Coffee + Crumbs Podcast

Today we're talking about our approach to the holidays—from April's Buddy the Elf level enthusiasm from October straight through New Year's to Indiana's more measured approach. We chat about our favorite holiday traditions and how we balance all the time grabs by extended family and friends. Whether elaborate baked goods for the whole neighborhood are your thing or, like Ashlee, you're more comfortable with every boxed mix Trader Joe's offers, you'll feel right at home in this week's conversation. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for links to everything mentioned in this episode. To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page. We love and appreciate our Patrons!  

At the end of September, most of the Coffee + Crumbs team came together live and in person (!!) for four days in the Pacific Northwest. We weathered an unexpected blizzard, ate all the food, passed around babies, and spoke truth and encouragement into one another's dreams. On our last night together, we sat in the living room of Katie Blackburn's parents' home (who graciously welcomed all 15 of us when we had to evacuate from the mountain), and captured our conversation—and giggles—for your listening pleasure. We all rank our degree of nervousness pre-retreat, recap our funniest and favorite moments from our time together, and speak to the "secret sauce" that connects us to one another in a way that transcends our typical expectations of friendships. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for links to everything mentioned in this episode - including pictures of everyone who came to this retreat so you can match faces with voices!  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support pag

Today we're talking all things toys: the ones our kids have loved and played with endlessly, the ones we don't let across our thresholds, and the ones that will haunt our nightmares forever (ahem, we're looking at you, April, and your ventriloquist dummy, Charlie). We cover avoiding the lost lovey disaster and controlling the stuffed animal collection that threatens to take over the bed, plus we run through our favorite, road-tested toy picks in every age group. You'll want to bookmark our show notes for your holiday shopping! Visit Coffee + Crumbs for links to everything mentioned in this episode (including all those great toys!)  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page. We love and appreciate our Patrons! 

Today's episode is coming from a more serious and somber place, as we talk about some of the hardest seasons in life that we've walked through. From miscarriage and postpartum depression to infidelity and cancer diagnoses, we're sharing some stories publicly for the very first time and inviting you into our little "circle of trust" this week. This isn't just about clearing the skeletons from the closet though; we're also talking about the most helpful ways our people showed up for us during these difficult times and the lessons we've learned about how to take care of each other when the season is hard and the answers aren't coming easily.  Show Notes: Visit Coffee + Crumbs for links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page!  

This week we're talking about what mornings look like in our households. Spoiler alert: they're a far cry from our pre-kid days of leisurely sipping coffee while meticulously applying makeup and thoughtfully pulling together a coordinated outfit. In this conversation, Ashlee breaks down her new-ish routine designed to make mornings as non-chaotic as possible, April extols the virtues of doing allthethings the night before, and Indiana blows our minds when she confesses her children get up before she does AND fix their own breakfasts. From the pep in our step courtesy of the school system's tardy policy to our tactics for not yelling at our kids to just get their shoes on already (why is it always the shoes?), today we're breaking down our best efforts to start our days off on the right foot. Show Notes: Visit Coffee + Crumbs for links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page! Thank you to this episode's sp

This week we're continuing our conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery and kicking things up a notch. From figuring out how to have an orgasm to what place masturbation has in a healthy marriage, we think you're going to love the frankness and candor in today's episode. Once again, this is not a show designed for little ears, so grab some headphones (or maybe make it a date night in with your husband after the kids are in bed) and listen in as we tackle another round of questions from our Patreon supporters about sex and intimacy.  Like what you heard? Double click 'subscribe' and leave us a review on iTunes! Show Notes: Visit Coffee + Crumbs for links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page! Thank you to this episode's sponsors:  Hello Fresh: Our listeners will get $80 off your first month of Hello Fresh when entering promo code coffeeandcrumbs80. Light Filled Home:Coffee & Crumbs listeners will get 25%

We're back from our sabbatical and comin' in hot with a two-part episode you've been begging us to cover: SEX! Today we're tackling your sex and intimacy questions with expert and psychologist Dr. Juli Slattery. From frequency and mismatched sex drives to how to spice things up, no topic is too taboo. This is not an episode designed for little ears, so grab your headphones and settle in for a frank, honest, and encouraging conversation about connecting intimately with your partner in a hectic season of life. Special thank you to our Patrons for submitting questions for this episode! Like what you heard? Double click 'subscribe' and leave us a review on iTunes! Show Notes: Visit Coffee + Crumbs for  links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page! Thank you to this episode's sponsors:  Buffy: C+C listeners will get $20 off their Buffy comforter by entering promo code COFFEEANDCRUMBS online  Care.com: C+C lis

This week's episode is airing in tandem with Sarah and Meagan from The Mom Hour podcast—we're both talking about motherhood and the fear of missing out (FOMO). Sometimes we avoid talking about FOMO at the risk of sounding ungrateful, but the truth is there's an opportunity cost with every big decision in life ... and motherhood is no exception. From the temptation to compare ourselves with what we see on social media to actually missing out on things because we couldn't line up childcare or the toddler is sick (again), we open up honestly about where we struggle with FOMO and how we work to shift our perspective from one of lacking to one of gratitude. Like what you heard? Double click subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode. And don't forget to listen to The Mom Hour's take on FOMO! To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

From Indiana’s face blindness to how April balances introversion as a mom, today we're answering questions from YOU, our listeners and Patrons! You asked about everything from April's novel to Indi's thrift shopping to that "conceiving a girl thing" Ashlee mentioned once. We tried to answer as many questions as we could fit into the 100th episode (!) of this show. Plus, we get a little sappy at the end and talk about our favorite things about each other. Thank you for listening and sharing this podcast with friends over the past four seasons! Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

From nip slips to lactating armpits (!) to feeling confident whipping out a bottle of formula, today we're getting honest about the time-consuming and (often literal) draining work of feeding our babies. In this conversation, we're talking about the products and perspectives that make the job a little easier and the importance of giving ourselves permission to see that fed is best. Whether you're formula feeding, exclusively pumping, or it's just you and your B-O-O-B-S on demand, we hope you'll feel seen and encouraged in this week's conversation. Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

This week, we're talking about all the things we didn't know that we didn't know before kids. From a false sense of control (surely good behavior is just a matter of consistent and firm boundaries ... right?) to the things we swore we'd never do only to end up doing them (we're looking at you, goldfish crackers for dinner and weekly baths), there's a lot about motherhood that's upended who we thought we were. But then there are also the parts of us that are unchanged or have only been brought into sharper focus as result of becoming a mom. Whether you're preparing for your first or you're three or four kids into motherhood, we hope this episode makes you laugh and helps you reflect on how raising our kids influences the people we become, too. Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

This week we’re finally talking about the topic April has been dying to cover for two years: laundry. From personalized Ziploc bags for collecting stray socks to how to avoid ironing forever, we’re covering every strategy we have for making laundry easier. If you’ve got last week’s towels still piled haphazardly on the couch because washing AND drying AND folding AND putting away is just two steps too many, shove them to the side and join us for our hacks and hangups about the dirty work of cleaning clothes. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

This week, Indiana chats with Sophie Hudson—aka “BooMama”—about raising an only child. Sophie laughs about the preconceived stereotypes she’s long-since abandoned (Surprise! Only kids can thrive in team sports!) and shares her tip for making sure a family vacation is fun for all three of them. Plus, you won't want to miss her wise words of encouragement as a mom of a teenager for moms of littles. Whether you find yourself raising an only child by choice or by circumstance, we hope you feel encouraged by this week’s conversation. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode. Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

In this week's episode, we're talking about personality typing systems. From Enneagram and Myers Briggs to less official tools like Hogwarts houses and Cosmo quizzes, we have endless options for identifying who we really are and why we do the things we do. We chat about our own lightbulb moments in terms of self-understanding and how that knowledge impacts our relationships with our spouses, children, and friends. While we have plenty of fun and more than one laugh in this conversation, we also explore the way understanding that we're all wired differently has led to a greater sense of compassion for ourselves and others. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode (including those quizzes we know you're dying to take!)  Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

This week we’re talking about minimalism—but don’t worry, we’re not coming to Marie Kondo your closets. Whether you’re a self-identified maximalist like Indiana, an aspiring minimalist like Ashlee or somewhere in between like April (does owning jewel tones disqualify one from being a minimalist?), we hope today's conversation sparks joy for you. Rest assured: this isn’t an episode about how to be a minimalist; rather, we’re exploring the connection between how we feel about what—and how much—we own, and our overall sense of happiness and well-being. Plus, learn who can’t bear to part with her prom shoes, and who secretly keeps a seemingly-unending supply of Target clearance candles on hand. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

This week we're talking all about creativity—and before you declare yourself uncreative, we've got a pep talk to prove otherwise. From embracing creative sparks in the shower to the hard work of putting our butts in the chair, today we're dishing how we make space for creativity alongside motherhood, and how we're better off for it. Whether you call yourself an artist or not, we hope today's conversation reminds you that motherhood is bursting with creative inspiration.   Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  Join our free 5-day Creativity Kickstart here. Like what you heard? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes! To help fund Season Four of the Coffee + Crumbs podcast, head on over to our Patreon support page.

With summer around the corner, today we’re bringing you an important episode about water safety and drowning prevention. Drowning is the number one cause of death for children under the age of five, but for today’s guest, that’s not just a statistic. Nicole Hughes is with us to share the heartbreaking story of losing her three-year-old son, Levi, to drowning last summer. She also shares the mission behind Levi’s Legacy, which she began in his honor to educate parents about drowning prevention. We want to warn listeners that today’s episode is highly emotional. We’ll be talking about the death of a child and bearing witness to a mother’s grief. But we also believe strongly in the importance of Levi’s story and the lives that might be saved because of it. Please discuss these matters with your friends and family members this summer—and always remember to designate a Water Guardian when children are near a body of water.

We’re concluding our three-part postpartum series today with a very honest conversation about physically healing from giving birth. Julie Kwong, a pelvic health physical therapist, joins us to talk about how complex and unique the healing process can be, what’s normal and what’s not, and how to advocate for better healing care in the postpartum recovery process. This is a frank conversation about anatomy and bodily processes—we’re talking about prolapse and pain during sex, hemorrhoids and incontinence, so pop in your earbuds and join us as we combat the embarrassment around this vulnerable topic with honesty, dignity, and education. We want to encourage any listener who feels like she might be experiencing one of the postpartum complications we discuss today to contact her doctor or care provider; today's episode is informational only and is not designed to be a substitute for appropriate medical advice and attention. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in

This week we continue our three-part postpartum series with a deeper look at postpartum anxiety. From irrational fears to the crushing weight of expectations, C+C art director Lottie Caiella walks us through her personal journey with postpartum anxiety after the birth of her daughter. In the second half of this conversation, we're joined by licensed counselor Dr. Emily Shupert who explains the difference between PPD and PPA, as well as how to differentiate normal new parent worry from anxiety that may need medical treatment. We’re grateful to have Bryn Huntpalmer from The Birth Hour with us again as a special guest host for this episode. We want to encourage any listener who feels like she might be experiencing postpartum anxiety to contact her doctor or care provider immediately; today's episode is informational only and is not designed to be a substitute for appropriate medical advice and attention. Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in this episode.  Like

This week we begin our three-part postpartum series with an honest conversation about postpartum depression. In this episode, friend of the show Christina Kposowa shares her experience with postpartum depression following the births of her two sons, and we're also joined by licensed counselor Dr. Michele Harding who walks us through the difference between "baby blues" and PPD. She also provides some great suggestions for how we can support other moms who are struggling with postpartum depression and demystifies what that first counseling session might look like. We’re grateful to have Bryn Huntpalmer from The Birth Hour as a special guest host for this episode. We want to encourage any listener who feels like she might be experiencing postpartum depression to contact her doctor or care provider immediately; today's episode is informational only and is not designed to be a substitute for appropriate medical advice and Visit Coffee + Crumbs for today's show notes and links to everything we talked about in thi