Not Quite Grownup
For elder millennial moms who are politically progressive, emotionally exhausted, and sick of “perfect‑parent” propaganda.This podcast is a warm, funny, and unapologetic space for moms who want to laugh, cry, and rage at the world without pretending they’ve got it all together. We talk about parenting, mental health, and politics the way real friends do—messy, honest, and full of grace.If you’re tired of performative parenting content and want a show that centers empathy, accountability, and joy, this is your safe space.New episodes drop Tuesdays. Find me at www.notquitegrownup.com or @not_quite_grownup on s
Boring but Life-Changing Things Under $30 People Use Constantly
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Caitlin gave up on layered necklaces for years because her long nails could not win a fight with a clasp, until a cheap pack of magnetic clasps changed everything. Inspired by a viral Threads thread of boring, life-changing finds under $30, she rounds up the small fixes that make daily life easier, from scissors in every room to a bin labeled "safe place," plus the one trick behind most of them.
Send Caitlin a text with your own boring, life-changing finds, or leave a review and mention this episode.Read the blog post...Enough is Enough: 6 Practical Ways to Push for Safer Schools
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"There's too much that will make you upset to not start taking action." - Caitlin
Warning: This content discusses school violence, a sensitive topic that may be triggering for some.
Update: This episode recommends YouLobby as a way to find your representatives’ contact information. That site is no longer online. To find and contact your federal, state, and local elected officials, enter your address on USA.gov’s Find and Contact Elected Officials page.
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In the wake of the shooti...
Adult Friendship in Fall: A Panic-y Text & the Proximity Trap
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Caitlin and her best friend almost ghosted each other for their monthly standing dinner date, and the panic that followed turned into a real revelation about why adult friendships that felt effortless all summer suddenly take so much more work once fall hits.
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Who Should Listen...
Moms who've realized their adult friendships ran almost entirely on summer proximity—pool days, camp pickup, kids colliding at the parkAnyone who's had that gut-drop moment of almost missing time with...Fall Vibes: Why I Have 5 Crochet Pumpkins and Zero Regrets
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It's still over 90 degrees out, but Caitlin has already crocheted five pumpkins, one fall leaf, and fully committed to a Halloween playlist she started listening to in July. This episode is a fully unhinged, very funny confession about why fall is more than a season for her—it's a mood she has to manufacture by force.
📧 Sign up for Caitlin's email list to get the crocheted pumpkin photos sent straight to your inbox. And Fall Girlies: Answer the poll in the blog post for this episode to let Caitlin know you're liste...
The Mental Load: 9 Emails, 1 Missed Appointment, and a Full-On Panic
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My Back-to-School Overwhelm Cost Me $600
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A triple-charged PTA fee, an unread dentist appointment reminder, and 9 unopened school emails on Labor Day morning—Caitlin's mental load hit a breaking point before fall even really started. This episode is about why that "admin crap" always seems to land on one parent, and why missing something doesn't mean you're failing.
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You Need This Episode If...
You’re a mom carrying the bulk of ho...Back-to-School Routines: Why My System Totally Failed by Day 4
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It's day four of school, the bus comes in six minutes, and Caitlin's carefully planned back-to-school systems have already fallen apart. This episode is about what happened when trying harder wasn't the answer, and the one new thing that actually stuck in this year's routine.
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Who Should Listen
Moms whose back-to-school routines are already falling apart, even after real planningAnyone who's bought the new planner, the color-coded pens, or the habit tracker app that died by da...Back-to-School Self-Care for Moms: How to Keep the Summer Joy Going
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Your Favorite Summer Habits Don't Have to Retire in September
Just as I finally settle into summer ease, the back-to-school countdown starts creeping back in. In the finale of the Sane Mom Summer series, I ask the question that matters most as fall approaches: does the joy have to end just because summer does? (Spoiler: duh, no.)
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Who Should Listen
Moms who feel that familiar anxiety creeping back in as...Back-to-School Tips for Moms: 4 Ways to Make the Transition Feel Manageable
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A back-to-school commercial ruined Caitlin's day—and made her realize why the whole season feels like a giant mom-run group project. In this episode, she breaks down why back-to-school hits so hard, and shares real (borrowed, stolen, and tested) tips to make the transition feel manageable.
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Moms feeling that tight-chest anxiety just thinking about back-to-schoolParents managing the shift from loose summer routines back into school-year logisticsParents of kids having big fe...ADHD in Summer: Why the Chaos Hits Moms Harder
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How Summer Secretly Wrecks Your ADHD Brain
School's out, routines are gone, and if your ADHD brain feels extra chaotic right now, you're not lazy — you're just missing the structure summer quietly stole from you. In this episode of the Sane Mom Summer series, Caitlin breaks down why ADHD symptoms intensify in summer and shares real, low-effort supports that actually help.
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Who Should Listen
Moms with ADHD (diagnosed or self-suspected) who feel more...5 Easy Steps to Keep Social Media from Wrecking Your Summer Fun
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You started summer with one goal: keep life calmer, lighter, less chaotic. Then you scrolled for two minutes and suddenly your summer looks underwhelming compared to someone else's perfectly curated highlights. Your nervous system is dysregulated, your confidence is shaken, and you're convinced everyone else has figured something out that you missed. Let’s fix that.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Get reminder emails!Summary
Your real life matters more than content, even when it d...
Stop Overexplaining: The 1 Thing I'm Doing to Boost My Confidence
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You're allowed to quit the gym without explaining why.
You're allowed to say no without an explainer paragraph.
You're allowed to let someone else sit with their discomfort while you trust your decision.
This episode is about what real confidence looks like, and it doesn't require you to be loud, polished, or certain.
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You Need This Episode If:
You find yourself overexplaining every decision you makeYou've been managing everyone else's feelings instead of trusting your ownYou’re looking for a way...Sane Mom Summer: Why Summer Breaks Moms—And a Better Way to Cope
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Summer is supposed to be relaxing. Barefoot kids, popsicles, pool days, sleeping in. So why does it make you feel like you're barely holding it together?
The answer isn't that you're doing something wrong. Summer genuinely breaks moms—not because you're weak, but because the structure you've been relying on all year suddenly disappears and gets replaced with a thousand tiny decisions you have to make every single day.
This episode is about why that happens, what it actually costs you, and how to get through summer without completely lo...
Why 'Forgive, Don't Forget' is Actually the Ultimate Self-Care
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Senior year of college. My best friend and roommate. An envelope of cash in the freezer, a lie about her father dying, expensive purses showing up, and then a "break-in" so terrifying that I got in a cop car and drove around looking for the alleged attacker.
Weeks later, I found out the truth from a newspaper headline. The entire thing was staged. No confession. No apology. From the newspaper. In front of other people.
This episode is about what forgiveness looks like when the person who hurt you...
'Sorry Not Sorry': How to Protect Yourself When Accountability Never Comes
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Someone hurt you. You did the brave thing and called them out for it. And then they responded with denial, minimizing, blame-shifting, or the classic non-apology: "I'm sorry you're upset."
That moment can make you feel dismissed and a little unsteady—like you need to build a courtroom case just to prove your own experience.
This episode is about what to do when someone hurts you and refuses accountability. When repair isn't mutual. When they deny, deflect, or gaslight—and still expect access to you and your family.
Clic...Better Than "I'm Sorry": How to Take Accountability with a Real Apology
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"I'm sorry" means nothing if you keep doing the thing you’re “I’m sorry” for. If the same hurt keeps happening, those words become noise—and trust quietly erodes until there's not much left to repair.
This episode is about what to do when you're the one who crossed the line. What a real apology actually looks like, why so many of our go-to phrases miss the mark, and how to make repair believable through accountability and changed behavior—not just words.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with link...Can This Relationship Be Saved? How to Decide After Being Hurt
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Some relationships are worth fighting for. Some aren't ready to be repaired yet. And some people in your life will never give you the closure you deserve—and you need a plan for that too.
This episode is about what to do after someone wrongs you: how to name the harm clearly, how to decide whether repair is actually possible, and how to protect yourself when the other person won't meet you halfway.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay conn...Family Politics & Boundaries: Easy Scripts to Keep Kids Out of the Crossfire
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Political messiness at home hits different. This isn’t internet discourse—this is your dinner table, your co-parent, your in-laws… and your kids sitting right there.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!—
You Need This Episode If...
Political conversations in your family escalate fastYou and your co-parent don’t agree on what’s okay to say around the kidsYour in-laws treat “just asking questions” like an Olympic sportYou’re tired of your kids getting...Quick & Easy Civic Engagement Recap: What We’ve Learned & Next Steps
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The news can make you feel like you're failing at everything all at once: citizenship, parenting, marriage, friendships, and your own mental health.
We're closing out the advocacy arc by getting brutally honest about bandwidth—because the "right" way to be informed and engaged is the one you can actually sustain without melting down in the carpool line.
This is a bridge episode: where we've been, what you've learned, and how to figure out what comes next.
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14 Spring Cleaning Tips That'll Save Your Sanity (Re-release)
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Caitlin is furiously planning the next series for the pod, so we revisit an oldie but goodie with these spring cleaning and organization hacks!
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We share 14 spring organizing tips that scratch the spring cleaning itch without spending a fortune on new storage bins. We also get nerdy about the upcoming total solar eclipse, debate hyperfixation snacks, and tell a cautionary story that starts with cleaning a bathroom vent and ends with a bruised knee.
cleaning vs tidying vs organizing as separate tasks pool noodles to keep boots u...How Advocating for My Son Led to My Adult ADHD Diagnosis (Uncomfy Podcast Appearance)
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Your hands are shaking. Your stomach drops. A parent-friend just told you that your child's kindergarten teacher is using a stern voice with your kid "all the time"—and it isn't getting better.
If you hate confrontation but also can't ignore that protective mama bear instinct, this episode is for you.
This week, I'm sharing my appearance on the Uncomfy podcast with host Julie Rose. We talk about what happened when I chose to advocate for my son anyway—and how that teacher meeting led to not one...
Digital Citizenship: 4 Easy Family Rules for Group Chats and Online Drama
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The internet is raising your kids right alongside you—through DMs, group chats, and comment threads. And that's important, because it's where both empathy and power get practiced every single day.
If media literacy asks, "Is this real or fake?", digital citizenship asks, "Who am I becoming online?"
This episode is about digital citizenship for real families: not vague "be nice online" advice, but concrete habits you can model, repeat, and actually use when group chats turn mean or your kid sees something sketchy.
Click here for this ep...14 Simple Ways You Already Teach Democracy to Your Kids
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Democracy doesn't just live at the ballot box. It's in your kitchen, the car line, and the nightly debate over who picks the movie.
When you think of democracy, you probably think of voting booths or big speeches. But most of the skills kids need for a healthy democracy are actually practiced in those everyday moments—who gets the last chicken nugget, whose turn it is to pick the playlist, and how we handle disagreements about bedtime.
This episode is about turning ordinary parenting moments into practical civics lessons (an...
Easy Media Literacy for Moms: How to Fact-Check Viral Posts Fast
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With all that’s going on in our world, you likely want to take action. But you can’t act wisely if you’re acting on bad information.
If you've ever seen a viral post that spiked your blood pressure and wondered, “Wait, is this even real?”—this episode is for you.
Caitlin and Ariella Monti (author, former journalist, and resident media studies expert) break down practical media literacy you can use between school drop-off and dinner. No theory. Just fast checks that keep you from getting played. Beca...
The Simple 4-Part Framework That Makes Hard Conversations Easier
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Ever wish you had the exact words when a family member crosses a line? When your kid brings you a scary headline? When your teenager parrots something from a sketchy source?
This episode gives you those words.
Caitlin’s breaking down nonviolent communication (NVC). This practical, four-part framework helps you hold boundaries, protect your values, and model respect during the hardest conversations at home, online, and in public.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our...Nonviolent Civic Engagement for Moms: How to Raise Humans Who Care Loudly and Safely
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Want to raise kids who stand up for what's right without tearing people down? Wondering what safe, nonviolent civic engagement actually looks like when you have kids in tow?
This episode is your roadmap.
We're talking about nonviolence as both a strategy AND a family value—from writing one-paragraph emails that move school boards to showing up at protests with clear exit plans.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss an e...Pick Your Lane: 3 Types of Local Activism That Actually Fit Your Life
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Feel like you should be doing more but don't know where to start? Stuck between wanting to defend your values and needing to remember that tomorrow is library day?
Here's the truth: You don't have to save democracy by yourself between soccer practice and bedtime.
This episode is about hyperlocal action that actually fits your life. We're talking school boards, library boards, mutual aid—and how to show up with kids, snacks, and use exactly the amount of bandwidth you have this week.
→ Click here for this...3 Quick Self-Care Tips for Moms Who Can't Stop Reading the News
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If you've ever found yourself reading about the collapse of democracy while your groceries melt in the car, this one's for you.
We're being told to "stay informed" and "be engaged"—and honestly, it feels irresponsible to be anything but. But we're also the default parent, the orthodontist appointment scheduler, and the person who remembers everyone's dietary restrictions at Thanksgiving.
Your nervous system was not designed for an endless breaking news ticker plus elementary school drop-off.
This episode is about building sustainable habits so you can care ab...
How to Talk to Kids About Protests: Helpful Scripts for Every Parent
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Your kid just asked, "What's a protest?"
When protests are all over the news and their social feeds, how do you explain what's happening without panic, preachiness, or paralysis? Today, we're breaking down exactly what to say to kids at different ages, with scripts you can steal and alternatives for when attending a march isn't right for your family.
Confidently answer your kids' questions about protests—listen for honest, age-appropriate scripts that explain what's happening without creating anxiety.
Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to s...How to Handle Family Politics in Front of Your Kids: Scripts That Work
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Parenting through family conflict feels like walking a tightrope. On one side sit your values and a strong urge to protect your child. On the other side lives your love for relatives who see the world differently. And all the while, your kid is watching—not for perfect talking points, but for how you handle the tension.
Today we're sharing what to say to kids before, during, and after disagreements with relatives—how to model respect, clear boundaries, and steady courage when the room gets loud—because tense moments around the table...
When the News Is Scary: How to Talk to Your Kids Honestly
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Life hasn't stopped, even though it feels like the world is falling apart. You're still doing laundry, packing lunches, dealing with broken freezers. And your kids are picking up on your tension—the tone in your voice, the headlines they overhear, the things their friends are saying at school. You don't have all the answers, and that's okay. But staying silent isn't the answer either. Today we're breaking down how to talk to your kids about scary news—with scripts for every age, permission to mess up, and the reminder that you don't need...
The Post-Holiday Blues Are Real: Here's 3 Ways to Beat Them
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The holidays are over. The decorations are packed away, the laundry pile is bigger than ever, and the calendar just got serious again. You're staring down that jarring shift from holiday magic to alarm clocks, packed lunches, and after-school meltdowns. The post-holiday blues are real—and they hit parents just as hard as kids. We're sharing practical strategies to ease back into routine without the whiplash, plus ways to keep a little magic alive in the everyday chaos of January.
We totally understand dreading the return to normal life—hit subs...
32 Winter Break Activities That Won't Drive You (or Your Kids) Crazy
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It's winter break and your kids are already saying "I'm bored" on day two. You're trying to get holiday stuff done relax, but also prevent them from bouncing off the walls for the next week and a half. How do you keep everyone entertained without becoming a full-time cruise director? We're sharing 32 indoor and outdoor activities organized by age group—from preschoolers to teenagers—so you can actually enjoy the break instead of just surviving it.
No need to scramble for winter break activities—hit subscribe and get 32 ideas for every...
Holiday Photo Panic-Posing? 3 Simple Tricks to Look Better in Every Picture
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Raise your hand if you've ever looked at a holiday photo and thought, "What was I DOING with my hands?" Or noticed your arm looks twice its normal size pressed against your body? Or realized your front leg looks like a column instead of, you know, a leg? You deserve to look back at holiday photos and love what you see. We're breaking down three photographer-approved fixes that'll instantly make you look more confident and relaxed in every picture—no awkward posing required.
Stop dreading holiday photos and get in front of...
What Does "Festive Attire" Even Mean? Your Holiday Dress Code Survival Guide
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Ever gotten a "dress casual" invite and thought "what does that even MEAN?" Or worse—shown up to a "festive" party in sequins only to realize everyone else interpreted it as ugly sweaters? Same. Holiday dress codes are confusing, ambiguous, and honestly? Half the time hosts don't even know what they're asking for. We're decoding every dress code from casual to white tie so you never have to panic-Google "what to wear" again.
Stop stressing about what to wear to holiday parties—hit subscribe and get the breakdown of every dres...
8 Social Media Mistakes That'll Ruin Your Holidays—And How to Avoid Them (Re-release)
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The holidays bring out the best in us—and sometimes the absolute worst on social media. Gift bragging, family drama aired publicly, political hot takes that start comment wars... we've all seen it (or been guilty of it). This week we're breaking down 8 types of posts to skip this season and why they matter more than you think. And for the record: "I'm just being honest" is not the same as being kind.
Don’t let social media drama ruin your holidays—hit subscribe and learn how to post with purpos...
18 Thanksgiving Fun Facts You'll Actually Want to Share
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Thanksgiving is full of stories we think we know—but how much is actually true? Was the first Thanksgiving really just Pilgrims and turkey? Why do we pardon turkeys? And why do plumbers dread Black Friday more than any other day of the year? We're trading myths for facts and turning Thanksgiving trivia into stories you'll actually want to share at the table this year.
Don’t repeat Thanksgiving myths—hit subscribe and get the real stories, wild facts, and table-ready trivia that'll make you the most interesting person at dinner...
7 Simple Activities To Keep Your Family Happy and Busy On Turkey Day (Re-release)
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Holiday hosting shouldn't feel like a traffic jam in your kitchen with chaos everywhere and you questioning all your life choices. You want everyone to have fun, make memories, and stay out of your way while you get the meal on the table. We're sharing 7 low-prep, high-joy Thanksgiving activities that keep everyone engaged so you can actually enjoy the day instead of just surviving it.
Stop letting Thanksgiving chaos steal your joy—hit subscribe and get easy activities that create connection without adding to your hosting stress.
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Surviving Political Talk at Holiday Gatherings: 11 Scripts That Work (Re-release)
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The holidays are nearly here, which means you're about to sit across from relatives with very different political views. Fun, right? Whether it's Uncle Bob bringing up the recent election or your cousin sharing hot takes nobody asked for, navigating political conversations at family gatherings is exhausting. We're sharing practical scripts, gentle redirects, and exit strategies that protect your peace without ruining dinner.
Stop dreading family gatherings because of politics—hit subscribe and get practical scripts and boundary-setting strategies that actually work (without causing drama).
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Guess what? It’s tipping season once again. The holidays bring out this weird etiquette stress where you're supposed to know exactly who gets what—your mail carrier, hairstylist, dog walker, that random person who delivers your groceries. We're breaking down holiday tipping so you can show gratitude without the guilt or confusion (or going broke in the process).
Stop stressing about holiday tipping etiquette—hit subscribe and learn who to tip, how much to give, and budget-friendly ways to show appreciation without breaking the bank.
*Note: This is a r...
The Spirit Halloween Story: 8 Facts You Never Knew
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Ever wonder how those Spirit Halloween stores just... appear every September and vanish by November? How do they make money being open only 3 months a year?
The origin story is wild: one guy in the 80s watched a line at a neighboring store, had an idea, and accidentally invented an entire business model. Today, we're breaking down how Spirit Halloween went from a women's clothing store experiment to a $2 billion pop-up empire—and what we can steal from their playbook.
Love a good origin story with practical takeaways? Hit sub...