Laura and Sarah discuss all things *SUMMER* in this episode! They start with what they are looking forward to, and then move to discussing camp (full coverage vs spotty?), travel, summer fun, summer goal setting, favorite summer fashions + treats, and more. In the Q&A, they answer a listener looking for advice in choosing between options for after-school care for their first child entering kindergarten.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listen...
May 16, 2023•41 min•Ep 302•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Laura interviews Sheena Iyengar, a Columbia Business School professor and author. Sheena was is the daughter of Indian immigrants and started losing her sight at 9 years old, becoming completely blind by 16. She has built a remarkable career writing and innovating while growing her family, and she discusses her unique path with Laura as well as what inspired her latest release, Think Bigger: How to Innovate . Episode Sponsors: Zocdoc : Visit Zocdoc.com/BESTOF and download the Zo...
May 09, 2023•46 min•Ep 301•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode represents a podcast milestone - #300! Sarah and Laura talk about what has helped them get to this number, and their hopes for many more! They share some of their listener's favorites and then delve into a 100 dreams update and discussion. They identify past accomplishments and dream about what the next 6 years -- and beyond -- might hold. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about how and when to work on cultivating independence and self-efficacy in young children. Episod...
May 02, 2023•42 min•Ep 300•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about parties -- and ways to have fun with throwing them! Laura and Sarah discuss memorable parties of the past, and each share some recent party successes (those they have attended as well as thrown). They share the elements of a good gathering as described in Priya Parker's The Art of Gathering, as well as little details NOT to forget (for example: where do people park?). Each share their favorite party snacks and treats. Finally, they review successful kid birthday part...
Apr 25, 2023•44 min•Ep 299•Transcript available on Metacast Today Gretchen Rubin returns to our podcast to discuss her writing, her current life phase, and her new book, Life in Five Senses with Laura ! This is a fun conversation about her book and much more. Episode Sponsors: Zocdoc : Visit Zocdoc.com/BESTOF and download the Zocdoc app for FREE to find and book a top-rated doctor today. PAIR : Get glasses that stay as fresh as your unique style with Pair. Go to paireyewear.com/BESTOF for 15% off your first purchase! Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...
Apr 18, 2023•47 min•Ep 298•Transcript available on Metacast In the intro, Sarah and Laura discuss some of their strategies for incorporating adventures (big + little) into otherwise full lives. Rachana is a physician and was also one of the featured subjects in the video for Tranquility By Tuesday! She found joy and felt her life was made richer and more memorable after incorporating big & little adventures. In this interview, she chats about this among other kid/career-related topics with Laura. In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah discuss making friends...
Apr 11, 2023•35 min•Ep 297•Transcript available on Metacast This "ask us anything" episode was recorded in Florida while Sarah and Laura were together, and listeners did a great job providing a fun and interesting array of topics! These include: - How to handle a negative performance review - Backup slots for social get-togethers - pros & cons - Ways to manage new family dynamics when in-laws move to town - What lessons LV/SHU want to bestow upon their children, especially daughters - Working with a childcare provider who will be bringing their own c...
Apr 04, 2023•42 min•Ep 296•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Sarah and Laura open with a discussion of time spent on children's medical care even with largely healthy kids. However, they are aware this is minimal compared to the challenges parents of medically complex children face. Dr. Kelly Fradin is a pediatrician who understands these challenges from a patient, physician, and parental perspective and she shares her wisdom in this episode. Her book on this topic -- Advanced Parenting -- is an information-packed guide on this subject an...
Mar 28, 2023•32 min•Ep 295•Transcript available on Metacast This episode addresses a common dilemma - kids are in school full time, so is childcare really necessary? Laura and Sarah discuss options and some alternatives, plus a discussion of possible end points. In the Q&A, a listener writes in with a question about preparing for travel away from the the kids (solo or with a partner). Episode Sponsors: Better Help : This episode is sponsored by Better Help Therapy Online. Better Help offers convenient online counseling that can help. Learn more and s...
Mar 21, 2023•37 min•Ep 294•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Sarah and Laura tackle transitions. They discuss how some might vary in how they handle moving from one activity to the next, as well as how they feel about more fragmented time. They share some strategies to transition well - to make use of smaller bits of time but also to estimate how long moving between activities actually takes. They also discuss ways to help kids make transitions more smoothly. In the Q&A, they answer a listener struggling with her toddler getting sa...
Mar 14, 2023•41 min•Ep 293•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Sarah and Laura chat about kids' activities and some of the related parenting challenges. They discuss how they handle quitting, disappointment, competitiveness, and more. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about how Sarah stays informed about activities and such without social media. Episode Sponsors: Notion: Work faster, write better, and think bigger! For a limited time, try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.com/bestof Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...
Mar 07, 2023•44 min•Ep 292•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Sarah and Laura share their childhood allowance experiences and then delve into their own practices of giving (and receiving) allowances today. They discuss adult 'fun money' allowances, and the pros/cons of giving allowances to children. Finally, they discuss where they make 'allowances' in life - times that going against typical rules have made sense. In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking whether the host's husbands listen to the podcast, and if so, what kind of reaction...
Feb 28, 2023•40 min•Ep 291•Transcript available on Metacast Chelsea Myers is a statistician, mother of 3, and avid distance runner living in central FL. She is also a long time BOBW listener and Patreon member! After opening with a brief discussion between Laura + Sarah about current running plans + goals, Chelsea is interviewed by Sarah about running, life, parenting challenges, logistics, and more. In the Q&A, a listener writes in looking for tips in juggling work with multiple specialist appointments + the related coordination. Love of the week li...
Feb 21, 2023•52 min•Ep 290•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Sarah and Laura celebrate ergonomically-improved recording setups, and then discuss current business book favorites. Then, Sarah interviews Nick Sonnenberg, an entrepreneur, writer, and founder/CEO of Leverage, an operational efficiency consultancy. They chat email, managing other workplace communications, meetings, and much more. In the Q&A, Sarah and Laura give advice to a reader in graduate school wondering how to balance networking time with her studies. Nick's new book ...
Feb 14, 2023•37 min•Ep 289•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah shares her recent 'not according to plan' experience with flu/COVID, and then Laura and Sarah discuss what happens when things don't unfold as they anticipated. Both make a case for planning anyway - though "plan tightly, then lightly" might apply to the near vs farther future. They discuss backup plans, anticipating problems, resilient scheduling and more. They also pop in with a little 2023 goals update! In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about how to best handle transitions. Sh...
Feb 07, 2023•44 min•Ep 288•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Sarah and Laura discuss the items in their lives they feel have been fully worth upgrading, and expand on certain areas that they feel have been just fine without any recent updates! Then, both identify some "pebbles in the shoes" - small problems causing lots of pain that theoretically could have an easy fix! In the Q&A, a listener wonders how to handle her company's new "unlimited vacation" policy. Does more really mean less in this case? Learn more about your ad choices. ...
Jan 31, 2023•46 min•Ep 287•Transcript available on Metacast In the first mailbag ep of 2023, Laura and Sarah cover it all! Question topics include: Stroller recs Planning with partners Parenting stages Fitting in fertility treatments Screen time Whether to set goals you don't necessary want to do but feel would benefit your child Time spent on the podcast Spring fun list ideas Pumping and finishing outpatient notes Solving play date difficulties Keep your questions coming! Post to our comments, email us, or join our Patreon ( http://patreon.com/bestofbot...
Jan 24, 2023•37 min•Ep 286•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah discuss all things travel, from planning to some specific tips around family ski trips + international travel. Sarah shares details about her family's recent trip to Montana, while Laura discusses her winter break in London with her 3 older kids. They cover gear, passports, kid-friendly activities, and more! Episode Sponsors: Better Help : This episode is sponsored by Better Help Therapy Online. Better Help offers convenient online counseling that can help. Le...
Jan 17, 2023•44 min•Ep 285•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and Laura open with a discussion of the most cluttered trouble spots in their homes, and then Dana K. White -- author and host of the "A Slob Comes Clean" podcast -- joins Laura to discuss organizing and cleaning in a functional and realistic way. In the Q&A, a listener pregnant with her second writes in asking for help deciding on whether to plan on #3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 10, 2023•46 min•Ep 284•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and Laura chat about their own book club experiences, and then Anne Bogel joins Laura to discuss all things Book Club! In the Q&A, a listener writes in about wondering how to think about goal setting during a year in which she is hoping to be pregnant. You can find Anne at http://modernmrsdarcy.com as well as her wonderful podcast, What Should I Read Next. Episode Sponsors: Better Help : This episode is sponsored by Better Help Therapy Online. Better Help offers convenient online couns...
Jan 03, 2023•36 min•Ep 283•Transcript available on Metacast In their traditional annual goals episode, Sarah and Laura discuss goals for the coming year in multiple categories: work, home, kids/family, self, fitness, "FUN", and habits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 27, 2022•33 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah and Laura open by talking about their current running habits, and then Meghann joins Sarah for a conversation about diving deep into one's passions -- whether they are career related or not. Meghann Featherstun is a sports dietician AND 2:50 marathoner, and pivoted from her more traditional RD career path to launch her nutrition coaching business, and is greatly enjoying the flexibility and challenge of this independent work. She is also a model of someone who loves going deep into her pas...
Dec 20, 2022•38 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Laura and Sarah recap 2022, following up on the goals they set and discussed on air in December 2021. They cover work, family, home, and personal, with attention to successes as well as pivots and unexpected twists. Episode Sponsors: Organize 365 : To learn more about Lisa’s work and her amazing offerings to help you organize your home, your family, and your life, visit organize365.com . Storyworth : StoryWorth is a meaningful gift you and your family can treasure forever. Ge...
Dec 13, 2022•43 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Laura discusses a question she asks herself when deciding whether to say yes to a future opportunity. Then, Sarah interviews Laurie Weingart, professor at the Carnegie Mellon Business School and coauthor of The No Club: Putting a Stop to Women's Dead-End Work. They talk about non-promotable tasks, why women are asked to do more of them, and how to (sometimes) say no. The No Club: Visit https://www.thenoclub.com to learn more! Episode Sponsors: Better Help : Better Help offers co...
Dec 06, 2022•35 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast Laura and Sarah open by discussing some of their past career goals (including a tangent on scientific poster sessions!). Then, they introduce the 3 Cs - things yo might want to think about in setting future career goals. Collaborate with others to build projects being your singular capabilities, connect with work colleagues old and new, and collect compensation worthy of your talents + time! In the Q&A, a listener writes in wanting advice on hosting others when your house is often in a messy...
Nov 29, 2022•34 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Sarah and Laura chat about Thanksgiving favorites, and then share things -- mostly little things -- that they are grateful for this year in several categories, from tech to kid-related to consumable! In the Q&A, a listener asks for help with a difficult situation - what to do when one partner really wants a 3rd child and the other doesn't feel the same way. Episode Sponsors: Better Help : Better Help offers convenient online counseling that can help. As a listener, you’ll ge...
Nov 22, 2022•31 min•Ep 277•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Jessica Eastman Stewart of Joyfully Managed Family joins Sarah to about all holiday planning for joy and ease. From budget tactics to saying 'no', they chat about many facets of the holiday season in terms of how you can stress less and have more fun. In lieu of a Q&A a listener writes in with a little success update! Episode Sponsors: StoryWorth : StoryWorth is a meaningful gift you and your family can treasure forever. Get started right away with no shipping required by...
Nov 15, 2022•35 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about lunch! Sarah and Laura chat about how they use the time around the lunch hour, what they eat, and some aspirational ideas for lunches of the future! In the Q&A, they address current meal planning routines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nov 08, 2022•32 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast Bedtime READING - got it covered. But where does math (and science) fit in? Laura and Sarah discuss how math shows up in their family lives. Then, inspired by a listener question, Laura interviews Laura Overdeck, author of the Bedtime Math books! Bedtime Math "wants to change the way we introduce math to children: to make math a fun part of kids' everyday lives." In the Q&A, a listener writes in asking about childcare arrangements for the 1:1: dinners Sarah has been enjoying with the kids an...
Nov 01, 2022•36 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah discusses some ideas, tips & tricks for running effective family meetings. Then, Sarah & Laura delve into mailbag part 2: questions about home + family! Topics discussed: * how do you stay close to relatives in different cities? * how do you manage holidays between sides of a family? * tips for managing sports/dinner/bedtimes with elementary kids? * how to handle kids who don't deal well with changes to routines? * how does one find the time & energy for self-care with an infan...
Oct 25, 2022•36 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast 
