This week Melanie and Allison dive into a detailed recap and final thoughts on the TV show 'Seeking Sister Wife.' The hosts discuss their new podcast equipment and share funny anecdotes about their families before transitioning to the main topic. They talk about different couples from the show, including Nick and his wives, their hot tub scene, and the dynamics in Garrick and Dannielle Merrifield's relationship. The conversation touches on other couples from the show, their backgrounds, and the potential new sister wives. We also discuss potentially covering some other reality shows like 'Below Deck,' 'Bachelorette," and 'Unexpected.'

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome

01:34 Recap of Seeking Sister Wife Begins

03:26 Nick, April, Jennifer and Danielle Davis (Jasmine, too!)

14:06 Justin and Becky Ryan

19:00 Garrick and Dannielle Merrifield

33:43 New Shows and Future Plans

38:00 Closing

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Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

This week, Melanie and Allison will be tackling a hot topic: synthetic food dyes and allergies. Join us as we discuss the origins of these artificial colorants, their potential health risks - especially for children - and share personal stories and insights on navigating food choices. Whether you're concerned about hyperactivity, skin reactions, or just want to make healthier decisions for your family, this episode is packed with valuable information and practical tips. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation!

Synthetic food dyes, often derived from petroleum, are commonly used in the food industry to enhance the color and appeal of processed foods. Despite their widespread use, these artificial colorants have been associated with various health concerns, including allergic reactions.

Common synthetic food dyes include Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1. These dyes can cause adverse reactions in some individuals, ranging from mild symptoms like hives and itching to more severe responses like anaphylaxis, especially in those with existing sensitivities or allergies. Moreover, some studies suggest a link between synthetic dyes and behavioral issues in children, such as hyperactivity.

NOTE:
In this episode we discuss the California Assembly Bill 418 (AB 418) which specifically prohibits the sale of food containing red dye 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben. As found on food-safety.com, studies have suggested the additives may be linked to serious health harms, such as cancer, reproductive issues, and childhood behavioral and developmental problems. More information about the bill can be found here.

Other Resources:

1.) Melanie mentioned using the EWG app while grocery shopping. You can download the app on Apple's App Store or by clicking here. More information about the Environmental Working Group can be found here.

2.) Here is a listing of food dyes that Melanie mentioned:

Red 40
Red 3
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Green 3
Blue 1
Blue 2

More information about synthetic food dyes can be found on the Center for Science in the Public Interest's website or by clicking here. Alternative names for some synthetic dyes can be found here.

3.) The really hard word that Melanie and Allison were trying to pronounce is "Azodicarbonamide".

4.) Melanie mentioned following @thefoodbabe on Instagram.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:32 Synthetic Food Dyes and Health Issues

01:21 Personal Experiences with Food Sensitivities

02:13 The Impact of Food Dyes on Health

04:14 Navigating Food Choices and Alternatives

07:10 The Hidden Dangers in Everyday Foods

17:37 Challenges of Managing Food Allergies

23:08 Living with a Corn Allergy

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

In this BONUS episode of "Midlife Moms Pod," Melanie and Allison spend a Friday morning together discussing things that are chaotic in their lives. Topics range from end of school year activities, sprained ankles, lost and found dogs, and WW2 movies, to name just a few.

We evaluate what everyday items bring chaos into our lives and how we wouldn't trade any of it for all the popsicles and coffee in the world.

Timestamps:

00:39 Early Morning Chaos

03:28 School Events and Fun Day

04:29 Midlife Mom Struggles

05:50 Dog Stories and Pet Chaos

16:25 Kids and Their Activities

19:35 College and Career Discussions

26:01 Homework and School Challenges

27:50 Daily Chaos and Mom Life

30:12 Differences Between Moms and Dads

31:39 Balancing Personal Goals and Parenting

32:56 The Never-Ending Mom Brain

33:30 Struggles with Sleep and Health

37:58 TV Preferences and Relationship Dynamics

49:29 A Day of Chaos and a Lost Dog

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

In this episode of Midlife Moms Pod, Melanie and Allison travel back in time to 1993 and revisit our Proms. This episode starts with a few censor bleeps as Allison loses her mind followed by us laughing our way through what can only be described as take 3 of our attempt at recording this episode.

Once we shake off our technical failures, we share stories of our prom days of yore and compare them to the outlandish promposals and prom shenanigans of today.

As per usual we veer off course for a bit and discuss how Melanie wants to go to prom dressed up as an inflatable dinosaur (not sure I got that right) and how we think our kids would handle going to prom.

Allison stuns Melanie by telling her that kids today don't always get their driver's licenses as soon as they turn 16. We also share our marriage proposals and how they're not always those seen in a fairytale.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

3:37 Prom Season Nostalgia

9:09 The Evolution of Prom Attire

14:56 One word: Pantyhose

19:50 Shark Tracking Adventures

23:55 Back on topic…Promposals

26:42 Veering Off Course - Halloween Costume Plans

32:25 Vintage Prom Dresses and Hair

34:11 Upcoming Prom Events and crashing pre-Prom Dinners

37:25 Kids and Drivers Licenses

40:55 Romantic Proposals

46:07 Wrapping Up

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

In this BONUS episode of "Midlife Moms Pod," Melanie and Allison share their experiences from a weekend in April where we discuss Melanie's visit to the Clay County Fair. Melanie discusses the fun and challenges of managing fair activities with her family, highlighting mom fails and the unexpected joys of finding fair food she can eat due to dietary restrictions.

We also provide an update on the bug project and talk about how we can't stop overcommitting to end-of-the-school-year activities, and the value of enjoying these moments while our children are still young.

We end by discussing how our kids viewed the solar eclipse and celebrating Willow's 3rd birthday, rounding out a discussion that blends the joys and trials of midlife motherhood.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:23 - Adventures at the Clay County Fair
05:48 - Fair Rides and Safety Concerns: A Parent's Perspective
08:31 - Fair Food Frenzy
16:33 - Concerts at the Fair and Local Celebrity Neighbors
19:38 - More Fair Fun - Games and Ticket Pricing Shenanigans
22:28 - An Update on the Bug Project and Overcommitting at the End of the School Year
29:19 - The Eclipse Experience and Celebrating Willow's Birthday
32:18 - Wrapping Up: The Fair, Overcommitment, and Midlife Moms Sign Off

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

Join Melanie and Allison this week as we discuss one of our favorite shows, “Seeking Sister Wife”. Specifically, we discuss Season 5, episodes 1-10 which is the current season as of this recording (May 2024). The podcast touches on themes of manipulation, the intersection of religion and personal desires, and the consequences of alternative lifestyles. Material may not be suitable for young audiences.

We begin by discussing our unhealthy obsession with reality TV and how it’s not just a form of entertainment but it's also been our source of endless fascination for more than 20 years. It's been a long time since the '90s introduced us to Reality TV with shows like "The Real World," and then later "Survivor," "The Hills," "Rock of Love," "Celebrity Rehab," "Big Brother," "The Bachelor," "Southern Charm," "Summer House," and "Jersey Shore."

Season 5 of "Seeking Sister Wife" features 5 couples and their search to add an additional "wife" to their families. Some are new couples to the show, while the others are returning families who bring the drama!

Couples discussed on Season 5 of "Seeking Sister Wife" with time stamps:

Nick, April, Jennifer, and Danielle (4:30): Nick is a stay-at-home dad who's intellectual abilities charm his wives. Is adding a new wife going to make Danielle Davis' head spin or will she accept the dynamics within their multiple-wife scenario.

Garrick and Dannielle Merrifield (35:12): Garrick strongly believes God has led him to polygamy and Dannielle is not so sure about it. The couple's journey over the last few seasons includes courting Bert from Brazil and the complications that ensued when she didn't come to the US. Now they're courting Nathalia who's also from Brazil. Will Garrick's last K-1 Visa option pan out or fail miserably?

Other Couples: We discuss other couples like Naeem and Nailah Salahuddin (13:31), exploring their conflicts with Naeem's mother, and speculate on motivations behind their polygamous pursuits. And, mention new couples like Shane and Ashley Sherwood (27:23) and Becky and Justin Ryan (20:10).

Come listen as we deep dive into the backgrounds of the couples, engage in a bit of gossip and speculation about the motives and backstories of the couples, including financial troubles, potential scams, and deep-seated psychological components. and provide extra context not always covered in the show itself.

NOTES:
In the conclusion Allison mentions that she is leaving to go see her favorite podcasters perform live. Shout out to Reality Gays. You can find them on Instagram @RealityGaysPod.

To learn more about Garrick and Dannielle Merrifield, Allison recommends watching "The Merrifield's Journey So Far" available on YouTube.

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

Tune in to this week’s episode where Melanie and Allison forget about bugs and indulge in some light-hearted conversation about their favorites. That's right, it's time to dive into the world of movies, TV, and sweets… followed by some safety tips!

Ever find yourself stopping on a channel because your favorite movie from childhood is on? That's exactly where we start our journey in the latest episode, reminiscing about the movies that take us back to our younger days. Most of the movies discussed are feel-good movies from the 80s. From heartwarming romances to hilarious comedies, these films transport us to a simpler time filled with laughter, love, and unforgettable characters.

Switching reels to the small screen, we chat about the TV shows that have us hooked, laughing, and sometimes reluctant to watch the last season - just so it never ends. And, have you ever played the "just one more episode" game way past bedtime? We're right there with you, balancing binge-watching with the demands of family life.

We then share our favorite candy recommendations, explore our skincare routines, and even discuss fire safety and the tools needed to break a window in case you find yourself careening over the side of a bridge (not recommended).

Remember, whether you're watching a feel-good movie, eating your favorite sweet or staying prepared for emergencies, the key is to find balance and enjoy every moment.

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!

In this episode Melanie and Allison discuss just how excited they are to learn which bug their child will be assigned for the annual "First Grade Bug Project." Allison begins the episode by explaining her one single rule of the insect project: "Anything but the cockroach!" In this episode we'll learn just how roach-phobic Allison really is and how her negotiations with the teacher didn't go unnoticed.

We continue our discussion of fears with Melanie explaining her fear of sharks and how she married her husband even though he purposely took her on a shark ride at Universal. She also tells us why she doesn't like playgrounds.

Allison also talks about how much she hates balloons and how she found out she was allergic to latex.

(26:37) The ladies change gears to focus more on their favorite things of life which include Cadbury Mini Eggs, chocolate, and a can of Regular Coke (the soda). It's here where we first learn that Melanie is allergic to corn which is basically found in almost every kind of food. This prompts Allison to ask Melanie if she could eat the bunny cake she's making for her son for Easter this weekend. We continue on the favorite food trail and talk about loving regular Coke (the soda) and popsicles.

(34:47) Wouldn't it be great to sit on the beach and drink a big 52 ounce soda from Kangaroo like we did in college? It would but then we get back to discussing what it's like to have household chores that need to be done and kids that need to be fed. Sigh.

Resources:
Melanie mentions Nightshade-free Gluten Free Flour Mix

Warning: Allison mentions cockroaches starting at the 4:49 minute mark. She would appreciate being warned so she wanted to pass the message along to you listeners.

You can also send us a text message.

Find Midlife Moms Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also find us Buzzsprout where we have a full listing of all our episodes, Instagram (@midlifemomspod), and Facebook. Listen, like, and subscribe! We hope you enjoy the show!