Alcohol was a normalized part of Renee’s early life. Going back and forth between her mom’s and dad’s homes, she was regularly around drinking in ways that never felt dangerous at the time. So, it seemed natural to start drinking in her teens. 

As an adult, alcohol continued its regular place in her life, but she slowly began to experience its dark side. Her husband’s drinking had gotten out of control. After two hospitalizations for acute pancreatitis, her husband’s doctor was clear: he had to quit drinking for his health. While he wasn’t happy about the news, he did get sober. He’s now been so for nine years. 

From there, Renee’s drinking felt well contained, but she still saw beer as a reward at the end of the day. After her father’s death in 2022, which was hastened by a lifetime of heavy drinking, her own drinking began to ramp up until she was often drinking a 12-pack a night. The escalation felt worrisome and her peace of mind and body were suffering. It took a bit of time, but something began to click: she was ready to quit. 

Renee committed herself to a big perspective shift. She was no longer going to see alcohol as a ‘reward’. Instead, she learned about rock bottoms and interventions in order to help her visualize the rock bottom that she was trying to avoid for herself. 

Renee feels so much more calm and inner peace in sobriety! Within six months she was able to get off of her anxiety meds. She now commits herself to sharing her story in hopes that it helps others find the courage to quit. 

Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re invited! We’ll be gathering at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona from Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025. If you’re looking for community and self care in sobriety, this retreat is for you! Book your spot here. 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

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Cristina never gave a single thought to alcohol before her first drink during her junior year of highschool, but from the moment it entered her life, she welcomed the feeling it brought her. Alcohol became something to lean on as she entered college in order to make friends, feel ‘normal’, and block out her confusion regarding her sexuality.

Later, as an occupational therapist, Cristina worked with many patients who struggled with alcoholism. These stark cases, though, only reassured her that her own relationship with alcohol wasn’t that bad in comparison. Her wife, though, was worried, and urged Cristina to address her relationship with alcohol. In 2010, Cristina began a decade+ long cycle of taking breaks from alcohol, but it would always creep back in until she found herself in blackout territory yet again. 

In 2022, with a new baby at home, Cristina experienced a blackout that resulted in her wife giving her an ultimatum: if Cristina didn’t get her drinking under control, her wife was going to leave. This spurred Cristina to commit to the change. Her first year of sobriety was a big challenge, but as she looks back, now almost three years sober, she can’t help but be so incredibly grateful for the hard work she put in to find her own path and motivation for sobriety. 

These days, Cristina feels more authentic and she likes herself so much more. She’s found deep meaning in helping other women make the change to sobriety in their lives! 

Connect with Cristina on Instagram here and on Facebook here.

Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re invited! We’ll be gathering at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona from Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025. If you’re looking for community and self care in sobriety, this retreat is for you! Book your spot here. 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Audrey and I are here to help you answer the dreaded question: “Why aren’t you drinking?” 

Right in time for the holidays, we’re supplying you with 50+ answers to this question. No matter who asks you or what your reasons are, you’ll walk away from this episode with clear options to confidently tackle this question. 

Enrollment for the next Sober Mom Retreat is now live, and you’re invited! We’ll be gathering at the Mountain Shadows Resort in Arizona from Feb 27-Mar 2, 2025. If you’re looking for community and self care in sobriety, this retreat is for you! Book your spot here. 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobrieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and Reality TV! 

Today’s show is all about the Real Housewives! First, we’ll talk about the great (and too short!) season of Real Housewives of Orange County that just wrapped, the big storylines on Real Housewives of Salt Lake, why both The Real Housewives of Potomoc and The Real Housewives of New York are falling flat this season, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills trailer. 

Plus - the best hot mic moments, What What Crappens, and the Southern Charm trailer 

AI started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I recently asked on Instagram “What is better sober?” and SO many of you said sex. So, light the candles ladies, because we’re going there. Hilary Phelps is back on the pod today for a chat all about the beauty of sober sex! 

We’ll talk about the ways in which sobriety leads to intimacy, how greater self-awareness can lead to connection, how to approach sober sex and handle feelings of awkwardness if the experience is new for you, and why you deserve to feel empowered about your sexual wants and needs. 

For more about Hilary’s story, check out her first episode on the Sober Mom Life. 

Learn more about Hilary Phelps here! 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back from the Sober Mom Life retreat! There were so many beautiful moments of connection, emotion, and fun throughout the weekend and today Audrey and I are here to tell you all about it. 

If you’re interested in joining us on a future retreat, stay tuned! We’ll be elevating the experience and opening the doors to the public. We’ll share the details right here on the pod as they become available! 

We were so lucky to have some AMAZING sponsors for this retreat, from the softest pajamas in the world to so many delicious NA beverages. Learn more about them here: 

In My Sundays 

Parch

Go Brewing (use code SML15 for 15% off)

StudioNull

Kit NA Brewing

Grüvi

Spiritless

NON

Try our NEW and IMPROVED Cafe FREE for a week!  We have more meetings, more hosts and even more connection. Join here for $40/month and get a week free! In addition to daily peer support meetings, you’ll get access to the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, merch discounts and so much more.

My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/

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Exciting changes are coming to the Cafe and the podcast, starting November 1st! 

Today, I’ll share with you why I’ll only be releasing new episodes on Mondays starting in November, and what that means for the Real Sober Moms series (Don’t worry! They’re not going away!). 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When my online friend Jaana, the awesome woman behind @thismomsgonnasnap, told me that she didn’t have her first drink until she was 32 years old, I had to know more! 

Today, Jaana shares with us how her Mormon upbringing kept her sober well into adulthood, how easy it was for her drinking to become habitual when she finally ‘broke the seal’ and allowed alcohol into her life, and why she chose to step away from the Mormon faith.

Plus! She’ll give her viewpoint on the representation of mormons on reality TV shows like Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives!  

Be sure to check out Jaana on Instagram @thismomsgonnasnap where she shares an refreshingly unvarnished view on mom life. 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today I'm bringing back one of my favorite episodes!

There comes a time in every woman’s sobriety journey when she feels called to proudly own sobriety and leave the shame behind. ‘Coming out’ as sober to your family, friends, or even publicly can feel scary! So today, Audrey and I are here to help you think through how to handle these conversations and announcements when you’re ready. 

We chat about tactics and phrases for sharing your sobriety story, tackling fears of rejection, how to handle the dreaded ‘forever’ question, and the importance of building new relationships that are rooted in sobriety. 

If you haven’t heard Audrey’s sobriety story, check it out here! 

https://mykindofsweet.com/2023/08/lesson-from-one-year-of-sobriety/

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

We have merch!!!! Check it out here!

Love this show? Let me know by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts!

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not meant to diagnose. Anyone who is perfectionistic does not necessarily have a personality disorder. Please see your therapist with concerns or questions.

Perfectionism is one of the most common topics we talk about inside of the Sober Mom Life Cafe. An overwhelming need to be ‘perfect’ can feel suffocating, and can be a major driving factor for drinking. Today my therapist mom, Susan, is here to help us understand what perfectionism is, how it is related to drinking, and what to do if you are struggling with perfectionist tendencies. 

We’ll talk about the diagnostic criteria for OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), how it differs from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), how perfectionism can affect your life and the lives of those you love, and the first steps you can take to release yourself from the expectation of perfectionism. 

I started The Sober Mom Life Cafe so women just like you can find connection in sobriety. We have 4 Zoom Peer Support meetings every week, a monthly book club, and a private Facebook group so you can connect all day long.  Join us here, now. ❤️

Get Your Copy of my book  The Sober Shift 

Follow on Instagram  @thesobermomlife

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.