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The Mom Hour

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We love it when moms share ideas with other moms (and we love the holidays!), so we’ve worked with our contributor team to collect gift ideas, holiday-themed activities, and great stories to help inspire you this holiday season!

2021 Holiday Gift Guide

We asked our contributor team to share their favorite gift ideas for kids of all ages.
Click through to find the full gift guide for each age group on our blog!

Gift Guide For Babies (Age 0-1)

Everyone asks mom what to give babies for Christmas, and it can be really hard to know what to tell them. Our contributor Sarah Limberg @sarahelimberg, mom to a ten-month-old daughter, put together a list of recommendations that vary in price, size, and more!

Gift Guide For Toddlers (Ages 1-3)

Toddlers are a tough group to parent, but they also get so excited to open up gifts that it makes up for all (or at least some) of the tantrums. Our contributor team shares their favorite gifts for this age group!

Gift Guide For Little Kids (Ages 4-6)

As we see our little kids develop their own preferences and start to share ideas with other kids their age, it can be both hard and rewarding to find a gift that matches their personalities. Our contributor team shares their favorite gifts for little kids!

Gift Guide For Big Kids (Ages 7+)

Check out the gifts that the big kids (ages 7+) in our contributor’s lives are excited to receive, and what our contributors are excited to give them this holiday season.

Gift Guide For The Outdoor Adventuring Family (All Ages)

Our contributor Jennifer Carroll @twinningtheweekend spends her free time taking her toddler twins camping, wakeboarding, hiking, and more. Check out her gift guide for families who love the outdoors!

Mom’s 2021 Holiday Wish List

After all of the work that you put into the holidays, have some fun and dream about what you want this year! We asked our contributor team to share one gift that they’re dreaming about right now. See what they’re asking for this year!

Shop Small With The Mom Hour Small Business Boutique

Hop over to The Mom Hour Boutique page to get to know small businesses run by members of our community. They’ve got great offers just for you on bath & body products, tea, jewelry, apparel and more!

Holiday Podcast Listening

We’ll add our newest holiday episodes to this page as they go live, and we’re including some of our favorite episodes from Christmas Past below. Enjoy!

Listen To New Holiday Episodes!

Want More From Holidays Past?
Hit Play On One Of These Episodes!

[powerpress_playlist ids=”26662, 26660, 26658, 26751, 29229, 29198, 29153, 28953, 28933, 26875, 26747, 26749, 29153, 24147, 24048, 23898, 20994, 18470, 17384, 29361, 29229, 29198, 28953, 17402, 26962, 26875″ limit=”100″ date=”false”]

More From The Blog…

Thanksgiving Planning Guide: Plan NOW So You Can ENJOY Later!

By Joanna Martin | @cafedumartin

We’ve hosted Thanksgiving for the past seven years (give or take a few years), and in that time we’ve learned many valuable lessons as home cooks and hosts. We’ve tried our fair share of trendy recipes and ways to cook a turkey. We’ve mistimed oven usage and have discovered new family favorites. Quite possibly the most important lesson we’ve learned while hosting over the years: Planning is ESSENTIAL for everyone’s sanity and enjoyment. [READ MORE]

Five Pandemic Thanksgiving Traditions I’m Keeping Around

By Chaunie Brusie @chauniebrusie

I won’t lie: Thanksgiving isn’t my favorite, and after so much togetherness last year, I wanted to try to mix things up a bit on that oh-so-traditional holiday. So I came up with a few new Thanksgiving traditions last year to make the day just a bit more fun. And much to my surprise, they were a success! [READ MORE]

Read To Get Inspired…

Need a fun holiday craft to keep your kids busy during winter break? Or tips on planning your holiday? Or a survival guide to holiday baking with toddlers? We have great holiday stories from our contributors coming to the blog! We’ll post links below to more stories as they go live through November and December.

Last Year I Skipped Christmas; Here’s What I Learned

By Chaunie Brusie @chauniebrusie

On Christmas Eve last year, after I said goodbye to my five children and husband as they headed out the door to go see my in-laws, I did something that moms everywhere have dreamed about for centuries: I spent the evening cuddled up on my couch watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate. Completely alone. [READ MORE]

Five Holiday Book And Craft Pairings For Little Kids

By Sandy Hsu | @hopefulsmiles

I began with a list of a dozen holiday picture books and then paired each one to a little craft with a similar theme. Having a simple framework and theme for curating activities helped me to avoid over-planning and Pinterest overwhelm. It was such a joy to spend quality time with my daughter while doing something festive and fun even when life felt crazy. [READ MORE]

Baking With Kids This Holiday Season: A Strategy For The Hesitant Mom

By Jayme Sherrod | @jaymesherrod

A small, flour-covered apron adorns the gleeful child as they work with their mom to finish baking the final dozen cookies for this year’s holiday party. The magazine photo looks magical. It feels inspiring. It seems fun. Yet, if you’ve ever invited your child to the kitchen to bake – or enthusiastically accepted their request to bake – you may have found out that the magic can be fleeting and the cleanup is pretty fierce. [READ MORE]

Easy Tips For Sustainable Gift-Giving

Want to know how you can be more environmentally friendly this gifting season? Our contributor Jayme Sherrod shares three easy ways you can make your holidays more sustainable. Watch her reel on our Instagram, and read on for her tips! [READ MORE]

Creating A Feeling of Advent

By Joanna Martin | @cafedumartin

Christmas decorations up the minute Thanksgiving is done. After the busy-ness of cooking and hosting, I am so ready to slow down and sink into everything the advent season has to offer. Advent is a season of building anticipation. Advent is considered to be a time of preparation and waiting in joyful hope of the birth of Jesus, and it’s typically associated with many Christian religions. However, I find that anyone can find ways, religious or not, to create a feeling of advent in the home. [READ MORE]

How We Do Hanukkah

By Katherine DeVries | @thepaperdart

Hanukkah is just around the corner! And although a part of me always dreads this holiday, because eight days of celebration feels like a lot, it’s also super important to me to make a big deal out of it. Because while my family identifies as religiously Jewish, we’re also culturally interfaith, and we celebrate many traditional Christian holidays (Christmas included), in addition to all of the Jewish ones. [READ MORE]

Other Holiday Goodies

If you made it this far, we’ve got some holiday goodies just for you – little things we love from the archives and things that have brought us joy in past holiday seasons. Enjoy!

  • Our Facebook community says these gifts KILLED IT last year
  • Meagan’s 25 Days Of Holiday Help
  • 6 Things You Can Do To Get Dreamy Holiday Photos On Your Smartphone (by Sarah)
  • Sarah’s Christmas 2014 appearance on The Home Hour podcast (the VERY first time we were on the mic together!)
  • 6 Easy (We Promise!) Homemade Holiday Gifts You Can Make With Your Kids
  • Our Favorite Holiday Picture Books
  • Our 2017 Gift Guide
  • Meagan’s Spotify Christmas playlist

Send us an email

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

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If you listened to this week's episode, you heard If you listened to this week's episode, you heard @cafedumartin talk about the zone-by-zone home reset she does every January (and.... into February). Swipe to see the playroom that zapped Joanna of her reset mojo for a couple weeks - and keep swiping for some more bite-sized tidying she's done recently!

Joanna shares LOTS of in-progress decluttering on her Insta, so pop on over there and give her a follow!

Any questions about what you heard in the episode? We (both Sarah & Joanna) are around to answer - just drop a comment!

#homereset #januaryhomereset #decluttering #livingwithkids #mariekondo #beforeandafter #blacktrashbagenergy #momlife #stayathomemom
New episode! Big black trash bag energy is in ful New episode!

Big black trash bag energy is in full effect over here! In this episode Sarah is joined by contributor @cafedumartin for a conversation about how, why and what we are getting rid of this January. We talk strategic home resets, major junk-hauling, and tips for ongoing clutter maintenance. And while on the surface this episode is about physical stuff, we also acknowledge the emotional complexity that surrounds getting rid of stuff.

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
This recent picture of Eric and I adventuring in t This recent picture of Eric and I adventuring in the snow, well into our third year of dating, captures so much. 

But there's a lot it doesn't tell you, too. 

It doesn't tell you about the heartbreaking experience of watching my former marriage dissolve.

It doesn't tell you about the confusion and loneliness in the aftermath of my divorce six+ years ago.

It doesn't tell you about the time that, while driving home in the dark on a snowy evening, I reflected on the fact that nobody was expecting me to check in with them that night - that if I skidded into a ditch nobody would think to look for me for days.

It doesn't tell you about the twenty-five - yes, TWENTY-FIVE - first dates I went on prior to meeting Eric (the vast majority of those never turned into a second date.)

It doesn't tell you about the disappointments and doubts and tears leading up to finding my person.

And...

It also doesn't tell you about how much I (grudgingly) grew during that period of singleness. 

The strength and resourcefulness I discovered through having the space to run a household on my own and determine my own path in life. 

The peacefulness of a home run under my own steam, its rhythms based on my own values and priorities. 

The joy (and necessity) of getting back in touch with myself.

If you’re single and looking, I really do hope you find your person soon. I am so grateful for having found mine, and I know how hard it is to hear "your time will come, too" when you see no evidence of that on the horizon. (Especially going into February, right?)

But while you're waiting, there's another person (you) who deserves your attention...

and hard as it may be to see when you’re in the thick of doubt and disappointment…

that person is enough.
Looking for unique classroom valentines *and* a gr Looking for unique classroom valentines *and* a great deal? We love everything about @minted, from the high-quality paper and printing, to the ability to buy unique designs, freshly sourced from a community of independent artists. And right now, Minted has great deals on all things Valentine's Day!

(Pssst: they even have a Disney collection!)

Click this image at the link in our bio to get:
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🗓️ Sale ends Monday 1/30!

The Mom Hour is part of Minted's affiliate program, which means if you shop our links we'll earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes f Here’s your January reminder to save shoeboxes for February and March classroom projects! Valentine boxes and leprechaun traps are around the corner, and shoe boxes are so much harder to come by these days. Consider this a friendly head’s up from a mom who’s been there.

Want more help and tips, plus reassurance that you’re doing a great job? (You are.) Search for The Mom Hour in your favorite podcast app and hit subscribe!

#kindergarten #firstgrade #valentinebox #leprechauntrap #shoeboxcraft #roomparent #roommom #classroomvalentines #parenting #momlife #parentingtip #tipsformoms
Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for presch Looking to implement daily "quiet time" for preschoolers? Even for kids who want to GO GO GO all day long, having a built-in pause in the day can help develop independent play skills, encourage rest, and - of course - give caregivers a chance to reset as well.

Since this week's podcast episode is all about kids and alone time, we thought we'd revisit this resource on the blog by Sandy Hsu:

👉 How To Encourage Independence In Preschoolers With A “Quiet Time” Routine. 👈 

Sandy (@hopefulsmiles) give tips for implementing a successful quiet time routine AND rounds up products and activities that help make independent play more likely - even in young preschoolers. Check it out by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#quiettime #parentingtoddlers #parentingpreschoolers #momoflittles #stayathomemom #stayathomeparent #activitiesforpreschoolers #activitiesfortoddlers #threeyearolds #fouryearolds #fiveyearolds #momlife #sahm #sahmlife
New episode! Does solitude come naturally to your New episode!

Does solitude come naturally to your kids, or are moments of solo play far and few between? Meagan and Sarah read some research recently that challenged us to think about the importance of alone time, and whether our kids get enough. In this episode, we dive into our own childhood memories, how our children embrace (or run from) solitude, and how challenging it is to find that just-right balance. 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! With all the day-to-day planning requ New episode! With all the day-to-day planning required to run a household, it's easy to put longterm planning on the back burner. Today Meagan and Sarah share lessons we've learned (or are still learning) that help us look ahead at a whole year, quarter, or month at a time. From knowing ourselves and our seasonal rhythms to figuring out where they keep next year's school calendar, we've picked up a few things over the years, and we're ready to dive in for 2023. 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
Happy Saturday! Been meaning to check out a deal y Happy Saturday! Been meaning to check out a deal you heard on our podcast? You're in luck because here's our sponsor roundup for January. Once a month, we use this space to thank our partners and remind you of their special offers. For our special promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. And when you do check out our sponsors + use our links and codes, it helps support our show! 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 sponsors:
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Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, Braces on, braces off. First phones, driver's ed, high school registration. As we discussed in this week's episode, we still get all the feels when older kids meet cultural or developmental milestones - even if they cringe when we celebrate and share.

Would love to hear what you're celebrating about your older kids! Everything from learning a new skill to blossoming independence - leave us a comment! 

PS - Listen to the episode in your favorite podcast app, or by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#parenting #parentingbigkids #parentingteens #parentingtweens #bigkidmilestone #teenagers #tweens #momoftweens #momofteens #momofteenagers

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