Welcome back to The Mama Needs Podcast! Now I know that Earth Day was back in April but today I am interviewing my guest, Bev Feldman about easy ways to ‘go green’.

Bev is a mom of two little girls juggling playdates, a business as a email marketing technology consultant, and her blog about eco-friendly living. Like most moms, Bev's all about convenience and saving money, but she also realizes her girls are inheriting this world.

She believes it’s her obligation to them and future generations to reduce the amount of waste her family creates. Through her blog, Bev Goes Green, she shares tips on creating a greener home that won't break the bank while also involving our kids in the process.

You’ll hear us talk about baby steps you can do with your kids to start changing habits, cleaner ways to clean your house and the difference between recycling and something called “wish cycling”. I really loved this conversation and I think you will, too! Here’s my chat with my friend, Bev.

Links from this episode:

Radical Homemakers by Shannon Hayes

Angry Mom microwave cleaner

Dropps

Eco-Bingo Challenge

Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Find Bev:

www.bevgoesgreen.com

instagram.com/bevgoesgreen

yourpersonaltechfairy.com

instagram.com/your.personaltechfairy

**Remember, when you listen to this podcast, you get a code for FREE SHIPPING on this month's Mama Needs Box! 💸 

I am SO happy to be back this week with a NEW episode! I’m so excited for you to meet Shannon Doherty!

She is a wife, Mama of 4 kids who lives in Connecticut and I am dubbing her as the Mom Hack Queen! You guys, she makes the best, short and simple videos sharing Mom hacks, recipes and easy craft ideas for you and your kids!

She started this during the pandemic as a way to create community and give her family something to do and it has absolutely exploded - so much in fact that she now has just under 1 Million followers on TikTok.

I loved chatting with her - she’s so much fun and I love the heart behind what she does. I know you’ll enjoy her and want to follow along too so you can learn these amazing hacks! Enjoy my conversation with Shannon!

Find Shannon:

TikTok: @athomewithshannon

Instagram: @athomewith.shannon

YouTube: At Home with Shannon

Hey Mamas, before we get really into this episode with my guest Ashley, I wanted to say a few things. First, this episode is titled “When You Can’t Smile” because we are going to be discussing postpartum anxiety and depression. The goal of this episode is to help other Mamas know that you’re not alone if you struggle with your mental health. I sincerely hope and pray that through hearing mine and Ashley’s stories, it will help get you to a place where you can smile. 

This episode could be triggering for anyone who has dealt with depression and anxiety, especially postpartum. If this is hard for you to listen to, please give yourself the freedom to turn it off or listen to it another time. But if you are struggling here with these issues and you’re looking for encouragement and other moms to say “me too I struggle with this too” then you’re in the right place. 

Second, I am not a doctor, counselor or mental health professional and neither is my guest. Please please please speak to a professional about anything related to your mental health. As you will hear in our stories, once we spoke with our doctors, we realized just how common this is and how many people struggle who don’t talk about it.

Third, please share this episode with your mom friends and then discuss it with them! I am a huge advocate of normalizing postpartum depression and anxiety and taking medication to help if necessary. Find someone you trust who is a safe place and start a conversation. You never know what is actually going on with someone until you’re both vulnerable.

Alright, now that I’ve introduced our topic, let me introduce our guest! Ashley Carbonatto is a domestically underachieving mom-of-three who juggles all the things. She's a gatherer of people, a welcomer to the outsider, a storyteller to the tired, and an entertainer to the downcast. After leaving a successful career, she re-discovered her voice and renewed purpose in motherhood, but in her own unconventional way. You need homemade frosting? She's not the one you call. But you need a good story and honest reflection? Ashley's your woman. She lives in Washington state with her husband & three minions, and always has a drink in the fridge for anyone who stops by. Enjoy my conversation with Ashley.

Find Ashley:

“More Than a Mom” book

Website:https://designstylepurpose.com/

Instagram: @ashley_carbo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designstylepurpose

Book she mentions: “To Hell with the Hustle” by Jefferson Bethke

Welcome back Mamas! It’s a new month and and we are talking about a brand new topic here on The Mama Needs Podcast. As you know, we’re at the 1 year mark since COVID made our world shut down. Wearing masks used to be illegal and strange; now it is the norm for the foreseeable future. And although we know masks are vital and now part of our life, they hide something far more important; your beautiful face and smile. And we miss it.

Our April Mama Needs to Smile box will be a box full of products and inspiration to keep you grinning from ear to ear. 

This box is for sale between March 1 – 31 and will ship on April 4! And here’s the BEST news: listen in to this episode to get a coupon code for free shipping on this box!

My guest today is Allison Carter! Allison is a Seattle mom of two and believes that every occasion, big or small, deserves to be celebrated. As the founder and CEO of Allison Carter Celebrates, she helps make busy mom’s lives easier and way more fun, especially when it comes to celebrating special occasions and holidays. Her Memories in Moments podcast has served thousands of families around the world, helping them turn up the volume on life’s little moments to create beautiful, lasting memories. Her monthly subscription box, Memories in Moments: Unwrapped, brings the celebration straight to your door with holiday themed crafts and activities planned, prepped and done for you. Allison and her business has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Forbes, Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart, Buzzfeed, Real Simple, and more!

Find Allison:

https://allisoncartercelebrates.com/
podcast: https://allisoncartercelebrates.com/memories-in-moments-podcast
boxes: https://allisoncartercelebrates.com/unwrapped-subscribe
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisoncartercelebrates/

Welcome back Mamas! It’s a new month and you know what that means! We are talking about a brand new topic here on The Mama Needs Podcast. And it’s for sure one of my favorites! It’s COFFEE time! That’s right! We do a coffee-themed box every year and it’s finally here! Whether you take it black, blonde, non-dairy, sweet, non-sweet: Mama Needs Coffee! As Mamas, it can be a necessity to help compensate for those late night feedings or early morning wake-ups with kids piled up in your bed.

So, we have created a box for March that is all of those things and more. A box full of that amazing aroma of coffee plus other coffee-related products to provide that comfort, warmth and happiness you need! This box is a coffee-lover’s dream!

Our March “coffee” box is for sale between February 1 – 28 and will ship on March 4! And here’s the BEST news: listen to this episode to find out how to get FREE SHIPPING on this box!

To start us off on this glorious coffee theme, today I am interviewing my new friend Rachel Cabalse! Rachel lives in San Jose, California with her 2 kids and husband + a new puppy! Rachel reached out to me on instagram months ago to tell me about her new children’s book called “This Mommy Needs Some Coffee”. She sent me a copy and I absolutely ADORE this book! You will hear all about how Rachel wrote this book in 2020 during quarantine - that’s right you guys, she published a book in 2020. With her kids and her actual life as her inspiration, it was the spark to ignite the light for a new dream to be born. “This Mommy Needs Some Coffee” depicts the struggles of parenting, the beauty of everyday life, and the love of coffee all wrapped into an endearing picture book that littles will actually enjoy as much as their parents!

Find Rachel:

Website: http://www.Mommyneedscoffeebook.com
Instagram: instagram.com/ThisMommyNeedsSomeCoffee
Facebook: facebook.com/ThisMommyNeedsSomeCoffee

Hey there! Welcome back to the Mama Needs Podcast!

Today we are continuing in our series called “Mama Needs Friendship” to go along with our February box theme! All of January we’re doing a BOGO deal where if you buy a box, you can get 15% off another box for yourself or for a friend! Some of the products inside our February box are meant to be experienced with your gal pal - either safely in person or even or Zoom or FaceTime! All you need to do is go to mamaneedsbox.com, purchase a box and then forward your receipt to me at [email protected]. I’ll email you back with a coupon code and then you can grab a second box at 15% off to unbox with your bestie! How fun is that??

So, let’s keep talking more about friendship! Today I am interviewing Yohonna Smith, who is the creator and host of the Girls Talking Life podcast. On each episode of her podcast, she brings you a girl and her story, plus some fun favorites. She hopes that by listening you'll be inspired to initiate change, to be intentional, to cultivate community and to love others well.

Yohonna lives in central Ohio, along with her husband, two daughters and one bad dog. There she spends her days in the details of family life, trying to find the balance between fun mom and responsible mom. She continuously struggles to find enough time in the day, to be brave enough to take action on the hard things, and to love Jesus more.

We had such a great conversation you guys! We talked about the main reasons why it’s so important to have and keep friendships in our life, we talk about some creative ways to meet up with you friends during this pandemic and Yohonna gives us some really great next steps for making friendships. We share some really fun stories and I know you will love it! Enjoy my conversation with Yohonna.

Find Yohonna:
girlstalkinglife.com
https://www.facebook.com/girlstalkinglife
https://www.instagram.com/girlstalkinglife/
Book she mentions: “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters” by Priya Parker

Hey there! Welcome back to the Mama Needs Podcast! We are beginning a brand new series called “Mama Needs Friendship” to go along with our February box theme!

All of January we’re doing a BOGO deal where if you buy a box, you can get 15% off another box for yourself or for a friend! Some of the products inside our February box are meant to be experienced with your gal pal - either safely in person or even or Zoom or FaceTime! All you need to do is go to mamaneedsbox.com, purchase a box and then forward your receipt to me at [email protected]. I’ll email you back with a coupon code and then you can grab a second box at 15% off to unbox with your bestie! How fun is that??

So today’s interview is perfect because me and my best friend Carla are chatting it up today all about how to maintain a friendship over long distances. Carla was on episode #5 back when I first started the show and it was one of our most listened to episodes!

Today we’re revealing a lot about ourselves and each other as we share how we’ve both put in the time and effort to keep our friendship going even though she lives in FL and I live in NC. And make sure you listen all the way through because we play a fun game at the end! There’s lots of laughs, ridiculousness but a lot of what I hope will be immensely helpful if you have a friend who moved recently or you are the friend who moved. Or maybe the pandemic has put a strain on your friendships. This episode is for you. Enjoy my conversation with Carla!

Welcome to our final episode in this “Mama Needs to Dream” series! I’m ending this series with a bang and interviewing my business coach Amber Housley! Amber is a marketing strategist and business coach. With her expertise, she's led and consulted for top creatives and influencers, producing hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue with her sales and marketing strategies.

Passionate about raising women to new heights, Amber shares her smart strategies with other women business owners through live and virtual trainings. Amber has a big heart for helping women build thriving businesses and joy-filled lives. Balancing family and business is always going to be hard, but, she says, the trick is to get out of your own way and trust that there are smart strategies to run your business, so you can spend more time creating and being with the people that mean the most to you.

In addition to her business activities, she combines her love of business, creating, gardening, faith and family into one ‘sweet life’ with her husband and two children outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Today Amber is going to be sharing about some topics that she is super passionate about: goal setting and vision boarding! If you hear those topics and start to think they don’t apply to you, think again Mama! We chat about how to set goals no matter what season of life you’re in…even if, like me, your goal is to get a shower everyday! You’ll also hear Amber’s top tips for goal settling and how she coaches thousands of women each year to do it. Then, you’ll hear us dive into vision boarding and what it is, what it looks like and how Amber’s vision board came to life not once, but twice - they are amazing stories you won’t want to miss. Get out a notebook and get ready to take notes! Enjoy my conversation with Amber.

Find Amber:

FREE Vision boarding workshop with Amber: amberhousley.com/visionboard
Web: amberhousley.com
Instgram: @amberhousley
Facebook: facebook.com/amberhousley

Hey and welcome back to the Mama Needs Podcast! We are continuing in our third week of our Mama Needs to Dream series! Week 1 was with Makayla Ervin, talking about when dreaming takes you down the road less traveled. Week 2 was with Monica Swanson, talking about being a Mom AND pursuing your passions!

Today I’m doing things a little bit differently. Instead of a normal, traditional interview, I’m going to be having a conversation with my dear friend Alana Dawson. We are both in a business mastermind group and we call ourselves ‘The Dream Team’, which is so very fitting for today’s conversation. We talk about giving ourselves permission to pivot in our dreams and also thinking back about what we wanted to be when we grew up, what we dreamed of as little girls. And how we can use those things that we’re good at and what we dreamed of later in life. We had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun and I think you will love her! Enjoy my conversation with Alana.

Find Alana:

Website: alanadawson.com

Instagram: instagram.com/alanapdawson

Facebook: facebook.com/podcastcoachalanadawson

Podcast: The Podcasting Party

The book she mentions (but couldn’t remember the name!): “The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany” by Lori Nelson Spielman

Hey Mamas! We are back in week 2 of our Mama Needs to Dream series! Last week we had a great conversation with Makayla Ervin all about how sometimes dreaming takes you down the road less traveled. This week I am interviewing Monica Swanson who is a wife, mom, author, blogger, and podcast host passionate about encouraging moms who are raising boys in today's world. Monica and her doctor-husband, Dave, have one son in college and three more boys at home, dividing their time between homeschooling and surfing. The Swansons make their home in the country on the North Shore of Oahu, HI.

This is such a great episode you guys! Monica shares how during the early years of motherhood that she lost herself and just felt like all she was was a Mom. Haven’t we all felt that same way? Everyday is groundhog day and we can lose sight of what makes us come alive. That was the situation that Monica found herself in. A little later she dabbled in blogging and a dream was born to make it her full-time job! I also chat with Monica about the constant balancing act we do as Moms plus she shares some very practical and doable ways to start dreaming and pursuing what you love right in the middle of motherhood. Enjoy my conversation with Monica.

Books she mentions:

“Everything is Figureoutable” by Marie Forleo

“Experiencing God” bible study by Henry and Richard Blackaby, Claude King

Find Monica:

Website: https://monicaswanson.com/

Boy Mom book: https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Mom-What-Your-Needs/dp/052565271X/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Monica+Swanson&qid=1587674754&s=audible&sr=1-2-catcorr

The Boy Mom Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-boy-mom-podcast-with-monica-swanson-and-friends/id1468061855

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicaswanson_/

Free resource: In addition, Monica has a companion blog post and printable of "25 Things Mom Needs From Her Family": https://monicaswanson.com/7habits/