How do you feel about your Mom and Mother's Day?

Much of society tells us that our mothers are nearing Saint-hood, and we should be grateful for everything they sacrificed and do/did for us.

But a lot of us don't have, or didn't have, great relationships with our mothers. And Mother's Day often serves as a reminder of that.

If you've ever stood in the greeting card aisle at Target for 20 minutes trying to find the "right card," because the mushy ones weren't a good fit and there was no card that said "Thanks for making me spend thousands of dollars in therapy," then this episode is for you.

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

What do you do when you make a mistake?

Now what do you do if you make the same mistake a few times?

Do you beat yourself up about it, or do you say "oops," realize you're human and (shocker!) NOT perfect, and move on?

So many of us end up being such a*sholes to ourselves, and that doesn't feel good, right?

Why do we do that? And how do we change that?

As much as it pains me to say, there are always going to be THOSE people who love to point out your mistakes. All it takes is a quick scroll of your latest Instagram or Facebook feed to see who's being burned at the stake or "cancelled" because of something they said or did.

And you don't need to be one of those people. To others, or yourself.

For some of us, it's hard to shift into a different mindset when we screw up. But in this episode, I share a little "cheat code" that I mentioned to someone recently when we were chatting about this very topic.

If you're curious to know more, press "Play" now!

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

You know how when you're going through a tough time, you just want someone to talk to?

Someone that will listen without judgement? Who doesn't interrupt you, and just lets you "get it all out?"

That's what this episode ending up being for me. A place to share some of what has been weighing my heart down lately, and left me feeling emotionally depleted.

It's hard to always show up as sunshine and rainbows when some days, you feel like the thundercloud.

I strive to be that person you can go to when you need encouragement and support.

But I'm human.

I have days that are more challenging than others. I have days where I struggle to find the sunshine. And I hope, in a weird way, that helps you too.

It's always nice to feel like you're not alone in your struggles. And I hope this episode helps you feel less alone if you're having one of those days, weeks, months...or year.

If this episode helped you or moved you in some way, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

You know how aggravating it is when you hope something will go differently, and time after time, it doesn't?

I totally understand.

There have been so many instances in my life where my little flicker of hope doesn't get extinguished, regardless of what does or doesn't happen. And while I do love having hope, sometimes I am tempted to snuff it out.

Why? Because as long as that hope is still flickering, I stand a chance of getting hurt, of being disappointed - again.

But did you know there is something that can actually help with that? This thing called "Radical Acceptance."

Now hear me out. "Radical Acceptance" doesn't mean you like what you're accepting. It just means that you have accepted the situation as it is, or a person as they are, and because of that, you feel less angst. The weight on your shoulders and heart is less - the "radical acceptance" becomes about you giving yourself a break about things that aren't within your ability to control.

Sound intriguing? Wanna hear more? What are you waiting for? Press "Play" now!

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

Don't you love how you realize you have a shared interest with someone, and once you start talking to them, you realize you have even more in common than you thought?

That's one of my intentions when I have guests on the show - I want all of us to see that there is more that connects us than divides us, and that was my experience with Eric Rutin.

Eric and I connected over a shared love of Hallmark, and as we chatted during this episode, our conversation was a little all over the place, which is my favorite type of conversation to have!

Yes, we talk about Hallmark. But we also talk about life, technology, family, and...if you know Eric, this won't come as a surprise to you...we also talk about a little mystery.

I had such a great time chatting with him. And I know you'll have a great time listening. (If you don't....well, keep that to yourself, OK?) ;)

If you want to keep tabs on what Eric has going on, you can follow him on Instagram @hallmarkmoviereview or subscribe to his channel of the same name on YouTube. To keep up to date on Eric, Sydney and the Hallmark Mystery Universe, follow them on Instagram @hallmarkmysteriesandmore, and subscribe/follow their podcast (of the same name) on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected]. You can also throw Eric some love (because the world needs more of it, right?) on Instagram @hallmarkmoviereviewer OR @hallmarkmysteriesandmore.

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

Have you seen that episode of Friends where Rachel's talking about love and says "it's a tricky business?"

So is grief.

When we're mourning a loss, people often tell us that "the pain goes away, or lessens, with time."

But does it really?

Or do we just become accustomed to feeling the pain and sadness...so it SEEMS like it lessens over time, but what's really happened is that we've learned how to function while still feeling heartbroken?

Everyone mourns and processes loss differently. In this episode, I share my own experiences as I process the loss of my mother.

If you need support while working through loss, I encourage you to utilize a resource such as "Better Help." You can learn more about their services by going to https://www.betterhelp.com/.

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

Have you ever had a botched haircut? Or a hair coloring session that left you wondering what the f*ck the stylist was thinking?

If so, did you speak up? Did you let the stylist know you weren't happy with the services they provided?

If you did, good for you!

If not, then you may want to give this episode a listen. (By the way...even if you DID speak up, I still invite you to listen!)

I share about some of my experiences with a few different stylists that left me less than happy. Instances where I should have spoken up, and didn't...until I got to the point where I was ready to rip my hair out because I hated it so much.

And then? THEN I said something!

We have so many opportunities to stand up for ourselves, and so much of the time - we don't do it.

Why is that?

In this episode, I explore why I think that is, and why it needs to change. And how, with opportunities like the ones I share here, we can begin doing just that.

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

Did you know that your brain functions in a different state as you're drifting off to sleep, and as you're awakening?

Your subconscious is more open to suggestions during this phase, and that's why I try to stay away from all the negative stuff before I go to sleep, and for a while after I awake.

That's what inspired me to drop this episode as a "bedtime story." I found this story really inspiring. So many of us have a wonderful idea but talk ourselves out of taking action for one reason or another. It's that tape our subconscious mind plays over and over, telling us all the reasons why something WON'T work.

But what if we recorded a NEW tape? One that inspired us to take inspired action? One that encouraged us to believe in ourselves and our ideas so that we could start living an intentional life?

It's my hope that you listen to this as you're drifting off to sleep tonight. And if you fall asleep while listening, that's totally OK! You know why? Because your subconscious mind is still paying attention! And that matters - maybe even more than you realize.

Want to grab a copy of this book? Find it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/What-Do-You-Idea/dp/1938298071/ref=sr_1_1?crid=192V2QSPGCZ0Q&keywords=what+do+you+do+with+an+idea&qid=1681673480&sprefix=WHAT+DO+YOU+DO%2Caps%2C266&sr=8-1.

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

I know what you're thinking...she's talking about CCB's curling wand?

Yes. Yes I am.

This is actually a throwback episode. And one of my most popular.

I'm an 80s kid, and I love CCB for the nostalgia factor. I follow her on IG, and when she posted a tutorial of how she curled her hair...man! Did those mean girls come out to play!

If your curiosity is piqued, then give this episode a listen as you....I don't know...curl your hair? ;)

And bonus points if you grab a toaster strudel after listening. ;)

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!

I mean, it's kind of obvious what this episode is about, right?

Have you ever thought that you would do something, but then were kind of surprised when you actually DID it?

That's how I feel about this milestone.

In this episode, I just hit record and whatever was on my heart and mind to say - I said.

This podcast is A LOT of things to me, and I share what those things are here.

And yeah - I know I sound a bit like Mike Tyson in certain parts of the episode, and I think it was a buffering issue. I contemplated re-recording it, but part of who I am is NOT being polished and perfect.

Also...the overall technological aspect of this episode is very weird. Which sometimes happens to me when I'm emotional. And again, I thought to re-record the episode, and then decided against it for the reason stated above.

It's not perfect. It's not polished. And so, I guess, it is very "Me."

And I hope that inspires you to simply be "You." And to love yourself for being exactly that.

Did you love this episode? If so, I want to know! Send me a DM @itsactuallykristi on Instagram, or send me an email at [email protected].

If you reallllly loved the episode, please "Like It" or "Heart It" or whatever it is you need to do to show the podcast some love on whatever platform you're listening on. And if you leave a review, please let me know so I can personally thank you! (And I actually will!)

Oh - and one last thing! You can share whatever episode you're enjoying in your Stories too! If you do, be sure to tag @itsactuallykristi and I'll re-share!

OK....I think that's it! Thank you SO much for listening - I really DO appreciate it and I appreciate YOU!