curiouser & curiouser Podcast

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Jamie White — or “Ms. Jamie,” as she’s known at our house (and in thousands of homes around the world) — is practically an honorary family member at this point. She’s the amazing teacher at Play To Learn Preschool, which once was an in-person only preschool offering in Northern Virginia that has since expanded into a virtual platform in response to the pandemic.

Our family discovered Play To Learn Preschool thanks to my sister, Susan, who’s a 2nd grade teacher in South Carolina, and we are so grateful! Maggie’s been out of her traditional preschool since March, and so this has provided much-needed routine as well as enrichment for her over the past few months. (And good news — registration for Winter Virtual Preschool is open now if you want to sign up!)

For this episode, I got to chat with Jamie to learn more about her background and what led her to move her preschool to an online platform this past spring. She shared about how Play To Learn has taken off (it’s used by families worldwide!) and she talks about the format of the program for interested parents.

Perhaps my favorite part of this interview — and a special new component — is that Maggie hopped onto our Zoom call and got to “interview” Ms. Jamie as well. She was SO excited to get to talk to her beloved teacher, and you can hear that adorable portion of the podcast toward the end of the episode.

You can learn more about Play To Learn Preschool via their website or Facebook page.

Okay, ready to talk virtual preschool with Ms. Jamie? Here we go!:

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Subscribe — and listen — to my podcast on Apple Podcasts here!

Or you can listen to the episode here!:

I loved getting to speak with licensed clinical psychologist and author Dr. Meg Van Deusen for this podcast episode. I read Meg’s book — Stressed in the U.S.: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More — recently, and boy was it timely given the current state of our nation and our world! I was so glad to get to chat with Meg to dig a bit more into some of the themes of her book and share them with you here in this conversational format.  

Obviously, stress and anxiety are nothing new to our culture, but during her years treating patients Meg realized there were some themes she was seeing again and again. She wanted to dig more into those themes and issues, and the result is this book.

She gives some helpful context as to WHY we as a nation might be experiencing so many of these issues, and also shares some things we can do to reduce them in our own lives. That’s one of the most important things about the book: you’ll be left with practical tips you can incorporate right away to help you feel more grounded. She shared many of those tips during our conversation for this podcast as well, so listen up! (If you want to dig deeper into this topic after listening to this episode, be sure to grab a copy of Meg’s book as well!)

Ready to hear about stress in the U.S. — and some ways we can deal with it? Here we go!:

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Listen to the episode here!:

Sarah Carter of Natural Baby Doulas was featured on episode 16 of my podcast back in the summer of 2018, and now she’s back for this episode! This time, Sarah is sharing some helpful information about what pregnancy and birth looks like right now, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you’re pregnant right now, whether it’s your first child or your fourth things are new and different this time around. Your partner can’t join you at most prenatal appointments, hospital visitors and support people are limited, and you’re not able to access things like in-person birth classes, prenatal yoga classes, and other forms of connection to other moms- and families-to-be. All of us — pregnant or otherwise — are under a ton of stress during this strange time, too, and adding pregnancy to the mix can add to those already high levels of anxiety and worry.

All that to say, it’s not easy to be pregnant right now! (I’m speaking from experience on that front. This pregnancy is SO different from my pregnancy with my daughter, Maggie.)

One thing that’s hugely helpful right now is to surround yourself with people who can help support and inform you, and Sarah offers both during this episode. (P.S. If you’re not totally clear on the role of a doula, Sarah mentions it at the end of this episode but also goes into it in great depth in episode 16!)

If you’re pregnant (now or in the future) and live in the Triad area of North Carolina, I can’t recommend working with Natural Baby Doulas enough. They offer amazing prenatal classes, doula support, placenta encapsulation, and more. You’ll be in the best hands with them.

One last thing: Sarah mentioned a great online meditation for pregnant moms, and I wanted to be sure to include the link. You can check out that meditation here.

Ready to hear about birth in the time of COVID? Let’s hear from Sarah!:

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Listen to the episode here!:

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/curiouser-and-curiouser/Earth_and_Star_FINAL.mp3

(Psst…use the coupon code CURIOUSER to save 15% on your order at Earth & Star! Yay!)

Mushroom coffee might be something you’ve heard about in recent months or years. You’ve heard that there are lots of wonderful things about it, you just haven’t quite pulled the trigger on trying it (because mushroom coffee sounds like it might not taste great…)

Or maybe you’ve tried it for yourself and experienced some of the benefits of functional mushrooms for yourself! Personally, I’ve been using Four Sigmatic products for a few years now and love how easy it is to make mushrooms part of your daily life.

That’s why I was so excited to get to chat with the two women behind a new functional mushroom coffee brand, Earth & Star, about their company — and to dig even more into what makes these fungi so very special.

Friends and long-time business partners Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss founded Earth & Star, which makes the first ready-to-drink (no mixing required!) functional mushroom coffee beverages. With plant-based flavors like Cacao Chocolate Oat Milk Latte and Vanilla Oat Milk Latte — that don’t include weird fillers or any sneaky ingredients you wouldn’t want to be ingesting daily — they’re pretty hard to resist. Oh, and they use oat milk versus almond milk both to help make these drinks accessible to those with nut allergies and to minimize the environmental impact of their brand, since almond milk production requires a large amount of water. I love how thoughtful they’ve been about all aspects of their brand.

Their goal is to make it incredibly easy to get mushrooms into your diet each day without having to change much behavior. Just replace your coffee with one of their delicious options and not only will you get your caffeine fix, you’ll also be benefitting from the amazing qualities of mushrooms (which can include increased mental focus, an energy boost, immune system strengthening, a stronger sex drive, and more).

Check out this episode to hear them talk more about this business: how and why it came to be, what to look for when you choose mushroom products in general, how the pandemic has impacted their brand’s launch, and more. I think you’ll love meeting these ladies. I certainly did!

(Oh, and they have a healthy living podcast, too: Highway to Well. Check it out here if you’re interested.)

Ready to hear from Zoe and Erica of Earth & Star? Here we go!:

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/curiouser-and-curiouser/Earth_and_Star_FINAL.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 33 (Meeting Earth & Star Functional Mushroom Founders) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Sarah_Shinsky_FINAL.mp3

I was so excited to connect with my friend Sarah for this latest podcast episode. I’ve known Sarah for almost a decade, and so I remember when her now 7-year-old daughter, Lana, was born. A few months after she was born, Lana was diagnosed with food allergies — a LOT of food allergies, and I remember that happening, too. In the years since that diagnosis, I’ve watch Sarah manage that challenging situation with grace and patience and an open mind. She’s done an incredible job making life when it comes to food as normal as possible for Lana (and for her son, Nolan, too), and I have so much respect and admiration for Sarah.

Now, Sarah has created a new resource, Facing Food Allergies, to help share some of the amazing tools she’s developed over the years (recipes, resources, advice on handling situations like school lunches and birthday parties, and more). Facing Food Allergies is also meant to be a connection hub for other families with food allergies, helping to remind people that they aren’t alone in this journey. Sarah has felt very alone through much of her experience with Lana’s allergies (Lana has, too), and so creating this was a way to combat some of that loneliness. Right now, Facing Food Allergies exists as an Instagram account, but Sarah hopes to one day incorporate a website component, too, to help make the resources and community portion even broader.

For this episode, we chatted about the Shinsky family’s experience with Lana’s allergies through the years and we also dug more into Facing Food Allergies. If you’re someone who has a child with food allergies, or if you know someone who this might be helpful for, I know you’ll enjoy this episode.

Ready to hear Sarah talk about facing food allergies? Here we go!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Sarah_Shinsky_FINAL.mp3

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 32 (Facing Food Allergies In Kids With Sarah Shinsky) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Paige_Bentley_FINAL.mp3

This episode came together pretty quickly, and I’m so grateful to my guest for being available last minute. Since the COVID-19 situation really kicked into gear last week, I’ve been trying to think of things I can do to help in my own small way. I started by looking at the platforms I already have and using those as tools to help right now. I’m using my Beautycounter business as a way to recognize healthcare workers, and am sending out some clean beauty happy mail each day as a small thank you to some of those individuals. (If you have a healthcare professional you’d like to nominate, head over to my Instagram account to let me know who they are!)

As a way to offer financial support to our Winston-Salem community, Kevin and I set up a fundraiser within the COVID-19 Response Fund for Forsyth County. We chose this outlet because the funds will start being distributed on March 30 and will help those most in financial need as a result of the pandemic. You can contribute here if you’re interested in supporting that initiative, too!

I also want to use my blog and podcast as a way to encourage connection and share some resources during this challenging time, and that’s where today’s guest, Paige Bentley, comes in!

Paige is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Wake Forest University, and is also the director of the counseling center for the Wake forest Medical School students. She also has a private practice open to people in the Winston-Salem community who need counseling support. Paige and I have known each other for a few months, and she immediately came to mind when I was thinking of people who could offer some helpful advice on ways to stay healthy and grounded at a time like this.

During this episode, Paige and I chatted about how we’re both personally feeling right now, and she shared some good tips on how to talk about this with children, how to pull yourself out of those rabbit hole lines of thinking we can find ourselves in right now, the importance of developing a routine right now, and more.

She also mentioned Psychology Today as a great resource for finding a therapist if you’re in need of one, so I wanted to be sure to link to that site here!

Thank you so much for listening to this episode, and don’t forget you can also subscribe to The curiouser & curiouser Podcast on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Just search for “curiouser & curiouser” and hit subscribe! (I’d also love for you to leave me a review there if you have a free minute or two.)

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 31 (Dr. Paige Bentley Shares Advice For Emotional Health During COVID-19) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Vejo_FINAL.mp3

Ever wish you could take a fresh, healthy smoothie with you to blend on the go (say, on a plane or while on a hike)? Vejo‘s got you covered! I discovered this new brand (which launched last fall) when I received a Vejo Starter Kit from a Beautycounter incentive, and I’ve loved learning more about not just the blenders and smoothies, but the larger wellness focus Vejo has. (Scroll to the end of this post to see how you can get an eight pack of smoothies free!)

Oh, and it turns out a portable (and almost silent) blender comes in handy in TONS of scenarios, including:

For this episode, I chatted with Vejo’s medical director, Dr. Lanae Mullane, who chatted with me about what goes into Vejo smoothie blends (spoiler alert: it’s GOOD STUFF), what their personalized wellness program, Vejo+, is all about, why Vejo might be a good addition to your life right now, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and more.

Oh, and don’t forget to use the code AnnaK8Pack at checkout if you want to try Vejo for yourself! Just add a Starter Kit to your cart along with any other eight pack of blends, and the eight pack will be free.

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 30 (Vejo’s Medical Director, Dr. Lanae Mullane) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Brittany_Todd_FINAL.mp3

Brittany Todd and I know each other through Pure Barre, and share lots of other Winston connections. She’s a Winston native, in fact, so has strong roots in this community. Brittany is the woman behind B Balanced Counseling & Wellness in downtown Winston-Salem, and in this episode she shares about what B Balanced looks like today as well as her vision for its future.

We also spent lots of time during this episode chatting about an experience Brittany and I share: one with disordered eating. For both of us, our disordered eating began in high school and continued many years beyond. Thankfully, we’ve both been able to overcome our eating disorders, but I think it’s vitally important to keep talking about them (and Brittany does, too). The thing is, it’s a struggle so many people have, and it’s one that’s often wrapped in silence and shame. And so to combat those isolating feelings, I think the best thing we can do is TALK ABOUT IT and let people in.

Also, if you live in Winston-Salem and are working through complicated feelings or struggling with navigating a challenging time in your life or are dealing with anxiety or depression or stress, you might want to consider paying Brittany a visit. The best thing you can do is let someone in, even though that might feel like the most counterintuitive thing right now! Brittany talks about envisioning a world where taking care of your mental health as part of overall self care is as common as getting a manicure. I hope we can get to that point, too!

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 29 (Mental Health & Disordered Eating With Brittany Todd Of B Balanced Counseling & Wellness) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Suzy_final.mp3

As many (maybe most) of you know, I’m a Beautycounter consultant, and Beautycounter is a direct sales brand.

I know, I know. Go ahead and insert your story here about getting an aggressive or completely impersonal message from someone you barely know trying to get you to buy an irrelevant product or join their team and make MILLIONS. (I’ve written before about how I work hard to avoid being “that girl.”)

If you have a bad taste in your mouth or are just a bit skeptical or inexperienced when it comes to direct sales companies (where you buy through an individual rep versus buying through a company at large), this is a great episode for you, and I really hope you’ll listen.

For this episode, I chatted with my friend and fellow direct sales rep, Suzy Goodwin, about her transition from self-proclaimed “direct sales hater” to — ta da! — ZYIA Active rep. (Side note: Suzy also has a podcast, which you should absolutely subscribe to. Check it out here.)

Suzy and I actually met thanks to direct sales (the relationships piece of this business model is something we dig into in this episode), and we are friends who support each others’ businesses (both by buying products from ZYIA and Beautycounter and by encouraging one another). I view her as a teammate even though we don’t work for the same brand, and I’m thrilled she was down to chat about this topic.

I think you’ll enjoy hearing from both of us on the evolution of our thinking around direct sales, why we aligned with the companies we now work for, and why we think it’s such a special way to do business. I hope you enjoy listening!

P.S. Some of my ZYIA personal faves are the Grid Bra (like the one Suzy has on in the photo with this post!), Flamingo Twist Tank, and Light n Tight 7/8 Leggings.

The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 28 (Former Direct Sales Hater Turned ZYIA Rep Suzy Goodwin) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

Listen to the episode here!:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/curiouser-and-curiouser/Sarah_Clark_FINAL.mp3

Chances are, you know someone who’s struggling with infertility right now. That someone might even be you. Here in the U.S., one in eight couples is dealing with infertility, so this issue is top of mind for so many of us.

That’s why I’m excited to share today’s podcast episode with you. I spoke with Sarah Clark of Fab Fertile, which is a Canadian organization dedicated to helping couples address infertility using natural resources (think dietary changes, environmental adjustments, functional lab testing, and mindset shifts). Couples typically come to Sarah after receiving an infertility diagnosis from a doctor, and their work with her and her team becomes an extension of other things happening as they work to address their infertility. Sarah talks about how it’s important to build a community when you’re trying to overcome infertility challenges, and that community can include physicians, natural support like Fab Fertile, chiropractic care, mental health care, acupuncture, and more.

Sarah herself struggled with infertility when she was trying to build her family several years ago, so this work comes from a personal place for her, and I feel like her message is one of hope. After all, she sees success frequently in the couples she works with, and often not only do these couples achieve pregnancy — they also become healthier and feel better overall thanks to the changes she helps them make.

Within this episode, Sarah shared a few great resources that I wanted to be sure to link to here:

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