dismissed. The Empty Nest Era is an upbeat, short-form bi-weekly podcast hosted by two moms navigating the empty‑nest years — and creating a space for other women to join the conversation. Jeni and Amy are former stay‑at‑home moms, dance moms, and good friends. In their 50s, they’re mothers to only daughters and married to the men they met in college. After years of pouring their energy into carpools, dance competitions, and epic birthday balloon walls, they’re finally turning the focus inward.
And now they’re asking:
"Oh crap—how do we do that?"
Let’s talk about it.
Leaking when you laugh? Peeing every five minutes? Waking up several times a night to pee? In this episode of dismissed., Jeni and Amy talk about what most of us women are dealing with: urinary leakage, bladder urgency, frequent urination and nighttime peeing. And they talk about what can be done: pelvic floor physical therapy and surgery options. Jeni shares her very real postpartum leaking story and how she eventually found relief with TVT surgery. Amy shares how pelvic floor PT improved he...
22 Sept 2026
Midlife Friendship Reboot: Setting Boundaries & Letting Go of Drama
In midlife and the empty nest era, friendships can look different — and honestly, that can be a good thing. In this episode of dismissed. Jeni and Amy talk about how friendships in adulthood, midlife, and after the busy mom-life years can become calmer, more honest, and a lot less dramatic. As we get older, many of us stop chasing friendships that feel exhausting or one-sided. Instead, we start valuing friends who add peace, humor, support, and honesty to our lives. Jeni and Amy discuss the s...
8 Sept 2026
The Real Reason Women in their 50s Love Reality TV
Reality TV hits different in your 50s. It is not just entertainment - it’s escape, connection and the chaos was choose. Today on dismissed. The Empty Nest Era. podcast, Jeni and Amy are breaking down why midlife women are obsessed with reality TV - and why we should not feel guilty about it. Jeni breaks down her love of competition shows like The Traitors, Big Brother, American Idol, and watching Love Island with her daughter. Amy also shares how rewatching Vanderpump Rules became...
25 Aug 2026
Dinner is dismissed. How Empty Nesting Changed the Way We Eat.
Jeni and Amy talk about how food, cooking, and household routines change once the kids left home—especially during perimenopause and menopause. Jeni shares how she moved from constant meals, snacks, and family food planning to a simpler two-meals-a-day routine, with an early, larger “dinner” that helps her reflux and sleep. Her husband now heats up food when he wants, and sometimes defaults to peanut butter, bread, and Fluff. Amy, who openly admits she hates cooking, explains her new empty-ne...
11 Aug 2026
Stay Away From Cray: The Mom-Friend Drama We’re Done With
Friendship in your 40s, 50s, and 60s hits different — especially after years of school events, dance competitions, sports schedules, parent groups, and the chaos of trying to fit in with other moms. In this episode of dismissed. former stay-at-home moms Jeni and Amy talk about navigating adult friendships after being “dismissed” from active parenting duties. They get into their favorite friendship rule: stay away from cray. From intense mom circles and competitive parent dynamics to jealousy,...
28 Jul 2026
Plastic Surgery Secrets in Midlife, What Women Are Having Done
Jeni and Amy are keeping it real this week. This episode of dismissed. The Empty Nest. podcast dives right into what women usually whisper about: plastic surgery, Botox, lasers, and all the procedures they are doing to look and feel younger. Jeni shares her plastic surgeon told her she came in “too late” and that many women in their 40s are now have “micro-procedures” to possibly avoid a major facelift in their 50s. They talk openly about why so many women feel pressure to hide cosmetic work,...
14 Jul 2026
College Prep for Parents
College preparation isn’t just for the kids — parents need prep too. In this episode Jeni and Amy get real about surviving college applications, managing the stress of waiting for decisions, and not tying your identity to where your child gets into college. They talk only‑child emotions, the empty nest transition, and why building your own next chapter — therapy, new routines, Mahjong, pickleball, better friendships — matters just as much as dorm packing lists. And of course, they...
30 Jun 2026
Optimize Health During Menopause with These 3 Things: Dr. Monica Medrano
If you are looking to optimize your health as a perimenopausal/menopausal woman, THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU. Jeni and Amy sit down with Dr. Monica Medrano of Innovative Vitality in Chicago who is answering the top listener questions about GLP-1s, supplements and what are the top three things women in their 40s/50s/60s should be doing to optimize their health. Monica Medrano, M.D. breaks it all down for us: Do you need a GLP-1?Who qualifies (BMI 30+, or 27+ with conditions)Side effects &...
23 Jun 2026
BONUS EPISODE: Dr. Responds to Our Nighttime Skin Routines
Bonus Episode! Monica Medrano, MD responds to our nighttime routines episode and offers her TWO, only two, non-negotiables for her nightly skin regimen. Dr. Medrano proves that it doesn’t have to be complicated. Just look at her. She told us to start with the basics and then build based on your skin goals. Not what’s trending. Not what your friend is using. She recently simplified her own routine. She went from using six different products down to just two main ingredients: ...
16 Jun 2026
Nighttime Skincare Routines (Midlife Edition)
This week on dismissed, Jeni and Amy are talking about their nighttime skincare routines. As two former stay‑at‑home moms navigating this weird and wonderful empty‑nest phase, they’ve realized that their evenings look very different — and so do their faces. Jeni is an early‑to‑bed person. Like… aggressively early. Jeni’s routine, pretty simple. She doesn’t even really wash her face. (Don’t yell at her.) Amy, on the other hand, is a night owl and a layering queen. She’s washing with Proactiv, ...
2 Jun 2026
Menopause and Making Friends After 50
Is it just us… or is making new friends in your 40s, 50s, and 60s hard? In this episode of dismissed., we’re talking about something no one really prepares you for: how to build community in midlife — especially when the built‑in structures (school, kids’ activities, carpools) start to fall away. But first? We address the real crisis: Perimenopause and menopause sweating. Sweating Sisters unite! From workout classes to “leaky club” napkin situations, we kick things off with some very honest m...
19 May 2026
Perimenopause Was Ruining My Life (Until I Started HRT)
For years, Jeni and Amy did not know they were in perimenopause. They thought my bodies were falling apart, that they were just aging. Stiff hands. Rage. Hip pain. Shoulder pain. Rage. Dry skin. Itchy ears. Weird periods. Rage. Bloating. Inflammation. Rage. Insomnia. No one told us these were perimenopause symptoms. In this episode, Jeni and Amy share what actually happened when they finally started hormone replacement therapy (HRT), including using the estrogen patch, combo patches, pr...
5 May 2026
Down There and All Things Vaginal.
Okay. We’re going Down There. In this episode, Jeni and Amy talk vaginas and what happens to our pelvic floors in midlife. We kick things off with our shared post‑pandemic impatience — why do manicures feel like a hostage situation now? Why are jeans staging a full invasion into “vagina lane”? Jeni’s grandma, Venus, calls it down there. Amy’s mom calls the entire area her bottom. Let’s talk about VAGINAS: Vaginal dryness. Painful sex. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)...
21 Apr 2026
Perimenopause: The Bloat, The Pain, The Rage
Let us just say this upfront: perimenopause is REAL. In this episode, Jeni and Amy are talking about what really started happening to our bodies before anyone officially called it perimenopause — the bloating, the sudden bloat, the hip pain (who knew estrogen receptors lived there?!), the sore boobs that felt like my milk was coming in again, and the mood swings that went from “meh” to full-blown rage in 0.4 seconds. Fun times. In this episode we get into the real symptoms of perimenopause an...
16 Apr 2026
Empty Nest, Perimenopause and the Midlife Shift: Why We Started dismissed.
Welcome to the very first episode of dismissed. The Empty Nest Era. — a podcast for women navigating midlife transitions, empty nest life, perimenopause/menopause and everything in between. We’re Jeni and Amy, friends who realized that our four‑hour-long lunches — part therapy session, part humor-laced reality check — were actually the conversations we wished more women were having out loud. So we decided to start a podcast. We bonded over parallel lives: stay‑at‑home moms who gave up our car...
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