What is it about the New Year that inspires us to focus on every little thing we don’t like about ourselves? Why do we start each year ‘doggedly determined’ to fix every flaw? (In case you didn’t know…doggedly determined is a synonym for the word resolution…as in New Year’s resolution.) Who wants to start another trip around the sun doggedly determined to do anything? Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Join us on this episode as we encourage each other to ditch resolutions and make a case for why aspirations and intentions serve us better. Aspirations focus on hope, self-compassion, and kindness. We set our intentions on what we want more of in our life, not those things that tell us we are not enough.

As always, we promise to be transparent and real. To that end, we will be reviewing our Words for 2023 and discussing how they impacted our lives. We will also share our Words for 2024.

We would love for you to email us at [email protected] to share your word for the New Year. (And if you are having difficulty choosing a word, email us at [email protected] and we will send you a wonderful guide Robin created to help you choose the perfect word for 2024.)

This episode is an invitation to pause, breathe, and embrace God’s gift of another year. May we cherish each moment anchored in faith and a desire to live life to the fullest. Happy New Word!


Show Notes:
To read the article about New Year's resolution we discuss, go to:
https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-years-resolutions-statistics/

As the final embers of 2023 glow softly behind us, we gather around the warmth of shared stories and revelations. This episode is a mosaic of triumphs, trials, and the heartfelt thanks we owe to the souls that touched our lives. We recount the victories, be it the thrill of the Super Bowl, the resilience in the face of illness, or the medical marvels that reshaped destinies. Our narrative invites you to sift through your own year's tapestry, to find the threads of experiences that will weave into your future.

Join us on this voyage of reflection and anticipation, as we turn the page to a new chapter together.

The holiday season is rife with images of perfection, but the reality seldom matches the dream. In this episode, we recognize the pitfalls of chasing a perfect holiday and offer tips for setting realistic expectations - focusing on what truly matters: connection, love, and the spirit of the season. The art of enjoying the holidays isn't found in flawlessness but in embracing each moment as it comes, complete with its imperfections.

So come, join us in our quest for a merrier, stress-free holiday season filled with love, hope, forgiveness, and grace.

Show Notes:
12 Steps to Avoid Disappointment this Holiday Season by Joshua Becker
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/avoid-christmas-disappointment/

Have you ever wished that you could wave a magic wand, and transform the holiday season from a stress-filled puzzle into a period of genuine joy and peace? 

Let’s dive into that wish together. This episode is your guide to reclaiming the holiday season by navigating and managing its three primary sources of stress: parties, people, and pain. 

For more information: 

https://www.marketsatshrewsbury.com/blog/stress-free-holiday-entertaining

https://bringingkingdom.org/blog/holidays-flipping-the-script-on-stress-and-triggers-to-calm-and-peace 

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/signs-of-holiday depression.html#:~:text=How%20do%20the%20holidays%20affect,such%20as%20dep ression%20or%20anxiety.


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Have you ever wondered what a mission trip across the globe might look like? Join us in an enlightening conversation where we welcome back our co-host, Denise, who takes us on her journey to India – from her struggles as a traveler to her observations about the country and its pressing issues. She paints a vivid picture of the living conditions there, highlighting the challenges of access to clean water, education, and healthcare.  She also shares her inspiring interactions with the Sanjeev John Foundation, an organization committed to offering help to those who need it most in India. 

Denise's trip wasn't just enlightening, it was a deeply personal journey that highlights the rewards and challenges of doing service work abroad. Give it a listen.

Imagine letting AI whip up your workout plans, find recipes using what's left in your pantry, or even craft bedtime stories for your little ones! 

Join us as AI wizard and guest co-host Rachel Keller and Robin delve into these mind-blowing applications of chat GPT, and also discuss how starting with chat GPT doesn't have to be daunting. This episode will guide you on how to navigate this space with beginner-friendly tips and discuss the promising future of AI in tasks in both our professional and personal lives. 

Let's learn, grow, and explore the breathtaking world of AI together.

Special Guest/Co-host Rachel Keller. To learn more from her, follow her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelschisler/

Nothing seems to fascinate us more than a good love story. And no love story has the world’s attention more than that of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. 

So what is it about this power couple that intrigues us so much? Why do we read and re-read every article about them and replay their reels more times than we’d like to admit?

Join us for this episode as Rachel returns to co-host with Robin to get to the bottom of this phenomenon. It turns out that there’s good evidence (and lots of fun banter) to explain our obsession with the Travis/Taylor romance and the joy it brings us.  

Guest co-host: Rachel Keller

The holidays are meant to be a magical, peace-filled time for families to reflect on the birth of Jesus, our many blessings, and precious moments spent with family and friends. So, what is it about Christmas that takes those well-intended precepts and turns them into a shopping frenzy, stress-filled expectations, and exhaustion?

We’re here to help with that. Today’s episode offers some tried and true alternatives to hectic holidays.

What to buy for new parents? We got you covered. What would tweens, teens, and in-betweens appreciate? We made a list and we’ve checked it twice. What would bring joy to our senior relatives? Nothing they must fill, dust, or water. Please join us as we offer tips for making your holidays blessed and blissful.

We would love it if you made our holidays bright by leaving a review. We would also love to see your Christmas not-shopping list.

Show notes: 

To read the article we discuss about what moms need, go to:
https://monicaswanson.com/what-a-mom-needs-most-from-her-family-25-things/

Playdough recipe: 
1c flour 
1/2c salt 
2 tsp crème of tartar
1 c water
1 tbsp cooking oil
food coloring of your choice
Mix dry ingredients, Stir in water, coloring, oil. Mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until dough loses shine and rolls around spoon in one lump. Remove from heat, turn out, knead until smooth and free from lumps. When cool, store in a plastic container. (“This recipe must be good; some of the children eat it like candy!”)

Reverse Advent calendar: https://passionatepennypincher.com/reverse-advent-calendar/

Bird wreath feeder:
https://www.birdsandblooms.com/backyard-projects/diy-bird-feeder/diy-bird-feeder-wreath/

This summer’s surprise blockbuster, the Barbie Movie, included a rant that
has touched a nerve with women of all ages. Some say, “I’ve never felt so heard.” Others remark, “It’s about dang time.”

The rant speaks to the significant emphasis on body image. Do women still
struggle with expectations to have a perfect 36-24-36 figure even though those
measurements are based on a doll? It also mentions the business world, saying be a boss but don’t be bossy; know your worth but don’t ask for money; be successful but not too determined, confident, or threatening. 

So, how does a woman succeed in business without being criticized for leadership skills that are commendable in men but discouraged in women?

And as the holidays approach, many women will be adding baking, decorating, party planning, gift buying, entertaining, and exhaustion to their already over-booked, challenging, stress-filled lives as wives, mothers, and co-workers. 

We’re here today to talk about all of this and more as Robin and Special Guest Kate Randolph weigh in on womanhood in 2023. 

Special Guest:
Kate Randolph is 46, a wife, mother of two teenage boys, dog mom, fitness
enthusiast, nurse, and the Regional Director of Patient Safety and Quality for a
national healthcare organization. She is also Denise's amazing daughter.

Show Notes:
To watch the Barbie Movie monologue we discuss, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsY9c9WodcE.

Marriage is hard.

But what is it about the second or third chapter of life that increases the risk of marital discord and divorce? It's a question worth asking since "gray divorce" is escalating at surprising rates with the aging of baby boomers. Currently, more than 1 in 3 people who divorce in the US are older than 50, and the divorce rate for those 65+ continues to increase exponentially, while others in younger age groups are divorcing at a lesser rate.

Are there signs that indicate a relationship is in critical condition? Are there ways to improve a long-term relationship? And is there hope for a brighter tomorrow?

Join us for this important episode as we discuss these questions and more with MSW Kim Oliver, 


Special Guest: Kim Oliver. 
Kim has a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Missouri. For the past 20-plus years, Kim has been in private practice in Columbia, Missouri. In addition to her counseling practice, Kim is also a certified life coach. Today, we are excited to have Kim with us to discuss marriage in the second chapter of life. Her intensive couples approach grounded in the Gottman Method is successful in improving communication between couples and provides many tools to support and strengthen marriages.

by John M. Gottman, Julie Schwartz Gottman, Rachel Carlton Abrams