Circle of Trust - The Podcast

We are talking about Mother’s Day but don't let it scare you! Mother's Day is truly kinda complicated. In its simplest form it’s a day to celebrate the moms in our lives. But it’s not really that simple, is it? Because even though all of us have moms, from there it gets very diverse and complicated. But for the birth moms, the adoptive moms, the moms who have lost a child, or the women who are struggling with infertility, or maybe never had the opportunity to be a mom, or those who are grieving the loss of a mom, or those who are alienated in their relationships … this is a tough day. So the girls sat down to talk about the complexities of this day with our usual humor and a few interruptions from a kid (what would a Mother's Day podcast be without that?). Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast instagram.com/juliesignorelli_ instagram.com/jillianlawson instagram.com/cassiemorain

After an almost-year-long hiatus, we've decided this has become more of a crisis-based podcast. So, hey, here we are checking in during the coronavirus quarantine, talking about when exactly we knew it was serious, the things we've learned about ourselves during quarantine, how we're keeping busy during this time, and the lows we've stooped to as we all try to survive. Spoiler alert - we're not okay. Well... we are mostly ok, we're just really mean and miss eating at restaurants.

When Hurricane Dorian cancels your annual family vacation and ruins your massive film shoot, you get to gripe about it. We're spending a few minutes today circling around the mountain by venting about Hurricane Dorian and all the other things that are irritating us at the moment.

We're back after a looooong hiatus with a big catch-up episode. We're talking about what we've been up to over the last 6 months, including traveling to Paris with mononucleosis, starting a business, and establishing a skincare routine (we'll let you guess who did what). Hey we know it's been awhile but we're all busy, it's fine. Catch up with us over at instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast.

We're wrapping up our third season with an episode we like to call "Jill, Fix My Life!" Jill is answering our listener-submitted life questions on everything from fixing friendships, nagging husbands, pillows, raising kids, and more! Of course, Julie and Cassie put their two cents in, too. Check out our episode guide at circloftrustpodcast.com or chat with us at instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast!

Social Media - we hate to love it and love to hate it, and in this episode we're chatting about our personal histories with social media as well as our favorite parts and biggest pet peeves. We also disgrace this podcast with about 3 minutes of confused sports talk. Sorry about that. We'd love to hear from you this week on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast

The Circle's back together this week and we're talking about pets! You'll figure out pretty quickly that even though we have a lot of experience, we're not the best animal owners. But we're sharing about our favorite pets, fantasy pets, pet voices, and the worst things our pets have ever done. Check us out on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast to join the conversation and tell us your pet stories!

We're trying something new this week with the podcast - a feature called Circle of Trust: Conversations. We are introducing you, our circle, to people we think you should know. For our very first conversation we wanted you to hear from Justin and Amanda McNeil from Meant to Be TV! They share with us about their interesting dating story, what they've learned in their 8-year marriage, and what they do each week to maintain healthy communication. Honestly... it's some relationship GOLD. You can find out more at circleoftrustpodcast.com or join the conversation at instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast.

This week we are exploring four of the spiritual disciplines and talking about our personal experiences with incorporating Bible reading, prayer, fasting, and Sabbath into our lives. Lest you think this episode might veer towards the serious, we also list Christian books we HAVEN'T read, our family history of snake handling, and conviction over Netflix shows. To read more about what we discuss in this episode, visit circleoftrustpodcast.com or join us on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast!

Parties! One of us loves them, one of us hates them, and one of us is ambivalent about them - we'll let you guess who's who. Even though we may have a love/hate relationship with them, we're really good at throwing them, from small gatherings to massive parties for 300 people or more. You'll hear our best tips for throwing a real banger and dive deep into the world of party anxiety. Also, Jill shares her recent venture into a progressive dinner. Meet us on our website, circleoftrustpodcast.com or on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast to join the conversation!

Work has been a high value in our families, and in this episode, we're talking first jobs, best jobs, worst jobs, and weirdest jobs. Plus, we get a follow-up about Egg Lady and Jill's quest to make 100 scrambled eggs (spoiler alert: it doesn't happen - thanks Polar Vortex of 2019!). You can find out more about this and other episodes in our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com or join our conversation on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast.

Adulting. This made-up word conjures up all the feels! A little pride, a little anxiety, a little nausea, mostly exhaustion. We talk about all the ways we are adulting, or at least trying to, in this kick-off episode of season 3. Join us online at circleoftrustpodcast.com for our episode guide, where we link everything we talk about, and follow us on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast to join in the conversation on this and other episodes!

Happy New Year! In the final episode of Season 2, we look at the best and worst of 2018 and come to this conclusion: it wasn't ALL bad. We share our resolutions for 2019 and talk about our biggest wishes for the coming year (please, God, no more invasive medical procedures). Check out our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for more information on this episode!

In this episode you're in for a real treat - our husbands are our special guests! When it comes to marriage, we're all across the board - Kyle & Cassie are newlyweds, Julie and Mike have been married for almost 15 years, and Aaron & Jill have been married for almost two decades! We start out with the Newlywed Game, which is guaranteed to cause marital distress and fights. After that, you’ll hear us share about our love stories and some things we’ve learned along the way in our marriages. And you won't want to miss an extra special guest, "Tammy"! Check out our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for info & links to things we talk about this week!

The three of us have had our fair share of bad news in life, and this episode is about what you do after the bottom drops out. How do you respond when life kicks you in the gut? Who do you share your bad news with? How do you pray, and what do you hang on to? What do you do when you can't get out of bed? We share the things we've learned over time. And, on a lighter note, we also spend about 15 minutes talking about facial hair removal. Check out our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for links and more!

What's even better than Thanksgiving with your crazy family? Thanksgiving with OUR crazy family! In this episode, which was recorded on Thanksgiving Day, Julie, Jill, and Cassie are joined by their moms, cousins, kids, the matriarch of the family, and even a dude. You'll hear about family traditions & roots, the cottage, what and the #adventuresofjudy. This episode is every bit of what we claim our podcast to be - full of laughter, interrupting, and oversharing - so brace yourself for a peek into our family holiday! Check out our Episode Guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for information on what we talk about, plus photos of the people on the podcast.

In Episode 11 we’re talking all about the holidays, kicking it off with Thanksgiving and going all the way through Christmas. Julie and Jill talk about how they’re planning to get through their first holiday without their dad with some really smart strategies for dealing with grief. We talk about how to host a killer holiday party, including hosting in small spaces (hope you don’t have to go big potty). In an unrelated discussion, there’s also a long talk about helicopter parenting and how Julie wants parenting advice from “Alligator Mom,” the mother of the small child that accompanied the alligator wrangler who came to Cassie’s house.

You asked for it and we are giving you what you want - Circle of Trust After Dark! We recorded this one late (ahem, 9 pm) at night and talked about the juiciest subject - hobbies. You’ll hear all about Julie’s plan to get a butt by Christmas, Jill’s dangerous new home renovation hobby, and Cassie’s embarrassing crochet phase. We also compare our personal hobbies to those of the rich and famous to see how we stack up. Check out our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for links to the things we talk about!

In this week’s episode we talk about cooking. Now, we realize this may be a point of strength or perhaps “non-strength” for you… which is why we’re loading you up with our best recipes, ideas for meal planning, and tips for those who don’t cook (hint: whatever the question, Costco's the answer). Check out our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for links to the things we mention in this episode!

After a three-month hiatus, the Circle of Trust is back and better than ever! Well, maybe not better. Definitely more tired. Does that count? In this episode we catch up on all the exciting things that have happened to Jill, Julie, and Cassie during our break. Check out our episode guide at circleoftrustpodcast.com for links to the things we mention in this episode!

Unlike Jill's bout with softball in grade school, Julie's short-lived stint on a dance team, and every time Cassie joined Weight Watchers in the last two decades, we actually finished something! Yay! Episode 8 is the final episode of this first season of the podcast, and we are answering listener-submitted questions. We tackle tough questions like how to balance home life and ministry, how to sustain friendships through tough times, and how to rekindle love in a dying marriage, and talk about lighter stuff like current favs and things we wish we regret saying on the podcast. Thanks to everyone for hanging out with us this season - we'll be back in October with new episodes! Until then, come hang out with us at instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast or facebook.com/circleoftrustpodcast!

Ah the miracle of life! Nothing is more beautiful [or gory] than a baby entering the world. In Episode 7, Julie & Jillian share their birth stories with Cassie and they cover everything from A to C-section. The raw humanity of these stories of women in their most vulnerable states will make you laugh (and cross your legs really tightly). We'd love to talk to you about this topic over on Instagram so meet us there at instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast!

Do you know what you need even more than a huge coffee right now? A vacation! In this episode we talk about everything vacation-related - packing tips, strategies for getting a great seat on a plane, dream destinations, and more. We'd love to meet you over on Instagram @circleoftrustpodcast and find out about how you like to vacation!

Collectively we’ve been married for 34 years and we’ve learned some things along the way, the hard way. We're helping you out by giving the advice we wish we would have received before we said "I do." We talk about gender roles, budgeting, the correct way to fold towels, cooking, and learning how to just shut up. Join in the conversation with us on instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast.

For three seemingly low maintenance girls from Indiana, we have a million rules on how to celebrate (or not celebrate) our birthdays. We start with a list of 7 tips for aging gracefully and then get down to the nitty gritty. From whether parties are appropriate for adults, to last-minute gifts purchased at CVS, to the pressure of meeting benchmarks by certain ages, we cover it all. The conversation continues on Instagram @circleoftrustpodcast - come say hi!

Paleo, low carb, Whole30, counting points - name a diet, we've done it! From Julie's cabbage soup diet debacle, to Cassie scamming the system at Weight Watchers, to Jill drinking vegetable oil, we're spilling the beans (or leafy greens, for you keto dieters). Along with that, we talk about our common struggle with emotional eating and how to make it through hard times without the help of Little Debbie, Aunt Jemima, or Mrs. Fields. Join in the conversation with us on Instagram @circleoftrustpodcast or on Facebook at /circleoftrustpodcast.

If you've ever craved fashion and beauty advice from three 30-something girls from the midwest, this is your episode! We discuss our biggest style regrets, hairstyles of our youth inspired by contemporary Christian music artists, and the trials and tribulations of aging out of Forever21. Follow us on Instagram - @circleoftrustpodcast.

This first episode of Circle of Trust is all about friendships! You'll meet us, your hosts Jillian Lawson, Cassie Morain, and Julie Signorelli, and hear about our history as friends. We share the best of times, the worst of times (passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive?) and talk about when is the right time for hard conversations. Follow us on www.instagram.com/circleoftrustpodcast