Carrie Moore lost her husband in a plane crash in 1996, she had three small children and has lots of valuable information for moms to prepare for such an event but especially those who have suffered from a loss.

Today's guest is Carrie Moore. She is the founder & director at The Bradley Center: Support for Grieving Children and Families. She has turned her personal journey in a way to help others. I'm just so proud of her as my Aunt and all that she does in this world. Can't wait to share her with you.

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines. Routine is something awesome for families who hare going through things, and I can help you get there!

• Something she learned through the death of her husband
• Things people did that were helpful
• How she found support with the other women whose husbands had died.
• Things she would have done differently
• The importance of creating a will/trust.
• Hurtful things that people say
• What you SHOULD say
• Family Grief Support Network

• The Bradley Center
• How to create a will or trust
• How to NOT kill your husband

Producer: Drew Erickson

How to pick a doula is so important. There are plenty of inexperienced doulas out there, and finding an experienced doula that is the right fit can be a huge benefit to you & your labor team.

Today's guest is April Davis from The Vagina Blog. She has worked as a birth assistant, birth photographer and doula. She is also behind The Vagina Blog Podcast and you can also find her on Instagram (seriously, follow her, my friends).

This post was inspired by my post on Pro's and Con's of Doulas. Which is loved to hate by the doula community, but I want to be VERY clear that a GOOD dolula is worth their weight in gold. Those types of doulas are just harder to find...

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. I don't think it's ever been more important to GET PREPARED for your upcoming labor!

In this episode:

We are talking about how to choose your attendant if you are planning a home birth.

The best parts of having a doula at your birth.

The questions to ask when interviewing doulas

What good doulas do during birth

Other things that might interest you:

My post on hospital vs home birth

Creating a birth plan (and I talk a LOT about how flexible you need to be in that post as well).

Producer: Drew Erickson

Organizing can be REALLY hard. This episode is going to talk about WHY its' hard so we can acknowledge it and move on.

This post is inspired by my blog post Organizing is Hard that I think you'll enjoy that as well!

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home -- if you want to get started on organizing your home you can start for JUST a month (cancel at any time!).

And, if you're not ready to jump into the whole class, take my free 5-Word Organization Challenge:

In this episode

• Making Less Choices
• Shirt Filing
• Sunk Costs

Other things you might enjoy:

How to organize the bathroom (I talk a lot about getting through beauty products on this one)

Producer: Drew Erickson

Elementary aged kids LOVE to read, but that love seems to wane as our kids get older. How do we get teenagers to read, and what are some good books to suggest if you can't seem to get them interested in reading?

Don't miss my free Teen Summer Reading Bingo that will help your kids vary what they're reading this summer:

Today's guest is Bryce Moore. He is the author of several teen type fiction books including The Memory Thief and Vodnik. He also has a blog at BryceMoore.com with all his musings and ramblings.

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines. If you're looking to get your life into a routine to have more time to promote reading, be sure to check it out!

In this episode we're going to talk about:

• Why the love of reading lessens as kids get older
• The things we're doing wrong with our teens that makes them not read.
• Emphasize that reading shouldn't be approached as a punishment.

Items Mentioned:

On the Road

Book Bub

Scribd -- and my post on why we use it.

Kindle Reader (vs Kindle Fire)

Contagion

Bryce's Top 5 Books for Teens:

• Skyward by Branden Sanderson
• Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
• Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
• Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Bryce's Top Series for Teens:

Disc World Series (Bryce likes this one) by Terry Pratchett

I AM Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells (he also likes Blue Screen)

Anxiety is something a lot of pregnant moms experience all of the time, but especially right now. Let's talk about how normal it is and how to deal with it -- especially if you're parenting other humans.

Cami Moss is the hostess of The Real Connections Podcast -- a podcast that helps YOU learn how to connect with your family, friends, and everyone in between. I've also seen a ton of great tips on her Instagram

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples, one of the MOST important things you can do to get less anxious is to get prepared. Jump inside today (be sure to use the coupon code mentioned in the episode).

As mentioned in the podcast, I do have a free prenatal class that will get you started to learn about your upcoming delivery.

We're talking about

• Anxiety is normal during pregnancy
• Extra anxiety during the Corona/Covid mess
• The things that are different during Corona/Covid with prenatal care
• Ways to calm yourself down with your anxiety (without medication)
• How we can adapt

Other things that might interest you:

• What to do when you're first pregnant (don't delay prenatal care!)
• Hope during pregnancy

Producer: Drew Erickson

Today we are talking about our experience with unemployment and handling it as a couple. In 2011 we were both given pink slips, I ultimately got my job back, but my husband was laid off and we had to move quickly and find a new job.

Today's sponsor is Family Routines. When your family is in a tough spot, getting on a routine is KEY. So man good tips in this course!

Things Discussed:

• My husband's layoff notice in 2011
• My layoff notice in 2010
• Buying our house on the internet

Items Mentioned:

Our Job Loss Journey

Producer & Guest: Drew Erickson

Motivation can be hard to get and hold onto. How can you GET motivated and get GOING on the things you want to make a change with?

This post is inspired by my post on motivation. I think we all WANT to make a change, it's just all about getting over that bump to doing it!

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home -- if you're looking to make a change it is going to MOTIVATE you to get going!

What we're talking about today:

• WHY to make a change in your house (finding your REASONS motivates you!)
• Ways to get over the "bump" of motivation (or lowering that bump)
• Something to do AFTERWARDS that will help you get motivated next time!

Items Mentioned

• Family Routines can really help YOU to help kids get organized!
• I workout with Lindsay Brin from Mom's into Fitness

Other posts that might interest you:

I have a post on my favorite organization hacks, my favorite organization systems in my house and creating a cleaning schedule (because sometimes being told what to do so I can check it off is a great motivator!)

Producer: Drew Erickson

What are some tips and tricks for managing kids during the summer? How do you manage snacks, free time and more!

Today's guest is one of my blogging BFF's, Lara Neves from Overstuffed. You can also find her on Instagram @overstuffedmom

This episode was inspired by my MANY posts on summer learning. I love using summer as a time for enrichment!

This post is sponsored by Family Routines -- if you're looking to get into a routine and help your kids have a bit more stability this summer -- THIS is the course for you:

In this Episode:

• How to make sure each kid gets what they need
• How to handle snacks during the summer
• Why we NEED summer
• Summer kick-off party ideas (love this!!!)

Items Mentioned:

• Lara's Summer Reading List (I LOVE this idea)

Other Things Things that Might Interest You:

• The Child Whisperer (great to see what your kids need)
• Using the library

Producer: Drew Erickson

I asked for questions on my social media, and got some great ones to answer for you today!

Be sure to find out the answer to my #1 question on epidurals (find it in the shownotes)

Big thanks to today's sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples -- if you're looking for more information on all aspects of pregnancy, do NOT miss it! Be sure to use the coupon code mentioned in the episode!

Questions Most Often Asked:

• How often does an epidural not work?
• What are the consequences of an epidural?
• How does recovery compare with/without an epidural?
• What are the complications of an epidural?
• Does the epidural increase your risks for tearing?
• How much pain does an epidural take away?

Items Mentioned:

• My post on Does labor hurt with an epidural?
• Informed consent post

Other things you might find helpful:

• Tearing at delivery
• Does getting an epidural hurt?
• Labor Epidural placement
• Pain Management in Labor

What are some tips and tricks for parenting through divorce? If you can't make your marriage work anymore, how can you make it the best for the kids?

Today's Guest is Ashlee from Ashlee Marie -- and the YouTube channel Ashlee Marie Cakes (where she makes AMAZING homemade meals that you can easily replicate for your family!). She is a long-time blog friend and was very open for this episode, which I (and hopefully you) really appreciated!

Big thanks to today's sponsor Family Routines -- during our Parenting Through series, you'll find that during times of stress -- routines make all the difference. Be sure to use the code mentioned in the episode!

In this episode we talk about:

• Picking a lawyer
• Handling kid's questions during divorce
• Using counseling during divorce

Producer: Drew Erickson