Today I’m interviewing Kristin White. Kristin lives in Gig Harbor, WA with her 4 year old boy and 1 year old girl, and her husband. When her son was born 5 years ago, she experienced a traumatic birth experience which led her on a new journey to be an advocate for maternal care, and start a new career as a postpartum health coach. Kristin is deeply passionate about maternal health, specifically as it relates to the postpartum years and how our current healthcare system is failing women and families. Kristin shares so much relevant and practical info on postpartum health and how to find a coach that can really meet you where you are to move forward. Enjoy my conversation with Kristin.

What we talk about:

—What “postpartum” actually means.

—Her journey to becoming a postpartum coach and advocate of women’s health care.

—Her traumatic birth story and how she came through on the other side.

—Her Mama hack to get her kids to eat vegetables!

—All about her coaching and how she partners with Moms.

—Ideas for practicing self-care and her encouragement for new moms to figure out how to fill themselves up!

—Her advice for a new Mama and how to connect with other Moms.

Find Kristin:

Website: kristinwhitewellness.com

Instagram: instagram.com/kristinwhitewellness

Facebook: facebook.com/KristinWhiteWellness

Today’s episode is all about marriage and I love what our guests Rachel Ballard has to say about it. Rachel is a Marriage Strategist who helps women come up with a strategy for creating an exceptional marriage. She is married with 4 kids and they live in Missouri. We cover a lot in this episode about her marriage journey and how she got to where she is today, a little about her podcast and how she and her husband make date night the top priority every single week! I think you’re gonna love this one! Enjoy my conversation with Rachel.

What we talk about in this episode:

—Her journey of becoming a marriage strategist - spoiler alert: it was not an easy one!

—About her podcast with the best title ever - “How to Like your Husband”.

—How Rachel works with women to help their marriages work.

—Her Mama hack that is absolutely brilliant and so simple!

—Her hatred of cooking and how she accomplishes cooking and meal planning!

—Her favorite forms of self-care.

—Some really easy, cheap and free date night ideas and how Rachel and her husband make a weekly date night the first priority.

—Her advice to a new Mama

Find Rachel:

Website: mrsrachelballard.com

Instagram: @howtolikeyourhusband

Podcast: How to Like your Husband

Free Download: 50 Texts to send to your husband - 50sexytexts.com

I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce you to my dear friend Jenna Kranz! I first met Jenna not long after moving to North Carolina. She interviewed me for a job actually to help her bake granola for her granola business! You’ll hear more about that in our episode! We’ve included her delicious granola 3 different times in our boxes. Now Jenna has shifted gears and shut down her granola business to pursue her passion - a nonprofit called Uncomplicated Kitchen. She teaches weekly classes on how to make simple food with simple ingredients - especially using local foods! Because of the coronavirus situation, Jenna has improvised and made a YouTube channel doing what she does best: teaching others to make amazing food.

Jenna is a wife, a mother to a toddler, and a food business owner who knows what it's like to have to to have to get a meal on the table in a half hour, sometimes with no plan and few ingredients. But with a bit of creativity, some basic pantry staples, and self-taught culinary skills, she’s always fed my family. Her goal is to help her students learn to do the same - to feed their families nutritious and delicious meals, even if they just had the basics. She wants to help students break free from the doldrums/inconvenience/intimidation/budget constraints of home cooking and find joy, happiness, and confidence in meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal preparation.

Jenna is a whole bunch of fun and I know you will love her just as much as I do! Enjoy my conversation with Jenna.

What we talked about in this episode:

—How we met when Jenna interviewed me for a job!

—Her story of starting a granola business and moving it with her husband to Sylva, NC.

—The transition of baking granola to her passion for cooking and starting a nonprofit all because a friend wanted to know how to make beets taste delicious!

—All about her amazing cooking classes which are now online due to COVID-19.

—Her best recipe and meal plan tip in one that she calls “emergency food”.

—Why saying “no” is both of our favorite ways to practice self-care.

Book mentioned: “Deceptively Delicious” by Jessica Seinfeld - https://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/006176793X

Find Jenna:

Website: https://www.uncomplicatedkitchen.org/

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCadWqdM38ZBlUAVX_lZws4A

Hey Mamas - I am so excited to introduce you to TWO powerhouse ladies today! In this episode I’m interviewing Anne-Renee Gumley and Amanda Bacon. They are the authors of the book “Shiny Things: Mothering on Purpose in a World Full of Distractions.” They also have a podcast together called “All the Mom Things Podcast” and they run a blog called “The Masterpiece Mom”.

These ladies are so full of wisdom and I especially loved their heart behind writing their book. I hope you love them as much as I do. Enjoy my conversation with Anne-Renee and Amanda.

What we talk about in this episode:

—A little about both Amanda and Anne-Renee and their families.

—About their book and writing from a place of struggle.

—Weighing the pull, as Moms, of what is lesser than what is lasting.

—What it looks like to write a book virtually living 4,000 miles apart!

—Their funniest Mama story including a time Amanda accidentally left a kid home alone and Anne-Renee (and myself!) had to call poison control for one of her kids!

—Their best meal planning and laundry hacks, especially for big families!

—How it’s really hard to mother from a place of emptiness and how they both practice self-care.

—Their best advice for new Mamas.

Find Anne-Renee and Amanda:

Website: http://www.themasterpiecemom.com/

Podcast: https://allthemomthingspodcast.com/

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

“Shiny Things” book: https://www.shinythingsbook.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_bacon_/ and https://www.instagram.com/anne_reneegumley/

Hey there! I absolutely love interviewing mother-daughter duos and I’m so excited to introduce you to Ellie Kay and Bethany Bayless. They love to chat about personal finance and being entrepreneurs. They have a wonderful podcast together called “The Money Millhouse” a podcast for women who make and manage money! These ladies are hilarious and I know you will love their fun banter! Just a note, this was recorded before COVID-19 so it is not referenced at all in this episode. And we also recorded this interview when Bethany was 6 months pregnant and now she is due with her baby boy literally any minute! Enjoy my conversation with Ellie and Bethany!

What we talk about in this episode:

—How many kids and grandkids Ellie has (spoiler: a lot!

—How Bethany feels about being pregnant with her first child!

—About their podcast “The Money Millhouse”.

—How we feel about TikTok for our kids.

—Ellie’s motherhood story which includes 5 kids, 2 stepdaughters and moving 11 times!

—All about Bethany’s first pregnancy; she’s due anytime!

—We discuss birth plans, birthing big babies and the feelings around when your birth plans don’t go the way you expect.

—Ellie gives us her ‘hardcore hacks’!

—Bethany describes an unforgettable moment when her parents nearly called the National Guard trying to find her!

—Ellie and Bethany’s favorite recipes and cravings they both had while pregnant.

—How they both practice self-care!

Recipes Bethany mentions:

Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup

Rigatoni Meatball Soup

Where to find Ellie and Bethany:

Website: themoneymillhouse.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMoneyMillhouse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themoneymillhouse/

Today I’m excited to introduce you to Rebecca Smith! Rebecca, her husband and 4 kids live in a very small city within Detroit, Michigan called Hamtramck. You will hear more about how unique this city is and why they live there and what they do!

Rebecca also wrote a book that released this week called “A Better Life”, where she shares more of her story and life. You guys are going to love our chat. What struck me the most was the universal bond that motherhood gives us no matter who you are, what language you speak or what you look like. You will hear Rebecca’s beautiful story of friendship and living a life she never thought she would. And I do just want to mention that this conversation was recorded prior to COVID-19 so now more than ever if you can support Rebecca’s business at betterlifebags.com or go ahead and buy her book (which is amazing by the way), please help support the awesome work she’s doing. Enjoy my conversation with Rebecca.

Things we talk about in this episode:

—How her life looks dramatically different than she planned.

—A little about the incredibly diverse city of Hamtramck, Michigan where she lives.

—The beautiful story of friendship and universal bond of motherhood.

—All about her business, Better Life Bags, and the mission behind it.

—How she figured out how to bloom where she was planted in a city that was so foreign to her.

—Her (surprising) motherhood story!

—How she practices self-care.

—How she is basically winning at mom hacks and meal planning - you will want to know her secret!!

Find Rebecca:

Website: https://betterlifebags.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterlifebags/ & https://www.instagram.com/rebeccasmithonline/

Order her book, releasing May 19, 2020: https://betterlifebags.com/pages/book

Today’s podcast episode is with Kristie McAllister! I’m excited for you to listen to our episode because if you are craving community right now, Kristie has a solution for you! Kristie is a Mama of 2 boys, 4 and 6 years old and stepmom to a 16 year old girl and a 13 year old boy. She’s been married for 7 years and she’s an RN discharge planner and co-founder of Book Club Sisterhood - a monthly subscription box and online book club for women who want more! If you love to read and be in community, you will love Bookclub Sisterhood! Kristie also shares a bunch of book titles they’ve already read which we will have in the show notes for you to reference. Enjoy my conversation with Kristie.

Things we talk about in this episode:

—How Kristie and her sister who never got along now started a business together!

—All about Bookclub Sisterhood, their subscription box for women.

—A fun way Kristie was able to connect with her best friend during quarantine.

—Kristie’s book recommendations.

—Some really great, practical advice for Mamas about how to ask for help.

Books she mentions:

“Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis

“Own Your Everyday” by Jordan-Lee Dooley

“5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman

“The Latte Factor” by David Bach and John David Mann

“You are the Girl for the Job” by Jess Connolly

Exclusive coupon code for our listeners! Use code MAMANEEDS for $5 off!

Bookclub Sisterhood: bookclubsisterhood.com

Instagram: @bookclubsisterhood

I’m excited to introduce you Jeanette Tapley today! Jeanette is wife to Jesse and Mother to Zeke, Titus and Zoe. She loves talking to friends and laughing loudly, advocating for adoption, and a nice cup of coffee. She is the host of the It's Time For Coffee Podcast and the author of It's Time For Jesus a 30 day devotional. You guys, she is hilarious and we are keeping it real in this episode and talking about the hard parts of this time in quarantine. Enjoy my conversation with Jeanette.

Things we talk about in this episode:

—Her new devotional book coming out soon called “It’s Time for Jesus”.

—Her podcast called “It’s Time for Coffee”, why she started it and who it’s for.

—The first podcast she ever listened to - that she’s a little embarrassed to admit!

—How to have difficult conversations with your kids right now.

—Routines that have been working for her family.

—How she’s keeping up and adjusting with her work.

Book that she mentions: “American Royals” by Katharine McGee

Find Jeanette and her podcast:

Website: https://itstimeforcoffeepod.com/

Instagram: @jeanettetapley

Facebook @thejeanettetapley

Hey there! Today we have our first returning guest! This is the first time I’ve had a guest on twice! I’m interviewing my dear friend Kristin Petersen and I think you are really going to enjoy this episode. We’re going to talk about How to Succeed as a Homeschooling Mama. Kristin was a teacher in Florida public schools for 8 years and now homeschool’s her kiddos, just like we’re all having to do. We are going to cover so much in this episode so I encourage you to take notes - she gives so many amazing tips and actual ideas to keep learning fun and light. We were even able to answer questions from our followers on Facebook and instagram. Enjoy my conversation with Kristin!

What we talk about in this episode:

—How to help our kids thrive and fun while learning at home.

—How to equip ourselves as now homeschooling Mamas.

—Kristin’s top 5 tips to help you succeed as a homeschooling Mama.

—When to start your day and how to keep it fresh.

—How to keep learning fun and light.

—How to use Google, Pinterest and Amazon as your best friends.

—Fun ideas to keep your kids engaged!

—Your questions answered!

The book Kristin mentioned “The First Conspiracy” by Brad Meltzer

Find Kristin on instagram @dreamandamouse

You guys are in for a treat because our guest today on the podcast is Shannon Schottler, who is a professional leadership & career coach based in Minneapolis, MN. When she’s not coaching she’s foster mom to a 5-year-old girl who she refers to as “Big Girl T”, wife to Nate, volunteer addressing education equity…and practicing the radical, unapologetic self-care required to fuel her personal pursuit of joy. Shannon is a subscriber to our monthly self-care boxes so you’ll get a chance to hear what she loves most about Mama Needs Box. You’ll also get to hear her story from being a workaholic to foster mom. She is amazing and I can’t wait for you to listen! Enjoy my conversation with Shannon!

What we talk about in this episode:

—Shannon and her husband’s foster care journey

—Going from a workaholic to making space for rest and new life challenges.

—What friendship looks like and how her community has rallied behind her family to support their foster care journey (spoiler alert: it’s a BEAUTIFUL story).

—Her favorite recipe: https://greenhealthycooking.com/instant-pot-chicken-and-rice/

—How using grocery delivery service is more important now than ever. She also mentions the app called Paprika to help meal plan.

—Shannon’s Mom hack to battle too much screen time.

—Shannon’s self-care routine which she calls “the 3 M’s”.

—How Shannon and her husband use a term called “radical self responsibility” to help each other get time alone.

Find Shannon:

Website: https://shannonschottler.com/

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