The Running Wine Mom

What if the person writing a murder mystery about reality TV actually spent 25 years behind the scenes making it?

This week on The Running Wine Mom, Samantha sits down with reality TV producer, editor, and author Timothy Hedden, whose career includes working on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, New Jersey, and Potomac. Now, Timothy is turning decades of behind-the-scenes reality TV experience into his debut murder mystery, Dead Housewives of Philadelphia.

And yes—the stories from the editing room may be even crazier than the book.

Timothy pulls back the curtain on what “reality” television really looks like after hours of footage land in an editor’s hands. He explains the infamous Frankenbite, how producers create storylines, why editors can become the true puppet masters of a reality show, and where he believes producing compelling television can cross an ethical line.

He also shares stories from the early days of reality TV, including his work on the iconic “Gone with the Wind Fabulous” episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and why years of watching wealthy women fight on camera eventually gave him the perfect idea for a murder mystery.

We also get into the very Philly world of Dead Housewives of Philadelphia, why Timothy chose the Main Line, Bucks County, Villanova, Yardley, and Washington Crossing as inspiration, and how his hometown roots shaped the story.

In this episode:

• What reality TV editors actually do behind the scenes
• What a “Frankenbite” is—and how editors create one
• How much of reality television is actually reality
• Timothy’s wildest stories from 25 years in reality TV
• Working on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and the iconic “Gone with the Wind Fabulous” episode
• The ethical line between producing drama and manipulating people
• How reality TV has changed since the early 2000s
• Why Timothy turned reality TV into a murder mystery
• The Philadelphia, Main Line, and Bucks County inspiration behind Dead Housewives of Philadelphia
• Going from dyslexia to becoming an award-winning writer and published novelist
• Why editing reality TV helped Timothy master cliffhangers
• His favorite Housewife to work with
• What’s next for the Dead Housewives series

Whether you live for Housewives drama, love a juicy murder mystery, or simply want to know what really happens when the cameras stop rolling, this conversation is a fascinating—and hilarious—look behind the reality TV curtain.

Connect with Timothy Hedden

Visit DeadHousewives.com to learn more about Dead Housewives of Philadelphia, meet the divas, and read the prologue.

Follow Timothy on social media at @HeddenWrites.

Dead Housewives of Philadelphia is available through booksellers. Timothy also encourages readers to request it through their local independent bookstore.

Connect with The Running Wine Mom

Follow @therunningwinemom_ on Instagram and subscribe to The Running Wine Mom wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and send it to the friend who insists their favorite reality show is “totally real.”

The holidays with little kids can feel magical…and completely exhausting.

Late bedtimes. Skipped naps. Travel. Sugar. Family gatherings. Daylight saving time. And, of course, the well-meaning relative who says, “Just let them stay up—it’s a special occasion!”

In this episode of The Running Wine Mom, Samantha welcomes back Chrissy Lawler, licensed marriage and family therapist, newborn sleep specialist, and founder of The Peaceful Sleeper, for a realistic conversation about protecting your family’s sleep without missing the holiday magic.

Chrissy reminds parents that the goal isn’t a flawless schedule. In fact, when traveling, she suggests thinking in terms of roughly an 80% routine—protecting some important sleep while allowing room for real life. She also shares why most kids can recover from holiday sleep disruptions within a few days.  

Samantha and Chrissy talk about handling grandparents and relatives who challenge bedtime boundaries, creating a familiar sleep environment while traveling, navigating overtired babies and toddlers, and deciding when staying late at a holiday gathering simply isn’t worth it.

And this conversation isn’t only about the kids.

Chrissy explains why protecting mom’s sleep matters too—including recognizing the impact of late-night holiday prep and alcohol on sleep. Sometimes choosing rest means skipping the Pinterest-perfect wrapping, saying no to another event, or showing up with store-bought treats instead of putting more pressure on yourself.  

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to handle baby and toddler sleep schedules during the holidays
• Why overtiredness can be especially difficult for babies under two
• How much flexibility to allow around bedtime
• Holiday travel sleep tips for babies and toddlers
• White noise, blackout shades, and bringing familiar items from home
• How to recover after a late bedtime or missed nap
• Setting boundaries with grandparents and extended family
• Navigating daylight saving time with kids
• Why parents need to protect their own sleep, too
• Letting go of holiday perfection and unrealistic expectations
• Choosing meaningful traditions instead of trying to do everything

Chrissy’s biggest reminder for overwhelmed parents? “It is not that deep.” Your kids don’t need 27 holiday events or a perfectly curated December. Love, warmth, responsiveness, and a handful of meaningful moments matter far more.  Peaceful-Sleeper---Holiday-Spee…

Because sometimes the best holiday memories come from the moments that went completely off-script.

Connect with Chrissy Lawler

Chrissy is a licensed marriage and family therapist, newborn sleep specialist, and founder of The Peaceful Sleeper. Find her at ThePeacefulSleeper.com and on social media at @the.peaceful.sleeper, as shared in the episode.  

Connect with The Running Wine Mom

Follow The Running Wine Mom on Instagram at @therunningwinemom_ for conversations about motherhood, parenting, wellness, and finding a little more joy in the chaos.

If this episode helped you feel a little less stressed about the holidays, send it to another mom who needs permission to loosen the schedule and enjoy the season.

Is there something more beyond the endless loop of school pickups, folding laundry, and mental burnout? In this episode of The Running Wine Mom Podcast, host Samantha Selinski sits down with Sarah Lynn Thomas, co-CEO of Behold Retreats. Sarah guides luxury plant medicine retreats in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Portugal and has worked alongside co-CEO Danny Yepez with nearly 2,000 individuals—including NFL players featured in Netflix’s Enigma.

Whether you are curious, skeptical, or just running on empty, this conversation breaks down what plant medicine actually is, how safety and screening work, and what surrendering control really looks like for an everyday parent.

In this episode, we cover:

• Wine, Whine, & Win: Sarah shares her signature 7-ingredient morning coffee/cacao recipe, calls out people-pleasing, and celebrates strong support teams.
• Explaining Plant Medicine to Skeptics: Why you should focus on the end result rather than the visionary experience when talking to loved ones.
• Self-Care & Motherhood: How filling your own cup prevents resentment and makes you a more present parent.
• The Anatomy of Surrender: The physical and mental stages of letting go of control during ceremony.
• Safety & Screening: Who plant medicine is NOT for and how Behold Retreats screens for medical and psychological safety.
• Healing vs. Expansion Tracks: Why corporate executives and athletes seek expansion, while others seek healing.
• Honoring Indigenous Traditions: How Behold Retreats works with indigenous communities through the Sovereignty Alliance Foundation.
• Lessons from NFL Athletes: What elite performers do differently when integrating life lessons and mindset tools.
• Practical Advice for Tonight: Simple dietary shifts, microdosing guidance, and shifting to full presence at home.

Resources & Links:

• Learn more or book a complimentary call at Behold Retreats.
• Follow The Running Wine Mom Podcast on Instagram: @therunningwinemom_
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Plant Medicine & Ayahuasca for Burned-Out Moms: Safety, Surrender & Healing | Sarah Lynn Thomas

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Becoming a mom changes a lot—including, for many of us, the relationship we have with our clothes, our bodies, and even the person staring back at us in the mirror.

In this episode of The Running Wine Mom, Samantha sits down with Jamie Lewin, an FIT-trained designer who has worked with major fashion brands including Ralph Lauren, Armani, J.Crew, and Gap and is now the founder of Vetted, a style guide designed to make getting dressed and shopping easier for real women.

But this conversation goes much deeper than what’s “in” this season.

Samantha and Jamie talk about why personal style is often one of the first things to disappear under the mental load of motherhood—and why caring about what you wear isn’t necessarily superficial. Jamie explains how clothing can affect confidence, the way we carry ourselves, and how we show up in our everyday lives.

They also tackle the infamous mom uniform. If your closet is filled with black leggings, Jamie gets it. She explains why leggings became such an easy default for moms and shares simple alternatives—including track pants, pull-on pants, and satin pants—that can feel just as comfortable while making an outfit feel more intentional.

Jamie also shares a realistic three-minute outfit formula for chaotic mornings, tips for organizing your closet to reduce decision fatigue, and practical ways to dress for the messy reality of motherhood—kids, spills, errands, playgrounds and all.

And then Samantha and Jamie take on some of the style myths women hear constantly:

“I’ll buy nice clothes when I lose weight.”

“I’m too old to wear that.”

Jamie challenges the idea that women should wait for a different body, size, or stage of life before dressing in a way that makes them feel good. Our bodies change through postpartum life, motherhood, aging, and everything in between. Instead of waiting for some future version of yourself, Jamie encourages women to dress the body and life they have right now.

They also talk about navigating fashion in your 30s, 40s and beyond without feeling like you have to follow every TikTok microtrend—or suddenly start dressing according to an arbitrary set of “age appropriate” rules.

Because finding your style after motherhood doesn’t have to mean becoming someone new.

Sometimes it’s about finding your way back to yourself.

In this episode:

• Why women often lose their sense of personal style after becoming moms
• The connection between clothing, confidence, and identity
• Why caring about what you wear isn't as frivolous as we sometimes believe
• How the black-legging “mom uniform” became the default
• Easy, comfortable alternatives to leggings
• Jamie’s three-minute outfit formula for busy mornings
• How to organize your closet to reduce decision fatigue
• Dressing stylishly through the messy reality of raising kids
• How to tell the difference between personal style and a passing trend
• Why you don't need to participate in every TikTok fashion trend
• Dressing the body you have instead of waiting to lose weight
• Letting go of “I’m too old to wear that”
• How personal style can evolve naturally through your 30s, 40s and beyond

About Jamie Lewin

Jamie Lewin is an FIT-trained designer with experience working with brands including Ralph Lauren, Armani, J.Crew, Gap and other major names in fashion. After becoming a mother herself and experiencing the realities of balancing a demanding fashion career with raising young children, Jamie began building a career that allowed her more flexibility with her family.

She is the founder of Vetted, a style guide created to make fashion, trends, outfit building, and shopping feel more approachable for women without adding another decision to an already overflowing mental load.

Connect with Jamie:
Vetted — Jamie’s style guide, shopping recommendations, and fashion resources
Jamie’s social channels — Follow along for approachable styling inspiration and everyday fashion advice

Connect with The Running Wine Mom:
Instagram: @therunningwinemom_
Listen and subscribe to The Running Wine Mom wherever you get your podcasts.

Dr. Shainna Ali: mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and bestselling author of The Self-Love Workbook — joins Samantha to talk about her newest book, Generational Healing: Shifting Patterns, Creating Change.

In this conversation, Dr. Shainna shares the real clinical definition of self-love ("the practice of accepting, caring for, and intending to yourself"), why parenthood reawakens generational patterns and why that isn't backsliding, her own story of living with undiagnosed childhood anxiety, and the rushing pattern she traced back through her Guyanese heritage — and how she now answers it with "I am safe now."

They also get into the practical stuff: what to do when you have zero bandwidth (surviving is the healing), why boundaries are gates with key codes rather than walls, why the book never asks anyone to forgive or reconcile, what it means that you are already an ancestor, how to reparent yourself while actively parenting your kids, and how to tell mom burnout apart from just being tired. She closes with the book's final line — "the radiance was always within you" — and one thing to do differently at the dinner table tonight.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Dr. Shainna Ali's website: https://drshainna.com/
• Pre-order Generational Healing: Shifting Patterns, Creating Change on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646048989/ref=as_li_ss_tl
• The Mental Wellness Practice Podcast: https://drshainna.com/thementalwellnesspracticepodcast
• Follow Dr. Shainna on Instagram: @drshainna

New episodes of The Running Wine Mom drop every Tuesday. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

What makes people remember a local business?

It’s not just a great product, a polished Instagram feed, or the perfect logo. It’s the story—and the person behind it.

On this episode of The Running Wine Mom, Samantha Cieslinski sits down with Danielle Gannon, the storyteller and entrepreneur behind Local Spotlight with Danielle and DG Media Relations, to talk about what it really takes to make a business—and the people behind it—feel seen.

Danielle’s career didn’t follow a straight line. After spending more than a decade co-owning a natural food market, she discovered how much she loved meeting local business owners, visiting their spaces, and sharing their stories. When the world shut down in 2020, she took Local Spotlight on the road, highlighting businesses that needed visibility and community support. What began as a passion project eventually evolved into PR, marketing, branding, social media, event planning, and DG Media Relations. 

But this conversation goes far beyond marketing.

Samantha and Danielle talk about why relationships still matter in an increasingly digital world, and why Danielle believes face-to-face connection can create something that a perfectly curated online presence simply can’t replicate.

They also get into the pressure so many women and entrepreneurs put on themselves to do everything. Danielle shares why knowing your strengths—and paying someone else to handle the things outside those strengths—can be one of the smartest decisions you make in business and life. The same lesson applies to motherhood: sometimes outsourcing the groceries, cleaning, or another task is exactly what creates room for what matters most. 

And in a world increasingly filled with AI-generated content? Danielle believes authenticity becomes even more valuable. She and Samantha discuss using AI as a tool without allowing efficiency to replace creativity, personality, and real human connection. Magic-episode-01 (4)

In this episode:

• How Local Spotlight with Danielle began
• Danielle’s transition from business owner to media and PR entrepreneur
• Why every local business has a story worth telling
• The biggest storytelling mistake small business owners make
• How to identify what makes your brand different
• Why business owners shouldn’t try to do everything themselves
• Motherhood, entrepreneurship, and learning to outsource
• Why in-person connection still matters
• Reinventing yourself and trusting your gut
• Taking action before you feel completely ready
• AI, authenticity, and the future of content
• Preventing burnout when you’re always “on”
• Why Danielle believes Bucks County is such a special place for entrepreneurs
• Her advice for women afraid to pursue an idea

Danielle’s approach to storytelling comes down to something beautifully simple: people want to be heard and recognized. Every business has a unique story, and finding the right way to tell it can help attract the people it was meant to reach. 

And for the woman who has been sitting on an idea because she’s afraid to begin? Danielle’s message is to go for it. You won’t know where an idea can take you unless you’re willing to start. 

Connect with Danielle:
Instagram: @localspotlightwithdanielle

Connect with Samantha:
Instagram: @therunningwinemom_

Subscribe to The Running Wine Mom wherever you listen to podcasts, and share this episode with a woman, entrepreneur, or small business owner who needs a reminder that their story deserves to be seen.

Cathy Pedrayes, TikTok’s “Mom Friend” and author of The Mom Friend Guide to Everyday Safety and Security, returns to The Running Wine Mom with practical back-to-school safety tips every parent can use without adding more fear to the school-year chaos.

Host Samantha Cieslinski and Cathy talk about safer first-day photos, personalized backpacks, school data privacy, cyberattacks, phishing attempts, group chats, Snapchat, location sharing, and the one habit Cathy says matters most: keeping honest conversations open with your kids.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What not to reveal in first-day-of-school photos, including names, schools, birthdays, and other identifying details.
• How to think about personalized backpacks and lunchboxes based on your child’s age, routine, and level of supervision.
• What parents should know about school apps, portals, school-issued devices, passwords, and two-factor authentication.
• How school cyberattacks can create follow-up phishing risks for families, and why unexpected school texts and links deserve a second look.
• Why every additional app can create new privacy, security, and social risks for kids.
• How a “no trouble for telling the truth and asking for help” approach can keep kids talking when something goes wrong online.

Episode chapters

• 00:00 ,  Welcome back, Cathy Pedrayes
• 00:59 ,  First-day-of-school photos: what not to post online
• 03:47 ,  Are personalized backpacks with kids’ names safe?
• 05:34 ,  School data privacy: apps, portals, and school-issued devices
• 07:21 ,  School cyberattacks and ransomware: what parents should do
• 11:55 ,  School group chats, Snapchat, and location sharing
• 16:25 ,  Cathy’s most important back-to-school safety takeaway
• 19:07 ,  Where to find Cathy

Links and resources

• Cathy Pedrayes: Follow @cathypedrayes on TikTok and Instagram.
• The Mom Friend Guide to Everyday Safety and Security
• CISA K–12 Cybersecurity Foundations Resource Package
• Episode 75: How to Stay Safe Online in a Digital World
• The Running Wine Mom on Apple Podcasts
• Samantha Cieslinski: Follow @therunningwinemom_ on Instagram.

If this episode helped you, share it with a mom who needs to hear it, subscribe to The Running Wine Mom, and leave a review. You are strong, you are capable, and you are amazing. Cheers!

Motherhood can be beautiful, hilarious, lonely, exhausting—and sometimes all of those things before breakfast.

In this episode of The Running Wine Mom, Samantha Cieslinski sits down with Caitlin Murray, creator of Big Time Adulting, for a funny and refreshingly real conversation about what motherhood actually looks like when you stop trying to make it look perfect.

Caitlin shares how Big Time Adulting began during one of the hardest seasons of her life, when her oldest son was undergoing treatment for leukemia while she was raising a toddler and pregnant with her third child. Writing became an outlet, humor became a coping mechanism, and eventually her willingness to say the things mothers weren't always saying publicly became a community of more than a million followers. 

Samantha and Caitlin dig into the loneliness of early motherhood...even when you're never physically alone, and why the demands don't necessarily disappear as kids get older. The sleepless baby years may end, but they're often replaced by activity schedules, youth sports, decision fatigue, and the feeling that family life has become one endless sprint. 

They also talk about mom guilt, social media's influence on parenting, the pressure to create a picture-perfect childhood, and why Caitlin tries to tune out the competitive side of modern parenting.

And, of course, there are plenty of laughs along the way: from aggressively shaken margaritas and considering "leaving your family" during a meltdown to the unexpected luxury of simply sitting down.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

•  How Caitlin Murray created Big Time Adulting 
•  Her son's leukemia diagnosis and the role writing played during treatment 
•  Why humor can be such a powerful coping mechanism 
•  The loneliness and isolation of early motherhood 
•  Why motherhood can feel like living life on autopilot 
•  Mom guilt and learning to trust yourself as a parent 
•  Instagram, Pinterest and the pressure to make motherhood look perfect 
•  The mental load and never-ending "open tabs" in a mom's brain 
•  Youth sports, overscheduling and the pressure to optimize childhood 
•  What changes as kids move from babies and toddlers into the tween years 
•  Caitlin's experience becoming recognizable in public 
•  Why sitting down now qualifies as a luxury 
•  What it means to live a life that's "well-adulted" 

One of Caitlin's most meaningful reminders from the conversation? Even though every parent gets things wrong, you know your children better than anyone else-and you're the parent they need. 

Connect with Caitlin Murray

Follow Caitlin on Instagram — @bigtimeadulting

Read more from Big Time Adulting

Listen to Big Time Adulting Podcast

Connect with The Running Wine Mom

Follow Samantha on Instagram — @therunningwinemom_

Visit The Running Wine Mom

If this episode made you feel seen, send it to another mom who needs the reminder that she isn't the only one trying to keep all those tabs open.

Financial Wellness for Women: Money, Marriage & Building Wealth with Hayley Dickson, CFP®

What if financial freedom has less to do with hitting a magic number—and more about finally feeling clear and confident about your money?

This week on The Running Wine Mom, Samantha Cieslinski sits down with Hayley Dickson, CFP, CEO and Founder of RIPPL Wealth Management, for a refreshingly honest conversation about money, financial wellness, marriage, motherhood, and building a life you actually want to live.

Hayley shares how she walked away from a successful six-figure career in entertainment, trusted her intuition, and ultimately became the fastest-growing advisor in Northwestern Mutual’s history before launching RIPPL Wealth Management.

But this isn't your typical conversation about cutting lattes and sticking to a monthly budget. In fact, Hayley hates monthly budgets.

Instead, she introduces her concept of a “planning budget”—deciding how much of your annual income will go toward growing your net worth and achieving your goals first, then giving yourself permission to enjoy what’s left.

Samantha and Hayley also get into the emotional side of money: why successful women can still feel embarrassed about what they don't know, why financial wellness belongs in the same conversation as physical and mental health, and why women—especially stay-at-home moms—need to understand their household finances even when their partner traditionally handles the money.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why Hayley left a successful entertainment career to completely reinvent herself in finance
• Why money remains one of our biggest cultural taboos
• The shame and comparison that keep women from asking financial questions
• What being a “financial life designer” actually means
• Why financial wellness can affect our mental health, relationships, and overall well-being
• Financial independence for women and stay-at-home parents
• Why Hayley prefers the idea of becoming “work optional” instead of simply retiring
• Estate planning, life insurance, 529 plans, and preparing financially for your family
• Tax diversification and the difference between pre-tax and Roth retirement savings
• How sophisticated investment strategies are becoming more accessible to everyday wealth builders
• Prenups, postnups, marriage, and protecting yourself financially
• Whether couples should combine finances or use a “yours, mine, and ours” system
• Why having a shared financial vision matters more than exactly how your bank accounts are structured
• The “middle bucket” Hayley often sees missing from people's financial lives
• Why Hayley hates traditional monthly budgets
• Her planning budget approach to saving, investing, and spending without guilt
• Why travel is the money splurge Hayley will never regret

Hayley defines financial freedom as having clarity, confidence, and peace in your money choices. And perhaps the biggest takeaway from this conversation is that you don't need to wait until you're wealthy to start feeling financially empowered.

You just have to start.

Hayley is offering listeners a complimentary 30-minute one-on-one Life Design & Wealth Strategy Session (a $500 value). Simply mention this episode when you reach out to [email protected] to reserve your spot. Learn more about Hayley and how she can help elevate your finances on rippl.nm.com.

Connect with Hayley Dickson

RIPPL Wealth Management: https://rippl.nm.com/

Hayley Dickson on Instagram: @hayleywdickson

Hayley Dickson on LinkedIn: Search Hayley Dickson, CFP®

Connect with The Running Wine Mom

Follow Samantha on Instagram: @therunningwinemom_

Subscribe to The Running Wine Mom wherever you listen to podcasts, and if this episode made you think differently about money, send it to a friend who needs to hear it.

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered individualized financial, investment, tax, or legal advice.

What happens when the world thinks it knows who you are before you’ve had the chance to define yourself?

This week, Samantha sits down with Chanel Valentine Haynes—entrepreneur, creator, mother, founder of Mom for Life, and daughter of hip-hop icon Nelly—for an honest conversation about identity, motherhood, relationships, ambition, and becoming the woman you were always meant to be.

Chanel opens up about growing up in the public eye and the pressure that came with having a famous last name. She shares how navigating a private school environment where she often felt different shaped her confidence and sense of self., why motherhood completely shifted her perspective on relationships, and what she’s learned about giving both herself and the people she loves room to grow.

They also get into something so many women wrestle with: Can we be ambitious and independent while still wanting softness, love, luxury, family, and support?

For Chanel, the answer is yes—but she’s also learning that having it all doesn’t mean doing it all.

In this episode:

• Growing up as Nelly’s daughter and building her legacy
• The unexpected impact of fame and visibility on Chanel’s self-esteem
• Dating when you have to question someone’s intentions
• Why Chanel’s views on relationships changed after motherhood
• The difference between “settling” and allowing your partner room to grow
• How motherhood helped Chanel slow down and become more intentional
• Entrepreneurship, ambition, and avoiding burnout
• Why women shouldn’t have to choose between softness and success
• Learning to accept help instead of always doing everything yourself
• The childhood experiences that shaped Chanel’s instinct to nurture
• Why she created the Mom for Life platform
• Giving our parents grace when we finally understand how young they were
• What Chanel hopes her younger self would think of the woman she is today

Chanel’s story is a reminder that you can appreciate where you came from without allowing it to define where you’re going.

You can be a mother and an entrepreneur. Soft and ambitious. Independent and supported. You can evolve without apologizing for the woman you’re becoming.

Connect with Chanel

Instagram: @thelifeofvalentine_
Mom for Life Podcast on Instagram: @momforlifepodcast
Facebook: The Life of Valentine

Connect with Samantha

Instagram: @therunningwinemom_
Website: The Running Wine Mom

Subscribe to The Running Wine Mom wherever you listen to podcasts, and if this conversation resonated with you, share it with another woman who needs the reminder that she doesn’t have to fit into just one box.