No guest, no agenda — just us yapping. This week Catie and Danielle are back for a pure catch-up episode and honestly? We had a lot to say.

Danielle is mid-travel chaos, running on zero clean clothes and a dream, while Catie is trying to figure out how to top the Yeti Camino her husband got her for Mother's Day without buying another golf club set. We get into Father's Day gift ideas that actually land, the white button down that had high hopes and let us both down, and why our second kids are simply built different.

Plus — Jack's kindergarten graduation had us emotional, Calvin sat through a five-vial blood draw without blinking, and Danielle's son found out his mom also goes to therapy. Turns out all the cool kids are a little messed up.

Chapters

• 00:00 - We Need a Jingle
• 01:36 - Father's Day Plans & Birthday Party Collisions
• 03:43 - What Dads Actually Want
• 04:08 - DIY Golf Ball Gifts & the Malbon Hat
• 05:20 - The Reciprocal Gift Pressure
• 07:19 - Danielle's Travel Chaos
• 08:21 - Women's Empowerment Events & the "Shrill" Spiral
• 09:35 - The White Button Down That Lied to Us
• 11:10 - Jack's Kindergarten Graduation
• 12:14 - Your 5-Year-Old Is Worried About Your Work Schedule
• 13:37 - Calvin's Blood Draw: Didn't Flinch
• 14:42 - Therapy Is Normal Now
• 15:59 - Love Island vs. Big Brother

Pull up a seat. We're just here to yap.

You've got the nursery done, the registry checked off, and the hospital bag packed — but are you actually ready?

This week, Catie and Danielle sit down with Nina Spears, founder and CEO of Baby Chick, certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, and author of the brand-new The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy. With 15+ years of experience supporting 800+ families and attending over 350 births, Nina has seen it all — and she's here to talk about the one thing most moms skip: preparing for becoming a mother.

Nina breaks down why our culture obsesses over baby stuff but ignores the emotional, physical, and relational shifts that hit hardest after delivery. She shares what she wishes every mom knew before coming home from the hospital, how to navigate the identity crisis of returning to work, and why the most capable women often struggle the most.

If you've ever looked at your baby and thought "now what?" — this episode is for you.

📖 Pre-order Nina's book and enter to win over $5,500 in prizes (Halo, Mockingbird, Coterie + more): baby-chick.com/positive-pregnancy-book

Subscribe to Nina's free newsletter and explore all things pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood at baby-chick.com

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro & Welcome 01:35 – Nina's Origin Story: How a Childless 23-Year-Old Became a Baby Expert

05:22 – "Baby's Here, Now What?" — How Unprepared Are Moms Really?

07:02 – Why Our Culture Celebrates the Baby But Forgets the Mother

10:50 – The Most Common Thing Moms Wish They Had Prepared For

13:43 – Identity Shifts, Mom Guilt, and Learning to Ask for Help

15:34 – How Baby Chick Was Built (and How Nina Vets What Gets Published)

18:39 – The Information Overload Problem — and How to Find Trustworthy Advice

21:57 – Returning to Work as a Completely Different Person 24:12 – The Emotional Reality of the Fourth Trimester (and Beyond)

27:25 – If You Want a Village, Be a Villager

29:36 – Why the Moms Who Look Like They Have It Together Often Struggle Most

30:48 – The One Thing Nina Wishes Every Mom Knew Before Baby Arrives

33:27 – About the Book + Giveaway Details

Come catch up on life with us. For those of you that are new here, welcome. We're 2 working moms who have full time 9-5 jobs. We work remote, mostly. We also run this full time and are business partners.

Catie's kids are 3 & 4

Danielle's kids are 3 & 7

Let's get into this weeks therapy session.

Catie's three-year-old is basically blind (fine, astigmatisms, but same energy), Calvin showed up to the office in mom's sunglasses watching Peppa Pig during a live meeting, and somehow rainbow glasses are now a hill we're willing to die on. Meanwhile Danielle solo-pilgrimaged to a BTS concert in Vegas, made three new best friends in the parking lot, and is already planning her Stray Kids festival outfit down to the lightstick.

We also solve the great debate: summer bucket list vs. themed activity days, why $590 art camp is a hard no, and how drop-off logistics are genuinely a second full-time job nobody hired us for.

Chaotic. Unfiltered. Basically free therapy.

• 00:00 – Welcome to the Therapy Hour
• 00:48 – Calvin Is Basically Blind & We're Spiraling
• 07:40 – Peppa Pig, Dilated Pupils & a Very Unbothered Toddler
• 11:16 – Colton Failed the Swim Test & We're Actually Fine With It
• 12:25 – Danielle Goes Solo to Vegas (for a K-pop concert, obviously)
• 13:21 – Are We Too Old for Concert Merch? (No.)
• 17:01 – $590 for Art Camp. We Said No.
• 22:04 – Bucket Lists vs. Themed Days: The Summer Planning Debate
• 27:12 – Why Are We Still Dressing Our Kids? They're Four.
• 29:17 – Morning Drop-Off Math Nobody Warned Us About
• 31:26 – Moms Gone Wild (Nick Jonas + Stray Kids, separately)