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Audrey Raetzloff

Introducing the New Mom Podcast – Murky Motherhood

January 21, 2020 By Audrey Raetzloff Leave a Comment

Do you listen to podcasts? I’ve been a podcast junkie for a while now. It’s so fascinating to listen in, learn about new things, and laugh with my “friends” inside my phone. I love podcasts so much I decided to start my own mom podcast with my friend Jen from And Hattie Makes Three.

Motherhood Is Murky

Many of us enter into motherhood with expectations of how it’s going to be — then we bring the baby home. Reality hits! You think to yourself, “Holy crap, this is so much harder than I thought!”

We’re faced with all of these murky motherhood moments that leave us feeling like a crazy person, inept, or completely alone. Jen and I want you to know you’re not alone! Murky Motherhood isn’t your typical mom podcast. We’re two moms sipping on coffee, talking about the tough topics. Pull up a chair.

Meet the Co-Hosts

Jen from And Hattie Makes Three is mom to Hattie and fur baby Rosie. When she’s not blogging, podcasting, or momming, you’ll find her on Instagram sharing relatable life moments.

Audrey (that’s me!) is mom to Elise and Dax and dog grandma to Mini the miniature poodle. I’m a book lady with Usborne Books & More, triathlete, and lover of podcasts.

We believe in the power of being honest and sharing your story. Motherhood isn’t a cake walk for either one of us, and we often feel like we’re failing. Murky Motherhood is our little safe haven to talk about the hard things.

What’s a Mom Podcast?

We’re like the scrappy, honest, imperfect, full-of-heart mom podcast in your queue. We don’t shy away from the tough topics on Murky Motherhood. We navigate all of these murky waters together. Here are some of the topics we’ve tackled so far:

  • Anxiety
  • Saying No to Overfunctioning
  • No Spending Challenge
  • Mom Friends
  • Self-Care

Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us your episode topic idea.

Ready to Listen?

You can find Murky Motherhood on all the major platforms including:

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • Google Podcasts

Podcast reviews really help new podcasts like us get discovered. We’d love a 5-star Apple Podcasts review (even if you don’t normally listen on Apple) if you like what you hear.

Filed Under: Parenting, Podcast, Slider Tagged With: mom podcast, murky motherhood, podcast

My Review of Every Rothy’s Style

November 24, 2019 By Audrey Raetzloff Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that Rothy’s are my absolute favorite brand of shoe! I’ve worn them to interviews, to work, at storytime, book fairs, to the park, to a funeral — you name it, Rothy’s go with you everywhere. Not only are they sustainable, well-made, and comfortable, but they’re machine washable! You hear that right!

A Review of Every Rothys Style - Flat Loafer Point Sneaker Chelsea

Rothy’s have become somewhat of an addiction and all of my other shoes have slowly been shoved to the back of the shoe rack. I now own a pair of every Rothy’s profile available – the Sneaker, the Flat, the Point, the Chelsea, and the Loafer. Since I am a wealth of knowledge on this topic, I thought I’d share everything I know about them with YOU!

Rothy’s Sneaker

Let’s start with arguably my favorite profile, the Sneaker. They’re comfortable, casual, and add a fashionable touch to any outfit. I’ve even worn them to the grocery store paired with pants with a hole in the leg and a hoodie covering the fact that I was not wearing a bra. Boom – instant fashionista. The roe box is the same as the Chelsea which we’ll talk about in a minute and is the roomiest of all the profiles.

Rothy's Camo Cat Sneaker


Washing Instructions

To wash, just remove the insoles, throw them in a laundry bag, and wash on a delicate cycle. I air dry them out in the sun, but I’m sure any kind of air works just as well. The washing instructions are the same on all of these, spoiler alert. It’s shocking to me how well these shoes clean up! Seriously, biggest fan over here.

Rothy's Camo Cat Sneaker Soles

Sneaker Sizing: Size up a half size. Note: In the newest camo cat print (shown above), you may not need to size up the full-half size. They are more stretchy.

Rothy’s Loafer

Like the sneaker, the Loafer has sort of a “tongue” that covers more of the top of your foot than the Point or the Flat. It’s very similar to the profile of the Sneaker, but the toe box is not as wide.

Rothy's Loafer

I really like the slim profile of the loafer because it adds a really nice, polished touch to an outfit without having to cram your feet into a pair of heels. The soles on these are much thinner than the Sneakers, so they don’t provide as much support.

Rothy's Black Loafer Soles

Loafer Sizing: Size up a half size in my opinion.

Rothy’s Flats

The original style that came out was the Flat. These are a classic, rounded toe flat that are great for basically every situation. Except maybe swimming? Choose a fun pop of color or an edgy print (I love my animal print ones!) to give your outfit a fun accent!

Rothy's Spotted Flats

The toe box on these is similar to the Loafer – it’s slimmer than the Sneaker by quite a bit, but my feet don’t feel cramped! While the sneaker and the loafer go up your foot, the flats dip into a V which is really cute.

Rothy's Spotted Flat Soles

Flats Sizing: Here’s the thing, I think you could even go up a full size in these. I only went up a half size, but my big toe on my right foot only sometimes feels a little bit scrunched — like it needs a tad more personal space. I had the same problem with this toe in my Tieks. It sounds like my toe might be the actual problem. Carry on.

Rothy’s Point

Do I love the sexy look of my foot in the point? Yes. Do my old, cantankerous feet enjoy being pressed together into the shape of a pizza? Not really. The bottom line is, you can’t walk on marshmallows all day long. Sometimes your feet need to suck it up and be a tad uncomfortable. Heels are out of the question since I’m dealing with some post-Ironman 70.3 achilles issues so these are a nice middle ground.

Rothy's Black Point

I have only worn my points a handful of times, but I can envision that tip getting scuffed up if you’re not careful.

Rothy's Black Points

Point Sizing: I’m going to stick with the half-size up. I worry that if you size up too much, they might slip off your heel and how annoying is that?

Rothy’s Chelsea

Come to mama! I love the newest profile of Rothy’s called the Chelsea. It’s sort of a sporty, high-top sneaker boot. (Can you tell I’m not a fashion blogger?) I have them in the Wildcat pattern and it couldn’t be a better match made in heaven. I may end up getting a pair of black ones for this gross fall/winter weather we’re already having.

Rothy's Wildcat Chelsea

The Chelsea has a loop on the back to help you get them on. Without this loop, I’m convinced that it would be physically impossible to get these on or off without a giant shoe horn. Thank you for the loop, Rothy’s.

Rothy's Chelsea Wildcat Soles

My mom tried them on and thought the high-top part might bug her, but I love them and don’t find that to be the case.

Chelsea sizing: Stick with your Sneaker sizing for these aka half size up.

A Quick Note about the New Merino…

Rothy’s recently came out with shoes in these same profiles, but instead of using recycled plastic water bottles, they’re made from merino wool. First of all, they are very pricey. Secondly, my friend bought a pair of the Loafers and ended up returning them because they pulled/gapped weird. Thirdly, I get so itchy with wool, so I’m scared to try them. Just my two cents.

Two Ways to Save $$ on Rothy’s

I hope this comprehensive Rothy’s review was helpful! Ah! Which one is your favorite? If you decide to take the plunge and treat yourself to a pair, first of all, you won’t regret it, and secondly use my link to get $20 off! (I’ll get $20 to help feed my addiction, too.) Also, with Rakuten, you get get cash back on top of your $20 off! Read all about how to save on Rothy’s here.

Happy shoe shopping! Tag me on Instagram @readitandreapwithme and show me what you picked!

Filed Under: Slider, What I'm Loving Tagged With: rothy's, rothys chelsea, rothys coupon code, rothys flat, rothys loafer, rothys point, rothys review, rothys shoes, rothys sneaker

Kids Halloween Books from Usborne Books & More

September 4, 2019 By Audrey Raetzloff Leave a Comment

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, let’s talk about the best kids Halloween books! It’s officially September which means it’s basically Halloween, am I right? Break out the candy corn, spider webs, and witches and throw on a big ol’ pot of chili!

Spooktacular Reads for Your Ghouls and Goblins

Halloween was never one of my favorite holidays UNTIL I had kids. Now I love watching them get so excited about their costumes, scaring their dad, and picking out both candy and non-candy items to hand out on Halloween. As a book lady, you better believe I love a good themed book which is why I’m here to show you the best kids Halloween books from Usborne Books & More!
Warning: These WILL sell out fast, so if you see something you like, grab it now. This is not a drill, this is not me trying to get sales. I promise you, these will sell out well before Halloween.

Halloween Books for Babies & Toddlers

I am a firm believer that it is never too early to read to a child or celebrate a holiday in an over-the-top-obnoxiously-themed way. Now that we’ve established that, even babies can get into the Halloween spirit with these spooktacular books from Usborne Books & More! And we all know babies can’t eat candy, so how about a book instead? Shop baby and toddler Halloween books here.

Halloween Books for Babies and Toddlers

Halloween Activity Books for Young Children

As it starts to get cooler outside and the sun sets sooner than in the summer months, you may need some indoor activities to do with your young kids. Activity books are great for rainy days or when waiting at the doctor’s office. These Halloween activity books for kids will definitely sell out well before Halloween so snag them now!

Kids Halloween Activity Books

Halloween Books for Ghost Story Lovers

I love true crime (in fact, a lot of my favorite podcasts are true-crime), but I am a big sissy when it comes to ghost stories! People love them, though! These three books would be perfect for the ghost-story lover in your life. Shop ghost story books for kids.

Ghost Stories for Kids

Ghouls, Goblins, Ghosts, and Monsters

If you have a soft place in your house for a dreadful witch, a gooey monster, or a friendly goblin, we’ve got you covered. Polly and Buster is a super cute new series from beloved author, Sally Rippin, who wrote the Hey Jack and Billie B Brown books. Shop ghoultastic Monster and Witch titles from Usborne Books & More.

Looking for Something that’s Sold Out?

Shoot me a quick message and I’ll use my book lady magic to see what I can find for you!

It’s Never Too Early to be Thankful

Now that we’ve tackled Halloween, is it too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving? Find out how to make a thankful tree.

Want a Paper Catalog?
Are you more of a catalog-flipping type person? Request an Usborne Books & More catalog.

Filed Under: Holidays, Kid's Books Tagged With: halloween books, halloween books usborne, holiday books for kids, kids halloween books, kids holiday books, usborne books, Usborne Books & More, usborne halloween books

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