Zen(ish) Mommy

Send us a text

In our first mini conversation, we ask Amber Trueblood, a licensed therapist and mother of four, about the biggest obstacles standing in the way of mothers finding joy and success in life. We discuss the interconnected role of guilt and expectations as well as how to recognize when your subconscious expectations are affecting your overall happiness. These expectations can come from a multitude of sources and are often unhelpful. Amber shares her tips for identifying these expectations and evaluating whether they are worth your time and energy. Join us today to hear more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why guilt and expectations are the two major hurdles standing in the way of moms finding joy and success.
• Understanding that your expectations of yourself can come from a multitude of places.
• Why these expectations are often subconscious and unhelpful.
• Why the first step is identifying your expectations of yourself.
• Why expectations are often the primary source of frustration and guilt.
• How identifying a subconscious expectation can banish it.

Tweetables:

“And they're the ones that are a lot of the source of that guilt, the source of that self-judgment, the source of that shame, the source of that frustration because at some level, you don't agree with most of these expectations.” — Amber Trueblood [0:01:07]

“When you're feeling guilty or triggered in some way, emotionally asking yourself, ‘What's the problem here? What's my judgment? Oh, my judgment is I feel like I should be done with work by six o’clock.’” — Amber Trueblood [0:02:15]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Amber Trueblood

Amber Trueblood on Instagram

The Zen Mommy

Jessica Nicole

Mom, Slow Down!

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

Fostering Independence in Your Children with Amber Trueblood

It’s not always clear what responsibilities our kids can take on, and often as moms it’s easier to do tasks on their behalf, like preparing lunches or laying out clothes for the following day. In this mini conversation, we discuss how you can gradually foster independence in your kids in a way that is both supportive but also encourages them to grow. Amber shares her advice on how to determine what you can expect from your child depending on their age and how to support their journey to becoming increasingly independent. Tune in today for useful tips and eye-opening insights on this important topic!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How to use your child’s grade as a guide to how much responsibility they can take on.
• Why it’s important to remind yourself that your child is more capable than they were the year before.
• How to delegate more responsibilities while also giving the support they need.
• Why it’s important to realize how delegating benefits both you and your child.
• Ask yourself what qualities you’d like to see in your children as they age.

Tweetables:

“All your kids are a year older than they were last year at this time, they can do more, so you can delegate more.” — Amber Trueblood [0:00:43]

“Give them some autonomy to make some decisions, but then helping them follow through with it and creating a habit of it.” — Amber Trueblood [0:01:23]

“It's nice to realize not only how it benefits you but how it benefits them, and what kind of characteristics you're trying to build in your kids.” — Amber Trueblood [0:01:54]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Amber Trueblood

Amber Trueblood on Instagram

The Zen Mommy

Jessica Nicole

Mom, Slow Down!

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

Online Dating with Perri Schneider

Today, we have the pleasure of speaking to Perri Schneider, an online dating expert who draws from her own experience to guide us through all the do’s and don’ts of modern dating. You’ll hear why apps are so popular, how Perri has based her professional approach on her own experience, and why using apps is a powerful time-saving tool. Perri tells us what she considers to be the best dating apps, and urges us to use our common knowledge to discern which platforms are worth our time. She also reminds us that time doesn’t guarantee success, but rather the quality of your actions does, before explaining why she discourages users to pay for dating apps and telling us how a life coach helped her to see that her expectations were unrealistic. Next, she tells us how giving her girlfriends guidance turned into a business to help others, and urges audiences to start with asking what you want, before giving us a two-fold process of finding out what that is. We dive into the pros and cons of the dating landscape in a post-COVID world, and why it is important to create an honest representation of yourself online. Perri points out that people who won’t communicate before a date are showing you a huge red flag, and talks about the value of virtual dating in terms of establishing whether there is a connection. She tells us some funny stories from her own dating life, and shares her greatest success story with a client, before leaving us with the truth bomb that the goal is not to find the perfect partner, but to live in your truth everyday. Lastly, she tells us what her definition of self-care is, being in her truth, listening to podcasts, yoga, walking, and pizza, doing what feels good for her in the moment and listening to herself. We hope you join us to hear from this inspiring dating expert today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why apps are popular: they’re great for meeting people and exploring a new area of life.
• Why using apps is a powerful tool to judge if someone is worth your time.
• What Perri considers to be the best dating apps: Bumble and Hinge.
• Why she loves OKCupid: they are very inclusive.
• The importance of using common knowledge to discern which platform is worth your time.
• Why time does not equal success, but the quality of your actions determines success.
• Why you shouldn’t pay for a dating app: the algorithm favors active users. 
• Why you need to start with asking what you want.
• The two-fold process of finding out what you want: journaling, going for solo walks. 
• The pros and cons of a post-COVID world: a level playing field for men and women.
• How the pandemic has made us all realize our need for connection.
• Why it is important to create an honest representation of yourself on dating apps.
• Why Bumble is so successful, because it encourages mutual effort.
• Red flags on a dating app: people who won’t communicate.
• The value of virtual dating to establish voice chemistry and banter. 
• Her greatest success story: the woman with the broken engagement who is dating again.
• Why the goal is not to find the perfect partner but to live in your truth everyday.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mom, Slow Down!

Perri Schneider

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

During today’s mini convos, we check in with online dating coach, Perri Schneider, about the pros and cons of dating pre- and post-COVID. Perri’s main insight is that the casual style of surface level dating pre-COVID has transformed into a space where everyone is in pursuit of finding a connection, rather than dating casually. In our second mini convo, Perri tells the story of returning to a cool bar after an awkward date, and seeing the guy still waiting for his Uber! Tune in to hear more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The casual style of surface level dating pre-COVID that primarily focused on hook ups.
• How the pandemic forced people to realize their need for connection.
• How isolated men realized that they wanted relationships instead of casual dating.
• How this has leveled the playing field between men and women.
• The positive impact that everyone is in pursuit of finding a connection.
• Perri’s dating story of returning to a bar after ending an awkward date. 

Tweetables:

“During the pandemic, we were isolated and lonely and sad and we really deeply craved connection and a partner. Both men and women are like, okay, I’m ready to get deep with someone.” — @SchneiderPerri [0:00:37]

 “With the pandemic, we did pause and we did take a really good look at our lives and where we’re at. Is this what I really want? Do I want to be myself? No, I want a partner. I want to do life with someone.” — @SchneiderPerri [0:01:24]
 
“The positive side is that everybody is in pursuit now of finding a connection.” — @SchneiderPerri [0:01:38]

“I didn’t even think that he was still there – that he was still waiting for his Uber! It was so bad.” — @SchneiderPerri [0:00:52]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 Perri Schneider
Perri Schneider on Instagram

Perri Schneider on Twitter

Mom, Slow Down!

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

During today’s mini convos, we check in with online dating coach, Perri Schneider, about the pros and cons of dating pre- and post-COVID. Perri’s main insight is that the casual style of surface level dating pre-COVID has transformed into a space where everyone is in pursuit of finding a connection, rather than dating casually. In our second mini convo, Perri tells the story of returning to a cool bar after an awkward date, and seeing the guy still waiting for his Uber! Tune in to hear more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The casual style of surface level dating pre-COVID that primarily focused on hook ups.
• How the pandemic forced people to realize their need for connection.
• How isolated men realized that they wanted relationships instead of casual dating.
• How this has leveled the playing field between men and women.
• The positive impact that everyone is in pursuit of finding a connection.
• Perri’s dating story of returning to a bar after ending an awkward date. 
• Perri Schneider
  Perri Schneider on Instagram
  Perri Schneider on Twitter
  The Zen Mommy Wellness App

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

Today’s guest, Beryl Solomon, also known as Weed Mom, is the creator of Poplar, an e-commerce site that sells the best in legal cannabis. She tells us a bit about her personal journey with cannabis and why she is such a big proponent of it, how she made the move to develop a balance between Prozac and cannabis, and her thoughts on postpartum depression and treatment options. Beryl lets us in on her personal health and wellness routine, which includes hemp dried CBD and a microdose of psychotropic THC, and reveals how the benefits she enjoyed by integrating cannabis products into her life made her see the business opportunity. She predicts a future where you’ll be able to step into a dispensary and find a product for every part of your day. We touch on the stigma around cannabis and Beryl talks about the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is built to absorb the cannabis plant, before outlining the three main problems that cannabis assists with: sleep, pain, and stress. Next, we chat about how cannabis can create balance in the body and Beryl tells us about the thirty brands stocked on her website. Touching on the fear of developing an addiction to cannabis, Beryl tells us that you can get addicted to anything, and that communication and honesty around usage are key. Lastly, she tells us how consuming cannabis has enriched her parenting experience, and leaves us with this thought: there are precautions you need to take as a parent, just as there are around alcohol. We hope you join us for today’s eye-opening episode! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Beryl’s personal journey with cannabis and why she is such a big proponent of it.
• Her experience using pharmaceuticals for anxiety, and how she discovered natural solutions. 
• Why she believes there is a place for both pharmaceuticals and natural remedies.
• How she made the move to develop a balance between Prozac and cannabis.
• Cannabis is made up of more than 130 cannabinoids, including CBD and CBN.
• How research shows that the best CBD has a tiny amount of THC in it.
• Beryl’s hope that the stigma around cannabis usage will diminish over time. 
• How the body’s endocannabinoid system is built to absorb the cannabis plant.
• Accessibility to cannabis in New York and the role of PrestoDoctor in creating prescriptions.
• The three problems that cannabis assists with: pain, stress, and sleep. 
• The role of cannabis in creating balance in the body. 
• The online store’s 30 brands, which are predominantly female-owned small businesses.
• How you can use CBD to bring your high to an end.
• The addictive component of cannabis: you can be addicted to anything! 
• The importance of moderation, communication, and honesty in everything you do.
• How cannabis has impacted her relationship with her husband: a shared interest, in the bedroom, and from a fun perspective.
• How consuming cannabis can enrich your parenting experience through presence and anxiety management.
• The reality of there being things you need to do as a parent who consumes cannabis.

 Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Beryl Solomon on LinkedIn

Beryl Solomon on Instagram

Poplar
Poplar on Instagram
Poplar on Facebook

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

How to Pick the Right Dose with Beryl Solomon

Episode S3E6: Show Notes.

During this mini conversation, Jessica tells us about her experience in Aspen, indulging in a low dose of cannabis to start with. Beryl assures us that this method is right on the money, and that she always tells her customers to try half of everything to start with!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Jessica’s experience in Aspen, trying and enjoying a low dose of cannabis. 
• Beryl’s advice to always try half of everything to start with. 

Tweetables:

“I always say: half of everything to start. You can always take more, you can’t take less!” — Beryl Solomon [0:00:52]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Beryl Solomon on LinkedIn

Beryl Solomon on Instagram

Poplar
Poplar on Instagram
Poplar on Facebook

Mom, Slow Down!
The Zen Mommy

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

Medical Uses for Cannabis with Beryl Solomon

Episode S3E6: Show Notes.

During today’s mini conversation, Beryl Solomon tells us about her digital site that sells the best in legal cannabis, which today is CBD. Cannabis addresses three main problems: pain, stress, and sleep by helping the body to get back to its equilibrium. It is a powerful tool that is meant to work with our bodies, especially as women, and an organic product that comes from the earth and can support our wellness. Tune in to hear more about how it works! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Poplar: an e-commerce site that sells the best in legal cannabis.
• Where to find Poplar: online, shipping to 50 states.
• Three main problems cannabis solves: pain, stress, and sleep.
• How cannabis helps your body get back to its equilibrium.
• Why cannabis is a powerful tool that is meant to work with our bodies as women.
• How we can apply the same logic around organic produce to the cannabis plant.

Tweetables:

“Poplar is an e-commerce site that sells the best in legal cannabis, which today is CBD.” — Beryl Solomon [0:00:13]
 
“Cannabis is a tool that can affect pain, stress, and sleep.” — Beryl Solomon [0:00:45]
 
“[Cannabis] is a powerful tool that is meant to work with our bodies as women.” — Beryl Solomon [0:00:45]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Beryl Solomon on LinkedIn

Beryl Solomon on Instagram

Poplar
Poplar on Instagram
Poplar on Facebook

Mom, Slow Down!
The Zen Mommy

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

Today’s guest is doula, Katy Kelley, who has supported hundreds of couples as they brought babies into the world. We start the conversation with a definition for the word doula, which means a mother mothering, and Katy shares with listeners that she has learned something new at every birth, which she takes to the next couple. We dive into the four cornerstones of her practice: nurture, support, education, and celebration, and she describes the labour prep classes she offers in the privacy of a couple’s home. Find out why she believes that the birthing experience has become such an anxious time, why it is important to trust the birth process, and her belief that it is divinely planned, as Katy shares her advice that listeners be team players and trust the healthcare practitioners assisting you through your birth. Katy tells the story of the most meaningful birth experience she has had and what the journey to becoming a doula entails, as well as why she chose to become a childbirth educator. Learn how she aims to empower couples when she educates them leading up to a birth, what a doula can’t do in a birthing process, and how she uses essential oils and acupressure for pain relief. She also reveals her amazing success rate with vaginal births after C sections and tells us about the importance of educating yourself, knowing the medical field, and knowing that it is your experience in order to move through it in a relaxed manner. In closing, she shares some things that can make the birth experience more positive, including music, angel massage, reiki, and more. We hope you join us to hear from this highly experienced practitioner today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How many births Katy has been present for: hundreds and hundreds.
• How, through each birth, she learns something new to take to the next couple.
• The four cornerstones of her practice: nurture, support, education, and celebration.
• Her overall purpose to provide a positive environment.
• The labour prep classes she teaches in a couple’s home. 
• Why there is increased anxiety during the birthing experience: electromagnetic fields, stress, and not embracing the present moment. 
• The importance of trusting the birth process and the belief that it is divinely planned.
• Why it is important to be a team player and trust the rest of the team.
• The most meaningful birth experience Katy has had: seeing her granddaughter being born.
• The journey to becoming a doula and why she chose to become a childbirth educator.
• How she aims to empower couples when she educates them leading up to a birth.
• What a doula can’t do in a birthing process: birth the baby, mandated care, pain relief.
• How she uses essential oils and acupressure for pain relief. 
• Why a doula can be helpful for any kind of birth.
• Katy’s acronym for the word doula: devoted, observing, understanding, loving, and attentive.
• Why you have to have a connection with your doula.
• Katy’s amazing success rate with vaginal births after C sections.
• The importance of educating yourself, knowing the medical field, and trusting in your experience in order to move through it in a relaxed manner.
• Making the experience more positive with music, essential oils, angel massage, and reiki.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Katy Kelley on LinkedIn

The Zen Mommy on Instagram

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy

Send us a text

Bonus Episode: Leslie Bailey, Co-Founder of Indy Maven

Episode S2 Bonus: Show Notes.

On today’s episode, we talk to Leslie Bailey, co-founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of Indy Maven, a lifestyle media company and community for women in central Indiana. We kick off our episode with an introduction to Indy Maven and how Leslie came to start it. She shares with us how she chooses which content to include on Indy Maven and reveals some of the influences that she has modelled her platform on. Next, Leslie shares the favorite story she has worked on since launching Indy Maven and we talk about the revolutionary power of just asking for what we need and want, as women. She unpacks her perspective on self care and the harder parts of protecting your energy and setting boundaries. Lastly, we talk through the different membership options on Indy Maven. Join us for a fabulous bonus episode with a multi-dimensional business woman, mother, wife and friend. We hope you join us. 

Key Points From This Episode:

•    How Leslie came to start Indy Maven.

•    The main intention of Indy Maven: to connect women to one another.

•    Why Indy Maven focuses on both light and fluffy content and heavier, more serious topics.

•    Leslie’s background and how she got into blogging.

•    Some of the influences that Leslie has modelled her platform on.

•    Leslie’s favorite story since launching Indy Maven.

•    The power of just asking.

•    The businesses that resonate with Leslie the most and why.

•    A note on the more difficult parts of self care.

•    The importance of reserving some energy for yourself.

•    Setting boundaries as an act of self care.

•    A breakdown of the membership options on Indy Maven.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Leslie Bailey on Twitter
Leslie Bailey on LinkedIn
Indy Maven
Silver in the City

Bitchstix
Dana Rebecca

Jessica Nicole

Mom, Slow Down!
The Zen Mommy on Instagram
 
 

Support the show

The Zen Mommy on Instagram
the Zen Mommy