In the final Mama Bear Dares episode of 2016, co-hosts Leslie and Tesi celebrate the season and talk through holiday preparations and expectations. The women reminisce about the ups and downs of 2016, highlight the memorable moments, and plan ahead with great hope for 2017. They also read listener comments in response to Episode 85's segment#imartyrsohard and find great relief in the fact that so many listeners came forward over the last week as Mama Bear martyrs! Tesi and Leslie wrap up this holiday mini episode with the ever-popular Obsess Sesh and encourage listeners to enjoy themselves and their families over this magical stretch of time. The Mama Bear Dares podcast is seven months in and the hosts couldn't be more grateful for YOU and your support! Happy Holidays! For full Show Notes, visit our website!

On Episode 86 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Leslie and Tesi go deep with Andrea Levoff, The Dope Ass Mom. Andrea is a writer, performer, stand-up comic (she's a Second City alum!) and mom to two. She's created a dope-ass web series that is purely comedic (and so, so funny!), but her message is earnest and aims to teach moms to find more joy in parenting. In the conversation between the three women, Andrea reveals her wisdom and shares her ongoing journey toward truth. The three women discuss what we can learn from our children, how we can guide them in their development into kind, loving human beings, how we can draw from our partner's strengths, how to let go of expectations and embrace the present, and how to ultimately find joy in the journey. Check out complete Show Notes at www.mamabeardares.com.

On this Mama Bear Mini, Leslie and Tesi discuss ways to maintain sanity and fully enjoy the holiday season. They come up with a short, snappy list of ways that they’re planning minimize the stress of the season and celebrate its joys instead. The hosts encourage listeners to allow this season to be one of managed expectations, embracing “okay” (rather than perfectionism!), and allowing a pace that’s relaxed enough to truly enjoy the special moments this season brings. In doing so, Tesi and Leslie remind listeners that in order to outwardly spread their love in the world, they need to fill up on love themselves. Finally, the co-hosts debut a new segment called I Martyr So Hard (#imartyrsohard) in which they examine the posture of a modern-day martyr and fess up to times they’ve entered martyr-mode. You won’t want to miss it! For complete Show Notes, head to the Mama Bear Dares website!

On Episode 84 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie converse with Margot Starbuck about a topic back by popular demand: Youth Sports Culture. Margot is the author of the book Overplayed: A Parent's Guide to Sanity in the World of Youth Sports and offers hosts and listeners great insight and information about the current landscape of youth sports in America and encourages us to engage our Mama Bear for the sake of our kids and the American psyche. This episode of full of great statistics and research, helpful anecdotes, and wisdom that applies to parenting athletes and non-athletes alike. Read complete Show Notes on the Mama Bear Dares Podcast website!

On Episode 83 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie talk about food as activism. It’s a topic that’s relevant every single day, but because there is a lot of focus on feasting and eating this time of year, the hosts dig deep into how Mama Bear can be engaged as she cooks and eats this holiday season. The co-hosts focus on food as a political act of justice and the act of eating for the larger good. Their message isn’t new—social activists worldwide see food as a means for creating social equality—but their lively conversation focuses on the areas specific to Mama Bear and how she might use the table as a place for social change. For complete Show Notes, visit the Mama Bear Dares Podcast website.

On Episode 82 of the Mama Bear Dares Podcast, Tesi and Leslie give listeners a conversation with Adina Rosenberg Natanson, a woman who is a wife, a mama to two, and the founder of PrenatalFit, a gym in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago designed for women before, during, and after pregnancy. Over her years in the fitness industry, Adina has established a safe and powerful place for women that aims (much like the podcast) to empower, inspire, and provide unwavering support. The three women talk about the healthy and helpful community that she has built, about the unique experience of pregnancy and birth, and about how to listen to your gut and follow through with your instincts—even when others haven't yet embraced your vision. It’s an inspiring conversation with Anita, a woman who listeners are sure to find to be simultaneously daring and darling. For complete Show Notes, visit www.mamabeardarespodcast.com.