Mom Jeans and Minivans

The Unspoken Topic, Ectopic Pregnancy, The Mental and Physical Toll

Join Morgen and Trisha in this episode as they share their deeply personal journeys through ectopic pregnancy, a terrifying and often isolating experience for so many women. 

Morgen opens up about the added heartbreak and devasting loss of her last remaining embryo, adding another layer of complexity and grief to her story. 

Both women share their individual stories, from the initial symptoms and diagnosis to the emotional fallout. Hear their struggles and raw, honest emotions from Morgen, who this has just happened to, and Trisha, 12 years after her experience. The recovery is long. 

Join their conversation about loss, resilience, and the power of shared experience as they work toward healing and offer support and understanding for one another. If you've been affected by ectopic pregnancy or know someone who has, this episode is for you. Feel free to reach out to us anytime at momjeansandminivans@yahoo.com.

Big Feelings After The 2024 Election

This week, we are excited to welcome a special guest, Kasia. She is a mother of two, a working professional in the health industry, a wife, a fantastic friend, and an avid baker. Originally from Poland, Kasia has been living in the United States for ten years.

After the November election, she, along with Trisha and Morgen, experienced a wave of emotions. For all of us, the issue was never simply about Democrats versus Republicans; rather, it centered around compassion, acceptance, and openness to those who may be different from us. 

In this episode, we openly discuss our feelings and the challenges we face in making a positive difference in the world for our children’s future. We explore how we can raise "dragon slayers" and examine the reality that good people can make poor choices when misinformed. 

As always, we want to hear from all of you! Feel free to connect with us on Instagram or via email at momjeansandminivans@yahoo.com. This episode may be polarizing, and we welcome all opinions. It serves as a reminder that we are all people with feelings, and open conversations are best conducted with kindness and an open mind.

Bad Ass Mom: We Get It Done

Morgen and Trisha celebrated the end of 2024 by recognizing their incredible journey as badass mamas (with Morgen leading the charge, but let's not forget that all parents are truly remarkable in their own right). Join us as Morgen shares her inspiring story of managing three children while her husband, Phil, was hospitalized for 10 days, all while balancing a full-time job. Her village has been a true lifeline through it all.

Here is the link to Phil’s donor site!  
https://www.nkr.org/PGG497/Card

Wishing you and your families a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year! Here’s to a healthy and fulfilling 2025!

Is It Perimenopause or Menopause?

Morgen and Trisha are back and diving straight into a sizzling topic (pun intended)—perimenopause! Get ready for an eye-opening conversation that promises to spark insightful discussions and shed light on this important phase of life.
At just 43, Trisha is navigating the rocky waters of perimenopause. She's battling her ovaries' not-so-subtle protests and experiencing ovulation cramps like never before. To top it off, she's grappling with debilitating menstrual migraines, a complete loss of libido, and a mood that rarely rises above the gray. Determined to reclaim her balance, Trisha has started exploring natural remedies to help ease her symptoms. She’s learned that Black cohosh can work wonders in balancing hormones, while Ashwagandha may offer some relief by boosting her mood, enhancing sleep, and promoting relaxation. Trisha is on a journey to find her way back to feeling like herself!
Tune in to discover more, and we’d love to hear your stories too! Feel free to drop us an email at momjeansandminivans@yahoo.com. As Morgen puts it, happy hour has definitely taken on a whole new vibe these days—can you relate? 😂

Parental Learnings, The Things We Figure Out As We Navigate Parenthood

It’s been a while, but Morgen and Trisha could not be happier about being back together to record! Life gets a little crazy, but finding their space here means so much to them, so thank you to everyone joining. Today is all about their parental learnings! 

Screentime is topic #1: How much is too much? How do you monitor it? Have you noticed any changes in your child’s behavior?
Don’t miss out on the rest: potty training, healthy eating, swimming comfort levels, and navigating kid emotions. 

New to this episode, Morgen and Trisha added the one-liners—you know, those things that the kids say that make you mortified, chuckle, and sometimes at a loss for words. They give the top three things their kids have said in addition to their momfessions. Till next time, ciao!!!

Life Has Been Happening, and It's Time for Us to Catch Up

Well, this episode will give you some insight into why we’ve been off the grid for a while (with pop-in appearances from all the kiddos). Morgen and Trisha catch up on life, love, health, and family as they keep it real with all the big feelings. Life has a funny way of reminding us how short it is, what is truly important, and what we’re made of. Transitions and challenges are inevitable in life, and it’s how we handle them that builds our character.

Listen in to get an update on what has been happening in the lives of Morgen and Trisha, and give them an update on your own life at momjeansandminivans@yahoo.com.

Family Moving Day and Big Life Changes

Strap in for a heavy one. Trisha and Morgen dive into some significant life events they have recently experienced and are working through and processing. 
Trisha's twin sister, Jessica, moved her and the kids 10 hours away. Trisha and Jessica have been together for everything… their children's births, their marriages, Trisha's divorce, the birth of their children, all the way up to the passing of Jessica's husband two years ago. They have never been more than an hour apart. 
Morgen talks about the nostalgia of visiting with family she hasn't seen in over a decade, partaking in traditions and food recipes she had forgotten about, and even driving by her birth mother's house. 
There are phone calls, texts, FaceTime, and emails, but nothing can replace face-to-face interactions with the ones you love. Change is inevitable in life. It's how quickly you can adapt, make the most of your new situation, and embrace all that there is to learn along the way. 

And Then There Were Three... The Parents Are Outnumbered

Apparently, Trisha and Morgen need to record in the mornings because the energy level is palpable. And how appropriate as we introduce Morgen and Phil’s 3rd edition to the family, Harlow Rae! 
Trisha and Morgen catch up on life with the three and the dynamics in the home. They discuss the challenges of giving each child one-on-one attention while also managing big emotions and ensuring there is quiet downtime from the constant go. 
As the family grows and being working parents, it also means recruiting childcare to help out. You won’t want to miss Charlie and Auggie’s little voices at the end of this episode and the momfessions. Please don’t hesitate reach out and say hello at momjeansandminivins@yahoo.com

Viewer Email - Newborn Bonding, Books, Diapering Tricks, and More

Get ready for some Morgen and Trisha squirrel moments because this episode got them. Every once in a while, Mom Jeans and Minivans likes to take a listener email and share their responses with the whole listening clan. Follow along as Morgen and Trisha tackle newborn bonding and entertainment, sensory bin ideas, their favorite children’s books, diaper-changing tricks, tv shows, and parental advice. It’s like eight mini-episodes rolled into one, a smorgasbord of topics. Enjoy! Reach out, and maybe you’ll make the next episode, momjeansandminivans@yahoo.com!

Raising Grateful Kids and Not Spoiled Kids

How do we teach gratitude to our children? Morgen and Trisha discuss how they have been handling the girls, who are four years old and with an influx of birthday parties to attend. Charlie has been struggling with gift-giving and being unable to keep or open the presents herself. Morgen can't help but wonder if there is more she should be doing to teach her about giving to others and ensure Charlie isn't becoming spoiled. Morgen is hoping Trisha is right and this is simply a phase. 🤞🏽

Trisha continues to teach Remi the importance of giving to children and people who are less fortunate. It is challenging to go into a store and not have Remi ask for toys, so Trisha made a rule that she will purchase a small item for Remi with every four toys she donates. 

What do you do to help teach gratitude to your children? Please share because, as parents, we are constantly learning and growing! Also, you're not going to want to miss our end of the episode mom-fessions! They're the best part.