In this episode of the Elevate Motherhood podcast, Courtney Lundeen speaks with Melissa Harms, a mom of four and the creator of the Everyday Family Travel blog. They discuss the importance of family travel, how to plan vacations with kids, budgeting tips, and the mindset needed for successful trips. Melissa shares her personal experiences and insights on making travel enjoyable and educational for children, emphasizing flexibility and realistic expectations. The conversation also includes the role of faith in parenting and travel, and how to create lasting memories as a family.  

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Everyday Family Travel

01:29 The Spark of Travel Passion

02:21 Planning Family Vacations

05:19 Mindset and Expectations for Traveling with Kids

08:25 Budgeting for Travel

10:59 Tips for Long Road Trips

17:01 Overcoming Travel Logistics

20:02 Lessons Learned from Travel

22:30 The Role of Faith in Travel and Family Life  

Links:   

Everyday Family Travel Blog

Everyday Family Travel Resource Hub - Free Printable Travel Goodies, access to Free Facebook Groups, Top Travel Booking Tools. 

18 Road Trip Hacks for Kids

Everyday Family Travel Blog on Instagram

Click here for the transcript from this episode. 

Join Courtney and Jenn Klaus for a conversation between friends about raising a child with differences. Jenn is the best mom to her 3 children - Willie, Blaiklee, and Bailor. Her son Willie has Down syndrome and autism. Courtney and Jenn discuss advice for moms raising children with differences, tips Jenn has learned over the years, ways for all moms to be inclusive and good friends, and how to teach our kids to do the same!

Follow Jenn on Instagram @Jenn.Lee.Klaus
Follow Jenn's cute business on Instagram @JennBroidery_ 

The Gift Shop at Sara Kay Art Studio
3825 NW 166th St. C9-10 Edmond, OK
Tuesday & Thursday 10am - 2pm or By Appointment

The Gift Shop at Abide Interiors
14 S Broadway, Edmond, OK 73034

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Anxiety is something so many of us face, but as Christian moms, how do we navigate it in a way that strengthens our faith rather than shakes it? This episode isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about an honest conversation, sharing wisdom, and learning how to take responsibility for our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. We’ll talk about: -Shifting from "I have anxiety" to "I am overcoming anxiety" -Why a relationship with God—not just quoting verses—brings true peace -Taking ownership over triggers and avoiding what fuels anxiety -Doom scrolling, caffeine overload, and the everyday habits that make anxiety worse -The power of movement, rest, and choosing thoughts that bring life -How to trust God deeply—even when worst-case scenarios creep in This is the pep talk we all need—a reminder that while anxiety is real, it doesn’t have to rule our lives. You are not alone, and you CAN experience freedom. Let’s dive in together! Follow @ElevateMotherhood on instagram!

What if the most powerful way to change the world is simply by staying rooted in Christ? In this episode, we’re talking about the impact of Christian women who live out their calling with confidence, love, and the Fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16), and today we’re reflecting on what that means for our daily lives.

We’ll dive into:
What it looks like to live with the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
Why our daily interactions—big and small—are opportunities to reflect Christ How to be unoffendable and stay the course, even when faced with criticism or negativity
How being a fruit-filled mom and wife transforms our families and communities
Why Christian women walking confidently in their faith is exactly what the world needs

Key Scriptures:
Matthew 7:16-20 – “You will know them by their fruits…”
John 15:5-8 – “I am the vine, you are the branches…”
James 3:17 – “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

Challenge for the Week: Take a moment to reflect—what do people see in you? Are you living out the fruit of the Spirit? Ask God to help you stay connected to Him and let your life overflow with His fruit!

If this episode encouraged you, I’d love to hear from you! Subscribe & leave a review—it helps spread the message to other moms just like you!

Get more Elevate Motherhood: 
Click here for the full show notes, links, and transcript.
Click here to follow @ElevateMotherhood on Instagram.
FREE instant download Bible Verses for Moms.
FREE instant download Simple Life Starter Pack.

Thanks for being here, friend! Until next time, let's Elevate Motherhood!

*Sorry for the bad audio on this one! I'll get it fixed before the next episode! :)

Celebrating your kids' half-birthdays can be an easy and fun family tradition. We love thinking of ways to make childhood (and motherhood) filled with happy memories. In this episode, you'll get lots of fun and easy ideas for how and why to make this a fun part of your family's traditions.

Get more Elevate Motherhood: 

Click here for the full show notes, links, and transcript.

Click here to follow @ElevateMotherhood on Instagram.

FREE instant download Bible Verses for Moms.

FREE instant download Simple Life Starter Pack.

Thanks for being here, friend! Until next time, let's Elevate Motherhood!

Do you ever feel like you're accidentally just winging it with parenting? Have you ever taken the time to decide exactly where you're headed? Special guest Morgan Eseke joins Courtney today to talk about the importance of deciding ahead of time the direction we're taking with our family.

-Speaking truth to our kids before the world tells them who they are

-Being on a family "team" to instill confidence

-The difference in worldly affirmations and spirit-backed truth

-Creating a family creed or mission statement with your spouse

-And so much more!

CLICK HERE to join Morgan Eseke's FREE 6 week email course and create a spirit-filled, scripture-backed family creed

CLICK HERE to follow @MorganEseke on Instagram

CLICK HERE to follow @ElevateMotherhood on Instagram

FREE Instant download Bible Verses for Moms

FREE Instant download Simple Life Starter Pack

Thanks for being here, friends! Until next time, let's Elevate Motherhood

For some reason, it seems like our culture gets this whole concept backwards. Moms feel ashamed to be needed by their babies and young kids, and then moms like to be overly-needed by their kids as they become adults. Is there a God-given design to transfer this important dependence on parents to  dependence on God over time? How do we do it? Join the convo!

www.CourtneyLundeen.com

FREE - Simple Life Starter Pack - get our 17 page guide to declutter and strategize your home, calendar, and mind! 

FREE - Bible Verses for Moms - verses to memorize and speak out as you raise your children! 

Join the day-to-day fun! Follow @ElevateMotherhood on Instagram!

Hey moms! Ready to declutter your home and feel more relaxed and free? This episode is for you! Decluttering tips for moms addresses all your questions like, 

I'm ready to start decluttering, but where do I start? 

What if I'm just not ready to get rid of something? 

What if I declutter something, and then I need it later on? 

What do I do with the belongings of someone who has passed away? 

And so much more!!  Join us in the convo!

For the blog post containing the transcript for this episode- click here!

10 Things to Declutter - FREE
Simple Life Starter Pack - FREE

Home Organization Master Class for Moms
Virtual Organization with Courtney Lundeen

www.CourtneyLundeen.com
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This episode contains fun and easy (yes even last-minute) ideas to make childhood magical for Valentine's Day!

Click here to see the blog post for this episode.

Click here for the Home Organization Master Class online course. 

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If you're in the thick of the toddler years and need some positive encouragement, tune in! We discuss some approaches to common parenting scenarios! Consider this a conversation with a Christian mom-friend or sister in a similar season of life, figuring it all out as we go and helping each other! 

Click here for the transcript/blog post for this episode

Click here to download the FREE Simple Life Starter Pack 

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