Two Parents & A Podcast

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! Wea open with the homework we promised: the Jura vs. Mr. Coffee blind taste test (but also promised this section was 2.5 minutes MAX lol) Results? Closer than you'd think (about a 10% difference.. the Jura wins on ease, Mr. Coffee holds its own).

On the home front: a postpartum update - Alex's first cycle is back, the bloodwork results are in, and the TLDR is she needs iron (P has a rec, but as always its #NotMedicalAdvice). Also Tate's sleep is back to normal, fingers crossed.. she asked to go to her own bed, and we're crediting the block party. Our neighborhood did “Night Out”: street blocked off, everyone brings a dish, the firefighters come by and the kids sit in the fire trucks. Tate played SO hard. When Alex said “night night?" she said "yeah" hahaha

Then the parenting corner: the peak road trip age according to YOU is 7 to 12 (makes sense.. below seven, a park is a park lol), and the tiny habit that builds your kid's confidence: when they say "mama, LOOK".. look. Every time. They need to know they're more important than whatever you're doing.

Then Harrison's conference learnings: where consultants think GLP-1s are headed (25% of adults in the US!!) and a theory on Gen Z drinking that traces it to whoever was in college during COVID.

Plus THINGS WE DMED: the college girl selling ad space on her dorm wall.. we're reaching out to buy a spot, and we may or may not be selling our own backdrop once before the studio move lol.. And continuing rapid fire on topics: AIRBNB-GATE (65% of reviews are five stars?? the internet has questions), Utah becoming the first state to let AI prescribe medication (starting with acne.. low risk, easier access, we're watching), THIS WEEK WE LEARNED kids who walk or bike to school do measurably better in class (a 12 minute walk can last four hours into the school day!!), Lane Johnson retiring for his mental health (no stage too big to take care of yourself.. RESPECT), and the college tour road trip we're officially stealing: our neighbor drove his daughter to 16 schools up the East Coast. We have 16 years to plan ours and we've already started hahaha

Hope everyone has a great week :-) LOVE YOU GUYS!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast!

00:02:33 How does the Jura coffee machine ACTUALLY compare to a Mr. Coffee?!

00:05:02 Postpartum update: first cycle back + bloodwork results

00:06:50 Tate's sleep is back to normal!! (fingers crossed)

00:08:48 Our friend's Pilates studio was robbed the week before opening..

00:12:14 The peak road trip age, according to YOU

00:12:42 Help build your kid's self confidence by doing THIS…

00:14:30 Harrison's conference learnings: GLP-1s & Gen Z drinking

00:25:06 THINGS WE DMED: The college girl selling ad space on her dorm wall

00:27:06 AIRBNB-GATE: are bad reviews disappearing?!

00:32:03 AI NEWS: Utah is now letting AI prescribe medication?!

00:34:57 THIS WEEK WE LEARNED: Kids who walk to school do better in class?!

00:40:20 Lane Johnson retires for his mental health

00:44:47 Anyone else excited for their future college tour road trip?!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!

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Sources:

*Kids who walk to school: https://www.sciencenordic.com/children-and-adolescents-denmark-exercise/children-who-walk-to-school-concentrate-better/1379550

*Utah AI prescriptions: https://news.lavx.hu/article/utah-launches-first-u-s-program-letting-ai-prescribe-medication-without-direct-doctor-oversight

*AIRBNB-GATE: https://x.com/levelsio/status/2107417249216679999?s=20

*Vinyl Pilates: https://www.instagram.com/vinylpilates/

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*Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to https://www.quince.com/alex for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns

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This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! Quick housekeeping: Jules is officially off on her Euro trip, which means P is filling in ON THE MIC this week.. (everyone say hi to P!!)

We open with a confession: we joined the Jura cult (anyone else??? the neighbors are founding members lol) Alex gives a full review of the new coffee maker, PLUS a question that spirals us: does anyone actually know / care where their coffee beans come from? You know your wine regions.. why don't we know our coffee?

Then road trips: fresh off ours, we need to know at what age they get FUN with kids (comment when yours turned the corner!!) Like we are IN on the Fort Worth Stockyards (EVERYONE needs to make this family trip).. but the HOW of getting there isn't so great with 2 under 2(ish). And a Bicker of the Week brought to you by I-35: does the driver control the radio?!

OK listening back, this was a very Texas episode.. the big news: Tate rode her first horse!! Which opened the question we weren't ready for: are we doing horseback riding lessons? (Alex: "Do you know what a horse COSTS??") Plus Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" hit 24 weeks at number one and we have to ask: is Texas single-handedly carrying this chart? (Or is something else going on??) And the ACL mudfest: knee-deep mud, Uber drivers canceling on anyone covered in it, and honestly.. we get it (but also people need rides!!)

Then the parenting corner: the nanny share logistics you asked about (yes, there are cribs EVERYWHERE), spoiled kids aren't born they're RAISED (we get into the delayed gratification learnings and the habits we're watching in ourselves), and speaking of habits we created: Tate is sleeping in our bed, we let it happen, and we knew exactly what we were doing (one of us got in the CRIB last night, we're fine).

Finally, a hot airline take from the DMs: carry-ons should cost $25 and checked bags should be free. Think about it: every single boarding problem is a carry-on problem. Plus the ADHD pen analogy that will itch your brain, and your daily reminder to check your food labels.. this week's discovery HURT (RIP to a beloved bread for us).

Hope everyone has a great week :-) LOVE YOU GUYS!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast!

00:00:26 We joined the Jura cult (aka our review of the new coffee maker!!)

00:04:50 Does anyone ACTUALLY care where their coffee beans come from?!

00:14:17 Road trips: at what age do they get FUN with kids?!

00:19:54 Bicker of the Week: does the driver control the radio?!

00:21:46 The family trip EVERYONE needs to make: Fort Worth Stockyards

00:27:16 Should our kids take horseback riding lessons?!

00:29:43 Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas": 24 weeks at number one?!

00:35:11 ACL mudfest

00:39:28 Nanny share update: yes, there are cribs everywhere

00:41:56 Airline hot take: carry-ons should cost $25, checked bags free

00:44:03 Spoiled kids aren't born.. they're raised

00:48:56 We’ve created a habit (Tate sleeping in our bed)

00:51:12 The ADHD pen analogy

00:54:26 Daily reminder to check your food labels!!!

00:55:41 LOVE YOU GUYS!

#twoparentsandapod

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Thank you to our sponsors this week:

*Merit Beauty: Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag with your first order at https://www.meritbeauty.com

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*Tumble: Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at https://www.tumbleliving.com/TWOPARENTS #Tumble #ad

*Goodles: Pick up GOODLES Twirly Mac online or on your next shopping trip (available nationwide at major grocery stores and retailers)

*Tonies: Visit https://www.tonies.com to learn all about Toniebox Lite.

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This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! As you guys know, last Saturday we spoke at Dear Media by Day, and our panel was called “Having It All-ish: Career, Kids & the New Reality of Balance.” We had SO much fun up there that we knew before we left the stage: we had to bring it to you guys. So consider this the run-back.. and if you were there, act surprised lol

Here's the premise: we were told we could have it all. The career, the relationship, the family, the social life, and somehow eight hours of sleep. But like HOW?! For us, the honest answer is a system we've never fully explained on the pod until now: our FAMILY FRAMEWORK. The six buckets we value most as a couple, ranked 1 to 10, monitored constantly. When they're full, we're happy. When one dips, we don't wing it.. we name it, and we play offense.

We get into how the buckets came to be (Harrison's observation that the richest people he knew weren't the happiest.. the most balanced ones were), and then we deep dive ONE bucket (relationship) as an example (but NOTE: the same principles can be applied across all!!). You'll hear how the framework catches the slow slide before it becomes resentment, the exact language we use to bring something up without putting each other on defense, and the math for deciding where the energy goes: taking a bucket from a 3 to a 7 beats polishing a 9 to a 10. And if you're someone who gets overwhelmed easily, this might be the most useful part: "I'm overwhelmed" becomes "THIS bucket is overwhelming me," and suddenly it's solvable.

Then the career section: how having kids changed our ambition (short version: career ambition unchanged, LIFE ambition never higher), the sacrifices we have and haven't made, and the misconception we each had about kids before vs. after.

And your questions from the panel: do we still believe in balance now that we have kids (more than ever, actually), what Alex has stopped feeling guilty about in motherhood, what to do if you're scared kids will derail your career momentum, and how to decide what deserves your energy.. which turned out to literally be the buckets hahaha

Tell us in the comments: which bucket are you focused on right now?

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, and happy weekend :-)

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast!

00:00:54: Why we're running the panel back for YOU (if you were there.. act surprised lol)

00:01:23 Introduction to our family framework

00:05:45 How the 6 buckets came to be…

00:09:24 Bucket deep dive: Relationship

00:14:01 How we decide which bucket gets our energy

00:15:55 THIS is why the family framework is so helpful

00:18:09 Career Q: How has having kids changed your ambition?

00:27:17 Career Q: The career sacrifices we have & haven't made since kids

00:25:09 Career Q: One misconception we had about kids.. before vs. after

00:27:03 Audience Q: Now that you have kids, do you still believe in balance?

00:28:15 Audience Q: What have you stopped feeling guilty about in motherhood?

00:29:56 Audience Q: I'm scared kids will derail my career momentum.. help?

00:33:18 Audience Q: How do I decide what deserves my energy?!

00:34:43 Our closing thoughts

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

#twoparentsandapod

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*Honest: Shop Honest on Amazon, Walmart and Target.

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This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! Getting ahead of this: YES - Alex & Harrison are in the wrong seats (#SocialDistancing). We open with the moments you realize you're THE parent of the house: Alex packing a pizza-and-banana lunch for dance class, Harrison standing in the yard with the plumber feeling like his dad.. and the one that reminded Alex of her childhood: clacking around in heels before Dear Media by Day, hoping Tate remembers the sound the way she remembers her mom's. Plus a DM that's changing our vocabulary: when you're putting on makeup (or heels!!) in front of your daughter, say mom is getting FANCY, not pretty.. because she's always pretty, with or without it.

Then we break our own podcast rule to talk about the weather (a storm is coming and Jules flies out in the THICK of it), padel lesson one is complete (drenched, humbled, hooked), and Jules walks us through her Europe itinerary.. or total lack of one. Milan to Florence to a wedding to Santa Margherita to the south of France, with essentially nothing planned. Send her your suggestions!!

On the homefront: SLEEP UPDATES! Rocky's progress and Tate's new move of joining us in bed.

Then our internet convos: the unspoken rules of men's handshakes (dap, shake or bro hug??), and the big one: hosting in America has collapsed from 42% of people hosting monthly in 1975 to 12% today. We get into why, and our whole case: hosting does not need to be complicated. Monday we texted friends "we're having burgers tonight" and that was the invite. DoorDash counts. Paper plates count. Bring back hosting!! Next: OU vs. Texas week in a house divided (Tate is picking who Harrison bets on lol), the Brooklyn bathroom with a 10 minute TIMER, the case for revisiting your childhood hobbies (what was yours?!), and should we do a Survivor bracket?!

And we close with the one we really want your input on: if your kid gets hit or bitten, what do you teach them to do? We walk through the options, where we've landed for now, and why this might be a Dr. Brown question. Tell us what's worked for your family.

Hope everyone has a great week :-) LOVE YOU GUYS!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast!

00:00:14 The moment you realize you're THE parent…

00:02:47 Swapping "pretty" for "fancy"

00:05:20 We're breaking our podcast rule to talk about the weather…

00:06:44 Padel lesson one: COMPLETE

00:07:49 Jules' Europe itinerary.. or total lack of one (send suggestions!!)

00:18:42 Rocky’s sleep update

00:23:43 Tate’s sleep update

00:25:48 The unspoken rules of men's handshakes (dap, shake or bro hug?!)

00:30:38 The death of hosting in the U.S.

00:37:12 OU vs. Texas week in a house divided

00:43:05 The Brooklyn bathroom with a 10 minute TIMER

00:46:52 The importance of revisiting childhood hobbies

00:55:20 Should we do a Survivor bracket?!

00:56:38 If your kid gets hit or bitten: what do you teach them to do?

01:01:59 LOVE YOU GUYS

#twoparentsandapod

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Sources:

*The death of hosting: https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-death-of-the-american-host

*Revisiting childhood hobbies: https://time.com/article/2026/09/22/revisiting-childhood-hobbies-is-a-way-to-learn-who-you-are-as-an-adult/

*The Brooklyn bathroom timer: https://time.com/article/2026/09/22/revisiting-childhood-hobbies-is-a-way-to-learn-who-you-are-as-an-adult/

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*Honest: Shop Honest on Amazon, Walmart and Target.

*Zenni: Use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order at https://www.bit.ly/41onx2O #Zennipartner

*FORA Travel: Become a Fora Advisor today at https://www.foratravel.com/twoparents

*EllaOla: Try it risk-free with EllaOla's 45-day money-back guarantee; go to https://www.EllaOla.com/TWOPARENTS for 20% off your first purchase

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This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! We are STILL buzzing from Dear Media by Day.. Saturday was AWESOME: panels all day, brand activations, happy hour, and our first time ever doing something like this as a couple. Talking about “having it all (ish)” in front of 300+ people?? SO cool.

One of the best parts: our friends were in that crowd. Even better? We never asked them to come. They found out, bought tickets, and showed up for us. Which is EXACTLY why this week's PSA on friendship felt so timely: you need to start being a "high effort friend." The internet spent years teaching us to cancel plans and call it self care, and the pendulum is officially swinging back (& we're here for it).

As for the panel itself: we talked all about our "family framework." Consider this episode the sneak preview (what it is, how we rank each bucket out loud every week, why it's changed how we bring things up with each other).. and we'll do a FULL episode on it this coming Friday!! Pop questions in the comments and we’ll hit them friday!!

Life stuff: Tate had an "I need cuddles" night and ended up back in our bed.. and we need to know: will THIS ruin our toddler's sleep habits?! Our honest answer: some nights can be just for the memories. Jules is off to Europe, which sparks the great travel debate: do you bring food on a flight? Safety sandwich rules are discussed at length (Italian, NO tomatoes, you're welcome). And our date night giveback winner is announced!!

Then two things we DMed that we're still processing: the "butter" on movie theater popcorn isn't butter (it's soybean oil in a trench coat.. we feel lied to??), and third places are disappearing. Starbucks and McDonald's traded the cozy / fun hangout for the pickup shelf, and we need SOMEONE to figure out balancing vibes with efficiency.

To close: the best investment one mom made once her kids left for college (plane tickets.. go to THEM), and should we go to Japan on our honeymoon?! (aaaand should the neighbors be invited hahaha)

Hope everyone has a great week :-) LOVE YOU GUYS!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast!

00:00:27 Our Dear Media by Day recap (thank you to everyone who came!!)

00:03:17 Sneak preview: our "family framework" (full episode coming FRIDAY!)

00:14:57 How we both got over hating public speaking (the reps theory)

00:22:23 Retiring "fake it til you make it"

00:23:33 You need to start being a “high effort friend"

00:31:49 Jules is off to Europe!!

00:34:29 Do you bring food on a flight?

00:37:42 Will THIS ruin our toddler's sleep habits?!

00:43:28 Date night winner!!!

00:44:30 The "butter" on your movie theater popcorn isn't butter?!

00:47:26 Where did all the third places go?!

00:51:38 The best investment once your kids leave for college: plane tickets

00:56:12 Should we go to Japan on our honeymoon?!

00:58:24 LOVE YOU GUYS!

#twoparentsandapod

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Sources:

*High Effort friends: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdzGNTIjICy/?stkn=MXMzMjZnc2FjOWUzag==

*Movie theatre “butter”: https://x.com/TipOfTheBanana/status/2104234088802451546?s=20

*Texas Roadhouse “butter”: https://www.aol.com/articles/texas-roadhouses-famous-honey-cinnamon-181100000.html

*Third place convo: https://x.com/herrmanndigital/status/2103849448254390750?s=20

*Best investment once kids in college: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ddtu16RmzSJ/?stkn=MWhheWo1MG81aWM0bw==

*Japan reading club nights: https://x.com/_3emeOeil/status/2104109416672838128?s=20

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Thank you to our sponsors this week:

*Honest: Shop Honest on Amazon, Walmart and Target.

*Little Spoon: Give them meals + snacks that are actually right for where kids are developmentally—balanced, intentional and made to support real growth. Go to https://www.littlespoon.com/TWOPARENTS and enter code TWOPARENTS for 30% off your first order.

*GOODLES: Pick up GOODLES Twirly Mac online or on your next shopping trip… Available nationwide at major grocery stores and retailers.

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Follow Two Parents & A Podcast:

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