348. The Mental Load Season: Boundaries, Burnout & the Pressure to Make It Magical with Paige Connell & Allie McQuaid

The holidays ask a lot of moms: logistically, emotionally, mentally.

We cover it all in this month's roundtable.

Ashley and I sat down with Paige Connell and Allison McQuaid to talk about the mental load, the pressure to create “magic,” the generational friction we all feel, and why so many moms hit their breaking point between Halloween and New Year’s.

We cover:
- Rage, resentment, and the myth of “doing it all”
- The emotional thermostat moms feel responsible for regulating
- Managing family expectations (and judgment)
- Social media + influencer culture during the holidays
- What truly makes this season meaningful
- What we’re saying YES to this year… and what’s a firm no

If you’re entering the holiday gauntlet already tired, you are absolutely not alone and we recorded this for you.