Did you (like me) acquire aches and pains in unexpected places after becoming a mama? Have you wondered how to take care of your body when your kids often require so much of you physically? If this sounds like you, you're going to love listening in on my recent conversation with my physical therapist friend Ashley Marsh.

Her heart for helping with physical care and repair was apparent in every topic we touched: her journey to becoming a children's PT, how she enjoys bringing what she learns into her family's daily lives, how mom's bodies change and how we can care for them through pregnancy to post-partum and beyond. I also loved hearing the super helpful strategies, resources and products she shared - you bet I took crazy notes! Again and again came the much-needed reminder that taking care of ourselves is crucial to our ability to take care of our little ones as best as we can.

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It may not be spring quite yet around here, but spring cleaning and purging is in the air for me and some of my friends. In this episode, my friend Stephanie Taylor shares about her family's journey into a minimalistic lifestyle over the past few years - going from an average-sized living space to one half as small! It's an adventure story you don't want to miss.

One of my favorite quotes that anchored our chat is from author Joshua Becker, who defines minimalism as "the intentional promotion of things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from them." From tips to get started to finding your motivation to making hard lifestyle changes as a family, you'll find oodles of solid food for thought on living simply in this episode. I loved soaking up all the wisdom Stephanie has learned, especially how to avoid the many distractions from living a purposeful and peaceful life and how to model minimalist habits for our children. I hope you enjoy it too!

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It's 2022, mamas!! I hope your year is off to a good start for you and your families. For the first episode of this new year, I wanted to bring my friend Sam Gambale on to talk about keeping romance alive when you are also a busy mom. I know this sounds like an impossible task - I often wonder how in the world we moms can find time to focus on our significant others with little voices clamoring for our attention and care. I just knew I had to snag Sam for this conversation.

Sam is a super fun and hard-working mama to 5 kids whose husband travels often for work. Despite all the busyness, she and her husband have a sweet, rich relationship that you can see from a mile away - the smiles on their faces when they're together say it all. During our chat Sam shared about their love story, the toughest times of their marriage, how she stays connected to her man while he's away on work trips, and some awesome practical tips that have helped strengthen her marriage for the long haul. This is good stuff, guys! Give it a listen and pass it on to a friend if you enjoyed it.

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Listen in for the best of Find the Good Mamahood's 2021: the people and places this podcast reached, topics featured in the episodes, my family's most rewarding and most challenging moments, and finally my personal goals for the new year as a mom and a person.

Happy December, everyone! In the spirit of all things festive and family and cozy, I chatted with my incredibly talented friend Mary Cook who is known for her magic touch in transforming events and homes into beautiful inviting spaces.

She told some funny tales of lessons learned while attempting DIY projects and shared how she first started getting into home decor. Need another reason to tune in? We also talked tips for decorating on a budget and finding inspiration when all you can see are blank walls and empty space (definitely been there!). I hope our conversation gets you in the holiday spirit and sparks ideas to make your home a comfy cozy gathering place for family and friends this season! Check out the show notes below for some more good stuff and book suggestions that double as gift ideas.

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Here is Mary's IG (@fromeverlasting_) if you'd like to request consultations or design for events or home decor.

Welcome to Episode 10! This one features my friend Jessica Long and her experience going through not 1, but 2 extended hospital stays when her children were very young and had some scary medical challenges. I am so grateful she was willing to share honest stories of what it was like navigating the unknowns and the unexpected on her kids' journeys toward health. 

Being a mom can often mean painful waiting and unanswered questions and frustrating setbacks as you try to care for your babies. It's not pretty and no one would ask for it. But somehow it's a part of our stories and I believe there is a greater purpose for it. Whatever you're going through, mama, you're not alone - just like Jessica wasn't - and painful seasons won't last forever. I hope our conversation brings you hope and a glimpse of the brighter days to come.

Hellooo back-to-school season! And of course, fall. ;) In this month's episode, another of my awesome coworkers joins me to talk about her family's experience trying several kinds of COVID schooling options while she and her husband have been working full-time. Tune in for some real talk about balancing the challenges of being a working mom, keeping your kids safe in a pandemic, and choosing the best education option for your family. I love Sangmi's honesty and her cheerfulness that has persisted through hard times. Spoiler alert: I loved talking about how "the best resources are other moms" - so true!

Happy back-to-school for you and your kiddos! Here's to a fresh start and lots of learning.

Welcome welcome to our August episode! My friend Sam is a third grade teacher, military wife, and mama to 3 boys. She shares some things she's learned from challenging experiences like military moves and teaching during COVID and how she passes them on to her kids in ways they can understand. You'll also get some tips for how you can start making healthy living a part of your life, even as a busy mom! She's all about growth: physical, mental, spiritual, all of it.

I love her spunk, fighting spirit, and desire to serve her family and friends well - and I know you will, too! You can keep up with her fitness journey and shenanigans with her boys on her Instagram account, @fitandsam!

As a special treat for you on this blazing hot last day of July, my friend Rachel and I talk about her experiences being a firefighter mom! I mean, we all know what it's like to "fight fires" on a daily basis but she actually did the real thing. ;) She shares about everything from how she got started through her last day, including fun facts like the parts of a fire truck (who knew?). 

Plus, you can check out Rachel's Instagram page (@rachelturlik) or my.doterra.com/rachelturlik/ to learn about her favorite doTERRA oils for your family's everyday life!

Join my friend Caroline and me for a chat about her family's ups and downs during this past unforgettable schoolyear, the first full one since COVID began. Her 5 - yep, 5! - kids got through tears, missing friends and cabin fever and finally made it to the end! 

Shout out to all the teachers out there for showing up day after day, giving their best, and making something sweet and full of hope out of the lemons they and their students received during the pandemic.

Cheers to a relaxing, life-giving and restorative summer break for you and yours!

Note: I meant to say “summer break” at the beginning, not “spring break”! But you probably know what I meant. :)