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Season 6 Episode 10: We Know We know. It’s been a minute. We haven’t recorded since October because life was lifing hard as ever. This episode is us catching you up on why we disappeared and what the last few months actually looked like behind the scenes. My dad got hit with a serious bacterial infection that landed him in the hospital for two weeks. We did manage one big night out at the Findlay Christmas party. Danielle lived her best Kardashian adjacent-life. Mackin is officially in full grind mode with his business. Danielle has promoted herself to Head of Business Development, in addition to becoming a part-time adult ballerina. We do not do official rankings this episode because Mackin did not keep notes and refuses to fake it, unlike Danielle. But we do cover the kids. We also unpack Maria’s visit, including her hatred of Teflon, her refusal to microwave nuggets, and ironic refusal to say the word "no" to her kids. That’s where we’ve been. Thanks for sticking with us. We know and we hope you know we love you. Thank you for listening.

Look at us, we’re back! More prepared, but with slightly less clothing. This was another quick and fun episode covering yet another crazy couple of weeks. Mom and Dad had a great night out at Crusader Knight, the big fundraising gala for our kids’ school. Danielle was the belle of the ball and was excited to show off the look she’s been working so hard on. It was such a great night with even better company, the Galindos. Like everything we do, it didn’t come without its fair share of stress. Leo had a bunch of dental work the same day, but thank God for Dr. Lindsay Row at Summerlin Pediatric Dentistry, because everything went great (only a few meltdowns). Danielle wants to work with Mackin, but she still has no idea what he actually does, so he’s still interviewing other candidates and rebranding the marketing agency. We also attended Danielle’s 20-year high school reunion and got to see so many old friends, most of whom Mackin had to remind Danielle of by name. Shoutout to the Mormons who gave us their drink tickets! Mackin also ranked the kids a little more accurately this episode. Leo is working on subtraction, Dean has a newfound appreciation for cologne, Viv is locking into middle school, and Dom’s broken wrist has healed. And yes, it all counts toward their ranking on Mackin’s list. Thank you all for listening, and remember, if you don’t rank your kids, you’re just lying to yourself because you do.

We’re back (yes, we’re alive) after a little summer chaos. It’s been a hectic season of life, but with the weather cooling down, things are finally settling too. We have a lot to catch up on! From a family holiday in San Diego to Mackin being super busy growing his agency business. Dom dedicated his entire summer to football. Viv is still living her best life, but now adjusting to middle school. Leo is still Leo; he got a little sick, which gave Danielle PTSD flashbacks that somehow made her sicker than he was. And Dean? He’s been pretty chill, probably because he’s always turning the thermostat down to 64 like he’s paying the power bill. We also discuss an important universal truth: no one loves you more than a boomer mom when you’re skinny. And yes, Mackin ranks the kids… sort of. We’ll give him a break since it’s been a while. Thanks for waiting on us, and thank you for listening. Proof of life delivered.

Oh, look, another family deciding to drop everything and travel the world because, why not, right? Meanwhile, we’re just trying to plan a road trip San Diego. But these two? They put the "trip" in "road trip." In this episode, we sit down with our old friends Jimi and Sandi Falin, the power couple behind Try N Something New! These two started their film business 14 years ago with our wedding and have now made capturing their travel lifestyle a full-time gig. Three kids in tow, dozens of countries, and millions of subscribers later, they're still the same amazing people crying behind a camera at our wedding. We dive into what inspired them to sell everything, pack up the RV, and hit the road. Did we say they did this with THREE KIDS? We also talk about the beauty of worldschooling and unschooling their kids while traveling.  Their goal is simple: inspire others to get out there and "Try Something New." So, if you’ve ever wanted to leave your comfortable little corner of the world, this episode is for you. Or, if you're a Type-A Grinch like Mackin and need a little spontaneity in your life, we hope they can inspire you too. Grab your passport (or your couch cushion) and get ready for laughs, travel fails, and tips from two people who’ve somehow survived 9 years of full-time travel with their kids. Spoiler: They don’t always have it all together, but they definitely have a story to tell.

We're back after some technical struggles (shocking, we know). We kick off summer with a shirt-unbuttoning and eye-opening experience at a bra fitting, where Danielle realized she’d been wearing them all wrong her whole life. To camp or not to camp? That's the question. We dive into the chaos of summer parenting. Early mornings, hot days, late nights, and the constant pressure to entertain the kids while also trying to encourage them to learn from boredom. We also weigh the pros and cons of having a living room kid vs a bedroom kid. The struggle is real when it comes to where they spend their time. The kids "Tesla slap” each other every time they see one, which has been super fun. Danielle recaps her "tour" (not "tewer") stop in Cleveland, including her obsession with Machine Gun Kelly's cute coffee shop under a bridge. We talk about our current state of marital communication, therapy, and how faith has helped us get through it all. And, of course, we’ve got the Child of the Week rankings. Here are a few hints: we have a degenerate gambler, roid rages and elite behavior from our front-runner. Thanks for humoring our humor. We’ve got more episodes with some very special guests coming your way this summer that we think you’ll love. As always, thank you for listening!

Lots of life has been happening around here, and we have plenty to talk about. Mackin has been busy fasting, while Danielle has been busy trying out new Mexican restaurants with a side of tirzepatide. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus by allowing our kids to be spoiled with candy and gifts. The cost of dyeing eggs this year was outrageous, so it was cheaper to just let them eat the dye in Sour Patch Kids. We are excited to finally hard-launch Makin' it Media! Mackin has been running Makin' it Media behind the scenes for the last couple of years, and we’re excited to now start growing the agency. We primarily focus on media buying, creative strategy, and AI automation, but can service or provide partners in any facet of marketing. Mackin has spent the last 15 years leading marketing strategies for Fortune 500 brands, leading creative strategy for billion-dollar companies, and buying media like it was his own money. He’s worked with some of the world’s biggest brands and your local Mom and Pops. And now, Makin' it Media is here to focus on making things simple, fast, and effective—just the way marketing should be. Follow @wearemakinit on Instagram for support and LinkedIn for more updates. Enough business! Maria stayed with us for a few days, even though it felt like a few weeks with all she “taught” us. We’ve realized that the gentle parenting we did with our kids at a young age has come back to bite us as our older kids enter tweenhood. Lastly, is an animal cracker a cookie or a cracker? We’ll leave it up to you to decide while Mackin ranks the kids. We love you all, we appreciate your support, and thank you for listening!

We’re like the marriage that cried wolf. At this point, whatever we say we’re going to do, just expect the opposite, okay? We have a lot to catch up on, and once again, we’ve had continued technical difficulties that kept us from recording last month. But it’s good to be back in our living room with you all. We’re spring breakin’ all the rules! We’ve got a hysterectomy hysteria update, and Danielle’s got sourdough everywhere. The kids are complaining nonstop, and we’ve got plenty to talk about. We didn’t even make it halfway through Mackin’s list of topics, but we had to squeeze in Mackin’s rankings before Danielle faded off to sleep. We’re glad to be back, and we have fewer excuses in the near future to bring you more episodes. We can’t wait to do exactly that. Hopefully… We love you all so much—especially you OGs for dealing with our shit. But also, welcome to the new listeners. Stick around; we might surprise you. Thank you for listening!

We’re finally back recording at home after a little break, and we have a lot to catch up on. It's been a while, and we had a few episodes recorded that never aired thanks to technical difficulties (who knew we’d have this many issues with microphones?). We’re hoping this one makes up for all that lost time. Mackin has rules for sending people videos, and etiquette that he thinks we all should abide by. Also, our kids have been soo much lately! Sick, busy, hungry, they’re always talking! That’s all we do, is talk! We did go to a White Party and talk about what it was like for Mackin to see naked girls covered in sushi. We discuss parallel parking in public, Fine Art or Anxious Activity.  And of course, we cap things off with Mackin’s Child of the Week Rankings. Spoiler alert: Leo is still #4. It’s good to be back and in our kitchen cooking up an episode. We love you all and thank you for listening. 

It’s a special episode of Makin’ it with the Mackins because we’ve got two old friends of the podcast, back in the studio for the first time together in almost 2 years! Jeff Kurkjian and Aimee Thomas—formerly of Jeff and Aimee in the Morning—are here, and we’re so happy to have them. Warning: There is no dump button for swearing for these radio personalities, so prepare yourself. We discuss the pros and ultimately cons, of puppy parenting and how it relates to real parenting. Jeff gives Danielle a brief is a brief Geography lesson and Aimee shares how her husband was heartbroken, when Jeff, her then “work husband,” left her.  We also discuss the idea of soliciting catcalls to build confidence, different parenting styles, and the taboo topic of passing gas in front of your spouse. And let’s not forget the classic awkwardness of intimacy with spouses—we’re all about keeping it real here. We’re so happy we got to have both Jeff and Aimee back together and we are so grateful to you all for listening! We know you’ll love this episode. And if you want to hear more from Jeff and Aimee, check them out now on 102.7 in Vegas, 92.5 KXTU in Philly (not Pittsburgh), or Jeff’s amazing baseball podcast with his HOF dad, Tim Kurkjian, Great Game of What!  Also, big shout out to Galindo Media for hosting us. If you’re looking for podcast production, they have everything you need! We love you guys! Support us in Makin’ it: $9.99 Makin' it with the Mackins Monthly Supporter https://buy.stripe.com/cN28AkaYBaPl4Xm5kk $24.99 (One-Time Thank You) https://buy.stripe.com/6oE03O5EhaPlexWaEF  $99.99 (One-Time Thank You) https://buy.stripe.com/5kAeYI1o10aHblK4gi  Shop the Merch 👉 https://www.makinitwiththemackins.com We also have some new merch if you would like to say “thanks” and stay comfy at the same time!

We’re back! Welcome to Season 6 of Makin’ it with the Mackins! We enjoyed our break but we are so excited to be back! We have a NEW format for the podcast that we think will be most importantly, entertaining but also provide us with some flexibility without compromising our content. All episodes will now be 100% FREE to listen to, watch, and play as background noise while you fold laundry. We know some of you would still like to support so, we created some options for you to help us keep the lights on and camera rolling, by supporting every month or if you just want support with a one-time monetary hug. Support us in Makin’ it: $9.99 Makin' it with the Mackins Monthly Supporter https://buy.stripe.com/cN28AkaYBaPl4Xm5kk $24.99 (One-Time Thank You) https://buy.stripe.com/6oE03O5EhaPlexWaEF $99.99 (One-Time Thank You) https://buy.stripe.com/5kAeYI1o10aHblK4gi Shop the Merch 👉 https://www.makinitwiththemackins.com We also have some new merch if you would like to say “thanks” and stay comfy at the same time! A lot has happened in the last couple of months and we’re ready to hash it all out with you. We discuss how our kids don’t understand Danielle when she speaks, some inopportune intimacies, and how annoying it can be to wait for kids to do literally anything at all. And you know Mackin has some pent-up anxiety he needed to release by ranking the kids! We love you all and are blessed to begin our sixth season of Makin’ it with you! We cannot thank you enough for listening and supporting!

We’re thrilled to bring you this episode with the @BrandonFromVegas! We had such a good conversation that it turned out to be our longest episode ever—seriously, we could have kept going for hours! So much so that we killed the camera batteries and may have lost a few minutes somewhere towards the end. We didn't stop talking though, we just swapped in some new batteries and kept going. If you are from Vegas and not following Brandon, you need to. He’s not just a foodie influencer or your go-to realtor, he's the Dark Knight of the philanthropic world, but most importantly he is unapologetically himself. He shares his perspective of growing up a nerd in Vegas, how he met his amazing wife, Chanel, to the challenges of starting a family. Brandon doesn’t shy away from anything, let alone the "taboo" topics. We talk about everything from societal parenting norms, the US justice system, and his favorite late-night restaurants. His candid insights offer a fresh perspective on some of today’s most pressing off-the-wall topics. Shout out to Brandon for his transparency, candidness and just being a real one! Don’t forget to follow @BrandonFromVegas on all the platforms for some of the best Vegas food spots to hit up, real estate tips, and general good vibes.

In this episode, we kick things off with a riveting conversation around who has the most laundry, followed up with a tragic salsa spill. 
 Mackin tried to insert some cultural relevance in an Olympics segment that was almost as bad as the opening ceremony. We also discuss the quest to find a family with kids the same ages as ours to make Mackin feel like he’s not alone, and we wrap with our “Child of the Summer Rankings.”
 We have a couple more episodes this season before we take a break to take care of some personal stuff but we’re excited and we can’t thank you all enough for listening!

We’re thrilled to bring you this personal and moving episode with the hilarious and highly respected Dr. Paul Wilkes, a renowned and published MD, FACOG expert in perinatal care, based in Las Vegas. Dr. Wilkes, who was Danielle's amazing doctor during her twin pregnancy, joins us for an in-depth and raw conversation about his life. Dr. Wilkes opens up about his battle with addiction and his incredible journey to becoming one of the most esteemed perinatal doctors in the country. He shares how his faith in God played a crucial role in overcoming personal and professional challenges, including addiction and divorce. We delve into his experiences as a father to three beautiful kids, balancing a demanding career with family responsibilities. Don’t miss this authentic and funny episode that’s sure to inspire and uplift. This incredible conversation covers everything from faith and addiction to love and private planes. We’re grateful to Dr. Wilkes for his time, and his care, and we’re grateful for all of you listening.

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves, we are the Mackins and we’re just trying to make it…make it through parenting, marriage, schedules, fights, and everything life throws at us. It’s been a while, so we thought we’d bring it back to our roots, recording in our kitchen and talking about how this whole thing started. It’s been almost 4 years of doing this podcast and a lot has changed while at the same time, some things never change. We play “Ask Us Anything” with some questions from listeners. You’ll learn about our dream vacation that apparently will never happen. You’ll hear about a few core memories. And wrap things up with Mackin’s infamous rankings. To all our new listeners, we would love if you stuck around. We don’t have a choice! And to our loyal listeners and Real. Late. Relatable subscribers, we thank God for you every day. Thank you for listening!

We are so excited to finally bring you guys this episode! We recorded this episode over a month ago but had issues with the audio. Lucky for us, Drew was kind enough to come back and run it a second time. If you have been living under a rock and don’t know about @unlokt or @sorrynotsorry, @drewbelcher is the man behind it all. He takes us on a podcast all the way back to our college days popping bottles and open bar at Prive. We talk about how he met his beautiful fiancee, Carolyn, and how they magically never fight. He sheds light on what it is like being a foodie with a picky eater kid. Drew shares the secret sauce to running his social media agency, how Unlokt actually started as an app, and the recipe to success for his Sorry Not Sorry empire. That mixed in with how he finessed the greatest podcast deal of all time, along bunch of other random and hilarious stories. We’re so grateful to Drew for coming, not once but twice and we’re so thankful to you all for listening. Buy everything this man sells and make sure you follow him to find out whenever he drops something new because he doesn’t miss. @drewbelcher @unlokt @sorrynotsorry @eatwithlovealways