Welcome to Our Box

Historically, women have been communal, sharing the majority of our lives with each other. More and more it now feels like we're islands onto ourselves, sometimes alongside each other but not still not with each other. We talk about why this might be, what it means, and whether or not it's a bad thing.

Amy is one week post-maternity leave, adjusting back to work and this time with baby. We talk about the differences in back-to-work between our kids and how strange it is that American culture hasn't figured out a better set of options for working parents.

Does your brain ever feel like the inside of a hoarder house? It's no secret women carry the mental load of the family - planning, directing, creating, check-listing, remembering, organizing, teaching, reminding … it's a lot and even though it's done for the people we love and are surrounded by, it can leave us feeling alone. Why does this happen, even when we have amazing partners and teach our kids to be responsible and independent? We're still left feeling mental from carrying the load.

Where does the pressure to achieve come from and how do we balance an internal desire to grow with a need to embrace the present? In this episode, we talk about how in the middle of the busy, it can be hard to add or strengthen a skill. And yet, even with all we have going on, we desire more.

Maturity, anticipation, task-mastering, pivoting, selflessness. Adulting is a lot of things - some liberating, some infuriating. While saying farewell to Amy's house, we talk about what defines adulthood for us.

Some seasons of life require a pause from doing alllllll the things. This was such a season for us. We were burning the candles at both ends along with our husbands and just had to let some things go. Can you relate? Fortunately, those seasons don't last forever and we get to return our energy and joy to this fun podcast experience with all of you! We talk about this and more in this episode. Thanks for listening!

Gifts, parties, school and church programs, traditions, family obligations, we've got it all jam-packed into what often becomes a holly jolly nightmare. Let's take a pause and consider what really means happiness and joy this season. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Restlessness seems to find us when we're unhappy, unfulfilled, or feeling “behind.” But why do we try to patch these holes with things that won't last? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Whether it's daycare, K-12, or college, when we let our kids out into the world, we embrace the help and the fun, but man do we fear the loss of control and the unknowns about to come our way. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Autoimmune encephalitis derailed the career and life plan Jackie was pursuing and succeeding at. Everything was stripped bare. She shares her journey back to health, peace and some sense of normalcy that was filled with numerous mental and emotional challenges.

After being married for more than a decade, Michelle learned that her husband is gay. The major life transition and healing that followed her divorce changed her life. Though not perfect, grace and forgiveness led the way. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A child of divorce, losing her brother in the line of duty, brain surgeries, and shifting from stay-at-home mom to school counselor, Kathleen's life defines transition. She believes it's our task - and it can be a task - to find the beauty in the muck. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Finishing college, starting a career, getting engaged … and completing her reign as Miss North Dakota. Transitions abound for Reyna Bergstrom, who is taking the world by storm and jumping into every opportunity afforded her. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We kick off Season 3 with the first of a multi-part series on transitions. Life is full of ‘em. Some are welcome, some are painful, and not everyone approaches handling them the same way. Amanda admits she's slow, Amy admits she jumps in with both feet. But ultimately the only thing that never changes is, of course, change. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sometimes life's circumstances can dictate that failure is not an option. Such was the case with Rachael Howard as she launched into two business endeavors - one to pay the bills and one to pay it forward. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The dynamic team behind Bismarck Magazine, Bismarck Bridal, and River + Ranch share their unique journey through building their impactful brand. Learning on the fly and pushing harder than they thought possible has solidified presence in the business world and dominated the landscape of local business advertising. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Staiger Consulting Group owner Stacy Krumwiede poses this deep thought: when did achieving 18 out of 10 become the expectation? Her commitment to being present, her openness to personal growth, and her willingness to try offer a calm, yet deeply driven perspective on business ownership. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Buying a business, expanding a business, closing a business, creating a business, Anne has done it all. At the tender age of 22 she launched herself into the world of business ownership and shares her insights, trials and triumphs. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We're back after a huge hiatus that involved a new human entering the world. Welcome baby Audrey as she makes her first podcast appearance! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We just can't get enough of these TV classics! All the actors, the big-city-meets-small-town angles, the baking, the decorating, the kisses, the misunderstandings, the TRUE LOVE! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Current you probably has a lot more perspective than old you, let's be honest. We're reflecting on the things we wish we'd known or tried or done. Because obviously at this stage we have it all figured out. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We've both been through it and too many of you have, too. The situation, physically and emotionally, can be so different from one woman to the next. We're not carbon copies of each other. But it's still important to connect, share and comfort. Also, the lack of resources from the medical community is abysmal. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

It's so easy to do what's right in front of you - work, kids, family, work, kids, work, kids … you get it. But what really are YOUR priorities? It doesn't make us selfish to go for them. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Talk about a land mine. Body image is so precarious and tied to so many moments in our lives, big and small, vivid and vague. We're peeling back the layers of this onion together. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Goodness knows we all need second chances. Whether from a bad day or a whole messed up era, no one is perfect. We dive into the great need we have to try again. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Baby is on the way!!! We celebrate Amy's bun in the oven by hashing out all the interesting ways our bodies change when growing a human. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

So you're moving in together! You may be worried about whether you'll agree where the forks should go or if you'll ever be able to fart again, but rest assured there are way more important (and challenging) points that you'll get to figure out … together! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Women may be called the “fairer sex” but we're still humans. We still have bodily functions - and it's good that they function! So why is it so secretive? What's the big deal? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We get it, she scratched. Everyone is going to have an opinion. But have you ever jumped 10 ft in the air followed by multiple twists for a blind landing? Didn't think so. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Olympic movement has meant a lot of things over the 100+ years of the modern Olympics. In this Mini Box Cast, Amy reminds us that ultimately it's the global connection of the human heart that is so powerfully on display. And … Go USA! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Amanda asks, “Does anyone else in our box notice that running in your 40s feels a lot different than running in your 20s?” This quick 9 min podcast by Amanda gets real about running. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Is patience a virtue? Can we get better at it? We're discussing the ways patience (or lack of) impacts our lives. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

It's valuable for anyone to have a role model, but do women benefit from being guided by other strong women? We think so! But we see a gap in options. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Is doubt the opposite of faith? Does it come from original sin? In part 2 of our “Box” set we dig in to our doubt. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Does faith have to be tied to religion and what does having it or lacking it mean in our lives? This is the first of a dual-part “Box” set series. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Wrinkles, bags, sags. Our face changes as we age. But is that all bad? Why are we so obsessed with taking drastic measures to look younger when our face reflects who we are? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Can women really be friends? If so, what makes these bonds different than other relationships? In this podcast we discuss Kayleen Schaefer's book, Text Me When You Get Home, and how it made us reflect on our own female friendships. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Failure can feel so final and unredeemable. Like a mark of our human worth. We need a new word for the failures with a lower case f. Those that are but a step in our long-term growth. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

“If the men want deviled eggs, then the men can bring them.” What are the things you need to say but can’t always find the words? We’re hashing out why speaking honestly is so hard but so necessary. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Marriage is death ... or at least metaphorically? Or something like that. Whether it’s your love languages, shared hobbies, hot sex or therapy, what are ways we can invest in our marriages new and old? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Move over Mel Gibson, we’ve got the real deal. From the serious to the silly, there are legitimate things that occupy women’s minds that may never, ever, ever, cross a man’s. Buckle up. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Do you naturally dig in or lean back? Do you do it to really fix a problem or for your ego? As diggers we look at why it may be good to lean back. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Hindsight from our box shows us we have a few regrets. Some of them “low cal” regrets but others are full fat. This is the stuff you realize with age. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Hold your fire, ladies. Most of the time the war is only in our heads. What are the mind games you play with others or yourselves? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In a world where if you’re not the next big thing, you’re nothing, how do you embrace and be satisfied where you’re at? We’re hashing over the blessings and pitfalls of mediocrity. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We’re sharing thoughts and goals for 2021, hoping that at the end of the day at least some of these come true and we don’t feel lazy in December when we listen back to this. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Hallmark knows this time of year is romantic and we do too! Even more importantly Amy got married! There’s no better time to ruminate on romance.

Are leaders really failing us or are we the ones failing? Why when there is so much emphasis today on leadership do we feel there are less of them? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Why are some friendships deeper than others? Do you ever feel the slow death of a friendship and wish it would just end? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

What gets your goat, makes you roll your eyes or feels like nails on a chalkboard? We all have pet peeves and we’re airing ours today! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Is changing your mind a sign of strength or weakness? Are you steadfast in your beliefs or a flip flopper? And, how do we view others when they change their minds? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app