It's Just Life Here: The Empty Nest, Parenting, and the Sandwich Generation

Hosts: Trish & Karen Steed

In this episode of It’s Just Life Here, we are back together talking about what parenting looks like once your children are adults. The house may get quieter and the schedules may no longer revolve around school and activities, but being a mom doesn’t suddenly disappear. Instead, you find yourself learning an entirely new relationship with the people you raised.

We chat about:

• Parenting adult children
• Navigating the empty nest
• Staying connected while giving independence
• The sandwich generation and aging parents
• Multigenerational family support

And because It’s Just Life Here, the conversation eventually lands in the kitchen. We share the meals we rarely make now that the kids are gone, the foods our "kiddos" still request when they come home, and the glorious freedom of realizing that “girl dinner” absolutely counts as dinner.

The kids may grow up, move out, get jobs, get married, and build lives of their own. But somehow, you’re still Mom.

A Week in the Life: From Top to Bottom (Literally!)

Hosts: Trish and Karen Steed

Welcome back to It’s Just Life Here — the podcast where, when life gets chaotic… we hit record.

This week’s episode has everything: Karen battling a travel-induced cold, Trish getting real about gut health, and a Thanksgiving tradition that somehow always circles back to… poop.

We’re also diving into the realities of hidden disabilities, plus a little wedding planning magic. If you’re new here — you picked a wild but very real one to start with.

We're glad you're here - pull up a chair!

Resources:

Salty Dreads - on Instagram

Victoria & Albert Museum: Design & Disability

Alison Carpenter Davis article

HotCocoaReads - on Instagram

Welcome - Pull up a Chair!

Hosts: Trish and Karen Steed

Welcome to the very first episode of It’s Just Life Here!

We’re so excited to kick this off. In this episode, we sit down for a real, unfiltered conversation about life — the messy, funny, complicated parts that don’t always make it onto social media.

We talk about setting boundaries, personal growth, and learning how to take care of ourselves in a world that doesn’t slow down. We get into generational differences in parenting, finding personal space, and how technology has changed the way we think about health and wellness.

Along the way, we share what’s helping us right now - from community support to the small daily habits that keep us grounded.

It’s heartfelt and totally unscripted. We hope you’ll pull up a chair, listen in, and maybe see a little of your own story in ours. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about having all the answers — it’s just life here.

And here’s the best part...we don’t want this to be just our conversation. We’re looking for new voices to join us in future episodes - a new sister or brother, if you will. So if you’ve got a story to share or a laugh to bring, we’d love to have you at the table.