Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

I read Tiago Fortne’s, Building Your Second Brain and immediately saw how the time I was wasting online was because it was too hard to do the things I really wanted to do on my phone or computer. In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes of how I organize my digital life as a mom so that I am not wasting time on social media and getting way more done by being effective when I’m on my computer.  I love my physical planner and journals to keep my day-to-day life organized and my brain working and emptied. However, a lot happens digitally that, for me, was a complete mess. With my second brain system, I now have a place for everything - a place for things I want to read, a place for things I want to reference, a place for things I need to do on the computer, and easy systems to get everything where it needs to go. I have great systems for knowing what I want to do and getting those things done (hint, hint, The Thriving In Motherhood Planner), but I needed a way to organize knowledge.  That was one of the h

I read so many great books this year that I can’t wait to share with you! And since the year isn’t over, I’m not done reading yet and have even more favorites to add  (How Not To Die and The Collapse of Parenting are a couple of recent favorites.) I love to keep track of the books I read to prove to myself that I’m learning. There are loads of ways to track your books, but I like to keep it low-tech in the Thriving in Motherhood Planner monthly review page. Keeping track helps me get a better picture of where my time and energy went as a whole, and it is part of my game plan for combatting the lie that “all I do is…” Plus, what you focus on grows - and I want reading to be a foundational part of who I am because it makes life richer, deeper, and much more interesting. So, without further ado, here are my 12 favorite books I read this year: Forty Autumns Building Your Second Brain What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid Mothering By The Book How The Word Is Passed Think Again The Self-Driven Child The Sleep Fi

We all have hard things in our life that we get to keep learning from again and again. Mine is physical pain and health challenges.  In this week’s episode, I’m sharing some practical tips for parenting while in physical pain (which can be applied to mental and emotional health challenges, too), as well as some principles and lessons I’ve been learning over the last few months. For me, one of the biggest things this challenge has taught me is to rely more fully on God. I’ve chosen to look at the pain as an opportunity to grow closer to Him.  Whenever the fear starts to creep in because of pain or the unknown underlying causes, I try to remember who does know. God is all-knowing, and He is the only one with all of the answers. I try to remain focused on the fact that I can trust Him to walk with me through all the ups and downs. I’ve also discovered some helpful practices that make mothering easier when I have painful days: Play music to match the mood you want in your home. Instead of focusing on what is not

Would you like more support from your husband with your projects and goals? This week on the podcast, I’m sharing the principles and practices that help Andrew and me be effective in communicating and supporting each other in making our priorities happen.

As I’ve looked back over the last few years, I’ve been able to see the simple things that have really made a difference in making life joyful and meaningful in everyday life.  The great news is that you don’t necessarily have to look outside of your current responsibilities and plans to increase fulfillment.  Listen to this week’s episode for ideas on how to recognize and create more moments of joy and meaning in your life and ways that you can celebrate your everyday accomplishments more fully. 

Emily is the creator and co-host of the Enlightening Motherhood Podcast and a life coach. As a mom of four, former foster mom of 27, and educator of all ages, she understands what it’s like to feel overwhelmed with your children’s intense behaviors and emotions.  Her mission is simple yet strong: to empower moms to calmly and confidently handle their children’s big feelings and behaviors, so motherhood won’t seem so hard and so there can be more peace at home. In this week’s episode, we talk about how to be the parent you want to be and how understanding the reasons behind your child’s behavior can help you handle big emotions more calmly and effectively.

I was recently asked what our family scripture study looks like, and I realized that it has evolved a lot over the years. In this week's episode, I outline what our family does for scripture study as an example of how I’ve pulled from many different sources to create a vision for my family and how we slowly grow into that vision in time. It’s the process I’ve built into the Thriving in Motherhood Planner, and it was good to reflect on how much growth we’ve had in this area of our lives using the planner as a tool to guide me.

A few years ago, I saw this idea of a Big 5 from @farmhouseschoolhouse, and we adopted it immediately into our home with tiny children. I’ve mentioned it on the podcast before, but a friend reached out with some excellent questions about what the kids and I do for our Big 5, when we have to finish them by, and what we do if someone doesn’t complete their Big 5. This week’s episode of the podcast answers all of these and more!

There is a lot of focus on time management and being productive. As a mom, I find that managing time can be inconsistent, which for me, is incredibly demotivating. The great news is that there are other things we can focus on to accomplish what matters to us.  For me, that is homeschooling, my kids, working on projects together around the house, having time each day to study scriptures, journal, and pray, adventuring as a family, and running Thriving in Motherhood. In this episode, learn the secret to making space for what matters to you!

Today I'm taking you behind the scenes of the Soaring Mothers Summit and sharing some of the miracles and the lessons I learned. This was an opportunity to strengthen my faith and trust in God in very real ways.

This episode is a little about homeschooling but more about how God wants to be involved, not just in giving us things to do but actually doing them with us. This principle is part of the Soul Pillar in my Made To Soar: Next 90 Days course (opening again in January), but I wanted to share it with you now because it is life-changing. And I don’t say that lightly. I’ve tried muscling through and solving problems on my own, but I fall into the “Exhausted Supermom Trap” and end up burned out. Listen to this week’s episode to find out what inviting God into your life, and problem-solving actually looks like in the life of a rather busy mom.

I hear from moms all the time (and I've said it too!): I feel like I am surviving all the time, and I just want to thrive! If this rings remotely true to you, this week's episode is for you. We will talk about what thriving really looks like and what you can do to get from surviving to thriving sooner than you think!

Today’s episode is an inspiring conversation with Arielle, a mom of four children ages 2 to 9. Arielle discovered the Soaring Mothers Summit last year during a period of transition. The idea of creating a vision for her life took hold of her, and she decided to make a change. Instead of staying in place thinking, “All I do is clean, cook, and keep kids alive,” she would create a life she was excited to wake up to each day. Her journey and lessons learned during the last few years of motherhood are sure to uplift and inspire you in your own motherhood journey.

Life can be hard sometimes, and when it is, it can feel easier to throw in the towel and give up than to keep pressing forward. But, when you have a clear vision of what you want your life to be like (or even a hazy idea), you’ll be able to spend your time and energy focused on making things happen instead of scrolling on social media, even if it is all you feel like doing.  For examples of what this looks like in my life, check out this week’s episode of the podcast.

My quest for the first few years of motherhood was just trying to figure out why I felt like I was surviving all the time when I wanted to love being a mom so badly. As life marched on and I slowly gained more experience, I discovered there are four main reasons moms end up feeling like they are surviving.  In this episode, I break down the four reasons for feeling like you’re in survival mode as a mom. Knowing what the problem was brought me so much peace and focus, especially since it meant nothing was wrong with me - I just had skills I needed to learn. I hope it will help you too!

Summer is coming to a close, and I’ve taken some time to reflect. We had ups and downs, focused on building family relationships, and experienced the normal stressors that come with family life. Looking back, I learned a lot - and I'm betting you did too! In this week's episode, I'm sharing my lessons learned, and I would love to hear yours too. What’s a lesson you learned this summer?

This week, I’m talking with Unymie Ogutuga @oliveandblisswellness about the three phases of rethinking motherhood. If you relate to feeling pressure to do and be more, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

We just got back a few weeks ago from our cross-country road trip, spending 60 hours in the car. Roadtripping for 3-5 days is a huge undertaking! In this episode, I share my best tips and systems for going on long road trips with children. This is our second time making the drive, and we solved many pain points for a much smoother experience. Knowing everything won’t go perfectly, and everything will still be okay takes the pressure off. A problem-solving mindset keeps hope alive and allows you to live in your circle of influence. I hope these tips help make your next road trip smoother!

Today's conversation is with Kaeli Wood introduced me to many new ideas when it comes to ways to contribute financially as a stay at home mom. Kaeli and her husband have done two live in flips of their homes and have been an air bnb host for 5 years. She is also a mom of three young kids who is really committed to raising her kids and also very passionate about finances. She gives a real behind scenes look about what this lifestyle looks like - both the financial side and the day to day living impact.

Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.