Welcome to the first episode of the Live Well Anyway Podcast with MacKenzie Koppa! If you came here from the Cultivating the Lovely podcast community, you are in the right place! In this introductory episode, MacKenzie has her dear friend (and new business partner!) Katie Duckett on the show to talk all about this relaunch. MacKenzie explains more about how and why this rebrand came about, as well as what you can expect from the podcast and the whole Live Well Anyway platform. Katie shares how she came to be part of this venture and a little about what her role will be on the podcast and in the Patreon community.

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The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa chats with Chrystal Evans Hurst. Chrystal is a wife, mom and grandmother who ministers to women and writes in the margins whenever she can. Today’s episode is a conversation centered on prayer and Chrystal’s new book The 28-Day Prayer Journey. (Affiliate links are used in this content.)

• Chrystal talks about prayer in terms of prioritizing communication
• The goal of The 28-Day Prayer Journey as a way to build a habit and a relationship
• Taking time several times throughout the day to pray and talk with God
• Doing the thing you need to do in order to learn to love doing that

You learn to communicate with God by communicating with God.

• The power of prayer to change how you interact with your family and friends
• How Chrystal decided what aspects of the practice of prayer to include in the book
• Dealing with disappointed hopes and unanswered prayers
• Choosing to believe even when you don’t understand God’s ways
• The effectiveness of journalling and writing down your prayers
• You have to do the work to build the relationship with God
• A typical day for Chrystal currently

Chrystal: listening to music and burning candles to set a warm atmosphere

The 28-Day Prayer Journey

Pretty Woman

You can find Chrystal on her website ChrystalEvansHurst.com. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

Today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by Shapermint. Save an extra 10% on top of their already discounted prices at Shapermint.com/LOVELY when you use code LOVELY.

Today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by Magic Spoon Low Carb Cereal. Visit MagicSpoon.com/LOVELY to order a variety pack, and use code LOVELY get free shipping!

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service.Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

Today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by Theragun. Try Theragun risk-free for 30 days with this special offer for CTL listeners. Go to Theragun.com/lovely to get your own Generation 4 Theragun today.

On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie talks with her good friend Katie Duckett about the challenges and changes of heading into the school year amidst the pandemic. They talk about being honest with what the school year is going to look like and how to make the best of difficult situations while valuing relationship with your children.

• How Katie’s school year is changing this year from what her family was expecting
• Check out MacKenzie’s Lovely Homeschool Course for help scheduling in the way that Katie talks about
• Katie’s struggle with burnout and changing seasons in her homeschooling journey
• MacKenzie talks about making the adjustment to public school with her kids
• Learning to trust God with your children when everything feels out of control

Even now, with all of this being out of our control, we know that God is in control.

• Watching your children rise up and learn resilience, fortitude, and perseverance
• Katie talks about watching her boys deal with the disappointment of team sports being delayed
• The challenge of setting a tone of love and joy at home when you don’t really feel it
• Taking care of yourself and using some shortcuts to save your sanity
• Katie shares the verses that centered her homeschool in the past and that she wants to be the focus going forward:
  • Philippians 2:12-13
  • 2 Timothy 1:14

You can find Katie Duckett on Instagram @may_these_arrows_fly.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by GiveWell. When CTL listeners become first-time donors at GiveWell.org/lovely, you can have your donation matched up to $100. Be sure to select “Cultivating the Lovely” at checkout.

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by Freshly. Get $40 OFF your first 2 orders when you go to Freshly.com/LOVELY.

CTL is also sponsored by BetterHelp private online counseling. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOVELY for 10% OFF your first month of counseling.

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa chats with Kendra Adachi. Kendra is a writer and podcaster, as well as a wife and mother to three beautiful children. Today MacKenzie talks with Kendra about her new book The Lazy Genius Way and what it means to make it easier to do the things that bring you to life. (Affiliate links are used in this content.)

• What the basis is for the “Lazy Genius Way”
• Figuring out what matters to you and what you need to make the most of your time
• What MacKenzie loves about this book and why she thinks you need to read it
• Letting ourselves be honest about what it means to be a person with unique needs and wants
• Recognizing and naming what matters to you

If you don’t name what matters underneath it all, you are just going to keep trying and being tired.

• Observing your own life and noticing what works and what doesn’t work for you
• Stop using levels of order or messiness as a measure of morality
• How the book is broken down into principles for every situation
• Navigating this season in our lives with grace and a teachable spirit
• A typical day in the life of Kendra and her family

Kendra: painting her nails almost daily and loving it for the first time in her life

MacKenzie: curating her family’s playlists for different times of the day

The Lazy Genius Way

On the Bright Side

Stand All the Way Up

Tsh Oxenreider and The Good List

The Lazy Genius Collective Podcast

Kendra’s episode: How to Make the Perfect Playlist

The Popcast

Penny and Sparrow

Sense and Sensibility

You can find Kendra on her website The Lazy Genius Collective. You can also follow her on Instagram.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

Today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by Magic Spoon Low Carb Cereal. Visit MagicSpoon.com/LOVELY to order a variety pack, and use code LOVELY get free shipping!

Cultivating the Lovely is also brought to you by Crayola School Mask Pack. Get your family a mask pack today at schoolmaskpack.com/LOVELY.

On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa goes solo to give us all some coaching on how to get ready for a crazy new season heading into this fall. We know here at CTL that everyone’s routines are looking very different this year, so MacKenzie wants to help you get planned and prepped up to make the best of whatever situation you are facing. And if you want an even deeper dive into what this can look like for you, head over and join the CTL Patreon supporters to get daily content to guide you through your fall planning.

• What MacKenzie and her kids are going to have to deal with for schooling this year
• What are “the givens” you have to consider when planning?
  • Meal planning

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service.Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

• Take some time on the weekends to plan out the coming week
  • Using Trello as a planning tool

If I put in the work on the front end of things, it is going to make my day to day life a lot easier.

• Take a look at your own personal logistics in scheduling and self-care
  • What things can you prepare in advance each week to take the stress off your daily routine?
  • What helps you feel more centered throughout your day?

CTL is also sponsored by Postmates delivery service. Download the Postmates app, and use code LOVELY100 for $100 FREE delivery credit!

• Books to help you with dealing with stress and planning well:

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie sits down, live and in person, with her best friend Rebekah Sacran. They chatted about how their friendship began, how they grew their relationship online, and what has been going on in each other’s lives since the last time Rebekah was on the podcast. Sit back, relax and enjoy this encouraging episode all about friendship.

• How MacKenzie and Rebekah met through Periscope
• The difference it makes to meet an online friend in person
• Why MacKenzie and Rebekah decided to get together, even in the middle of the pandemic
• The extra challenges Rebekah’s family faced during the height of lockdowns
• Dealing with her husband’s bipolar and side effects of treatment

Sometimes you need to have an intervention for your friends.

• MacKenzie and Rebekah’s bad haircut stories
• The story of how MacKenzie’s family is adopting a dog
• Go watch Leeann and Michelle’s Enneagram Types “Back to School” video

You can find Rebekah Sacran on Instagram @jaybeksacran.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by BetterHelp private online counseling. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOVELY for 10% OFF your first month of counseling.

This week on the Cultivating the Lovely podcast, MacKenzie chats with her friend Sara Henkosky. Sara is a wife and mom to 3 children 4 and under. She and her husband love to serve people through hospitality and are now looking forward to a new adventure as missionaries to Vanuatu.

• MacKenzie asks Sarah how this journey to becoming missionaries began
• How Sarah and her husband are preparing to go to Vanuatu
• Sarah describes the island situation and where they will be living
• Language learning and travel preparations
• Considering homeschooling and what supplies she needs to take

It’s so exciting to know that we can just trust God and watching Him work and do what He does best.

• Waiting and watching God work out the details
• How Sarah feels about being a mom and missionary at the same time
• Bridging the disconnect that can happen between overseas families and friends
• Visit IGOVanuatu.org to learn more about the mission
• A typical day for Sarah and her family

Sarah: listening to podcasts, drinking more tea and getting outside

MacKenzie: enjoying the new puppy coming into the family

(Affiliate links are used in this content.)

Mr. by Leslie Odum, Jr.

I Still Believe

This week’s episode is brought to you by Freshly. Get $40 OFF your first 2 orders when you go to Freshly.com/LOVELY.

You can find Sarah Henkoski on Instagram @sarahkhope.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

Today on Cultivating the Lovely the Podcast, MacKenzie Koppa sits down with her dear friend Katie Duckett to talk about some of the things they are loving this summer. In order to take their minds off the craziness going on in the world, they are both finding some small lovelies to hold onto and stay joyful in the midst of challenging times.

• Of course, this conversation wouldn't be complete without MacKenzie talking about her love for Hamilton 
• Katie talks about her family's newfound love of the show Lost

Affiliate links are used in this content.

All Things Reconsidered by Knox McCoy

The Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid

The Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jennifer Morgan

The American Royals by Katharine McGee

Barbara O'neal

The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi

Hamilton

Jazz Morning Playlist Cafe 

The Popcast

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by Postmates. For a limited time, CTL listeners get a $100 free delivery credit for the first 7 days when you use code LOVELY100 in the Postmates app. 

You can find Katie Duckett on Instagram @may_these_arrows_fly.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie talks with her good friend Chelle Bruzas about making a house a home and creating spaces that minister to your family and friends. Chelle and her family have moved houses several times, and she has some great ideas to share with us about how to invest in your house and make it truly your own. (Affiliate links are used in this content.)

• Asking questions on how to make your house a place of ministry to others
• Chelle talks about accepting the gift that is their new home
• MacKenzie asks Chelle to explain her process of embracing a space
  • Thinking about what styles she likes
  • Learning how different details change a space’s appearance
  • Pinning room photos that strike her as appealing and curating those boards
  • Chelle mentions the paint color “Agreeable Gray” by Sherwin Williams
  • Thinking about how to best use the space functionally for doing what they love

How do I make those people who come through the doors of our home feel welcome and love, seen and known?

• What MacKenzie has discovered by creating a special space on her back patio
• Choosing to live your life now and not always being in a state of waiting
• Balancing trends and classic styles in decor
• Chelle explains the 80/20 rule for white and color
• Knorpp and South’s RV renovation videos on Youtube
• Chelle’s story about hearing the bells and having her special roses at their new house
• Chelle’s Pinterest Board for “Birdsong”

Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith

You can find Chelle Bruzas on Instagram @chelle_bruzas.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service. Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

We have something a little different for you on Cultivating the Lovely the Podcast this week. Today MacKenzie is doing a solo show and sharing with us how she is handling the hard things in life right now. She also wants to personally invite you to join in with “Take Back Your Life July” and the accountability groups coming up in Patreon next month. (Affiliate links are used in this content.)

• Why MacKenzie decided to do this particular episode at this time
• What working through the attributes of God in Sara Hagerty’s Adore study has done in MacKenzie’s heart
• If you haven’t listened to it yet, you can go back and listen to Sara’s interview on CTL Episode 160

When we can allow our doubts and fears to be exposed to Him, God is gentle with us.

• MacKenzie reads Psalm 37 and Psalm 73

This episode of Cultivating the Lovely is brought to you by Little Passports. As a CTL listener, you can get 15% OFF the price of any subscription when you use coupon code LOVELY at checkout.

Adore by Sara Hagerty

Bethel Music

Hillsong Worship

Rend Collective

Lauren Daigle

Nicole Nordeman

Jennifer Knapp's Kansas album

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! Join us on Patreon at Patreon.com/CultivatingtheLovely.