Right There With You

Today's special guest is the delightful Kathi Lipp as we talk about her new book, Ready for Anything. I can't think of a more timely topic in the midst of a pandemic. Let's talk practical ways moms can realistically prepare for any emergency. Listen in.

Last week's episode shared some of the story of author Anna LaBaron's escape from a polygamist cult. Her book, The Polygamist's Daughter, shares more. Today, we talk about how a friend was instrumental in leading her to hope and healing and how that applies to anyone needing to recover from trauma.

Today's extended episode features a fascinating conversation with author Anna LaBaron. Her book, The Polygamist's Daughter, is the tale of healing and hope from trauma, abuse, and neglect, growing up in a polygamist cult. 

Sometimes the things we learn early in our mom-journey get lost in our memories. Like thinking we will get so much accomplished with all this time at home. Let's talk about just how much grace we need to weather these uncertain times. Listen in.

The song "The World Turned Upside Down" from Hamilton keeps coming to mind this week. We are living in uncertain times, moms, but we can trust in how faithful God is. And, perhaps, he's made you the mom you are for such a time as this.

This week's podcast is coming out early this week because life is crazy right now. We are living in unprecedented times and our kids are looking to us to lead without fear. Listen in.

Nobody warns us that this amazing job of motherhood can consume us so completely. While the title of mom is one of the best I've ever had, I am still so much more. So are you. Let's talk about that today. Listen in.

When life is hard, when it stinks, quitting sometimes sounds amazing. Running away from home and pretending we don't need to adult is a frequent daydream of mine. But quitting isn't an option so what now? Let's talk about how to keep going.

This month I've shared a lot of encouragement to make space for delightful things that bring rest, refreshing, and renewal to your life. Does that idea sound impossible? I get that. Let's talk about that tension today.

Moms, lets be honest. We stink at taking breaks. We feel every one needs to include doing something productive or we have to have finished all the work before we earn rest. That's just crazy. Let's talk about why.

For over a month, we've been stalked by all things romance. Chocolates, flowers, over-sized stuffed animals, and more slap us in the face upon entering any store. But all the focus on romance can leave some of us feeling alone. Let's talk about connecting with our good friends this week.

Happy New Year - sort of late. I took January off so let's dive right back in talking about all the pressure we put on ourselves to change at the start of the year. I'll be there are a ton of things you got right last year and saying no to beating yourself up about the mistakes is a great start.

As we enter a brand new year, let's take a moment to pray-cess the possibilities that a blank calendar brings. 

This shortened Christmas episode talks about letting go of the "perfect Christmas" expectations and finding ways to treasure the moments of magic in the chaos. Kind of like what Mary did. 

Self care is a hot button issue. We hear everything from encouragement to indulge to the backlash of how selfish it is. But what if finding a healthy dose of self care is necessary to make sure you can be who God created you to be? Listen in.

The pressure to handle all the things is hard for moms. For single moms it more than doubles. But living in a constant state of exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed is not okay. Let's talk about that.

The internet can be a great thing for ideas this time of year. But it can also make us feel a whole mess 'o guilt for not doing what we "should," however other people define that. This year, you are hereby given permission to give the way you want to. Listen in.

This shortened episode in honor of Thanksgiving will help you brainstorm conversation starters around the Thanksgiving table. Feel free to listen as you head to far away places.

Over the river and through the woods is no longer as simple as the song makes it sound. And road trips with kids can lead to all kinds of crazy stories they might need therapy for later on in life. So let's talk about arriving at our holiday destinations and still liking each other.

Today I'm continuing to talk about taking the stress right out of the most wonderful time of the year. Let's plan ahead as much as we can so Nice Mommy lives at our house instead of Grumpy Mommy, shall we?

This week my special guest is Jennifer Bryant, host of the popular Practical Family podcast and we are talking holidays. As moms we can want to get everything right this time of year but that comes with a lot of stress and can steal our holiday magic. So what if we just said NO to being overwhelmed this year? Listen in.

Today let's recap the great conversations I've had with mighty moms this month. I'll talk about the key take-aways from each mom that help YOU be the mightiest mom you can be. Listen in.

My guest today is author Jen Babakhan. We talk about the sacrifices we moms make with career and parenting and her new book "Detoured." Listen in.

Today my guest is Kathleen Kerr, Acquisitions Editor for Harvest House Publishers. We talk about why getting women's stories published matters and the importance of good books. Listen in.

Today I have an extended episode for you with a lot of fun and a chance to win a copy of Kathi Lipp's new book, The Christmas Project Planner. We talk about creating a less-stress, clutter free Christmas and all the joy that will bring you, mom. Listen in.

Today I am kicking off my Mighty Mom series talking to amazing women of faith, beginning with singer and songwriter Kerrie Roberts. We talk about using your talents to live out faith so your children see it. Join me for this fun conversation.

God has called us to be salt and light in the world. Part of that is speaking up about injustice and inequality. But how do we teach our children to do that well? Let's talk about that in today's episode.

Don't be scared off by today's title, mama. I promise we are not going to be cheering for a particular political party or hot-topic issue. Rather, let's talk openly about how to discuss difficult topics while letting love and grace lead us. I think the world--especially online--could use more of that.

As moms we can spend all our time running, working, and simply doing until we are exhausted and overwhelmed. In today's episode, let's talk about overwhelmed mom syndrome (yes, it's a thing and I didn't make it up) and how to stop living feeling depleted.

Fall is in the air and many churches are prepping to start small groups, life groups, or whatever they call them. Does your church have space for single moms in your groups? Does it have a group specifically to help meet the needs of those moms? Listen in to find out how to include single moms and why this needs to be a priority.

Taking a deep breath and leaping in faith can feel scary. Remembering to breathe on the way down is important. In this week's episode, let's talk about bravely trusting God, making sure your leap of faith is one He's asking you take, and remembering his faithfulness. You can do this mama.

Parenting teens gets a bad rap but these not-quite-kids-anymore that live in our homes still hold a dear place in our hearts. Though sometimes we barely recognize the, I have learned a few tricks to navigating the choppy waters of middle school and high school parenting. You can do this, mama, and let's talk about a few ways to do it well.

Last episode was about finding yourself on at the crossroads of something new in your life. But as you move into whatever comes next, you need to make sure you do it as yourself. Whatever makes you unique, God created that on purpose. Let's talk about what that matters.

It's ironic that motherhood is a job you slowly work yourself out of. As our kids grow and move into new seasons of their lives, it can fill us with a panicked feeling of "what next?" But new seasons can be amazing new opportunities. Let's talk about finding ourselves at crossroads and asking tough questions.

July has come and almost gone and it's already time to start thinking about school? How did that happen? As school supplies and lists invade our favorite stores, I've got a list just for you, mama. There are some things YOU need to hit back to school strong. Listen in.

You have made it halfway through summer and you are still standing! That is worth celebrating. But I also am a mom and know you might have reached an exhausted point in the season. Though I am kidding about locking them up, I do know that when we reach this point we can feel like we are not doing a great job as moms. Today I've got lots of ways you are totally winning.

We are halfway through summer. Are your kids starting to hit the "he's looking at me" stage yet? When they are little, this type of thing annoys us. When they hit the moody tweens and teens, well that is just surely on a whole 'nother level. Today let's talk about handling the mood swings that hit our older kids and how to win as a mom even when you annoy them.

Summer is in full swing. We are doing great at making sure our kids are cared for and have fun activities, but what about mom? We need to have fun too. In this excerpt from a conversation with Bethany Howard of Permission Granted, we talk about why that's important and some ways to make summer fun for you.

Summer is in full swing and there's a juggling act between our kids having too much time on their hands and being too busy. There are many reasons that can push us to overschedule them and us. In today's extended episode, Jennifer Bryant of the Practical Family podcast shares with me four questions to help us avoid the overscheduling trap.

In summertime it can be so easy to let the kids get lost in screen time. But eventually we pay for it in poor behavior, poor health, and mom guilt. Let's talk about how to set limits and what to offer instead. In this episode I don't recommend pretending we're in 1880 but do encourage finding ways to curb the addiction to the screen that's plaguing our kids. Listen in.

The idea of working from home, especially during the summer, can be a great way to reduce childcare costs and have some flexibility. But it has unique challenges too. In this extended episode, I chat with entrepreneur and experienced work-at-home mom, Angela Bouma. Together we share some tips and tricks.

Though the idea of letting your kid paint their walls might make you shudder a little, this episode is about more than paint. It's about letting your child make their space in your family home their own. Whether it's paint or moving furniture, let's talk about why letting them decorate in ways both big and small is a good idea.

Road trips are a part of summer with families. But surviving them takes smart planning and some practical prep. Let's talk about that today. 

Who needs a fancy beach resort? Ok, maybe the better question is how to have a fun family vacation when the beach resort is not an option? Yeah, that we can do. In today's episode I'm got some great suggestions for making a staycation your whole family will enjoy and remember for years to come. 

Summer is coming and fond (or not so fond) reminders might be popping up that you should be taking a family vacation. So let's talk about why it's important and how to do it without breaking the bank. No matter how many times they complain that their sibling is touching them from the back seat, trust me, they'll cherish these memories years from now.

They're coming. No, not an alien army--our adult children returning from college to live with us, eat our food, stay in our homes, and make us wonder who this person is! A fact of life is our kids grow and change and stretch during those first few years of college away from us. And that can make for a clash when they return. So let's talk about what to expect, how to prepare, and remember to love them--no matter how much they've changed.

April showers may bring May flowers, but there are a lot of ways May can work out your tear ducts. Milestones, graduations, Mother's Day, and more can all be fraught with reasons to cry both good and sad tears. So let's talk about spotting the potential places where your heart is tender and making a plan to handle them.

Summer is coming. Brace yourselves because school will be out and you'll have up to three months to schedule and keep them occupied. Does that sound overwhelming to you 'cause it does to me. But no worries. You got this! And today let's talk about your plan of attack and strategies to getting out of summer still sane.

As we finish Autism Awareness month and the series on special needs parenting, let's talk about friendship. Often when we don't understand what someone is going through, it's easier to just withdraw. But special needs moms need friends to weather the ups and downs of this unexpected parenting journey. Let's talk about how to do that.

I'm continuing my series this month on special needs parenting and today we're talking about how to help your church include your child. Special needs families rate "dealing with the public" as the second most stressful thing about having a child with a disability. That includes, unfortunately, going to church. Let's talk about how to fix that.

For Autism Awareness Month, we are continuing the series on special needs parenting. Today we are going to talk about trusting your gut when something feels off about your child's development. And trusting God when that feels scary.