Two Parents & A Podcast

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! We start off with the HARD-HITTING question everyone is talking about: what’s the perfect pool temperature? (lol) But really, Harrison started the morning with a 6:55am father/daughter swim (pool heated to a magnificent 92 degrees), so now we NEED to know.. comment yours, and nobody ask about our heating bill hahaha House updates: the fence is officially in fabrication!! The front yard should be done in two weeks (check back with us then), and the outdoor kitchen behind the pool is “best case Thanksgiving”.. or best case Christmas, depending which one of us you ask. Which, speaking of the holidays, this is your friendly reminder to book your flights NOW.. they’re up 31% from last year (Christmas flights too, up 23%!!) Jules has a baby shower this weekend, which gets us into the best baby shower gift that isn’t on her registry (the answer involves a monogram, and we stand by it). And things are THRIVING on our block: our neighbors celebrated their 25th…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! We’re back from the parents-only trip to Jackson Hole!! And we were greeted with the sweetest thing Tate has ever said (“I missed you”).. so naturally we’re never leaving again hahaha Which kicks off the kids corner: can a 2 year old ACTUALLY miss their parents? Why do kids save their meltdowns for YOU (spoiler: it’s actually a compliment)? And the take we stand by: we don’t FaceTime the kids while we’re away.. it’s for you, not them (discuss). Plus Tate spent the day playing with the 5 year old across the street and we watched her level UP in real time (the sharing song WORKED and we’ve never been prouder), and Rocky started solids on his half birthday!! (And we think he likes food more than his sister??? hahaha) The trip itself: 72 hours of undivided attention with the neighbors (who shall now be known as Mr. & Mrs. Bears), an activity-based itinerary with one non-negotiable per day, and Alex solving a live influencer brand-trip mystery at lunch like a…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! We have a special guest: Victoria Thain Gioia, co-founder & CEO of Perelel, Harvard MBA.. and most importantly, a working mom of 4 (ages 9, 7, 6 & 2!!) We start with the story behind it all: a 20-week scan that didn’t go as expected, and how obsessing over the “why” sent Victoria deep into prenatal nutrition research.. deep enough that she pitched her OB a company idea mid-appointment (from the stirrups!!) The big takeaway: one-size-fits-all doesn’t work for women. Then we get into the part we know you guys most want to hear: what it actually looks like to run a company with 4 kids at home. The 5am wake-ups, white-knuckling it from 7 to 7:50 every morning, the 2.5 year old who interrupts her work calls for a scheduled cuddle (we’re obsessed), and the mom guilt conversation we think every working parent needs to hear: “I’m a better mom because I work.” Plus why her answer to “is this worth it?” lives in a photo from her daughter’s school project. We also…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! Before anything else: we’re doing an audience check-in!! Comment what you want to hear more of (Q&As? guests? news rundown? pop culture?) and we’re picking one comment and sending you to your favorite lunch spot on us ($100!!) So comment!! By the time you’re listening, we’re in Jackson Hole on a couples trip with the neighbors!! Alex packed a carry-on (brave), Harrison packed “extreme” location-specific outfits, and there are custom t-shirts involved that we legally (lol) cannot spoil yet. But leaving the kids had us in our feelings.. we thought we’d be excited for the getaways and honestly the break from the kids is zero percent of the excitement?? Which leads us to the parenting cliches that are ACTUALLY true: no phase lasts that long, and every chapter is somehow better than the last (meanwhile “sleep when the baby sleeps”.. like who is doing the laundry??? hahaha) Mid-episode, Harrison needs to vent about the new sales tactic that has to stop:…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! EURO JULES IS BACK!! The trip recap is lowkey scattered throughout the entire episode (sry), but the highlights: a Tuscany wedding, a “2 hour” drive that was actually 4.5 through scenery Jules swears is Pittsburgh adjacent (it’s a compliment??), and a new barometer for measuring the success of a trip. But first, Alex gets sent to the mall with a box of Harrison’s returns and gets absolutely humbled at the counter (“ma’am, has this been washed?”).. so we need a ruling: can you return a shirt you already washed?! The wedding’s pizza night spirals us into the food corner: pizza vs burgers for America’s favorite food (the official ranking has burgers & fries not at #1.. Alex is appealing the decision), mashed potatoes catch a STRAY (“it’s literally a liquid French fry”), and milk is in bags in Canada?! We get into why traveling at 30 beats traveling at 22, and the real theme of this episode: life gets BETTER with age. Alex keeps meeting 38 year olds doing…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy FRIDAY!! Anyone else keeping up with Jules’ insta story?? (bc we are and like need to book a Euro trip ASAP?!) Alex kicks us off with her girls night recap (which apparently she already recapped to Harrison last night) (and this morning) (hahahhaha blame the margaritas). Harrison also has some thoughts on her outfit.. sorry to the audio listeners (you’ll have to use your imagination lol). The business corner is packed this week: is Starbucks actually buying Chipotle?! Harrison breaks down the CEO shuffle and what it would mean. Nvidia is officially the most valuable company EVER. Plus, SpaceX just made a move that could make it your next cellphone carrier?? Over in AI land, Ben Affleck is suddenly everywhere talking artificial intelligence, and everyone is debating: actual tech savant or cosplay? And the Kardashians’ AI trailer confusion raises the real question of how you can even tell what’s real anymore. THEN P (our Gen Z rep) quizzes A & H on Gen Z lingo…aura…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! We shared a bit about our street this week on socials, and the comments had one big request: "please dig deep on the community y'all have created on the pod." So hi! We get into when it all started, the little ways everyone shows up for each other.. plus the couples trip we just booked with THE neighbors (who we realized we've somehow never hung out with 1:1..) AND, if you want one place to start with YOUR street: host the street-wide barbecue. Before all that: do you remember the first time your parents embarrassed you in public?? Harrison has a convertible pickup memory, Alex genuinely cannot think of one, and all Jules could come up with was that Nori (Minich) wore a lot of brown LOL. Then Jules is back from New York with a story we're still processing: she caught her pilot LYING. Pilots need a full 8 hours of rest, hers fudged his timesheet, and someone caught it because the math didn't math. Rules are rules!! (No public shaming.. but a strongly worded…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! We open with the question every woman has wondered: do men ACTUALLY notice makeup? Harrison's honest answer confirmed what we suspected (the answer being "no") hahaha. We get into the levels of makeup (1, 2 and 3.. and how "you're so beautiful without makeup" is usually said to a level 1), what the "right" age is for kids to start wearing it, and the getting-ready gap: his entire routine is teeth and deodorant, hers is a production with a budget. Next up, a weaning update from Alex: the fog is lifting!! Things that felt really big are starting to feel manageable again, and for anyone in it right now: they say the hormone transition can affect you for 1 to 3 weeks. The only way out is through, and it DOES get better. (Oh and Harrison’s excited he can not eat my food) We also have a debate we need your help settling: what causes a kid to be left-handed?! Harrison is going full speculator mode (his smudge theory involves ink, school desks, and a prediction…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! First, the big news: WE ARE OFFICIALLY A DEAR MEDIA PRODUCTION!! (yay) If you're new here from the Dear Media world: hi!! We're Alex and Harrison, married, two kids (Tate and Rocky), and the “third-wheel” (lovingly) is Jules our producer!!! Welcome, we're so happy you're here. And if you’re not new here, the short story is - nothing is changing!!! Then we get into the episode with a confession: we are officially the parents who throw the over-the-top birthday parties. The exact parents we judged before we had kids. We get into why we've fully made peace with it (the joy is REA), plus the undisputed best time slot for a toddler birthday party: 5 to 7 PM. Everyone's out of nap territory, people are always looking for something to do during this dead zone, and dinner is handled. We will be taking no further questions at this time hahaha And the rest: Harrison is teetotaling 13 out of 14 days “per week” (his math, not ours lol), the Tweet of the Week we're…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! TATE IS OFFICIALLY TWO 🥹 (can you guys believe it?!) We recap the whole thing: the pancake breakfast, the revolving door of neighbors and family, and Alex stepping up for an emergency cake bake after a flight delay. As always, this is just our experience.. but here are a few "tips" if you have a toddler birthday coming up!! 1) Even if your kid "won't remember it," they still feel the JOY.. a day of your kid feeling extra loved is ALWAYS worth the extra effort. 2) Doctoring a box cake WORKS: yellow cake + pudding + OJ, coconut milk icing.. gluten and dairy free, and there was NONE left. 3) The balloon farm: buy the helium tank, order the animal balloons, and blow them up together the night before (it's like Christmas Eve 2.0). Oh, and Tate got a CAR (thank you Harrison's parents hahaha) Before all that: a pool update featuring Harrison's confession about the lawn chairs, and a question for the group: does anyone's neighborhood have a "share program" for…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, DR. BROWN IS BACK!! We start where you'd expect: toilet training (you guys know this is overtaking our brains lately). Alex gets a live check-in on Tate’s progress (verdict: she's in the "warm up phase"), and Dr. Brown drops the reframe every potty training parent needs to hear: it's the CHILD'S milestone, not the parent's.. so when they're ready, it happens in about a day (WHAT?!). Plus her honest take on pull-ups, and the nighttime potty training news that shocked us. Then the important stuff: the measles outbreak (including the recent Austin case and what early symptoms actually look like), cold & flu season prep, which medications are appropriate at which ages, and when seasonal allergies actually start (+ her Vegas bet on the "it's just allergies" toddler.. hahaha). Plus her takes on OUR recent debates: toddler ear piercing and video games around kids, because she knows a whole lot more than us!!! And then YOUR questions (baby then toddler): the 4 month sleep…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! (we recorded this Sunday afternoon but still HAPPY MONDAY!) We open with Harrison's freak accident: he caught a falling glass, the glass did not cooperate, and now his hand is out of commission. Alex's 10:40 PM response ("you can Uber to the stitches..") will haunt her forever hahaha. Harrison’s first thought: thank goodness this didn’t happen before HYROX… And in HYROX news that we cannot believe is real: POOP-GATE. A competitor at the Beijing race had an.. incident.. mid-race and was allowed to finish, and we have genuine rules questions (you get disqualified for dropping a GEL on the course??) Then the home front: a toilet learning follow up (yes, we are absolutely pranking the neighbors with the official terminology), and the sweetest new phase: Tate is starting to APPRECIATE things 🥹 We asked her what she wanted to do and she thought about it and said gymnastics.. watching her actually love something is a whole new level of this. Plus the burnt orange…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast.. we open today by acknowledging September 11th, 25 years later. We take a minute to remember, share where we were, and say what matters most: we will never forget. There's no good way to transition into the rest of the episode, so here we are. Lots of stuff today, but we start with a major question: when do you have to start dressing your age?? Like, can a dad of two be walking around in trendy fits.. or is it time for a collared shirt? (Harrison is at a genuine crossroads.) Then a potty training follow up: apparently what we're doing isn't potty training at all lol. The internet has informed us we are TOILET LEARNING. Great that there's a name for it!! But our vibe remains the same: no pressure, dance parties when it works, and we will not be looking into this further hahaha… And a Tate's birthday update!! Thank you all for letting us know we cannot do a Pink Pony Club party for a two year old… Instead: a party with LOTS of pink (and ponies) but there will be NO clubs.…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! It's a big day of kid updates: we officially tripped and fell into potty training Tate.. no method, no timeline. Harrison bought a little toilet when she started getting curious, we left it there, and she started using it when it felt right for her (removing the pressure has been the whole magic!) Meanwhile Rocky is in a sleep regression (idk, we feel like we just call everything a regression??), and Alex is weaning off of breastfeeding and shares it all: the decision tree, how she's doing it, and the emotional part nobody warns you about.. All of which turns into one of our favorite convos we've had: when did you know you could trust your parental instincts? But before all that: Harrison's big tennis night!! Alcaraz vs. Shelton raised the real question: would you stay at a sporting event until 3:33 AM?! (we can't decide)… Plus the new iPhone might be FOLDABLE?! (and as of the time that Jules is writing this, it's officially announced!!) We debate…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday and happy Labor Day!! Confession: we cut our first-ever weekend away from both kids a night short. Zero regrets after the morning we had… Tate climbed into bed with us, said "mama hand, dada hand," and held both ❤️ (one of the many fun things she learned over a weekend with Grandma!!) As for the trip: our official US Open review is in, and it's hands down the BEST sporting event in the world for a casual sports fan. There’s a whole tennis village!! Free Junior matches you can walk right up to, restaurants, shops.. and yes, we got the $100 chicken nugget box. Six pieces. SIX. The nuggets themselves? Phenomenal. The count? Unforgivable. Before NYC, Harrison did his HYROX.. and all four of the dads CRUSHED it. For any dads listening, Harrison officially recommends doing one: 1) it takes way less time to train for than a marathon, and 2) they do a great job of making you feel like a professional athlete (which, as it turns out, is all any man has ever wanted).…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! Harrison is out finishing his HYROX race (as Jules writes this lol).. results Monday, we can't wait hahaha We filmed this Q&A answering YOUR questions, and we were so excited to get into them.. but first we got stuck on lip combos (and whether there's ANY men's product a woman wouldn't know.. comment if you have one, we came up short!) and a topic Alex has been thinking about a lot lately: how do you handle the first time your child's feelings get truly hurt? Not the falling-down kind.. the kind that breaks your heart a little 💔 Then we get into your questions: will it be hard leaving both kids for the first time (spoiler: YES) , and everything we're excited about for the US Open.. until we found out the chicken nuggets are $100?! Then probably our most-asked question: finance corner with Harrison. We will say it until we're blue in the face, this is NOT financial advice!! But we do get into how we approach investing together, and even came up with some…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! We open with a very important announcement: it's REST DAY (Harrison’s rest day lol but maybe all of you could join him), which somehow spirals into a real debate: is "downhill" positive or negative?! (If you're running, downhill is great. If your week is going downhill…? you see the problem.) Then Jules brings a word from the people: collective effervescence.. the term for that shared-energy magic that happened at Wrigley (and at every Fenway “Sweet Caroline”, and every Coldplay "Fix You”). We're working it into daily (or bi-annual) rotation. Plus Alex reveals her special power: she wakes up in the middle of the night and just KNOWS what time it is (psychic or circadian? The chair delivery prediction says psychic), and we realize we are officially living in the "late 20s" of the century.. which sends us straight into Y2K pandemonium and what our 4-11-year-old brains thought was happening in 1999 hahaha Then the home front: the kids book gift tip we're…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! So.. we (Alex & Jules) found ourselves in some heat over our video games after kids take from Friday, so we had to get a guy's POV.. and you guys? He may have even HOTTER takes. Turns out Harrison was a GAMER gamer back in the day (18-hour Grand Theft Auto Sundays.. we have questions), but as a dad he has rules: there are more productive ways to decompress, never let it eat family time, and play when everyone's asleep. Then Jules asks the question that will surely put us back in the comments: are video games just Cocomelon for adults?! But before ALL that: it's officially HYROX race week for the dads (we're heading to DC later this week!) We settle the great seasonal debate: when does summer ACTUALLY end? Alex says Labor Day, Harrison says September 21st because "the sun does not lie." Plus Saturn Return (why your life flips upside down between 26 and 29.. planets, maybe!) and Tinx's 3-articles-a-day challenge. We're in. On the home front: Tate had her…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! It's a GIRLS episode.. Harrison is in Chicago, so it's Alex & Jules answering YOUR questions. The theme: married with kids vs. single and child-free, and every question in between. But first, life: Tate learned to cockadoodle doo AND somersault this week (grandma brought a tumbling matt.. Harrison is going to come home to a full show). Then we get into the birthday crying phenomenon (high expectations + "don't plan anything!!" = a recipe lol.. moral of the story: say what you actually want, and a card is the MINIMUM), the Mommy & Me dance class dynamic where the mom vibes matter just as much as the toddler vibes (the water bottle incident.. iykyk), you know you're an adult when.. (Alex has a wrapping paper CLOSET), and your new favorite word: detritus. You will now see it in every book you read forever, you're welcome. Then the Q&A. You guys sent the most thoughtful questions about opposite seasons of life and we tried to answer from both sides: how to…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! You guys know we record same-day, which means we get to open with actual breaking news: Meta agreed to a $17 BILLION settlement in the child safety trial. Harrison dusts off his finance-guy trick for understanding any settlement (go straight to the stock price.. what it did tells you everything) and we get into what actually changes for kids: time restrictions and nighttime blockouts. And while we're being all professional and stuff lol, Alex shares how she beat her 2 AM heartburn after Prilosec, Tums AND Pepto all failed. The winner? Baking soda and water. (NOT medical advice.. she literally ate a bag of chips first as a strategy lol) It's not until after ALL of this that we finally welcome you back to the episode :-) and Alex starts out hot. Backstory: she posted a TikTok about letting Tate wear her helmet and while mommy ALSO wears her helmet (red light mask).. and a comment saying "it's okay to tell her no" racked up over a thousand likes. So you're…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! The headline: we FINALLY did some wedding planning (live on the pod..) and we think we may have unlocked something?! You guys know we've been kicking this can down the road (2 under 2 - FORGIVE US), but one little scheduling switch changed everything (iykyk) and now we're officially in planning mode (send us your ATX dueling piano wedding reviews!!) Before all that: the BEST fantasy football punishment we've ever seen (18 holes of golf with strangers.. no clubs, no ball, full commitment to every pretend swing hahaha), Harrison's cooking redemption arc (Alex used to WINCE from across the kitchen.. now he cleans as he goes?!), and an etiquette check from Jules: do you need a hostess gift for a baby shower at someone's house? Plus a question back to Jules: should you serve alcohol at your wedding if YOU don't drink?! (the short answer: it depends). Then a Babylist It Forward follow up: we bought your gifts!! Thank you for sharing your registries with us, this…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! Let's start with the fun stuff: we've seen the #BabylistItForward movement (thank you Alex Cooper!) and we want to do this for YOU guys.. or a friend you think could use it! Comment yours (or someone else’s!) Babylist links on YouTube or Spotify and we'll be picking a handful at random to send gifts to. (PS: Alex is requesting a story alongside the link!!) Ok, let's get into the episode, because it was a good one. Of course we started with three rando topics no one planned: not all shopping lists are created equal (are you a recipe planner or a free-baller?!), Harrison's new H BOMB segment "Is THIS hard for everyone or is it just ME?!" (this week: printing.. why is it SO hard), and a rare (actually not rare at all lol) Bicker of the Week between Harrison and Jules over a word they were actually both wrong about. Then we get into the good stuff: the back to school decorating trend we LOVE, Alex's new go-to postpartum gift for moms (daytime pajamas!!), what…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! As you watch this, we are likely on our way back from Vancouver, woo! You guys know we've always said we think travel unlocks milestones.. and WOW did we notice it on this trip. Tate is truly in her independent toddler era (BIG time on doing everything herself, it's so sweet 🥹) and our Rocket Man slept 8 HOURS through the night?! (YAY) OK we started with a little update from Harrison's golf tournament: gimmes were allowed per the tournament rules, but he wants you all to know he did NOT take any. (This is Jules now… while we were recording, I was thinking about how funny it would be if he DID take a gimme and one of you caught it on camera.. like he truly can't take one for the rest of his life lol. I would have said this on the pod if I wasn't on the phone hehe) I feel like we were getting a little philosophical this episode?? Here's the advice we're living by right now (had to share with the class). The Tweet of the Week says it best: you're allowed…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday from Vancouver!! (Let us know if we should pick this studio up and drop it in Austin, because we are officially feeling like we need a remodel..) Ok guys, it's back to school time, so we're taking a sec to ask YOU: how are you feeling?? We can feel the energy shift. We don't know what this season is like as parents yet, but we can absolutely remember shopping for a new pair of True Religions and heading to the bookstore for school supplies. WOW, nostalgia. So the episode… travel is on the mind (we know, SORRY, we talk about flights more than your average pod.. but hopefully something in there is helpful!) The 24-hour cancellation window is NOT always 24 hours, and we make the official case for the back row of the plane with kids (still not as elite as the bulkhead). Then a lot of random fun stuff: sponsored sorority recruitment (get your bag, girls!!), the "big light" debate (are you a big light house or a lamp house?!), signing up for fall activities, and…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!! We are officially in Vancouver ourselves, but before we headed out, we answered YOUR questions (& for our guys and gals who love a parenting-heavy episode, this one is for you!!!) But not until we cover a few things first: maintenance days vs. self-care days (getting your nails done is NOT self-care, it's maintenance!), the weirdest ways people find out they're pregnant (did you know your hairstylist might know before you do?! Dry scalp, hair changes.. the signs are everywhere), and the great audiobook debate: Alex has been listening to her audiobook 24/7, everyone keeps talking to her, and we’re thinking this might be rude if it was ANYTHING besides a book (like imagine shushing someone while reading Twitter LOL). Then we get into your questions.. and guys… you were kicking us while we're down (can you tell Alex is a little emotional about Tate turning 2?!) We covered all things getting older: potty training (and the Dr. Ari rec we're following), big girl…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! This episode is the definition of everything but the kitchen sink.. also yes, we welcomed you to the pod TWICE because we forgot welcome on this upcoming Friday’s episode, SORRY hahaha. We're kicking things off with the Tweet of the Week: you're allowed to be proud of yourself, PRESENT tense. Harrison shares why it struck a chord (he's been guilty of never exhaling on the fitness front), and then Alex asks the question she immediately regrets: "do you think I'm funny?" (this is jules - I answered YES!!). Then a Vancouver trip preview!! Whistler, boating, the Grouse Grind at 6 AM, and one decision (that feels really big 3 months postpartum): should we go see AC/DC?! PLEASE vote in the comments. Plus Harrison's CFL rant: three downs, a BIGGER field, and the biggest missed opportunity in sports?! Then the internet stuff: the $20K dorm room REVEALS broke our brains (they're not even decorating them THEMSELVES?!), Acquired Style cont: the dress, the drama &…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!! We're kicking things off with the MOST RANDOM comeback story: Nerds Gummy Clusters took a declining $50M brand to $850M in five years?! (Alex wants a whole documentary about whoever greenlit the cluster.) You might be asking why we start with this (lol) and it's simple.. Alex's leggings smelled like mildew, and Jules apparently has a condition (called dysgeusia) that makes water taste like mildew after she eats gummy clusters. Mind you, this was all supposed to be an off camera conversation LOL. But it leads us to a bigger convo: is CPG entering its fast fashion era? Cinnabon Oreos, bacon flavored Cinnamon Toast Crunch.. Harrison explains how these collabs actually work behind the scenes (including who pays who!) Then some travel talk: our flight home from Vancouver got switched to an 11:30 PM red eye?! Landing at 5:30 AM.. with a toddler. We've decided to switch flights, but survival tips for red eyes with toddlers are always welcome for the future. And…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, we've got a very special guest!! This conversation could not be more top of mind for us: earlier this week we talked about how much more risk tolerant we USED to be (ex: we once loved helicopters.. now we won't get on one hahaha). Because as new parents, we're focused on one thing: how do we live to 100 (no like actually literally??) so we can spend as much time with our kids as possible?! Enter Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson: veterinary epidemiologist, healthy aging researcher, and co-founder of fatty15 (a proud TPAP sponsor!). Dr. Stephanie's research with Navy dolphins (yes, the Navy has dolphins?!) led to the discovery of C15:0 as the first essential fatty acid identified in over 90 years, and the origin story is SO fun (bc who doesn’t love dolphins). We get into the science behind aging well: what healthy aging actually means (preserving the best of who we are for as long as possible!), what a "geroprotector" is and why scientists call it the holy grail, and Dr.…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! This one's got range: playground etiquette, flying taxis, Myspace nostalgia and a practical joke involving a bunny. We kick things off with the "quizzing my husband on girly products" trend (Harrison learned the term nail bed today lol), the navy sheets convo (Alex shares what she was REALLY thinking walking into Harrison's place for the first time hahaha), plus the bunny prank that raised a real question: is it ever OK to gift your friends' kids a pet?! (Harrison says she wouldn't be mad one bit.. Alex says think about the animals!) Then a life update: the pool officially has water (fun fact: it's literally just from the hose?! we were stunned)...and now we're in negotiations with a toddler about why pool time is NOT at 7:30 AM. Then the H BOMB: flying taxis are ACTUALLY coming to America - the FAA just approved trials across 26 states, and of course Austin is one of the first cities (guinea pig city strikes again). Plus Harrison makes his case for…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy August!! We're kicking off the new month with a fun exercise: months as days of the week. Alex & Harrison think July is Saturday (aka everyone is in Europe), while Jules says it's obviously Wednesday (linear brain vs. vibes brain we guess lol). Then some real life: the fever made its way from Rocky to Tate, which meant all four of us in one bed by 6 AM and a very high-stakes game of "nobody make a sound." Plus the grandparent gift idea we're recommending for everyone: give the grandkids their parent's old stuff packaged as a gift (Kathi did Beanie Babies on this trip!) Which led us to: is the Princess Diana Beanie Baby actually worth $10K?! (We checked - apparently no, but we LOVE the nostalgia). Then the main topic of the week: invisible postpartum. Alex shares about how when you're out in the world WITHOUT your baby, nobody has any idea what your body and brain are still going through. If you've ever felt this, this one's for you 🤍 Plus some fun stuff: the…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!!! Ginny bears is in the office (should this be a new Friday ritual?!). We’re kicking things off with a car debate (low-key our bicker of the week every week LOL): do we need a "non-car seat" car?! Alex is dreaming of a 4-door Jeep Wrangler for just the parents, Harrison is pitching a golf cart (Jules's face said everything), and somehow by the end of the convo we are still a one-car family until further notice. Then Harrison drops TWO bombs from his NFL schedule snooping: the 2027 Super Bowl is on Valentine's Day?! (You're welcome for the 6 months notice — Valentine's Day is now Saturday, Super Bowl Sunday!) AND… he signed up for a marathon that same day?! (Commitment level: 50% lol.) Then we get into the main topic of the week: decision fatigue. Did you know the average person makes 1,000+ decisions a day, and parents blow through the majority of those before 9 AM?! We get into the choice-free hacks we swear by (Alex's identical lunches, Jules's 10…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!!! We start with a real one: Rocky spiked a 102.7 fever this week (he's totally fine now!!), and even though we're second-time parents, it was a first-time occurrence for us… and we went RIGHT back into first-time parent mode. We get into how we handled it (calling the pediatrician hotline at 4 AM), how our in-home pediatric practice works (& why we love it so much), and the bigger realization: no matter how many kids you have, a new challenge puts you right back at square one. Which spirals into a continued conversation on what's harder, 0 to 1 or 1 to 2 (the diaper-on-backwards story makes its return lol), the wild fact that you don't have to pass ANY test to take a baby home from the hospital (Alex is now drafting the exam as we speak), and what magically flips at milestone dates?! (A fever at 2 months 29 days = ER, but at 3 months 1 day = Tylenol at home??) Then the fun stuff: the "nepo baby" discourse (Harrison JUST learned who Gracie Abrams's dad…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, we're coming to you from GEORGIA!!! We recorded Sunday night from Serenbe (a neighborhood focused on wellbeing 45 minutes outside Atlanta - If you live a direct flight from ATL and are looking for a family trip… we highly recommend!!). We flew in for a friend's kid's first birthday and turned it into a whole family weekend, which leads to a bigger conversation: every state has "pockets of magic" like this, and we share the ones at the top of our list to check out next (the Northeast in the summer!! Montana!! Yellowstone!!). Then we get into the idea from book club this week that we're SO excited about: conspiracy theory nights!! The concept: each couple researches a conspiracy, presents it (PowerPoint encouraged), and everyone debates whether it's true. Already on the table: the moon landing, aliens, and the Titanic insurance theory we'd never heard before… (pls put your recs in the comments). Plus, THINGS WE DMED on the viral video of an entire flight rallying to find…

Welcome back to another episode of Two Parents & A Podcast — it's FRIDAY (and yes, as promised, Harrison has brought his Friday energy!!!). For our listeners who like a parent-heavy episode more than Harrison — this one is for you!! (lol) OK so - did you know 90% of your adult brain develops between 0 & 5?! WE DIDN’T! So we dug into a few child development topics on this episode: First… your toddler saying "um" isn't rude (side note: is it rude for adults to say um?!), it's actually an important development milestone. Other interesting things: babies who swim actually DEVELOP FASTER (better coordination, balance & body control, and they walk faster too!) and why kids in the 0-5 range absorb language SO much easier than we do as adults (it's a brain state thing called theta and it's genuinely fascinating). Since that was “too much parenting talk” for Harrison, we did one of our date night check-ins live on the pod (ok guys, this is Jules now — would you imagine their date night convo has much to do with…

Welcome back to another episode of Two Parents & A Podcast — happy HUMP DAY (lol). Harrison is BACK from Minnesota and we get a little behind the scenes look on what it's like to drop an exclusive collab with Target (everyone go try the Flock Turkey Bacon Strips!!) before we get into our topics for the day. Here are the big ones: the favorite child (apparently most parents have one) — we talk about what we learned about how this impacts BOTH the favorite AND the non-favorite sibling. Big communication episode too: 1) we talk about adult conversationalists — askers vs. sharers (we're big on both, but apparently either can be considered rude if you go too far), and 2) toddler communication — Tate is starting to be able to answer questions (but from what we've learned, she's just matching our vibes and not understanding quite yet!). Finally, while Harrison was gone, Alex wrote a FREE Substack about division of household labor (the tip: do this exercise with your partner!! the BTS: was this an overshare??). And…

Welcome back to another episode of Two Parents & A Podcast — or rather, this week is 1 parent + 1 childfree (childless??) person lol as Harrison is out of town for a work trip (but DON'T worry, we get a full rundown of his day mid episode). On today's ep, we took some "girlypop" (as Jules calls it) questions from the audience about friendship, relationship, career, and motherhood. Here's a quick rundown of the Qs you can look forward to: how have friendships with your childfree friends changed since having kids? How do you connect with friends outside of kids? (pro tip: BYO pod topics to dinner!). How do you find the courage to leave the house with littles?! (shots on net!!). How do you track your cycle postpartum? What do you & Harrison argue about most postpartum? (AirPods???). And how do you approach career planning as a working mom? Before all that, we quickly get into a bit about the DC trip (did anyone else NOT go on an 8th grade DC trip??), how to deal with other people's kids (are we supposed to be…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!!! We recorded this episode the night before heading out to DC and instead of our usual, we decided to do a little game: we picked a bunch of parenting hot takes & "would you rather" questions to answer rapid-fire, and yes we were all a little slap happy LOL. PSA UPFRONT: we talk about Santa in this episode around 20 minutes in… please do not listen in front of your kids!!! OK let's get into it: A few we cannot stop thinking about: is it ever OK to lie to your kids?! (Santa, tooth fairy, "the iPad only exists on the airplane" lies…), are iPads the modern day cigarette?! (YES), should schools ban birthday treats?! (no), should toddlers actually be expected to share?! (yes!!!), and the great household debate: shoes on or shoes off in the house?! (Harrison is CANADIAN and yet still on Team Shoes On somehow??). Plus, we get into some wild parenting advice from the 1930s-1960s (mothers were told don't breastfeed if you're angry?! Doctors recommended cigarettes…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!!! TBH we started with a 10 minute spiral about CYCLOSPORIASIS (are you guys spiraling too???). We are officially swearing off produce for the time being (but if you don't want to, Dr. Brown taught us to stick to things with peels and still wash them!!). ok ANYWAYS - guess we are saving on berries for the time being… We get into Tate's 3AM wake up: how we handled it, how YOU GUYS said you would handle it, and why we're chill with letting this happen (like once a year). But here's what we know now: we always need to have a game plan because we don't need any 3AM fights. Plus, Tate has a new food obsession, Rocky is officially SOCIAL SMILING 🥹, and Alex gives an update on combo feeding vs. EPing at 3 months postpartum (mental load is a 2/10 vs. a 9/10 with Tate!). And a bunch of quick ones: are West & Amanda pregnant (& poking fun at the rumors on TikTok??), Harrison almost getting in a fight in the World Cup bathroom, David Beckham lives in AMERICA?!,…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!!! Harrison is officially DONE with the World Cup (despite going to the game tomorrow AND talking about it for like 20 minutes on this ep lol). BUT this leads to a fun discussion: is watching sports with someone you're dating the new "turbulence test"?! We run through the RED FLAGS of watching sports with a guy — is his day being made or ruined by other men playing a game he's not in?! 🚩 But first: we broke our own rule and started the pod talking about the weather lol, that one guy who wishes you happy birthday every single year (s/o Kevin Williams!!!), funny date stories (Harrison ends up beside a friend ON A DATE at the bar, getting catfished, and the girl who met her Hinge date's parents on the first date??), the way the Kardashians stay close with their exes despite the drama, and Bubber in Paris?! (an August pipe dream). We also give updates on how everything is going with 2 under 2 (spoiler alert: Tate is still obsessed with Rocky). Then we hop on the…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Friday!!! Rocky is officially out of the 4th trimester 🥹 (it truly is like a light switch flips at 3 months). Speaking of new milestones, Alex tried co-sleeping with him for the first time now that he's past the safe age - the review: loved every second of it but didn't get a whole lot of sleep lol. We start with a trending topic: what is the "back in my day we walked uphill both ways" of our generation?! (i.e. we made it through 4 years of college without ChatGPT!!). Which lead us to an insane discovery… did you know kids at camp are now getting their letters SCANNED and texted to their parents instantly?! Whatever happened to snail mail? Some fun things: spam mail is getting out of hand, Harrison put a Mexican 3-cheese blend on our pizza (thoughts?), and he pulls a text prank on our neighbors (and Jules) live on the pod 💀 Then the announcement that was MADE for this pod: Summer House Canada is officially happening (10 episodes in Muskoka!!) 🇨🇦. Which leads to…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!!! We're back in Austin after our family “vaccination” (lol iykyk ) in Colorado (and we have a lot to catch up on!!!). First: a question from a viral video that has literally broken our brains all week - are your friendships hobby-based or BUDGET-based?! (& why we think the answer depends on the city you live in.) Then we spend a solid 25 minutes doing SMASH or PASS on every detail we've heard from the Taylor Swift x Travis Kelce wedding, because there's just no other way to cover it… 1000 guests, MSG, Adam Sandler officiating, 20 minute vows, arcade games, Krispy Kreme trucks, the whole thing 🤯 (we hit every single one.) PSA: you do NOT have to like Taylor Swift to follow along… this became what WE would do at our wedding lol. Moving on, Harrison is officially declaring July 5th to be New Year's Day 2.0 (a little mid-year reset). Which somehow spiraled him into a pool update (and we genuinely need your help: is it OK to have grass around your pool or…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday (and welcome back from a holiday weekend)!!! We recorded our first ever remote MOUNTAIN edition from COLORADO 🏔️ We just wrapped up our first family trip with friends (5 other couples + 10 kids under 4!!) and all we can say is: if you can plan a trip with friends who have kids the same age as yours… DO IT. After two more structured episodes (our stories + a Q&A - check them out if you haven't!!), we had to have a bit of a chaos episode, starting with an "H-bomb" (lol): the "girl theory" that Harrison would like to bring to the attention of the class… you can TOTALLY tell how well 2 girls know each other by the tone of their "hi"?! From there: why Airbnbs are the ULTIMATE family travel life hack, World Cup fever has OFFICIALLY hit America (we are so excited for 7pm tonight!!), Harrison's honest review of the toddler hiking backpack (spoiler: not making it up the mountain lol), Tate's first experience with a paper straw (it was a no from her), Alex's birthday…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, HAPPY FRIDAY & happy 4th of July weekend!!! 🇺🇸 Today we are answering YOUR questions (about our backgrounds, relationships, kids, anything!!). Quick preview to Monday: TODAY (Friday!!) we are recording an episode IN COLORADO, and we're excited to give you guys the updates on our first family trip. OK ANYWAYS, you guys submitted TONS of questions and we tried to hit as many as we could :-) The big three we dug into: an update on our joint finances (spoiler: everything we said on the OG money episode is basically no longer true…), how Alex ACTUALLY created her mom community in Austin (it comes down to being on offense, prioritizing moms with kids the same age, and following up), and the biggest differences going from 1 kid to 2 under 2 (from a listener who is about to have baby #2!!). We also get into how Harrison found the bonding experience with Tate & Rocky post-birth (a really thoughtful Q from a dad-to-be), what we thought we'd need in early parenthood but genuinely…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!! 🥳 (from Jules!!!) Since we’re on summer break AND it's Alex's 33rd birthday AND we happen to have a LOT of new listeners lately, we figured today was the perfect day for a full reintroduction episode!!! Alex & Harrison take us all the way back to before they knew each other and walk through the sequence of events that got them to where they are today (family of 4 in Austin!!!). Jules’ note to this listener: I learned a TON of new things while we filmed this ep so I’m sure you will TOO!! We start with the Alex: Oklahoma City (Edmond!!) childhood, competitive volleyball, working for Jennifer Welch, moving to LA, going viral on TikTok during Covid (blue hair era!!), moving to New York & the Barstool chapter, her divorce & more! Then Harrison walks us through his backstory: growing up in Vancouver, going to McGill (thanks to one random piece of advice from a guy named Matt), spending 7+ years in finance (NYC, Hong Kong), ending up in San Francisco,…

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!!! We get into a topic I've been thinking about a LOT lately: the postpartum anxiety I'm experiencing the second time around (it's a totally different beast than postpartum depression, AND the anxiety this time is split between two kids…). I share what's actually helping me (s/o to Michelle for the "text me every intrusive thought you have" technique 🥹), and Harrison talks about how he's adapting to support me through it. Then we get into our FIRST family trip with friends!!! We're going to Aspen for the 4th of July (birthday week + America's 250th!), and we ended up with 4 other couples going (the group is 20+!!!). We get into how we picked Aspen, why a kitchen is non-negotiable when traveling with babies, and why having a bunch of friends with kids the same age as yours is the ULTIMATE travel scenario!! Plus, the question that's been on my mind after seeing a viral clip: what ARE non-parents doing between 4 and 8 PM?! (We genuinely cannot remember……