Today we're talking about how to work from home with kids around. This applies to all types of work we might do from home, whether that's a side-gig, projects, or full-time (but now from home) work. We'll talk practical things about the when and how to work this into life while kids are around. Key Points from this Episode: When establishing a family routine, make sure to schedule in alone time for you. That can be before kids wake up, in the middle of the day while kids do "quiet time", or righ...
Mar 25, 2020•36 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast Today we're talking about practical tips to be able to enjoy yourself and your family during this crazy Coronavirus Quarantine time. As a homeschooling mom, I've figured out a few things along the way that can help as we all cope with the changes of being at home with our children all day, every day. Key Points from this Episode: Look to create a rhythm or routine for your household. Every day does not need to be the same, but general expectations help kids and adults alike to feel grounded. Cle...
Mar 18, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rosie is a mother of three girls (ages 7, 6, and 4) and author of Congratulations! It's Cancer A Memoir . Today we talk about her personal experience with cancer, homeschooling, and learning not to yell. She was born in Utah but raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She has her bachelor's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and met her husband while getting her Cosmetology License. She loves writing, chocolate, and collecting pretty books! Key Points from this Episode: Homeschooling can give kids a...
Mar 11, 2020•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today is Part 2 of my conversation with Madeline Casey, Phoebe Cook, Linsey Jensen, & Kristen Ruesch. from Indiana on the topic of friendship. Today's topics cover how to help our children deal with conflict and how to serve each other. Key Points from this Episode: Food is a major way to serve each other. Make enough dinner to share, or have a potluck. Everyone wins that way! Helping care for another person's kids is huge. Be willing to be inconvenienced by each other. The friendship is totally...
Mar 04, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today is Part 1 of an amazing conversation with four of my great friends from Indiana on the topic of friendship. How to have meaningful conversations, how to serve each other, how to become friends with people who are different than you are all topics we discuss. Key Points from this Episode: Meaningful friendships can come from all age groups, not just people who are the same age as you! Be on the lookout for new people moving in and be ready to welcome them and invite them into the fold of yo...
Feb 26, 2020•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today we are talking about how to ask for help and some of the principles about why and assurance that it's okay to ask for help! We all need it. Key Points from this Episode: Asking for help can be hard, and that's okay! Helping others feels wonderful, so remember it's okay to be on both sides of the helping. If we love helping others, it can be a huge blessing to others to let them help us. The bar for getting help and asking for help is way, way, WAY lower than we think it is. Interdependence...
Feb 19, 2020•34 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Theresa is a mother of two and owner of Montessori In Real Life blog and Instagram. Today we're talking about how to take principles of the Montessori philosophy and applying them into our home. There are a lot of practical ideas as well as Theresa's own story of growth. Key Points from this Episode: Montessori is providing an environment that allows children to be self-motivated, curious, and confident in their own abilities. They are respected for who they are individually, and, in return, lea...
Feb 12, 2020•42 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast Today we talk about how to embrace our kids having a normal, messy childhood and what we can do as parents to make things easier on us as parents. Don't forget to join our free Love Your Life Challenge ! Key Points from this Episode: Being in nature and being messy is important to our kids' development. Buying clothes from thrift stores or Walmart makes all clothes play clothes and takes the stress off keeping things stain-free. Having a rain suit and rain boots keeps the kids from getting cold ...
Feb 05, 2020•19 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Rhonda Steed is a mother of five (ages 7-17) and a woman of many talents. We talk about setting up a craft room for your kids, how to make sourdough bread, and life as a mother as our children grow from the toddler to the teenage years. Key Points from this Episode: When you are going through a difficult circumstance like Medical School, find a mom friend in the same situation. They will get you and be able to understand the trials you are dealing with. Learn to carry on with your family even if...
Jan 29, 2020•49 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Today I'm talking about how I taught my kids to play, which leads into why we homeschool. If you feel like you always needs to entertain your kids and are looking for how to build the independent play skills in your children, this episode is for you! Key Points from this Episode: There is no one right way to do anything , schooling included! Even if you don't homeschool, you can take away ideas about how to run your household that can help your home life. Enabling kids to have the space to play ...
Jan 22, 2020•28 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Teru Clavel is a mother of three (ages 10-15), author, and comparative education expert. She talks about principles of education that can be applied in all of our lives. We talk about resiliency, failure, and confidence. We talk about what we can do in our own homes to support our children no matter where they go to school. Key Points from this Episode: Play-based preschool helped build children's independence and prepared them to make choices for themselves. Some moments in parenthood when we r...
Jan 15, 2020•40 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode I talk about setting appropriate expectations for ourselves in our new year and the difference between a vision and goals. I also share about my word for 2020: Connection. Key Points from this Episode: Setting goals or having a vision can keep us from drifting through our lives. A vision can keep things in perspective for what you have in your circle of influence, even when it's a hard or the future is feeling unknown. Think about the why behind your vision and goals. It needs to...
Jan 08, 2020•30 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I do a Year in Review and discuss some major lessons learned this year. I also talk about some things you might want to consider as you reflect on your year as a whole. Key Points from this Episode: Review any place you keep track of your thoughts or memories for the year. Relive the fun moments or experiences you had. If you can't plan the whole year, that's totally okay! Just take it a quarter, or even a month, at a time. When you focus on your circle of influence, it will hav...
Jan 01, 2020•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Merry Christmas!! Today, I talk about choosing to walk in the light rather than darkness during times of trial. Key Points from this Episode: Angels are helping us in our times of trial even if we don't notice them. Our thought patterns are like waking through tall grass. Our typical patterns are well-worn paths and are easy to walk through. It takes effort to try a new path, but you can do it! Read the questions to ask God. Open the scriptures and read a few verses. Then review and ponder the q...
Dec 25, 2019•19 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Today, I'm talking about a principle that has the ability to completely revolutionize your life. It's called the Big Three for the Week. It works wonderfully with the Thriving in Motherhood Planner , but can absolutely be applied with or without this particular planner. Key Points from this Episode: A Big Three for the Week helps add a lot of clarity, but you can optionally also have a Big Three for each Day if you have that kind of structure available to you. The Big Three are three things that...
Dec 18, 2019•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Molitor is a mother of five under the age of seven and today we talk about finding joy in the Lord in our every day moments and boundaries both within our families and our own lives. Sarah is a Registered Nurse who always had being a wife and mother as her goal. Her passions are raising children to be others-oriented and inspiring other mothers to find joy through her social media influence. Key Points from this Episode: It takes time to find your confidence as a mother and find your strid...
Dec 11, 2019•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, we are talking about ways to create space in our lives. When we take the time to clear out mental space, we can make room to think ahead and prepare for the upcoming year! Key Points from this Episode: What is on your list to help you create space? Consider: Physical space Process Paperwork Setting Boundaries for Social Media Usage Reading Books that have been on your List Take a Break from Work Focus on Your Relationship with God Look for finding balance, not on a daily or weekly level, ...
Dec 04, 2019•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Sherry Zhang is a mother and founder and CEO of Genopalate. We talk about equipping our children with tools to navigate challenges, successes, and failures. We also talk about learning and the importance of asking good questions. Key Points from this Episode: Motherhood is a learning experience from day one. Every day is going to have some sort of fantastic uncertainty. It's up to us to make it better or worse. Learning from our children, who we created, is an amazing experience. Teaching ou...
Nov 27, 2019•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Oakley is a mother of three, blogger & Instagrammer. She shares her family's stories about working with their son who has down-syndrome and discusses accepting imperfect mothering during the process. Key Points from this Episode: Keeping the home simple can help keep you from feeling like you are drowning. It's okay to not be the exact mom we want to be at this exact moment in time. Raising a family is a whole-family effort. Being a more open parent with our children about the process helps it b...
Nov 20, 2019•38 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Today we are talking about the Thriving in Motherhood Planner and three actionable steps for you to take (in our planner or another one) to help you change how you feel about your motherhood and your days and how you're using your time! Key Points from this Episode: This planner grew out of really wanting to have a place for myself to be able to bring to fruition what I wanted my motherhood to look like. The planner solves two MAJOR problems: It's a place to empty out your brain so you can engag...
Nov 13, 2019•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I introduce the Surviving to Thriving Framework and interview Megan Dilworth about how this framework has impacted her life. Megan is a wife and mother of three kids (ages 2-7) who is a member of The Thriving Team. She is a photographer, graphic designer, and lover of DIY projects. Key Points from this Episode: Surviving to Thriving Framework: All the steps are important. There is no time frame on this path. We all will repeat this path over and over throughout our lives. 1. Sur...
Nov 06, 2019•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes it feels like our kids should be our number one priority all the time. In this episode, I talk about how I think building a strong family and creating healthy relationships is the focus we should be having instead. Key Points from this Episode: Our kids are wonderful, but our priority is building strong families. We, as mothers, are part of the strong family that we need are building. Our family is only as strong as the weakest link, so we need to take care of ourselves too! When we ca...
Oct 30, 2019•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast Natalie Hixson is a wife, mother, and certified professional life coach. Her goal is helping burnt out and discouraged Christian mothers overcome destructive anger so they can enjoy being a wife and mom. She, her husband, and three girls (ages 9, 12, and 16) live in Bozeman, Montana. Key Points from this Episode: We can break the fear and yelling cycle in our lives. Remember that our children have developmentally-appropriate tantrums. We need to work on things to be able to, in turn, help our ch...
Oct 23, 2019•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jeanette Tapley, host of It's Time for Coffee Podcast all about friendship, wife, and mother of three children. We talk about her adoption journey and things she's learned from that. We also talk about tips on starting your own podcast and the art of the apology. Key Points from this Episode: Jeanette heard the whisperings of God saying, "I called you to be a mom. What are you going to do about the [children] that don't have one?" "I will always be the mom they need, but I will never be a perfec...
Oct 16, 2019•37 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I discuss the concept that the work of motherhood includes rest. Real rest is so important to the work of motherhood, especially as we gear up for the upcoming holiday season. If you take time to take care of yourself, then you will have the freedom to expand your influence in a way that is healthy to you and those around you. Key Points from this Episode: You are where it starts. You are smack-dab in the middle of your circle of influence. If you don't nourish yourself, you won...
Oct 09, 2019•12 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast You have climbed mountains! In this episode, I talk about the dialog in our own minds that can adjust our thinking to be able to shift from "I am being beat up" to "I have climbed mountains!" The skill of having a Thriving Mindset is something that we can develop with the right tools. Key Points from this Episode: Every time we reach a mountain peak, we find a beautiful view and can stop to recognize the strength we have displayed to get as far as we have. Sometimes faith alone isn't enough to k...
Oct 02, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today, I talk about Going on Vacation every single day. Time-blocking my day to allow for Vacation Hours has changed how I think about my days and has revolutionized my relationship with my children. Key Points from this Episode: Telling ourselves "I am being present" with our kids while our minds are swirling with all the things we want to get done does not work. Prep for vacation: Have a place to write down all your thoughts Buy a watch - do not check your phone to check the time Choose a chun...
Sep 25, 2019•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica is a military mother of three boys and podcast host of the Extraordinary Moms Podcast . She talks about finding who she wants to be as a person and the joy in the moments where you can see progress in yourself. Key Points from this Episode: Night before prepping makes the next day so much smoother. When our kids lose it, we can make the choice not to lose it ourselves. We don't have to join the tantrum. We have to recognize that our children are each unique children of God and we are too...
Sep 18, 2019•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I talk about where to start to get the house back on track after a Survival Mode season. I share my rhythms and systems that have helped me and my kids know what to expect when we are transitioning from full-blown Survival Mode back into "normal" life. Key Points from this Episode: It's OK to make intentional choices to let things like housework go when we are in survival mode, but we need to pick up the pieces when we are able to. Start with prayer. Then listen to the prompting...
Sep 11, 2019•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Valerie is a mother of two girls and creator of a Prompt and Prayer Journal and author of a book, Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday . We talk about God's will, fighting the lies about motherhood that the world gives, and how to start adjusting our thinking during our days. Key Points from this Episode: Dance to shake out the grumpiness in the mornings. We are stronger than we think we are with the help of God. “When ours [our plans] are interrupted, His are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as sche...
Sep 04, 2019•46 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast 
