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In this episode, Steph learns a new phrase that totally grossed her out: "Taking a selfish." Here's what she discovers:

1. Why is selfishness a phenomenon seemingly unique to women? Would most men describe doing something enjoyable as "taking a selfish"? 
2. After some online research, Steph discovered the origin of "taking a selfish" as a David Rose quote in the first ever episode of Schitt's Creek. This makes SO much sense. And also explains why this phrase is extra cringeworthy for moms to incorporate in a non-ironic way. 
3. What role does patriarchal society have in women minimizing their own needs and desires and using trite expressions that devalue their pursuit of joy? DEEP BREATH. 
4. Many recent articles have slammed the buzzword "self-care" as it seems to imply that bubble baths and pedicures are enough for women to feel happy and nurtured, overlooking real systemic changes and lifestyle choices that are the true meaning of caring for yourself. 
5. The next time you feel tempted to write off something that brings you pleasure or fulfillment as decadent or unnecessary or selfish stop. Dig deeper. Ask yourself why you are so deeply conditioned to apologize for enjoying your life. And then make a different choice.

In this solo Steph episode, we go down the rabbit hole of "selfishness," especially as it pertains to women and mothers. If you've ever tried to minimize your needs and wants, rationalize caring for yourself, or used buzzwords and cliches to describe your pursuit of happiness, this episode is for you. Feeling fired up about how the patriarchy has infused you with unconscious guilt for trying to have a balanced, joy-filled life? Leave us a comment or share on social.

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we cover:

1. Mother + Writer or Writer + Mother: Jackie Leonard describes the moment after her first child was born when she started "writing things in her head again," and what she did with that inspiration. 
2. Jackie created Motherscope Magazine—an online writing and publishing community for moms—when her firstborn was just one year old. 
3. We've said it before and we'll say it again—community is everything. Jackie shares her journey with Motherscope's community events, both in-person and virtual. 
4. Jackie on the importance of storytelling in motherhood: it keeps us present, helps preserve memories, and keeps us connected to ourselves.
5. "Just show up." Jackie shares her policy of encouraging moms to come as they are, and how she's learned to adjust her expectations and remember that any work she's doing is important and worthwhile. 
6. Jackie on balance—our most loved and hated topic—and how it's much more about taking breaks, patience, pausing, frequent reassessing, and shifting focus when needed. 
7. The comparison games mother + writers can't help but play, and when it feels like you "aren't winning anywhere."

Books we referenced:
Body Work by Melissa Febos
Angela Garbes: Like a Mother, Essential Labor

JACKIE LEONARD is a life-long writer, podcast host, Southern California native now living in Oregon, and the founder of Motherscope. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and years of experience as an editor for college and literary publications. However, it was the birth of her first child in 2017, and her experiences in those early days of motherhood, that inspired what would eventually become Motherscope, a community of moms who inspire and uplift one another by writing and sharing their own stories.

Where you can find her:
https://www.motherscope.com/
https://www.instagram.com/motherscope/ 

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

Follow along with Stacey, as she walks you through the four phases of your cycle:

1. The Inward to Outward Phase
2. The Girl on Fire Phase + Libido Spike
3. The Calming Down Phase
4. The Permission Phase

• See how you can use your cycle as a map to what your body needs and wants throughout the month rather than a nuisance
• For the Cycle Syncing Guide mentioned in the episode, please visit: https://www.motherplusser.com/pl/2147657766 

Before starting this podcast, Stacey Hutson was a personal health and wellness chef,  a certified Transformational Nutrition Coach, and a Paleo Blogger over at www.HealthyStacey.com. It's been awhile since she's nerded out on nutrition, but it felt good to return to her first love in this episode.

DISCLAIMER: 
I am not, nor am I holding myself out to be a doctor/physician, nurse, physician's assistant, advanced practice nurse, or any other medical professional ("Medical Provider"), psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, counselor, or social worker ("Mental Health Provider"), or registered dietician or licensed nutritionist.

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we cover:

1. Do you feel confused in general when it comes to astrology? Jamie DeLuccio, intuitive astrology coach, gives us a crash course in Astrology 101. 
2. As an astrologer, yoga teacher, counselor, and mentor, Jamie's mission is: "to help take people back home to themselves to remember who they are and to really embrace self-love, self-compassion, self-acceptance, self-forgiveness." Isn't that the juiciest "remember her?" a mother-plusser could ask for?
3. There's more to astrology than "What's your sign?" Jamie explains the difference between your sun sign (the one most of us know), your moon sign, and your rising sign. 
4. Learn how astrology can help you better understand your kids/be a better parent to them, AND put you as a mother-plusser in touch with who you are and what your gifts and purpose outside of motherhood are. 
5. Jamie describes having an astrological reading as "getting a permission slip to be who you are." Far from being fluffy, choosing this work can be life-changing and have a positive impact in your family life. 

Jamie is an entrepreneur and a wholehearted Mama of two teenagers.  Aside from teaching yoga for the past 20 years, Jamie is a counselor/mentor to all ages and an Astrologer. Her motto is “love who you are." Infused within all of her offerings is a path to self love, self compassion, self acceptance and forgiveness. Jamie has a knack of creating a safe container with her loving presence that allows people to excavate their shadows and dive deep into the hidden aspects of self.  You will leave this episode feeling seen and held.

Where to find Jamie:
https://www.jamiedeluccioastrology.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jamiedeluccio/
https://www.facebook.com/jamie.deluccio

Or, just the old fashioned way: 
970-485-2579

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we cover:

1. Pauline, a pelvic floor physical therapist, explains what exactly the pelvic floor is and why it's so important. 
2. How can you tell if you would benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy? Learn the telltale signs of a weak pelvic floor, and remember: don't ignore pain!
3. An important reminder to advocate for your own health as a mother and patient—many doctors in the US do not routinely suggest pelvic floor physical therapy unless you specifically ask, do don't assume that because a physician doesn't recommend it that you wouldn't benefit.
4. Pauline shares the tendency of women to normalize or minimize pelvic floor issues—"I had a baby, what do you expect?"—rather than take steps to get treatment and not be limited by their bodies. 
5. The emotional component of pelvic floor physical therapy can make it more stigmatizing and prevent women from talking openly about it.
6. Pregnant and postpartum (even REALLY postpartum!) mamas—knowledge is power! Pauli gives listeners questions to ask, techniques to mention, and things to keep an eye out for as your body is going back to "normal" after babies. 
   
   

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

Here's what to expect:

• Though the holidays are our favorite time of the year, we tend to put the most pressure on ourselves during this season
• Last year, we did an episode called, “Holiday Dissappointment: When Mom’s Expectations Don’t Meet Reality” where we discovered that we need to stop trying to make magic happen for our kids and let it happen naturally
• Today, we’re going to talk about letting that magic happen for ourselves. 
• “That’ll buff out,” says Steph. As your kids get older, they find what they love most about Christmas and become keepers of your Christmas traditions
• Pretend you’re an 11-year-old at Christmas - they embrace the parts they love, ignore the parts they don’t, and enjoy holiday cheer purely for themselves
• When you can stop depending on others — your husband, your children, your family and friends — to fill your cup and make you whole, you’ll be a lot happier - sound advice from the book, “Mindful Loving”
• Break out your notebook so you can take notes! We’ve got dozens of ideas from other moms on how to spoil yourself this holiday season….

Referenced:
Last Year’s Holiday Episode | Holiday Disappointment: When Mom’s Expectations Don’t Meet Reality

Maci Welch Episode |This Mom Wrote A Book: A Story Of Mental Health, Speaking Your Truth, and Asking For Help

Kimberlyn Episode | How Making Space For Creativity Helped This Mom Get Unstuck

Mindful Loving book by Henry Grayson, PhD

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Stace & Steph and The Mother Plus Podcast." <-- If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! When you feel inspired, and you review, more moms find our message, and more moms get inspired. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." 

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

Meet Aly Jaen: Mother + Cannabis Attorney. 

1. Aly Jaen is a cannabis attorney—she shares with us exactly what that means, and how she got into this field. 
2. Cannabis law is a relatively new field, and Aly has had the unique experience of being a pioneer in her career. As a young field attorney, she has been on the cutting edge since legalization in 2014—take that, "good old boys" club!
3. We've all heard it takes a village, but Aly paints a picture of the support people and systems she has in place to ensure she's able to balance a high-powered career with raising two small children. 
4. "I thrive under stress." Aly's personality and temperament play a role in what her working motherhood looks like—it may not be for everyone, but she is totally killing it. 
5. Aly is unapologetic about the type of woman, mother, and attorney she wants to be—get ready to be inspired by how well Aly understands her own system and what she needs to thrive.

Aly Jaen specializes in cannabis law, licensing, regulatory compliance, general corporate, real estate, and business law. Ms. Jaen advises clients on cannabis licensing and regulatory compliance matters, including representation before the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses, and other local regulatory agencies.

Ally is committed to compliance and is an expert in many different aspects of the legal cannabis market, including the federal enforcement risks in legal cannabis markets. In addition, she has served as legal counsel for operating businesses and advised public and private companies on how to operate in the cannabis space.

As a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, Ms. Jaen assists clients in various real estate matters, including representing tenants and landlords for commercial leasing matters, purchase and sale agreements, and other real estate matters. Aly’s general corporate practice includes advising clients on a wide range of corporate matters, including entity formation, contract drafting, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance.

Where you can find her: https://messner.com/attorneys/alyson-jaen/

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

1. Alicia shares her experience as a single mom raising a daughter and how she weathered the different stages when, as she so wisely puts it, "Sometimes their star is not as bright during a period of their lives."
2. "And then I realized, as long as I was good, she was good." Alicia shares how she learned to prioritize her own needs and reminds us to give ourselves what we need and be OK with it. 
3. Alicia shares her path to finding independence for both herself and her daughter, and how she snuck in time for herself with practices like her "30 minute magic" to get quiet time.
4. The amazing annual practice Alicia began on her 40th birthday to help her remember who she was as a person. Alicia's promise to herself inspired Stacey so much that it became one of the seeds planted that helped create this podcast. 
5. Alicia's revolutionary practice of positivity and how living with joy helps her ward off the negative so she doesn't "look like what she's been through."

After college and a 10-year journey in corporate America, Alicia Bryant-Mayes started her career in the beauty industry in 1996. Twenty-six years later, she has been honored with numerous awards, citations and media print. From nail technician, to esthetician, to hairstylist, everything she does, she does with her whole body and soul and her most recent endeavor is specializing in hair replacement and alopecia care for clients with thinning hair and hair loss. In 2016, she obtained her Realtor license, and is helping families all across Denver find their new homes, all while still running her hairstyling business, and raising her very bright 21-year-old daughter. 

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we cover:

1. Why rejection stings so much for Mother + Creative types, and how Lisa has coped with criticism and negativity as a performer. 
2. Lisa shares her experience being on a Netflix reality TV show and what it was like to have her image out in the world without having much control over it. 
3. The importance of owning the narrative when you have a public persona, and how it stems from being centered in who you are and not caring what other people think. 
4. Being a mother + empty nester: Lisa shares the gifts of this stage of parenting and how it feels to be unapologetic about your goals and needs: "You want to be seen, you want to be heard."
5. "After I got a divorce, stand up comedy became my boyfriend." How having a passion and purpose helped Lisa navigate a new era of life by giving her a voice, a creative catharsis, and a way to process. 

LISA LANE is an overeducated goofball who finds the funny in the balancing act of parenting teenagers, becoming single at age 50, and navigating the chin hairs and wrinkles on her very own face. She is a regular host, feature, and mother figure in the Denver comedy scene, the author of Teenagers Suck and Beyond Mama Bear, an announcer/emcee, and a voiceover actor. 

Her shows for parents, parenting groups, and educators offer frank and funny advice for frazzled families and anyone who knows the pain of working with teenagers. Based on years of research and experience as mother, teacher, and funny lady, Lisa’s message gives hope (and lots of laughs) to all those trying to survive the delicate balancing act of surviving adolescence. 

Where to find Lisa Lane:
BeyondMamaBear.com
Books: 

• Beyond Mama Bear
• Teenagers Suck: A memory book for the awkward and awful years

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisalanemamabear/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.filholm

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger

Send us Fan Mail

1. Steph shares her guilty secret from when her kids were younger: she preferred them in small doses. 
2. The delights of “parallel play” with your kids—sharing time and space while still doing the things you enjoy. 
3. How alone time, and the perception of it, changes when your kids hit the tween and teen years. 
4. A reminder before we enter the holidays: You aren’t a bad mom for craving time to yourself, so take it!

In this solo episode, Steph reads an essay she wrote years ago—“I’m Back for Tea Time”—about how she preferred her young children in small doses. After more family togetherness than she had planned during a month of prolonged illness, she reflects on how things have changed since “alone time” was such a hard-won pleasure when her kids were young, and what it looks like on the other side. 

WHERE TO FIND US NOW

Connect with Stacey

• 🎧 The Next Phase Podcast —  
• on Apple & Spotify 
• 📸 Instagram: @stacehutson

Connect with Steph

• 🎧 The Peri-Normal Podcast
  on Apple and Spotify
• ✍️ The Reclamation Era
  on Substack
• 📝 MidCircle
  — a writing community for midlife women
• 📸 Instagram: @stephsprenger