So it's been a while, but when one half of Gotta Be Done sneaks up into Blueyland/ Brisbane... podcast magic happens!  

Mary caught up with Justin and Lou from Bluey's Brisbane for this fun and frenetic crossover episode, on the for-real-life location of iconic Bluey ep Markets (the West End Markets, every Saturday at Davies Park!)

Now in their fourth year of exploring the real life world of our favourite Heelers, Justin and Lou have plenty of local knowledge to share.

And the superfans also spill theories, feelings and insights about new Bluey music (listen to the brand new single 'Octopus' with Arnhem Land legends King Stingray on Spotify), possible mascots for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics (bring it, Unicorse!), life post-The Sign, Bluey dollarbucks released by the Royal Australian Mint (maybe a rip off? and since this was recorded, epically ripped off!), Bunnings-bought husbands, and Bluey's World in Brisbane set to open in November (just 90 days away!)

If you haven't already discovered amazing Bluey's Brisbane, dive into Justin Rouillon and Lou Bromley's back catalogue here - and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @blueysbrisbane.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful slice of Blueyland, team!

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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.

Did you know it took nearly two years from Ludo Studio putting finishing touches on The Sign, to actually getting that biggest ever Bluey episode onto our screens??

So really, the fact that Kate and Mary interviewed Bluey creator Joe Brumm after the The Sign dropped on Sunday, and now you're getting the episode on Wednesday - pretty quick turnaround! 

Joe is back in the wagon to talk through his favourite ever Bluey episode, the only one that has involved every single member of the incredible production team, and the one that ripped out our hearts, ran them through a few rollercoasters, then cradled them back to where they belong. 

Hear how Meg Washington's stunning Lazarus Drug came into the episode (and helped shape the ending), why Joe wrestled with who gets to be happy (fictional characters, definitely), a long history animating Dunk Island/ Ulysses butterflies (and following signs), and even a surprise in store next...  

Oh and in case you missed the signs, this conversation has SPOILERS!

The Sign and Ghostbasket are streaming now on ABC iView and globally on Disney+ and are glorious.

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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: In this episode, Mary and Kate talk pregnancy loss, infertility, and grief... and life in lockdown, because this is a 2020 throwback. It can get heavy.   

Bluey is known for tackling big issues - and in 2023 we know there's definitely a miscarriage storyline in The Show. (Back then and now, there's still plenty of hope, hilarity and happiness to take from this gorgeous episode too.)

And in these overwhelming times (i.e, all times!), who doesn't need a helpful checklist on hand?  

While this trip down memory lane takes Gotta Be Done deep into July 2020 feelings, it gets happy again, via Aussie power pop memory lane, as we compare episode notes with Lenka's The Show! Also, exactly when are jacarandas meant to be blooming?!

(Thanks for sticking with a weightier episode of Gotta Be Done. It was a tough one to record - but as usual and of course, the show must go on.) 

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.

Finally at the interplanetary pinnacle of the Blueyverse, and Gotta Be Done has gotta wonder - can words ever do justice to sublime Sleepytime?

Well, we hope so, because Kate and Mary have just rambled through an hour's worth!

We wax lyrical about bedtime (it's kind of a solar-system-sized deal) and the politics of parenting, share lunar theories about moon rabbits (they've got Saturn surrounded!), describe what we see when we look into the sun, and reveal which Bluey genius had the idea for the perfect Holst score. 

Prepare for tears - not least because this is our final recap for the current season! Huge thanks to all the listeners old and new who have travelled with Gotta Be Done for the past 90 episodes and 78 recaps. (If you've missed any, what a great time to dive into the archive!)

Stay in touch on socials folks, and keep calm and watch Bluey. We're off to sleep in our own beds. (Well, hopefully!) 

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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 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.

"Things pop up that you can't control. You just have to go with it."

Yet another message for our times - or is locked-down Gotta Be Done just at the point of co-opting any encouragement we can get?

Beyond Chilli truth-bombs, Helicopter has Bluey at her steely-eyed best, and Mary and Kate are loving the parade of colourful characters reminding us of school life. Also, the delights of Longreach (including these amazing Bluey LEGO designs!), distant memories of bushfires (what year is it?) , and baby Joe playing a velociraptor!

Finally, discover the heights of Mary's rage when a childhood game is destroyed. (Looking at you, The Floor Is Lava.)

"Bye-eee!"

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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.

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.

It may seem like the classic castaway-made-of-pens story, but Gotta Be Done is digging deeper on Rug Island, and Mary and Kate have an ocean of questions, including:

- What is pre-dawn?

- How do connector textas actually connect?

- WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO MAKE KIDS THINK THAT PADDLE BOARDS CAN GLIDE ALONG GRASS??

Plus Kate has a cracker theory about Rug Island's true meaning. 

(Oh, and one for the Gotta Be Done folks listening before Saturday 12 September 2020 - move fast if you want to play Bluey trivia with us!)

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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 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.

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.

Strap yourselves in, kids - this is epic Gotta Be Done as we go full film special, thanks to some excellent guest expertise!

Podcast legend Blake Howard of One Heat Minute productions jumps in the wagon to share his grateful-dad love of Bluey, and cinema-conditioned eye for spotting silver screen homage. 

Mary and Kate are reeling as Blake calls Joe Brumm's 2001: A Space Odyssey obsession (it goes beyond Sleepytime!), finds whole genres in Army and Work, and sees a post-apocalyptic classic bearing down in Escape. 

Grab the jumbo popcorn and as many choctops as Nanna will hand over - this (almost-movie-length) episode is a joy! (Also, full of spoilers.)  

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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 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.

CONTENT WARNING: In this episode, Mary and Kate talk pregnancy loss, infertility, and grief. If you already know why, you've probably noticed what Gotta Be Done has noticed about The Show. If you don't - prepare for things to get heavy.  

Bluey is known for tackling big issues - and there's more than a few little hints of a second storyline in The Show. (As usual, there's still plenty of hope, hilarity and happiness to take from this gorgeous episode too.) And in these overwhelming times, who doesn't need a helpful checklist on hand?  

Plus even more happy, a trip down Aussie power pop memory lane, as we compare episode notes with Lenka's The Show! 

(Thanks for sticking with a weightier episode of Gotta Be Done. It was a tough one to record - but as usual and of course, the show must go on.) 

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We've called it, Stumpfest is the Coachella of the Blueyverse - but really, lockdown life means any excuse to get day drunk would feel like Coachella right now! 

Gotta Be Done's gender wars are back (is Nail Salon a girls' game? Do blokes need a manly excuse to talk feelings?), there's prehistoric community-building, and is Bandit chanelling the Working Dog types over at Utopia? Oh, and as usual we're living for Myf Warhurst's transcendent one-liners. 

Oh, and the tunes! With a lineup including Johann Sebastian, 80s hair metal, Suzanne Vega, Nelly and schoolyard hand clapping, this is a festival you don't want to miss!  

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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.

There's three in the wagon for this symphony of sounds (and season two spoilers!), as long-time Gotta Be Done music correspondent Wade Gregory gets on the mic - and he's brought his melodica! 

A former Brisbanite and Queensland Conservatorium grad (alongside Bluey composer Joff Bush!), Wade brings a maestro's take to every tiny tune and massive movement.

Get ready hear Bluey with fresh ears, as we deep dive original melodies, all the classicals (really, every single one), the meaning of the word "Joffify", and so many more musical delights. Thanks Wade for getting on board 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, Twitter at @blueypodcast, or Facebook at @blueypod.

Gotta Be Done loves doing the slow crawl past a garage sale, and Granny Mobile brings more Bluey delights than a giant bargain table! 

Mary and Kate talk the endless possibilities for types of grannies (nobody puts granny in a corner!), the Muffin redemption arc (can toddlers really grow out of their tantrums?!), and weapon-of-mass-destruction qualities of a Glomesh handbag. 

Plus the historical details/ The Crown facts captured by royal wedding plates (spoiler alert, they hated each other), why Bizet is perfect Muffin mood (Joff Bush says: "deliciously grouchy!"), and more of the glorious garage sale treasures. 

Also, MY HIPS HURT! 

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.

Welcome to the world, little Joseph Robert, and go mama Kate! (And please note when you are old enough, just how organised we have been with this perfectly-themed Bluey episode for your arrival!) 

Of course, birth can be a drawn-out affair, and this Dad Baby recap takes the long way. There's cravings, Vegemite-based Ozzest 100 conspiracies, the Croc Hunter's Crocoseum funeral  - and of course, how bloody amazing are mums?? (Happy Mother's Day, all you Chillis!)

Plus long dogs, episode cross-overs, Mary's persistent new puppy theories, and more!

Look out, we might have to go through the sun roof!

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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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 finally here! Yes, The Weekend (and any weekend really) is cause for celebration, especially as the first-ever Bluey episode created. Like, wow.

But first, we take a step back to the pilot version and spot some crucial differences - all hail Chilli and her casual running ways! But what's a Bandit if not a Bandit?

Plus parenting toilet habits (and we make excellent podcast Sh*tting with the Door Open sound way worse than it is), cricket WAGs, the fabled existence of walking leaves, and more. And best of all, there sure is more weekend tomorrow, phew!  

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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.

Married life was never meant to be smooth, and this wedding coverage starts with a slight hiccup - but don't worry Tim, we're not here to play the blame game!

Horsey Wedding has us on our high horses as we talk about normalising dads sharing parenting duties - can Bluey finally end the "dad's babysitting" narrative? Even/especially when it comes to footballers?

Then, so many questions! Is Socks teething? Do we really need back-ups of our kids' favourite toys? And is starting a whole-of-family entertainment empire actually as fun as it sounds?   

Finally, we try to build the suspense around Anthony Wiggle's possible role as Rusty's dad in Season 2 - but just-to-hand facts kind of undermine our efforts, full story here!

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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.

Gonna be totally up front - this Gotta Be Done recap of does not mention Total Recall. Not the Martian moonscape, not the dream kiss. Mary maybe (??) gets in the right universe when she wonders if robot-fixing-genius Chilli is channeling Sarah Connor, but then again, wasn't every movie an Arnie blockbuster back then? 

And yet, even as we miss this classic 90s allusion, there's still plenty of big Bluey moments in this box office hit. From fridge-door-food-shovelling and indoor plant care, to never-ending toy clean-ups, and when parents can sneak in a bit of romance, Daddy Robot delivers life-hacks aplenty. 

Plus, we chat new Bluey merch, slightly odd Bluey reviews, and the prospects for Bluey hitting a dance floor near you! Cheese and crackers!  

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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'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.

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.

Is Kids the most divisive Bluey episode, or are parents made to sit in toilet paper chairs just out to get revenge?

Hard to believe a grocery run with the kids could get more traumatic, but like the Heelers, Mary and Kate are yet to take the extreme step of Click and Collect.

Also, is this episode a sneaky look at Chilli and Bandit's secret #parentfails? Mary reckons so - we can all take some hope for our parenting if the Heelers are dropping the occasional exasperated "do you think I'm made of money?!" Plus an exploration of minor characters, who remembers reusable bags, and moments of instant parenting regret. 

Oh, and yep, this is an extra Gotta Be Done ep this week, as we gun to finish season one recaps before season two drops (March 17 on ABC TV!) - like a cheeky toddler with a celery paddle!

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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 has confessions to go with Turtle Boy - Mary and Kate have both let their kids take lost toys home. Can this episode undo the damage? Lucky the childhood magic of a park never changes (captured by Rafferty Amor)! 

Also, are all kids shows either preachy or mindless violence? (No, some have songs about physics and structural engineering!)

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.

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.

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.

Another friend in the wagon/ fabric swing today - podcast aficionado Peter Wells! Pete found Gotta Be Done soon after we launched, and won our hearts when he featured us in this Age/SMH podcast column in 2019 - now he's joining us for the ultimate heartbreaker Bluey ep, Butterflies!

Are Judo and mum Wendy the 'baddies' of the Blueyverse? Or is Judo just the latest victim of ye olde tv trope Only Child Syndrome - or worse, Bad Mother Effect?! We've had fan mail on that very topic from WhiteChoclatte - and strap yourself in, it goes deep!

Plus Pete brings a new perspective to Heeler house dimensions, and we all get a bit teary about "Poor Little Bug on the Wall" (ting ching!) - and reveal its pre-Bluey campfire history.  

(Also, how embarrassment, we do have tech difficulties in the recording - but bear with us, our sound will emerge as a beautiful butterfly one of these days!)

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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.