Unsticking It! with Blaire & Molly

Blaire & Molly are thrilled to chat with historical biographer Sarah Gristwood (author of such books as Arbella: England’s Lost Queen, and Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses, amongst many others) about her new book Secret Voices: A Year of Women’s Diaries (we loved it). They marvel at how the similarities between the inner lives of women of all eras connect us, as well as how keeping a diary might be just the tool we’ve been looking for to help sustain our creative flow. So pour yourself a detective novel-themed cocktail and enjoy this episode of “Unsticking It!” Links and Resources: Secret Voices:  https://a.co/d/8pDRzLP X, Instagram: @sarahgristwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visual artist Jess Hurley Scott joins Blaire and Molly to talk about her artistic process (she paints in reverse, y'all!), her journey to life as a painter (she and Molly worked at a fashion company together and now look at them!), and how her dyslexia diagnosis in college informs her process as an artist. Links and Resources: Insta and Facebook: @jesshurleyscottart Website: www.jesshurleyscott.com Jess's favorite coffee shop: www.seabirdcoffee.com Jess's favorite at-home coffee: www.marylous.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our friend JV Mercanti is a theatre director, professor, and author who has also felt helpless to the obstacles that come up on our paths to creative freedom. We steal his ideas for how to get out from under your desk after a good cry, and learn the rules so that you can BREAK THEM. *wear your headphones for this one if you plan to listen with little ones around, as some adult words are spoken* Please note that the Britney Spears musical on Broadway, Once Upon a One More Time referenced in this episode (which we recorded in summer 2023) has since closed. But we saw it and it was awesome.  Links and Resources: Website: www.jvmercanti.com JV’s Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=jv+mercanti&crid=39GBCQ2EKXFA8&sprefix=jv+mercan%2Caps%2C93&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_9 “Toxic” performed by Jennifer Simard in Once Upon a One More Time: https://youtu.be/EI2R9eW_bp8?si=sne9AesllDyrg2Mi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest Ana Breton is a producer and director currently living the dream working with Eugenio Derbez-founded 3Pas Studios. While she is so grateful to be thrice-Emmy-nominated, she teaches us, “You just have to keep making the things that you like and lifting other people to do the same, and that’s truly the rewarding moment.” Links and Resources: Instagram: @bretonana, @goldcomedy 3Pas Studios:  https://www.3pas-studios.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedy writer and performer Joe Schiappa joins Blaire & Molly for a talk about always following your instincts to do the thing, even if that thing is an elementary school remake of the movie Annie, a solid five years after the movie itself came out. The collective love for Aileen Quinn aside, this episode reminds us all to never let the should-a’s get in your way.  Shout outs Insta: @melrobbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everyone deserves that TIME. That carved out section of your day that isn’t given to anyone, to NO ONE, but yourself.” Mary Giattino isn’t just the owner/ teacher at Stage Door School of Dance in Patchogue NY, she’s also a professional dancer and perhaps most importantly, Blaire’s best friend! And on today’s podcast, she shares the importance of “getting in the space,” and acknowledges that while none of us are fans of the negative voices in our heads… you can use them to push you to be your creative best. LINKS: Instagram: at marygiattino Website: www.marygiattino.com, www.stagedoordancer.com The Paramounts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo1MsUw4As5BV0Pw_ddKNrQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking the leap can save you. We learn this and more from our guest, creative director John Lorelli, who reminds us that innate curiosity is what makes you creative, NOT just being labeled as “a creative,” and that fear and curiosity are not polar opposites. In fact, they can be besties! Enjoy this episode with our new bestie, John. You can find John at www.johnlorelli.com, and on Instagram @johnlorelli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richie Moriarty is an actor, writer, and comedian who you may have seen as Pete on the CBS show Ghosts. Richie shares with us how important community and accountability are to his creative process, and reminds us “people want to help you.” We were so inspired to build our creative community after talking to Richie, and you will be too. You can find Richie on Instagram and TikTok: @Richietown His Kindergarten talent show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r5XcJo2sSE His Hamilton sketch: https://www.instagram.com/richietown/reel/CtKt3ndpsDY/ Shoutouts from the show: Danielle Pinnock @bodycourage Capes Coaching www.capesco.com Joanna Hausmann @johaus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Unsticking It! with Blaire & Molly. For our first foray into getting unstuck creatively, we talk to coach and mentor Robyn Ivy about how to free ourselves from our own obstacles in order to live a curious and excited artistic life. Robyn brings us to tears (very on brand for us) as she encourages us to stand in our creativity (“it’s revolutionary!”) and believe we belong there. It is, in fact, necessary for our survival and growth as the artists we know we are. Robyn gives us some necessary tools we can use TODAY to connect to our bold artistic selves. You can find out more about Robyn Ivy on social media under her name, on her website, www.robynivy.com, and on her podcast “The Robyn Ivy Show”, wherever you listen to podcasts, or at www.robynivy.com/podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Break free from your creative rut and reignite your artistic flow with 'Unsticking It!' With each episode, we delve into the world of overcoming creative blocks, offering practical strategies, skilled insights, and inspiring stories to help you reclaim your creative soul-spark and find your way back to YOU! Blaire and Molly are two busy moms/ actors (Mactors? Momtors? Exhausted?) who somewhere between potty training and the pandemic seemed to have lost their creative kaboom. They’re now enlisting the help of fellow imaginative minds to unstick themselves (and you) from the muck they’re stuck in! Unsticking It! With Blaire & Molly. Because sometimes... life stucks!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're all muddling through right now, and while we are definitely Team Lowered Standards at this time, there's only so many viewings of Encanto a parent can withstand. Here are some easy, fun ways to change things up around the house and keep things fun. From cleanup races to "spooky baths," our listeners have some great ideas, and in this episode we discuss them all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So is it cool to drop off your kid at his friend's house for a playdate and then go home for an hour and take a nap? No? That's bad playdate etiquette? Ok, just checking. Here are some playdate do's and don'ts for when your little one finds a friend. In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: How playdates help your child develop How to find possible playmates in suburban versus urban areas Good practices for both hosting and visiting someone else's house for a playdate Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Nicole Yezzi for First Things First: "Four things to consider when setting up a playdate" Maureen Ryan for Verywell Family: "Attending or Hosting a Play Date for Toddlers" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help a new podcast out! Hit "Follow" or "Subscribe" wherever you listen to Toddler Purgatory! Why are little kids obsessed with the most random things? If your little one has ever insisted on sleeping with a hairbrush, or going to preschool every morning with the same tiny school bus clenched in her fist, you know exactly what we're talking about. Turns out, kids' brains at this age are wired for what psychologists call "extremely intense interests." These obsessions offer dependability; order and control ,in a world where our kids don't have much of either; and even social icebreaking, since that other 3-year-old playing with dinosaurs is probably just as interested in a deep-dive discussion of their many types as your kid is. In the case of construction vehicles and garbage trucks, there's also "cathartic destruction," and who can't use a little of that when they're having a bad day? In this episode, Blaire and Molly discuss their own kids' extremely intense interests and why they make their little ones tick. They also refer to the "Dinosaurs and Trains and Superheroes and Nerf Guns: Boy Obsessions" episode of What Fresh Hell, which you can find here: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/dinosaurs-and-trains-and-superheroes-and-nerf-guns-boy-obsessions/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's easy to blame and shame ourselves when we make parenting mistakes, no matter how big or how small, especially as moms. Here's how to break the blame/shame/guilt cycle for yourself and how to model self-forgiveness for your kids. Molly and Blaire discuss: Santa's naughty kid hotline How to sincerely apologize What our childhood patterns around mistake-making can teach us How you treat yourself after your own mistakes becomes how your kid treats himself when he makes mistakes. And showing honesty and compassion to yourself in front of your kid when you make a mistake can actually build a stronger bond with your child. Links! (they all come in threes today!) Kate Kripke for Postpartum Women's Center of Boulder: "3 Steps That Turn Your Mistakes in Motherhood into Wins" Lisa Appelo for iMom: "3 Steps When You Make Mom Mistakes" Brandi Michel for MomLifeHappyLife blog: "3 Things To Do Immediately After a Making a Major Mommy Mistake!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked the #todpurgs listeners: what are the things your parents said that you SWORE you'd never say to your own kids– and yet still do? You all brought the answers... and here are some of our faves. #parentingonrepeat #YouGotMcDonaldsMoney Here is the link to the article Molly and Blaire reference in the episode: Charlotte Hilton Andersen for Redbook Magazine: "21 Things Parents Used to Say That Would Shock Millennial Parents" Special thanks to our sponsors: Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Skylight Frames is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to, straight from your phone, and they appear in seconds! Get $15 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go SkylightFrame.com/TODDLER.   KiwiCo - Unwrap super fun science, technology, and art projects for kids with KiwiCo. Get your first month FREE on ANY crate line at kiwico.com/TODDLER. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it that kids are so darn honest? Turns out the "filter" that the rest of us try to apply to our everyday interactions just doesn't exist in our young ones. Their little brains aren't capable of fabricating lies like older kids and adults. And, as we all know, the constant honesty of little kids is a double-edged sword. Listeners wrote in with some of the most ruthless truths their toddlers have voiced, and man oh man, kids really can be frank! In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: How little toddler brains are wired for truth How to model honesty for kids 'Good and bad' versus 'truth and lies' Here are some of the resources mentioned in today's episode: Lizzy Francis for Fatherly: "How to Raise an Honest Kid (But Not a Narc)" Brook Bolen for Vice: "Behind the Brutal Honesty of Drunks and Toddlers" Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Skylight Frames is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to, straight from your phone, and they appear in seconds! Get $15 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go SkylightFrame.com/TODDLER.   KiwiCo - Unwrap super fun science, technology, and art projects for kids with KiwiCo. Get your first month FREE on ANY crate line at kiwico.com/TODDLER. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER. Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are we creating unrealistic expectations when we praise our kid just for waking up in the morning? Turns out there is too much of a good thing, but we can also reframe how, when, and why we praise our kids. Molly and Blaire discuss: Praising process over achievements The three s's of praise Praise inflation Kids can sense when praise isn't genuine. Instead of congratulating them on their every action and creating an unrealistic standard for praise in the future, focus on encouragement without value judgement or "I" statements. Links! Paul L. Underwood for The New York Times: "Are You Overpraising Your Child?" Ashley Cullins for Big Life Journal: "The Ultimate Guide to Praising Your Kids" Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Skylight Frames is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to, straight from your phone, and they appear in seconds! Get $15 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go SkylightFrame.com/TODDLER.   KiwiCo - Unwrap super fun science, technology, and art projects for kids with KiwiCo. Get your first month FREE on ANY crate line at kiwico.com/TODDLER. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER. Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we protect our kids from negative images about bodies, diet culture, and food without locking them in a Rapunzel tower? The truth is, we can't. But we CAN start nonjudgmental conversations about body positivity, food, and and self-esteem with our kids at home. In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: how to pay attention to your thoughts and beliefs around food and body image how to praise your child for things other than their appearance the R.E.A.L. acronym Links to the resources mentioned in the episode: Sumner Brooks for Good Housekeeping: "How to Raise a Kid Who Is Satisfied With Their Body, According to a Registered Dietitian" Carolina Public Health Magazine: "Survey finds disordered eating behaviors among three out of four American women" Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Skylight Frames is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to, straight from your phone, and they appear in seconds! Get $15 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go SkylightFrame.com/TODDLER.   KiwiCo - Unwrap super fun science, technology, and art projects for kids with KiwiCo. Get your first month FREE on ANY crate line at kiwico.com/TODDLER. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER. Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are kids so weird about washing hands and brushing teeth and taking baths? How often do kids really need to bathe, anyway? Is hygiene a battle worth fighting? Yes. Sometimes. In this episode we discuss the expert advice on how often kids need to get clean, plus our own tips for making it fun or interesting enough that our kids will go along with it. Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Susan Stiffelman for HuffPost: My 5-Year-Old Won’t Wash His Hands! What To Expect: Resisting Bathtime Dr. Claire McCarthy for Harvard Health: Does your child need to bathe every day? Colgate: How To Help a Child Who Won’t Brush Their Teeth Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Skylight Frames is a touchscreen photo frame you can send photos to, straight from your phone, and they appear in seconds! Get $15 off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go SkylightFrame.com/TODDLER.   KiwiCo - Unwrap super fun science, technology, and art projects for kids with KiwiCo. Get your first month FREE on ANY crate line at kiwico.com/TODDLER. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER. Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes little kids lack the ability to express their frustration, fear, and anger in words. That’s usually when they decide to whack the other 3-year-old with the toy dump truck, instead of pleasantly sharing.  Experts say aggression often gets a little better once kids can express themselves verbally– although not always, if what goes on in our houses is any indication.  In this episode we discuss how to handle our kids becoming aggressive when we’re there to witness it, when we’re *not* there to witness it (like at preschool), and what clear, consistent messaging we need to model to move things in a more peaceful direction.  Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:  Emily Fromm and Nicole Harris for Parents: How to Handle Aggressive Toddler Behavior Emily Edlynn, Ph.D for Parents: My Child Won't Stop Hitting Other Children at Daycare Laura Markham for Psychology Today: 10 Steps to Stop Your Child from Hitting Other Kids Special thanks to this month's sponsors: The Masimo Stork provides continuous & accurate tracking of your baby's health data. Go to MasimoStork.com for more info. Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place To get 30% off your first delivery and free veggies, go to Hungryroot.com/TODDLER. Magnetic Me was created to make dressing easier with magnetic closures. No snaps, no buttons…no fuss You can try Magnetic Me for yourself by visiting magneticme.com and using code TODDLER for 20% off your next order.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices