Forced Family Fun Isn't Always Fun
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
Release Date: 06/02/2026
Be Unbothered This Week
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
This week, Vanessa shares about how she threw her own birthday party and how it taught her that if you build it, people will come. Celebrating together is something that women get to be good at! This conversation led to a discussion about whether or not you're a party planner and how to not let those expectations fail when things like holidays, birthdays, and family traditions don't go according to plan. The best advice is that you get to create your own family culture, and the best way to be is to stay unbothered.
info_outline
What Swollen Ankles Taught Us About Our Purpose
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
Vanessa just spent two and a half weeks in the Dominican Republic building a school with her son Declan, taking cold showers out of a garden hose, and coming home fearing permanently swollen ankles and asking herself a big question: "who am I now?" We talk about the weird whiplash of walking straight from that into an air-conditioned house and a "well-stocked Costco" — plus what happened when she got her phone back after weeks off social media. We also get into why Chatbooks just switched to with no hidden fees (yes, we're losing money on the big books on purpose), why we proactively...
info_outline
Proud to Be a Human
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
In this episode, we chat about what it actually feels like to come home after time abroad (hint: air conditioning has never felt so good), a wild pickpocketing incident in Rome that took an unexpected turn, and why a cold Diet Coke is genuinely one of America's greatest gifts to the world. We also get into why World Cup social media has been one of the most surprisingly feel-good corners of the internet lately, what it looks like to teach kids real gratitude without dismissing hard things, and why choosing a good attitude, even when it's hard, is always worth it. Plus, we're making Chatbooks a...
info_outline
Are We Health Maxxing Too Hard? with Rikki!
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
In this episode, Julie and Sarah are joined by podcaster OG and sister to Vanessa, Erika Anderson. They discuss why we should all have vices and why motherhood especially requires us to sometimes just simply chill. They discuss the trend of "health maxxing" and why that isn't sustainable over a lifetime. And sometimes it's okay to just endulge every once in a while. Get started on your !
info_outline
Girl Bossing Too Close to the Sun
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
In this episode, Julie and Sarah discuss the topic of women in the workplace. They share how attitudes have changed over time, what having female bosses looks like and how we can do better. It's an exciting episode that we can't wait to hear your thoughts on!
info_outline
Nostalgia and Timothee Chalamet
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
In this episode, the ladies share their feelings on Timothee Chalamet, riverdance, why nostalgia sometimes makes us sad, and how we can still find ways to embrace and be gracious to our old selves. You'll want to share this one with friends! Father's Day Sale ends today! now!
info_outline
Forced Family Fun Isn't Always Fun
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
On The MomForce Podcast this week, the ladies talk about how family fun sometimes has to be orchestrated and it's not always fun. Sometimes we simply have to do things out of obligation. And sometimes we have to keep fighting for it, because as Julie says, "when my kids are having fun, I'm having fun." Plus, Sarah shares her life's motto: if it isn't a good time, it's a good story.
info_outline
The MomForce Does 200 Episodes!
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
We are SO GLAD if you've been around with us since the beginning! Happy 200! In this episode, Vanessa, Sarah, and Julie discuss how they'll reward themselves after making it through May. They also romanticize a simple summer. One where you don't have to do too much to still have a good time. It's the little moments like jumping on the trampoline, going out with the kids to the gas station, and finding your favorite local spots. It's an episode to really feel a lot less mom guilt and a lot more relief of pressure.
info_outline
We'll Get Through It, Right?
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
Not to bring the mood down, but we can't always be positive! This week, Sarah and Vanessa start the podcast off with just a little wallowing, because what's motherhood and womanhood without a little time to complain about it? And in a crazy twist, Julie is there to bring up the mood! She gives some hard, but helpful advice: sometimes you actually might need to be doing more. We know, sounds crazy. And of course, it's not a message of running yourself ragged, but instead a message of simply "it's okay to not always have to face your problems." This episode has it all: conversations about...
info_outline
In Praise of the Eldest Daughters
The MomForce Podcast Hosted by Chatbooks
Julie and Sarah, who are the two youngest daughters, are coming into the episode today to sing the praises of their older sisters, while also picking a few bones because, hey, they're still the babies. Vanessa, the eldest of TWELVE children and FIVE sisters shares in her wisdom, and in true eldest daughter fashion claims that it was a "privilege" to be an older sister to younger sisters. Sarah and Julie lament that eldest sisters never got to have older sisters to rely on. What would we do without the older sisters of the world?
info_outlineOn The MomForce Podcast this week, the ladies talk about how family fun sometimes has to be orchestrated and it's not always fun. Sometimes we simply have to do things out of obligation. And sometimes we have to keep fighting for it, because as Julie says, "when my kids are having fun, I'm having fun." Plus, Sarah shares her life's motto: if it isn't a good time, it's a good story.