Earlier this month I noticed someone wrote on our whiteboard 23 days until Xmas.  It took me by surprise and I made a mental note to have a discussion with our kids about this.  Later that very day our 9-year-old asked, "Mom, what's Xmas?" We went into detail about why that sometimes is used to reference Christmas and then I had him tell me what was missing. What is it that is missing? Christ.  Many of us this time of year can lose focus of what Christmas is about.  The beginning of the month is full of excitement and then we can slip into overwhelm and exhaustion.  It is during those times it may be helpful for us to remember truly what the season is about.  Join me in this episode as we discuss where we see Jesus in our stories and commit to doing better. 

Wisdom and Order Neal A. Maxwell

Turning Enemies into Friends Sharon Eubank

The Holiday Season is here! That means there are lots of extra holiday parties, gatherings, and goodies! Unless we make some conscious decisions ahead of time we can end up with some weight gain at the end of the season from overeating and overindulging in the good food available.  In this episode we discuss 10 tips to help us enjoy the holiday foods without weight gain!

1.  You get to eat whatever you want, in moderation.

2. Decide what it is you want and like.

3. Exercise

4. Drink Water

5. Eat protein.

6. Skip a meal

7. Fill your plate with veggies

8. Limit grazing and BLT's

9. Imagine your future self

10. Focus on the people

I hope these tips help you enjoy the season, food, and celebrations with the ones that we love as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!

Luke Grover is my brother-in-law who was recently diagnosed with non-smokers lung cancer. He and his wife and their 5 kids have been on a roller coaster as they have navigated this new territory of this diagnosis, treatments, and what the future holds for them.  It hasn't been an easy road, but it's been a road full of lessons, learning, and miracles.  In today's podcast, we have a chance to hear from Luke and Emily personally as they discuss this experience and what they have learned through all of it.  We get an update on Luke, hear about the support they've had and lessons they have learned, get Luke's opinion on how to approach those going through hard times, hear about the miracles they have witnessed, and more! 

Sometimes we get a little impatient while waiting for a change, a cure, a car, or a flight. And sometimes in the waiting, there can be many lessons we learn.  Join in this week's episode to hear about the lessons I learned while waiting in the terminal for a flight.  These lessons are: First, learn to wait. There are miracles happening in the waiting. Second, God's love is abundant. It isn't scarce or in short supply and there always for all of us! Third: because God loves us, he is in the details of our lives. Sometimes we get smacked upside the head with big details to see His love, and sometimes they are in the day-to-day.  And fourth: Look to the heart.  We look on the outward appearance, but what matters is in our hearts and the hearts of others!

Margaret Cousins said: "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary." Simple expressions of gratitude can change the lives of others AND ourselves. In today's podcast, we talk about some simple gratitude practices you can incorporate into your day-to-day with yourself and with your families. The Thankful Tree is always a favorite of ours, expressions of gratitude more during our prayers, saying "thank you" more often, and tieing an expression of gratitude to a daily habit we already do are just a few! When we get into the habit of expressing gratitude, we will see our lives transform and our outlook turn just a little brighter because we are no longer focused on the future or the past, but grounded to the present.  Listen in to hear more and to get some ideas on how you can express more gratitude!

Anxiety is a word we throw around often that has almost become the norm for most of us.  We use it to describe many emotions and experiences we have in the day-to-day, but there is so much to learn about this emotion if we whittle it down.  In this episode, we discuss three truths about anxiety.  First, it is an emotion. A feeling we feel in our body, and emotions are not bad! They are messengers. Anxiety is one of those to help us understand better what is going on inside of us.  Second, we all experience it at times. Some more than others, some at more extreme levels, but it's common for all of us. And third, we can control our anxiety. Listen in as we discuss these truths and the ways we can control our anxiety: Bringing ourselves back to the present, focusing on what we can control, and looking unto the Savior.

Fun! When is the last time you had fun! Kids are very good at going and having fun doing the simplest of things, but as adults, we forget that fun is something we can still have and need to have! Fun is an emotion that is energizing, and motivating, and opens us up for connection! We have in our minds that we have to be "doing" something fun to experience the fun, but fun actually comes from the way we are thinking! We can make even the most mundane and boring tasks fun by asking ourselves one simple question, "How can I make this more fun!?"  This weekend as you prepare for Halloween, ask yourself this, how can you have fun with the holiday?! You're not too old! Go be the fun and create some fun with your friends and family!

Austin Rydalch is a 13-year-old Jr. High student who is full of wisdom! This week on the podcast we talk about being open and how to encourage that! Austin was nominated to be on the Hope Squad this year which is an organization our school district is implementing for suicide prevention among teens. He has learned some very valuable tools that have equipped him for the Hope Squad and also in life.  In this interview, he shares an experience where he used those tools and could see how they can benefit not only himself but many others!

Many times when I send my kids out the door I say, "Do your best!" However, we oftentimes forget that the "doing" starts with the being! The being is the fuel for the doing! It is the why, the motivation behind the doing.  So how do we be our best selves? 

First: Recognize that the doing begins with the doing!

Second: Be Yourself. Don't pretend to be something you're not! Be yourself. The parts that are good and not so good! 

Third: Be who you are becoming. Being our best selves doesn't mean there isn't room for evolution for more.

Listen into this podcast as we discuss the story of Hogs and Eagles and how to become our best selves!

Turning Enemies into Friends

It's Not Easy Being a Bunny

Songs Sung and Unsung by Jeffrey R. Holland

Burnout is something I think we all can say we have experienced at one time or another. Sometimes it lasts for a day, sometimes many days! Recently we had the opportunity to discuss burnout with our son Dylan, and we talked about ways we can overcome burnout. In this podcast we discuss the 4 steps to do that:

1. Take care of your physical health

2. Check your attitude

3. Make decisions and make a plan to carry out those decisions

4. Ask for help

Burnout is so much more than just physical exhaustion. It is mental, physical, and emotional.  Listen in to this podcast to hear more about these 4 steps to get out of burnout and live a life full of zest, zeal, and vigor!

The Truth About Burnout by Brooke Castillo

The Bricklayer: Trying To Do The Job Alone 

Quote by Ezra Taft Benson