For the month of September we’ll be chatting about all things home design and we’re starting with the basics: finding a good flow in your home’s arrangement. We’re talking about some principles of Feng Shui and how they teach us to think about a room’s layout so it can be the most inviting to our family and guests. We want to point our lives (and furniture) towards what we want more of: rest, connection, coziness and serenity. Revamp your living space alongside us this month as we get ready to h...
Sep 13, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Family culture is all the rituals, traditions, food, fun and weirdness that makes us us! It's all the inside jokes, nicknames and conversations that shape our families and create lasting bonds. This week we're talking about why we think our family values are important to define, and how we think about translating that into a culture that is foundational for everyone in our homes. Family culture gives us all the roots we need to be grounded, and the wings we need to fly out into the world with gr...
Aug 30, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 24
We’re back with some tips and tricks we use daily in our roles as parents when encouraging good behavior and working through hard things like tantrums, hitting and whining. We want to escape negative feedback loops and ruts with our kids, but all need practical ways to do so. This week we discuss logic, talking through things and our job of creating the scaffolding upon which our children will build their lives, helping them grow from ego-centric toddlers to well-rounded, empathetic adults. None...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Play has been shown to increase brain flexibility and we all know it makes us feel better… so why do we struggle to embrace play so much as adults? This week we are talking about adding little moments of playfulness and levity to our lives, to lighten the mood, forge lasting bonds and remind ourselves that not everything has to be so serious all the time. We’re letting go of self-consciousness and preconceived notions about how things will go in order to simply enjoy what is a bit more. Since yo...
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 22
You asked, and we answered! We have had several requests for some episodes all about parenting, so here's the first one. This week we're talking about what we feel our roles as parents are, what discipline means (hint: it has less to do with the child than you might think), and who we look to for advice and encouragement. We're revealing some of lowest moments of parenting (and in our true nature, tears are shed), and also our proudest moments that remind us it's all going to be okay. So much of...
Aug 02, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Today's episode is special because we are hosting our very first guest, Jessica's little sister, Whitney! Whitney is here to talk all about how she travels with her young family, including how they dream, plan and budget for the adventures they want to take. We're all telling you how we get through long road-trips, the best time to arrive at a destination, minimalist packing ideas and why we think traveling is a good idea in the first place. After all, it is a lot of effort, so how do we make it...
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 20
If you’ve ever wondered about the how, when and why behind this podcast, today we’re open books. We’re discussing things like how we got started, being each other’s biggest cheerleaders (and yours, too!), our qualms with social media and even topics we don’t discuss and why. We’re dishing on our MOs here, like how we’ve never improved anything by hating it - only with eyes of love do we see things grow in goodness. Listen in on our phone convo between besties as we flesh out big ideas like how t...
Jul 19, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This (much) warmer weather has us dreaming of all things festive and fun. Summer is often a bit of a reprieve from normal life, so we're talking bucket lists, personal goals and mentality shifts as we enjoy the sunnier side of life. Plus, we're telling you our favorite sides to bring to a barbecue and some of Jessica's sound weird, but she swears they taste delicious. Jessica is planning to make lots of popsicles with Kootek Popsicle Molds ....
Jul 12, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Dolly Parton once said, "Find out who you are. And do it on purpose." To wrap up our month focused on self-care, we are evaluating our core values: the main principles we use to determine how we want to live our lives. Once we've established what these core values are, daily decision making becomes a lot easier, and caring for our whole selves becomes habit. And! We're sharing some of YOUR ideas, thought processes and daily routines that help you live your lives on purpose. Core Values - a list ...
Jun 28, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In this bonus episode we’re taking the opportunity to let Jessica tell us all about her recent experience giving birth and her current feelings about the postpartum period. We’re talking about what moms - and babies - really need during this time. Jessica tells us how you can detect what your baby needs by listening to their different cries and Michelle gets a little nerdy about neurochemicals and why most mothers hold their babies in their left arms. We know that surviving the 4th trimester may...
Jun 21, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Our philosophy is you have to get dressed every day, so you might as well have some fun doing it! We're no fashion influencers, but if you're like us, you might think of self-presentation as it's own art form. Or maybe you're wondering what the heck "style" even is anymore. This week we're chatting about ways we like to show up in the world, from daily rituals, to our signature additions of sparkle. We're dishing on the things our mamas taught us and how we wade through endless new trends to fin...
Jun 14, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This week we’re chatting about all the ways we care for our whole selves: body, mind and spirit. It’s less about “treat yourself” and more about doing the work of deep self-love and nourishment, checking the voices in our heads, and pursuing passions that make us feel alive. And if you’ve ever wondered what we get insecure about, we’ll tell you in this episode of soul-baring and reflection.
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 14
We're wrapping up our food-focused month with our amateur tips for making fun and festive cakes! We're not professionals by any means, but if you've ever wanted to try your hand at baking and decorating a simple cake, we have some of our favorite tips (developed through a lot of trial and error) compiled into this bonus episode for you. Check us out on Instagram this week to see some of the cakes we've made (just because we think it's fun), and check out the links below for our favorite tools an...
May 24, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 13
It's almost time to host friends and family again and we're so excited that we're continuing our discussion of all things edible with this week's focus on our favorite foods for special occasions - from Sunday brunch to birthday celebrations and big gatherings. Sweet, savory and everything in between, hear all our tips like frittatas for a crowd and mouth-watering takes on classics like French toast. Plus, everything you can do withs some frozen puff pastry, why cupcake tins are for more than ju...
May 17, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Our first bonus episode comes to you from a special place in our bellies: the dessert spot. We are both big fans of sugary confections of any kind, and though we are grown-ups and have to consume them only in moderation, we thoroughly enjoy them when we do. We're talking our favorite quick crowd-pleasers like homemade Magic Shell, cookie bars of all kinds, and fanciful showstoppers for special occasions. Resources mentioned in this episode: Russian Piping Tips and How To Use Them A Set of Round ...
May 10, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 11
You love it when we talk about food, and we love talking about it. So this month on Pretty Over Perfect we’re all about everything edible. This week we’re talking our favorite go-to meals, what we always keep in our pantries, what we make when we don’t want to cook, and our favorite meals of all time. Also! We’d love to hear from you! Email us at hello@prettyoverperfect.com! We’re open to questions, suggestions and fun anecdotes!
May 03, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 10
We know life isn’t just sunshine and lollipops, but that there are beautiful things happening, even on the worst days we face. This week we're chatting about the layers of goodness we can add to our lives by contemplating everything we do through the lens of gratitude - and it's not even Thanksgiving! We're reframing our mundane experiences in the hopes of finding a little magic and storing up the good for hollowing times ahead. External resources mentioned in this episode: Oprah's Super Soul Co...
Apr 26, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 9
We know motherhood is full - full to the brim with demands, challenges AND joy and fulfillment. This week we’re talking about some of the ways we keep our head above the waves in this overwhelming and wonderful time of life, from showering every day to finding something to do that doesn’t get undone. We’re letting go of unnecessary expectations and coming home to ourselves as the magical mothers we are. Plus, you might just get to hear us cry a little bit. Resources: Blessings of a Skinned Knee ...
Apr 12, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In April we're focusing on all the ways - little and big - that we find joy in the everyday, starting out with embracing curiosity and compassion for the people around us and the situations we find ourselves in. This is a subject near and dear to our hearts, so join us this month as we pursue all the good things in the messiness of the reality of our humanness. Plus, find out who Michelle's doppleganger is, and which musician Jessica loves so much she recently found out she is in the top 2% of t...
Apr 05, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This week we're getting into the nitty gritty of all the things: laundry, meal planning, house cleaning, chores, all of it! We've got tips, tricks and a whole lot of thoughts on how to get it all done - in a way that lets us live the rest of our lives to the fullest. It all has to get done, so let's make it as manageable - and enjoyable - as possible! Michelle loves this cookbook by Half Baked Harvest . Jessica recommends The Food Nanny . And find us on Instagram ( @prettyoverperfect ), where we...
Mar 29, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 6
This week we're talking about organizing our lives and our emotions around our biggest goals for ourselves and our families. We're asking big questions like "Who do I want to be in the future (next week, next month, next decade)?" and then, "How do I get there?" And we've got a couple of rock metaphors in there for you, too.
Mar 22, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
It’s time for spring cleaning and this week we’re getting our houses in order and exploring all the reasons they get so out of hand in the first place. We’re rebranding junk drawers and giving everything a place of its own. Plus, why Michelle never met a shoebox she didn’t like, and how Jessica is hiding all her overflow items in the pantry. P.S. We had so much to share on this one we let it run long... and couldn’t figure out what to cut. So bear with us as we tackle all the details of our home...
Mar 08, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 4
We're diving deep into ways we make special time for our kids and prioritize our communities, from Tea Tuesdays and backyard soirees to door dashing and bunco groups. Plus, hear all about giant charcuterie boards that fill entire kitchen islands and the mishap where Michelle showed up at her neighbor's family reunion thinking it was a block party. Michelle's favorite / Aveda Spa knock-off tea can be found here: Teapigs Licorice and Peppermint Tea...
Feb 22, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 3
It's almost the best holiday of the year: Valentine's Day! So we're talking about connection with our friends and spouses, plus our take on love languages, Galentine's Brunch, snail mail and the best chocolates you can get from the grocery store. Click here to view our reflection worksheet: http://bit.ly/POP2Connection Also, check out our Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/prettyoverperfect/ <<Note: We had a little trouble with our mics that caused some buzzing in certain parts of this e...
Feb 08, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Jessica and Michelle introduce you to themselves, the podcast, and a year of improvement - Pretty Over Perfect style!
Jan 25, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 1
