Regular Cool Mom

We are so excited for all the feelings and thoughts that have been shared with us over Episode: 08- I Feel….Pretty? This week we wanted to share the insights, thoughts, emotions, feelings, and insecurities that flowed in from friends and listeners alike.  It seemed like most people preferred to keep their comments anonymous, which prevented much discussion on our social media pages, so we thought we would be the mouthpiece and unite our listeners in their similarities and make everyone feel supported (while keeping commenters anonymous). We share honest feedback and questions that were submitted to us- such as one woman’s road to finding value in herself that was not based on her appearance, one mother’s question about body positivity vs. teaching healthy eating habits, and another commenter’s thoughts on balancing physical compliments with non-physical praise. We share our thoughts on the cycle of weight gain, obsessive dieting, weight loss, excessive praise, circling back around to w

This week we (Lissi and Joy) talk about all the different ways of eating, dieting and exercise plans that we have tried over the course of the past several years.  We examine how we ate as children and how that affected our relationship with food, what we’ve discovered as we have tried different diets: calorie counting, clean eating, cutting out sugar, gluten-free, macro counting, and plant based eating…. We also discuss different exercise methods we have tried from yoga to running to HIIT classes and how we feel they affect our bodies. We also revisit body positivity in relation to all these diets we have tried.  We are going to continue that aspect of the conversation as well as hash out all the feedback we received about last week’s episode next week. Takeaway questions include: What diets/eating methods have you tried in the past, and have you felt like they were sustainable? Have you tried any of the methods that we mentioned?  (Clean, vegan, gluten-free, macro, calorie counting) Do you

This week we (Lissi and Joy) anticipate seeing the movie I Feel Pretty and have an honest, raw discussion on our feelings about body positivity, how we champion and embrace the movement for everyone, but how difficult it can be to apply to ourselves. This conversation is an adult conversation, not meant for children or teens. We decided to be very open as we dive deep into examining our insecurities and how much we wish they didn’t exist…but they do. Although we consider ourselves to be generally self-confident, there is that small percentage of nit-picking our appearance that we can’t seem to shake. Is anyone immune? Takeaway questions include: Have you been able to apply the same philosophies of body positivity/total self acceptance to yourself with the same grace that you have been able to apply it to others? What social norms have you been able to eliminate without second guessing yourself? What do you do to protect your children from having the same insecurities that we have ha

In this episode we (Lissi and Joy) take last week’s conversation about chores a step further by discussing paying our kids an allowance- what works, what doesn’t, and what we are still figuring out.  Lissi shares about her process of paying a ‘no strings attached’ allowance and what it is teaching her kids about money, while Joy lays out her plan for paying for following house rules. Takeaway questions include: Do you pay your kids an allowance?  If so, is it attached to responsibilities? What is your system for giving your kids the money?  Do they have mandatory contributions they make to savings/charity/etc? If you feel like you have the perfect system, please tell us!  We want to hear all about it. Oh, and are you watching the Handmaid’s Tale along with us?  Are you throwing things at the TV and giving your husband side-eye out of solidarity to June??? Join in the conversation on instagram @regularcoolmom and comment there.  Or join the Facebook Group: Regular Cool Mom    and

In this episode Lissi and Joy talk about all the struggles they have experienced getting their kids to participate in household cleaning and chores.  They recognize that karma has come back to get them from their sloppy teenage years, and wonder how to break the cycle.  They discuss methods they are trying to implement and Joy goes over her invention of the Chore Guide.  They also share crazy things they have found while deep cleaning their kid’s rooms. Takeaway questions include: Do your kids do daily chores, and if so, before or after school? What is your system for weekly (Saturday) chores? PLEASE tell us what weird things you have found in your kid’s rooms or backpacks!  We aren’t the only ones finding moldy grapes, right? Oh, and chime in on minivans for Lissi!  Has Honda fixed the fatal flaw of the non-alerting gas gage yet? We hope you will listen and then join in the conversation on the Facebook Group: Regular Cool Mom    OR you can join the conversation by  following us on instagram @regularcoolmom a

In this episode Lissi and Joy have a lighthearted conversation about the irrational worries and fears that they let occupy too much of their brain space.  They realize these worries are silly but are here to share them just the same.  They also recognize the difference between true anxiety vs. worries and fears.  Lissi reviews ways to escape a sinking car, Joy laments looking at inanimate objects under water, and also her fear of weight…it’s not what you think.  Also covered: Fear of flying, fear of posting online, and fear of leaving your kids. Takeaway questions include: Do you have any worries or fears that are common? Do you have any worries or fears that are uncommon? How have you navigated these worries? How do you keep your worries from affecting your life? We hope you will listen and then join in the conversation on the Facebook Group: Regular Cool Mom    OR you can join the conversation by  following us on instagram @regularcoolmom and commenting there.  We have so many questionsand hope

In this episode Lissi and Joy discuss all the different, plentiful birthday traditions that they have adopted (for better or worse) throughout the years: presents, meals (tacos!), posters, books, and more.  They also discuss some of the best, smartest parties they have attended or hosted, things they would do again, and things they would kick to the curb. Takeaway questions include: What are some of your family’s birthday traditions? Do you do parties yearly? What is the smartest/best party you’ve been to? How do you handle invitations/who to invite? Are you going to adopt our genius index card tradition? We hope you will listen and then join in the conversation on the Facebook Group: Regular Cool Mom  We have so many questions and hope that you have the answers!  You can also follow us on instagram @regularcoolmom Thanks for listening!

In this episode Lissi and Joy discuss the new Free Range Parenting bill that was recently passed in Utah regarding parent’s rights in letting their children play safely alone.  They go over recent news stories of parents who have been penalized for allowing their children to do tasks that should be perceived as normal, everyday activities for kids.  They speculate why there has been such a large cultural shift from Free Range parenting to Helicopter Parenting, and also review what freedoms they had as kids vs. the freedoms their kids have today. Takeaway questions include: Where do you stand on the Free Range Parenting movement? Have you ever been questioned on your parenting choices? What responsibilities do you give your kids to help them become more confident and capable humans? We hope you will listen and then join in the conversation on the Facebook Group: Regular Cool Mom  We have so many questions and hope that you have the answers!  You can also follow us on instagram @regularcoolmom Thanks for

This week Lissi and Joy discuss resisting the desire to burn all your belongings when one of your kids brings lice home to share with the family. Lissi laments the hours she has spent picking lice out of her daughter’s unusually thick hair and the measures she has taken to keep lice away for good. Joy relays a story of a friend who found bed bugs in her brand new home and how bed bugs and ticks are akin to the devil and should not be allowed to walk the earth. Takeaway questions include: What bug or illness do you live in fear of? What crazy illnesses have your kids brought home? What do you do to prevent lice? Tell us your stories and your fears.  Tell us everything!! We hope you will listen and then join in the conversation on the Facebook Group: Regular Cool Mom  We have so many questions and hope that you have the answers! Thanks for listening!