• Home
  • About
    • New? Start Here.
    • Meet The Co-Hosts
    • Meet The Contributors
    • In The Media
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

  • New? Start Here.
  • Podcast
    • Recent Episodes
    • Complete Archives
    • Search By Topic
  • Blog
  • Ages & Stages
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • Preschoolers
    • Big Kids
    • Tweens & Teens
  • Shop

in Episodes on April 10, 2017 by The Mom Hour

Minivans, Mom-Mobiles, and Grownup Cars: Episode 97



Meagan’s kids are getting older and car seats and boosters are a thing of the past. Sarah is still the thick of it with three young kids and lots of driving around town. Can you guess which of us a drives a brand new, “murdered out” crossover SUV and which of us is rocking a filthy, cluttered minivan?

We had fun in Episode 97 talking all about our cars — what we drive, how clean is “clean enough” for us, and what we’ve learned over the years about keeping the car relatively organized and functional as it relates to family life. Join us!

Links we mentioned (or should have!) in Episode 97

  • Don’t forget to send us your letters for our Mother’s Day Challenge (you have through May 1)!

What are you driving these days? Any tips for keeping your car organized and family-friendly?

Related

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: self

deals from our partners



When you click through these links and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (and we only partner with brands we’ve used and truly love!).

« Magical Night Visitors (Elves, Bunnies, Fairies & Jolly Fat Dudes): Episode 96
Financial Planning for Families with Jason Silverberg: Voices 11 »

Comments

  1. Kristy says

    April 12, 2017 at 8:06 am

    Love this episode! I might be the over organized Mom, but I keep a bag in the trunk that has a spare outfit, diapers, wipes, blanket, skippy cup, sunscreen, and bottles of water you know just in case. 😉 I also have a bag of toys in the backseat some of these are those stocking stuffer toys you receive at Christmas. I also have books for my child to read as well. Yes, I’m that strange over-prepared Mom!

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      April 16, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Not strange–AWESOME! Thanks for sharing this, Kristy!

      Reply
  2. Erin says

    April 12, 2017 at 10:23 am

    We live in Ottawa, Ontario and don’t own a car. I do have a license and we rent a car about once a month to run errands and go on far flung adventures. We also have a membership to a car sharing cooperative which is great for short trips and last minute rentals.

    Once the snow melts we travel by bike frequently. I started with a seat at the front of the bike when my little guy was about one year old. We transitioned to a rear kids seat shortly after he turned two. I’m looking at purchasing a cargo bike as he is now almost 5 and getting too big for the rear seat. I could also use more cargo space. We love the bike because we are not dependent on the bus schedule and can travel on our own schedule.

    We also travel by public bus frequently. We’re fortunate that children 5 and under are free and then kids are half price. My son is a bus riding expert and loves to sit in the very back, preferably by a window.

    Cabs are also an option but we usually only use them to go to the airport.

    Reply
    • Sarah Powers says

      April 16, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Oh, this is so interesting to hear about. Thanks so much for commenting, Erin!

      Reply
  3. Alissa says

    April 18, 2017 at 3:39 pm

    Another city-dweller here. We live in Manhattan and do have a car (almost 6k miles after 3 years!), but can go weeks without driving it.

    I laughed hearing you talk about the school run. My oldest’s school is almost a mile away, and given various logistics, we walk there and back no matter the weather – with me pushing my youngest in a stroller and with my middle riding on the skateboard! Needless to say, my “big” stroller is more like a minivan, and particularly in the summer I leave wipes/sunscreen/etc in the basket. On the walk home from school it’s full of backpacks/snacks/who knows what. It’s not the best setup in rainy/cold weather, but we get our exercise!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Meet Meagan + Sarah

Listen + Subscribe

Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe in Google Podcasts
Subscribe on YouTube
Subscribe on Amazon Music

The “Surfboard Kid”

the story behind the "surfboard kid"

Click photo to read the full story behind Meagan's viral "bad parenting" moment...

Search

Voicemail!

On Instagram

themomhour

Top 10 parenting podcast hosted by @meaganfrancis (MI) & @powersofmine (SoCal). 8 kids between us, little to grown. Happier motherhood starts here.

The Mom Hour
I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how lo I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how long my kids have hung in when it comes to decorating Easter eggs. Not only that, but as fine motor skills and - ahem - frustration-management skills have improved for my three, the sophistication level of our egg-dyeing adventures has increased dramatically.

Click this image at the link in our bio to read more about the egg decorating kits, products, and techniques that have worked well in our house for older kids, tweens, and teens!

#eastermom #easterfamily #eggdecoratingideas #eggdyeingideas #easterwithkids #easterwithteens #craftsforteens #craftsfortweens #eggdecorating #easter2023
New episode! It's our Podcastaversary (yep, we ju New episode!

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).
👇 For an episode! 👇 It's the first day of 👇 For an episode! 👇 

It's the first day of SPRING, which means we're already thinking about SUMMER. And, specifically, making our own lives as moms and home managers easier and more joyful for Summer 2023.

If you have a tip or hack that falls into the general bucket of "do this now; enjoy summer later", we'd love to hear it! We'll be sharing our own in an upcoming episode and hope to include some from listeners as well. Can be from any area of summer enjoyment from childcare to travel to self-care to home management to backyard gardening!
Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is stil Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is still going strong after eight years, 644 episodes, and more than 15 Million listens! Click the subscribe links in our bio or ask your smart speaker to "play the latest episode of The Mom Hour podcast".

New episodes release every Tuesday and alternating Sundays all year round. Our archives have conversations about every stage of parenting from before-baby through launching young adults - and every aspect of motherhood, too.

#podcast #podcastformoms #mompodcast #parentingpodcast #mommypodcast #mamapodcast #womenpodcasters #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #themomhour #motherhood
Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podv Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podversary? Birthcast? No matter how you slice it, The Mom Hour turns EIGHT years old on March 19!

Want to totally make our day? Leave a comment that tells us - in life milestones - how long you've been listening (i.e., "the baby I was pregnant with when I found you guys is now in kindergarten" OR "I have a middle schooler who was in preschool when I started listening" OR "I was on leave with my first when I discovered the podcast; now I have four kids!")

We appreciate this community so much - and we're not slowing down! Thanks for being here, friends. Talk to you Tuesday!

-M &S
Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor ro Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor roundup, where we thank our partners and remind you of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. Remember, when you check out our sponsors and use our links + codes, it helps support our show. Thank you!

We also collect ALL our active promo codes in our email newsletter - which is full of our latest episodes and blog posts, personal updates, community news, and more. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today.

Shoutout to our NEW partner:
💰 @fearlessfinance ($50 off your 1st meeting!)

And welcome back . . .
⭐ @everyplate (meal kits for just $1.49 per meal!) 
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐️ @caraway_home (10% off cookware!)
⭐ @caredotcom (local, background-checked care!) 
⭐ @prepdish (2 weeks of free meal plans!)
⭐ @minted (art, bags, gifts & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on comfy shoes!)
It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans comi It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans coming up for Spring Break, but we know that every single year, just as many families aren't going anywhere - and that's OK, too!

This week on the blog @emilyeroark offers suggestions for mixing up your same ol' same ol' when kids are off for Spring Break. Check out the post by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#stayathomemom #springbreakathome #staycationideas #stayathomeparent #toddlermom #preschoolmom #momofthree #springbreak2023 #spring #springbreakathome #kidsactivities
New episode! Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, rea New episode!

Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, really.) And board games (maybe?). What's fun for our families right now looks quite different than it did years ago, so today Meagan and Sarah revisit an oft-discussed hot topic on The Mom Hour: family "fun." We share several ideas for ACTUALLY FUN family activities that work for our current seasons, as well as some gripes about things that feel like they should be fun but aren't. Join us!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! It isn't always easy to appreciate t New episode!

It isn't always easy to appreciate the mundane tasks of our daily lives, or to see the glass half-full when something goes awry. Inspired by yet another social media trend that had us scratching our heads at first (and then reflecting in spite of our forty-something selves), today Meagan and Sarah talk about situations from our own lives where we romanticized the hard stuff to get by.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you g If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you give them a theme? On the blog this week @hopefulsmiles makes a case for themed Easter baskets helping to simplify shopping, avoid clutter, and stay on budget.

Check out Sandy’s ideas for themed Easter baskets by clicking this image at the link in our bio - she's got over 35 different gift ideas listed!

#easter2023 #easterbasketfillers #eastergiftideas #themedeasterbasket #giftsfortoddlers #giftsforpreschoolers #giftsfortweens #giftsforkids #eastergiftguide #eastertips #easterwithkids
"As a mom you’ve been building a youth sports co "As a mom you’ve been building a youth sports coaching resume for years," writes @twinningtheweekend on the blog this week, "You just didn’t know it."

🥎  Through potty training, you’ve shown incredible determination.
⚽  Sibling rivalry has made you the ultimate expert in team dynamics. 
🏀  You’ve displayed grit in the face of a stomach bug. 
🏐  Organizational skills? You keep track of all 47 of the elementary school’s dress-up days.
🥎  You’ve developed patience as your child has figured out zippers.
⚽  You are not easily intimated…hello science projects and fractions. 
🏀  You have a keen eye for what motivates your child. (Hint…it’s snacks and Bluey.)
🏐  Toddler temper tantrums are no match for your perseverance.
🥎  You folded 16 loads of laundry with a (mostly) positive attitude.
⚽  Multitasking? That’s your specialty. 

Raise your hand if you've coached a youth sports team as a mom! And click this image at the link in our bio to read Jennifer's tips for making it less time-consuming and stressful than you might think!

#youthsports #sportsmom #littleleague #littleleaguemom #girlsinsports #littleleaguemom #soccermom #baseballmom #coachmom
New episode! Worrying as a mom is a universal exp New episode!

Worrying as a mom is a universal experience (and, spoiler alert: it never REALLY goes away). Today Meagan and Sarah look back over the years on the worries that surface most often in our community. Going by the questions we get from listeners, moms worry a lot about safety (our kids', our own, the state of the world); and we also worry about WORRY (are we worried about the "right" things? is our worry creating anxiety in our kids?). Join us as we revisit these questions and more with that well-worn reminder: it's (probably) all going to be okay.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Load More... Follow on Instagram

as seen on

Send us an email

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email hello@themomhour.com and we’re here to help!

looking for something?

I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how lo I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how long my kids have hung in when it comes to decorating Easter eggs. Not only that, but as fine motor skills and - ahem - frustration-management skills have improved for my three, the sophistication level of our egg-dyeing adventures has increased dramatically.

Click this image at the link in our bio to read more about the egg decorating kits, products, and techniques that have worked well in our house for older kids, tweens, and teens!

#eastermom #easterfamily #eggdecoratingideas #eggdyeingideas #easterwithkids #easterwithteens #craftsforteens #craftsfortweens #eggdecorating #easter2023
New episode! It's our Podcastaversary (yep, we ju New episode!

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).
👇 For an episode! 👇 It's the first day of 👇 For an episode! 👇 

It's the first day of SPRING, which means we're already thinking about SUMMER. And, specifically, making our own lives as moms and home managers easier and more joyful for Summer 2023.

If you have a tip or hack that falls into the general bucket of "do this now; enjoy summer later", we'd love to hear it! We'll be sharing our own in an upcoming episode and hope to include some from listeners as well. Can be from any area of summer enjoyment from childcare to travel to self-care to home management to backyard gardening!
Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is stil Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is still going strong after eight years, 644 episodes, and more than 15 Million listens! Click the subscribe links in our bio or ask your smart speaker to "play the latest episode of The Mom Hour podcast".

New episodes release every Tuesday and alternating Sundays all year round. Our archives have conversations about every stage of parenting from before-baby through launching young adults - and every aspect of motherhood, too.

#podcast #podcastformoms #mompodcast #parentingpodcast #mommypodcast #mamapodcast #womenpodcasters #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #themomhour #motherhood
Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podv Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podversary? Birthcast? No matter how you slice it, The Mom Hour turns EIGHT years old on March 19!

Want to totally make our day? Leave a comment that tells us - in life milestones - how long you've been listening (i.e., "the baby I was pregnant with when I found you guys is now in kindergarten" OR "I have a middle schooler who was in preschool when I started listening" OR "I was on leave with my first when I discovered the podcast; now I have four kids!")

We appreciate this community so much - and we're not slowing down! Thanks for being here, friends. Talk to you Tuesday!

-M &S
Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor ro Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor roundup, where we thank our partners and remind you of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. Remember, when you check out our sponsors and use our links + codes, it helps support our show. Thank you!

We also collect ALL our active promo codes in our email newsletter - which is full of our latest episodes and blog posts, personal updates, community news, and more. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today.

Shoutout to our NEW partner:
💰 @fearlessfinance ($50 off your 1st meeting!)

And welcome back . . .
⭐ @everyplate (meal kits for just $1.49 per meal!) 
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐️ @caraway_home (10% off cookware!)
⭐ @caredotcom (local, background-checked care!) 
⭐ @prepdish (2 weeks of free meal plans!)
⭐ @minted (art, bags, gifts & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on comfy shoes!)
It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans comi It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans coming up for Spring Break, but we know that every single year, just as many families aren't going anywhere - and that's OK, too!

This week on the blog @emilyeroark offers suggestions for mixing up your same ol' same ol' when kids are off for Spring Break. Check out the post by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#stayathomemom #springbreakathome #staycationideas #stayathomeparent #toddlermom #preschoolmom #momofthree #springbreak2023 #spring #springbreakathome #kidsactivities
New episode! Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, rea New episode!

Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, really.) And board games (maybe?). What's fun for our families right now looks quite different than it did years ago, so today Meagan and Sarah revisit an oft-discussed hot topic on The Mom Hour: family "fun." We share several ideas for ACTUALLY FUN family activities that work for our current seasons, as well as some gripes about things that feel like they should be fun but aren't. Join us!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast#podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast#podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! It isn't always easy to appreciate t New episode!

It isn't always easy to appreciate the mundane tasks of our daily lives, or to see the glass half-full when something goes awry. Inspired by yet another social media trend that had us scratching our heads at first (and then reflecting in spite of our forty-something selves), today Meagan and Sarah talk about situations from our own lives where we romanticized the hard stuff to get by.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you g If you fill Easter baskets for your kids, do you give them a theme? On the blog this week @hopefulsmiles makes a case for themed Easter baskets helping to simplify shopping, avoid clutter, and stay on budget.

Check out Sandy’s ideas for themed Easter baskets by clicking this image at the link in our bio - she's got over 35 different gift ideas listed!

#easter2023 #easterbasketfillers #eastergiftideas #themedeasterbasket #giftsfortoddlers #giftsforpreschoolers #giftsfortweens #giftsforkids #eastergiftguide #eastertips #easterwithkids

Copyright © 2023 · Life, Listened
Development by Cipher