In this episode, I sit down with Superhuman App creator Mimi Bouchard to discuss all things visualization and the power of intentional thinking. Mimi shares her trajectory over the past ten years and how she became passionate about personal development, how what she calls the “what if” pull guided her towards her true potential, and why perfection is a fallacy and your bounce-back rate is much more important. She talks about how she started practicing self-guided visualization which ultimately l...
Dec 27, 2023•48 min•Ep. 220
In this episode, I sit down with financial therapist Aja Evans to discuss all things money and our complex emotions around finances. Aja shares how she came to financial therapy, how we perceive wealth as children and how that shapes us as adults, and how the “more” mentality can be a recipe for disaster. She talks about the necessity for women to empower themselves with financial awareness, how to talk about money with your partner and how it can bring about positive opportunities, and how to s...
Dec 20, 2023•55 min•Ep. 218
In this solo episode, I share how maternity leave has been so far with a toddler and a newborn, and how we’re adjusting as a family of four. I discuss what it’s like being immersed back into a newborn’s schedule and the anticipatory anxiety I’ve been feeling around time, how I feel more prepared and confident as a mother this time around, and why we’re resisting the urge to compare the two newborn experiences. I talk about the difficulties I’ve had with not being able to give both children my fu...
Dec 13, 2023•49 min•Ep. 217
In this episode, I sit down with FF Fam member Chelsey Korhonen to discuss her incredible story of having two babies five weeks apart: one through gestational carrier, and one through a surprise pregnancy. Chelsey shares the long fertility journey she went on that led to considering a gestational carrier, the emotional toll of struggling to conceive, and what it was like having her friend Brittany offer to be their carrier. She talks about how the gestational carrier process works, the complex e...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 216
In this episode, I sit down with Paris McLean – Assistant Head of School for Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism at Montclair Kimberley Academy, and my old friend – to discuss navigating conversations on race, how we can talk to our children about race, diversity, and equity, and how parents can be mindful about raising their children in diverse and inclusive environments. Paris speaks about his role in education and the foundational themes of his work, his experience growing up biracial, and ...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 215
In this episode, I sit down with my new friend and neighbor, Ashley, as part of another installment in the Freckled Foodie Friendship Series. Ashley and I share how we first met and connected after moving to the suburbs, why it’s essential to prioritize adult friendships, and how we’ve both navigated having playdates with other moms present. We discuss what it’s like in the adult friendship dating world, the necessity of putting yourself out there when you want to make friends, and how grateful ...
Nov 22, 2023•55 min•Ep. 214
In this episode, I return from maternity leave to conclude my labor and delivery recap. I share the long journey it was to finally get induced, what it was like going through the induction, from admittance to postpartum recovery, and how this experience came full circle from a terrible labor to a wonderful delivery. I also discuss why it’s so essential – and often difficult – to advocate for yourself during labor and delivery, what it felt like to learn we had a boy, why making the delivery room...
Nov 15, 2023•51 min•Ep. 213
In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Nicole Landry, aka “The Birds Papaya,” to discuss how motherhood has shaped her; from the wide-ranging birthing and postpartum experiences she had with each of her four children; to the identity crisis that came in her late twenties; to the importance of setting up systems in your life so you don’t lose yourself in motherhood. Sarah shares how she moved through her divorce and felt the impulse to “fall on the sword” for her children, how she chooses to show...
Nov 08, 2023•59 min•Ep. 212
In this episode, I sit down with Sam Previte, Intuitive Eating Dietician, to discuss all things intuitive eating and cultivating a freeing relationship with food. Sam explains what exactly intuitive eating means and what the biggest misconceptions are about it, what the “rebellion” phase in intuitive eating means and how we can examine our food behaviors and patterns, and how you can blend intuitive eating with making nutrient-dense choices. She also shares why our bodies crave food variety, how...
Nov 01, 2023•40 min•Ep. 211
In this solo episode, I make a brief comeback from maternity leave to give a full update on the craziness that has happened in the last week and a half of this pregnancy. I share a timeline of my prodromal labor experience, from the multiple hospital visits; to having ongoing contractions and being several centimeters dilated; to finally getting a scheduled induction. I unpack the confusion of feeling like I don’t know my own body, the anxiety of not knowing how to interpret my labor signals, ho...
Oct 25, 2023•47 min•Ep. 210
In this episode, I sit down with Ayana Lage to discuss her experience with postpartum psychosis, from how her symptoms began to develop after giving birth; to what led to her commitment to a psychiatric ward; to how she made a full recovery and emerged empowered about her story. Ayana shares what her relationship with her mental health was before and during her pregnancy, why the line between postpartum exhaustion and postpartum depression is so confusing, and what it felt like in the throes of ...
Oct 18, 2023•55 min•Ep. 209
In this episode, I sit down with Cindy Linville – my mother and three-peat guest – to discuss all things being a grandparent, from the experience of watching your own children raise children; to the act of meeting children where they are; to witnessing your children mirror your own traits. We talk about what it means to Cindy to not care about what people think, how she and I have experienced setting and respecting boundaries around parenting and the grandparent-child relationship, and how we’ve...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 208
In this episode, I share how I’m feeling two and a half weeks out from my due date, what I’m doing for my body right now, and how my maternity leave will look personally and work-wise in the coming months. I discuss the question of sharing content during postpartum, what I want to prioritize during postpartum and do differently this time around, and why a recent experience with early labor pains brought up some deep-seated anxieties. Finally, I unpack the intense emotions I’ve been feeling aroun...
Oct 04, 2023•44 min•Ep. 207
In this episode, I sit down with friend and content creator Olivia Noceda to talk about priorities, boundaries, and understanding what we want versus what we think we want. We reflect on a time Olivia was there for me during a postpartum breakdown, and Olivia shares how she has developed her journey with boundaries over time. She also discusses why regularly establishing your priorities in life is essential, how the impulse of comparison on social media is inevitable, and why fiction and escapis...
Sep 27, 2023•55 min•Ep. 206
In this episode, I give a life update and share my recent experience being eight months pregnant at my cousin’s wedding, and how I’m generally feeling physically and mentally. I unpack the confusion of feeling anxious over daily life things but not “bigger” events, why anxiety sparks when I’m not able to show up as my truest self, and why I’m choosing to ignore the “more is better” mentality right now and lean into “less.” I share all the things I’m excited for postpartum (hello, soft belly), an...
Sep 20, 2023•55 min•Ep. 205
In this episode, I sit down with one of my closest friends, Jess Nash, to discuss friendship, motherhood, and how the two intersect. We talk about our friendship “breakup” and how we reconnected after several years of not staying in touch, how having children has bonded us even further, and how essential it is for mothers not to judge each other for their parenting choices. We also discuss why it’s so important for mothers to find a postpartum community and we answer listener questions on prepar...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 204
In this episode, I sit down with Lizzy Mathis, Founder of The Cool Mom Co. and Co-host of Honest Renovations, to discuss the transition from non-motherhood to motherhood and how mothers can lose themselves when caring for others; to the importance of finding yourself again after having children; to how filling our cups as mothers should be a joyful process. Lizzy also shares her experiences as a black woman in society, the complexities of raising black children in today’s world, and how we can a...
Sep 06, 2023•41 min•Ep. 203
In this solo episode, I reflect on what turning thirty-two means to me, and how I’ve been feeling more like myself lately. I also share the top things I learned and wish I knew in my twenties, from letting go of comparison and instead celebrating that we all are on different timelines; to learning how to be kinder to yourself in every way; to putting the energy out into the world that you’d like to receive. Finally, I share some lessons that FF Fam Members have submitted, like following your int...
Aug 30, 2023•52 min•Ep. 202
In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Ben-Ishay, founder of Baked by Melissa, to discuss everything from how the famed cupcake company got its name to how Melissa still finds joy in what she does, over ten years later. Melissa shares how being fired in her early twenties kick started Baked by Melissa, how she developed her business from scratch, and why she believes attitude above all else shapes your trajectory. She also discusses the differences between her first maternity leave as a founde...
Aug 23, 2023•51 min•Ep. 201
In this solo episode, I share how I’ve been feeling depressed and lonely lately, why I just haven’t had the energy or motivation to socialize at this stage of my pregnancy, and the ways in which I’ve experienced loneliness in the past. I unpack my recent impulse to share my emotions with strangers, feeling jealous of my husband’s ease with socializing right now, and missing the “old” version of myself. Finally, I share how having my son attend summer camp has been going so far, how I haven’t qui...
Aug 16, 2023•43 min•Ep. 200
In this episode, I sit down with one of my best friends, Deanna DiCroce, to talk about all things adult friendships and how she and I have stayed close through the years. We compare communication styles, how we have navigated staying in touch despite being in different places in our lives, and why it’s useful to think of friendships as seesaws. She also shares how open and honest communication is most helpful when trying to support a friend in postpartum, why pressure and expectations can sink a...
Aug 09, 2023•51 min•Ep. 199
In this episode, I sit down with Kion founder, Angelo Keely, to discuss all things amino acids and how his passion for wellness and personal development unfolded over the years. Angelo shares how his unconventional upbringing and several traumatic events at young ages shaped him, how his trauma recovery inspired an exploration into wellness, and how he continues to develop his health knowledge today. We also discuss what amino acids are and why they’re essential for our bodies, how amino acids a...
Aug 02, 2023•55 min•Ep. 196
In this episode, I sit down with Shira Barlow, registered dietician, food therapist, and host of the Good Instincts podcast, to discuss all things nutrition and creating a healthy relationship with food in today’s world. Shira shares how her relationship with food has evolved from childhood to present day, how she became a food therapist, and what she has consistently observed that her clients struggle with across the board. We talk about the issue with moral licensing and labeling food, why sel...
Jul 26, 2023•49 min•Ep. 195
In this solo episode, I share how my body is feeling at 25 weeks pregnant, and how I’m doing mentally and physically. I discuss my morning routine as it looks right now, from waking up and meditating to reading a few pages of nonfiction. I also dive into what our days as predominantly work-from-home parens look like, how we manage childcare and implement schedules into our lives, and why I operate so well on routines. Finally, I discuss how we pivot with last-minute scheduling changes and childc...
Jul 19, 2023•51 min•Ep. 194
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist, co-founder of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center and the Seedlings Group, professor, and host of the Raising Good Humans podcast. We discuss how Dr. Aliza came to developmental psychology, how her work influences her parenting and vice versa, and her thoughts on parenting “best practices” versus what is actually realistic. She shares the “orchid and dandelion” theory about children, her top four pieces of advice for f...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 193
TW: This episode includes in-depth examples of intrusive thoughts In this solo episode, I discuss all things intrusive thoughts, from when my intrusive thoughts first began; to how intrusive thoughts contributed to my postpartum anxiety and depression; to how I have been experiencing them lately during this second pregnancy. I share specific examples of my intrusive thoughts and how certain events have triggered them in the past, the challenge of not wanting to be a helicopter parent during inte...
Jul 05, 2023•43 min•Ep. 192
In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Wood-Tepperberg – wellness leader and founder of Melissa Wood Health – to discuss everything from what went into her decision to stop drinking; to how she strengthened her intuition through meditation; to how she practices consistency over discipline with her mental and physical health. Melissa shares the value of knowing both your “hell yes’s” and “hell no’s,” how she parents with transparency, her best pieces of advice for developing confidence and a se...
Jun 28, 2023•59 min•Ep. 191
In this solo episode, I talk about my incredible experience at the Eras Tour and seeing Taylor Swift live, my wild flight on the trip back from Chicago, and a recent trip to LA for an exciting opportunity. I also share the confusion I feel over prioritizing myself through work, how I’ve been struggling mentally throughout this pregnancy, and how I’ve been feeling lately in regards to my work. Finally, I discuss podcast updates and ask for listener feedback. Key Takeaway / Points: My experience a...
Jun 21, 2023•46 min•Ep. 189
In this episode, I sit down with Emma Lovewell, beloved Peloton instructor and fitness leader, to discuss her experience of writing her new book Live, Learn, Love Well: Lessons from a Life of Progress, Not Perfection , and the non-linear journey she took to becoming a Peloton instructor. Emma shares what she’s learned about the value of saying yes to everything once, taking risks and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and why experience is more fruitful than reward. We discuss her non-co...
Jun 14, 2023•49 min•Ep. 189
In this solo episode, I dive into all things pregnancy and body image, from why this pregnancy feels different from the first; to the confusing concept of glamorizing my first pregnancy; to how I’ve been feeling in my pregnant body so far. I share details about the discomfort I currently feel in my body, not feeling confident in clothes or with my appearance, and the simultaneous guilt that comes with critiquing my body image. I also discuss mourning my past body confidence and acceptance, what ...
Jun 07, 2023•41 min•Ep. 188
