The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers

The Edinburgh 2025 Halloween Guide: Part 1

Lissy, Rebecca and Heather are back and ready to chat about Halloween Events for families and adults around Edinburgh!  Edinburgh has a uniquely creepy connection to Halloween with a rich history of ghouls and spooky architecture.  Burke and Hare history is discussed as are the atmospheric Old Town and the famous Edinburgh Vaults.  Did you know that the vaults used to be workshops under the South Bridge which were  subsequently abandoned due to damp and they were then used sometimes by criminals... and are VERY HAUNTED?

The mums go on to chat about Costumes (make them or buy them?), local pumpkin patches (Craigie Farm and Conifox), and family and adult activities around and outside of the city during the Halloween season.  In particular the mums discuss the ancient tradition of the Samhuinn Fire Festival: a unique, major local event that ties directly into the season on Calton Hill.  Will the mums shed their clothes and their inhibitions enough to participate this year?  Stay tuned.

Classic Edinburgh Haunts and Event are discussed including The Real Mary Kings Close, the Edinburgh Dungeons, and the Ghost Tour.  

What Edinburgh and environs Halloween events do you recommend?  Please send us your recommendations!  Also any adult Halloween themed cocktail recipes would be greatly appreciated.

As always, stand by for laughs, chat and setting the world to rights on this Halloween podcast! 

Photo by #edienthusiast

#marykingsclose #edinburgh #visitscotland #keepedinburghthriving #visitedinburgh #motherhood #craigies_farm_shop #halloween #morphcostumes #edienthusiast

 

 

 

It's right before the October school break.. and the mums are catching up!

Lissy, Kim, Rebecca, Tammy, Anke and Heather are having a quick catch up right before the October school break.  The mums have had a photoshoot... which was AMAZING... and are looking fab for this wee chat!  Look for The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers featured soon in the School Guide Edinburgh & The Lothians!

More Guilty Pleasures are discussed (listen in to last week's podcast for more... not to be missed!) including the merits of Married at First Sight vs. Love is Blind vs. the Real Housewives and Naked Attraction.  Find out what shows to watch (Married at First Sight Australia is extra spicy), and which shows were extra entertaining.  What would the mums prefer?  To meet and get engaged to someone in a pod?  Or reveal everything just to get a date?  Find out all about new rabbit holes the mums are willing to go down in the name of "research".

The mums are heading to Corfu, Kos, Sardinia and the US... and the upcoming trips are discussed.  Edinburgh airport breakfast/prosecco stops are debated.  Travel tips are shared (pack the snacks!). 

Join the mums pre-holiday as they laugh, chat, and set the world to rights!

#visitedinburgh #visitscotland #scotland #perfectlyimperfect #motherhood #nurseryandschools_edinburgh

 

Guilty Pleasures? Never! Goodbye Guilt! Why Your Trashy TV and Pop Music Deserve a Trophy.

What's the most unproductive thing you did this week that brought you pure, unadulterated happiness?  Lissy, Rebecca, Tammy & Heather are back and are chatting all about “guilty pleasures”.  Why should fun feel like a crime?  The ladies are calling this podcast session a judgment-free zone where lowbrow is the highest art.

Why do mums, in particular, feel guilt over harmless fun? The mums discuss the constant feeling of doing 'productive,' 'educational,' or 'self-improving’ tasks instead of listening to the Eras Tour Soundtrack for the for the 10000th time.

The ladies take a deep dive into TV/on demand media which gives us that feeling of “guilty pleasure”, such as XO Kitty, And Just Like That, Below Deck, Gilmour Girls, Friends, and island survival shows.  Whether the ladies are tired and fed up, need a good cry or a laugh, or need to tap into the nostalgia of youth, these shows do the trick.   Later on in the podcast the ladies talk our favourite rom-coms… stand by for a lot of guilt with the pleasure in this category.  How many times can we watch The Holiday?  Loads.

What music do you secretly listen to?  Find out what tunes the Mums are listening to when no one else is listening… from Lil’ Kim to NYOTB to Vanilla Ice and Celine Dion power ballads (sung at FULL VOLUME), the Mums are dishing on what gives us that special jolt of happiness once in a while.  Question for our listeners: do power ballads hit differently in your 40s? 

What books do you read which give you a feeling of guilty pleasure?  The ladies reveal what their choices are of books these days… everything from books with a historical backdrop, books about people and their wacky choices, books that allow us to relax… The ladies call them “brain candy”: everything from a good beach read, to a cheesy romance novel, to a spicy cowboy rom-com in book form.  They’re not exactly literary masterpieces and they’re not winning any Pulitzers, but they bring happiness and humour to our days!

In terms of Food and Beverages… the Mums are sneaking biscuits from a closet stash, maintaining our own snack drawer (hands off kids!) and eating snacks directly out of the fridge (so the calories don’t count).  Who doesn’t love a bit of left over from big family celebrations?   Find out who is buying all of the Mulled Wine from Tesco and drinking it cold.

Tammy coins the phrase “WWDD”… What Would Daddy Do… Is this what us Mums need to change these pleasures from "guilty" to "healthy"?  How can we flip the narrative to make these guilty pleasures self-care instead?

Join the ladies for this group therapy session for guilty Mums.  Please let us know about your guilty pleasures and secret Mum behaviour too via our socials.

#visitedinburgh #edinburgh #scotland #motherhood #friends #xokitty #gilmourgirls #NKOTB #sexinthecity #andjustlikethat

 

Uncovering Underwear, Unmentionables, Knickers and More... It’s all Pants!

We've been in a lunar eclipse portal, which means we haven't been sleeping... and so Anke, Kim, Rebecca, Lissy and Heather are back with a very cheeky topic: It's all about Pants!

First the ladies have a wee historical overview of the evolution of underwear.  Everything from corsets to knickers are discussed, before the ladies move on to a very unusual, and very special item which was for sale on Antiques Roadshow.  Would you believe some of Queen Victoria's knickers were up for sale?  How much would you expect they were sold for?

The ladies move on to global underwear (or lack thereof) traditions including, of course, Scottish traditions.  Find out the kind of high jinx that can happen at a Scottish wedding from the ladies... and gain some advice on what not to provide to wedding guests.  

As you would expect, there are differing opinions on the comfort and fit of various kinds of pants from the ladies.. and the difference between what the ladies found acceptable when younger ("display thongs") vs. today (comfy granny pants) is also discussed.

Finally, the ladies discuss a write-in letter -- what would you think if your mother-in-law gifted you granny pants?  Is it a sign of affection?  Or is it too uncomfortable to consider?  Opinions vary.

Stand by for some hilarity, chatter, and good times from The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers!

#motherhood #femalepodcasters #choreplay #perfectlyimperfect

 

Speaking the language of Love: Decoding Affection, a Cinderella story & how Love Languages impact our relationships

The ladies are back with the 20th podcast episode of The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers!  Cheers to that!  Anke, Kim, Tammy, Alisa and Heather catch up, firstly on the terrifying risk of getting locked in the office and what we could do to help a friend get out, before moving on to trips we have taken over the lovely, long September weekend: biking in the mountains and visiting Whinfell Forest Center Parcs in Cumbria. 

Moving on, the girls take a deep dive into the world of "Love Languages".

A concept developed by Dr. Gary Chapman, Love Languages explores how we express and receive love.  The ladies chat all about the five love languages: what they are, what it means to speak each of the love languages, and how they resonate to each of the ladies.  All of the ladies share personal stories, and discuss what about what makes each of the mums tick.  

Grab your favourite drink, get cozy, and join the ladies as they laugh, chat, and set the world to rights! 

#CenterParcsWhinfellForest #Lovelanguages # drgarychapman #visitscotland #visitedinburgh #imperfectmoms #ukmothers #motherhood #tinafey

The MacLean Brothers, Scream Therapy, and Sexting vs. Choreplay... the ladies are dishing on current events and the latest in husband-wife relations

The school year is off to a strong start, and Anke, Kim, Lissy, Heather and guest star Jessie are together again for a laugh and a catch up.  The ladies talk about putting into action making new friends at a parent's evening and at a 5k... friendship being the subject of last week's podcast... before moving on to chat about the latest news: the MacLean Brothers who rowed from Peru to Australia, the Women's Rugby Tournament (Scotland doing very well!), and the benefits and draw backs of Scream Therapy.

The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers is unanimous in our opinion that the MacLean brothers are amazing... but don't forget how incredible their mum must be!  Stand by for loads of laughs and different perspectives as we find out who amongst the mums is worried about encouraging regular screaming in public and what other questions we have about the utility of screaming as a form of therapy.  

Moving on, the ladies provide perspective and advice to a mum who is wondering whether she is failing her wifely duties because she is not always in the mood for sexting.  Opinions range from admiration that the mum has been able to do any sexting at all, to encouragement of couples to keep romance alive, to confusion around how one can find any energy or time to sext.  Kim brings up the revolutionary counter suggestion of "choreplay" which could (should) replace "foreplay"... where husbands/partners perform household chores to get their partner in the mood.  The mums also discuss whether or not we are already extremely attractive to our partners when we do chores and moan about how much we have to do as mums.  

Join in for another hysterical, candid conversation amongst the Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers!

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#choreplay #visitedinburgh #visitscotland #motherhood 

 

Friendships in Motherland: Navigating the Maze of Modern Connection

Anke, Lissy, Rebecca, Heather, and guest star Tammy are sitting down to catch up and dig down deep on how to navigate adult friendships.  First the ladies chat about the friends who have moved away, and how we are keeping in touch (visits to Edinburgh, visits to Copenhagen).  

The ladies move on to the "friendship conundrum"... why making friends is often more challenging in adulthood vs childhood, the impact on us when good friends move away, and what happens when friends cut ties or disappoint us.  The grief is real... and the ladies have personal stories and thoughts to share that everyone can relate to.

According to a 2022 report by the Office for National Statistics, 27% of adults in the UK reported feeling lonely often and always.  The ladies talk about how new mothers are particularly vulnerable to feeling lonely (and overwhelmed).. and discuss how societal changes, like the rise of social media and the decline of community-centric living, contributes to this sense of isolation for everyone... mums, singles, younger and older!

So how do we build better bonds as mothers and as adults?  The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers has thoughts and ideas to share.. as well as loads of empathy for people experiencing loneliness.  We've all been there!  

Join us for this thoughtful and empathetic chat.  You might find yourself nodding along... and may even get an idea about how to go out and make a new friend!  

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#motherhood #mothers #ukmoms #friendship #visitedinburgh #visitscotland 

UK Mom Podcast #2 Ranking!!! Alien Invasions, and Even more Hotdogs... the ladies are celebrating a big win!

The Edinburgh Society of Unapologetically Imperfect Mothers is ranked #2 UK Mom Podcast by FeedSpot!!! Break out the bubbly!!!

Kim, Anke, Rebecca, Lissy, Heather, and guest Tammy are celebrating the no 2 UK Mom Podcast listing... apparently people really like us!  The ladies share their thoughts... everything from happy and surprised to gobsmacked.  A huge THANK YOU to all of our listeners... we are so happy that you are joining us on our weekly podcast filled with silliness, laughter and chatter.  

The ladies go on to a "Weird and Wacky News Segment" just for laughs... discussing the potential of toothpaste made with hair, thousands of hotdogs spilled across a highway in Pennsylvania, and a discussions of whether aliens live among us.  Apparently Scotland used to be a hotspot for UFO sightings, so no surprise that many of the ladies believe that aliens have already moved in!

Before the ladies move on to a bit of 90s fun and games (do you remember "PHAT", "As if" and "Buggin"?) Lissy and Rebecca receive the news about Taylor Swift's engagement live on the podcast.. .and in true Swiftie fashion, proceed to celebrate!  

Thanks SO much to FeedSpot!!  

Check out our no 2 Ranking here:

https://podcast.feedspot.com/uk_mom_podcasts/

#friendship #visitedinburgh #visitscotland #motherhood #parenting #taylorswift