Gotta Be Done - A Bluey Podcast (blueypod)

It's the Bluey episode that started in the gutter, but now all of us are looking up at the double rainbows. 

Rain has so much meaning for Kate and co - and especially in a week where rain and memories are coming down hard. 

There's also (Mary butchering) the Serenity Prayer, the double rainbow meme (what does it mean?!), Oscar-winning Balance that wordlessly inspired this episode, and its link to this most televisual bit of Aussie music history. 

And, the girls don't get to say it, but how much is Rain a sequel to playing under the tap in Takeaway? (Flowers may bloom again, but a person never has a chance to be young again.) Hope you can hug your people young and old, and all go out and play in the rain.  

This Gotta Be Done episode is in memory of beautiful girl, and in thanks for all the double rainbows she continues to bring us all. 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Neuroscience, vaguebooking, trashing the place and hitting the chocolate - a Bad Mood is a journey, and this Gotta Be Done is no exception!

Can our little people actually help their big (bad/naughty/cheeky?!) feelings? And if parents (in Viking helmets) can drive the bad mood, is it up to us to drive the good one too? Don't mention emotional labour!

Plus the world's most annoying song and its breakout moment - you're welcome!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Gotta Be Done goes beyond the audio this week - with the superstar of YouTube, Aussie Girl Margie!

The effervescent Australian-mum-living-in-the-US has been making fun-filled Bluey content for a year, and shares her screen with Mary in this big chat!

From the stars that aligned for Mary and Kate's Promises roles, to the intricacies of censoring Bluey, and whether there really is a wedding still to come in season three - it's a meeting of obsessive Bluey minds, and wild Heeler theories! 

You can watch online for the interview across first, second and third parts, or catch it all in your Bluey-loving ears here! And follow Margie on YouTube and Insta for more amazing Bluey chat.    

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's more than a year since Bluey creator Joe Brumm told Gotta Be Done a cricket episode was coming... which is even longer than the average game of cricket! 

Kate (vessel of cricketing knowledge) and Mary (cricketing knowledge vacuum) explore the whys and wherefores of the deeply weird (but supremely strategic) game of cricket. And how the never-ending, convoluted, global obsession impacts a childhood - theirs, their children's, and theirs again as parents of children!

Plus, slips, gullies, silly-mids, fruit and pies - and not the kind you get at tea break! 

(Speaking of tea break, this recap gets one! Stay tuned for Gotta Be Done does Cricket II next week!)  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Road Trip has week-ago easing-out-of-lockdown Mary and Kate dreaming of the open road. (Now we're back in lockdown and we don't want to talk about it.) 

Instead, focus on the music that gets you through extreme boredom (Paul Simon) and existential threats (Ennio Morricone). And Kate has a hot tip for finding good tunes on the road. (It involves Turkish restaurants in Port Macquarie.) 

Plus, ranking Bandit's food-as-swears on a severity scale, and what are the chances that the only two people in Australia whose parents forced them to listen to times tables songs on road trips start a podcast together?! (OR ARE THERE MORE OF US??) 

Are we making good times yet?

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

WE MADE IT TO CHRISTMAS! Or at least to Christmas Swim, which definitely meets the 2020 near-enough-is-good-enough standard for Mary and Kate. 

And it's our second Heeler Christmas - is that too early to be demanding invites to weddings? (Looking at you, Rad and Frisky!) Plus we bear gifts: the true meaning of Bartleby, and the (world exclusive) solved mystery of the missing Bluey season two episode!  

Now excuse us, we've got to follow a star that guides us to Thy Perfect Light/ proper gravy. (Happy Christmas to all the Gotta Be Done family, and may all your catches be classic!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Nice to meet you Tina... or should Mary and Kate say, SEASON 3'S ASPARAGUS?!

Okay so three years on Gotta Be Done has come to the party (animals) of their previously least-favourite Bluey. But what happens when there's another contender??  

Tina sparks questions about giving kids responsibilities, rights, riot permission, plus the weaponising of toilet hands and commentary on large ladies. 

Will they talk themselves into actually liking it though? She's a whole lotta unlikely!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's a new year, it's a fresh start - and dammit, we're not letting the 12 Days of Bluey go! Enjoy as we splutter our way through a recap of Australia's most favourite Bluey episodes as voted by you - and the fact that small children don't exactly share our excellent taste (RIP Bike). 

But the upside - an excuse for Keepy Uppy, which came in at #6 (not to get all mathematical on you, but that's practically top five). 

We consider all the different ways that balloon use can distribute bodily fluids around the house, and Mary gets conspiracy-theorist about how Big Plastic dreamed up balloon arches (what are they for?!) 

Plus so much Kate love for the true hero of this epic (and perhaps the true reason for the #6 spot?!), Lucky's Dad! It's great to be back!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Ring ring, ring ring? Hello, this is Kate and Mary showing their age by actually picking up the phone - but will the next generation even know what that is?

Phones and Grandad Mort's visit have Gotta Be Done wondering about the right hand signal for a smartphone, what's next for Emma Wiggle, and is tech the source of all the world's problems. So yeah, just all the big questions!

Also, what are curried sausages and is there any chance children would eat them? Lovely evening, ladies! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

We know our kids never want to play the quiet game - but this episode is proof that team Gotta Be Done isn't so crash hot at it either. (More cowbell!)

Besides Mary's determination to ruin all Kate's noisy fun, we're both playing spot-the-Easter-egg in The Quiet Game - did we get them all?

Plus first days on the job, ponies and bronies, great Madges of Australian TV, and orchestra requirements for silent movies - look, you'll understand one day!   

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

It's the Heeler history we all need to believe in, and Gotta Be Done is fact-checking and fetishising every glorious 80s moment! 

From montages to hazy memories, violent consequences of jinxes and whether child discipline should be depicted for historical purposes, Mary and Kate have a fairytale's worth of half-baked theories.  

Also, this Fairytale poster by Bluey animator Mark Paterson, art director Costa Kassab's reimagining of little Bandit and Chilli, and the sun, the moon, the prickles, the princess, and everything! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Baby Race takes Gotta Be Done back to those early days of parenting - and wow, IT IS A LOT. 

Kate and Mary talk milestones, leaps, and Mercury retrogrades - is this stuff all deliberately confusing? And when are we meant to put honey on dummies/ peanut butter on spoons/ oil on knees??

Plus why Leigh Sales was the perfect person to be Coco's Mum, whether parenting/life has to mean uncertainty, and what's on the top of the Bach Spotify pops. 

Meanwhile, our little baby podcast has hit a terrifying milestone - we've recapped every single episode of Bluey! We're toddling off for a break/ being invisible, but don't panic, we'll be back!

In the meantime... you're doing great. 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Ready or not, we're headed up Mount Mumandad!

It's the go-to metaphor of every earnest Insta #inspo, but is climbing mountains really that relatable? Mary thinks the standard comparison should be getting a whole household out the door on a work day - props to all the fellow climbers facing that monster!

We talk mountaineering history, looming theme parks (is Bluey going to Dreamworld??), and old Hollywood themes with some help a new music correspondent (thanks Wade!)

Plus, are we Blueys or Bingos when it comes to packing? Or can we just get chopped down instead? Yes please!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

We know everybody needs good Neighbours, but can you construct a cubby without couch cushions? Mary thinks not, and this episode of Bluey has prompted some big (housing) developments in her lounge room!

Meanwhile, Kate's gone down a 90s sitcom rabbit hole, and there's tons of TVs most annoying neighbours at the bottom. But Mary's going into bat for Bandit's stereotype - is it really true that nobody likes a bogan/her? 

And finally, can a good hard stare save the day, or was it Chilli's peace lily that really fixed the feng shui on Mulberry St? It's no more far-fetched than the average Ramsay St resolution - lucky we brought our own laugh track!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's the journey of a thousand shiny distractions, but is Piggyback the quintessential road trip movie episode, or have we just been trapped in lockdown for too long?

From Kate's new scooter, to Bluey's ongoing exploration of second-tier Australian wildlife, and even a rare sighting of Ludo Studio art director Costa, it's a wild ride.  

Plus, a how-to for tackling too-big problems that's definitely coming in handy right now - though honestly, we'd prefer a piggyback! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

At a time when no one's leaving the house, isn't it great that Sticky Gecko reminds us it's impossible anyway!

Get ready for deep truths about time (a construct), friends (don't have judgey ones), and lasagna (you can have too much), as Mary and Kate take on Chilli's spectacular turn at Take Away.  

With bonus Bluey armed forces theories, you don't have to hurry up and wait for this SNAFU of an episode! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

(Birthday) cards on the table - the Gotta Be Done girls do not mind a bit of mess. But do Mary and Kate draw the line at Omelette?

From managing kitchen chaos (and potential hangriness) and 10,000 hours to perfect egg-cracking, to the Bluey-Brene imperative to own your mistakes, and the dubious delights of breakfast in bed - it's triggering stuff for our two (likely hangry) hosts.   

So as Bingo covers herself in egg, does Chilli cover herself in glory? Either way, as usual, it's a cracker! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's nearly two years since Gotta Be Done first caught up with Joe Brumm, the incredible creator of Bluey. 

Since then, the sheer perfection of Flat Pack and Sleepytime has happened. An Emmy happened (and a million more awards.) Bloody 2020 happened (and after this we'll never speak of it again.) Books and toys and Bluey's Big Play are still happening. And time and time again, Bluey has spoken to us/ saved us amidst it all. 

So after all that, how many questions do Kate and Mary have for Joe now?

In the immortal words of Bingo, "THIS MANY!" 

(Thanks Joe!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Life feels a bit heavy right now - what better time for a Featherwand? And Bluey and Bingo are as magical as ever! 

But what's magic, and what's just mayhem? Hard to tell, especially when Lucky's Dad gets involved. 

Of course we go into the Hall of the Mountain King, and spin-offs soundtracks from Inspector Gadget to the Winklevoss twins. Also, how Greig felt about his most famous piece, and why composer types have such cool names (Edvard, Wolfgang, Ludwig, Joff... and of course Ari!)

Plus, Mary shows off her dismal dearth of pop culture wizardry, and that's not the only wizards she's confusing (sorry Beth Harvey and Beth Durack!) But who's not a bit confused right now? At least we know for sure that Bluey got her Emmy - hugest congrats Ludo Studio, never in doubt!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

From Chilli's first line for the ages (oh man, Gotta Be Done is just not a fan of housework either babe!), Housework is a joy that does not usually come with housework! 

There's the playful Fab Four, the interminable demands of Lego Batman, and detailed instructions for making a toy car wash - oh, and plenty of Bluey wisdom for life.

Plus, the perils of looking too closely at the contents of your vacuum. Bee-oop!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's Gotta Be Done's most-demanded recap - clearly we all want more romance in our lives!

And Double Babysitter has stars aligning for Mary and Kate, as they finally get to deep-dive Rad and Frisky's characters - knowing there's a wedding on the horizon!

Plus post-lockdown demand for happily ever afters and kids' birthday parties, and our favourite other podcasts right now - oh hai 60 Songs that Explain the 90s and How to Change a Life! 

Oh, and our most belated "We Know that Now" yet - get ready to be blown away by Takeaway once again! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

So unless Muffin Cupcake Heeler has dropped your phone in the pool, you've probably heard that Bluey's house got listed on Airbnb! 

After Gotta Be Done tried and failed to take up permanent residence, Mary got to go behind the scenes from a distance, with amazing designer to the Heelers, Yvette Turnbull. 

The creative Queenslander has worked with Airbnb, BBC Studios and Ludo to bring the beloved home to life, and she has plenty of hints for what it takes to Heeler-fy your place too! Plus some of the for-real-life Bluey moments of the epic year-long project, and how the team managed to keep Brisbane's biggest secret.

If you didn't get this weekend's one-off booking at the Paddington palace (not hooray), take an audio tour through paint swatches, dog gnomes, and lawn grubs... it's got character!  

(Follow Yvette on Insta for more behind the scenes shots - you might even spot a long dog!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

We all know an octopus saved 2020 for plenty of folks, but is slightly awkward Chloe's Dad the hero we need in 2021?

Kate and Mary definitely appreciate his commitment to Chopin and Wikipedia, and how he relieves the pressure of meeting Bandit Heeler standards. 

But why is it some of us are so naturally silly, and some can't get past the first ooh-bool-oop? Maybe the animal world has the answers. (And also Bluey and Brene, of course!)   

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

IT'S NEARLY HERE! No, not Kate's bub (although he's pretty imminent too) - it's BLUEY SEASON TWO!!

Enjoy this bonus ep of us mainly hyperventilating at the thought of new Bluey eps, FINALLY hitting ABC TV and iView from Tuesday 17 March! That is just over a month away, and you can watch the S2 trailer on Facebook right now. 

Meanwhile, Gotta Be Done still has ELEVEN eps of S1 to smash through - can we get there before S2 drops?? Where should we start? What are you still desperately waiting for us to deep dive? And what are you most excited about for S2?? 

So many questions, such exciting times. It's Gotta Be Done!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's a long weekend at Gotta Be Done HQ, so we're taking our lead from Bandit and throwing out some... more episodes!

The Dump has us trash-talking - from suspicious recycling processes, to cathartic car-jumping, and how best to "file" the kids' art. 

Plus, tales of less-than-ideal parenting, and the importance of admitting our stuff-ups - even though they will probably be used against us. Ah, we love the dump!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's an episode 14 billion years in the making, but how far have we come really? Straight out of the box for this Flat Pack recap, Gotta Be Done eats the frog (dog) and addresses the dinosaurs in the room: there's still plenty more building to do. 

So props Ludo Studio and ABC for making changes to Bluey that help make a better world for everyone. 

Now that's dealt with - what IS the meaning of life? Kate and Mary muse Flat Pack's version, and find it pretty close to home. 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

We haven't had to do it in a while, but has the morning rush out the door ever failed to chill the blood of the responsible parent? Daddy Dropoff is no different - and the trauma is rushing back!

But are endless games the only things holding us up? Or is it just the constant rushing that's the problem? (In Mary's case, the games/phone calls/kisses definitely aren't helping.) 

And of course, Bluey's emotional highs leave us a mess - and Kate wondering how to pick the moments that will change the kids' lives forever. No pressure! (Lila and Bingo forever!)  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Are kids bad losers, or do they just have keenly developed senses of injustice? In Obstacle Course, Bluey is a bit of each - and at Kate and Mary's places, it's definitely one or the other!

Meanwhile, what movies do you see in the montage? Kate's done the research, while Mary has to admit Gallipoli and Kokoda are not the same. 

And why do our Gotta Be Done girls, like Bandit/ every parent, always lose at memory snap? Either social media, Wizz Fizz or bio-char is to blame!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Are you triggered by time outs? What about televisual content that recreates pandemic lockdown conditions? Unequal distribution of parenting? Or the sight/ thought/ mention of people/ dogs on the toilet?

Well, dial in and get ready for Muffin (Cupcake) Heeler levels of outrage - because Gotta Be Done goes there! 

So who are the villains when parenting is being hogged? (Inequitable kids!) What are the pitfalls when boundary-setting with kids? (Stripe nails them all!) And what's the Franco-Prussian War got to do with it? (Bizet it on us!)

Are Mary and Kate qualified to give these answers? Well, they did read a blog!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's taken two years of obsessively discussing his incredible Bluey scores, and finally Bluey composer Joff Bush joins Mary and Kate in the Gotta Be Done wagon! 

Joff's finally found some time after creating the score to Bluey's Big Play (touring now!) and recording this year's chart-topping Bluey "The Album"! 

Yep, busy times are over and Brisbane's Beethoven is just calmly working on multiple episodes of Bluey S3 every week - needless to say, Kate and Mary are anything but calm to hear about it! Plus Joff reveals his favourite character, what he knows about Busker Dog, and his plan to stockpile every copy of the amazing new Bluey "The Album" vinyl release (but if you're in Australia, you can win a copy before Joff gets his hands on it - enter on our Insta before 10PM AEST on Friday 16 July 2021!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

In this special episode of Gotta Be Done, we're are getting excited (and sleepy!) about another podcast, Goodnight, World!

Goodnight, World! is developed by a team of early childhood and meditation experts at Headspace Studios and Sesame Street, to help kids get their minds and bodies ready for sleep. 

And previewing the episode Elmo's Choo Choo takes Mary and Kate on a Morningtown Ride through sleep routines, Sesame Street's biggest influences, in utero train sounds, and whether it's still a book-on-tape if you're listening on your phone?  

If you've got little people who need to drift off at your place, check out more Goodnight, World! episodes here - big thanks to them for sponsoring this episode, and for all the sleepytimes ahead!

(We're back to regular Bluey recap programming next week - get ready to deep dive Octopus!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's an epic grudge match, and Squash inspires an epic episode from Gotta Be Done!

Wide-ranging from formative squash court memories, to lack of games consoles in our households, magic and/or positive thinking and/or sports psychology, sportsball shortages, and even the feral inhabitants of Great Keppel Island, all welcome to whatever the hell is going on. 

So crank your 80s synths and put on your best montage face, this is some yellow-dot-ball level analysis! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Remember the days in the old school yard, we used to talk about crocs a lot. Well, that's how we recall it, as we get misty-eyed about primary school games in this Shadowlands recap. But does everyone have the same fond memories?

Bluey vs Coco gets Kate thinking about Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies (Upholders, Questioners, Obligers and Rebels, obvs - take the quiz!) But Mary has no time for categorising humans (or books about the topic, apparently!) The bigger question though - is Bluey all about rule-following, or rule-breaking?

Plus Lydian Mode delivers a magical musical interlude, mystery origins of What's the Time Mr/Mrs Wolf, gaslighting your children (well, Mary's child) and school hat fashion statements - and we're double-parking cupcakes on the sprint to finish S1!    

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

He's the all-knowing and all-seeing Series Director of Bluey, and Richard Jeffery has all the panicked 4am wake-ups to prove it!

Rich/ Rich J from the Fairytale 80s montage/ Mackenzie's Dad/ RichWOW jumps in the Gotta Be Done wagon to share his Bluey origin story, what director life actually involves, and the true state of Aussie-Kiwi relations behind the scenes at Ludo Studio ("we don't jump on sheep Mackenzie!") 

Plus favourite scenes, favourite character, favourite episode - and just how long it took to make Sleepytime as magical as it is, plus all the series secrets Rich was desperate to include in Behind Bluey.

Thanks so much Rich and keep up the amazing work! 

Big thanks to episode sponsors mathsonline.com.au in Australia, and mathonline.com in the US!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Gotta Be Done is back to recaps, and they're not crying, you're crying. (Clearly everyone is crying.)

Bedroom seems to answer some longstanding Blueyverse questions (or does it, Grandpa Bob wherever you are?) and has Kate and Mary wondering how many babies is the right number (and also, why cots have teeth marks?)

Plus the importance of persisting with drawing for successful communication, and how to respond to late night requests/ demands/ hostage situations. 

Bags not!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

What is a Curry Quest/ Campbellian Monomyth/ Peshwari Naan/ good approach for breaking bad news to kids?

Gotta Be Done asks all those questions and more - the only sure answer, Mary and Kate want Chilli narrating life for all of us! 

(Oh and lots of love for Our Flag Means Death and Only Murders in the Building too, and this dissertation from Dr Bandit Heeler!)

Grrrrrrr!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Did you know that Gotta Be Done is NOT the only podcast that religiously recaps episodes of Bluey?

The lads from The Hammerbarn Project burst onto the podwaves last year, and are bringing some brilliantly (beautifully!) blokey perspective to our favourite family of Heelers - with puns and power tools galore! 

Frank, Marty and Brendan jump in the wagon with Kate and Mary for fun and frenetic crossover chat - and just to make things interesting, abandon all recaps to drill down on award-winning Bluey the Album instead! 

From the life hacks that the tunes provide parents, to Beatles connection buried in the bridge, and whether the kids albums of our Australian childhoods survive the test of time, it's musical mayhem and so much fun! 

Make sure you're following The Hammerbarn Project on Insta, Facebook and Twitter and dive into their back catalogue to get across all the Hammerbarn awesomeness! (And if you're wondering why the fever-pitch talkfest suddenly flatlines - it's because there was enough fervour for two episodes! Back with part two next week...) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Hotels hold plenty of secrets behind the doors, and this Gotta Be Done is no different - from Mary's infrequent sheet-changing habits to Kate's yearning for a full morning of grooming, prepare for overshare!

Plus, the perfection of the kids/no kids game, British comedies that dad make us watch, and our ongoing inability to use Shazam.  

And finally, is there a militant message to take from little (red) Bingo? There is power in a union, folks!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Finally getting to meet Chilli's Dad in Grandad has got Gotta Be Done giddy - we don't even care he's not voiced by Russell Crowe!

There are movie references aplenty though, and Kate deep-dives the bluegrass in this episode, and gets a Handel on the ups and downs of Seesaw's score too.  

Plus, our hot takes on what the Grandad message means for our hot mess world. Because couldn't it be up to us?

(Also, if you're listen while this is fresh, make sure you check out the extended Bluey theme song that's just dropped on your music player!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

It's a Gotta Be Done episode as long as War and Peace (more or less) - it's Army of course! 

Mary and Kate salute with good dog/soldier Rusty and his suspiciously weapon-free war games, wonder if Jack Russell's family are unsympathetic or merely driving narrative, and revel in some mighty military drumming.  

Plus, there's plenty of long dogs in our sights, good intel on a Classical Bluey playlist, and even tips for keeping kids occupied amidst lockdown. Forward march!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Gotta Be Done is back after a break, and redeeming oneself is the theme of this recap - in all the ways. Morning, Wendy!

Memories of mud piles and doubts about overly-clean modern life (is Insta to blame??), and is that dirt under fingernails, or potential neural connections? 

Oh, and what IS a chow chow? Well if a dog and a lion had a very adorable baby... that's Wendy and Judo!  

Also, parents modelling to children is a big theme of Dirt - but hang on, has Bluey been modelling to everyone all along?!

Du-du-du-dirt! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

One more week in the archives for Gotta Be Done, and just in time for Mother's Day, what better place to go than Queens?!

This recap was also baby Joe's first appearance on the pod - and now nearly a year on, that gorgeous bub has just turned one! 

Time and tide truly wait for no man/dog/queen, but at least in the intervening year we've finally found our answer: Chilli saying "gotta be done" was a shoutout to us! (Joe Brumm may have confirmed this under duress.)

Back with a new Bluey recap next week folks - it's not too late to say happy Easter, right?! In the meantime, hope all the Chillis/ Trixies/ Nannas/ Grannies have a beaut Mother's Day, you're all absolutely Queens!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

 

 

We all want life to be fairly fair, but can we really insist on VERY fair? Gotta Be Done does Ice Cream via childhood sharing techniques and Die Hard: With a Vengeance - it's (fairly) relevant!  

Plus inspirational Fantasia, celebrity spotting on Brisbane's South Bank (hi Nick and Jazz!) and in future Bluey episodes (hi baby Croc Hunter!), and the importance of keeping buskers happy. 

Awww go on give us a double-choc in a cup extra large! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Sooooo Unicorse might be the most annoying unicorn in the world, but can the same be said for this episode?

Mary and Kate grit their collective chompers and go deep into the psyche of unicorns/ eunuch-horses, mullets with the sides shaved, leather bedding, annoying people, and meetings that should have been emails ("AAAAAAND WHY SHOULD I CARE?!") 

It's equal parts disturbing and cathartic, and that's before the part about Mary's past life as William Tell. (This essential context viewing might help - watch it mate, or I'll have to get a little pokey!) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Sleep, sleep, sleep - oh sleep! Bingo's perfect little life in Trains has just one downside, and we have the same problem (and also, so many problems!)

Gotta Be Done is on the rails as we do the second in this public transport double - but won't somebody think of the floorboards?!

Plus, triple (quadruple?!) threat Chilli doing heavy theatrical lifting, Bandit's classic cartoon injuries, and what's the connection between all-in-character episodes and The Grannies? Hope the Golden Girls is the next step Rita! Me too Madge!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

It’s the biggest week of Bluey news since… big screens! But the path to Bluey the Movie has been paved with burnout and mental load – or is that just Kate and Mary trying to prepare for Christmas?

First up, here’s Joe Brumm’s letter that accompanied the Bluey feature film announcement... no advice yet on how to wait until 2027!

Then, is there a way to relax amidst the relentless demands of parenting/ festivities/ life? The girls canvas books that might help – The Wife Drought, Small Habits for a Big Life, and whatever Chilli is reading – but disclaimer, good advice only works when you actually go about it.

Plus banging tunes from the Queen of Jazz and the Lord of the Dance (but not really), a Shaker score that fits the Relax message perfectly.

And with that, this podcast is relaxing for a bit – hope Verandah Santa remembers all, and Christmas is filled with Simple Gifts (or at least hugs and cuppas!)  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on X at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Did you know that when Ludo Studio was developing early Bluey episodes, the animatics featured Darren Hanlon songs as holding scores?

Gotta Be Done has never seen them (ahem, we'd love to!) but now Gympie's favourite folk troubadour has an official Bluey gig too - as the Alt Energy Dog in S3 episode Sheep Dog! 

Darren joins Mary in the Gotta Be Done wagon to talk Queensland's biggest cultural exports, little people's favourite songs, his love of Dave McCormack's band Custard, and how his guest role is already delivering playground cred.

Also sneaking in are just a few hints of Darren's gorgeous tunes, including House, We All Cope in Different Ways, All These Things, Folk Insomnia, and Lapsed Catholic.  

Darren had a chat just before he launched his national tour, and ahead of his new album next year - thanks Daz! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Has anyone else noticed a lot of democracy around lately? What better time to break bread and talk Circus! 

This Bluey episode premiered on Queensland Election day, but Mary and Kate are finding more to talk about across the Pacific as they compare these playground politics with the real thing. And how do explain elections to little kids - when they only talk in goodies and baddies?

Plus, Kate wonders whether perfect politician Bluey has been reading How to Win Friends and Influence People? And when she is Prime Minister, any chance of a friendly state visit to Canada. Bonjour, Jean Luc!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

It's the second half of Gotta Be Done's epic chat with Bluey composer Joff Bush, and Joff's talking us through the instrument parade in his studio, the importance of auto-tune, and why a shop assistant refused to sell him his perfect piano. 

Plus we nerd out over what makes "the Bluey sound" (three ukuleles, a mandolin, an accordion over strings, a choir of Joffs and "sparkliness"!), get hints about S3 music (it's Carmen for ya!), and ask why Bandit didn't make the cut on chart-topping Bluey The Album.  

Don't forget, if you're in Australia, you can win a copy of that album on watermelon rug and kiwifruit rug vinyl - enter on our Insta before 10PM AEST on Friday 16 July 2021!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Our penultimate take on Bluey season one, and it's a tale of trampolines past, present and future on Gotta Be Done:  their relative safety checklists, and tolerance for sprinklers and firecrackers. (Speaking of cautious behaviour, here's the video of the burning piano song by episode music man Pluto Jonze!)

Mary is wowed by Bluey's big-picture talent for game invention (and has a bone to pick with Bingo and her insect-affinity), while Kate's not convinced on the average kitchen's requirement for a salad spinner, and feeling Bandit's struggle to make a clean escape to work. 

Oh, and we FINALLY take on the archaeologist vs paleontologist debate raging around Bandit's true career - you'll dig it! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Handstand packs a lot in (12 loops - or did we miss some?!) - but Kate and Mary might even cram in more! 

Bingo and Nanna are on the edges of this bit of Blueyverse chaos, but what needs to change to see them in the real world?

Plus all the S3 teasers, a deleted scene, and of course, Brene. 

And a sad note, this Gotta Be Done is dedicated to the darling, scruffy, giant heart of Lucky McMahon. RIP Goodest Boy. 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

The Heeler home has never looked so heavenly in Daddy Putdown, but hell awaits a parent who tries to mess with a kid's routine! We wonder what is with our offsprings' parental preferences - but is it just small humans who hate change?? 

Outrage continues as we tackle Mary's workplace training modules, Kate's mixed feelings about baby showers, and clothing companies that underestimate demand for Bluey onesies (WHY?!)   

But it's not all fury - we're also flummoxed by Follow the Leader music, and Mary delivers Kate a hospital hand pass with the pronunciation of Prokofiev (sorry Kate!)

Speaking of delivering, stay tuned for a bundle of the best kind of news - for real life! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Since December 2020, Bluey's Big Play has been wowing sold-out theatres - or as Rose Myers puts it, "thousands of screaming fans"! 

The Artistic Director of Windmill Theatre Company jumps in the wagon with Mary, and shares some of the challenges taking our favourite "barrel-shaped" Heelers from screen to stage - and the sheer delight of it all coming together. 

Plus, Grannies, bin chickens, lorikeets, and should we be looking for a long dog on stage??

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Gotta love a special guest appearance on the big screen, and Gotta Be Done does Movies with some serious cinematic assistance - writer and movie buff Cam Williams, thanks for getting in the wagon!

From our earliest celluloid experiences to the best way to get kids contained in the cinema, via Willow and "I want" songs and Seinfeld spin-offs and Dreamworks dance parties, it's a blockbuster. (Also, an exclusive extended cut of Joff Bush's Chunky Chimp soundtrack!)

This summer, get ready to BEE (listening to an extra long podcast episode) YOURSELF!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

 

Sure the Library's nice, but have you seen Cat Squad?! Okay so technically Mary and Kate haven't met those pawfect pals (here for your puuurrtection!) but they're a great excuse to talk kids TV themes - good, bad and ugly. Hi, Kangaroo Beach!

Meanwhile, is it always the parents to blame for a "spoilt" kid, or can we handball that honour to human nature? We're gonna try!

And of course, Stripe's plush lifestyle needs further analysis - or would that get us in trouble with the law??

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Yep, Gotta Be Done is still talking about Cricket... in this second-half recap, and in Mary and Kate's for real life generally!

More music, more obscure cricketenalia, more Rusty love, and the tightrope walk of encouraging your kids without overwhelming them (that Rusty's Dad makes look easy!)

Plus, a good guess at when Australia might see the last of Season 3's new episodes... if Gotta Be Done is right, it will be so spooky! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Gotta Be Done is back in lockdown, but before that happened we recorded this Duck Cake recap and pined for those long locked days of having time to make duck cakes. For the record, we take it all back. 

But whether you're locked down or just locked into parenting, Duck Cake has what you need: a can-do attitude, tail-wagging, determination, bribery and a bench to sink hopelessly behind. 

Also, can children be weaned off poo chocolate? Guess Bluey can't answer all our existential questions. 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Bluey is back, and just in bloody time - what a shining light for some pretty grim days.

Gotta Be Done's coming from the immuno-compromised/baby-growing home fortress for Kate, and the socially-distant work-from-home warzone for Mary - but never fear, we've still been playing Dance Mode non-stop since this episode dropped! 

From managing public meltdowns to the going price for a nicked chip, Bluey's long-awaited return has everything we hoped! We detour via Upper Middle Bogan and some Zac Efron movie that Kate didn't finish, and seriously lose our way in downtown Brisbane, but mainly we're just so happy for new Bluey! So strap yourselves in kids - and please make sure the harness is age-appropriate!  

(Oh, and do you like our new music?? Big thanks to Bluey fan and Gotta Be Done listener Ari Danaher Flavell for playing up a storm - what a Joff!) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

If you can't score an uninterrupted half hour on the couch, is hiding in the cupboard the next best option?? These are the philosophical questions locked down Kate and Mary are tackling as Gotta Be Done does Tickle Crabs. 

There's reassurances for parents suffering a Bluey-inspired tickle crab infestation - it could have been worse! (Pinchy pinchy!) Ultimate parenting #lifehack, having an imaginary glue stick on hand pays dividends. And has Bluey gone full please-face stylist??

Plus Telemachus leads us (via the pantry) on a wild Greek goddess seagull chase. Obviously.  

Leucothea ya later!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

It's a smorgasbord of squeamishness as Gotta Be Done does Fancy Restaurant - but is it food we're off, or feelings?

With plenty of their own romantical shortcomings to confess, Mary and Kate have Asparagus-level aversion to Bluey and Bingo's feral feast - and the keytar isn't helping!  

Plus long dogs, old mate Antonio, It's a Date, and the most very romance words a parent can hear. It's McFlourishing! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Surviving bath time's boredom, mislabeled brachiosauruses and code browns is always tough, so Mary and Kate are thrilled to see Bandit's looking for external guidance too. (Anything's better than adopting the Cobra Kai model, right?!) 

Burger Shop has us wondering where one does source parenting wisdom (spoiler: mainly podcasts) and also money (Rich Uncle Pennybags is our best chance). Also, do kids actually make up games anymore, or just steal them all from Bluey?  

Excuse us, gotta get back to writing our parenting book! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Get ready to go orange - finally, it's Bingo's turn to win musical statues! (Which is what they're playing in the Bluey titles, just in case you didn't know!)

So is this Bingo episode of Bluey/Bingo a make-good on last year's Bingo shortage, or are there bigger problems at play? 

Plus, a potted history of Kiwi comedy and/or mockery, a weird detour into an unnamed Lonely Island offering, and the practicalities of island-shaped snacks. 

And finally, we know that now with dings, chings, jings - chin chin!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Sorry rest of world, Gotta Be Done is sneaking ahead of you again, to recap the first of the Australian-only-so-far episodes - and honestly, Musical Statues is the mood-lift we all need! (Thanks Bluey Season 3 Part 2A.)

Mary and Kate talk the right time for protein powder, Pulp Fiction-inspired dance moves, whether Bandit really hit Brisbane's dance floors with his worm in the "glory days", and of course relatable parental despair.

Hope it gets you dancing into the weekend (also, can it be a weekend that is forever?!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

We all fail Mum School sometimes - but damn Mary and Kate are glad there are no adjudicators in our respective showers at the moment!

Get ready to deep-dive pedagogy, feel weird about balloons in baths, and hear a lot about unconditional love - what we're feeling, and the book Kate's reading too. Also, Kate sings! 

Big love to all the people out there parenting, teaching, and wrangling every type of balloon/child. Hope we can all take Chilli's guide-on-the-side wisdom.  

We might just go start again tomorrow. 

(One non-failure and non-episode-relevant thing to get excited about: Mary is on Hard Quiz! No spoilers - except all over our socials! - but if you're in Oz watch here, and everyone else preview here!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Lots of animals live in the Zoo, but how has it taken 36/37 years and this episode of Bluey to enlighten Kate and Mary on the existence of pademelons?! 

We're also wondering when Bandit last got through his weekend newspaper - and should we persist with ours? More importantly, will we ever be as good on the up-sell as Bluey? Her zoo keeper character is one cool capitalist, but Kate suspects the skills started elsewhere. 

Then there's speculation about the Bluey live show (how will they talk?!), reminiscing about Arthur the Aardvark, and a menagerie of weird moments. 

Thanks so much for dropping by our zoo (especially all the new listeners who found us via Mary's ABC Life piece!) - please do exit via the gift shop!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

New Bluey episodes always mean one thing - that supermama Chilli is finding new ways to win our hearts. 

So what better time to chat to the lady who brings her to life, amazing Aussie actor Melanie Zanetti! 

Melanie tells Kate and Mary the serendipitous story behind getting cast as Chilli, shares her close-to-home inspiration for the character, and lets us in on some of her favourite moments since Bluey's taken over the world! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

So Gotta Be Done has been missing in your podcast feed for a bit (and you better believe Mary and Kate are missing it too!)

But of course they haven't stopped talking about Bluey in any/every other aspect of their lives, and for this special crossover, Mary talks about Bluey A LOT. Thank you TONTS host Claire Tonti for sharing the mic, over to her to explain!

In a very special episode of TONTS. I deep dive into the wonderful world of Bluey podcast with Bluey expert and podcast host Mary Bolling. Mary is a journalist, mum and kids culture enthusiast, and one half of the Gotta Be Done podcast, deep-diving Australian juggernaut Bluey (and parenting, pop culture and everything else!) since 2019. In typical TONTS. and Bluey fashion we talk about the themes in Bluey that so closely match our own experiences. Two mums deep diving into the highs and lows of parenting, grief, loss, miscarriage, the power of story and the vital role of play and silliness. What a joy!   You can find more from Mary Bolling on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/marytbolling/ and listen to her and co-host Kate McMahon on Gotta Be Done here https://www.blueypod.com

 

Head to https://www.clairetonti.com for more awesome episodes, and follow her on Insta at https://www.instagram.com/clairetonti/ and https://www.instagram.com/tontspod 

We are risen! Gotta Be Done is back and belatedly bringing Easter offerings, faith theories and left-over chocolate - hallelujah!  

Appropriately taking on the universe's biggest questions (Nicholas Cage: good or bad?), this madcap mess finds treasure along the way - even if it's just Mary and Kate occasionally just getting to go to the toilet by ourselves. 

(Also, all the back episodes are back in Apple and Spotify - miracles everywhere people!) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Gotta Be Done and The Hammerbarn Project have covered Bluey the Album, but there's still so so much to talk about - so they do! 

From podcast team back stories to how anyone ever parented pre-Bluey (did they really??), a rapid-fire round that's anything but, and picking the ultimate bit of Hammerbarn (is that even possible??) Plus, the most momentous merde moments of Bluey... there's a few!

Basically, it's just five grownups finding supreme joy in talking supremely excellent TV. And it's gotta be done! 

Make sure you're following The Hammerbarn Project on Insta, Facebook and Twitter and dive into their back catalogue to get across all the Hammerbarn awesomeness! 

Gotta Be Done is back to recaps next week, as Bluey S3 hits the rest of the world... strap yourselves in kids!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

From shoveling food into our children to it coming out the other end, Spy Game is the Bluey episode tackling all the issues close to our heart/daily horrors. 

We consider an international incident sizzling over trans-Tasman sausage skills, and all the features of New Farm Park in Brisbane that make this episode so very @bluey_locations friendly. Mary remembers a childhood full of useful passwords, and Kate needs a horticultural expert - are the jacarandas ever not blooming in that beautiful city??

Finally, we debate the origin of man - well, the origin of the one man who went to mow, at any rate. Wuff!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

"Finally I've got an outlet for what I'm really good at, that is: singing like a cat."

There's no shortage of surprises on the new Bluey album Dance Mode out worldwide TODAY - and Joff Bush's feline finesse is high on the list! 

Bluey music legends Joff (famously the voice of Cat Squad) and Jazz D'Arcy (famously the singer/songwriter behind Rain/Boldly in the Pretend) jump in the Gotta Be Done wagon to talk through their new album highlights, reveal Bluey secrets (OMG the voice of Chattermax!) and get Kate and Mary even more euphoric about this glorious album!

Plus the battle for an extra beat, the almost-impossible task of narrowing down tracks, hints about new projects, and just the musical mayhem that is Jazz and Joff - make sure you're following them for more! (And they've promised us a Bluey album 3!) Thanks Joff and Jazz!  

Plus (geddit?!) thanks to episode sponsors mathsonline.com.au in Australia, and mathonline.com in the US!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's been a long time between episodes/Stumpfest juices for Gotta Be Done, but with Bluey Season 3 right on our doorstep* - of course Kate and Mary are here to play! 

Yep, there's 25 new episodes of Bluey hitting ABC TV from Monday 22 November, and the self-confessed superfans are here to tell you what they know about them. Well, what they think they know/ are able to tell you without breaking any contractual commitments. Ooooh!

Plus the new Sleepytime book and celebrity readings, Joe Brumm's favourite Bluey episode, and new toys just in time for... eeeep, don't say it until the girls get their hands on Bluey Advent calendars!

Also, it's a chance to reflect on what nearly three years of talking Bluey has taught them. (Mainly, that very first lesson from Bike - it's going to take a lot of getting back on.) 

So strap yourselves in kids, THEY'RE BACK BABY! 

*Specifically, Australia's doorstep - sorry rest of the world, don't know when you're getting new episodes, but hope it's really soon!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Recorded way back when Melbourne was in lockdown (um, two weeks ago), Gotta Be Done's Muffin Cone recap is a romp through all the bad habits that a bit of extreme social distancing seems to turn up. (Eat all the Doritos, all our locked-down interstate/international friends!)  

But maybe it's not habits that are bad, just shame is? Kate and Brene have lots to share on the topic, while Mary's determined to stop parents getting shamed - even if they're bringing up brats!

Plus, meeting people where they're at - can't we all just take a leaf out of Bluey's book/ sunflower?

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

We're getting in quick while its still open - Gotta Be Done goes to Hammerbarn/Bunnings!

Back on Skype amidst the self-isolating and social distancing, Mary is taking topical life lessons from this Bluey instructional, while Kate's belting out the Hallelujah Chorus (and not just because Lucky's Dad is back!)   

Plus, our new segment "We Know that Now" takes up half the episode as we make amends for all our big misses in Dance Mode. (Let us know what we've stuffed up with Hammerbarn!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's 2021, school's back and so is Gotta Be Done - but is anyone ready for all the going-one-way-then-the-other-way growing up it requires?? Going by our torrents of tears in Barky Boats, Mary and Kate definitely are not!

At least some things never change, specifically schoolyard strategies for divining future marriages. (Bluey and Mackenzie sitting in a tree!)

Also in a tree, is it God's Eye or just lazy craft? Then fairy gardens put us on a cool Cucumber Quest, and the perfect (and chart-topping!) Bluey Album sends us to Creek heaven.

Kiss kiss kiss, hug hug HUG! (So rapt to be back!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

We don't mind claiming a royal title now and then, but is Queens also bestowing a sly crown on Gotta Be Done? Or is Team Bluey calling us poo-scrubbers?? It's just another case of fantasy versus reality in this rags to riches game of thrones!  

Mary and Kate go head to head on the monarchy debate (can you guess who has the royal biccie tin collection?), wonder about the influence of Netflix bingefest The Crown on this episode, and even spot a future Ludo offering on the horizon (stay tuned for Nibling!)

Plus, it's the first episode with baby Joe in the wagon (and the return of cute baby gurgles in the background!) Pretty damn adorable, by Toutatis! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

It's not often an episode of Gotte Be Done has required reading... but when there's three developmental scientists putting Bluey under the microscope, then of course we're all diving in! 

Mary's joined in the wagon by Dr Molly Scott, Research Scientist in Playful Learning at Temple University, Aria Gastón-Panthaki, Research Coordinator for Children's Development at Harvard University, and Doug Piper, PhD candidate in psychology at Georgetown University.

The play-hard trio recently penned a research piece, Bluey teaches children and parents alike about how play supports creativity and other life lessons (lime lessons??), and on the podcast share their own journeys to Bluey, favourite bits of Bluey brain science, and whether Bluey is inspiring a new generation of more thoughtful, playful parents... (spoiler alert, hopefully?!)

Thanks team for sharing your brilliant insights, and thanks Bluey for everything you're teaching us! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Get ready for rush hour, this meandering people-mover is a movie-reference-a-minute! 

Kate and Mary get on the Bus and immediately notice a Sandra Bullock theme - or are we just revealing our decidedly 1990s tastes? (Marry us, Bill Pullman!)

And who hasn't made a horror bus journey - or a haphazard attempt at a love-lorn happy ending?

Oh, and joy of joys, here comes the (Grannies) leitmotif - just in time for the figurines, too!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

New Bluey means Gotta Be Done has new excuses to sneak behind the scenes - and finally, Kate and Mary have bumped into Bandit/ Dave McCormack!

This frenetic chat reveals that Dave has now been part of 153 episodes of Bluey (and is still recording as Season 3 hits our screens!), that Sydney's lockdown had him deeply considering a mullet, and that he still doesn't consider himself a real actor. (Would a Logie just for his Unicorse performance change his mind??)

Also, what do Dave McCormack and Bandit actually have in common? And maybe the biggest question of all, who is Dave's favourite character?!  

It's DAD!!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

From toys on the floor to vacuums that still have wheels and implausibly wide skirting boards, there's a lot that's very convenient about Postman (and if you want convenience, why wouldn't you just shorten it to Postie?!)

Bluey's making Kate and her "fake arguments" feel seen, and same for Mary with her ground is lava obsession. Also, Mary grew up with lava floors while Kate grew up with crocodile ones - is it the same game, or oceans apart? And where does A*Mazing fit in?

Plus, we bust open the secret of making kids music that reaches millions - it's as easy as pop goes the weasel. (We're onto you, The Kiboomers!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Kate and Mary said they were taking a break, and it's absolutely gotta be done!

But the break coincides with the earliest episodes of Gotta Be Done disappearing from Apple Podcasts and Spotify, HOW RUDE. We're trying to get that fixed - but if you need a revisit in the meantime, we can oblige!

Strap yourself in kids - it's the original theme music (we're nothing without our music man Ari Danaher-Flavell, it's true), surprisingly passable sound quality, and only goes for 12 minutes! (Honestly, were we even trying?!) Plus classic 4-month-old baby Cas sounds from the get-go - enjoy re-diving in The Pool! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Sooo, been up to much? Oh that's very interesting!

Gotta Be Done definitely hasn't been up to hair maintenance, so what better time to tackle Hairdressers? And also, whether Mary and Kate would let the kiddos touch our hair, or even hang us from a tree and rake us (don't worry, Bandit clearly consented!) 

From judgey stylists to George of the Jungle and when parents need to find ears too, it's the full Gotta Be Done treatment! Plus, Mary can't remember the name of the movie with McLovin' (it's Superbad), Kate isn't sure why the music's familiar (tell us if you know!), and we share our new obsession with Bluey TV Tropes!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Zut alors! We has emerged!

Gotta Be Done does Pavlova and wonders if the French language even exists beyond the bits you learn from kids cartoons. But what would the Blueyverse's French folks (frog dogs?) make of Bandit's impression? (Or of Flight of the Conchords or Greg Champion, for that matter?) Better than Pepé Le Pew, surely!

Also, no shortage of Brene moments when you're playing the long game, but Kate got her feeding kids advice from Kemi and played the loooong long game - to win!

And, more pavlova information then you can shake a sauce bottle at. Tres malade!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

The second episode in our didn't-save-the-first-time-around double, and Mary and Kate aren't feeling philosophical about their tribulations - but does Favourite Thing deserve their rage?

This inscrutable Bluey episode has us wondering we're meant to be grateful for, traumatised by past playground encounters with "what's your name?", and struggling with the Heelers' weirder food habits. 

Or, is it just our fixer tendencies at breaking point? And can Jetpack Bingo save the day? Jeremy, no!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

A slight technical glitch to start this Mini Bluey recap - but are lost library books and non-compliant noisy children just technical glitches too?

Gotta Be Done wonders what constitutes weird in on-toast combos (Bingo toast, anyone?), and whether anyone can know themselves and all their annoying ways as honestly as Bluey does. (Reckon Ted Lasso would give it a go - here's his Patience rendition!) Plus, committing to the character and owning your child's inherited traits - it's painful, we'll tell you that for free!

(Finally, Mary tries to channel her inner Bandit Heeler and lay some dino knowledge on everyone. But plot twist/ we know that now - brontosaurus is a dinosaur again, phew!) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

We've said we're not recapping the first-ever Bluey ep The Magic Xylophone until we've gotten through the rest of S1 - but if you can't wait that long, this Gotta Be Done bonus is for you!

Mary catches up with fellow Bluey obsessive (and former roller derby team mate) Dotti, who had the whole family waiting with bated breath in front of the telly when that first episode aired back in October 2018. Dotti shares the highlights of that first viewing for her family, and where Bluey has taken them since.

From knowing where to start with your kids' musical education, to channeling Chilli and going for a run, it's a wide-ranging ride with one of the original Gotta Be Done fans - you'll need your skates on to keep up! 

(Also, Dotti's fella JF did our amazing Mary-and-Kate-in-the-Blueyverse artwork! You can find more of his stuff at his Insta, or listen to his art-meets-dad-life podcast Robot Head and Spook!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's the episode that made Disney decree farts aren't funny - or maybe are too funny for under-5s?! Look, who knows how that Mouse's mind works! But word is Disney is revisiting the decision - so Mary and Kate are revisting their recap! 

So, how do kids/ pups inherently know what wooden spoon are used for, if they've never seen them used for that purpose? 

That and so many more questions for the witnesses in this rollicking courtroom drama, as Gotta Be Done calls a Family Meeting. 

But the biggest question: When is it okay to laugh at a fluffy? 

Well, it's hard not to!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Is there a doctor in the house? Well, we've got one in the wagon at least, and not for any epidemic reasons, thankfully - it's Dr Michael Toon of the life-changing Instagram account @bluey_locations!

Dad, anesthetist and eagle-eyed Brisbanite Michael has been finding and sharing for-real-life Brisbane destinations that feature in Bluey since 2018, and now he's joining us to discuss his close-to-home favourite episode, Hospital. 

Get ready to compare Bluey and Bingo's bedside manners, relive those dreamy 80s days were (Australian) life revolved around The Afternoon Show (the Telemachus-inspiring show Mary can't remember the name of is Ulysses 31), and establish whether you can use a party hat for anesthetic purposes.  

Plus, background noise of a small child shouting, and hints of impending investigation results for Bluey Locations (eeep, Heeler house!!) Thanks for joining us Michael, and can't wait for the Bluey tour of Brisbane! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

When Kate and Mary from Gotta Be Done and Lou from Bluey's Brisbane sneak along to the opening day of Bluey's World, it's not going to be a subtle affair. 

And this epic crossover chat, just outside the new Sunshine State landmark/ destination/ (other) happiest place on earth, was next level excitable. It even prompted Bluey's World and Bluey's Big Play producer Andrew Kay to join the fun! 

Hear first reviews of the one-of-a-kind immersive/ panto/ playful experience at the Northshore Pavilion in Brisbane, Queensland, attempts to divine life advice from fortune cookies and career guidance from creative arts, explainers on why Bluey's World surfaces have to be lickable, and much more! 

As the secret message in the Narnia cupboard says (IYKYK), "It is a happy talent to know how to play". Ralph Waldo Emerson (and Joe Brumm who added it!) know what they're on about - and we're all happier for it! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Content warning: This episode of Gotta Be Done covers topics around fertility, pregnancy loss and grief. 

Onesies broke hearts and healed them again, and Mary and Kate wade into "the messy middle" to work out how. 

In summary: Families are hard, children who have complaints about the presents they receive are annoying but predictable, incredible Australian actor Rose Byrne (who plays Brandy!) is lovely (even if she's not who we think she is!)

And, two years on, the moving miscarriage storyline in Bluey episode The Show is finally confirmed, thanks to the beautiful book Hard to Bear by Isabelle Odeberg. 

Yep, we're all crying, but are we okay? We will be. 

Big thanks to episode sponsors mathsonline.com.au in Australia, and mathonline.com in the US!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! We will now play for you... the absolutely very final Gotta Be Done episode for Bluey season one! Yep, with season two just hours away, we're going back to where it all began - it's Magic Xylophone! 

And it wouldn't be Gotta Be Done without some extreme and far-fetched conspiracy theories. This time, we're tracing episode origins right back to some The Simpsons circa 1997! Or is it just Mary going crazy? (Ahem, I withdraw my question.) 

Plus a deep-dive on Wolfgang Amadeus, Bandit-Chilli romance theories, season two excitement, and whether it's really plausible that Bingo could track down the xylophone dinger that rapidly??

Basically, there's so much to pack in before season two starts - can you tell we're a bit excited?!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

From the yellow brick roads of Oz to the bamboo forests of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the lusty libraries of Bridgerton, this literary-quest episode takes us everywhere!

Typewriter also reveals that Kate used to own a typewriter and used to love Wizard of Oz, while Mary still owns a typewriter and is still terrified of Return to Oz. 

Then, is Calypso just hiding a typewriter, or revealing the secret to the creative journey? Ira Glass has lots to say about that too. 

Okay, we're out - it's a long way to the shop if you want a SAAAAAUSAAAAGE ROOOOOOOOLLLLL!!! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

So Gotta Be Done has finally left the couch (HA!) and is back to the recapping, but moving slowly and avoiding loud noises, a bit like Whale Watching!

It's the Bluey episode that proves Bandit and Chilli occasionally get on the sauce, but Mary and Kate want to know who's paying harder for their hedonism?

Also, nautical-themed games that let you stay still, a sailor's hornpipe that doesn't, corn chip warnings and sometimes food... but how often IS sometimes?   

Anyway, it's all very educational - a bit like a whale documentary! It's gotta be done (finally!)

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

(After one glorious episode using our new mics, this week they didn't work - Skype crackle is back!) 

Happily, Charades means gorgeous Nanna Heeler is also back - cue nationwide tears as we all miss our grans! Kate gets reminiscent about visits to her grandparents as a littlie... then staying at Mary's grandparents as a not-so-littlie!  

But are there also nationwide culture wars between parents and grandparents, and who's wrecking the kids more? Mary has outrage to share. 

Finally, an epic rabbit hole as we ask the question everyone wants to know: who is the mystery Heeler??  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

So 26 episodes of Bluey S3 are now out in the ABC iView wilds - where did those weeks go??

Anyway, five minutes ago when they'd just started dropping, Mary snuck in a quick chat with Chilli herself Melanie Zanetti!

The Brisbane star had plenty to share about her frenetic year of recording Bluey everywhere from LA to Florence, in between filming romance and horror and even saving the planet!  Also, what might be the perfect way for Bandit and Chilli's voices to finally meet for real life?!

Thanks Melanie Zanetti for jumping back in the wagon, and enjoy your Aussie Christmas break!

(Gotta Be Done is also taking a break for Christmas and we'll be back in the (happy!) new year.

Huge thanks to every one of you beautiful folks who been along for the (hell) ride that was 2021. Hope Bluey has saved you when you needed.) 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive on every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Big belts, big heroes of Australian comedy, big plumber's crack - Tradies delivers plenty of big Bluey moments!

Mary and Kate explain tradies, sparkies and chippies for the non-Aussie audience, and find Brene moments in talking to your enemies with defences down. Also ice cream, and the Australian feel-good drama waiting to happen (Leigh Sales, call Gotta Be Done!)

Plus, the extremely confusing Blueyverse timeline of the fish pond, from Stumpfest and beyond - nice lawn, Bandit! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

To understand this escapade movie of a Gotta Be Done episode, you probably need to know one of Mary's boys is named Bonaventure. 

Now that's dealt with, strap yourselves in kids - it's Escape! Inspired by the offbeat art in this adrenaline-charged Heeler family chase, Mary and Kate compare other kid-drawing-style cartoons. And how good is an "educational" excuse to pop the poppets in front of them!    

Meanwhile, how do the Barbie Dream Houses of our collective childhoods drive our current-day commitment to consumerism and/or pink spa baths?     

But mainly, can us long-suffering and lockdown-weary parents organise an escape yet?? Coconut-with-umbrella-drink chink! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

From Moana moments on standup paddle boards, to the pipecleaners of the natural world, Lake Currimundi on Queensland's Sunshine Coast has something for everyone - even Stickbirds!  

Kate and Mary are back and asking the big questions: some universal (what's bugging Bandit?) and some extremely niche (when will Chilli reinvent herself as an Olympic coach??) And some ridiculous, like is Stickbird wearing a tie or a shell-bikini... and is the answer IN A CAKE?? 

Then there's random new year musings (because this was recorded in January), and listen to the end for a (belated!) big reveal - THE TRUE ORIGINS OF BLUEY'S KID IN SURPRISE!

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on X at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

Is Magic powerful, or is magic just power? Either way it comes with great responsibility... and plenty of other half-baked film connection theories, courtesy of Gotta Be Done!

Mary's asking how much magic/power/autonomy you can give Bluey/ a six-year-old/ her six-year-old specifically, while Kate's taking it back to ancient Grecian agoras to wonder what magic ethos, pathos and logos can deliver. 

Oh, and a fun mail bag filled with Minnesotan manes (thanks Stephanie!) and What Makes This Song Great (keep on rockin' Greg!) and more - it's magic! 

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.

It's the episode that launched a thousand hot takes, and Gotta Be Done is finally here with a slightly reheated one!

Kate and Mary recorded their Exercise recap before ABC and Ludo re-released an updated episode, then recorded more again after the fact - so get ready for many, many thoughts about the challenges of exercising, the niceness (or otherwise) of bosses, and the fact that kids really do copy everything we do.  

So, let's play more lawn table tennis! Nice shot! 

Big thanks to episode sponsors mathsonline.com.au in Australia, and mathonline.com in the US!  

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Gotta Be Done is ex-journos and Adelaide/ Melbourne mums Kate McMahon and Mary Bolling, as we deep-dive every Bluey episode, with plenty of detours into mama life, childhood memories, and everything else we're bingeing, too!

Follow us on Insta at @blueypod @marytbolling @katejmcmahon or on Twitter at @blueypodcast - and use #blueypod to join in.