Unsticking It! with Blaire & Molly

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

Any one who has had a toddler knows the terror that surfaces whenever a lovey (let's say Mr. Bunny) goes missing. About 60% of babies adopt some sort of transitional object at around 9 months old. This is when little ones start to separate from parents (and, in fact, when they begin to understand that their parent is a separate person). Once a kid bonds with "Mr. Bunny", you may worry they'll be taking him to college. But there are ways to gently wean your child off comfort items in time. In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: Why comfort items are a sign of healthy growth How to start the weaning process Why there will be ups and downs as kids learn to live without their comfort items Here are links to some of the resources referenced in this episode: Alice Allan for La Leche League International: "Comfort Items and Attachment Parenting" Lindsey Konkel for What to Expect: Why Do Some Babies Need Comfort Items (Or "Transitional Objects")? Marnell Jameson for Parents.com: "6 Tips for Weaning Your Child's Comfort Object" 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

Wine and cheese at the playground? Naps outside? Recess every hour? There are a lot of intriguing child-rearing strategies from all over the world, some that to us Am-urr-icans seem like common sense, and some that seem a little more out-of-the-box... Molly and Blaire discuss: Blaire's travels to England Outside naps in Nordic countries Déjeuner à la France Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Marco Chown Oved for the Toronto Star: "Mothers love differently around the world" Amy Morin for VeryWell Family: "11 Parenting Styles From Around the World" Sharon Jayson for USA Today: "American moms creating a parenting melting pot" What Fresh Hell's Fresh Take with Michaeleen Doucleff on Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans Our Facebook group Leave us a voicemail on our site Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

Do you feel overwhelmed when you're parenting solo, even if it's just for a few days? You're not alone. Solo parenting (not to be confused with single parenting) is tough, but there are small ways you can make a big impact on the experience, bringing down your blood pressure and your DEFCON level at the same time. Blaire and Molly discuss: The difference between a solo parent and a single parent Ways to prep for solo parenting ahead of time Conversations to have with your partner to make the experience better Links! Marika Lindholm for Medium: "What’s a Solo Mom?" Anisha Nair for First Cry Parenting: "10 Tips to Make Solo Parenting Easier" Claire Zulkey for The New York Times: "How Parents Who Travel for Work Can Ease the Burden on Their Families" What Fresh Hell episode: "Is It Sometimes Easier When Our Spouses Aren't Around?" "Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

Kids are bananas. Some particularly so. But why are some kids seemingly born to scale the kitchen cabinets before they can walk? And are there are any future upsides to having been a “danger baby”?  In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss the many benefits of “free play,” the differences between danger and risk, how we can teach our little ones to be safely courageous, and what child development specialist Rebecca Weingarten calls “constructive failure.” Here are links to some of the writing on the topic and other things discussed in this episode:  https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-05-11/9-ways-to-cultivate-courage-in-kids https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/kids-health/why-our-kids-should-take-risks-sometimes-even-slightly-dangerous-ones/ Shakira’s song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” https://youtu.be/pRpeEdMmmQ0 Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

We're all ready to go All The Places after being stuck at home for so long, but traveling with little ones presents a few layers of challenge. How far in a day is too far? Does visiting family count as a "vacation"? What's the right age for Disney World? If the kids are happy at the indoor hotel pool, and you never get to the sightseeing, do you still win Parent of the Year for remembering the swim diapers? We discuss everything about vacationing with littles with guest Julia Edelstein, the editor-in-chief of Parents. Julia began her career at Time Out New York Kids, then served as health editor at places like Good Housekeeping and Real Simple before stepping into her current role leading America's most influential media brand for parents. She's also the mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4. We discuss this article in this episode: Jamie Hergenrader for TripSavvy: 2021 Trend Report Shows a Rise in Family Travel and the "Flexcation" Special thanks to this month's sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

Is your child learning values or lessons at school that are not in line with your own? Do they discipline in a way that you don't agree with? It's not unusual for teachers and parents to butt heads over a child's learning. Here's how to address the problem without coming in too hot. Blaire and Molly discuss: The importance of finding (and staying) calm before starting a discussion How to find common ground with your child's teacher Constructive methods for finding a solution together Coming in with facts, not feelings, is key. When our kids are involved, it's easy to get emotional and heavily invested in a situation. But it's important to remember that both you and your child's teacher want what's best for your kid. Links! Sherri Gordon for Verywell Family: "What to Do If You Disagree With Your Child's Teacher" Lisa Van Gemert: "6 Steps to Take When School Isn’t Meeting the Needs of Your Child" Special thanks to our sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

Studies indicate that up to 50% of children experience a sleep problem. When babies and kids don't sleep moms don't sleep either– so this week we're talking to a sleep expert! Becca Campbell is the founder and creator of Little Z’s® Sleep Consulting , where parents can easily get sleep help through online courses for children ages 0-5 years old. Becca's courses and her Little Z's Sleep Podcast have helped thousands of families around the world make sleep a thing. In this episode Becca brings the knowledge on the four types of newborns how sleep schedules should change a little bit every month during your child's first year of life the right age to drop the naps for good when kids can successfully share a room (and sleep at night) what "overtired" looks like in a toddler what to do when your kid naps at daycare, and then isn't tired at bedtime Doing the extra work around sleep is worth it in the long run– and Becca is full of terrific advice. Special thanks to our sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

Mom guilt. Mom rage. Shame. We feel the things. Then we feel bad about feeling the things. Which doesn't help us feel any better. In this episode we discuss how to acknowledge, anticipate, sit with, process, and redirect these feelings, without beating ourselves up for having felt them in the first place. Here are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Pooja Lakshmin for The New York Times: Saying No Is Self-Care For Parents Motherly: Mom Rage is Real-and it's a sign that mother's needs aren't being met  Lauren Smith Brody for Today's Parent: Why mom guilt is the biggest lie of all Special thanks to our sponsors: Stellar Eats creates healthy treats with delicious flavor and perfect texture using 8 (or fewer) real food ingredients because we want you to enjoy your favorite foods and feel amazing. To get 20% off your next order, use promo code TODDLER20 at StellarEats.com. 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

Happy Father's Day! This episode, Molly and Blaire talk to their respective dads, Dick and Chuck, about their experiences as fathers and everything they've learned along the way. In this episode, Molly, Blaire, Dick, and Chuck discuss: Differences in parenting across generations What they would tell their past selves Raising foster children How to properly make gin and tonics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices