This week, we’re flipping the script and hearing from the dad side of things — meet Spencer: stay-at-home dad and entrepreneur. We talk about what surprised him most about full-time parenting, how he found his footing while launching a business from home, and what identity, ambition, and fatherhood really look like behind the scenes. It’s honest, funny, and the dad perspective we all need.

Plus:

✨ Our Debrief of the week

⚡️ A rapid-fire round with Spencer

🏆 Our Elite-ish 8: Top fast food places when no one wants to cook dinner

📱 And your In the Group Chat confessions: What’s something your partner does that drives you crazy… but you just live with it?

_________________________________________________________

✨Follow Spencer on LinkedIn ⬇️

https://www.linkedin.com/in/montgomeryspencer/

_________________________________________________________

✨Follow Back Two Home Base on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/

✨Follow Planned-ish on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/planned_ish/

Bedtime battles. 4 a.m. dance parties. That one nap that only lasted six minutes. If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “can toddlers survive without sleep?” — this episode is for you.

This week, we’re diving deep into the wild world of baby and toddler sleep with Samantha (@hellolittlesleeper) — pediatric sleep consultant, mama, and queen of helping parents go from chaos to (kind of) rested.

We talk: – Why sleep is so dang hard for babies & toddlers – Bedtime routines that actually work – Sleep myths we believed (and regret) – How to get back on track after sleep setbacks – And why you’re definitely not failing if your kid still wakes up at 5:12 a.m.

Plus:

✨ Our Debrief of the week

⚡️ A rapid-fire round with Samantha

🏆 Our Elite-ish 8 most defeating parenting moments

📱 And your In the Group Chat confessions: “What’s your go-to “parent escape plan” after bedtime success?

Let’s survive sleep, Planned-ish style. 💙

_________________________________________________________

✨Follow Hello Little Sleeper on Instagram ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/hellolittlesleeper/

www.hellolittlesleeper.com

_________________________________________________________

✨Follow Back Two Home Base on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/

✨Follow Planned-ish on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/planned_ish/

We’re diving headfirst into the invisible weight of parenting — the mental load, the burnout, the “I’m fine” face when you're absolutely not fine. This week, Joe and I sit down with our friend Carly — a licensed therapist, mom, and voice of reason — to talk about the emotional toll of modern motherhood and why so many of us feel like we’re drowning with a smile on our face.

We unpack the guilt of asking for help, sneaky signs of anxiety or postpartum struggles, and how to actually delegate without spiraling. Plus:

✨ Our Debrief of the week (including toddler defense mechanisms)

⚡️ A rapid-fire round with Carly

🏆 Our Elite-ish 8 mental health lifesaver items

📱 And your In the Group Chat confessions: “What’s one thing you wish your partner would just do — without being asked?!”

If you’ve ever muttered “I’m fine” while eating your toddler’s crusts and crying into a coffee you reheated three times… this one’s for you.

______________________________________________________________

✨Follow Planned-ish on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/planned_ish/

✨Follow Back Two Home Base on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/

This week, I convinced my husband Joe to grab a mic and get real with me about the beautiful, messy, snack-covered reality of marriage after kids. Spoiler: it’s less candlelit dinners, more whisper-arguing over who packed the diaper bag.

We dive into the four big themes that are way too relatable for any parent couple:

• “We Thought It Would Be…” – what we imagined parenting would look like… and how wildly off we were
• “The Shift to Teammates” – how we tag-team chaos and find small ways to show up for each other
• “Connection vs. Survival Mode” – the difference between real intimacy and “let’s just make it through bedtime”
• “Logistics Overload” – why most of our conversations start with “Did you pack…?” and how we’re working to bring us back

We’re also sharing our Favorites of the Week — little marriage wins that made us feel like a team (even if it was just splitting snacks after bedtime), and we’re going In the Group Chat with your hilarious responses to: 👉 “Finish this sentence: Romance after kids looks like…”

And of course, I put Joe in the hot seat with some classic Rapid Fire Questions that may or may not include who the dramatic parent is and what chore counts as a love language.

If your idea of a couple’s retreat is sitting silently in the same room while your kids nap… this episode’s for you.

______________________________________________________________

✨Follow Planned-ish on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/planned_ish/

✨Follow Back Two Home Base on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/

We’re talking about the kind of rest parents actually need—and spoiler: it’s not just sleep. This week, I’m joined by my first-ever guest (!) to break down the invisible mental load of “relaxing,” why traditional self-care advice misses the mark, and how to build in micro-breaks that actually help. Plus: my self-care faves of the week, a very honest Planned-ish Pivot, and your funniest "this totally counts as rest" moments from the group chat.

✨Follow The Balanced Mom on Instagram ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/thebalanced.mom/

⬇️ The Balanced Mom 3-Day Reset Guide:

https://thebalancedmom.ca/3-day-reset-guide?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafLKXD5qtHxVPHPM82r4-azgmbJLPT_yVpEkhbclivBaF7Gjqw7q8du2CHRBA_aem_lQ4EWcweA2ga9YuOdacXWg

______________________________________________________________

✨Follow Planned-ish on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/planned_ish/

✨Follow Back Two Home Base on Instagram⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/

Let’s talk about why dinner is never just dinner when you’re a mom. It’s budgeting, planning, negotiating with picky eaters, and sometimes crying in front of the freezer. In this episode, I’m unpacking the invisible mental load behind meal planning and sharing how I simplified it with my weekly meal flow (a lot less pressure, a lot more survival snacks).

PLUS: – My Planned-ish Pivot of the week – Easy snack faves I’m living for – Your most chaotic “my kid won’t eat THAT?!” replies in In the Group Chat

If you’re tired of feeling personally victimized by dinner, this one’s for you.

Ever wonder what happens when toddlers take over the schedule? In today’s episode, I’m breaking down how our weekly activity board works, why we gave our twins the power to choose their day’s theme (yes, really), and how something as simple as “Movement Day” turns into a chaotic but beautiful routine.

We’ll chat about the power of visuals, giving toddlers a sense of control, and why routines don’t have to be rigid to work. Plus, the hilarious reality of what actually happens when you try to plan anything with small kids.

Whether you're craving more structure or just need to feel seen in the madness—this one’s for you.

I had my sights set on VP, tailored blazers, and spreadsheets that made sense… and then I got pregnant with twins.

In this first episode of Planned-ish, I’m sharing the wildly unfiltered story of how I left corporate finance, spiraled into motherhood (with snack crumbs and self-doubt), and slowly built my way back with routines that actually work for real life—not just the highlight reel.

Spoiler: perfection died with the diaper bag. But what rose from the chaos? Flexible flow, realistic routines, and this podcast.

We’re kicking off with my personal pivot story, plus a peek into how Planned-ish was born—and why your mental load probably deserves its own PTO.