Simple Families | Parenting + Minimalism

In today’s episode I am sharing more about what my typical day looks like. Like many women, I am always seeking to find a balance between having a career and spending quality time with my family. I am the primary caregiver for my 1-year-old and 4-year-old, but I also balance working from home as well. My days are full, but I don’t feel overwhelmed and busy. In today’s glimpse, I am sharing the balance that’s working for me right now. How do you balance work and family life? [Also, starting today you can sign up for the free Mindfulness program I am running for the month of March. We will dive deeper into finding peace, happiness, and mindfulness with family. I hope to get to know you better. Please join us!]

Traveling with kids can be intimidating and even downright scary. But it’s also rewarding. In today’s episode, I have a special treat. I am chatting with my best friend and travel-with-kids-guru Amanda about adventuring both in and out of the country as  a family. Amanda and her family were recently in Hawaii for the false missile alert. She’s also been hospitalized while traveling on more than one occasion–but she doesn’t let any of this slow her down. In fact, we are preparing to head out on a joint international family adventure soon. In this interview we’ll talk about our upcoming trip to an unlikely destination, packing light, dealing with kiddie jet lag, and the importance of planning less for these types of adventures. Want to see my minimalist packing video?

In today’s episode, I talk with Carla Hannaford, world-renowned biologist and outdoor advocate, about her studies on the connection between movement and brain development. If you are brand new to learning about brain development, tune into episode 92 for a simple, quick overview before diving into this one.

In today’s world of baby gadgets and excitement around milestones, many babies are skipping the crawling stage and going straight to walking. But is this actually a good thing? In today’s episode, I discuss why crawling is important to development [and also give a preview of what’s to come for episode 93.]

There are so many children’s books out there, how do you choose what to include in your home library? In today’s episode, we talk about why not every classic makes the cut in our family and what I look for in both new and classic storybooks.

There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Today, Swedish mother Linda Akeson McGurk joins us to talk about raising our kids to be more connected with nature. Linda’s new book is one of my favorites–and her blog, Rain or Shine Mamma, is a worth-while resource as well. I hope you enjoy this episode!

This week, I am excited to be talking on the podcast with Courtney Carver from Be More With Less. On the blog and podcast, I frequently discuss the “how” of minimalism. But in this episode, Courtney takes us one step further. She explains why simple living is good for your heart, family, and future. I just wrapped up Courtney’s brand new book, Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More. Courtney shares her story in moving from a stressed out, cluttered life to minimalism as a result of a devastating diagnosis. Her story is beautifully written–it will both lift you up and bring you to tears–I am not sure if I can say I have ever cried about someone else’s dog dying–but now I have. Here’s quick excerpt from Soulful Simplicity that spoke to me: I’m confident that because I got lost, disconnected, and turned upside down, I was able to come out even better on the other side and experience the kind of gratitude you just can’t tap into unless you know what it’s like to live outside of your heart. Not being yourself is exhausting and breaks you down from the inside out. Simplifying my life was the way I remembered who I was. When we hear about the benefits of simplicity, we immediately think of organized sock drawers, clean countertops, and tidy bookshelves, but it’s much more than that if you want it to be. Courtney is currently on a 15 city book tour–she will be here in NYC next week and I look forward to meeting her there! If you can catch her in a city near you, I highly recommend hearing her words and her story in person.

We need to respect our children and their desires–but we can also help to steer them to buy more intentionally. In today’s episode we discuss how to get older children on board with simplicity using 3 simple questions.  

Fitness and nutrition are on the minds of many at the beginning of a New Year. As we transition into motherhood, our bodies change. I know for me personally, the way I view my body changed after babies. But the way I use my body changed also. Fitness in motherhood is about more than just looking good, it’s about being strong. When we are strong it helps us to be the calm, present, engaged parent that our kids need. In today’s podcast episode, I chat with Cari Oschman from Fit Mama in 30. Cari is a fitness expert and mother of two young children. Cari and I dove deeper into a topic of which she’s well versed–fitness in motherhood. We discuss the following questions: * How does motherhood change our body image and the way we view ourselves? * How can we inspire fitness and wellness in our families? * Why do we need to be fit as mothers? Click here to learn more about Fit Mama in 30 and sign up for the Free 7 Day Program. Follow on Facebook | Instagram.

Is your holiday season feeling busy? In today’s episode we talk about how to find calm this holiday season–including tips to keep it simple. * How to combat busyness? * How to minimize decorating? * How to drop the guilt? * How to decrease the sugar? * How to create traditions?

In today’s episode I have an interview with Megan Lyons from The Lyon’s Share Wellness (Facebook | Instagram). Megan is a health and wellness coach based in Dallas, Texas and provides services worldwide. In our chat today, we talk all about sugar. She answered several of my questions such as: * Is there such thing as a sweet tooth? * How can we create holiday traditions that revolve around something other than candy and desserts? * How can we make sense of the many types of “sugar” alternatives on the market today. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: * Megans book: Start Here: 7 Easy, Diet-Free Steps to Achieve Your Ultimate Health and Happiness. (Affiliate Link) * Holiday Webinar * My Experience With Food Intolerance Testing

Potty training regression is discouraging and frustrating. In today’s episode we discuss how to handle a situation when a child suddenly starts having accidents after they’ve been successfully potty trained. Suggested Book: Oh Crap!

Early risers can leave moms and dads feeling exhausted and irritable. In today’s episode we talk about how we can survive this common stage, especially with little ones who still require some supervision. Suggested: Ok to Wake Clock + Visual Timer

Dealing with a child that whines and complains a lot is draining. In today’s episode we talk about how we can help model the kind of attitudes we want to see in our children, along with how to validate their feelings without encouraging the unwanted behavior.

Starting solids with your baby can be intimidating, especially when you add in the worry of choking. In today’s episode we talk about baby led weaning and how you can tell if your baby is just gagging (and why that’s totally normal) versus choking.