On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie talks with her good friend Katie Duckett all about the little things they are doing to recapture that sense of who they are as individuals. This episode is all about recovering from challenging times, and even thriving in the midst of them. We hope this conversation will leave you encouraged! MacKenzie shares about writing a list of the things that make her feel like herself The value of this time to re-evaluate what aspects of our lives ar...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 170
On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie talks with her good friend Chelle Bruzas about joy, hope and creating fun in the middle of really hard stuff in our current world. This is not meant to trivialize the huge issues going on right now, but to encourage you to find the light in the darkness and give your mind a break from the stress. So listen in, stop scrolling, maybe take a walk, and listen in to this uplifting conversation. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Chelle ...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 5Ep. 169
This week on Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa chats with Rebecca Smith, founder of Better Life Bags and the author of the brand new book A Better Life: Slowing Down to Get Ahead . Rebecca and her husband live in Michigan with their four children and their dog Mojo. Together MacKenzie and Rebecca talk about building a business, podcasting and writing a book, plus so much more. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Rebecca shares a little bit about her “ Problem Solved ” podcast ...
May 27, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 168
Today on Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa talks with Joy Eggerichs Reed, founder of Punchline Speakers . Joy and her husband Matthew live and work in Paris, France with their daughter Millie. MacKenzie and Joy just have a fun chat covering a wide range of topics including Joy’s fun Instagram stories, home birth and living in France during the pandemic. So sit back, relax and enjoy this lively conversation! Want a little extra loveliness in your life? Join our Patreon community this m...
May 13, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 167
This week on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down and have a little real talk about how to have a better Mother’s Day in this season of lockdown by setting realistic expectations. We want to encourage you during this challenging time in your parenting journey to be gracious with each other, look outside of yourself and find the bright side. Talking to your family about what you would like for them to do Making your own backup plans for food and treating yourself Pre...
May 06, 2020•59 min•Season 5Ep. 166
On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie talks with her good friends Katie Duckett and Chelle Bruzas about clinging to celebrations and loveliness amidst the coronavirus crisis. This is a grace-filled, honest conversation that we hope will help you see the lighter side of life in a challenging season. Katie shares honestly how she is doing amidst coronavirus struggles Chelle talks about what it is like to parent with transparency during this season MacKenzie shares the challenge o...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 165
This week on CTL, host MacKenzie Koppa has a fun chat with Leeann Dearing and Michelle Fortin, the dynamic comedy duo known simply as Leeann & Michelle . Both wives and mothers having backgrounds in acting and television, Leeann and Michelle are passionate about using comedy to bring a smile to the faces of those in their audience. We think their conversation with MacKenzie will do that for you, as well! How Michelle and Leeann met and immediately formed a deep friendship How they started tu...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 164
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa talks with Jennifer Fulwiler about her new book Your Blue Flame . Jennifer is a wife, a mother of six, and also stays busy hosting a radio talk show, doing stand-up comedy and writing! Together MacKenzie and Jennifer talk about embracing your amazing gifts to bless those around you. This is an encouraging and fun conversation, so sit back, relax and enjoy! (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Jennifer talks about what...
Apr 15, 2020•59 min•Season 5Ep. 163
On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie talks with her good friends Katie Duckett and Jenny Wilcox about holy habits. Together they explain what that means and why they are so important, especially in challenging or uncertain seasons of life. We think this will be an uplifting conversation, so sit back, relax and be encouraged! (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) Katie introduces the topic of holy habits MacKenzie talks about the difference between legalistic habit...
Apr 08, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 162
In this special bonus episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa continues the conversation with her friends all about flower/flour therapy. Katie Duckett, Chelle Bruzas, and Becca Lux chat more about the health benefits of sourdough and gardening and why they feel so passionate about both. If you missed yesterday's chat, you can visit boldturquoise.com/161/ to see and hear what you missed. Re-thinking the idea of flowers and beauty as not having any real purpose Becca’s reading recommen...
Apr 02, 2020•45 min
On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa sits down for a fun chat with three of her real life friends: Becca Lux, Katie Duckett and Chelle Bruzas. They tell us all about two different kinds of therapy that we can all be taking part in during these challenging times using flour and flowers! And they had so much fun doing it, that we have a bonus episode with even more goodness coming out tomorrow, so be sure and check back to get in on the fun! (Amazon affiliate links ar...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 161
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa talks with author Sara Hagerty about her newest book, Adore: A Simple Practice for Experiencing God in the Middle Minutes of Your Day. Sara is a wife and a mother to 7 children, 4 adopted and 3 biological. MacKenzie and Sara talk about what it means to adore God in the middle of our busy lives, plus so much more. We hope this conversation encourages you in the midst of this chaotic time in all our lives. Sara talks about the import...
Mar 25, 2020•58 min•Season 5Ep. 160
On this week’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa and her dear friend Chelle Bruzas sit down for a casual chat about how they are dealing with the current situation due to the corona virus. They share some encouragement, ideas and resources for you and your family to weather these uncertain times. We hope it will be a helpful and uplifting conversation! (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Chelle shares some thoughts from the Psalms Jennifer Dukes Lee’s ideas for being the...
Mar 18, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 159
Today on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie sits down for a chat with her good friend Rebekah Sacran. They spend some time just catching up with each other, sharing some things they are loving here at the beginning of spring, and more. So sit back, relax and listen in on this fun, random conversation! (Affiliate links are used in this content.) What’s new in Rebekah’s life and why her life feels like everything is in transition How MacKenzie is dealing with the new parenting plan and other change...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 158
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa sits down for a chat with Anne Bogel. You probably know Anne from her blog Modern Mrs. Darcy or her podcast What Should I Read Next . Today's conversation centers around Anne's newest book Don't Overthink It . This is book about more than just decision-making, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this chat that has a little something for everyone! How and why Anne came to write a book about overthinking things Why MacKenzie loves Anne’s t...
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 157
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa interviews Melanie Shankle, co-host of The Big Boo Cast and author of several books, including her newest title On the Bright Side . Together MacKenzie and Melanie talk the new book, podcasting, skin care and more! (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) MacKenzie shares how she first heard about Melanie and what she loves so much about her podcast Melanie and MacKenzie do a little breakdown of their Outlander addiction ...
Feb 26, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 156
On this week’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie and Chelle continue their conversation about the enneagram. Today they are going to do a deep dive into the first three types on the enneagram, and they hope it will help you get a little more clarity. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode on the resources Chelle and MacKenzie love and will refer back to today, you should definitely go do that first! Chelle and MacKenzie share a little more background info on the enneagram An o...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 155
Today on the CTL podcast, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down and chat all about the enneagram. In this episode, MacKenzie and Chelle start covering the basics of the enneagram and how to find more resources to learn more yourself. Be sure to check back next week for more specific discussion about each of the enneagram types! We have all kinds of exciting things going on in the Patreon group this month. Head over to Patreon.com/cultivatingthelovely to check it out and join in the goodness...
Feb 12, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 154
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa talks with Sasha K. Shillcut, M. D. about her new book Between Grit and Grace: The Art of Being Feminine and Formidable . Sasha is a cardiac anesthesiologist, a wife, a mother of 4 and founder of Brave Enough , a community for female professionals. This conversation is for ALL women, not just those who work in or out of the home, so regardless of your season of life, we hope you will get something out of this episode! Why Sasha sta...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 153
Hey, ladies! MacKenzie is popping into your earbuds with a short bonus episode featuring a sneak peek at a new Audioboom original podcast, FAM: For All Moms. This podcast is literally for all moms living through the madness that is parenthood. Join hosts Susan Yara and Sharzad Kiadeh every Wednesday as they share their sometimes embarrassing experiences, while also providing advice from experts and friends. FAM: For All Moms premieres 1/29. Subscribe to FAM: For All Moms on Apple Podcasts: https...
Jan 29, 2020•10 min
Today on Cultivating the Lovely podcast, host MacKenzie Koppa talks with Seth Haines. Seth is a lawyer, a photographer and the author of The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love That Reorders a Life . He and his wife, along with their four boys live in the Ozarks. MacKenzie and Seth chat about addiction, recovery, pain, and waking up to the life God wants you to have. Why this book is for everyone, not just someone struggling with addiction Misusing God’s good gifts to numb ourselves ...
Jan 29, 2020•59 min•Season 5Ep. 152
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa interviews Rebecca Bender, author of In Pursuit of Love: One Woman’s Journey from Trafficked to Triumphant . Rebecca is a survivor of human trafficking and is now a wife and mother with a busy speaking and advocacy schedule. She is passionate about teaching and about helping others realize that their stories matter. MacKenzie and Rebecca cover a variety of topics surrounding trauma, abuse and recovery, including: How much MacKenzie...
Jan 22, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 151
On today’s episode of CTL, we continue the conversation with MacKenzie and Chelle all about their reading lives. They recap more of their favorites from 2019, and they also look ahead to 2020 and talk about what kinds of books they are excited about in the coming year. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) MacKenzie’s fastest reads from 2019: Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole Chelle’s favorite audio book of the year: The Magnificent Story by James B...
Jan 15, 2020•50 min•Season 5Ep. 150
This week on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down and talk about the books they read in 2019 and what their favorites were, as well as why they love Goodreads so much. This is only the first part of the conversation, so be sure to check back next week for part two in which MacKenzie and Chelle look ahead to their reading goals for 2020! Now, get your Amazon cart and TBR list ready, and sit back and listen in to this fun conversation! (Affiliate links are used in thi...
Jan 08, 2020•50 min•Season 5Ep. 149
Welcome to 2020 and a brand new decade! Today on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa sits down with her good friend Chelle Bruzas to talk all things goal setting and New Year’s! They approach things from a different perspective, so this is a great conversation to listen in on as you start off your year! How Chelle and MacKenzie approach goal setting and planning differently Chelle tends toward spontaneity and focussing on people over plans How Chelle thinks of Jesus carrying her through her ...
Jan 01, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 148
This week on Cultivating the Lovely the Podcast, MacKenzie Koppa has her dear friend Chelle Bruzas back again to chat about all things Christmas. They share some of their favorite simple ways to celebrate the holiday even when there isn’t the time and energy to do All. The. Things. This is a fun, encouraging conversations, so grab your favorite hot beverage, prop up your feet, and enjoy! (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Being intentional about being present instead of making a huge li...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 147
On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie interviews Tina McNeilly, author of the new book, La La Lovely: The Art of Finding Beauty in the Everyday . Trina is also a speaker and founder lifestyle blog, La La Lovely . She and her husband, Stephen, and their four children make their home outside Chicago, Illinois. In today’s conversation, MacKenzie and Trina talk about how to survive, and even thrive, during a hard holiday season. Trina shares a little of the behind the scenes of ...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 146
This week on the Cultivating the Lovely podcast, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down for a fun chat about their favorite Christmas gift ideas for this year. If you are needing some inspired, thoughtful gift suggestions, this is the conversation for you! All these links will take you straight to the lists on Amazon, for your shopping convenience! (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Baby Gift Guide favorites Toddler Gift Guide favorites Girl Gift Guide favorites Boy Gift Guide favor...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 145
On Cultivating the Lovely this week, we have a little different show than what we normally do. Our host MacKenzie Koppa's brother, Kaleb, unexpectedly passed away recently, and in light of that, she wanted to honor him and talk a little about how she and her family are coping. MacKenzie is joined by her good friend Chelle Bruzas for this conversation, in which they also share some ideas on how to support someone in the early stages of grief. MacKenzie shares what it was like to grow up with her ...
Nov 27, 2019•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 144
Today on the CTL podcast, we get to listen in on a conversation between MacKenzie and author and speaker Michele Cushatt. Michele is a wife and mother of 6 who has been through the difficulties of single parenting, cancer surgeries, and other kinds of loss. MacKenzie and Michele talk about her new book, Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leave , focussing on keeping our faith amidst life's hardest trials. ( Affiliate links are used in this content.) Michele talks a little ab...
Nov 20, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 143
