Today Katherine and I talk about how to keep things simple as mothers in order to maximize enjoyment of our space—all while streamlining our lives. Our hope is that this conversation helps move us toward the goal of becoming more minimalistic while maintaining a sense of authenticity and practicality in our spaces. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., a solid "catch up week", a fun craft class, what's happening in Texas, and fatigue). Then we shift into Today's Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (observing the seasons from the same spot plus a wax seal kit for letters). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

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Today, Sara and I take a deeper dive into the  Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy. We discuss the parts of  IFS (Self, protectors, exiles) and how to work toward healing with a  specific focus on how our past pain impacts our relationships with our  children. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., school advocacy, enjoying a more settled life in Hilo, and the challenges of homeschooling). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (“two things are true” from Dr. Becky and an ode to public libraries). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

YOU CAN FIND THE EPISODE HERE

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Katherine read a book a few years ago that talked  about the power of staying curious over becoming critical. As someone  who is deeply committed to lifelong learning, but also has very high  standards for herself and those around her (which can sometimes lead to  being judgemental), she LOVED this idea. Turns out, however, that it is  harder to do that you would think! Today we talk about what this idea  looks like (or could look like!) in our lives. We start with our current  Highs and Lows (i.e., vacationing with friends,  getting time away from family with friends, glamping, and feeling  stretched too thin). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (interesting Enneagram website and non-fiction read alouds with kids). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

YOU CAN FIND THE EPISODE HERE

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Our topic today dives deep into some very big questions we have around the 2022-2023 school year as Sara prepares to home school while traveling the world and Katherine grapples with educational options for her two girls. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e. bedtime woes, the joy of summer produce- especially peaches, the glow of well-planned trip planning, and the challenges of being together as a family all the time while traveling for an extended period). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (Zuri and homemade lemonade). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

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Our topic today is a reflection about how we are doing toward our annual  goals, since we are nearly at the halfway mark. We start with our  current Highs and Lows (i.e. settling into parenting,  reducing stress, feeling sluggish, and worrying about the current state  of our democracy). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (arepas from Trader Joe’s and the Feelings Wheel). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

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Our topic today is a conversation about the current states of our most essential relationships. We talk about what is going well and what we want to work on with our partners. We start with our  current Highs and Lows (i.e. end of school year chaos, vacation fun, and home repair woes). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (The Feel Better, Live More Podcast’s bitesize episodes and how to  involve children in travel planning). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

YOU CAN FIND THE EPISODE HERE

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Our topic today is a conversation about some of our favorite books. Katherine was busy getting ready for her trip to Mexico, so Anissa from Mama Goes Beyond joined us as a co-host. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., saying goodbye to friends, launching Camp Happy Mama, and preparing for solo-parenting). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (using separate specific glasses for your children all summer long and the Briar Patch Road Trip Scavenger Hunt). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

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Our topic is week acknowledges that our children are in or entering the “interpretive stage” of parenting according to Galinksy’s theory. This means that they are the most open to our messages about life and our values. This period only lasts until Adolescence around age 12. We are excited to share our top ten life lessons and how we think about imparting these lessons to our children. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., COVID, stress about the world, excitement about upcoming travel). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (a drawer organizer and Roadside America app). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

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We have talked before on the podcast about the  importance of restorative rest and about how routines and rituals factor  into our processes for making sure we have margin in our lives. In this  episode we dig a layer deeper on how we think about rest and  rejuvenation. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., weekends away with friends, dealing with the public education system, and stress). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (Wizard of Paws and the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

YOU CAN FIND THE EPISODE HERE

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Today we talk about how we are thinking about envisioning and creating  summer plans. In this episode, we share how we went about getting really  clear about what matters to us, then how we can be proactive about  making it happen but also we can be intentional about saying no to the  things that don’t bring us joy. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., planning summer trips, re-envisioning holidays, and house rental stress). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (WeeHoo and coupon deals). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

YOU CAN FIND THE EPISODE HERE

Also, your reviews on Apple Podcasts really help the show—thank you!