Freckled Foodie & Friends

In this episode, I sit down with my sister and recurring guest on the podcast, Lucy, to unpack where we’re both at in our lives right now, and to catch up on everyday life. We chat about Lucy’s future presence on the show, her time in Florida with our family, farting in front of partners, and more. We also talk about the latest TikTok trends including front-to-back showering, the mob wife aesthetic, and how generally jumping from trend to trend can feel exhausting in this day and age. Finally, we share what we feel our serial killer tendencies are, how we felt about Saltburn, and how I’m currently feeling overwhelmed with two kids and how Lucy doesn’t feel ready to have children at this point in her life.Key Takeaway / Points:On Lucy’s future presence on the podcastOn Lucy’s time in Florida with our familyOn farting and pooping in front of your partnerOn front-to-back showering, the mob wife aesthetic, and the exhaustion of jumping from trend to trendOn feeling lost with fashion right nowOn our serial killer

In this episode, I sit down with Chloe Sappern, my creative right hand for my brand and a close friend, to talk about Chloe’s role as a social media strategist, how she grew to build Sappern Creative, and how she navigates creativity and collaboration in her work. Chloe shares her trajectory from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration to creating her own business, what her day-to-day looks like working with multiple clients, and how we started working together off of Chloe’s cold-email. She also discusses how she tries to implement work boundaries as a self-titled people-pleaser, what she finds the most challenging about social media today, and why she thrives in unfamiliar environments. Finally, we talk about why she stopped drinking early on in college and how she navigated dating, and she answers listener questions on how she organizes her day as someone who’s self-employed and how one can get involved in social media strategy.Key Takeaway / Points:Chloe’s role as a social media strategist, and how we

In this solo episode, I dive into how I’ve been feeling so far in postpartum, how our holiday and New Year went as a family of four, and what I’m hoping for moving into 2024. I discuss how our current sleep/feeding schedule is going with our newborn and where I’m at mentally right now, what I’m excited to explore on the podcast this year, and how it’s still impossible for me to wrap my head around being an adult. I also share why I’ve decided to stop breastfeeding and how freeing that decision has been, and how I’m digesting feelings of resentment, disconnect, and protectiveness as a mother. I also share why the newborn phase has not been a favorite of mine this time around, why comparing baby experiences is so unhelpful, and how I’m moving into this year at my own pace and not succumbing to social media pressure.Key Takeaway / Points:On my recent social media break and how I feel afterwardsMy current sleep/feed schedule with our newbornThe future of the podcast and my goals for 2024On traveling with our newb

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren Elizabeth to discuss all things pregnancy and the emotional rollercoaster of preparing for your child to enter the world. Lauren talks about her first trimester experience and struggling to navigate medications, feeling shameful and lazy when battling pregnancy fatigue, and not always being able to connect to the baby in your womb. She also shares what she’s most anxious about for postpartum and how she’s proactively preparing, how being raised by a single mother and having an absent father affected her relationship with her partner and how she worked through her resentment, and why she’s most excited about discovering her inner child once her baby is born.Key Takeaway / Points:On Lauren’s rough first trimester and struggling to navigate medicationsOn the shame of feeling “lazy” and battling pregnancy fatigueOn confusing feelings over pregnancy and not always feeling connected to the baby in your wombOn protecting your peace during pregnancyWhat Lauren is anxious about

In this episode, I sit down with Superhuman App creator Mimi Bouchard to discuss all things visualization and the power of intentional thinking. Mimi shares her trajectory over the past ten years and how she became passionate about personal development, how what she calls the “what if” pull guided her towards her true potential, and why perfection is a fallacy and your bounce-back rate is much more important. She talks about how she started practicing self-guided visualization which ultimately led to creating the Superhuman App, how your beliefs about yourself and the world around you create your life, and how you can tap into your future self frequency to embody the person you’ve always wanted to be.Key Takeaway / Points:On being a sharer and how that intersects with Mimi’s contentMimi’s ten year journey towards personal development On feeling the “what if” pull and sensing your true potentialOn the fallacy of perfection and the importance of the bounce back rateOn the numbing aspects of social media&nb

In this episode, I sit down with financial therapist Aja Evans to discuss all things money and our complex emotions around finances. Aja shares how she came to financial therapy, how we perceive wealth as children and how that shapes us as adults, and how the “more” mentality can be a recipe for disaster. She talks about the necessity for women to empower themselves with financial awareness, how to talk about money with your partner and how it can bring about positive opportunities, and how to start getting curious about your root causes of financial anxiety or fear. Finally, she answers listener questions on managing the mental load of student debt, deciding how much you can spend on yourself, and why we spend money when we’re stressed.Key Takeaway / Points:On what a financial therapist doesHow Aja came to be a financial therapist and the awakening she had about money in her twentiesHow we perceive wealth as children and how that shapes us as adultsOn how the “more” mentality can be a recipe for disasterOn s

In this solo episode, I share how maternity leave has been so far with a toddler and a newborn, and how we’re adjusting as a family of four. I discuss what it’s like being immersed back into a newborn’s schedule and the anticipatory anxiety I’ve been feeling around time, how I feel more prepared and confident as a mother this time around, and why we’re resisting the urge to compare the two newborn experiences. I talk about the difficulties I’ve had with not being able to give both children my full attention at once, why we’re starting the weaning process with our newborn now, and how prioritizing rest has been huge recently. Finally, I share what it’s been like to navigate work and comparison anxiety during maternity leave, and how different my mental health is now versus postpartum in 2021.Key Takeaway / Points:On being immersed back into a newborn’s scheduleOn anticipatory anxiety and being hyper aware of time right nowRecapping my first child’s newborn experienceOn feeling prepared and confident about the

In this episode, I sit down with FF Fam member Chelsey Korhonen to discuss her incredible story of having two babies five weeks apart: one through gestational carrier, and one through a surprise pregnancy. Chelsey shares the long fertility journey she went on that led to considering a gestational carrier, the emotional toll of struggling to conceive, and what it was like having her friend Brittany offer to be their carrier. She talks about how the gestational carrier process works, the complex emotions she felt around gestational carrying, and what led to the shocking discovery that she was pregnant several weeks behind Brittany. She also shares what it was like caring for a newborn while pregnant, the guilt she felt trying to care for two babies at once, how her postpartum anxiety developed, and much more.Key Takeaway / Points:Chelsey’s fertility journey that led to considering a gestational carrierOn the emotional toll of struggling to conceiveOn her friend offering to be her gestational carrierHow the gest

In this episode, I sit down with Paris McLean – Assistant Head of School for Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism at Montclair Kimberley Academy, and my old friend – to discuss navigating conversations on race, how we can talk to our children about race, diversity, and equity, and how parents can be mindful about raising their children in diverse and inclusive environments. Paris speaks about his role in education and the foundational themes of his work, his experience growing up biracial, and how parents can use children’s literature as a powerful tool to start conversations. He also discusses the many different facets of diversity, how families can navigate raising children in a predominantly white community, and answers listener questions on explaining privilege, raising biracial children, and more.Key Takeaway / Points:How we know each other and how Paris has played a role in my and my husband’s livesParis’s role in education and the themes of his workOn how diversity and equity work will never be “

In this episode, I sit down with my new friend and neighbor, Ashley, as part of another installment in the Freckled Foodie Friendship Series. Ashley and I share how we first met and connected after moving to the suburbs, why it’s essential to prioritize adult friendships, and how we’ve both navigated having playdates with other moms present. We discuss what it’s like in the adult friendship dating world, the necessity of putting yourself out there when you want to make friends, and how grateful we are to live in such a connected neighborhood. We also give advice on choosing the right neighborhood, and how you can honor all the different types of friendships in your life.Key Takeaway / Points:How Ashley and I met in the suburbsOn the necessity of prioritizing adult friendshipsOn navigating playdates with other momsOn experiencing a progression of adult friendshipsOn navigating the friendship dating worldAdvice for choosing the right neighborhood to live inOn the necessity of putting yourself out thereOn the jo

In this episode, I return from maternity leave to conclude my labor and delivery recap. I share the long journey it was to finally get induced, what it was like going through the induction, from admittance to postpartum recovery, and how this experience came full circle from a terrible labor to a wonderful delivery. I also discuss why it’s so essential – and often difficult –  to advocate for yourself during labor and delivery, what it felt like to learn we had a boy, why making the delivery room a positive environment is a gamechanger, and more.Key Takeaway / Points:The long journey to finally getting inducedWhat it was like going through an inductionOn speaking up and advocating for yourself during labor and deliveryOn making the delivery room the environment you want it to beOn being surprised that we had a boyMy immediate postpartum experience in the hospitalOn breastfeeding contraction crampsOn the immediate emotions of having a second childThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisemen

In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Nicole Landry, aka “The Birds Papaya,” to discuss how motherhood has shaped her; from the wide-ranging birthing and postpartum experiences she had with each of her four children; to the identity crisis that came in her late twenties; to the importance of setting up systems in your life so you don’t lose yourself in motherhood. Sarah shares how she moved through her divorce and felt the impulse to “fall on the sword” for her children, how she chooses to show up for her life throughout body changes and confidence waxing and waning, and much more.Key Takeaway / Points:On having four children of all age ranges and how her postpartum experiences differed with each, from birth trauma to prenatal depressionOn the identity crisis that came in her late twenties and hitting “rock bottom” at thirtyOn setting up systems so you don’t lose yourself in motherhoodHow men are seen as providers and women as nurturersOn moving through her divorce and the impulse to “fall on the sword” for

In this episode, I sit down with Sam Previte, Intuitive Eating Dietician, to discuss all things intuitive eating and cultivating a freeing relationship with food. Sam explains what exactly intuitive eating means and what the biggest misconceptions are about it, what the “rebellion” phase in intuitive eating means and how we can examine our food behaviors and patterns, and how you can blend intuitive eating with making nutrient-dense choices. She also shares why our bodies crave food variety, how we can observe our links between extreme emotions and food, how parents can create a positive food environment for children, and more.Key Takeaway / Points:What exactly is intuitive eating and what are the biggest misconceptions about it?On the “rebellion” phase of intuitive eating and examining food behaviors and patternsOn blending intuitive eating with making nutrient-dense choicesWhy our bodies crave food varietyOn coping with extreme emotions and eatingThe many different ways intuitive eating can take formOn cult

In this solo episode, I make a brief comeback from maternity leave to give a full update on the craziness that has happened in the last week and a half of this pregnancy. I share a timeline of my prodromal labor experience, from the multiple hospital visits; to having ongoing contractions and being several centimeters dilated; to finally getting a scheduled induction. I unpack the confusion of feeling like I don’t know my own body, the anxiety of not knowing how to interpret my labor signals, how frustrating it has been not having any answers from the medical community, and more. Finally, I sign off for maternity leave for the last time (fingers crossed), and hope that this third visit to the hospital is the charm.Key Takeaway / Points:On taking a brief pause from maternity leaveOn taking meticulous notes throughout pregnancy (and life)On the importance of not comparing pregnancies with othersA timeline and update on my prodromal labor experience, from my multiple hospital visits to scheduling an inductionOn

In this episode, I sit down with Ayana Lage to discuss her experience with postpartum psychosis, from how her symptoms began to develop after giving birth; to what led to her commitment to a psychiatric ward; to how she made a full recovery and emerged empowered about her story. Ayana shares what her relationship with her mental health was before and during her pregnancy, why the line between postpartum exhaustion and postpartum depression is so confusing, and what it felt like in the throes of her psychosis. She talks about what it was like within the psychiatric ward, how she experienced PTSD after her experience, what she hopes others take away from her experience and own about their postpartum stories, and much more. Thank you to Ayana for being so vulnerable and brave and reminding us that we are never alone, whatever our mental health experiences have been. Key Takeaway / Points:On the process of choosing to publicly share her experience with postpartum psychosisAyana’s relationship with her mental

In this episode, I sit down with Cindy Linville – my mother and three-peat guest – to discuss all things being a grandparent, from the experience of watching your own children raise children; to the act of meeting children where they are; to witnessing your children mirror your own traits. We talk about what it means to Cindy to not care about what people think, how she and I have experienced setting and respecting boundaries around parenting and the grandparent-child relationship, and how we’ve navigated body talk discussions in our family. She shares the generational differences in parenting she has observed, what it means to find your unique “thing” as a grandparent, and gives her best advice to grandparents who want to be in their grandchildrens’ lives while respecting boundaries.Key Takeaway / Points:On being a grandparent and watching your children raise childrenOn meeting your children where they areOn your children mirroring youUnpacking not caring what people think about youWatching the grandparent r

In this episode, I share how I’m feeling two and a half weeks out from my due date, what I’m doing for my body right now, and how my maternity leave will look personally and work-wise in the coming months. I discuss the question of sharing content during postpartum, what I want to prioritize during postpartum and do differently this time around, and why a recent experience with early labor pains brought up some deep-seated anxieties. Finally, I unpack the intense emotions I’ve been feeling around going from one child to two, the conflicting urge I have to share a final moment with my son before the new baby comes, and the recent Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift gossip that has everybody talking.Key Takeaway / Points:How I’m feeling two and a half weeks out from my due dateWhat I’m doing for my body right nowOn the question of sharing content during postpartumOn what my maternity leave will look likeWhat I want to prioritize in postpartum and do differently this timeOn the mind fuck that is the end of pregnancyOn my

Episode Description: In this episode, I sit down with friend and content creator Olivia Noceda to talk about priorities, boundaries, and understanding what we want versus what we think we want. We reflect on a time Olivia was there for me during a postpartum breakdown, and Olivia shares how she has developed her journey with boundaries over time. She also discusses why regularly establishing your priorities in life is essential, how the impulse of comparison on social media is inevitable, and why fiction and escapism can be so freeing. She also talks about her path to sober curiosity, how we can become addicted to routine, and why in a culture of “more,” “less” is actually the key to finding freedom and release.Key Takeaway / Points:Remembering a time when Olivia was there for me during a postpartum breakdownHow Olivia has developed her journey with boundariesWhy regularly establishing your priorities is essentialOn the impulse of comparison with social mediaOn the concept of being addicted to romance an

In this episode, I give a life update and share my recent experience being eight months pregnant at my cousin’s wedding, and how I’m generally feeling physically and mentally. I unpack the confusion of feeling anxious over daily life things but not “bigger” events, why anxiety sparks when I’m not able to show up as my truest self, and why I’m choosing to ignore the “more is better” mentality right now and lean into “less.” I share all the things I’m excited for postpartum (hello, soft belly), and what I plan to do differently in my second postpartum experience versus my first. Key Takeaway / Points:On the confusion of feeling anxious over daily life things, but not “bigger” eventsOn feeling anxious when I’m not able to show up as my truest selfOn being eight months pregnant at my cousin’s weddingWhat people don’t tell you about parenthoodThings I’m excited for postpartumOn choosing to ignore the “more is better” mentality and leaning into “less”What I plan to do differently in my second postpartum experi

In this episode, I sit down with one of my closest friends, Jess Nash, to discuss friendship, motherhood, and how the two intersect. We talk about our friendship “breakup” and how we reconnected after several years of not staying in touch, how having children has bonded us even further, and how essential it is for mothers not to judge each other for their parenting choices. We also discuss why it’s so important for mothers to find a postpartum community and we answer listener questions on preparing for motherhood, making space for conversation not centered around our children, and supporting a friend who is struggling with infertility or has miscarried.Key Takeaway / Points:On our friendship “breakup” and how we reconnectedHow having children bonded us furtherOn friends disagreeing with how they mother their childrenOn the importance of mothers not judging each otherOn finding community during postpartumAnswering listener questions on friendship and motherhood, including:Why friends “go quiet” after they have