Lighten Up with Melanie Dale

Our series "Lighten Up about Parenting," wraps up today, which is perfect because, drumroll please, Calm the H*ck Down is officially out in the world! So we're running out of podcast but I have a whole book waiting for you, all about parenting. As you probably know by now, I invited 10 beta testers from all over the country to share their honest thoughts about my book, Calm the H*ck Down. They were given an early copy and volunteered to treat their kids like lab rats to see if this thing actually works. Will Calm the H*ck Down actually calm you the heck down? Because I think after the year we've all had, we need it. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Amy, special needs mom of three and middle school teacher from Texas, about Calm the H*ck Down, processing her kids getting diagnosed with autism, and how she calms the heck down as a special needs mom. And then, stay tuned, because I'm interviewing myself and answering some frequently asked questions about the book. Hey, you are invited to a Virtual Happy Hour with me and Coffee+Crumbs founder Ashlee Gadd on January 14. We are going to have so much fun, and there's swag! I'm personally mailing everyone who comes to the event a Calm the H*ck Down koozie and personalized bookplate to stick in your book and I hope so many of you register that I spend half of January at the post office. Links from the show: Join me for a Virtual Happy Hour on January 14! Pick up a copy of Calm the H*ck Down! _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

After a brief hiatus, we're back with the penultimate episode of our 10-part series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and in each episode, we have not one but two awesome conversations for you. In addition to an awesome guest line-up for you throughout the series, I've also invited 10 beta testers from all over the country to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. They were given an early copy of my book and volunteered to treat their kids like lab rats to see if this thing actually works. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Jeniffer from Mississippi about Calm the H*ck Down. And then, stay tuned, because my husband Alex is coming on to talk about how we handle technology in our house. Yes that's right. Everything you want to know about how we make choices about tech for our kids, social media, the interwebz, LoJacking them and tracking their every move, and even learning to trust them. So stay tuned for that, but first, here's my conversation with Jeniffer about Calm the H*ck Down! Beyond being the sexiest, most amazing husband ever (Alex wrote his own intro, can you tell?), Alex has worked in design and marketing for more than two decades and founded his agency Loudmark in 2008. He specializes in branding, advertising, app and web development, and more, and divides his time between managing our families technology and serving his clients including Disney, Under Armour, Universal Studios, Kraft Foods, and most importantly, me. You can learn more at loudmark.com, but join us first as we break down how we do technology with our kids. Should we give them everything or smash the WiFi router altogether? Listen in and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Fun TikTok video Alex put together to encourage our kids to swear less. Setting up Screen Time on iPhone Life 360 App for tracking your kid's location and driving safety Disney Circle Home Plus provides parental control at the router level _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our 10-part series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and in each episode, we have not one but two awesome conversations for you. In addition to an awesome guest line-up for you throughout the series, I've also invited 10 beta testers from all over the country to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. They were given an early copy of my book and volunteered to treat their kids like lab rats to see if this thing actually works. Will Calm the H*ck Down actually calm you the heck down? Inquiring minds want to know. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Kelsi, mother of twin boys and a girl, from Kansas City, MO, about Calm the H*ck Down. And then, stay tuned, because author and pastor Osheta Moore is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Osheta is an author, pastor, anti-racism encourager, and an everyday peacemaker. She's working on a new book for us called Dear White Peacemakers that I am so stoked about. We talk about her insider Starbucks hookup, raising biracial children, siblings fighting, and how her parenting changed as her theology changed. Then we chat about the difference between peace keeping and peace making, and how intergenerational relationships help her with parenting teenagers. Osheta is one of my very favorite people to talk to, so listen in and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Osheta's red beans and rice recipe Connect with her on Instagram Find Osheta on the web Check out Osheta's book, Shalom Sistas How to Hit the Woah tutorial _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our 10-part series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and if you're just joining us, this series is cool because you're getting bonus interviews. In addition to an awesome guest line-up for you throughout the series, I've also invited 10 beta testers from all over the country to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. They were given an early copy of my book and volunteered to treat their kids like lab rats to see if my book actually works. I want to make sure if you grab a copy of Calm the H*ck Down that it's going to help you, as well as hopefully make you laugh. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Jen from Colorado about Calm the H*ck Down. We talk about trying to play video games with our kids, letting our kids experience consequences, and the time I charged my daughter for a Mommy Uber driver. And then, stay tuned, because author, speaker, and business coach Alli Worthington is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Alli is the mother of five boys and has a new book coming out called Standing Strong: A Woman's Guide to Overcoming Adversity and Living with Confidence. We chat about how losing everything - her husband's job, their home, filing bankruptcy - led to her work-from-home life. She talks about getting rid of mom guilt, letting kids be who they are, and what helps her calm down about parenting. Whether you're standing strong, lying in the fetal position, or somewhere in between, listen in and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Alli's new book, Standing Strong Connect with her on Instagram Find her on the web Called Creatives _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today's podcast is sponsored by a bag of frozen riced cauliflower that I found in my freezer, because in a freak podcasting accident, I gave myself a gigundous fat lip. Seriously, so painful. I'm just trying not to talk with a lisp right now. Alex saw me holding the frozen cauliflower bag on my face and I muttered, "I hate podcasting," and he observed, "It's certainly more dangerous than I thought." And this is a day in the life of someone as clumsy as I am. While trying to strap on my fancy headphones, I clocked myself in the lip. We are halfway through our series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and if you're just joining us, this series is cool because you're getting bonus interviews, two for the price of one...which is still free...I'm not really sure about the math on that. In addition to an awesome guest line-up for you throughout this 10-part series, I've also invited 10 beta testers from all over the country to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. They were given an early copy of my book and volunteered to use their kids as guinea pigs to see if my book actually works. I want to make sure if you grab a copy of Calm the H*ck Down that it's going to help you, as well as hopefully make you laugh. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Sarah from Michigan, mother of two boys, one on the autism spectrum, about Calm the H*ck Down. We talk about the book and also what it was like getting an autism diagnosis, and she offers advice for parents in the middle of getting an autism diagnosis. And then, stay tuned, because writer and army wife Lorren Lemmons is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Lorren is a writer, a military spouse, and a former pediatric nurse. She talks about packing and moving with kids, and what it looks like preparing your kids to move. She has three kids and her four-year-old lived in four states before the age of four, so she knows a lot about this. We also talk about expectations she had going into parenting and how she calms the heck down. Lorren's got some really fun ideas, so listen in, and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Lorren's website Connect with her on Instagram The Magic of Motherhood It's Not Fair Women Are Scary _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and if you're just joining us, let me tell you why I'm so excited. Not only do I have an awesome guest line-up for you throughout this 10-part series, but I'm putting myself in the hot seat and inviting 10 beta testers to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. These beta testers hail from all over the country and they were given an assignment: read an early copy of my book, then come on the show and tell me what they thought. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Erin Mohring from Nebraska about Calm the H*ck Down, and then stay tuned, because my friend Sarah Hauser, mother of twins, writer, and our resident recipe guru at Coffee+Crumbs, is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Sarah Hauser is a food blogger who, in addition to creating delicious recipes, writes about the theology of food. She has three kids, including twins, and describes herself as a writer, speaker, and omnivore. If you're struggling with depression, this conversation is for you, and honestly maybe all of us are struggling more than usual right now because of this unusual time. Sarah shares candidly about depression and starting medication for it. I love her approach to cooking because she sees it as a creative outlet, and her recipes are accessible for regular people like me. We talk about what it was like finding out she was pregnant with twins, nursing twins, the parts of motherhood that are boring, and road-tripping with kids. Get comfy, listen in, and lighten up Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Sarah's essay on Coffee+Crumbs, "You Don't Have to Do It All" Find Sarah online Connect with her on Instagram Million Praying Moms _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and if you're just joining us, let me tell you why I'm so excited. Not only do I have an awesome guest line-up for you throughout this 10-part series, but I'm putting myself in the hot seat and inviting 10 beta testers to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. These beta testers hail from all over the country and they were given an assignment: read an early copy of my book, then come on the show and tell me what they thought. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Sallie, IVF mom and former schoolteacher from South Carolina, about Calm the H*ck Down, and then stay tuned, because author Jamie Sumner is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Jamie is the author of Eat, Sleep, Save the World, a book for special needs parents filled with encouragement about what we're already doing right. Jamie was so much fun to talk to. She has a son with cerebral palsy who's in a wheelchair and communicates with a speaking device AND she's the mom of twins. We chat about that weird place called IEP meetings, or individualized education plan for the uninitiated, the real fears in parenting, both big and small, and what helps her calm down. I had a great time with Jamie and I can't wait for you to meet her too, so listen in and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Jamie's book, Eat, Sleep, Save the World Find Jamie online Connect with her on Instagram Armchair Expert podcast _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and if you're just joining us, let me tell you why I'm so excited. Not only do I have an awesome guest line-up for you throughout this 10-part series, but I'm putting myself in the hot seat and inviting 10 beta testers to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. These beta testers hail from all over the country and they were given an assignment: read an early copy of my book, then come on the show and tell me what they thought. They volunteered to go first and kick the tires on this thing, you know, make sure the book works before you buy it. This is the most nervous I've ever been on my own show, because I had no idea what they'd say before they came on. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Staci from Tennessee about Calm the H*ck Down, and then stay tuned, because author Bronwyn Lea is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Bronwyn is the author of Beyond Awkward Side Hugs and also a super wise mom. I loved hearing what she's learning about parenting, what her kids need from her, and how she calms the heck down. Whether you're driving to work, jogging, folding laundry, or hiding in the bathtub, hopefully with chocolate, listen in, and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Bronwyn's book, Beyond Awkward Side Hugs Find Bronwyn online Connect with her on Facebook _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and if you missed last week, let me tell you why I'm so excited. Not only do I have an awesome guest line-up for you throughout this 10-part series, but I'm putting myself in the hot seat and inviting 10 beta testers to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. These beta testers hail from all over the country and they were given an assignment: read an early copy of my book, then come on the show and tell me what they thought. They volunteered to go first and kick the tires on this thing, you know, make sure the book works before you buy it. This is the most nervous I've ever been on my own show, because I had no idea what they'd say before they came on. So today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Gianina from Florida about Calm the H*ck Down, and then stay tuned, because author and podcaster Kara-Kae James is joining me to talk about how she lightens up about parenting. Kara-Kae is the founder of ThriveMoms, a ministry dedicated to encouraging and inspiring moms to more than just survive motherhood. She’s the author of Mom Up: Thriving with Grace in the Chaos of Motherhood and a new book Together: A Journal for Mom and Me, and she co-hosts the podcast Asking for a Friend. Pop in some earbuds, pull up a chair, listen in, and lighten up! Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Mom Up: Thriving with Grace in the Chaos of Motherhood Together: A Journal for Mom and Me Find Kara-Kae on Instagram Kara-Kae's podcast, Asking for a Friend Introverted Mom by Jamie C. Martin Raising White Kids Little Women

Today I'm kicking off a new series, "Lighten Up about Parenting," and let me tell you why I'm so excited. Not only do I have an awesome guest line-up for you throughout this 10-part series, but I'm putting myself in the hot seat and inviting 10 beta testers to share their honest thoughts about my upcoming book, Calm the H*ck Down. These beta testers hail from all over the country and they were given an assignment: read an early copy of my book, then come on the show and tell me what they thought. They volunteered to go first and kick the tires on this thing, you know, make sure the book works before you buy it. This is the most nervous I've ever been on my own show, because I had no idea what they'd say before they came on. So first up, today I'm chatting for a few minutes with Kelly from Minnesota about Calm the H*ck Down, and then stay tuned, because radio host and stand-up comedian Jennifer Fulwiler is joining me to talk about her new book, Your Blue Flame. She's funny! She's smart! I had a blast talking with her about parenting, following her dreams, and her new book Your Blue Flame. We talk about expectations she had going into parenting, the one thing she does every night to calm down, and how her kids are making her laugh. She decided to become a stand-up comedian and worked hard and made it happen, and she has fantastic advice for us as we pursue what makes us come alive. We chat about how can we identify our own blue flame, how do we find time to pursue our blue flame, and then she gives us a peek behind the curtain about how she developed her comedy routine and booking her first comedy tour by herself. Talking with Jennifer is fascinating and inspiring, as well as hilarious, so listen in and lighten up Free Pandemic Parenting ebook when you preorder Calm the H*ck Down! Calm the H*ck Down comes out December 8, and if you preorder it now, you'll immediately receive my ebook, Pandemic Parenting: How to Calm Down When the World's Messed Up, available exclusively to those who preorder. Links from the show: Check out Jen's book, Your Blue Flame Jen's new podcast Catch up with Jen on Instagram

Today I'm talking with Knox McCoy, swashbuckling co-host of The Popcast with Knox and Jamie and author of the new book, All Things Reconsidered. As I'm trying to edit this podcast, my kids are literally screaming at the top of their lungs above me. I don't know what's happening. We are at DEFCON ONE right now. I can only assume we've been attacked by zombies and at this point, I kinda don't mind? Knox and I talk about our current apocalypse, trying to work at home with kids, is this really easier on introverts, dealing with sleeplessness, and soul diarrhea. What is soul diarrhea and how can we avoid catching it? You'll have to listen to the show. Knox also gives his apocalypse movie recommendations for both kids and adults. Now above me someone is stomping around like an elephant. We may in fact have an elephant loose in the house. My first order of business after this social distancing is to trick out my office like a bomb shelter, with sound proofing and a month's supply of Doritos and bourbon. I know there are a lot of horrible things happening in the world. People losing loved ones, losing jobs, and losing their minds at home with their kids. I don't know what your life is like now, if you're on the front lines battling this pandemic, serving your community as an essential worker, or just trying to do the right thing and stay home to flatten the curve, but wherever you are, I hope this puts a smile on your face, so listen in and lighten up! Links from the show: Connect with Knox on Instagram and Twitter Check out Knox's new book, All Things Reconsidered

Today to wrap up our series Lighten Up about Pop Culture, I'm talking with Sophie Hudson, author of the new book Stand All the Way Up. The Miss America Pageant brought us together and today we're taking our love of show biz all the way to Broadway. We talk about shows from Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton to the Buffy musical and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. We cover which cast recordings we could perform flawlessly if called upon, as well as what shows have emotionally impacted us. I love talking to Sophie because she's one of the funniest people I know, but she also shares some insights about the theatre that are so beautiful and profound. Grab your tap shoes, warm up your jazz hands, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Find Sophie on the interwebz Sophie on Instagram Sophie's new book, Stand All the Way Up Anna and the Apocalypse

We are in our "lighten up about pop culture" series and today I'm talking with my friend Osheta Moore, pastor and author of Shalom Sistas. She hosts the  podcast Shalom Y'all and has a series called "Dear White Peacemakers," so after this, run don't walk to go check that out and subscribe. Today we're talking about our mutual love of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We talk favorite superheroes, favorite villains, favorite movies, and what TV shows have shaped us. Then, we chat honestly about when our favorites become problematic. Cosby, Michael Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, R Kelly...Osheta brings her peacemaking wisdom to this space and really helps me grapple with some of the tension we all feel between our favorite shows and songs and the people who create them, so listen in and lighten up!   Links from the show: The Hill on Which This Cosby Kid Is Willing to Die Check out Osheta's book, Shalom Sistas Dear White Peacemakers Find Osheta on Instagram Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase series The Sandman series H.P. Lovecraft

Today as part of our "lighten up about pop culture" series, I'm talking with my friend and freelance editor and writer Kendall Ashley about fandoms, from Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy to Battlestar Galactica and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm gonna go ahead and put it out there that Kendall and I are both huge nerds, and by that I mean we are so super cool and you should be jealous of our combined knowledge of monster lore and wizarding prowess. We get downright emotional about Star Wars. We talk about fans policing other fans, when writers makes choices we don't like, I'm looking at you Game of Thrones, breaking up with fandoms, how we're indoctrinating our kids into our fandoms...bingeing Supernatural, Firefly, movies that made us cry, and adult Dungeons & Dragons. We chat about our first fandoms that we ever really got into and when we first discovered we were big nerds. I regret that I didn't even get to my obsession with Doctor Who, but Kendall blew my mind, rendering me speechless, speechless I say, with her perspective on Hayden Christensen as emo teen Anakin Skywalker. Throw on your favorite cosplay, grab your Funko collection, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Visit Kendall's site Check her out on Twitter Harriet the Spy Nancy Drew 10 Ways Buffy Taught Me to Battle the Forces of Darkness

Today I'm talking with novelist Shawn Smucker in our series "lighten up about pop culture," about the books that have shaped us and what's influencing us now. He shares some of his favorite books and authors and what music he listens to while writing, and you guys I got a total scoop. Shawn revealed the title of his next book and what it's about, for the first time ever, to me on this very podcast. However, an addendum to that: I'm going to pull back the curtain on this here podcastery a bit and tell you that because of scheduling wonkiness with some of the guests for this series, Shawn and I recorded this approximately 47 years ago but I'm just now releasing it. Which is why I would never make a good reporter, on account of my lack of timeliness. Hey guys I got a big scoop for you that I kept to myself! The good news is his next book comes out in June and is available for preorder, so go check it out, but first, listen in and lighten up! Links from the Show Shawn and Maile's podcast, The Stories Between Us Shawn's latest: Light from Distant Stars These Nameless Things Shawn's YA books: The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There Pachinko Night Tiger Children of Blood and Bone Trail of Lightning Good Omens Empathy for the Devil

Today I'm kicking off a new series with my good friend Sarah Bragg, "lighten up about pop culture." To introduce this series, Sarah and I are unpacking some of our pop culture baggage from childhood, the scare tactics used on us from being raised in the 80s, the ooky danger of Dungeons and Dragons and evil Satan Smurfs. We talk Psalty the Singing Songbook, that devastating day when Amy Grant WENT SECULAR (gasp), and how we can relate to Lane on Gilmore Girls. (All in good fun, Mom and Dad. All in good fun.) Then we turn the tables on ourselves and talk about what we're protecting our own kids from and how we're trying to do things differently but also accidentally developed Sponge Bob phobia. Parenting is hard. Sarah is one of my very favorite people and we have a blast together, so listen in and lighten up! Notes from the show: Surviving Sarah podcast Sarah on Instagram In a Dark, Dark Room - the book with the story "The Green Ribbon" that turned me on to horror in second grade

Today I'm talking with Kelly Minter, Bible teacher and author of the beautiful new cookbook, A Place at the Table. Years ago I went to a group for moms where we went through Kelly's study of the book of Nehemiah, which was about this guy who goes back to his hometown to lead his people to rebuild their security wall that had fallen down. It's this ancient Hebrew scripture about leading a big group project and all the challenges along the way. And anyway, at the end of each chapter of this really cool book about leadership, Kelly shared a recipe. And they were good recipes, and pretty easy to pull off. So when her new cookbook landed on my desk, I got excited and knew I wanted to have her on the show to wrap up our series on hospitality. We are going to talk charcuterie boards, potlucks, and how cooking is the hope for community. As a single woman, Kelly gives great insight about how couples with or without kids can be inclusive for our single friends, so listen in and lighten up! Links from the show: A Place at the Table Kelly's Nehemiah study Find Kelly on Instagram

Today I'm talking with Polly Conner, who is half of the team of wizards over at Thriving Home. Polly and Rachel have a new cookbook out, From Freezer to Cooker, and today Polly is on the show to help us feed our people and the people our people bring home. Polly kicks us off with a hilarious recipe fail, then she gives us a ton of ideas to help us lighten up about hospitality. We chat about her go-to things for feeding big groups of teens and tweens, what she buys in bulk, how freezing meals has revolutionized how she preps for dinner, and how she uses her Instant Pot for hands-free meals. After talking with Polly, I have so many new ideas for meal planning and prepping, and I'll have links to everything she shares in the show notes, so grab a snack, kick back, listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: Polly made us a Lighten Up page with all the recipes and ideas from the show! From Freezer to Table From Freezer to Cooker Polly's website, Thriving Home Find Polly on Instagram

I'm talking with my good friend Chantel Adams about practicing hospitality to our families. Chantel has four kids, some who are grown and some who are growing and she is chock full of practical, creative ways to show hospitality to the people we're raising. We chat about fun ideas for the family dinner table, how family time has changed as her kids have grown up, and our biggest struggles with showing hospitality to our kids. No matter how old your kids are, there's something for you in this episode, so listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Karen Ehman's A Life that Says Welcome Chantel's site and Instagram A Vindication of the Rights of Women

We're in the middle of our series, Lighten Up about Hospitality, and today I'm chatting with Melissa Camara Wilkins, author of Permission Granted: Be Who You Were Made to Be and Let Go of the Rest. She tells the story of the time she wore jeans to a yoga class and actually learned kind of a profound lesson through it. Melissa extends to us an invitation to soul-level simplicity, giving yourself permission to be who you really are. We chat about making life simpler and how we apply simplicity to hospitality. She shares her Three Breaths Rule, we talk about our go-to hacks for having people over, and as a bonus, I pick her brain about her number one practical piece of advice for launching kids to college, and it's a good one. Whether you're joining us from your commute or your treadmill, your laundry room or your kitchen, listen in and lighten up! Links from the Show: Melissa's book, Permission Granted: Be Who You Were Made to Be and Let Go of the Rest Find her on Instagram Three Breaths Rule Yogi Green Tea Electric Kettle

Today I'm kicking off a new series, Lighten Up about Hospitality, with a conversation with Leslie Verner, the author of Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness. We talk about why we're lonely, how smartphones and our culture of independence are contributing to loneliness. Leslie lived in China and Uganda, studied the differences in culture, and talks about what she's learned from other cultures, like putting people above tasks. We chat about how we can cultivate a love of strangers and actively put ourselves in the path of strangers to meet. And then we talk practically about prepping before people come over, what doesn't matter to us when inviting people over, and how the practice of solitude is important for filling up in order to provide hospitality. Whether you love meeting people and practicing hospitality or would rather live deep in the woods by yourself surrounded by woodland animals, there's something here for everyone, so listen in and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Leslie's book, Invited Find her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Leslie's site, Scraping Raisins (On the show, she shares the really cool reason she named her site this!)

Today we're wrapping up our Friendship Over 40 series with New York Times bestselling author Melanie Shankle! Ahh, you guys, she's so funny. I laughed my way through this whole thing. We chat about her 30-year friendship with her best friend Gully and how it's hard making new friends during this stage of life, as well as the things we're talking about with our friends, sexy things like waning eyesight and needing readers to see a menu, the joys of perimenopause, and our 40-something periods. (Women in their forties are so hot, and I do mean literally.) Between her funny memoirs, Big Mama blog, and Big Boo podcast, Melanie has kept me laughing for years, and today we're hanging out right here, so pull up a chair, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Sparkly Green Earrings Check out all of Melanie's books! Find Melanie on Instagram or Twitter Listen to the Big Boo Cast Read the Big Mama Blog Where the Crawdads Sing Little Fires Everywhere Dark Matter _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today for our friendship over 40 series I'm talking with my friend Callie Feyen, author of The Teacher Diaries: Romeo & Juliet and Twirl. We chat about how making friends has changed for us as we've gotten older and how our conversations have morphed from nap schedules to navigating our teens' technology and talking about our jobs. Callie introduces us to her friends in her memoir Twirl, so we talk about she's maintaining these friendships from high school all the way into her forties, as well as what she would tell her thirty-year-old self. We talk about hanging out without the kids, how we coach our kids to be kind to each other so the adults can still hang out during these volatile middle school years, and how, thankfully, we are separate from our kids, with separate friendships. Come on over and hang out with Callie and me, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Callie's books: Twirl The Teacher Diaries: Romeo & Juliet Find Callie on Twitter and Instagram Callie was on episode #61! To All the Boys I've Loved Before Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We're continuing our series on friendship over 40, and today I'm talking with author, speaker, and yoga teacher Kathy Khang. She's the author of the book Raise Your Voice, and she has great advice for us as we navigate the difficult subjects with our friends. How do we speak up about things we care about with the people we love? We also chat about making your own friends without your kids as a buffer, maintaining your friends as your kids' friendships change, letting go of friendships when you grow in different directions, and mom drama. And, we talk about that thing when your kids get older and want to join you and your friends at the grownup table. Ugh, I miss the old days of spelling swear words so they wouldn't understand. Pour a cup of coffee, pop a squat on your yoga mat, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Kathy's book Raise Your Voice Find her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Check out Kathy’s website Kathy was my guest on episode #78! _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We are in our series Lighten Up about Friendship Over 40 and today I'm talking with one of my longest-running friends, Jamie C. Martin, author of Introverted Mom. We chat about what friendship over 40 looks like, specifically in regard to introverts and extroverts. As an extrovert, I'm always worried about being annoying, so Jamie equips us with fantastic advice on how to engage our introverted friends. She shares how she likes to get to know someone, her favorite things to do with friends, and how she maintains friendships during this busy season of life. If you don't already know Jamie, I'm so excited to introduce you to MY friend, so screw in your earbuds or airpods, crank up Alexa, push the button thingy on the interwebz, listen in, and lighten up!   Links from the show: Check out Introverted Mom Take the Introverted Mom quiz! Find Jamie on Instagram Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb Dracula by Bram Stoker Educated by Tara Westover Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today by popular demand, I'm starting a new series called Lighten Up about Friendship Over 40. Back when I wrote Women Are Scary, about finding mom friends during the early childhood years, I had women ask me when I was going to write a book about finding mom friends later in life, and finding mom friends when you have teenagers. My response was always, hold on lemme get there first. Well I'm here now and several of you have asked me about friendship over 40 so we're going to explore this over the next few weeks. I'm excited about this series because I've got some fantastic guests coming on to unpack all this with me. And this series is for everyone. If you're in your twenties and thirties, there's some relationship gold in here, so enjoy hearing people a little farther along prepare you for what's coming. If you're in your forties, you know what we're talking about, so pull up a chair and come help us solve all our problems. If you're out of your forties, send us all your thoughts and prayers and feel free to laugh at us behind our backs. Wherever you are in life, text a friend, grab a cup of coffee, and keep working hard at those relationships. To kick us off, my friend Elisha Beach, founder of The Mom Forum, is joining me. Elisha and I met on the set of Moms Everyday, a TV show we were on several years ago, and I just love her. She's so easy to talk to and open and honest - so open and honest in fact that a photo she posted of herself nursing while on the toilet went viral a few years ago. I knew we had to be friends immediately. She was on the show all the way back on episode 27, back when I think we both were still in our thirties, in fact, so let's welcome her 40 year old self back on the show. And I'm so glad YOU'RE here joining us today, so get comfy, listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: The Mom Forum Find Elisha on social media: Instagram.com/mylifeisabeach Twitter.com/mylifesabeach Facebook.com/mylifeisabeach Want more Elisha? She was on episode 27 of Lighten Up, too! Handmaid's Tale Challenge Accepted! by Celeste Barber Big Little Lies What Alice Forgot _____________________________________________ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hey welcome to episode 106 of Lighten up with Melanie Dale. BONUS ILLNESS EDITION. I know I said we concluded the Lighten Up with Illness series, and I'm well into working on our next series, Lighten Up about Friendship Over 40, but recently Stephanie Tait ran across my path and she has a new book called The View from Rock Bottom so, I mean, I was dying to talk to her about how she lightens up down there at rock bottom. Stephanie talks about her tenacious 15-year journey to getting diagnosed with Lyme Disease, what it's like living with Lyme, and how she learned to lighten up and let herself have a life in the midst of disability, instead of waiting indefinitely until everything was all better. She asked herself, "What if this is my life...what am I waiting for?" Stephanie is hopeful and real and I know you'll love hanging out with her as much as I did, so listen in and lighten up. Links from the show: The View from Rock Bottom Check out Stephanie's website: www.stephanietaitwrites.com Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Under Our Skin documentary Glorious Weakness by Alia Joy, who was just on episode 105 of Lighten Up Disability and the Way of Jesus Light from Distant Stars by Shawn Smucker, who was on episode 43 of Lighten Up

Today for the finale to our series, Lighten Up about Illness, I'm talking with Alia Joy. You may remember her from episode 99, and now I'm happy to share that her new book, Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack, is available now. Today we talk about her bipolar disorder, how it's impacted her life and her kids, and the unpredictability that comes with illness. She says, "I have to be okay with undone things." We talk about what she's learned from bipolar disorder, and Alia says, "Everybody goes through seasons. Mine are just more noticeable...Bipolar is like you're making sandcastles and they're just constantly being swept away." She shares about looking for beauty and wonder in places you'd never expect to find it, and the way she lightens up in the middle of everything is by raising funny kids. We talk about the amazing comedic timing of her kids and the blessings of having a funny family. Through her book and our conversation, Alia is teaching me so much, so grab a fuzzy blanket, get comfy, listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: Check out Alia’s new book, Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack Find Alia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Alia’s website Listen to Alia's previous visit to Lighten Up Podcast, Episode #99 Alia’s essays: The Hospitality of Marriage The Fluency of Hope When I Am Bipolar Coming of Age in This American Life The Atlas of Reds and Blues

We are in the middle of our series "Lighten Up about Illness" and today I'm talking with Lauren Gaskill, author of Into the Deep: Diving into a Life of Courageous Faith, and host of the podcast She Found Joy. Lauren has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which affects her collagen, joints, and muscles. We chat about her road to finding a diagnosis, her treatments for EDS, and how she is lightening up and finding joy while managing her symptoms. Lauren shares how keeping an eternal perspective helps her lighten up about her circumstances, how she figures out the safe people to talk with about her disorder, and her advice for developing a supportive community. I'm so glad you're with us, so pull up a chair, listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: She Found Joy podcast Find a She Found Joy event near you Check out Lauren's book, Into the Deep: Diving into a Life of Courageous Faith "A Stink Bug Tried to Mate with Me" - my bug essay on Coffee+Crumbs Letters to the Church by Francis Chan Winning the Worry Battle by Barb Roose (Barb was on Lighten Up episode #75!) The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck Pet Sematary by Stephen King Divergent by Veronica Roth

We're in the middle of our series, lighten up about illness, and today I'm talking with my friend Lesley Miller. Lesley and I met through Coffee+Crumbs, she's an incredible writer, and she's currently going through what she calls her second cancer year. Her husband Jonathan had cancer, and now her son Owen was diagnosed last October and has been going through treatment. We chat about the differences and similarities between adult cancer and childhood cancer, and how it's impacted her life and her other kids. Lesley shares what cancer has taught her, how they're coping and lightening up in the middle of this, and how she deals with the emotional burden of caring for her family. She says that the biggest gift people can give to people going through illness is seeing them. She shares how can we support our friends with kids dealing with life-threatening illnesses and advises us to let the parents take the lead. And maybe my favorite part of the interview is her insight into lightening up, how she sees two parts to lightening up - the soul work part and the everyday fun stuff. You have to do the first one in order to have the second. Lesley is incredibly helpful and insightful so if you have people in your life currently walking through childhood cancer and you're wondering how to support them, this is the perfect conversation for you, so listen in and lighten up. Links from the show: Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James The American Marriage by Tayari Jones Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan Twirl by Callie Feyen

Today I'm talking with Niki Hardy, author of the new book Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart. Niki is a cancer survivor and she shares how her diagnosis affected her, how she handled telling her kids, parenting with cancer, and how humor helped her and her kids get through her cancer treatments. Also, uh, Niki had rectal cancer, so yeah, heck yeah, we talk about poop. She says, "You're never too young to love your bum." I know this is a conversation about cancer, but it's uplifting and hopeful and will help you reevaluate how you approach life...and also nudge you to get regular checkups and listen to your body. As Niki wisely shares, "Life doesn't have to be pain-free to be full," so listen in and lighten up. Links from the show: Preorder Niki's book, Breathe Again: How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart Connect with Niki: Website www.nikihardy.com IG: @niki.hardy FB: @NikiHardyauthor The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin Small Great Things and A Spark of Light by Jodi Piccoult The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman (Emily was on episode #29 of Lighten Up Podcast!)

Check check, is this thing on? Well hi there. I guess I'm back from hiatus and ready for more podcastery, so I thought I'd start with something super fun and light...illness? I know, illness is not historically a light topic, but we do learn coping tactics for getting through. How do we not descend into hopelessness when we're battling health problems? Today I kick off a new series in which I interview people dealing with various illnesses and how they learn to lighten up in the midst of the hard stuff. For this first episode, I interview myself. I talk about my endometriosis and also supporting loved ones with mental illness, ADHD, trauma, and autism. I also share how I learned to throw out expectations for what life would look like and my daily practice for lightening up. I always say that laughter makes us brave. Life's too long to take the whole thing seriously, so listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: It's Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn't Choose Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard Dead to Me (trigger warning about miscarriage) Subscribe to my monthly newsletter

I'm celebrating my 100th episode! ONE HUNDRED. This reminds me of the 100th day of school shenanigans when our kids have to bring in 100 items and dress up like 100-year-old people. It's basically, "Let's work in another stupid spirit day." I will not make you do homework to observe this 100th episode milestone, although if you want to celebrate by leaving me a review on iTunes, I would love that so much. I'm celebrating the day by sharing some big news that I've wanted to tell you for a while. I've got stuff percolating over here, and it starts with a broken promise. So listen to the episode to find out what's up, and then, my buddy Sarah Bragg and I talk about work, career, and purpose for our final monthly crossover of the year. We share funny stories from our first jobs, chat about what our dream jobs would be, and discuss how we can find our purpose, whether that's parenting, a dream job, or a dream-adjacent job, something you never thought you'd be doing. It's all important, and how do we figure out what we're supposed to be doing with our lives? Join us to discuss all the things, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Coffee+Crumbs "Exhale" community Big Magic Check out my new book, Infreakinfertility Sign up to be email friends with me Surviving Sarah Podcast – check out the other half of our conversation on work and purpose! Go be friends with Sarah Bragg! Instagram Facebook Twitter  

Today I'm talking with Alia Joy, author of Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack. We start out trading colonoscopy stories. Anytime I can exchange poop stories with someone I'm pretty much in heaven. You know. After that, we chat about how we need to lighten up about grammar, then Alia shares about living with bipolar disorder, how she was diagnosed, and the stigma of mental illness. I know I'm not supposed to have favorite episodes but this one is so good. It's my favorite balance of fun and serious. Mental illness can feel so isolating, and Alia's openness with hers sheds light and helps us understand, empathize, and feel less alone. Whether you've had a colonoscopy, struggle with mental illness, or love someone who does, listen in and lighten up. Links from the show: Preorder Alia's new book, Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack Find Alia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Alia's website Alia's essays: The Hospitality of Marriage The Fluency of Hope When I Am Bipolar Coming of Age in This American Life

Today I'm soooo excited for you to get to know Shannan Martin. Shannan is one of my faves. She's wise and fun and I just love the way she's living her life. She's got a new book out, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and we talk about what led her to move from her dream farmhouse in the country to a life in the city. She shares about adopting four kids, including a 19-year-old son who was incarcerated, putting her kids into a "failing" public school with one of the highest poverty rates in the state, and what she's learning with a son who has been incarcerated about the school to prison pipeline. We chat about standing with our neighbors, how to be a good neighbor, and what it looks like to make yourself available and show up for them. Whether you live in the country, the city, or the suburbs like me, there's good stuff here for all of us, unless you live in a yurt on a mountain by yourself...no, even you, yurt-dweller. There's something here for you, too, so listen in, and lighten up. Quotes from the show: "People say we need to bring God back in the schools. God is just already there." "Don't let fear of the unknown hold you back from getting a clear vision of what the kingdom of God looks like." Links from the show: Check out Shannan's new book, The Ministry of Ordinary Places Find Shannan on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter Shannan's first book, Falling Free David Platt's Radical sermon series Radical book Kisses from Katie, Amazima ministry Kisses from Katie book My new book, Infreakinfertility

Today, Sarah Bragg and I are talking about failure on our monthly crossover episode. We pick all the super fun topics. But first, we give kind of an update about our weird fears, she with her extreme fear of a certain violent woodland animal and me with my terror of airborne mating plants. It's a whole thing. Anyway, then we chat about epic celebrity fails and our own personal fails and you guys, this is all soooo embarrassing and should make you feel better or at least in good company. We discuss how you handle failure and also how do you help your kids navigate failure and build resilient kids. Failure is so fun! Hey, we've all been there, so listen in and lighten up. Links from the show: Check out my new book, Infreakinfertility Sign up to be email friends with me Surviving Sarah Podcast – check out the other half of our conversation on big fat failure! Go be friends with Sarah Bragg! Instagram Facebook Twitter

Hey and welcome to episode 96 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. AND Alex Dale. Because today my husband is joining me to talk about our new book, Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard, which is available today! This book has been a dream of mine for many, many years and today I can say, it’s here! Please visit the Amazon and go buy it! Maybe listen to this podcast while you do. Alex and I chat about two main things, our experience with infertility and our experience working together on this book. Lemme just mention here at the beginning in case you’re cranking this podcast around small children, we’re going to be talking a bit about reproductive biology, so…biological terminology ahead. Peach and eggplant emojis, people. Peaches and eggplants. You’ve been warned. So whether you’re dealing with infertility yourself, have a loved one who is, or have experienced the joys and challenges of working with your partner on a project, or appreciate a good penis illustration, there’s something here for everyone, so listen in and lighten up. Links from the show: Check out Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard Get a monthly email from Melanie with stories, updates, and fun things Subscribe to Lighten Up on iTunes or on Stitcher  

Today I'm talking with Tricia Goyer, author of several million books and mother of several billion kids, about her new book, Calming Angry Kids. Um, you guys, does anybody else have some kids who get a little ragey from time to time or maybe a lot? I mean, don't raise your hand, but I will quietly fist bump you without naming names. Tricia has dealt with some serious anger in her home and offers us some great advice. We talk about how to calm your kids down when they're angry, how to handle it when your kid's anger is directed at you, and most importantly, how to build a relationship with your angry kid when it's hard. I wish I had Tricia on speed dial when things heat up around here, but I have the next best thing, our conversation today. If the anger is burning red hot and heavy, listen in and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Calming Angry Kids If you liked this conversation, Tricia was on episode #45, too! Find Tricia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Tricia’s site

Today I'm talking with author and host of the Say Something Show, Kay Wyma. We chat about that time she freaked out the Secret Service, which was probably a little nerve-wracking in the moment but hilarious now. Then we talk about her book, Not the Boss of Us. Do you ever face overwhelming pressures and expectations or do you find yourself trying to help your kids with pressure at school or with friends? Kay talks about replacing our fears with truth and shares how we can stop feeling so overwhelmed. If the weight of the world is pressing down on you, listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: Check out Kay's new book, Not the Boss of Us Find Kay on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Say Something Show Pre-order my new book releasing October 23, Infreakinfertility: How to Survive When Getting Pregnant Gets Hard

Today I'm talking with Rachel Linden, author of the new novel Becoming the Talbot Sisters. She tells the riveting and hilarious tale of her unexpected encounter with a cycling onesie, and then we shift gears, haha, cycling pun totally intended, and talk about moving to Budapest and working with victims of trafficking. We chat about writing Becoming the Talbot Sisters, and how she set the story in Budapest as a love letter to the country. Her book delves into miscarriage and pregnancy loss, infertility and surrogacy, and Rachel shares about her desire to write strong female characters and the novels that inspired her. Whether you're folding laundry, heading to the office, or going for a jaunty bike ride, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Rachel's new book, Becoming the Talbot Sisters Find Rachel on Facebook and Instagram Rachel's site The Historian Hope Dies Last organization Little Women Little House on the Prairie The Art of Racing in the Rain The Solace of Water Warm Bodies The Girl with All the Gifts You can preorder the Kindle version of Infreakinfertility now, or buy the hard copy on October 23!

It's time yet again for our monthly crossover episode with my good friend Sarah Bragg of Surviving Sarah. This month we're shooting the breeze about fashion. Because no one knows fashion like a couple of middle-aged moms living in the suburbs of Atlanta. We share our personal fashion and makeup rules, fashion trends we'd like to see die a fiery death, and our daily routines. Also, we play fashion police and at one point I use the phrase "bubular area." Pull on your sweatiest yoga pants with the hole in the crotch, listen in, and lighten up. Links from the show: Sign up to be email friends with me Surviving Sarah Podcast – check out the other half of our conversation on contentment! Go be friends with Sarah Bragg! Instagram Facebook Twitter

Today I'm talking with Kimberly Stuart, writer of romance and author of the new book, Heart Land. Kimberly is incredibly fun and very patient with me as I ask ridiculous questions about romantic things, cite Fabio on the covers of the books at the grocery store checkout, and unpack my hangups with romance, both as a genre and in my sadly pragmatic actual life. We discuss our feelings about The Greatest Showman, our romantic experiences both on the page and off, "bodice rippers," and her new book Heart Land. I'm dubbing her our "romantic Yoda." Meet us at the corner table with a red rose pressed between the pages of Wuthering Heights, listen in, and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Kimberly's latest book Heart Land Find her on Instagram video of audition for The Greatest Showman Matchmaking for Beginners Marisa de los Santos books Same Kind of Different as Me Pride and Prejudice The Picture of Dorian Gray

Today I'm talking with author Sarah Clarkson, the daughter of Sally Clarkson, who we had on the show last year. Sarah's great and we hear the story of how she moved to London, went to Oxford, and met her Dutch husband. Then we chat about her new book, Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life. Sarah shares how we can develop imagination and a love of reading in our own lives, and she has tons of ideas for making reading engaging and enjoyable for our kids. Whether you read a hundred books a year or haven't cracked one open since school, listen in and lighten up! Links from the show: Check out Sarah's new book, Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life Find Sarah on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Episode #54 with Sally Clarkson Taking a Hot Bath Burns as Many Calories as a 30-Minute Walk Faith, Hope, and Poetry Mariner David Copperfield Munich  Thomas Merton Ready Player One Sherlock Holmes

Hey welcome to episode 89 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. Today I'm talking with Patrice Gopo, author of All the Colors We Will See. We chat about the importance of storytelling and talking about race and immigration. Patrice has a unique and important perspective and her story is captivating. Her parents are from Jamaica, she grew up in Alaska, moved to South Africa, married a Zimbabwean man, and now she lives in North Carolina. She shares about the complexity of her identity, feeling different, and how she's processed her identity in her new book All the Colors We Will See. Patrice also offers great advice on how we can welcome immigrants around us, in our neighborhoods and communities, so listen in and lighten up! Episode sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by Teami Blends. As you head into fall, try this 30-day, two-step detox process. You drink Teami Skinny tea in the morning and Teami Colon tea every other night and that's it. A two-step process to more energy and less bloat. Teami is offering Lighten Up listeners 15% off any order with code UNEXPECTED so check out teamiblends.com. Links from the show: Check out Patrice's new book, All the Colors We Will See Find Patrice on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook Patrice's website Kate Motaung's interview on Lighten Up  

Today is our monthly crossover episode with Sarah Bragg of Surviving Sarah. You guys know the drill. Two podcasters, one topic, and we have a ton of fun doing it. You can listen to one half of our conversation here, and then check out the other half over on Surviving Sarah. Today is our very angry episode. So much anger. I know it's called Lighten Up over here, but I feel super comfortable on the dark side of life. Anger! We talk about our favorite angry characters, how anger can be used for good, how to process it and do good things with it instead of stuffing it, how to peel back the anger to see what's underneath it, and times in our lives when we were really angry...in a funny way. So, go Hulk smash a pillow, listen in, and lighten up! Episode sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It’s basically like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they’re giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Sign up to be email friends with me Surviving Sarah Podcast – check out the other half of our conversation on contentment! Go be friends with Sarah Bragg! Instagram Facebook Twitter The episode with Melanie's engagement story  

Today I'm talking with Liz Ditty, a spiritual director and teacher at Westgate Church in Silicon Valley and the author of God's Many Voices. We start out laughing about the embarrassing side of meal trains, and then we chat about hearing from God. Have you ever heard from God? Is it a big booming voice in the sky? Does everyone hear God the same way? How do we even talk to God and is God even listening? What if God seems silent? Whether God spoke to you this morning or you'd prefer that he didn't, listen in and lighten up! Episode sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It’s like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they’re giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Check out Liz's book, God's Many Voices Find Liz on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Liz's website Propel Women "5 Ways to Pray"

Hey, welcome to episode 86 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. Today I'm talking with Rachelle Dekker. You may recognize that last name, because her dad is the author Ted Dekker, and we talk about what's it like to be the daughter of an author. But Rachelle is also an incredible author herself and we talk about her latest supernatural suspense novel, When Through Deep Waters. We chat about everything from where do the worlds she creates come from to dealing with darkness, as her characters wrestle with tragedy, grief, and shame. Oh my gosh I love fiction and the supernatural so I am excited for you to meet Rachelle, so listen in and lighten up! Episode sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It’s like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they’re giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Check out Rachelle's new book, When Through Deep Waters Find Rachelle on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter Rachelle's site Melanie's Edgar Allen Poe boxers

Today I’m talking with Katrina McCain, a former fashion model and author of the book Beyond Being Good. We talk about her book, her 9-year modeling career, her Beyond Borders Charity Runway Show, and, um, maybe a wardrobe malfunction or two. Katrina is awesome and you’re gonna love her…and you guys will be proud of me because I only made one Zoolander reference the whole time. Whether you’re wearing Gucci, yoga pants, or Derelicte!, listen in and lighten up.   Episode sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It’s basically like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they’re giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Check out Beyond Being Good Katrina's website Find Katrina on Instagram Fashion Beyond Borders

This week I've combined our Dog Days of Summer series with our monthly crossover episode with Sarah Bragg of Surviving Sarah! So as always with these monthly episodes, you can hear one half of our conversation here on Lighten Up, and the other half over on Surviving Sarah. Today Sarah shares her favorite dog story, and did she commit a crime or not? You be the judge. Then, we tackle back to school. Back to school. What the heck? How is it already that time?! Here in Georgia, the season in upon us so we might as well talk about it. We cover school supplies (Who IS Dixon Ticonderoga?!), our own back to school memories, the first time we sent our kiddos to school, and how it's changed as our kids have grown up. We share tips for navigating back to school, what not to do (ask us how we know!), how to have reasonable expectations about school involvement, how to partner with teachers, how to stay organized with all your kids' papers, and tackling the morning routine, ugh. So whether your kids go back this week, next week, or not for another month, listen in and lighten up! Episode sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It’s basically like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they’re giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Sign up to be email friends with me Surviving Sarah Podcast – check out the other half of our conversation on contentment! Go be friends with Sarah Bragg! Instagram Facebook Twitter Episode 68 with Wynter Pitts

We're in the Dog Days of Summer and today's guest is my friend Jeannie Cunnion, author of Mom Set Free and teller of hilarious dog stories. I laughed until I cried during our conversation. And hey, if you have small children and aren't ready to to explain reproductive biology to them yet, you might want to grab some headphones. You've been warned. This podcast could also be titled, "The Shitzu Had Its Period." Today on Lighten Up, love is in the air...and the only thing stopping it is a very determined Jeannie Cunnion. Neuter and spay your dogs, listen in, and lighten up. Episode sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It's basically like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they're giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Dog Days of Summer super googley research: Wikipedia National Geographic Farmer's Almanac Almanac.com Check out Jeannie’s new book, Mom Set Free and the corresponding Bible study Find Jeannie: Facebook Instagram Jeannie's previous visit to Lighten Up, episode 38 The Lighten Up Guidelines for Laughing at Life  

We are smack in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer, both literally and on this podcast, and today's guest is Logan Wolfram, author of Curious Faith and friend of the show. Logan has big dogs, and big dogs make big smells. My favorite quote from the show is when Logan says, "You just kind of sign yourself up for these weird things when you have animals." Also, I think this episode wins for most use of the word "humping." To prepare yourself for this episode, ask yourself this, "If your dog eats part of your sandwich, do you throw the rest away, eat it anyway, or serve it to your kids?" Ponder that, and while you do, listen in, and lighten up! Episode sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by FabFitFun! FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box with full-size beauty, fitness, fashion, and lifestyle products. It's basically like getting a birthday present in the mail four times a year. It retails for $49.99 but always contains products totaling over $200, and they're giving Lighten Up listeners $10 off your first box when you use code LIGHTENUP at fabfitfun.com. Links from the show: Dog Days of Summer super googley research: Wikipedia National Geographic Farmer's Almanac Almanac.com Check out Logan's book, Curious Faith Find Logan: Facebook Instagram This isn't Logan's make-ahead waffle recipe but this is the one I've been using and it's awesome and easy and my kids think I'm amazing now. Logan's previous visits to Lighten Up: episode 2 episode 31 The Lighten Up Guidelines for Laughing at Life