Planned-ish

About Planned-ish

Planned-ish is the parenting podcast for people who love a good plan… but also know life rarely follows one. Hosted by Alexandra (planner, mom of twins, hosting enthusiast) and her husband Joe (reluctant co-host, golf & football guy, hilarious dad), this show brings real talk, big laughs, and zero judgment to the beautiful chaos of modern parenting. Every other week, we unpack the mess and magic of raising kids, managing relationships, navigating careers, and keeping your sanity somewhere in between. With recurring segments like The Debrief and the Elite-ish 8, we bring the kind of conversations you’re already having at home or late-night texts with your friends. Expect guests who do cool things, actually helpful insights, and a podcast that’s fun, real, and never takes itself too seriously — because parenting isn’t perfect, and we’re not pretending it is. Let’s figure it out as we go — Planned-ish style.

Publisher

Alexandra & Joe

Category

business · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 May 2025

Latest episode

21 May 2026

Latest episodes

33 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 May 2026

   32 - We Ranked Every Board Game & Fought About Summer Jobs

   We are back and we came ready. Episode 32 kicks off with a full twin chaos report: short fuses, nap time pants disappearing, and drawstrings making a very necessary comeback in this house. We also recap the most perfect Mother's Day, summer trip planning, and Alexandra hitting 400K views on a reel which we are still not fully over. Joe debuts his brand new segment where he picks a recipe straight from backtwohomebase.com (http://backtwohomebase.com) and talks about it and he went straight for the Bulldog Chili. A crockpot recipe with attitude, fire roasted tomatoes, the right amount of cayenne, and a cornbread debate that somehow got personal. Then we fought about summer jobs. Alexandra started working at 17 and will defend it with her whole chest. Joe thinks kids should enjoy their freedom and has zero regrets about never slicing a bagel for minimum wage. They disagree completely and you get to decide who's right. And the Elite-ish 8 is back with everyone's most controversial topic yet: best board game night games. Exploding Kittens, Monopoly, Battleship, Telestrations, Cards Against Humanity, Stratego, Candyland and Game of Life all made the cut. Go vote on Instagram and crown the winner. New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe, leave a review, and come tell us whether summer jobs build character or steal childhoods. Follow Alexandra | Back Two Home Base on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/ (https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/) Join the super fun Hosting Club: https://www.backtwohomebase.com/homebasehostingclub (https://www.backtwohomebase.com/homebasehostingclub) planned-ish podcast couples podcast parenting podcast toddler twins twin mom summer jobs for kids should kids work board game night best board games game night rankings hot take podcast bulldog chili back two home base elite-ish 8 funny couple content mom podcast lifestyle podcast Florida mom exploding kittens monopoly crockpot recipes toddler life small business mom #plannedishpodcast #podcastclip #hottake #boardgamenight #marriagepodcast

2. 

   7 May 2026

   31 - Airport Wings & 90s Things

   We're back after a month and a half and honestly? We have no regrets. In this comeback episode, Alexandra and Joe break down why they hit pause — travel, sick kids, burnout, and Joe being home for a grand total of six days in April — and why they're relaunching with a new format, a new cadence, and a whole lot more energy. In the Debrief: the Bahamas trip, toddlers who now eat hors d'oeuvres, a garage sale operation that's made $580 on Facebook Marketplace, and the storage unit that is actively robbing them both. Then we introduce our brand new segment — the Hot Take — and Joe kicks it off with what might be his most unhinged opinion yet: is it actually socially acceptable to ask a stranger at a bar if you can eat their leftover wings? Joe says yes. Alexandra says absolutely not. The beers were flowing, the wings were untouched, and he really almost did it. Plus the Elite-ish 8 is BACK — zero to zero, best of seven, and this week's topic is the best things only 90s kids will truly understand. AIM messenger, MapQuest, rewinding VHS tapes, one family computer for six people, Disney Channel original movies, and the absolute anxiety of watching the school closure ticker at the bottom of the news. Go vote on Instagram to crown the winner. And a quick Home Base Moment — the Hosting Club has two fresh themes ready for your summer entertaining, and the new Planned-ish Party Moodboard series drops every Friday on Instagram. New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe, leave a review, and for the love of all things good — go vote on the wings poll. planned-ish podcast comeback episode parenting podcast twin mom toddler twins mom podcast marriage podcast 90s nostalgia 90s kids AIM messenger VHS tapes MapQuest hot take podcast funny podcast couples lifestyle podcast back two home base hosting club entertaining ideas summer hosting mom burnout working mom podcast relaunch Elite-ish 8 funny marriage content Florida mom small business mom party planning toddler life airport food couples podcast

3. 

   11 Mar 2026

   30 - Potty Training & Party Planning (With Sarah Mechling)

   This week on Planned-ish, we’re celebrating episode 30 the most Planned-ish way possible: by being behind and slightly chaotic 😅 Joe and I kick things off with a debrief on the last week— hand, foot, and mouth took out the boys, then made its way to me, Joe was gone all week for work, and my aunt Laura absolutely saved us by stepping in to help with the twins, the house, and honestly my sanity. We also chat about joes birthday food gauntlet, why kids only sleep in when they’re sick, how potty training is still very much alive in our house, and how this podcast somehow made it to 30 episodes when we thought it might be a three-episode experiment. Then I sit down with Sarah from Tinkle & Toot — a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, mom of four, and potty training expert — for a super helpful conversation on why potty training feels so defeating for parents, what’s actually normal, how to motivate your kid without turning it into a battle, and why the “three-day potty training” mindset can mess with parents more than it helps. Plus: I hosted a girls brunch inspired by my Home Base Hosting Club theme Petals & Plates, but turned it into Bouquets, Bracelets & Brunch — and it was such a fun reminder that hosting can be simple, creative, and still feel special without being over the top. And of course, we wrap with Elite-ish 8: Best Things About Vacation — random edition. If you’re in a sick-kid season, potty training season, or just trying to create some good moments in the middle of chaos… this one’s for you. 🔗 Follow Sarah: @tinkleandtoot (https://www.instagram.com/tinkleandtoot) ✨Check out her site for her A++ potty training course: https://www.tinkleandtoot.com/ (https://www.tinkleandtoot.com/) 🔗 Follow along: @backtwohomebase (https://www.instagram.com/backtwohomebase/) ✨ Home Base Hosting Club: backtwohomebase.com/homebasehostingclub (http://backtwohomebase.com/homebasehostingclub) planned-ish podcast | potty training twins | toddler mom life | parenting podcast | real life parenting | episode 30 podcast | sick kids survival | hand foot and mouth | solo parenting while husband travels | twin toddler chaos | girls brunch hosting | bouquets bracelets and brunch | petals and plates | back two home base | home base hosting club | spring hosting ideas | potty training help | low pressure potty training | parenting in the trenches | marriage and parenting banter #PlannedishPodcast #TwinToddlerLife #PottyTrainingHelp #MomLifeUnfiltered #HostingMadeEasy

Who has been a guest on Planned-ish

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Samantha Buhrs
• Carly Saren
• Joe Marziello
• Paula Welz

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

17

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

60

Social presence

94

YouTube

63

Engagement

32