In this episode, we really felt the nudge to push pause on our usual format and have a candid chat about mental health, and where we are with our own journeys. We feel so passionately about normalizing actually talking out loud about mental health (much like we do about physical health)! Normalizing checking in with our friends and asking... "how are you, really?"

In this episode you'll hear Sammy's struggles with moving to a completely new state, culture, and climate...across the country, away from her family. And you'll hear Jen discuss her mental health journey that led to her being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 38; what's she done up until now to manage it, and where she's going next. I know this is a different format than usual, and a vulnerable one for us at that... but I hope you'll be open to the conversation, and that you are able to gain some nuggets from it, or for someone you know who may need to hear it. Related podcast episodes mentioned:

• Value Based Relocation: Season 1, Episode 10
• 7 tips for anyone feeling lonely right now: season 1 episode 6

Books mentioned in the episode:

• Driven to Distraction by Dr. Hallowell and Dr. Ratey
• ADHD 2.0 by Dr. Hallowell and Dr. Ratey
• Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

In this episode we have our first interview, with Alexis Girvan, for a segment we would like to call "Millennial Pioneer Profiles". These are people we have met and know who are embodying this lifestyle that we have been diving into... intentional, value based, slow living, etc. So, in the spirit of this 'slow living season' we have been in, we can't think of anyone better to kick it off than Alexis, who has been teaching us how to 'relish the gift of rest' for years now.

Alexis has always been masterful at slowing down (or at least, in the 14 years that I have known her point). She is amazing at pausing to appreciate, and verbalize that appreciation with a collection of words that reads like poetry. We really wanted to highlight Alexis as our first interview for the pioneer profiles because we really feels that she embodies the spirit of what we talk about on this podcast. However, what I really love about Alexis is that her version of "slow living" does not necessarily look like a homestead with chickens, clothes drying on a line, and homemade bread... although...sometimes it does. Her version of "slow living" is her own, and it's an amazing perspective to hear how differently we are all walking our own versions of "slow living". Resources mentioned in this episode: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari Sabbath by Wayne Muller 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp AlexisGirvan.com Find Alexis on Instagram The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by Andy Crouch Rule of Life podcast Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

In this episode, slow living in the kitchen meets slow living debt free as we explore our personal journeys in making more frugal choices when it comes to the foods that we eat while trying to keep a nutrient-dense diet, sharing where we've struggled and what we've learned along the way...

One of my biggest frustrations with podcasts and blog posts on the subject of saving money on a healthy diet has really been... that most of the time those diets were not healthy enough for what I value for my family. Many of grocery budgets were far too low for what I felt to be realistic for my family. Or there were grocery store chains that we didn't have where I lived...

I have felt there are not enough resources out there that talk about saving money on nutrient dense foods. But while our grocery bills may not be as low as some of the podcasts out there, there are many ways to save money on a healthy diet, without having to set aside your values for the quality of the food. In this episode, we'll dive into the ways we have been learning to do that over the years.

What we'll cover in this episode:

• What is the difference between being frugal and being cheap?
• How does frugality connect to slow living?
• Our own personal disclaimers on what this episode will not be about...
• What Jen and Sammy have been doing to reduce the cost of their grocery bills while still maintaining a nutrient dense diet
• What the ONE THING is that we think would be a great place to start if you do nothing else

Resources from this episode:

• fallingfruit.org
• imperfect produce or misfit market (online based delivery for discounted, imperfect produce)
• How to roast a whole chicken
• How to make nutrient-dense bone broth
• "Frugality: the new fanciness" by Mr. Money Mustache

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

How do the #zerowaste movement and #slowliving go together? Sammy and Jen break down their experiences with the zero waste movement, some of the darker sides of the movement (and what you can aim for instead), and how to get started reducing your impact on the environment in ways that can actually benefit you and your lifestyle as well!

In this episode, we will cover:

• What is the zero waste movement?
• What does the zero waste movement aim to do?
• How can the zero waste movement actually be toxic?
• Our personal journeys 'towards zero waste'... where we started and where we are now
• How does a zero waste lifestyle fit with the concept of slow living?
• Where can someone (re)start reducing their waste streams?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Toward Zero Waste: How to Live a Circular Life by Féidhlim Harty
• https://www.goingzerowaste.com/ by Kathryn Kellogg
• Remove candle wax with hot water how-to video
• Beeswax wraps
• Reusable sandwich bags (comes in multiple sizes and so many cute prints)
• Mother Earth News article on 6 different cleaner recipes (for the record, Mother Earth News is such an amazing magazine and offers so many ideas and encouragement for living a more sustainable life!)
• 75 Zero Waste Gift Ideas
• How to Make Your Kitchen Mostly Paperless
• One of Jen's "grocery hauls" that she thought was so hot ;-P

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

We finally have gotten around to doing an episode on slow living and getting out of debt! This has been a long time coming for us. We skirted around the conversation in episode 5 in season 1, "Keeping Up With the Jones'"... but we got to deep dive on the topic of debt and getting out of debt in this episode.

In this episode you'll hear:

• How does paying off debt relate to slow living?
• How we both found ourselves in debt and just how deep were we?
• What the debt pay off journey looked like for each of us
• What methods we used to claw our way out of debt
• What our lives look like now post-debt
• What are we doing differently?

Resources from this episode:

• Your Money Or Your life by Vicki Robin (book)
• Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey (book)
• The Ramsey Show (podcast)
• Financial Peace University (class)

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

In this episode, we continue our conversation around the topic of slow living, while diving deep into the topic of nature.

In this episode we will cover:

• How does being in nature add to slow living?
• How does nature benefit us and our health?
• Seasonal depression and getting outdoors daily
• What is the #1000 hours outside movement
• Some common hurdles adults feel to getting outside each day
• and more...

Resources from this episode:

• Barefood and Balanced by Angela Hanscom
• Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
• There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda Åkeson McGurk
• #1000hoursoutside Join the Movement
• Geocaching
• Core Routine: Sit Spot from the Wilderness Awareness School

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

We actually had an entirely different episode planned, but after Jen texted Sammy with overwhelming feelings of anxiety... We decided to take a different turn with this episode.

Anxiety is prevalent. There are more cases of anxiety today than ever before. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? In this episode, we talk about some modern day causes of anxiety, our personal experiences with it, and some ideas that have worked for us to turn it way down (and in some cases, off completely).

In this episode "Slow Living and Anxiety" you will learn:

• Why Jen was feeling super anxious during this recording (it may or may not have had something to do with Big Foot... I kid you not)
• Nick's saying about "tending the garden of your mind" and keeping "weeds" out
• Stress and the 2 things it really boils down to...
• Different stimuli that can lead to anxiety
• How we personally combat anxiety in a way that leads to more peace and calm...
• ...and the things we have done to combat it that don't... :-p

Find us on iTunes, Spotify, Audible, iHeartRadio, and more

Resources for this episode:

• Books mentioned in the podcast: Deep Work and Digital Minimalism
• Cal Newport "Welcome to the Deep Life" Start Here: https://www.thedeeplife.com/start-here/ Some REALLY great resources laid out on this page!
• Social Dilemma documentary
• Our Social Media Addiction podcast episode in season 1
• Is Information Overload Hurting Mental Health? from Psychology Today

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

I am loving the direction that season 2 is taking with a focus on "slow living". What better place to deep dive on this topic than heading straight to slow living in the kitchen. In our homes, the slow living kitchen truly is the heart of the home. Where full bellies equal love and affection. In this episode Jen and Sammy dive deeply into how we are using the kitchen as a vehicle to slow down and live a simpler, more present life (at least working on it, anyway)!

In this episode "Slow Living in the Kitchen" you will learn:

• What are the ways we are slowing living in the kitchen
• Benefits of cooking for your mental health
• Some of our favorite cooking memories
• Where we started (our background) and where we are now with our kitchen skills
• Were we always good at cooking/baking?
• Some of our favorite from scratch recipes
• What we are making in our kitchens regularly these days

Find us on iTunes, Spotify, Audible, iHeartRadio, and more

Resources for this episode:

• 7 Ways Cooking Can Boost Your Mental Health article
• Old Fashioned Baked Beans from scratch recipe
• Farmhouse on Boone- great resource for inspiration, encouragement and recipes to cook from scratch
• Raw milk yogurt recipe by Farmhouse on Boone
• Making fresh butter video with Ballerina Farms
• 6 Tools That Make Cooking From Scratch Easier
• Sammy's favorite Dutch Oven Bread from JoyFoodSunshine
• Best Bread Recipe Ever...head over to Jen's blog to get it!

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

For season 2 of the Millennial Pioneer Podcast, we're feeling the nudge to talk more about "slow living". Maybe it's the high levels of anxiety we're experiencing as a culture, maybe it's the onslaught of "cottage core" and homesteading romanticization... but there is something that is nudging us all to slow down, question the status quo of "climbing the corporate ladder" and writing our own definition of the pace we think we should be living life, instead of society doing so.

In this episode, we are defining our own ideal image of a slow lifestyle...and spoiler alert, it does not mean sitting around all day doing nothing. Join us as we write out a dream list, and discuss how you can navigate dreaming up your own version of "slow living".

In this episode "The Call to Live a Slow Life" you will learn:

• What exactly is "a slow life"
• What does it mean to "live slow" and what does it NOT mean...
• What Jen and Sammy are doing to slow things down in their own daily life
• How you can create your own vision for your "slow lifestyle"

Find us on iTunes, Spotify, Audible, iHeartRadio, and more

Resources for this episode:

• "What I think about America after a month in Italy" YouTube video by Madisun Gray
• Epoch Times article on "The Mental Health Benefits of a Simple Life" by Mike Donghia
• 1000 Hours Outside
• "Repairing emotional isolation by reawakening deep nature connection" Ted Talk by Jon Young

Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay

Welcome back for episode 1 of Season 2 of the Millennial Pioneer Podcast!

In this episode, Sammy and Jen are catching up on what has been going on so far this summer... and there has been a lot to catch up on! We also share a few of our hopes for the upcoming season... and perhaps overshare a time or two...or three. Connect with us:

Jennifer Araza blog | newsletter

Sammy Davis website | email

Cover Art by Amanda Leigh of A & A Photography

Music by FASSounds from Pixabay