Calm & Colorful Mama: Navigating Milestones and Self-Discovery

So many big changes are happening at once, and somehow it all feels smooth and good.

In this update episode, I share what's going on in our family right now:

• Weaning: We decided to wean before my Atlanta trip. It has been easier than I expected, with a few heart-tugging moments along the way.
• Front-facing car seat: We're trying it as an experiment. My mama heart is still a little nervous.
• Sleep: A gentle, no-cry approach with Kelton walking Korbin back to bed, thanks to the holistic sleep consultant we worked with.
• Potty training: We're keeping it relaxed and easy at home.
• Dairy-free and gluten-free: We're two months in, and I'm doing it with him so he never feels alone in it.
• Our first state fair: A Ferris wheel, a spinning Dalmatian ride (in green, his favorite color), and one very nauseous mama.

Mostly, I'm soaking up gratitude and riding this beautiful wave.

For business and MBA updates, listen to my other podcast, Calm & Colorful: Not Your Average MBA Diaries.

I hope you have a calm and colorful day.

I went to Atlanta for a founder weekend — my first time ever away from Korbin, who turns 3 next month. In this episode I share:

• How we prepared for weeks (including the $20 Christmas lights he picked out at Costco)
• The hide-and-seek gift hunt with free finds from our Buy Nothing group, plus movement cards like "roar like a lion"
• His pretend suitcase so he could "travel" too
• The FaceTime that broke my heart: "Mommy, I want you to come home now"
• Why I came home exhausted and in tears instead of refreshed — and the reframe from a friend that pulled me out of the spiral
• Gratitude for Kelton's first solo-parenting weekend (arcade, zoo, farmers market, playdate)

A note on "watering your flowers" (nasal rinsing): I'm sharing what my family does, not medical advice. If you try nasal rinsing, the FDA recommends using only distilled or sterile water, or tap water that's been boiled for 3–5 minutes and cooled to lukewarm. Plain tap or regular filtered water isn't safe for rinsing, since it can carry rare but serious germs. Talk with your doctor before starting, and check with your pediatrician before trying it with your little one.

If you're planning your first trip away from your little one, this one's for you.

Have a calm and colorful day.

Well, mamas. Life has been lifing.

This one is longer and more honest than usual. I took on one more thing than I had room for, and my body let me know. Less sleep, food that was not fueling me, no movement. Three weeks later I had my first panic attack in fifteen years.

In this episode I talk about what it looked like to keep showing up for Korbin when I could not access my favorite self, why I asked for a replacement at a job I genuinely loved, and how Kelton stepped in the way only he does.

I also share what Mama Pause has done for me lately, because I built it for me and I have been using it for me. Plus three stories from mamas inside it: the mama of three who had everyone asleep before nine, the mama who uses the breathing at work without pressing play, and the morning Korbin climbed into his car seat all by himself.

Here is what I keep coming back to. When I cannot be my favorite self right now, how close can I get?

Come find your Mama Pause: www.calmandcolorful.com/mamapause

Already inside and want an audio made for something specific your family is walking through? Message me on Instagram or Facebook, or text me. I will make it for you.

This moment matters. One breath. One moment at a time.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com

After a season of hospital stays, health scares, and putting almost everything else on pause, life is finally starting to feel a little lighter.

In this life update, I’m sharing where we’re at with Korbin’s health, the possible chlorine connection we’ve noticed, slowly getting back into business and my master’s program, big changes coming to our local mom community, and the very real process of weaning an almost-three-year-old.

Plus, apparently Korbin can casually add dice together now, so there’s that.

Nothing perfectly polished. Just a little catch-up from our family as we start breathing, growing, and finding our groove again.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com

Two hours after recording my last update, Korbin’s oxygen dropped to 86—and we were headed back to the hospital.

Since then, we’ve had another hospital stay, a pulmonologist appointment that left me in tears, medication decisions I never expected to be making, and a LOT more questions.

But we’ve also had some big wins, new doctors in our corner, and—for the first time in a while—a little more hope.

Here’s where we are on this crazy roller coaster.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com

Have you ever caught yourself reaching for your phone without even thinking about it?

A while back, I learned a new word that completely changed the way our family talks about screen time: phubbing—short for phone snubbing. It means ignoring the person you're with to look at your phone instead.

Since learning the term, my husband and I have started calling each other out whenever one of us is "phubbing." It's become part of our family vocabulary—and recently, our almost-3-year-old joined in.

While I thought Korbin was peacefully falling asleep, I pulled out my phone to watch a show. A few minutes later, he lifted his head, smiled at me, and simply said:

"Don't phub, Mommy."

That tiny moment stopped me in my tracks.

In this episode, I share why that one sentence made me rethink my own phone habits, what our children are learning from the way we use technology, and how one simple word has helped our family become more intentional about being present with each other.

This isn't about guilt or striving for perfection. It's about creating small moments of connection that add up over time.

Because our kids are always watching—and sometimes, they're our greatest teachers.

I hope this episode encourages you to look up a little more, laugh a little more, and enjoy the people right in front of you.

Have a calm and colorful day.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com

A simple runny nose. A cough. For most families, it's just another childhood illness.

For us, it has become something much bigger.

In this episode, I'm sharing what life has really looked like after Korbin's second hospitalization for respiratory distress. The fear that shows up with every cough. The constant second-guessing. Trying to figure out when to stay home, when to call the doctor, and when it's time to head back to the hospital.

I also talk about navigating new medications, learning about inhaled steroids, searching for a pediatrician we truly trust, and what it's like living with a nervous system that feels on high alert every minute of the day.

This isn't an episode with all the answers.

It's simply an honest conversation about what it's like to love your child so deeply that every breath matters.

If you've ever found yourself lying awake listening to your child's breathing, questioning every decision, or feeling exhausted by the mental load of parenting, I hope this reminds you that you're not alone.

One unexpected bright spot through all of this has been using the very thing I've been building for other moms. I've leaned on my own Mama Pause guided audios almost daily to help regulate my nervous system when fear starts taking over. They haven't changed our circumstances—but they've helped me show up with a little more calm inside them.

If you're carrying the weight of motherhood and need a few minutes to reconnect with yourself, you can learn more about Mama Pause here:

www.calmandcolorful.com/mamapause

Thank you for being here. I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com

Periods don't have to be something everyone dreads.

In this episode, I'm sharing a simple mindset shift Kelton and I recently started using that's completely changed how we think about "that time of the month."

Instead of seeing it as the week when Mom is emotional, tired, or not herself, we've started calling it Opportunity Week—an opportunity to show extra kindness, step up a little more, create space for rest, and love each other intentionally.

I also share the sweet Costco moment that made me realize this tiny change in language had already changed how we show up for each other.

If you've ever wished your partner understood what you needed without you having to explain it over and over, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why language shapes the way we experience hard seasons
• Turning frustration into opportunities for connection
• Simple ways partners can support each other during period week
• The Costco moment that almost made me cry
• Why "Opportunity Week" is officially staying in our family

I'd love to hear from you! What would Opportunity Week look like in your home? Send me a message on Instagram @calmandcolorful and tell me your ideas.

I hope you have a calm and colorful day.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com

After more than 40 customer discovery conversations, countless pivots, and a lot of uncomfortable texts, something finally clicked.

In this episode, I'm sharing the real behind-the-scenes of launching the MVP for my parenting audio membership and what happened when I stopped trying to build the "perfect" product and started testing what people would actually pay for.

Inside this episode:

• Why my first three paying Founding Members felt bigger than the money
• The follow-up text that turned a "maybe later" into a customer
• What I completely failed to track during 40+ customer interviews (and what I'd do differently)
• Why timing—not interest—was stopping one mom from buying
• The emotional reality of asking friends to become customers
• Why $18/month feels like proof that this business can become something much bigger
• Balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, graduate school, and a child with ongoing health challenges
• Why I'm more hopeful than ever that I'm finally finding product-market fit

This isn't a polished success story. It's a real-time diary of building a business from the ground up—one conversation, one experiment, and one brave ask at a time.

If you're building something of your own, especially while raising a family, I hope this reminds you that momentum often starts with just a handful of people saying, "Yes."

Two months after our first hospital stay, Korbin was admitted again with respiratory distress.

This episode is a real-life update from the middle of it all—not after everything is neatly wrapped up.

I'm sharing what this second hospitalization felt like, why I wasn't overwhelmed the way people expected me to be, and how gratitude has become something much deeper than "looking on the bright side."

We talk about:

• What happened during our second hospital stay
• Why I chose gratitude instead of fear
• Trusting yourself as a parent during medical uncertainty
• Building a plan instead of living in panic
• The tiny parenting moments that remind us our consistency matters (including the sweetest moment when Korbin chose a hug instead of hitting)

If you're parenting through hard things right now, I hope this episode reminds you that it's possible to hold uncertainty and hope at the same time.

You don't have to pretend everything is okay.

You also don't have to let fear write the whole story.

Disclaimer: This episode shares our family's personal experience and is not medical advice. Always work with your child's healthcare team regarding medical concerns or treatment decisions.

Everything I've built for mamas and little ones — the audios, the coloring books, the free community — lives in one place.

Come look around: www.calmandcolorful.com