This week officially kicks off the holiday season — kids home, work still happening, to-dos piling up, and Christmas somehow already around the corner. In today's episode, I'm sharing how I use Thanksgiving week to pause for a minute, reset my mindset, and help my kids do the same without making it a big production.

We talk about simple, real-life ways to weave in gratitude and the one low-maintenance activity we actually do as a family.

Episode Highlights

• Why Thanksgiving is the ideal reset before holiday mania
• How I use my CROPS framework to model gratitude and kindness
• Easy ways to talk about thankfulness with kids (no lectures required)
• Our super simple Thankful Tree tradition
• A grounding reminder before December takes over

Happy Thanksgiving week — here's to starting the season on the right foot.

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Why are we all so damn tired?!

We're talking about the kind of tired that isn't fixed by a nap or going to bed earlier — the deeper, emotional kind that comes from carrying all the life-management tasks, the logistics, the mental load, and the constant kid-monitoring that never really turns off.

I'm breaking down why this happens, why it feels different from work exhaustion, and what you can actually do to feel a little lighter in the middle of it all.

Episode Highlights:

• Why "the mom kind of tired" is different from normal tired
• The disconnect between what fuels you and what drains you
• The emotional labor and constant vigilance no one sees
• Why chores and logistics take more out of you than parenting itself
• Practical ways to reclaim energy when you can't change the workload

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You're not bad at time management — you're just out of space.

In this episode, Lauren unpacks what's really going on when your days are full but your priorities still feel out of reach. You'll learn why "I just need more time" misses the mark and how to start noticing what's truly getting in your way: capacity, clarity, conditions, or support.

Episode Highlights:

• Why feeling "too busy" isn't actually about your calendar
• The difference between time and space (and why it matters)
• Four root causes that make even small tasks feel impossible
• The cues that tell you it's not a time problem
• How to start breaking the "everything feels urgent" loop

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Ever scroll through Instagram or walk into school drop-off and feel like everyone else is doing life better than you? Like they've cracked the code on parenting, career, home, and somehow… hair? In this episode, we're talking about what's actually going on when you feel that way, why your brain lumps everyone's "bests" into one impossible standard, and how to tell the difference between what genuinely inspires you and what just drains you. You'll walk away with a new lens for what to keep, what to release, and how to give yourself credit for what you're already doing well.

Episode Highlights:

• Why feeling "behind" is more about perception than reality
• The real reason your brain creates that "perfect" mom in your head
• How to tell if jealousy means want or should
• A quick practice to turn comparison into clarity
• The reminder every mom needs: you're already doing something someone else admires

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Some days just go completely off the rails — no matter how well you planned. A sick kid, a flat tire, a last-minute work deadline… it's all "life lifing." In this episode, Lauren shares her real-life framework for handling the days that derail. You'll learn how to reset expectations, identify what kind of day you're actually in, and still end feeling like you led yourself well — not like you failed.

Episode Highlights:

• The "life lifing" moments that tank even the best plans
• Why we expect 100% from ourselves every day (and why that's unrealistic)
• The 25%, 50%, 75% method to reset expectations
• Real examples of how to adjust work, home, and family tasks
• How to ask for the right kind of support on tough days
• Why self-leadership—not perfection—is the goal

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Busy moms don't "find" time—they design it. In this episode, Lauren shares her real-life approach to creating time for yourself—both in the everyday and the occasional getaway. From planning guilt-free trips to re-entering real life without the chaos, she breaks down mindset shifts and tactical steps that make "me time" actually happen.

Key Points Discussed:

• Why adult connection is so important to make time for.
• How to plan time away without guilt.
• Simple prep for smoother leaving + re-entry.
• A 3-step approach to design daily white space.
• My CROPS framework in action.

Resources mentioned:

Join the Holiday Season Prep Guide

Episode 26: From What Did We Even Do This Week to Nailed It My CROPS Parenting Framework

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Healthfully eating – just one more thing on the to do list. Often, this falls straight to the bottom of things on fire that need to be attended to. We wish it felt easier and took less time so we feel better and spend less money. That's exactly what we focus on in today's episode. I'll share real-life strategies that help you eat well even when your days are packed.

Key Points Discussed:

• How we run a full-out food management system in our homes and it can feel like a lot of effort to do even more food prep for yourself.
• 4 easy tips you can work into your weeks right away to make eating healthy easier on yourself.
• A breakdown of 4 key additions you can keep on hand to set you up for success.
• Lots of ideas for quick but healthy meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Join the Holiday Prep Guide

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It's almost the holiday season! We cannot wait for to get a little of that magical holiday feeling, but none of us look forward to the huge amount of planning and logistics on top of what we already do every day.

Today, we are going to talk about how to plan ahead of and through the season so you are prepared to actually enjoy it yourself. Grab your Starbucks seasonal holiday bevie and let's get all jingly up in here.

Key Points Discussed:

• Why holiday prep should include more than just logistics prep.
• Ways the holiday season throws us off our norm and how much of an effect that actually has on us.
• Three planning pieces that should be included in your holiday prep.
• Budget planning for the extra expenses.
• Anticipating the things that will annoy or stress you out.
• Using trusted shortcuts to save time and sanity.
• A review of your calendar for this season.
• It's not always just about the kids either.

Join the Holiday Season Prep Guide

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Weeknights with school-aged kids…it's like a three-ring circus from school pickup to bedtime. If you're at the point where you're over it, but don't know where to start to make shifts that actually work, hit play on this episode!

I'm sharing 8 quick ways that can tone down the chaos several notches and make your weeknights smoother.

Key Points Discussed:

• Let the kids pick the sequence of events.
• Snacks ASAP upon arrival.
• Turn the volume down on unnecessary noise and stimulus.
• Create a homework station and keep it stocked.
• Multitask by moving things closer in proximity to you.
• Make your meal prep as simple as possible and keep a list of go-to ideas.
• Schedule in a chill out time for everyone (including you).
• Start the kids' bedtime on time.

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Parenting today looks nothing like it did for our moms or grandmothers. They weren't counting screen minutes, being afraid of everything traumatizing our kids, navigating a world of TikTok trends or worrying what we ate. But we are. Things feel out of control, causing us to feel like we need to control every little thing or risk failing them or being seen as a bad parent.

In this episode, I'm unpacking the paradigm shift we're living through as parents and how we can move from reacting in panic to leading with purpose. Because the truth is: we're not weaker moms than past generations; we're raising kids in an unprecedented environment, and it's time to give ourselves some credit—and some tools.

Key Points Discussed:

• Why modern parenting feels so much heavier than it did for past generations
• The five cultural forces fueling our urge to control everything
• The hidden cost of "white-knuckle" parenting—for us and our kids
• How to step back from reactivity and lead with your values instead
• Simple house defaults that ease daily decision fatigue (without banning the world)
• My quick R/Y/G tool for responding on purpose when guilt or panic spikes

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