What Fresh Hell

What Fresh Hell

When you're a parent, every day brings a "fresh hell" to deal with. In other words, there's always something. Think of us as your funny mom friends who are here to remind you: you're not alone, and it won't always be this hard.

We're Amy and Margaret, both busy moms of three kids, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is laid-back to the max; Amy never met a spreadsheet or an organizational system she didn't like.

In each episode of "What Fresh Hell" we offer lots of laughs, but also practical advice, parenting strategies, and tips to empower you in your role as a mom. We explore self-help techniques, as well as ways to prioritize your own needs, combat stress, and despite the invisible workload we all deal with, find joy amidst the chaos of motherhood.

Recent episodes

May 17, 2024

Fresh Take: Cameron Normand of "Stepfamily Solutions"

How can step-parents smoothly transition into being part of their new families? What happens when the kids are not on board with having a new parent? Cameron Normand, founder of Stepfamily Solutions, tells us what she's lear…
May 15, 2024

Do We Need to Lower Our Standards?

Is it really our "maternal gatekeeping" and too-high standards that are preventing a more equitable distribution of household tasks? We discuss the minimum standard of care and how that can be determined.
May 13, 2024

DEEP DIVE: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin on Burnout and Mom Guilt

Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is a psychiatrist, author, and founder of gemmawomen.com, the first digital education platform dedicated exclusively to women’s mental health. We discuss mom guilt, burnout, true self-care, and finding way…
May 10, 2024

Fresh Take: Danielle Bayard Jackson on "Fighting for our Friendships"

How do we make new female friends as adults, and how do we hold onto friendships that matter to us? Danielle Bayard Jackson, author of the new book FIGHTING FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS, gives tips for making new friends and for keep…
May 9, 2024

MAY BONUS TEASER: Our Myers-Briggs Personality Tests!

It's test day. In our May bonus episode, we take the famous Myers-Briggs personality test—and turns out we're not complete opposites in some important ways!
May 8, 2024

What Fresh Hell Is Mother's Day?

Why do moms have mixed feelings about Mother's Day? Turns out Anna Jarvis, the holiday's founder, had second thoughts. Perhaps for good reason. We talk the ups and downs of Mother's Day.
May 6, 2024

DEEP DIVE: Ditching Mom Guilt

"Mom guilt" might be universal and inescapable. It's also often misplaced, and can sabotage not just our own happiness, but our ability to parent effectively.
May 3, 2024

Fresh Take: Dr. Alok Kanojia on Parenting a Healthy Gamer

How can we determine if our child is addicted to video games, and what can we do about it? Dr. Alok Kanojia, author of HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY GAMER, explains what a video game addiction looks like and parenting tips for talk…
May 1, 2024

How To Deal With Picky Eaters

Are you convinced your child will never eat a vegetable and that their picky eating is a reflection of your parenting? Here's how to get your picky eater to expand their palate—and why it's usually not the end of the world.
April 29, 2024

DEEP DIVE: Parenting as a Team

Parenting as a team is an ongoing challenge even when your relationship is pretty harmonious. But constantly matching headspaces with your co-parent isn’t the goal– for us, parenting as a team has often meant taking turns. H…
April 26, 2024

Fresh Take: Chelsey Goodan on How Parents Underestimate Their Teenage Girls

What would our teenage girls tell us if they believed we were truly listening to what they had to say? Chelsey Goodan, author of the new book UNDERESTIMATED, explains what teenage girls need most from their parents and how w…
April 24, 2024

What Can We Add? What Can We Take Away?

As parents, we often feel that if we add more to a problem—say, buy the right item—we can solve it. But there may be a simpler way to solve certain problems, and that's by taking something away. Here's how to know when takin…