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Parents are going BROKE over these!
06/23/26 - Tuesday

Hey friends!
I (Jen) am the mom of 2 boys, so I get how exciting it is to be pregnant (especially after trying for a while) and how crazy hormones can add to that excitement.
But somewhere along the way, baby showers went from “cute cake and onesies” to full-blown productions with balloon arches, custom signage, and catered meals.
And gender reveals? If it requires a permit… we might need to rethink it.
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about how these celebrations got so out of hand and what it actually looks like to celebrate well without setting your future budget on fire.
🎧 On the Pod: Unhinged Baby Showers + Gender Reveals = Broke Parents
We get into:
The CRAZY extremes to which people (and companies) are shifting this wholesome tradition
How social pressure turns simple moments into expensive events
Why “milestone creep” keeps raising the bar (and the bill)
Ways to celebrate that actually feel meaningful and affordable
Because you don’t need a smoke machine to prove you love your kid.
💡 One Small Shift
Before planning any event, ask:
“What do I actually want to remember about this?”
If the answer is connection, joy, or community… you probably don’t need the $800 balloon installation.
Here’s a pic of the cakes I made to announce Kairos’ gender:

And from the baby shower Jill threw for me! (and yes that was the best picture I could find of my face 😂)

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Want to make Prime Day work for you instead of against you? 👀
If you’re going to shop anyway, at least get paid for it.
Right now, you can get a $50 welcome bonus when you sign up for Rakuten** by June 30th and spend $50 on Qualifying Purchase(s) totaling at least $50 within 90 days of signing up.
Rakuten gives you cash back at tons of stores you’re already shopping at, so instead of just spending money, you’re actually getting some back.
Target, Macy’s, Best Buy and more are all having sales to compete with Prime Day. So skip Amazon and get cash back at other sales. It’s free, super easy to use, and honestly one of the only shopping tools we don’t deinfluence 😅
👉 This promo expires JUNE 30TH, so sign up, make a qualifying purchase, and get your $50 bonus before it’s gone!
❤️ Give Back
If you’ve got even a tiny bit left over after skipping the confetti cannons, we’d love for you to join us in supporting our fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Ronald McDonald House Charities helps families stay close to their kids during medical care. It’s one of those causes that just… matters. And we love this organization so much, Jen is running the Disney World Marathon in support of RMHC.
Big impact energy looks a lot like this.
Warmest 🎶
Jen & Jill
**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.