This week is a time for fun and memories! Find out why Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday are about more than parties. Then discover a way to make your daily life a little easier and a little better. We're exploring a simple strategy that will kick your day off in a way that makes everything better.

Then we're chatting with David and Veronica James, the authors of Going Gypsy. Their new book gives us a little peek inside their family life with stories from years ago and a chronicle of their activities as their babies flew from the nest. They will share some parenting tips and insights on parenting young adults along with their trademark wit.

We'll wrap up with Christmas Corner as we move forward in our Debt-Free Holiday series with a discussion about where to get the money to pay for Christmas. Then we'll shift gears and talk about bringing more meaning to your holiday by bringing the Christmas spirit into the rest of the year.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Today we're talking about love. With Valentine's Day right around we the corner we'll be exploring ways to enjoy this special holiday. We have tips including fun games to play and a family activity that strengthens bonds and just plain makes everyone feel good!

Dr. Terri Orbuch is joining us to talk about love, lust and our relationships. You know what it's like when you first meet someone and you have a strong attraction. Dr. Orbuch will tell us how to determine whether that attraction is just lust or whether it's really love. Then she'll share tips for reigniting the fires of lust in your long term relationship. Let's face it, we want a comfortable relationship but a little spice and romance is good too.

And in our weekly trip to Christmas Corner we'll be sharing one family's story of teaching their teen and tween the power of giving and receiving. We'll also continue our Debt-Free Christmas discussion with tips for handling the holiday money.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Sponsor: RedShip, the college care package experts with items chosen by college students, for college students.

Today's show contains a full hour of ideas, reflection and inspiration for moms. We're kicking off the show chatting about a favorite topic - organization. I've been reading up on what the experts have to say and today we'll talk about one of their pet peeves, one that sneaks up on my home and might just hit yours as well.

Then we're moving on to a little self-improvement. With the New Year in your rear view mirror you may be wondering why that resolution failed, or maybe you're still rolling along but are getting a little weary. Resolutions are about creating change and one of the things that makes change easier is habits. Today we're checking out an article from the New York Times discussing myths we believe about habits, myths that can make it harder to create good habits.

And then it's on to our kids. One of the most dreaded questions in a family's day is when a parent asks a child, "How was school today?" Kids get stressed because they don't really know how to answer and parents get frustrated because they want more than the one-word answer they often receive. Listen in for some insights and suggestions for getting real answers out of your child so you can not only learn about their day but also gain insights into other aspects of their life.

We'll wrap up with Christmas Corner where we're continuing our Debt-Free Holiday series. Today you find out what to do with the last couple week's journaling activities and how it can help you create a better celebration. Then we're sharing a quick list of items to carry in the car as you travel in cold weather. You never know when you'll get stuck in your vehicle for a stretch and a little prior planning can make a world of difference.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Sponsor: RedShip, the college care package experts with items chosen by college students, for college students.

Moms are constantly stressed and feel pulled in a million directions. It's exhausting and frustrating and it takes a toll on you and your family. The good news is that you can make it stop! Judy Davis, the Direction Diva, is joining us to talk about how we can stop the madness. She'll share her stories along with simple things we can do that will change the tide, starting today.

Before we chat with Judy we're talking Super Bowl! I'm sharing ideas for football snacks and some quick hostess tips that make any party easier.

Then, in Christmas Corner, we're continuing our Debt-Free Holiday series. Today we're continuing our work on creating the Christmas of your dreams. After we explore what we really want for Christmas, we'll take a look at some other families' traditions so you can get fresh ideas for your own celebrations.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

We're kicking things off with more tips and tricks for keeping kids occupied and helping you enjoy those snow days more. The best part is these ideas can be used any time you're home with the kids; rainy days, sick days, Saturdays and more. We'll also take a look at a favorite storage solution, one that keeps your home both tidy and attractive.

Jude Bijou is returning to continue our chat about her four rules of good communication. Last week Jude showed us how easily we sabotage our happiness and gave us a path to more joy, love and peace in our lives and in our homes. We covered the first two rules and Jude shared so much information and so many insights that we ended up bringing her back this week to cover the next two. If you missed last week's show (January 12, 2015) you can get it at radio.heartfilledholidays.com or download Click Here to download podcast OR Click Here to listen on iTunes

In Christmas Corner you can hear about the gift I made that has garnered me half a dozen thank you comments including two phone calls. I'd say it was a hit. And it was actually pretty easy to make once I figured out a couple small details. In addition to chatting about homemade gifts, we'll continue our debt-free Christmas series with an unexpected twist.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

Winter is here and that can leave moms scrambling to deal with snow days. These are the days we dreamed about as kids but they can be a nightmare for parents when you have to find child care or occupy cooped-up kids. We'll talk about ways to handle them and even enjoy them as much as your kids.

Then we're moving on to communication. This is a hot button topic and the key to so many things in our life. It's something we assume we should be able to do and yet may never have been taught. Jude Bijou will join us to talk about how to get better at communication so we can live more peacefully and solve our differences more easily. She'll cover her four rules of good communication and share the two-steps to resolve any difference.

In Christmas Corner we're continuing our Debt-Free Holiday Series plus I'll share the details of a homemade gift that has gotten me three phone calls thanking me for making it.

January is a time for a fresh start, with or without making New Year’s Resolutions. It’s a chance to add something good and uplifting to your life, to clear, sort and declutter or to shift ideas and attitudes. Personally I’m not a fan of resolutions. They seem to add a lot of pressure to my life. So, over the years I’ve looked for other ways to make changes. And today I’m sharing one of my simplest strategies with you. Use it instead of resolutions or to support your resolutions.

And speaking of resolutions, losing weight always tops the list. While losing weight can be good for our health, it can also run over into an eating disorder. Joining us to explore food in our life is Paula Galli, author of Weighing Love. Paula says dieting is a gateway to developing an eating disorder. Join us to find out why, how to handle weight without the danger as well as the warning signs to watch for that can alert you to someone you love developing a dangerous relationship with food or even an eating disorder.

And in Christmas Corner we’re talking about the results of our 2014 Holiday Challenge. I took up the challenge and it had some surprising results. Hear about that as well as handling the financial side of Christmas, kicking off with the most important thing you need to do when dealing with the Christmas bills.

The New Year is right around the corner and it gives us another reason to celebrate. So if you’re hosting a party with multiple generations be sure to tune in for five ways to bridge the gap and keep everyone entertained.

Then, as you begin to evaluate your life and shift things so it's going the direction you want you might be ready to make some New Year Resolutions. But those pesky resolutions can be so elusive. You stress over creating them then struggle through making them happen. So should you even do it? Is it worth it? Guests Beth Buelow and Lisa Giruzzi join share their wisdom for creating real change in your life.

And in Christmas Corner we're talking about handling the financial side of Christmas, kicking off with the most important thing you need to do when dealing with the Christmas bills.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com

We're dealing with stressful situations today; the last few days before a big event, Christmas gifts and picky eaters. These are all situations that can send a mom over the edge but we have some tips and strategies today that can pull you back and help you relax. First we'll share an exercise you can use to help you get through these last few days before Christmas with less stress while ensuring the most important things get done so you can enjoy your holiday. It's pretty quick to do and it can be used any time you feel overwhelmed or are planning a big event. So kick back, relax and find out how to dramatically drop your stress levels.

Then we'll be talking about something almost every parent has dealt with at one time or another - the picky eater. Tara Kreitz is a mom whose son went to the extreme on this and she'll be sharing her story along with the strategy she used to move through it while keeping her son healthy.

Then we'll wrap up in Christmas corner with ideas to help you navigate the last days before Christmas including more Elf on the Shelf ideas and some quick and easy homemade gifts.

We have so much to cover today! From winter solstice to blanket forts, staying healthy and happy to tips for easier holidays with toddlers we're covering it all. We'll kick off with ideas for celebrating the winter solstice and how enjoying this holiday can get you out of a sticky situation. Then we'll see how blanket forts can actually get you a little peace and some time to accomplish things without the kids under foot.

Then we'll move on to a conversation about emotions, tantrums and healthy living. Jude Bijou is joining us for this conversation. Jude is the author of the award winning book Attitude Reconstruction and today she's talking to us about the healthy way to process our emotions. And when life is busy those emotions can run high so this is a perfect time to get some tips.

Then we'll wrap up with Christmas Corner, including seven more ideas for your Elf on the Shelf and some tips for keeping your family healthy for the holiday season. I'll even share my secret to avoiding the family holiday cold bug that gets shared each year at the first get together. And we'll finish off with some great tips from Blythe Lipman, a nationally recognized baby and toddler expert, a parenting consultant, an author of three award-winning books, Help! My Baby Came Without Instructions, More...Help! My Baby Came Without Instructions, and Help! My Toddler Came Without Instructions, a teacher, a caregiver, a keynote speaker, a blogger AND host of Baby and Toddler Instructions radio show.

Join us at noon ET (11am CT, 10am MT, 9am PT) on www.radio.heartfilledholidays.com