Struggle Well School

Struggle Well School

By Emily ThomasHealth & FitnessMental HealthReligion & SpiritualityChristianityEducationSelf-Improvement
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Struggle Well School episodes

  • #253: Bloom Where You're Planted with Tina Prenzi
    You know those people that are so full of life and easy to be around that you just feel lighter after spending time with them? That’s my neighbor Tina. And dang it, I miss her! We talk a lot in this episode about what it has done to our friendship to be on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to sheltering in place. You’re going to love her and her stories about the foot she was going to use for Christmas and the finger she lost in menopause. 

    You can find Tina @themightydandelion on Instagram. The story behind this name and Tina’s bloom where you are planted theory is this: The dandelion has grit, grows with just a little piece of dirt, rain, and a bit of sunshine. The mighty dandelion can bloom just about anywhere! Then, just when you think its life is finished;  the seeds fly all over the world and begin again. Just like us. We are dandelions too. And we are MIGHTY. 

    WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:
    • what our friendship looks like with different perspectives on COVID
    • the gifts Tina is finding during her shelter-in-place time 
    • what she wants to bring into her life when she heads back to work
    • being true to your own convictions without judging others
    • how going through instapause and having a broken foot shifted Tina’s identity
    • what helped Tina get her hormones balanced after menopause
    • her conscious, daily decision to grow where she is planted
    • how Tina maintains her joy and love for life regardless of circumstances
    • the different type of grief she’s experiencing after the loss of her father

      • LINKS MENTIONED:
      “Call It Dreaming” Iron & Wine
      Lean for Life
      Get Out of Your Head
      Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

      CONNECT WITH TINA:
      instagram | facebook 

      CONNECT WITH EMILY:
      website | instagram | facebook | patreon

      SUPPORT THE SHOW:
      Patreon 

      SHARE THE STRUGGLE!If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!
      1 hr 3 min
    • #252: Things Anew with the Struggling Sisters
      Whether you’re overwhelmed with all of the change in your life or you’re sick of the monotony, we are here to empathize! Emily is in a big season of change with a new job and a new house and frankly, too many new things to keep up with! Katie has nothing but groundhogs days so she has been forced to find ways to make things new again.

      WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:
      • what our kid's schooling looks like right now
      • Emily prepping her new condo in the woods
      • Katie making fancy coffees from home
      • the books that Emily and her family have been listening to
      • new summer hair colors at Katie’s house
      • Emily’s new job
      • what’s giving us life and what’s killing us softly

        • LINKS MENTIONED:
        Ruggable
        Starbucks Verismo Milk Frother
        Audible
        Beezus and Ramona series
        Stuck
        Wishes and Wellingtons
        All the Light We Cannot See
        The Alice Network
        The Things We Cannot Say
        Cardi B hair mask
        Prose
        Arctic Fox Hair Color
        StitchFix
        Nordstrom Trunk Club
        Democracy “Ab”solution Jeans
        ADAY clothing
        Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

        CONNECT WITH KATIE:
        instagram | website 

        CONNECT WITH EMILY:
        website | instagram | facebook | patreon

        EPISODE SPONSORS:
        Prep Dish: try it free for 2 weeks when you visit prepdish.com/msw

        SUPPORT THE SHOW:
        Patreon 

        SHARE THE STRUGGLE!If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

        43 min
      • #251: The Lazy Genius Way with Kendra Adachi
        I don’t like it when people make me feel like I need to be more, buy more, or accomplish more. I also don’t like feeling out of control or like I’m falling behind. I am SUCH a fan of Kendra’s concept: Be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don’t. Striving towards movement vs. racing to achievement is the perspective shift we are talking about today.

        Kendra Adachi went to college to become a high school English teacher but instead became the Lazy Genius, passionately and candidly sharing how to stop doing it all for the sake of doing what matters. Her work includes hosting The Lazy Genius Podcast, cooking dinner on  Instagram, and convincing her three young kids that talking on the phone is Mommy’s job. She and her husband love raising their family in the same North Carolina city they both grew up in.
        WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:

        • the difficulty of launching a book in the middle of 2020
        • Kendra’s love for her whiteboard
        • card games she’s loving during the pandemic
        • Kendra’s life before she developed The Lazy Genius concept
        • doing things because of their importance to you, not someone else
        • simplifying your life by deciding once
        • accomplishing your long-term goals by thinking smaller
        • developing one new ridiculously new habit at a time
        • becoming comfortable with failure
        • Kendra’s new hobby

          • LINKS MENTIONED:

          Middleditch & Schwartz
          Thinkboard
          Skip-Bo
          Monopoly Deal
          Horseopoloy
          We Wonder podcast
          Olive & June nail polish

          Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

          CONNECT WITH KENDRA:
          website | instagram | facebook | podcast

          CONNECT WITH EMILY:
          website | instagram | facebook | patreon

          EPISODE SPONSORS:
          Third Love: get 15% off your first purchase when you visit thirdlove.com/msw
          Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for your free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use code MSW to get 5,000 smart points

          SUPPORT THE SHOW:
          Patreon 

          SHARE THE STRUGGLE!

          If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!
          57 min
        • #250: Our Favorite Things with Rebecky and Katie
          250 episodes were just begging to be celebrated this week! The three of us got together to bring back the popular “Favorite Things” episode, and to be honest, we really had to dig for things that we are absolutely loving in this wacky season. We hope you guys get a chuckle out of this one because we laughed the entire time! There is a special unedited video version of this episode over on Patreon for those Struggs who support the show. Thank you ladies for listening and being here to celebrate the pod today!

          WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:

          • clearing up some misconceptions about the 3 of us
          • a walk down memory lane of the Favorite Things episode with Rebecky
          • our favorite kitchen things
          • our favorite kid things
          • our favorite things for ourselves
          • a surprise for Rebecky from the Strugg community
          • a mad-lib letter to Emily from Rebecky and Katie

            • LINKS MENTIONED:
            Problem Solved: Favorite Things
            Takeya pitcher
            Caraway cookware
            Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill
            77 Fairly Safe Science Activities for Illustrating Bible Lessons
            Cinemood Portable Movie Theater
            Growth Book
            Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray
            Shady Rays sunglasses
            Prose
            Ethique sample pack
            Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

            CONNECT WITH REBECKY:
            website | instagram

            CONNECT WITH KATIE:
            instagram | website 

            CONNECT WITH EMILY:
            website | instagram | facebook | patreon

            EPISODE SPONSORS:
            Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for your free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use code MSW to get 5,000 smart points

            SUPPORT THE SHOW:
            Patreon 

            SHARE THE STRUGGLE!

            If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

            49 min
          • #249: Practicing Adoration with Sara Hagerty
            It can be so gratifying to look at yourself/family/spouse through God’s eyes. But the truth is, it’s really hard to let go of what you’ve envisioned for your life. Sara talks with us about the huge shift she has seen over the past few years while focusing on adoration and aligning herself with the Word.  We talk a lot about idealism and perfectionism in this one which is something that I really struggle with. What’s the difference between the two, and what’s the big deal?  

            Sara Hagerty is a lover of God, a wife to Nate, and a mother of seven-four adopted from Africa and then more through miracle pregnancies. She's also a bestselling author and speaker. As a lifelong admirer of words, Sara has experienced their power to revive. Raw words written in tearful honesty and shared with her readers. Words whispered in hidden places as conversation with God and worship to Him. Today  Sara's words offer God's hope to readers facing unexpected life circumstances.

            WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:
            • feeling the effects of aging
            • what Sara’s life looks like with a large, mixed-race family in a word that has been turned upside down
            • the effects of trauma across a lifetime and can be vastly different for each child
            • how trusting that her kid’s pain is real has affected the way Sara’s children respond
            • what Sara’s family has been doing for their mental health
            • perfectionism vs. idealism
            • the trap of idealism
            • the grace of God Sara sees in her 4 adopted children
            • how letting go of her vision for her family and seeing it through God’s eyes is slowly changing Sara as a mom, leader, and wife
            • a shift in perspective about kids’ emotional teenage years
            • adoration bringing our thoughts in alignment with God’s thoughts
            • what Sara has learned about herself after a decade of being intentional about adoration

              • LINKS MENTIONED:
              Ransomed Heart (Wild at Heart)
              The Soul of Shame
              Anatomy of the Soul
              Growth Book 

              Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

              CONNECT WITH SARA:
              website | instagram | facebook

              CONNECT WITH EMILY:
              website | instagram | facebook | patreon

              EPISODE SPONSORS:
              Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for your free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use code MSW to get 5,000 smart points

              SUPPORT THE SHOW:
              Patreon 

              SHARE THE STRUGGLE!If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!
              57 min
            • #248: July Problem Solved
              Have you ever heard of the game: Thousand Ball Soccer? Are you looking for ways to keep kids off screens this summer or just looking to feel less awful when they are? Just listen to this episode here and you’re going to feel loads less alone! 

              I am so proud of you ladies! Here in the middle of Endless Summer 2020 we asked for some problems and we were flooded with solutions you’ve already come up with. Could we be struggling any well-er? Any more well? Anyway… 

              This time you all solved how to add more reading into your days and discovered we can all be the kind of mom that names the days of the week with a cute theme. Here at MSW we are starting with Tired Tuesday and Rebecky’s favorite day of the week: Super Sick With a Surprise Baby Saturday.

              WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:
              • Rebecky’s struggle to trust God to give her another daughter (spoiler alert: God is good and she is having a girl)
              • the gender reveal of Rebecky’s surprise baby
              • Rebecky proves that she really does listen to the show by using Katie’s code word
              • Emily discomfort with having less to accomplish
              • defamation proclamations about a Rugable that shan’t be vacuumed
              • an update on Rebecky’s Peleton purchase
              • Rebecky’s tips and rules for building indoor forts
              • summer bridge learning for your kids
              • theming days of the week - Trail Tuesday… or Tired Tuesday
              • what does the school year even look like this semester
              • ideas to keep your kids off screens
              • our special upcoming 250th episode celebration

                • LINKS MENTIONED:
                Wooden fort clips
                Duolingo
                Trello
                Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

                CONNECT WITH REBECKY:
                website | instagram

                CONNECT WITH EMILY:
                website | instagram | facebook | patreon

                EPISODE SPONSORS:
                Azlo: sign up today with no minimum deposit at azlo.com/msw and get the free small business starter guide
                Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for your free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use code MSW to get 5,000 smart points

                SUPPORT THE SHOW:
                Patreon 

                SHARE THE STRUGGLE!If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!
                45 min
              • #247: Getting to the Root of It with Rachel Scott
                Do you ever feel lost as a Mom, like you can’t remember what your assignment is? Are you digging deep right now deciding how you will respond to racial inequality? 

                Throughout this chat we hit on the ever-evolving nature of our relationships with our children, being a part of a blended family and even share what may be unpopular opinions on some hot topics but with each subject that comes up, Rachel keeps reminding me to self-reflect and get to the root. I am so thankful for my sweet friend's positive biblical perspective when it feels like a minefield to bring up race.

                Rachel G. Scott is an author, speaker, and business/branding consultant. She has built several companies and her passion is to help aspiring and current business owners build, brand (or re-brand), and launch their business while providing them with tools to overcome hurdles along the way. Rachel has a unique ability to help individuals define what they do, who they do it for, and how they can present it to the world.  Her knowledge and love for business and branding is evident whether she is consulting, mentoring, or speaking to a room full of people.  

                WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:

                • relationships with adult stepchildren

                • the difference in the connection between Rachel and her biological kids vs. stepkids

                • adjusting how you run your household as children move out

                • the importance of self-reflection

                • Rachel’s thoughts on oppression from a Christian perspective and recognizing that racism is still a problem

                • getting to the root of why we stick to comfortable cliques

                • taking the risk to grow your sphere of connection with diversity

                • the story behind Rachel’s ministry I Can’t Come Down

                • your purpose vs. your assignment - we all have the same purpose; the assignment is how we do it

                • juggling multiple assignments and identifying what to let go of

                  • LINKS MENTIONED:

                  Try Softer
                  #90: Better Than Blended with Rachel Scott
                  Better Than Blended
                  I Can’t Come Down
                  White Fragility

                  Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

                  CONNECT WITH RACHEL:

                  website | facebook | instagram

                  CONNECT WITH EMILY:

                  website | instagram | facebook | patreon

                  EPISODE SPONSORS:

                  Third Love: get 15% off your first purchase when you visit thirdlove.com/msw
                  Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for your free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use code MSW to get 5,000 smart points

                  SUPPORT THE SHOW:

                  Patreon 

                  SHARE THE STRUGGLE!

                  If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

                  1 hr 12 min
                • #246: The Donkey Days of Summer with the Struggling Sisters
                  Think back to your earliest summer memory. Was it something sweet like picking strawberries in a straw hat or was it more like hot lava seat belts and CDs melting to your dashboard? 

                  We’ve all made it to July! This week we celebrate that by reminiscing about scorching Arizona summers and squash some myths about the Southwest. We also share summer recipe ideas, dunk on our Mom a bit, reveal a code word (shhhh, don’t tell Rebecky) and Emily re-imagines her life as Foop founder, Claire. 

                  WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:

                  • the story of Emily’s new “Almond Butter is My Jam” shirt
                  • myths about Arizona
                  • memories of our summers in Arizona
                  • summer fragrances
                  • nearly sending the kids to camp with large trash cans
                  • summer road trip plans
                  • Rebecky’s code word
                  • why Emily’s new dust buster and fountain giving her life
                  • Katie’s fun final summer classes
                  • Emily’s attempt at teaching her dog to fetch
                  • Katie’s near death-by-healthy-cookie experience
                  • movie night snack ideas

                    • LINKS MENTIONED:
                    Snap Kitchen
                    Lake & Skye 11 11 perfume
                    Burberry perfume
                    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

                    CONNECT WITH KATIE:
                    instagram | website 

                    CONNECT WITH EMILY:
                    website | instagram | facebook | patreon


                    EPISODE SPONSORS:
                    Azlo: sign up today with no minimum deposit at azlo.com/msw and get the free small business starter guide
                    Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for your free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use code MSW to get 5,000 smart points
                    Prose: take the free in-depth hair quiz and get 15% off your order when you visit prose.com/msw

                    SUPPORT THE SHOW:
                    Patreon 

                    SHARE THE STRUGGLE!If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!
                    51 min
                  • #245: Adventuring Together with Greta Eskridge
                    Greta Eskridge is a homeschooling mom of 4. She loves to fill her family’s days with reading, making art, and being outside as much as possible. Her favorite places to be are on a hiking trail or at the tide pools--preferably with a La Croix or iced coffee in hand. Greta loves laughing, having adventures, and talking about the things that really matter. She and her husband, Aaron, have been married for 22 years and make their home in sunny southern California.

                    Greta is also an author and speaker. Her first book releases July of 2020 with Thomas Nelson. Greta travels the country speaking and sharing her message of joyful, connected parenting. She’s passionate about equipping parents with tools to protect their kids from the damaging effects of pornography and to help them cultivate a healthy sexual culture in their home. Greta strives to bring a voice of hope, encouragement, and inspiration wherever she goes.

                    WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:

                    • Greta’s experience of being homeschooled and why she chose to homeschool her children

                    • hormone imbalance and mom anger

                    • Greta’s trial and error with medical options before discovering bioidentical hormone therapy

                    • protecting kids from pornography by giving them a healthy sexual outlook

                    • creating a healthy sexual culture in your home early by using medical names for body parts

                    • defining pornography for your kids so they’ll know to look away and report it

                    • the addictive and destructive nature of porn

                    • simplifying adventuring with your family

                    • how adventuring with her family has helped her and her spouse grow together

                    • allowing your teen to bring a friend on family adventures

                    • finding empathy for your kids who are constantly dealing with hard things

                    • what Greta can’t stop talking about

                      • LINKS MENTIONED:

                      3 Reasons Why Parents Don’t Want to Talk to Their Kids About Porn and 3 Reasons They Should
                      Adventuring Together: How to Create Connections and Make Lasting Memories with Your Kids

                      CONNECT WITH GRETA:

                      website | instagram | pinterest

                      CONNECT WITH EMILY:

                      website | instagram | facebook | patreon

                      EPISODE SPONSORS:

                      Homeschool Buyers Co-Op: sign up for a free membership at homeschoolbuyersco-op.org and use promo code MSW to get 5,000 smart points toward your first purchase

                      SUPPORT THE SHOW:

                      Patreon 

                      SHARE THE STRUGGLE!

                      If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

                      59 min
                    • #244: June Problem Solved

                      Yep, there are large problems in the world. And while we educate ourselves and our families on how to help with those problems (more on that in this episode), these pesky non-problem problems are still creeping up. People wrote in and asked things like: How often should I be practicing “bland face” for when my teenager tells me shocking things and How naked is TOO naked when pelotoning with friends?

                      WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT:

                      • Emily enjoying her kid-free 2 weeks

                      • various and assorted mask problems

                      • how we’re approaching speaking about racial equality on social media

                      • our thoughts on sending kids back to school this fall

                      • helping anxious kids cope with COVID concerns

                      • ways to enjoy your family on road trips

                      • setting boundaries to find time to relax

                      • using reflective questioning with teens that struggle with deception

                      • practicing “bland face” in preparation for your kid’s teen years

                      • giving your kids space to let their energy out

                      • Rebecky’s new alter ego, Francesca

                      • giving disrespectful kids the opportunity to try again (and again)

                      • staying active while sheltering

                      • Rebecky teases some news for next month’s Problem Solved episode

                      LINKS MENTIONED:

                      Between the World and Me White FragilityPhil Vischer - Race in America

                      CONNECT WITH REBECKY:

                      website | instagram

                      CONNECT WITH EMILY:

                      website | instagram | facebook | patreon

                      EPISODE SPONSORS:

                      Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: a fairytale podcast for kids about extraordinary women from all over the world Little Spoon: get 20% off your first 3 orders when you visit littlespoon.com/msw

                      SUPPORT THE SHOW:

                      Patreon 

                      SHARE THE STRUGGLE!

                      If you've been encouraged, share this episode with a friend.  The struggle is real.  We might as well do this together! Do you love Mom Struggling Well? Please leave a review here!

                      49 min

                    About Struggle Well School

                    From the publisher's feed

                    The podcast that helps you love your actual life so you don’t need to run away from home. Join your friend Emily each week to practice thought work guaranteed to yield perspective shifts which will move you from struggling to struggling WELL.