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The Mom Hour

The most fun you've ever had with two moms you've never met.

New? Welcome! Start Here.

Welcome! We’re so glad you’re listening to The Mom Hour (or are interested in getting started). This page should have everything you need to get to know us, listen to our show, and become a part of our community.

(By the way, we’re Meagan and Sarah, your co-hosts since the show launched in 2015. You can find out more about us on this page.)

HOW TO LISTEN

If you’ve never listened to a podcast before, that’s OK! Here’s a handy guide to get you started.

If you’re podcast-familiar but aren’t sure where to find our show, we’re pretty much everywhere. Here are links to find us on your favorite distribution platforms:

  • Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes)
  • Spotify
  • Pandora
  • Google Podcasts
  • Android (this link will open up your preferred app on an Android device)
  • Stitcher
  • iHeart Radio
  • TuneIn

POPULAR EPISODES

Here are some of our favorite episodes for new listeners to start with. You can click through to the show notes and press play on the media player at the bottom of each post, or search for the episode by name in your favorite podcast app.

If you don’t see the topics you’re looking for, use the search bar on the right to see if we’ve covered them. If you want to see one big list of all our episodes in chronological order, we have that here.

Episodes To Encourage All Moms

  • The Life-Changing Magic of Opting Out (Episode 161)
  • 10 Habits of Happy Moms (Part 1) (Episode 137)
  • 10 Habits of Happy Moms (Part 2) (Episode 138)
  • The Myth Of The Mom Tribe (Episode 144)
  • Body Confidence As A Mom (Episode 99)
  • When You Feel Criticized, Remember This (Episode 165)
  • Our Worst #MomFail Moments (Episode 157)

Episodes For Pregnant & New Moms

  • How Baby’s Personality May (Or May Not) Predict Big Kid Character Traits (Episode 181)
  • Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (As New Moms) (Episode 19)
  • Strong As A Mother with Kate Rope (Voices, Episode 26)
  • Newborn Attachment with Alexandra Spitz (Voices, Episode 20)
  • Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (Breastfeeding Edition) (Episode 114)
  • Pregnancy & Birth, In Hindsight (Episode 38)
  • Getting Ready For Baby (Episode 74)
  • Coping With Sleep Deprivation (Episode 87)
  • How To REALLY Help A New Mom (LIVE From Newport Beach)
  • Postpartum Symptoms & Surprises (Episode 88)

Episodes For Moms Of Toddlers & Little Kids

  • Toddlers vs. Teenagers (Episode 192)
  • Helping Kids With Doctor Visits, Shots, and “Appointment Fear” (Episode 180)
  • Potty Training & Other Bathroom Matters (Episode 156)
  • Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (Toddler Years) (Episode 24
  • Bedtime Routines at Every Stage (Episode 80)
  • Ignore Bad Behavior & Enjoy Parenting More with Catherine Pearlman (Voices, Episode 16)
  • Kids in the Kitchen (Episode 70)
  • Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (Starting School Edition) (Episode 62)
  • 8 Milestones & When Our Kids Met Them (Episode 34)
  • Gift Ideas For Babies, Toddlers & Little Kids

Episodes For Moms Of Older Kids

  • Screen Time Strategies Through The Years (Episode 209)
  • Helping Kids Learn From Mistakes with Jessica Lahey (Voices 35)
  • Helping Or Helicoptering? (Part 1, Part 2) (Episodes 194 & 195)
  • Chores, Life Skills, & Household Contributions (Episode 191)
  • Magical Night Visitors (Elves, Bunnies, Fairies & Jolly Fat Dudes) (Episode 96)
  • Raising Lifelong Learners (Episode 95)
  • Talking Sex Ed, Puberty, & Growing Up with Nora Gelperin & AMAZE.org (Voices, Episode 13)
  • Tweens (Is This A Thing? Yes, It Is): The Mom Hour, Episode 143
  • Choosing The Right School (Not As Scary As It Seems) (Episode 16)
  • How To Be A Happier Sports Parent (Episode 117)
  • Kids & Friendships with Eileen Kennedy-Moore (Voices, Episode 18)
  • Becoming Screenwise with Devorah Heitner (Voices, Episode 13

Episodes About Working Motherhood or Work/Life Balance

  • Productivity & Time Management Tips For Moms (Episode 169)
  • Stretched Too Thin With Jessica Turner (Voices 29)
  • How Do I Make Time For It All? (Episode 60)
  • Calendar Tips & To-Do List Strategies (Episode 83)
  • Meagan & Sarah’s Working-Mom Lives (Episode 140)
  • Listener Questions (Working Mom / SAHM Edition) (Episode 142)
  • Inside the Lives of 3 Working Moms (Voices, Episode 02)
  • Stay At Home, Work Full-Time, Or Something In Between? (Episode 105)

Listener Questions Episodes

The episodes that feature us answering listener questions are a great way to get to know us and hear a lot of parenting topics covered in a short amount of time. Here’s a handy list of all the episodes and the topics covered:

  • Episode 211: Creating family culture around vacations, whether we let our kids skip school for family trips, how to stick to sleep routines on the road, dealing with kid meltdowns while traveling, and budgeting tips for family travel
  • Episode 210: Coping tips for a mom whose husband travels, our thoughts on whether preschool is “necessary”, Sarah’s response to a listener anticipating a planned Caesarian birth, and encouragement for a mom of three who wonders when her family will all be able to enjoy the same activities together
  • Episode 199: Helping a little kid deal with big feelings about an out-of-state move, traveling as a nervous flyer, finding your groove as an at-home mom when kids are in school full-time, and getting dad involved when a toddler only wants mama
  • Episode 198: Helping school-age kids start to self-regulate around screens and sweets, navigating an awkward situation with a fellow preschool mom, and organizing the “drop zone” in our homes
  • Episode 176: Parenting a strong-willed kid, handling criticism about your family size or kids’ spacing, the first signs of kid crushes and puppy love, and gift ideas for your kids’ grandparents
  • Episode 175: Losing your cool and yelling at your kids (how it happens to us ALL, how to prevent it, and how to cope after it happens), dealing with a pinching/biting 19-month-old, and extracting your family from a sticky situation with neighbor friends whose parenting style makes you uncomfortable.
  • Episode 163: Helping a toddler with nighttime fears, taking a baby to the beach, the ideal age-spacing between siblings, and helping a two-year-old feel special when a new baby arrives
  • Episode 162: Helping a shy preschooler, saving money on groceries, and helping kids learn to deal with frustration
  • Episode 149: Setting up toddler playgroups, feeling overwhelmed by housework, and how to handle teachers who don’t see your kid the way you do
  • Episode 135: A toddler who won’t stay in his room at bedtime, a seven-year-old with a fibbing habit, what to do with a busy toddler while you nurse a new baby, and how to help kids who struggle with playing independently
  • Episode 123: When to start giving kids an allowance, whether or not to pay for chores, getting mentally psyched up for baby #2, and dealing with kids’ annoying habits
  • Episode 122: Closely spaced babies, tips on room-sharing, helping siblings get along, and dealing with super-shy toddlers
  • Episode 111: Transitioning a one-year-old to a big-kid bed, frustrating behavior patterns of toddlers and preschoolers, and evenings chaos at home with four kids
  • Episode 110: Requesting teacher changes at school, finding postpartum body acceptance while sticking to a realistic fitness routine, what to do when safety worries interfere with enjoying life as a mom
  • Episode 94: What we wish we’d worried about LESS in hindsight, what we’re doing differently–and the same–than our parents’ generation did, and our thoughts on sending a 7-year-old to sleepaway camp
  • Episode 93: Preschool boys interested in bad-guy play, fighting stereotypes while raising girls, and how to find the balance between self-acceptance and the desire to grow
  • Episode 73: Letting a five-year-old quit an activity she begged to start, helping a trio of cousins get along, and weaning a breastfeeding toddler
  • Episode 65: When a kid’s fears and anxieties dominate the household mood; a sticky situation involving wild kids, a restaurant, and a big family reunion; and a new mom struggles with her decision to co-sleep
  • Episode 52: Asking for help with childcare, what to do when close friends have dramatically different parenting styles, handling kids’ big emotions with elementary school friendship struggles, and how to stop apologizing for yourself and embrace chaos with confidence
  • Episode 41: Room-sharing siblings, planning first birthday parties, feeling left out when you have your kids earlier or later than your friends do, and the evolution of playdates

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

We’re on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We also have a Facebook group where fans of the show connect and support each other.

You can email us at hello@themomhour.com.

If you want to leave us a voicemail with a comment or listener question, we’re on Voxer and Speakpipe, or you can simply record yourself using your phone’s voice memo recorder, and email the audio file to hello@themomhour.com.

We send a newsletter once a month with an essay about motherhood, life tips and hacks you didn’t hear on the podcast, and (wait for it) ALL OUR SPONSOR PROMO CODES all in one handy list. You can sign up for that list here.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Podcasts come to you for free (isn’t that amazing?). Our show is made possible in a few different ways, and you can show your support and help us continue to bring you encouraging comment by doing these little things:

  • Rate and review the show wherever you listen. Here’s a tutorial on How To Leave A Review in Apple Podcasts. The more reviews we have, the more other listeners can easily discover the podcast. It’s one of those algorithm things. 🙂
  • Support our sponsors! We work our tails off to bring you messages from brands we think you’ll like, and we only partner with brands we can get behind. When you use one of our promo codes or special links, you’re showing sponsors that our messages are resonating, and that helps the show. (FYI: Newsletter subscribers get a handy list of promo codes sent out each month.)
  • Shop our Amazon store! We have curated lists of our favorite Amazon products at amazon.com/shop/themomhour. We update these lists regularly, so it’s a fun place to bookmark to see what we’re loving lately. Because we participate in the Amazon Affiliate Program, we earn a small commission when you shop through those links (at no additional cost to you).
  • Join our Patreon community. For a couple dollars per month, you can support the show and help us create more great content. More here.
  • Tell a friend about The Mom Hour. Honestly? This is one of the biggest ways you can help. Thank you.

SPONSOR OUR SHOW

Interested in reaching thousands of engaged moms through authentic, personalized, host-read podcast advertising? Let’s talk. Send an email to hello@themomhour.com to request a media kit and discuss rates and availability.

Meet Meagan + Sarah

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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
Please help us show some love to our sponsors and Please help us show some love to our sponsors and affiliate partners for January! We're excited to kick off some new partnerships this month, and also welcome back some longtime sponsors. Thank YOU, dear listeners, for checking out the brands who make our show possible!⠀
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To take advantage of the offers you hear about on the show, search for a sponsor by name at themomhour.com (remember, show notes for each episode have those deals you heard us talk about!). You can also get a full list of active promo codes by signing up for our email newsletter at the link in our bio.⠀
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Welcome to NEW sponsors...⠀
🐶 @skoutshonor (20% off pet essentials!)⠀
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Welcome BACK to...⠀
⭐️ @youneedabudget (34-day free trial!)⠀
⭐️ @marchofdimes (#Best4YouBest4Baby)⠀
⭐️ @stitchfix (25% off when you keep it all!)⠀
⭐️ @drinkbev (20% off yummy wine!)⠀
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping all year!)⠀⠀
⭐️ @ritual (10% off your 1st 3mo!)⠀
⭐️ @magicspooncereal (free shipping!)⠀
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off kids' vitamins!)⠀
⭐️ @athleticgreens (free 1yr supply of Vitamin D!)⠀
⭐️ @ParentingInPlaceMC (8wks of parenting help for $49!)
New episode dropped in time for the weekend—surp New episode dropped in time for the weekend—surprise (and happy Friday)! This one is especially for those of you who have felt resistant to traditional “January topics” like goal-setting this year...⠀
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📲Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!⠀
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With nearly a year of “everything’s cancelled!” behind us, and facing down an early 2021 of “Who knows?”, we’ve all learned a couple things:⠀
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1️⃣ Truth #1: We all need to set goals and make plans to stay on course and keep working toward our deepest priorities, especially when life is unpredictable.⠀
2️⃣Truth #2: When life is unpredictable, it feels really hard to set goals. How do we make these two realities jive?⠀
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The solution: goal setting with a big dose of self-awareness and self-empathy. As 2020 taught us, things aren’t always going to look exactly the way we plan, but that doesn’t mean goal-setting is cancelled!⠀
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From our personal finances to family priorities; hobbies and household projects to travel (what?!) and extracurricular activities, Sarah and Meagan are here with a real-life conversation about goal-setting that will meet you where you are and help you plan what you can – while allowing a lot of flexibility for the things that may change along the way.⠀
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or right in your browser via the link in our bio!⠀
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#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
#Sponsored What makes Day 200-something of pandem #Sponsored  What makes Day 200-something of pandemic life a little better? Getting to (virtually) join the cast of the new @disneychannel series #SecretsOfSulphurSprings for a preview of the show with some special treats!

Sarah here, friends. It’s getting REALLY hard to find shows that all three kids enjoy—not too mature for the 7yo, and not too little-kid-ish for the tween. This brand new mystery series from Disney - geared toward ages 6-14 - hit the mark and then some. They LOVED it. There’s a little suspense (just enough), great characters, and plot twists galore. We can’t wait to keep watching to see what happens next—thanks for including us in the premiere, @disneychannelpr!

Secrets Of Sulphur Springs premiers Friday 1/15 on #DisneyChannel, in #DisneyNow, and on Disney Channel YouTube. Three out of three Powers kids recommend! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
New podcast episode!⠀ .⠀ Art supplies taking o New podcast episode!⠀
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Art supplies taking over your shared space? Losing library books under piles of what-even-IS-this-stuff? Ready for a January re-set of your home's organization systems? You're not alone. This week Meagan and Sarah continue the conversation about where to put all the STUFF of family life, covering arts and crafts, board games and puzzles, super-sized play stuff, and all those wonderful books. We also touch on ways to know if an organizational system will work for you and your family - because, as we've found, one size does NOT fit all.⠀
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or right in your browser via the link in our bio!⠀
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#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New podcast episode!⠀ .⠀ The holidays are behi New podcast episode!⠀
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The holidays are behind us, but they've left their mark on our homes: mostly in the form of more STUFF to store. Meagan and Sarah have logged decades of toy sorting and stuff-storing and in this week's episode share our experience finding just the right spot for all that brightly colored plastic. We talk about LEGO, we talk about stuffies and dolls; we remember the days of itty bitty sets and giant toddler ride-on toys. By the end of this episode we hope you'll feel like you already have the space and sense required to store your kids' stuff - no fancy bins required.⠀
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or right in your browser via the link in our bio!⠀
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#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Who else is de-Christmassing today? Meagan and Sa Who else is de-Christmassing today?

Meagan and Sarah discovered that we both use the tactic of wrapping fragile decor items (not ornaments so much as knickknacks and dishes) in clean seasonal linens when we put them away until next year. Saves on bubble wrap or packing materials, and the linens need to be stored anyway.

When you unpack next year, just run the napkins and dish towels through a quick wash cycle and you’re ready to go!

What else is helping you transition to January? We’d love to hear!
New episode for a brand new year!⠀ .⠀ For thos New episode for a brand new year!⠀
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For those who love to plan ahead, last year was a huge challenge–and the shiny promise of a brand new year feels a little lackluster as we look toward 2021. Is planning and goal-setting permanently on hold, shuttered just like schools and gyms and concerts? Sarah Hart-Unger says no.⠀
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Our first Voices interview episode of 2021 features two Sarahs: host Sarah Powers (@powersofmine) chats with guest Sarah Hart-Unger (@the_shubox of @shubox_plans and @best_of_both_worlds_podcast) about how to approach planning and goal-setting this year. We talk about the importance of reflecting on 2020, even though it didn’t go as planned, how to “pandemic-proof” your goals for 2021, and why the annual exercise of looking back and looking forward is still valuable. Sarah also answers your listener questions on the nitty-gritty of planning and goal setting.⠀
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or right in your browser via the link in our bio!⠀
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#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
We're not an interview podcast as our primary form We're not an interview podcast as our primary format; never have been, and don't plan to be. So when we bring outside voices onto the show, we try to do it very mindfully - covering topics outside our personal spheres of experience, or that we believe this community will benefit from hearing more about. Sometimes a guest comes to us by popular request; sometimes a pitch catches our eye (about one in 1,000, to be honest); most often, we approach people whose message and work we admire and are genuinely excited to talk to.⠀
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These are the faces of the voices you heard (besides ours!) on the podcast this year. Twelve for our once-monthly Voices episodes, and a few more from bonus episodes about important topics we didn't want to pass us by. We appreciate every one of these people for their helpful advice, honest storytelling, and generous presence on the podcast.⠀
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This Friday you'll hear our first Voices episode of 2021, and we'd love to know what other topics you'd like to see represented in our interviews in the coming year. Comment below with a topic area, or tag a guest you think would be great (bonus points if you know for sure we haven't covered the topic recently 😎 ).
New episode--the last one of 2020!⠀ .⠀ Meagan New episode--the last one of 2020!⠀
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Meagan and Sarah tiptoe very cautiously into the waters of future-casting in today's episode, still through the hazy, cheese-filled lens of that strange week between Christmas and New Year's. We talk about where our kids and home lives will be one year from now and what that means for the evolution of our family units. We meditate on all that was stripped away in 2020, and when and how it may start to return in the coming year. And we also share the things we're MOST excited to return to post-pandemic, as well as a few things we don't ever need to go back to the way they were.⠀
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or right in your browser via the link in our bio!⠀
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#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
"This Christmas, the stakes were both higher (afte "This Christmas, the stakes were both higher (after a year like 2020, we all really needed this holiday to be pleasant and peaceful) but also lower (after a year like 2020, "pleasant and peaceful" were all we really needed.)⠀
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I hope tonight, after you've picked up the hundredth tiny bit of wrapping paper, or finally got that toy working after wrestling with the battery pack for an hour, or stepped on an errant piece of Lego, that you can look back over your day and identify a few moments of comfort and coziness. ⠀
There may have been grumpiness (yours, or your kids'). There may even have been tears (your kids', or yours.) But likely there were also some brief flashes of comfort and joy. Let's lean in on that."⠀⠀
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Meagan is continuing her daily blog posts through Christmas Day, sharing a short tip, truth, or bit of perspective each day. Check out the full post at themomhour.com/holidayhelp, or via the link in our bio!⠀
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"I just got done filling stockings. They're curren "I just got done filling stockings. They're currently slumped against my bedroom wall, as full as they're going to get. Likewise, the stack of gifts below the tree downstairs isn't getting any bigger. The breakfast menu I've planned isn't getting any more ambitious, either. The stores are closed, the night is over, my work here is done.⠀
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I didn't hit all the marks, but that's what next year, or the year after, or...never is for. ⠀
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For now, all I can do is give myself thanks and gratitude for the effort I put in."⠀⠀
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Meagan is continuing her daily blog posts through Christmas Day, sharing a short tip, truth, or bit of perspective each day. Check out the full post at themomhour.com/holidayhelp, or via the link in our bio!⠀
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"Even in a typical year, there can be a sense of l "Even in a typical year, there can be a sense of letdown when the guests all leave or the last gift is opened. And in 2020, I worry that the letdown may be much more acute, as many of the traditions that would have given the hours and days after Christmas morning shape and joy and meaning simply aren't happening this year - to say nothing about all the things that ALSO won't be happening in January and February. ⠀
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But here's the good news: the holiday doesn't end at midnight on December 25. Many of us have an extended break ahead, whether it's time off from work or kids home from school. And even if you don't get the benefits of a longer break, you'll probably notice that the world around you is still moving in a kind of slow-motion, inviting us all to indulge in some more relaxation and cheer before we get back to our usual routines.⠀
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I'd love for you to plan your post-holiday self-care with me, so we don't find those after-Christmas days slipping away. What would you love most to spend next week doing?"⠀⠀
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Meagan is continuing her daily blog posts through Christmas Day, sharing a short tip, truth, or bit of perspective each day. Check out the full post at themomhour.com/holidayhelp, or via the link in our bio!⠀
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