PG-ish

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday, due to my many childhood memories of huge family get-togethers that lasted all weekend. Sadly, as a single parent, I'll be without my girls this year—making the holiday a lonely prospect. But I know I'm not the only one out there trying to figure out what the holidays look like as a solo parent. Today I share my thoughts on what it really means to be a "single mother," as well as some ideas on how we can reimagine creating special memories with our kiddos.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

As the parent, you set the tone in your home. You not only lead by example, but the energy you put out is what you'll get in return. But it's easier said than done. I know how it feels to go through the motions just to try to get to the end of the day to reclaim a few moments of independence—but aren't we missing out if that's all we do?

Bert Jacobs, one of the brothers behind the Life Is Good t-shirt movement, explains how simple rituals at home can help us unlock imagination, change our focus, and build a boundless community around courage and compassion.

Watch the full clip here. For more info, go to lifeisgood.com, or order his book, Life Is Good.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

As the world heats up with opinions on everything, I find myself trying to sift through the data and voices on each side. Despite having the same exact agenda—to live a healthy life doing the things we love with the people we love—somehow divisiveness is permeating every aspect of society. We were all in it together 12 months ago, and yet today we find ourselves ready to attack anyone who might have a different perspective.

Today's clip with Julia Galef reminds us that our worldview is a living document, meant to be revised. If we can simply allow ourselves to be curious, open to other ideas, and constantly pursuing the truth, we just might find pride in allowing our own perspective to change.

Watch the full clip here. For more info, go to juliagalef.com, or order her book, The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

With the quick rise of technology over the last few decades, humans are facing a new and unfamiliar challenge to our well-being. And this is especially true for millennials, who have been defined as impatient, entitled, lacking in social skills and stress management tools, and having few deep relationships. While today's talk with Simon Sinek is targeted at millennials, it's also a reality check for parents, for leaders, and for anyone who feels unfulfilled, unsettled, and restless in their pursuit of a meaningful life.

Watch the full clip here. For more info, go to www.simonsinek.com, or order his book, The Infinite Game.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

So much of our time is spent thinking and worrying about what lies ahead of us—and we end up missing the present moment. Today we continue the topic of meditation and mindfulness with Jon Kabat-Zinn, a scientist, writer, and meditation teacher. He takes us deeper into mindfulness with the idea that 'wherever you go, there you are.' He explains that when you learn how to cultivate your internal environment, you can truly be present and not miss out on your own life, including the small moments with your kiddos that you'll never get back.

Watch the full clip here, or check out his books, Wherever You Go, There You Are and Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

Cassy Joy Garcia is the founder, editor-in-chief, and nutrition consultant at Fed And Fit. She's on a mission to simplify wellness through quick and tasty recipes and easy-to-follow nutrition and fitness advice. Join me today as I chat with Cassy about delicious food, recipes that bring sanity to your kitchen, the tension between work and family goals, and so much more.

Find Cassy at fedandfit.com or on IG @fedandfit, and check out her book Cook Once Dinner Fix.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

We live in an age that bombards us with constant distractions, and we place very little priority on taking care of our brains by being mindful and present in the moment. But if we took just 10 minutes a day to actually be still, we could change our whole perspective.

Andy Puddicombe, a meditation and mindfulness expert, explains that we spend much of our waking life lost in thought where it's easy to fall down rabbit holes of overwhelm, anxiety, and unhappiness. When we take time to pause, we equip ourselves with tools to handle stress and emotions...and better yet, we help our kids understand what it means to appreciate life and become more resilient to whatever comes their way.

Watch the full clip here. For more info on Andy's meditation program, go to www.headspace.com.

I'd love to know what you think, so join in on the conversation! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on IG @pgishparenting, or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

We've all heard that kids are sponges. They soak up everything they see and hear—about the world, the people around them, and their own capabilities and worth—and accept it as truth. This is why the words you choose as a parent are so important, and how the narratives you speak into existence will build your child's self-esteem and world perspective.

Rachel Davis is the founder of the music educational platform La La Tigers, an NLP practitioner, songwriter, and mother of two. She explains how the belief systems formed in early childhood can be influenced through love, connection, and music, to increase your child's self-worth, confidence, and self-belief.

Watch the full clip here. For more info, check out www.lalatigers.com.

I'd love to know what you think, so join in on the conversation! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on Instagram (@pgishparenting), or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

Lulu Loya Wu is the founder of Quietly Confident, a life coaching business where she helps women find peace with body image. She is a mom of three, an introvert, and an entrepreneur, so naturally we had a lot to talk about! We discuss self-care, growth and healing, and why it's so hard to break our patterns of clinging to things that don't fulfill us. And of course, Lulu explains how our own energy and mentality shapes how our kiddos learn to view themselves and their place in the world. You won't want to miss Lulu's wisdom and calming encouragement in this episode.

To connect with Lulu, go to www.iamquietlyconfident.com or follow her on IG @iamquietlyconfident.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on Instagram (@pgishparenting), or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.

This week is special to me, as it marks the two-year anniversary of PG-ish. As I reflect on this journey, I'm amazed at the support I've had that has kept me going. Just like parenting, I've had to grow through this one step at a time—and I choose to keep showing up, to learn more, to be a better parent, to help others along the way.

Each of us makes choices every day about how we respond to what comes our way. The habits we choose, day in and day out, the words we speak, how we show kindness and compassion, and ultimately how we decide to live our lives has a huge impact on our kiddos and how they approach the world, their relationships, and their ambition.

Today's throwback clip (Episode 87) with Rick Rigsby reminds us that what matters is not our degrees, our prestige, or our accomplishments, but instead it's how we show up, each and every day.

Watch the full clip here, and for more info, go to www.rickrigsby.com. Get Rick's book, Lessons From a Third Grade Dropout: How the Timeless Wisdom of One Man Can Impact an Entire Generation.

I'd love to know what you think, so join in on the conversation! Subscribe, leave a review, or follow PG-ish on Instagram (@pgishparenting), or you can always find me at www.pgishparenting.com.