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

Do you look in your bank account and wonder where all your money has gone? We asked our listeners for the small ways they save and and budget every month to make money less of a mystery. Molly and Blaire discuss: Blaire's amazing Poshmark selling skills Why it's important to pay yourself first Sinking funds Investing a little bit of time in some of these solutions reaps big rewards budget-wise, so seriously, start eensy teensy tiny. Look in your fridge to see what you need to use up before going to the store. Join Facebook Marketplace or your local "Buy Nothing" group. Budgeting is a muscle that you have to exercise consistently in order to get good at it, so give yourself some grace! Here are all the resources we mentioned in the episode! Here's the original thread in the What Fresh Hell Facebook group Flipp Fetch Rewards Receipt Hog ibotta YNAB (You need a budget) Mint eMeals FB Marketplace or your local "buy nothing" groups Mercari Poshmark Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to have "happy motherhood?" And is it even a realistic goal to have, given the ups and downs of being a parent? We asked our listeners about their tips to help new parents have a "happier" first year. Molly and Blaire discuss: The perils of Mom Instagram Ways to make extra room for joy in your early motherhood How to sit in discomfort Managing your expectations was a key theme in the answers we got - so many moms want everything to be perfect, so they are inevitably disappointed when they don't get their twins out the door in matching outfits every single morning! But guess what? No one is perfect, even though it may seem every other mom on Earth has it more together than you. Join our Facebook group for more advice, laughs, and support: www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we get our kids away from screens without breaking the bank or planning elaborate outings? Erica Domesek's new book "P.S. - We Made This!" has plenty of ideas for kids' crafts that require zero shopping, zero traveling, and zero (okay, minimal) stress. Erica Domesek is a social media maven, and an extremely cool + crafty parent! She is the founder of the innovative DIY lifestyle brand P.S.–I Made This, which launched in 2009. She has been a distinguished expert in the areas of design and style as well as a leader in brand marketing for 15 years. PS.–We Made This: Super Fun Crafts that Grow Smarter and Healthier Kids follows in the footsteps of her first two books, offering similarly creative and colorful at-home projects– but now invites the whole family to join in the fun! Molly, Blaire, and Erica discuss: Being artistic vs. being crafty How to use what you have around the house for crafts rather than buying materials Here's where you can find Erica: https://psimadethis.com/about @psimadethis @abramsbooks Buy Erica's book: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781419756108 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

Self-care can sound like another chore. Seriously, who has time for a bubble bath? And is that really the best use of 20 free minutes, assuming we had them? But as Haley Jena points out in this article for What To Expect, self-care isn’t selfish. It's what we need in order to keep going as parents. It's not optional. In this episode, we discuss what definitely doesn’t work for us, what kind of does, and what we’re going to start (like reading actual books and not just our phones). Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Moira Lawler for Everyday Health: What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important To Your Health? Forbes: Practicing Self-Care Is Important: 10 Easy Habits To Get You Started Haley Jena for What To Expect: 19 Self-Care Ideas for Moms That Aren't Just 'Take a Shower' 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

In this episode, Blaire and Molly pal around with their comedian friends Kate Zelensky and Cody Lindquist. They exchange knock-knock jokes, lament about times they bombed with their kids, and discuss a certain compelling performance of "Memory." Kate Zelensky started a career in comedy in 2006 at The Upright Citizens Brigade having finally figured out that she wasn’t so good at musical theatre (though Molly disagrees, as we discuss in the episode!). Kate taught, performed, wrote and directed all around that joint for a dozen years. She dabbled in TV and Internet humor content but is best known for a Chuck E. Cheese commercial in which she played a mother of two pre teens - one of whom barfed pepperoni pizza all over the place because he refused to use the spit bucket. Kate got married and had two babies and now works full time as a vending machine for them. Cody Lindquist is an actress, voiceover actress, and comedian. She is the co-host of the podcast Two Beers In: A Tipsy Political Roundtable and the mom of two tiny New Yorkers. Links to resources mentioned in the episode: Dru Sefton for The Washington Post: "How Families Share a Sense of Humor" Kate's heart-wrenching rendition of "Memory" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharing is caring, right? We were all raised to believe that sharing is an important part of polite social interactions. But as adults, we would be taken aback if abruptly asked to share something we were using, like our phone. So why do we insist that our kids share toys with complete strangers at a moment's notice? Here's when– and why– it's ok NOT to share. Molly and Blaire discuss: The difference between making kids share and encouraging them to share What forced sharing teaches kids What to say to turn-giving kids and to waiting kids when encouraging sharing Role-playing with your child to practice polite yet assertive behavior is a great way to start the conversation about when and why it's appropriate to share. Links! Positive Parenting Solutions: "It's OK Not to Share" Heather Shumaker's book It’s OK NOT to share…and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids Positive Parenting Solutions: "Why a Feelings Wheel Supports Your Positive Parenting Journey" Little Timer app Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices