Atomic Moms

Webby Awards founder and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tiffany Shlain chats with host Ellie Knaus about how we can reboot our relationship with technology.

Thank goodness for the internet. We crave connectivity in these isolating times - and I felt so lucky this month to be able to meet my best friend's baby over Zoom - but what connections are we missing when we're glued to our screens?

In this conversation, we examine our own impulses when it comes to social media, newsfeeds, and online shopping, and we discuss what can be gained - in loving connections and creativity - if we follow in our guest's footsteps and take a "technology shabbat" one day a week.

Shlain's bestseller 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week is now available in paperback (8/20/20). Think you could do it? Listen up!

x Ellie Knaus

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This episode is sponsored by the children's sound companion Ellodee. Go to: Ellodee.com/atomicmoms

Shoutouts to listener Angela Burnell (@theangellaburnel) for sharing her voice (literally) and experience with sickle cell anemia and this episode's podcast guest matchmaker (and atomic moms guest) Jennifer Traig.

Our sound engineer is Owen O'Neill and our composer is Jeremy Turner.

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Chelsea Clinton, former first daughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation shares with me (Ellie Knaus) steps we can take to empower the next generation. On the podcast, she gives us a glimpse of her own family life with three young children and reveals a never before shared mother-daughter moment from her own childhood when she truly "persisted”.

We also celebrate her new book SHE PERSISTED IN SPORTS: American Olympians Who Changed the Game, the third book in Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger’s #1 New York Times bestselling She Persisted picture book series. She Persisted in Sports highlights American female athletes who have faced their own unique sets of challenges and excelled because of their persistence. Listen up! xx Ellie

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Special thanks to our sound engineer Owen O'Neill and composer Jeremy Turner.

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#262 - We're talking about signs of anxiety in our kids and how we can support them (and us!) in this wild and crazy, stomach churning time. 3x esteemed guest Dr. Shefali Tsabary (The Conscious Parent) is a New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned clinical psychologist who received her doctorate from Columbia University. She specializes in the integration of Eastern philosophy and Western psychology. Renee Jain, MAPP who received her masters in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania is the founder of child-psychology start-up GoZen! Together they’ve written the new kid’s book SUPERPOWERED: Transform Anxiety into Courage, Confidence, and Resilience offering tools and strategies to tap into our five inherent super powers. Do you know what they are? Listen up. xx Ellie Knaus

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Join our @atomicmoms Instagram, Facebook, and Facebook community. Show Notes: www.atomicmoms.com

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Oprah Winfrey calls Elizabeth Lesser, “a friend and one of our favorite spiritual teachers.” Co-founder of Omega Institute, New York Times bestselling author (Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow and Marrow: Love, Loss and What Matters Most), former midwife, and popular Ted Talk speaker, Elizabeth Lesser is here to discuss the power of the stories we tell ourselves, the #1 game-changer when it comes to self-care, and the ways in which we can begin to heal our society from the inside out. Her latest book is my new favorite! Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes (Sept 15,2020).

xx Ellie Knaus

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#259 Respected parenting expert Dr. Tina Payne Bryson (The Whole-Brain Child and No Drama Discipline) is back on the pod after our top-charting conversation this January on the power of showing up. (And Holy Moly have we ever needed to do that in 2020!) This time she’s here to discuss back-to-school transitions, safety-based messaging (vs. threat-based messaging), and perennial hot button early parenting decisions. We also celebrate her new book The Bottom Line for Baby (Penguin Random House, Sep 01,2020).

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#258 Tammin Sursok (award-winning actress, 1.3 M followers on Instagram) and veteran red carpet host Roxy Manning join me for this cheeky podcast pairing! Listen to our Atomic Moms conversation about social anxiety, pandemic FOMO, and parenting right now. And then head over to Tammin and Roxy's raucous podcast "Women on Top" to hear stuff I've never shared on Atomic Moms! (Oh, here come the vulnerability shivers!!!). I had so much fun laughing with these women. I hope you find our conversations a fun diversion from 2020. xx Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: Atomic Moms Official Site

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Sound engineer: Owen O'Neill

Original theme music: Jeremy Turner

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Best-selling novelist J. Courtney Sullivan, known for Commencement, Maine, The Engagements, and Saints For All Occasions, chats with host Ellie Knaus about Friends and Strangers (Knopf, June 30, 2020). Ellie loops in their mutual mom-friend, Emmy-nominated children's show writer Becky Friedman (or Daniel Tiger’s Becky as she’s known on the pod). We get a glimpse into Becky and Courtney’s pre-kid friendship in NY, and we share our personal experiences related to the novel’s themes, such as fertility, privilege, and the fuzzy boundaries found between lonely new moms and the caregivers who love their children so much. 

Also, don’t miss our recent Atomic Moms podcast: “Let’s Go There: Anti-Racism, The Pandemic , and Parenting Right Now”, guest co-hosted with Candace Trinchieri. (You can submit your fertility stories for Candace’s upcoming book Dream Redefined: The Struggle and Success of Infertility as a Woman of Color at infertilitystory.com.) We speak with Sophie Salvatore, who also happens to be Smith College ’04. Huzzah! My 15 year college reunion got cancelled so interviewing J. Courtney Sullivan ’03 and Sophie Salvatore ’04 this month felt like such a treat!

Like most, the pandemic is crushing my workflow. So join our newsletter atomicmoms.com so you don’t miss our next episode release. And chat with me on instagram @atomicmoms.

x Ellie

Show Notes Link

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Sound engineer: Owen O'Neill

Original theme music: Jeremy Turner

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#256 - Don’t miss our first video podcast available at atomicmoms.com! Candace Trinchieri and Sophie Salvatore share their personal experiences during this critical turning point in American history. We check my white privilege, laugh about school Zoom calls gone wrong, and stress the importance of talking to our children about race in preschool.

From sheltering-in-place for months on end to our collective grief over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and Ahmaud Arbery, we are facing a reckoning and a turning point as a country. There is so much for us to unpack from the parenting perspective. Join us!

xx Ellie Knaus

Show Notes Link

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Special thanks to sound engineer Owen O'Neill, our original theme music by Jeremy Turner, and Shannon Olivas for her enduring friendship.

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#254 • Blueland CEO, co-founder Sarah Paiji Yoo speaks to us about green living, her deal-making moment on Shark Tank, and toddler parenting while running her company from her NYC apartment during the pandemic. We also share how her sustainability-driven company is changing how we clean our spaces and wash our hands. Blueland eliminates single-use plastic and all the dangerous clutter under my kitchen sink. With Blueland, I just drop the cleaning solution tablet into a Blueland “forever bottle”, add water, and voila! We’re cutting down on consumer costs, plastic waste, and carbon emissions. It's nice to have something to feel good about these days! 

In this episode, we also discuss nap time tricks and resiliency tools she’s learned as a serial entrepreneur that we can all use during these challenging times. I can’t wait for you to listen! 

X Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/blueland-shark-tank-sarah-paiji-yoo-atomic-moms-podcast

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#253 • Here's what you need to know when it comes to pregnancy, birth and Covid-19. Certified nurse-midwife, pediatric nurse, and mother of three, Diana Spalding talks us through these challenging times, including what expecting mothers need to know right now about their birthing plans (hospital, birthing center, or home birth). We always talk about how "It takes a village," so we also find out ways a mother can have a more connected experience after the baby arrives. Be sure to check out the first part of our series with Diana Spalding: "The Must-Have Mom Guide Right Now", available at atomicmoms.com and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Our guest Diana Spalding is the Digital Education Editor at Motherly and the founder of Gathered Birth, a motherhood wellness center in Media, PA., as well as the author of THE MOTHERLY GUIDE TO BECOMING MAMA: Redefining the Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Journey along with Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety out April 14, 2020.

X Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/pregnancy-birth-and-mothering-during-covid-19-motherly-diana-spalding

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#252 • Feeling isolated and claustrophobic? Our community is here to help. We're talking: boundary setting, the best way to say no to obligations when you're facing overwhelm, and how to find clarity when everything feels upside down. Certified nurse-midwife, pediatric nurse, and mother of three young children, Diana Spalding is the Digital Education Editor at Motherly and the founder of Gathered Birth, a motherhood wellness center in Media, PA., as well as the author of THE MOTHERLY GUIDE TO BECOMING MAMA: Redefining the Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Journey along with Jill Koziol and Liz Tenety out April 14, 2020.This is part one of a two-part series with our guest Diana Spalding. Tomorrow we will be releasing Part 2: Pregnancy, Birth, and the Fourth Trimester During Covid-19. Be sure to find it by subscribing to this podcast, finding us at atomicmoms.com, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

X Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/pregnancy-birth-and-mothering-during-covid-19-motherly-diana-spalding

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#251 • Glennon Doyle shares how to love in the time of coronavirus. This mother of three and #1 New York Times bestselling author of LOVE WARRIOR, CARRY ON, WARRIOR, and UNTAMED (March 2020) speaks with host Ellie Knaus about mother issues, anxieties, honoring our boundaries, and feeling all the feelings while housebound.

Moments after hopping off the phone with Glennon, we discovered my immunocompromised husband Adam has a 102 fever and is now in self-quarantine in our bedroom. I didn't realize it at the time, but this was exactly the conversation I needed to have in order to step bravely into this unknown. Luckily the kids are being hilarious though this mess. Follow along @atomicmoms.

Xx Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/untamed-with-glennon-doyle-new-york-times-bestselling-author-atomic-moms-podcast

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#250 • Who else needs a girlfriend call right about now? It's Day #6 of our Sztykiel family quarantine. It’s just been me, my handsome, funny immunocompromised husband Adam, and our preschooler and kindergartner at home. Am I losing it? A little. Is my germophobia through the roof? Absolutely. But hey! Reporter turned social media rockstar, blogger, and mother of 3 Sonni Abatta asked me to share some calmness and positivity on her podcast 30 Something with Sonni Abatta. Did I do that? Not really. BUT we did have a great time commiserating over the insanity that has wreaked havoc on our family life.

While I try to find the humor in this episode, I am keenly aware that it's a privilege to be able to spend this time together. And my heart goes out to everyone suffering during this difficult and unprecedented moment in history. This podcast was completed one hour before California Gov. Newsom issued a statewide “Stay at Home” order.

Stay safe. Stay well. Social distance!

Listen to the pod and check out 30 Something Podcast!

xx Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/social-distancing-extreme-family-time-final-moments-of-freedom-sonni-abatta-atomic-moms-ellie-knaus

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#249 • How do we shop with a sustainable mindset? Cozy in for this comforting chat with British zero-waste expert Tara Button, a former advertising copywriter who couldn't stomach that she was selling people stuff they didn't actually need. She founded BUYMEONCE.com as a consumer guide for those of us who want to buy a quality item once and learn how to care for it. We discuss how to shop with a sustainable mindset, how to care for the things we already have, and her book A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life (Ten Speed Press). 

These are uncertain times. Thank you for taking precautions with your sweet families by practicing social distancing. The elderly and those of us with immunocompromised spouses - like Adam - truly appreciate it. I'm aware that the elderly and children who depend on school lunches will be especially hit hard. I'll be donating to feedamerica.org. Check them out. New listeners, we have over 240 episodes. If you happen to come across any favorite moments or quotes from our experts, email me at hello@atomicmoms.com or DM on Instagram @atomicmoms and I may share them on social media, crediting you in the caption of course!

Subscribe to our newsletter @atomicmoms.com I'll be sharing the latest news from our personal little Homefront as well as articles and kid activities. 

x Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/embracing-quality-and-sustainability-in-our-throwaway-culture-zero-waste-expert-tara-button-buymeonce-atomic-moms-podcast

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#248 • Minimalist expert Courtney Carver (@bemorewithless), Project 333 capsule wardrobe founder, and mother with MS shares how reassessing our relationship to “stuff” can be a powerful first step towards newfound confidence and financial independence, as well as overall health and happiness. Sound too good to be true? I can’t wait for you to take a listen.

xx Ellie Knaus 

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/courtney-carver-project-333-be-more-with-less-atomic-moms-podcast

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#247 • Funny family update! Ellie Knaus and Adam Sztykiel share their attempts to keep the peace with their tyrannical two year-old, what it's like for Adam to parent with an autoimmune disease, the surprising redirection Ellie's life seems to be taking, and more. Plus, Ellie announces our new biweekly release schedule. Thank you listeners on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages for all your great questions! 

xx Ellie Knaus

Show Notes Link and Official Atomic Moms Website 

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#246 • Pediatrician and best-selling author of the American Girl series juggernaut The Care and Keeping of You, Dr. Cara Natterson joins us on Atomic Moms to demystify puberty and talk about her new book for parents Decoding Boys: The Subtle Art of Raising Sons. In this honest and informative conversation we discuss when to have "the talk" with our kids about their changing bodies, raising teens in the digital age (yes, we're talking about porn too), and how to navigate the emotional rollercoaster we can expect as our children reach adolescence.

x Ellie Knaus

Show Notes and Official Atomic Moms Website https://www.atomicmoms.com/podcast/demystifying-puberty-decoding-boys-dr-cara-natterson-atomic-moms-podcast

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#245 • #CleanBeauty: True Botanicals CEO, founder, and mother of three HILLARY PETERSON joins us in studio for a heart-to-heart about raising a family while nurturing ambitions and the importance of educating ourselves about what dangers lurk in our skincare products.

Shortly after becoming a mother of twins Hillary was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The experience awakened her passion for non-toxic living. Alarmed by the chemicals in leading skincare brands, she spent eight years researching a solution, which in turn became her award-winning, eco-friendly clean beauty line True Botanicals, embraced by Olivia Wilde, Laura Dern, and Zazie Beetz.

In this relaxed and warm conversation, we talk about how each of our major health crises led to vipassana meditation retreats (and laugh about what happened once we got there), confess to our guilt-ridden working mom habits, and agree that I will take the 30-something rite of passage and finally try a "face oil".

x Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/true-botanicals-hillary-peterson-atomic-moms-podcast

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#244 • Dr. Britta Bushnell is BACK, this time sharing her new book: Transformed By Birth: Cultivating Openness, Strength, and Resilience for the Life-Changing Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood (Sounds True, January 28, 2020). She shares the profound opportunity for transformation that comes with motherhood. We crack open cultural birthing expectations and how they are getting us stuck. I catch myself in a moment of ‘mom judgment’ and, together, we unravel what’s really behind it. Britta also offers healing tools for mothers who have experienced trauma. And we talk about how we can effectively ask partners for what we need and not alienate them with our directness -- a lesson I keep getting to practice. If you loved our previous two conversations, or if this is your introduction to Dr. Britta Bushnell’s work with mythology and womanhood, I can’t wait for you to listen!

xx Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: www.atomicmoms.com/podcast/britta-bushnell-phd-returns-transformed-by-birth

LA Book Event celebrating Britta Bushnell, with Ellie Knaus: https://www.consciouscityguide.com/events/h1c5pf/

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#243 • Actress Claire Coffee (Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector) and director Bridget Moloney share their excitement in premiering their short film BLOCKS -- an existential comedy about the mother of two young children who begins to spontaneously vomit plastic toy blocks -- at The Sundance Film Festival.

I find out what they're planning to wear to Park City, Claire's foolproof cocktail of choice, their altitude-proof skincare regimen, and what their lodging situation is like (bunk beds, perhaps?).

This is the story of two mom-friends who were creatively frustrated and feeling rejected, who decided to figure it out, and make something together.

I can't wait for you to hear Bridget and Claire's thoughts on how to take a bet on yourself and trust your own voice even when you're neck deep in childrearing.

x Ellie Knaus

Show Notes: https://www.atomicmoms.com/podcast/sundance-claire-coffee-bridget-moloney-blocks-making-art-motherhood-atomic-moms-podcast

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