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Our Messy Collective

Our Messy Collective

By Carey Shofner & Suzanne Gillies-Smith

Two friends sharing stories and hosting guests to discuss the messy world of motherhood. As plus size moms we have dreamed of creating a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive community that holds space for all mothers. Regardless of size, race, gender, disability, social background, religion, or sexual orientation. If you love a little one, we love you!
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Currently playing episode

Episode 5: The NICU

Our Messy CollectiveSep 28, 2020

00:00
01:06:58
S2E8: Mother's Day Reflections

S2E8: Mother's Day Reflections

We're B A C K!
Just in time to share our thoughts on Mother's Day.
Join us as we catch up, talk about the complexities and the joys of Motherhood, and discuss what boundaries look like.

We will be on a bi-weekly schedule for the rest of the season with the next episode airing May 24th!
Thank you so much for your patience as we navigate the ever changing demands of our personal and professional lives.

May 10, 202101:06:39
S2E7: The Impact of Women

S2E7: The Impact of Women

Join Carey and Suzanne as they catch up, discuss what Women's History Month means to them, and talk about the women who have impacted them.

Mar 22, 202144:08
S2E6: The Kohl Chronicles with Kayla

S2E6: The Kohl Chronicles with Kayla

Join us this week as Carey sits down with Kayla from The Kohl Chronicles to discuss infertility, loss, parenting, and everything in between.

Kayla lives and works in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband, two cats, and dog. She is passionate about supporting others with their fertility journey and breaking the stigma around infertility and loss. She graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Education, and a Deaf studies minor. She is a certified Postpartum and Infant Care Doula through ProDoula. She is also a certified Reproductive Health Doula with the Child Birth Institute, and is working on her Fertility Support Specialist certification with Bebo Mia.

Mar 15, 202101:10:44
S2E5: A Year of Covid: Reflections on Surviving

S2E5: A Year of Covid: Reflections on Surviving

Carey and Suzanne sit down to mark the one year anniversary of COVID's impact on the United States and their individual lives. They discuss where they were a year ago, how the pandemic has shaped their lives in the last year, and how they are actually feeling about things now that the vaccine is available.

Mar 08, 202101:06:39
S2E4: Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Enneagram
Mar 01, 202153:29
S2E3: Babies & Business with Kayleigh M.

S2E3: Babies & Business with Kayleigh M.

 This week Carey and Suzanne catch up, share stories from their week, and discuss their new adventures on Clubhouse!

Our guest this week is Kayleigh of Heritage Baby Designs. Carey and Kayleigh discuss motherhood, infertility and loss, and life as a business owner.

--

Heritage Baby is the brainchild of me - Kayleigh, mother to William who resides in Simcoe County in Ontario, Canada.  I can't tell you the exact moment that I knew that this was an adventure that I wanted to embark on, but it has felt 500% right from the start.  Before my son was born I knew that I wanted to try to be one of those moms with her baby strapped to her body.  It always seemed that those babies were so calm and comfortable, and those parents always had their hands free!  This appealed to my general busy nature.  William was in his first baby carrier (a stretchy wrap) by the time he hit 12hrs old....I was hooked.
As my obsession for babywearing grew, so did my desire to find a product and brand that fit my wants; an eco-conscious, company that gives back, parent-owned and operated, handmade, and cute (think patterns).  I made my first sling to fit these wants and more, and so Heritage was born.
The name Heritage came to me when I started thinking about what mattered to me in my life and what sets my family apart.  I am of Jamaican and Guyanese descent, and my husband Portuguese, but we're both born in Canada.  Each carrier is (and will be) named after places that are close to our hearts and the hearts of those we know and love.

Feb 22, 202101:15:12
S2E2: Fat Positive Motherhood with Nikki B.

S2E2: Fat Positive Motherhood with Nikki B.

Suzanne and Carey catch up and spill the details on their new M E R C H! After our weekly check-in, we have a guest interview.

This week we are joined by Nikki, a busy woman with a mission! Suzanne and Nikki discuss her brand, Fat Positive Motherhood, her 9-5 career as a business analyst, her small business providing career coaching, and all things motherhood. Special cameo by Nikki's passionate 8 month old!
Nikki B. is a wife, mom, career Coach, fat positive advocate and serial binge watcher living her best life in South Carolina with her obnoxiously loud dog, collection of teen fiction novels, and Sims games. You’ll often find her writing resumes or coaching clients as the founder of Corporate Melanin Millennial, cooking in the kitchen while her hubby washes the dishes, or her new favorite- cuddling her daughter.

Connect with Nikki online here:
Instagram
Career Coaching
Twitter
Feb 08, 202101:07:58
S2E1: Slightly Messier

S2E1: Slightly Messier

We're back! With champagne and hard seltzer in tow, we discuss 2021, Gen Z, Carey's Vagina, and upcoming month! Join us for our Season 2 opener.

Would you like to be a guest in Season 2? Email us at
ourmessycollective@gmail.com or DM on Instagram @ourmessycollective.
Are you following our TikTok? It's @ourmessycollective

Love our work and want to support us with a monthly contribution of as little as 99¢? Click this link for more info!
Feb 01, 202149:46
Episode 14: The First Last One

Episode 14: The First Last One

In our Season 1 Finale, we catch up, talk about the upcoming holidays, and discuss our hopes for Season 2!
We reflect on our past guests, what we've learned about ourselves, how we can uphold boundaries during the pandemic, and look forward to the new year with realistic expectations.

Thank you for tuning in to the first season of Our Messy Collective!
We will return in 2021!

Dec 21, 202001:07:18
Episode 13: Eat the Food, Drink the Drinks with @DevonElizabethPlz

Episode 13: Eat the Food, Drink the Drinks with @DevonElizabethPlz

This week Suzanne and Carey catch up, and talk about winding down Season 1! A celebration giveaway is going on over on our Instagram RIGHT NOW! Our guest this week is Devon. Get to know Devon in her own words here:
TikTok: @devonelizabethplz
Instagram: DevonElizabethPlz
Hello! My name is Devon and I am a fat activist on TikTok. I started on TikTok in March 2020 to pass the time in lockdown, but quickly found myself leaping into the world of fat activism and delivering lectures into my phone. I focus on systemic issues fat people face and use my personal experiences with fatphobia to create a place of community. I also proudly identify as a fat woman and dedicate a lot to work towards changing the narrative around the word “fat”. By day I am a second year law student with an undecided legal path. However, I do hope to work as an advocate for victims of domestic violence in some capacity. I am also a live-in caretaker for my 94-year-old Nana, a wife, a dog mom, a boxer (in my garage), and occasionally, I sleep!
Dec 14, 202001:08:47
Episode 12: Still Here, Still Messy

Episode 12: Still Here, Still Messy

Carey and Suzanne update one another and listeners on life since our last episode. We talk about the pandemic, our kids, resiliency, and upcoming episodes. 

Dec 07, 202050:21
Episode 11: Struggle Care with KC Davis

Episode 11: Struggle Care with KC Davis

In our 11th episode, we catch up on our lives the past week. Then Suzanne sits down to talk to KC Davis (@domesticblisters on TikTok) about the Six Pillars of Struggle Care from her website www.strugglecare.com and her new book How to Keep House While Drowning! (Click to read a sample)
Get to know KC in her own words, below!
--
I'm KC Davis, a licensed professional counselor, mother of two, and creator of StruggleCare.com. After having my second baby in a new city right as the world shut down from COVID-19, I found herself without access to a support network for months on end. I used every tool in my therapy training arsenal and created a self-compassionate way to address my stress, depression, and ever-mounting laundry pile. After sharing this unique approach on social media, I found myself with 180k followers in under 90 days. The struggle resonated with so many people that I decided to write a book about my approach: How to Keep House While Drowning debuts in November 2020.
Nov 16, 202001:29:12
Episode 10: Loving Motherhood with Carla Thomas
Nov 09, 202001:21:45
My World's On Fire, How 'Bout Yours?

My World's On Fire, How 'Bout Yours?

It's election week in the US and we thought we'd spend a few minutes together just to catch up.
We talk about taking care of ourselves, where the election currently stands, and how we're surviving the uncertainty of this historic time.
Join us for a moment just to take a break.

Nov 06, 202014:09
Episode 9: Hannah Talks Bodies
Nov 02, 202001:07:32
Episode 8: What babywearing means to YOU!

Episode 8: What babywearing means to YOU!

We asked you, our listeners, to tell us what babywearing means to you. Your messages are so lovely and full of heartfelt meaning. We feature ten of our listeners and their stories. Thank you all so much for sharing with us! We are so glad to end Babywearing Month 2020 with our first collective episode! Stay tuned for our NEXT collective!
Oct 26, 202044:08
Episode 7: #plussizebabywearing with Mia O'Malley
Oct 19, 202059:32
Episode 6: Babywearing + Catching Up
Oct 12, 202001:09:21
Episode 5: The NICU

Episode 5: The NICU

In observation of NICU Awareness Month, Suzanne shares her birth and NICU story with Carey (and listeners) for the first time. We discuss birth complications, NICU realities, and postpartum.
Sep 28, 202001:06:58
Episode 4: Mental Health & How We Manage

Episode 4: Mental Health & How We Manage

This week we're digging in. We discuss mental health, mental illnesses, postpartum mental health issues, and the state of the world right now. We talk about our personal histories and our current stages of mental well-being. Due to the heavy nature of our content this week, we understand if you decide to skip this episode or save it for a time when you can listen safely.
Sep 21, 202001:22:38
S1E3: Our Big Fat (not Greek) Weddings

S1E3: Our Big Fat (not Greek) Weddings

We’re both plus size and we’re both married, so we’re diving in to our experiences as brides. In this episode we discuss our engagements, some questions from our listeners, and how we handled wedding planning. We sprinkle in tips and advice along the way so listen carefully, especially if you’re in the wedding planning stages!
Sep 12, 202001:19:06
S1E2: Birth

S1E2: Birth

Last week, we introduced our selves, told you a little about our families, and shared about why we decided to start a podcast. This week? We discuss our birth stories, questions about birth, and more. We both experienced induced births, but our stories are so different. This episode is one of our longer ones, so take your time listening. Take breaks, and come back to it when you have time.

We recommend Evidence Based Birth for more information about Inductions
We recommend Plus Size Birth and Plus Mommy for more information about all things plus size motherhood from pregnancy to parenting.

Follow us on Instagram @ourmessycollective

Thanks for listening!
Sep 05, 202001:13:57
S1E1: The Messiest

S1E1: The Messiest

Get to know us in our very first (super messy) episode! We talk about how we met, our journeys to motherhood, and why we decided to start a podcast in the middle of a pandemic.
Aug 29, 202049:14