Seen and Heard in Edmonton

Meet Jess Holt, the wry wit and graphic designer by trade who offers a raw, insightful look at life as the mother of twins on Grace & Champ.

Jess started the blog as a way to connect with adults after emerging from the first-year fog of somewhat unexpected parenthood, multiplied by 2. “I didn’t want it to be just about parenting, but it turns out that’s all I do,” she says.

You don’t get tips from Jess, nor do you get a candy-coated celebration of the joys of motherhood. You get candour, which brings with it reassurance that raising kids is stressful and crazy-making, and all you can do is your best, which is good enough.

We talk about shutting down unsolicited advice, the heebie-jeebieness of the term “mommy blogger,” and the feeling of being outnumbered, among other things. Have a listen:

You can also get it in iTunes, on SoundCloud or on Stitcher.

Jess recommended these local blogs and podcasts:

• Raising Edmonton, Lori Godin’s compendium of things to do with your kids;
• The Momoirs, Hannah Hamilton’s unvarnished truth about parenting;
• The Undad, Trent Wilkie’s blog about raising one (and soon two) kids;
• I Have Some Notes, the new podcast from Colin MacIntyre and Gregg Beever on how to fix a bad movie.

You can follow Grace and Champ on Twitter and on Facebook.

This week’s Seen and Heard in Edmonton is brought to you by Eek Fest, the pop culture fair at Servus Place in St. Albert on June 4 and 5.

You’ll find five halls of fun, featuring Lego, comics, collectibles, video games, zombies, Nerf guns, live improv, cosplay and more.

Family passes are $39.99; adult weekend passes are $19.99 and kids get in for $8 (plus fees). Get your tickets today!

Musical credits: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, played by Daniel Veesey, from freemusicarchive.com.