Best of Both Worlds Podcast

Laura and Sarah open up this episode by talking about some big news -- Laura is moving (though not very far!). She discusses how they made their decision while Sarah shares her family's plans to remain renters indefinitely. Then, Laura welcomes guest Ahlia Kitwana, founder of Little Black Buddha, a new company that helps people through career transitions. Ahlia is also a mom of three and an engineer. She discusses how she's combined work and life (including her appearance in I Know How She Does It!), what nudged her to go out on her own, and her advice for others contemplating a similar move. In the Q&A, a listener writes in with a common dilemma - whether to go back to work post-baby even when childcare costs rival her salary.This episode is sponsored by Fiverr and Eby. For 20% off your first Eby order, visit joineby.com, and use code WORLDS20. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The tables are turned, and now Sarah gets to ask Laura some of the same fun (yet revealing) questions, and also adds in some different ones! Laura reveals the inner core of her middle school self, some little known intel on the family pet, her most-eaten meals, her thoughts on the various stages of parenting, and also gets to allocate a theoretical $1M gift. There is an unexpected tangent into science and anthropology that is quite interesting, too!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We decided it would be fun to share interviews with each other -- so you can hear some varied content, some of it light and fun and some of it more unexpected! In Part 1 of this series, Laura interviews SHU, and Sarah discusses many things, including what she was like in middle school, early career aspirations, what makes up her perfect vacation, and where she would distribute a (theoretical) $1M charitable gift.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, attorney and mother of 3 Colleen Blanco shares her story about her experience with giving birth at 24 weeks and her subsequent NICU journey, including an emergency evacuation of the entire neonatal unit during Hurricane Sandy! She describes the challenges and celebrates the wins. Her story is powerful, and we hope it might help others going through anything similar. To stay slightly on-theme, Sarah and Laura address a listener question from an OBGYN about batching work tasks (esp piled up notes). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Author Claire Tansey aims to make dinner more joyful and less complicated, and she joins Laura and Sarah to discuss ways to make that a reality, even when young kids & busy lifestyles may complicate the equation. In the intro, Sarah & Laura share the past week of meals their families have enjoyed, and the Q&A focuses on a listener whose parents do not support her dreams of building a medical career and a family. For more recipes and ideas, check out Claire Tansey's book Dinner Uncomplicated wherever books are sold! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How long CAN you take hormones? Are perimenopausal mood swings a real thing, and what causes them? Is there any way to "skip" menopause? Are there any exciting new developments in contraception? Dr. Laura Erdman, a board-certified and actively practicing OBGYN answers these questions and many more in this very informative (but still fun!) episode. In the intro & QA, Sarah and Laura discuss maintenance health care in a pandemic year + answer a listener question on teaching kids about time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Laura and Sarah chat with their first dentist guest! Dr. Toni-Ann Mayembe is a dentist who also serves in the military reserves, and she also her own podcast as well! She is passionate about bringing more happiness into the lives of working mothers, and she has a strong interest in promoting rest and balance. She discusses her 5 top tips for preparing for the week ahead on Sundays, as well as her own take on self-care and what it means today. To hear more from Toni-Ann, you can listen to her podcast, called Real Happy Mom! In the Q&A, a listener writes in about her complicated feelings about the bond between her toddler and his nanny.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's an All Good Things episode. While no one would have wished for a pandemic, Sarah & Laura are finding that some things are settling out at this point in the new normal. Each came up with things going well right now -- from a 2 hour online meeting that was actually efficient and technical-glitch free, to fall leaves which are beautiful no matter what else is going on. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a question about managing a nanny's hours (specifically, the endpoint of the day) + household responsibilities.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This new season is all about risk/benefit calculation and understanding trends and analyzing data - not exactly quick or easy, especially when we are busy doing other things! Laura and Sarah discuss how they are handling it, and then are joined by an expert guest today on this topic -- Dr Kelly Fradin, a pediatrician who has been working on making the analysis easier and more understandable for the rest of us. She talks all about risk, pandemic challenges, and kids' mental health, as she literally wrote a book on the subject this summer (Parenting in a Pandemic - definitely check it out for more info!). In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah delve into a listener's struggles with her planning nature during the first year of her baby's life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rebecca is a mother to 8 month old Miriam and also the owner of a small business (a yarn shop specializing in hand-dyed varieties, based in Cary NC). Rebecca took both plunges very bravely: leaving the corporate world to open her own business and also choosing to pursue the path of having a baby on her own. Sarah and Rebecca tell a few fun stories, and then Rebecca opens up about what the journey was like and how it's been so far -- even with surprises beyond what she had imagined! She also offers some great advice to those thinking about a similar journey. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a listener question about how to cope and process the challenges (both physical & emotional) of traveling with a toddler. Additional note -- if you are a yarn lover and want to check out Rebecca's lovely offerings, you can find her shop at warmnfuzzy.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.