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The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

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The Mom Hour’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Meagan, Sarah and Katie put together a list of more than 100 gift ideas for everyone on your list from new babies to grownups. Listen to their three separate gift guide episodes in the media players below, and keep scrolling for a complete list of products and gift ideas. Happy shopping, friends!

This gift guide was originally prepared for 2017, but we’ve updated links and added a few recommendations for this year. Enjoy!

Amazon and Target links are affiliates. That means if you click through and make a purchase you’ll be helping support The Mom Hour at no additional cost to you. Thank you for helping us continue to produce the podcast!

Gift Ideas for Babies, Toddlers, & Little Kids

  • Musical Toys
    • Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy
    • Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano Gym, Blue/Green
  • High-Quality Wooden Blocks
    • Plan Toys 50 Unit Blocks
    • Uncle Goose Classic ABC Blocks
  • Books
    • Manhattan Toy Wimmer-Ferguson See and Say Board Book
    • Alice in Wonderland: A BabyLit Colors Primer
    • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: A BabyLit Camping Primer
    • The Nutcracker: A BabyLit Dancing Primer
    • Fancy Nancy
    • Amelia Earhart (Little People, Big Dreams)
    • Coco Chanel (Little People, Big Dreams)
    • Disney Minnie Mouse 12 Board Book Block Library Set
    • Doinshop Animal Tails Cloth Book (Pet’s Tails)
    • Board book versions of classic stories like All The World and Corduroy
  • Small Gifts & Stocking Stuffers
    • Girls’ Hair Bow Subscription Club from LittlePoppyCo
    • Light Up Christmas Spinning Wands With Orbiting LEDs
    • Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Activity Pads
  • Activity Centers
    • LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table Activity Center
    • 8-in-1 Wooden Activity Play Cube
    • Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Kitchen Activity Center
  • Something To Push
    • Step2 Little Helper’s Shopping Cart-Pink
    • Little Tykes Shopping Cart
    • Baby Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker by vTech
  • Something To Ride
    • Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike
    • Radio Flyer 535 My 1St Scooter Sport
    • Micro Kickboard Micro Mini 3-in-1 Deluxe Kick Scooter
  • Kid-Sized Furniture
    • Gift Mark Child’s Colonial Rocking Chair, White
    • Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair
    • Medium Luna Lounger Chair – Pillowfort™
    • IKEA LÄTT Table & Chairs
  • Make-Believe Play
    • Black + Decker Junior Power Workbench Workshop with Realistic Action Lights & Sounds
    • Step2 Modern Metro Kitchen Play Kitchen
    • Pottery Barn Kids Retro Kitchen Collection
  • First Board Games
    • Hi Ho Cherry-O
    • Candy Land
    • Zingo!
  • Something For The Family
    • Jj Cole Outdoor Blanket
    • Radio Flyer EZ Fold 3-in-1 Wagon
    • Pin Adventure Map
    • Gift Membership to Zoo, Children’s Museum, or Indoor Play Place

Gift Ideas for Big Kids & Tweens

  • Slime-Making Kit (or whatever the ‘craft du jour’ is)
  • Elenco Snap Circuits SC300 Electronic Discovery Kit
  • Raspberry Pi Starter Kit (small affordable computer designed to teach programming)
  • Big book of weird facts, like National Geographic’s 5000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) or Ripley’s Believe It Or Not
  • Yomega Maverick – Professional Aluminum Metal Yoyo for Kids and Beginners
  • Shrinky Dinks
  • Find a BLICK art store near you, or shop for fine art supplies at Target.com
  • Magazine subscriptions (ASK from Cricket Media, Ranger Rick, Highlights and High Five)
  • “Big kid” journal and good pen
  • Mini LED Flashlights
  • Can’t go wrong with classic stuffed animals
  • Classic wristwatches, like this one from Timex
  • Subscription box, like this one that Owen LOVED from Wonderful Objects
  • Perplexus Maze Ball

Gift Ideas for Teens & Adults

  • Footie pajamas, like this fleece onesie with a hood from Alexander Del Rossa
  • High-end or interesting socks, like Stance or SmartWool
  • Ukelele
  • Cookbooks (Sarah loves this one, Meagan recommends baking cookbooks for teens)
  • Supplies and accessories for whatever hobby they’re into
  • Fun versions of everyday items, like these bearded ski hats
  • Private lessons, training, online courses (we like LinkedIn Learning or Creative Live), or a class
  • Drone-building kits, like these from flitetest.com
  • New backpack, like this one from Lands’ End
  • Cool room decor accents (Etsy is a great source for this!)
  • “Roundie” beach throw
  • Subscription box (we love FabFitFun for women and teen girls, and promo code THEMOMHOUR will save you $10)
  • Handmade jewelry from indy sellers like Burnish
  • Theater or concert tickets
  • Bluetooth ear buds (our favorites are made by Sudio Sweden, and promo code THEMOMHOUR will save you 15%)
  • Social good gifts (we’re huge fans of Brave New World Designs, co-created by our friend and fellow podcaster Christine Koh)
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

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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:
🍳 @caraway_home (10% off gorgeous, non-toxic cookware!)
💪 @futurefitapp (risk-free trial of 1-on-1 personal training!)
🔪 @prepdish (2 weeks free of healthy, prep-ahead meal plans!)
🎨 @minted (design marketplace with art, bags, gifts & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (deals on the easiest photo books ever!)
😍 @fabletics (2 stylish workout bottoms for $24!)

And welcome back . . . 
⭐️ @stitchfix ($20 off your 1st purchase!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off full-season 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 cute, comfy shoes!)
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
Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-d Turns out, when your last baby approaches double-digits, you find yourself staring a different milestone right in the (puffy) face:

It's been a decade since I was pregnant for the last time. 

This photo was taken the morning of my scheduled c-section, just a few hours before we'd meet our third and last babe. It's hard to remember, but I'm SURE I was ready to be done. Constant braxton-hicks, heartburn I hadn't experienced with the other two, food aversions that lasted the whole 39w5d, and physical exhaustion trying to keep up with a 2- and 4-year old: all part of an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, but still nobody's idea of easy.

I don't miss it - being pregnant. Grateful to have had the experience, absolutely. But I've never really pined for another go-around, at least not seriously. Still, a whole decade removed feels as significant a milestone to me as does the notion that that double-dimpled babe will blow out ten candles this weekend.

Time, like, whoa. 

-Sarah
If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, If you're looking at school options for Fall 2023, you might be feeling overwhelmed by school tours, open houses, registration deadlines, or the all-too-common "red shirting question". That's why today we're revisiting an enormously detailed resource on our site: 

➡️ What Teachers & Educators Wish Parents Knew About Making School Decisions ⬅️

This piece is a collaboration between four educators on our team whose careers span preschool through middle school. They weigh in what what they wish parents knew about things like...

...choosing “the right school” 
...what it means to be “ready for kindergarten” 
...visiting a school for a tour or open house 
...learning to read 
...kids and friendships; playground politics
...making school decisions for a special needs student 
...becoming part of a classroom or school community 
 
Click this image at the link in our bio to get the guide. Bookmark it, send it to your co-parent or mom friends, and use it as a starting place as you wade through this tricky time of year! 

@lisaapayne4 @ashleydawn519 @thepaperdart @cafedumartin
C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s e C-e-l-e-b-r-a-t-e good times, come on! Today’s episode is number 400! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate hitting a big podcast milestone than talking about how we honor birthdays and milestone celebrations in our families – especially as kids get older. Join Meagan and Sarah as we offer insight into making birthdays special for big kids, tweens and teens; how kids getting older hits us differently as moms, too; and how honoring big kid milestones gets tricker, but still gives us all the feels. 

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
Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being a Y'all's reaction to our entire catalog now being available has been so fun! Listeners have told us that they're now able to re-listen to old favorites, or - amazing for us - share them directly with friends.

(If you missed it, previously, podcast apps showed only our most recent 300 episodes – less than half our catalog. The rest were only available on our website.)

Just for fun, we rounded up a few more of our team's favorite episodes from the early days of the podcast. Here are five MORE oldies that have stood the test of time, and that make for great entry-points to our early catalog.

You can listen from our website by clicking this image at the link in our bio – but EVEN BETTER, you can find the episodes in your favorite podcast app - just search by episode title, or keep on scrolling until you find them!

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