she wants every guilt-ridden millennial perfectionist mom to stop stressing about. Real talk, real chaos (melting popsicles included), and a roadmap to send your kid in confident. Find Brittany on Instagram @brightstartsco and at brightstartsco.com [http://brightstartsco.com]. 🎁 Listener offer: Use code 9TOMOM20 for $20 off her Ready Set Learn course. And through July 2, the Calm Mornings Toolkit is bundled free with course purchase.

let's yap

No guest, no agenda — just us yapping. This week Catie and Danielle are back for a pure catch-up episode and honestly? We had a lot to say. Danielle is mid-travel chaos, running on zero clean clothes and a dream, while Catie is trying to figure out how to top the Yeti Camino her husband got her for Mother's Day without buying another golf club set. We get into Father's Day gift ideas that actually land, the white button down that had high hopes and let us both down, and why our second kids are simply built different. Plus — Jack's kindergarten graduation had us emotional, Calvin sat through a five-vial blood draw without blinking, and Danielle's son found out his mom also goes to therapy. Turns out all the cool kids are a little messed up. Chapters * 00:00 - We Need a Jingle * 01:36 - Father's Day Plans & Birthday Party Collisions * 03:43 - What Dads Actually Want * 04:08 - DIY Golf Ball Gifts & the Malbon Hat * 05:20 - The Reciprocal Gift Pressure * 07:19 - Danielle's Travel Chaos * 08:21 - Women's Empowerment Events & the "Shrill" Spiral * 09:35 - The White Button Down That Lied to Us * 11:10 - Jack's Kindergarten Graduation * 12:14 - Your 5-Year-Old Is Worried About Your Work Schedule * 13:37 - Calvin's Blood Draw: Didn't Flinch * 14:42 - Therapy Is Normal Now * 15:59 - Love Island vs. Big Brother Pull up a seat. We're just here to yap.

baby is here, now what? with Baby-Chick

You've got the nursery done, the registry checked off, and the hospital bag packed — but are you actually ready? This week, Catie and Danielle sit down with Nina Spears, founder and CEO of Baby Chick, certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, and author of the brand-new The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy. With 15+ years of experience supporting 800+ families and attending over 350 births, Nina has seen it all — and she's here to talk about the one thing most moms skip: preparing for becoming a mother. Nina breaks down why our culture obsesses over baby stuff but ignores the emotional, physical, and relational shifts that hit hardest after delivery. She shares what she wishes every mom knew before coming home from the hospital, how to navigate the identity crisis of returning to work, and why the most capable women often struggle the most. If you've ever looked at your baby and thought "now what?" — this episode is for you. 📖 Pre-order Nina's book and enter to win over $5,500 in prizes (Halo, Mockingbird, Coterie + more): baby-chick.com/positive-pregnancy-book [http://baby-chick.com/positive-pregnancy-book] Subscribe to Nina's free newsletter and explore all things pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood at baby-chick.com [http://baby-chick.com] ---------------------------------------- Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 01:35 – Nina's Origin Story: How a Childless 23-Year-Old Became a Baby Expert 05:22 – "Baby's Here, Now What?" — How Unprepared Are Moms Really? 07:02 – Why Our Culture Celebrates the Baby But Forgets the Mother 10:50 – The Most Common Thing Moms Wish They Had Prepared For 13:43 – Identity Shifts, Mom Guilt, and Learning to Ask for Help 15:34 – How Baby Chick Was Built (and How Nina Vets What Gets Published) 18:39 – The Information Overload Problem — and How to Find Trustworthy Advice 21:57 – Returning to Work as a Completely Different Person 24:12 – The Emotional Reality of the Fourth Trimester (and Beyond) 27:25 – If You Want a Village, Be a Villager 29:36 – Why the Moms Who Look Like They Have It Together Often Struggle Most 30:48 – The One Thing Nina Wishes Every Mom Knew Before Baby Arrives 33:27 – About the Book + Giveaway Details

it's giving therapy

Come catch up on life with us. For those of you that are new here, welcome. We're 2 working moms who have full time 9-5 jobs. We work remote, mostly. We also run this full time and are business partners. Catie's kids are 3 & 4 Danielle's kids are 3 & 7 Let's get into this weeks therapy session. Catie's three-year-old is basically blind (fine, astigmatisms, but same energy), Calvin showed up to the office in mom's sunglasses watching Peppa Pig during a live meeting, and somehow rainbow glasses are now a hill we're willing to die on. Meanwhile Danielle solo-pilgrimaged to a BTS concert in Vegas, made three new best friends in the parking lot, and is already planning her Stray Kids festival outfit down to the lightstick. We also solve the great debate: summer bucket list vs. themed activity days, why $590 art camp is a hard no, and how drop-off logistics are genuinely a second full-time job nobody hired us for. Chaotic. Unfiltered. Basically free therapy. * 00:00 – Welcome to the Therapy Hour * 00:48 – Calvin Is Basically Blind & We're Spiraling * 07:40 – Peppa Pig, Dilated Pupils & a Very Unbothered Toddler * 11:16 – Colton Failed the Swim Test & We're Actually Fine With It * 12:25 – Danielle Goes Solo to Vegas (for a K-pop concert, obviously) * 13:21 – Are We Too Old for Concert Merch? (No.) * 17:01 – $590 for Art Camp. We Said No. * 22:04 – Bucket Lists vs. Themed Days: The Summer Planning Debate * 27:12 – Why Are We Still Dressing Our Kids? They're Four. * 29:17 – Morning Drop-Off Math Nobody Warned Us About * 31:26 – Moms Gone Wild (Nick Jonas + Stray Kids, separately)