Friends with Benefits

This isn’t your grandmother’s parenting podcast. In Episode 16, we’re burning the manual. We’re diving into the "unfiltered" reality of being a millennial mom and breaking down all the outdated, toxic, or just plain weird advice we’ve been given. From the "cry it out" debates to the pressure of being a "Pinterest-perfect" household, we’re discussing why we chose the feral, honest route instead. It’s time to talk about the cycles we’re breaking and the "because I said so" strategies we’ve officially retired.

“From the outside, it looks like a puzzle. From the inside, it’s just Tuesday.” Today, we’re talking to Kat and Sam about their "Family Pretzel." They live next door, they share everything from pets to passwords, and they’ve built a life that defies every label in the book. We’re digging into the messy, beautiful, and highly practical details of how they made it work when everyone told them it shouldn't.

This isn’t the kind of “friends with benefits” you think you know. In Episode 14, we’re moving past the "Petty Wars" to dive into a topic that defines the very core of this family: Adoption. We are exploring two mirror-image journeys—Kat, who discovered she was adopted at age 36, and Ella, whose legal adoption by her step-father, Kyle, is finalized this month. This is a  Q&A-style look at identity, secrets, and the powerful realization that being "chosen" is often stronger than being born. No gossip, just the real story told with honesty, heart, and the chaotic love that holds us together.

This isn’t the kind of “friends with benefits” you think you know. In Episode 13, the ex-wife and the current wife prove that choosing peace doesn't mean choosing silence. We’re diving into the "marital-but-not-marital" chaos of two women who live next door to each other and fight like they share a brain cell—because they basically do. From the "Great Move-Out Debate" to Kyle being a total butthead, we’re exposing the hilarious, petty, and unfiltered reality of a blended family that argues purely for recreation.

This isn’t your typical medical-grade parenting guide. In Episode 12, we tackle a massive list of pregnancy and parenting questions sent in by our UK besties, Josh and his girlfriend. From the "belly button draft" to why your one-month-old's favorite show is actually the ceiling fan, we’re breaking down the myths and the madness of expecting. No boring manuals—just the real truth told with honesty, humor, and a side of caution regarding "belly farts." Stick with us—parenting is a wild ride, and we're just getting started.

This week, I’m taking you through the wild, chaotic, unbelievable collection of stories that built me: three marriages, discovering I was adopted at 36, cancer, miscarriage, raising six kids in four different eras, losing my home in a tornado, and surviving the kind of grief that splits your life into before and after.But this episode isn’t about trauma. It’s about resilience — the real kind. The kind that looks like chaos, humor, stubbornness, motherhood, and choosing to keep going even when you have no idea how. As I say in the episode: “Resilience isn’t strength… it’s the choice to keep going.” You’ll hear how my blended family came to be, why six kids kept showing up in my life (“It wasn’t chaos for chaos’s sake. It was my purpose.” ), how losing my son reshaped me, and how every chapter — even the painful ones — built the version of me sitting in this car today.If your life feels messy… if your story feels chaotic… if you’re in the middle of your own plot twist… this episode is for you.Next week: What To Expect When You’re Expecting — SPOILER: Nothing Accurate.

In this episode, Kat and Kyle open up about the long road of recovery — the months and years after disaster when most people have moved on but the grief hasn't. They talk honestly about what community support actually looked like, who showed up, who stayed, and where it fell short. This episode covers the questions that don't get asked enough: what do grieving families actually need that nobody gives them, what does moving forward really look like, and what does honoring a child mean when the world expects you to have healed by now.If you are navigating loss or supporting a grieving family — this episode is for you.

This episode dives into the first days after child loss — the shock response, the physical symptoms of grief, the disorientation of the first 24 hours, the logistics no one prepares you for, and the emotional impact on surviving children. Katherine also shares how people showed up, the lies grief told her, and what she wishes every grieving parent knew in those early days.Next week’s episode will focus on rebuilding, community support, and what helped (and didn’t) as her family began navigating life in the “after.”

This episode of Friends with Benefits is a deeply moving exploration of survival, maternal instinct, and the unbreakable bond of family. Following our introduction to Arlan, we move into the day of the storm—a day that redefined "home" for Kat, Kyle and Ella.The conversation centers on the parallel experiences of a mother, father and daughter: Kat, who faced the agony of being miles away in the air while her family was in danger, Kyle, who knew what was happening but powerless to stop it and 14-year-old Ella, who displayed incredible bravery on the ground alongside her younger brother, Arlan.This episode serves as a tribute to Arlan’s bravery and a testament to a community that refuses to let its neighbors walk through the ruins alone.

In this first episode of our three-part series, we step into the life of Arlan, a child whose love and curiosity left a lasting mark on his family and community. Together with his mother, Kat, we explore the ordinary moments of family life, the rhythms of community, and the subtle signs that something was quietly shifting. This episode is about connection, love, and the moments that matter most.Content Note:This episode reflects on the life of a child and the emotional context leading up to a life-altering event.

Three moms, seven kids, and one loud, blended village. In this episode, we introduce the kids who brought us together, share the chaos of daily life, confess our most unhinged parenting hacks, and compare how each of us handles the same parenting moment in totally different ways. If your house looks nothing like ours, that’s the point — every family does this differently. Welcome to the village.

It’s Valentine’s season, so we’re talking love, relationships, and all the mess in between. In this episode, we share our best/worst dates, awkward dating stories, love language truths, and what we’ve learned about showing up in real relationships. Whether you’re single or partnered, this one’s for anyone who’s ever tried to date in real life.

Kyle’s birthday month always feels like it’s competing with Valentine’s Day — and somehow Valentine’s always wins.In this episode, we try to give his day the spotlight it deserves. We share stories about the man behind the spreadsheets, laugh about the ways he gets overlooked, and play a quick bonus game called “Kyle or Valentine’s Day.”Happy Birthday Month, Kyle. This one’s for you.

Turns out people have opinions. A lot of them.In this episode, we’re diving into the wildest comments, assumptions, and theories from our first episode.Some of it is funny. Some of it is just plain wild. And some of it says more about the people watching than it does about us.We’re responding, laughing, and setting the record straight.Hit play and listen in.

Everyone asks the same thing: Is it ever awkward, weird, or jealous?In this episode of Friends With Benefits, the ex-wife and the current wife talk honestly about jealousy, boundaries, kid moments, and the side-eyes people assume must’ve blown everything up—and how they didn’t.Real life isn’t drama-free. It’s just handled differently.

This isn’t the kind of “friends with benefits” you think you know. In Episode 1, we meet two women connected by one man — the ex-wife and the current wife — who chose peace instead of drama.We go back to the beginning to learn what ended the first marriage, how the new relationship started, and the moment their worlds collided.No gossip. No shouting. Just the real story told with honesty, humor, and unexpected compassion.Stick with us — this is just the beginning.