3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms
A podcast offering three actionable takeaways in every 30-minute episode, designed for busy moms. Hosted by Rachel Nielson, a mother, teacher, and writer, the show aims to help listeners overcome overwhelm and find more peace and magic in motherhood.
Episodes
506: The Episodes We Almost Skipped (and Why They Stayed With Us) // A 3 in 30 Birthday Celebration 🎉
Nine years ago this month, I recorded the very first episode of 3 in 30 in my closet, took a deep breath, and pushed publish. That night I celebrated with my husband and our two little kids, never imagining the people I'd get to learn from or the women I'd get to work alongside in the years ahead.
Every October I look back on that day with a little bit of awe and a lot of gratitude, and this ye
505: Minimizing Power Struggles (from Toddlers to Teens) // Denaye Barahona
The power struggles in our home used to be about car seats and leaving the park. Now they're about phones, sleepovers, and YouTube. But whether you're dealing with little kids you can pick up or teenagers who tower over you, the key to handling power struggles is usually the same.
When a power struggle starts, it's so tempting to dig in and prove who's in charge. But I've learned that the tight
504: How to Build Sturdier Self-Worth as an Adult // Dr. Marisa G. Franco
The first time my therapist asked me to picture "little Rachel" on the playground, glasses and all, and offer her the comfort she needed, I thought it sounded so woo-woo. I went along with it, but I was skeptical that imagining my younger self could change anything about how I feel today.
What I didn't know then is that there's real science behind exercises like that one. Our sense of worth is
503: Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Moms (Do this Instead) // Shawnee Burt
When I interviewed Shawnee for this episode, I had to chuckle, because one of the things she listed as soul-care was volunteering for her kids' PTO. As an introvert, I think of the PTO as the classic example of something moms finally learn to say no to, so seeing it on her list of things that fill her up was the perfect reminder that there's no single right way to be a good mom.
That's th
502: 3 Principles that Carried Me Through a Really Difficult Summer
A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure I was going to open enrollment for my Self-Assured Motherhood Program this year. Of all the work I do, SAM is where I feel like I'm making the biggest difference, but I honestly didn't know if I had it in me.
My brother-in-law Logan died unexpectedly this summer, at 44 years old, and I spent most of the season at my sister's house doing dishes, walking the dog, an
501: How to Thrive, Not Just Survive, Your Kids' Extracurricular Activities // Meesha Slade
The sign-ups have started coming in. Fall sports, piano, dance, school plays – it's a lot. And while we know we want our kids to be involved in things so they can thrive, too often we're left burned out and... not thriving.
It's easy to assume the problem is the number of activities, and that the fix is to cut something. And sometimes it is. But a lot of the time, the schedule isn't actually th
500: Habits for Moms Who Are Bad at Habits (Like Me!) // Monica Packer
Consistency has never come easily to me. I'm a scattered creative, I have ADHD, and I have struggled with routines and habits for pretty much my whole life.
For years I assumed that meant something was wrong with me, and I felt like it was my fault that I couldn't stay consistent with anything.
But this week's guest, Monica Packer, has changed how I feel about habit-building.
Monica hos
499: Support Their Struggles // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #6
My instinct, when one of my kids is struggling, is to solve it, save them from it, or to worry about it so intensely that the worrying becomes consuming. These instincts are natural because I love my kids so much, and I hate to see them in pain. But they also don't work, at least not very effectively.
Our children need to experience hard things in order to grow, and the most useful thing I can
498: Gather the Good // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #5
What you look for, you will find. I have believed that about motherhood for a long time now, long enough that I built a whole journal around the idea, and I have heard from hundreds of mothers who have had the same experience. They weren't finding more good because their children had suddenly changed. They were finding more good because they had started looking for it.
That is the whole heart o
497: Sanctify Your Soul-Care // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #4
I have a confession. Of the six principles I teach in Self-Assured Motherhood, soul-care is the one where I'm still not where I want to be. I've taken good care of my mind and my spirit over the years, but when work gets busy, the first things to go are exercise, sleep, and eating well, and I'm starting to feel the cost of that in my body as I get older.
I say soul-care rather than self-care on
496: Balance Your Boundaries // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #3
After years and years of therapy, I have gotten pretty good at setting boundaries with almost everyone in my life. My weakest area, by far, is my own children. I'm a softie, and it is very difficult for me to let my kids be unhappy and not immediately try to resolve it.
That instinct comes from something real, because connection with my children is one of my true strengths and I lean into it on
495: Celebrate Your Strengths // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #2
I have spent so much time, energy, and money over the years trying to get good at the things I am simply not good at. Routines are my big one. I am not great at keeping our home organized and running on any kind of rhythm, and there have been whole seasons where I decided that fixing that about myself was the most important work I could possibly be doing.
Now, there's nothing wrong with strivin
494: Voice Your Values // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #1
It's back-to-school season, and our kids are about to be assessed on their reading, their math, and their writing. But what if we gave ourselves an assessment for how we're doing as moms? (And I don't mean a test involving balancing equations... I would rather not know my score for that. 😬) Instead, we can assess ourselves on our emotional wellbeing, because that affects everything about motherhoo
493: How to Calm Your Nervous System in 60 Seconds (And Other Small, Practical Pauses) // Layne Burkette
I have never been much of a meditator. Sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor, waiting for my brain to go quiet, has never once worked for me. I'm too in my head, too cerebral, too prone to just thinking harder instead of actually feeling calmer.
So when I recorded this episode, I wasn't expecting to walk away from it more relaxed than I've felt in weeks. But that's exactly what happened.This
492: Why Abby Is Done Fighting Over Screen Time (and Other Back-to-School Shifts) // 3 in 30 Team
If the back-to-school season is already creeping up on you (the supply lists, the new routines, the mental math of who needs to be where and when), you are not the only mom feeling that low hum of stress. Every year it sneaks up faster than I expect it to, and every year I tell myself this is the year I'll feel ready. And... I never quite do. (Maybe you can relate! 😆)
So today I'm handing the m
491: How to Change Someone's Life (Without Even Realizing It)
With back-to-school season right around the corner, I keep thinking about a moment from my own high school years – a moment so small I barely registered it at the time. I noticed a kid sitting alone, stuck out my hand, and said hi. That was it. What I didn't know was that it would change his life, and honestly, mine too.
This is a re-air of one of my favorite episodes from the archives, origina
490: 3 Things to Remember When Parenting is Difficult
Lately, my kids have been watching a lot of TV. More than I'd like to admit. And for a while, I let myself spiral about it. What kind of mom lets her kids zone out on screens all day? What is that doing to them? But then I caught myself, because I've learned that there's a difference between self-confronting and shame-spiraling. And, once I stopped the shame-spiral, I reminded myself that our fami
489: How My Mom Helped Me Know Myself
Grief has been close to my family lately, and in the weeks since losing my brother-in-law Logan, I've found myself returning again and again to the memories that hold the people we love, long after they're no longer here.
This July 14th marks twenty-three years since my mother passed away from breast cancer. I was nineteen years old. And this episode (one of the most personal I've ever recorded
488: A Letter to My Body (and Two Other Essays I Wrote in Recovery)
I have been a writer my whole life. Long before this podcast existed, writing was how I made sense of my hardest seasons, how I figured out what I actually thought and felt, and how I slowly found my way through pain I didn't know how to carry any other way.
Some of that writing happened in therapy. And some of the most important pages I ever filled were written during my recovery from an eatin
487: How to Raise Patriotic Kids When It Feels Complicated // Sharon McMahon
I'm a word person. (Occupational hazard of spending years as an English teacher, I suppose.) I notice when words shift — when something that used to feel simple and clear starts carrying extra weight, or gets claimed by one group of people until the rest of us feel uncertain about whether we're still allowed to use it the way we always meant to.
That's what's happened, at least in my experience
486: Let Go of the "Shoulds" That Don't Fit Your Family // Amy Marie Hann
For years, I had a vision in my head of the kind of mom I was going to be. I would be present and patient. I would have snacks ready after school and summers full of creative activities. When I finally became a mom, I struggled to match the realities of the daily motherhood grind and the ideal images of motherhood I had in my head.
This week's guest is Amy Marie Hann, author of Master the Munda
485: The Resentment that Moms Don't Talk About // JoAnn Crohn
I have a friend named Laney who genuinely does not experience mom guilt. Not because she's a perfect mom, but because she's decided her kids are lucky to have her — and she means it! I used to laugh when she said things like that. But, now, after working for years on myself (I've come so far!), I understand that what I was struggling with wasn't only guilt over my shortcomings as a mom, but it was
484: In Memory of Logan McKenna: A Conversation with my Beloved Brother-in-Law
I am recording the intro to this episode during one of the saddest weeks of my life. My beloved brother-in-law, Logan McKenna, died unexpectedly last Sunday morning. He was only 44 years old, and we are simply shattered by this loss.
As soon as I got the call, I got into my car and started driving to Utah to be with my sister and her two teenage children. And as I was driving, trying to wrap my
483: Types of Support that Every Mom Needs
I've spent a lot of time thinking about what the word "self-assured" actually means in the context of motherhood. And I think somewhere along the way, a lot of us accidentally absorbed this idea that being self-assured means being self-sufficient — that if we were really emotionally healthy or mature or confident, we would just… handle everything on our own.
But what I observed at my SAM Retrea
482: It's Never Too Late for a Fresh Start // Wendy Snyder
If you've ever worried that you've messed up your relationship with your kids — whether it happened this morning or years ago — this episode is going to bring you a lot of comfort.
This week's guest is Wendy Snyder, founder of Fresh Start Family and author of the brand new book Fresh Start Your Family, and she is living proof that it is never too late to start fresh.Wendy shares some of her ow
481: What to Do When Your Child Says "I'm Fat" // Steph Wood
Last week, Dr. Lexie Kite gave us tools for our own body image resilience. But there's a particular kind of helplessness that comes from watching your child struggle with theirs. It can be heartbreaking to hear them say something and not know what to do with it.
This week's guest is my Communications and Podcast Manager, Steph Wood, who has done deep personal and practical work in this area and
480: How to Stop Letting Your Body Image Steal Your Summer // Lexie Kite
I have spent so many summers halfway out. Physically present at the lake, the pool, the family barbecue — but mentally somewhere else entirely, cataloguing how I looked instead of actually living. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.
This week's guest is Lexie Kite, PhD, co-author of More Than a Body and leading expert in body image resilience.Lexie and her twin sister Lindsay have
479: Teaching Kids Life Skills This Summer // Katie Kimball
My kids are 11 and 14, and I will be the first to tell you that teaching them practical life skills is not my strongest suit. I am genuinely good at the emotional work, the hard conversations, the staying connected through difficult seasons. But the cooking, the chores, the keeping-a-home-running piece of parenting is an area where I know, with great compassion for myself, that we have room to gro
478: What Every Mom of a Teenager Needs to Hear // Emily Ricks
There comes a point in parenting where you realize the approach that worked when your kids were little just doesn't work anymore. The rules, the structure, the ability to redirect and reset — it all starts to feel like it's slipping. And if you have a teenager, you might already know that feeling well (iykyk 😅).
The older our kids get, the more we bump up against a humbling truth most of us wer
477: How to Process Your Emotions (Even When You Don't Know Where to Start) // Kim Christensen
All of us have hard feelings that need somewhere to go — frustration, resentment, grief, the anxiety that just sits there and won't quite leave. And if you're anything like me, finding a reliable way to process any of it doesn't always come naturally. We push through, or we vent to someone who didn't necessarily sign up for it, or we just wait for the feeling to pass on its own. And sometimes it d
476: How to Deal with Your Stuff So Your Kids Don't Have To // Eli Harwood
There is a specific kind of worry that lives in the back of most mothers' minds —the worry that we're not doing it right. That somewhere in the gap between who we are and who we wish we were, our kids are absorbing something we never meant to give them: our unresolved stuff. Our triggers, our patterns, the things from our own childhoods that we're still working through. Is all of that making its w
475: Release, Rest, Remain: Three Rs to Help You Feel Present // Yvette Henry
I have been a striver my entire life — the kind of person who color-coded her notes, lost sleep to get straight A's, and genuinely believed that doing more and finishing faster was just who she was. Until the season when it didn't work anymore, and I found myself wondering if what I actually needed wasn't a better system, but permission to put some things down.
This week's guest is Yvette Henry
474: 3 in 30 Day: Your Voices, Your Favorite Episodes, and the Heart Behind the Show
Happy 3 in 30 Day, my friends! Today is March 30th — which, numerically, is 3/30 — and years ago I dubbed this our national holiday.
When I started 3 in 30, I did not set out to build a community. I was a busy mom who desperately wanted a parenting resource that would just get to the point already — and when I couldn't find one, I sat down at my kitchen table with a cheap microphone and created
473: Three Things That Help Me Stay Sane During Busy, Overwhelming Seasons
Spring is a season I genuinely love, but it also has a way of sneaking up on me. One minute I'm enjoying the slower pace of winter, and the next I'm looking at my calendar wondering when it got so full. If you're coming off of Spring Break trying to find your footing again, or you can already see Maycember on the horizon and feel your shoulders creeping up toward your ears, this episode is for you
472: When the World Feels Heavy, Try This // Shannan Martin
Last week, I found out that one of my kids' teachers unexpectedly lost her husband in a car accident. She's in her early 30s with a toddler, and when I was telling Ryan, I just started to cry. I don't often cry, so it surprised both of us a little. The truth is, I was crying for her — and for all of the heaviness that has been building in my heart for months. The political division, the internatio
471: How Understanding Your Cycle Deepens Your Relationships // Shara Jackson Harper
I didn't learn until I was 40 years old that my body moves through four distinct phases every single month — and that each one of those phases affects my mood, my energy, my patience, and my ability to connect with the people I love. Which means that the version of me who felt so present and empathetic last Tuesday wasn't just "having a good day." And the version of me who snapped at everyone befo
470: Take the Trip — Even When It Feels Too Hard, Too Expensive, or Too Much // Tiffany Rosenhan
A year ago this month, the travel and motherhood world lost Elise Caffee — blogger, adventurer, mother of three, and the woman behind the hashtag "take the trip." Elise believed, down to her bones, that making memories with your kids was always worth it — the chaos, the cost, the exhaustion, all of it. This episode is for her.
This week's guest is Tiffany Rosenhan, Elise's dear friend, co-auth
469: How to Lighten the Load of Motherhood // Greg McKeown
A few years ago, I read a book that made me think it was reading my mind. In the introduction, the author asks: Do you ever feel like you're running faster but not moving any closer to your goals? Do you want to make a higher contribution but you lack the energy? Are you teetering right on the edge of burnout?
I wrote, "Yes, yes, yes!" next to each question in the margin of my copy.
The book
468: Stop the Runaway Train: How to Get Back to What Actually Matters
Right now I am definitely feeling the pull to simplify things in my life. I even said to my husband the other day, "I feel a bit like I'm on a runaway train!" Luckily, it's not the first time I've felt this way. I now know that this happens sometimes and life will suddenly accelerate faster than I intended.
But here's what I've learned: I'm not actually on a runaway train. I can choose to get o
467: How to Become a Better Partner // Dr Jennifer Finlayson-Fife
It's easy to notice when your marriage feels disconnected, but it's much harder to know what to actually do about it. And it's even harder to look at your own part in the dynamic instead of just wishing your partner would change.
This Valentine's Week, I'm bringing back one of my favorite conversations with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, a relationship and sexuality coach whose work has profoundl
466: You Have Permission to Pause
Six weeks before I recorded this episode, I woke up early with my heart pounding so hard I couldn't ignore it. The house was dark, everything was quiet, and as I lay there thinking about the medication I was on, the surgeries I'd been through, the pace I'd been keeping, this thought came to me so clearly: This is my life. No one is going to fix this for me. I am the one who has to change this.
465: When Your Spicy Child Takes All Your Energy (And What That Means for Their Siblings) // Mary Van Geffen
If you have a strong-willed child, you know how much energy they require—and if you have other kids too, you've probably wondered what this dynamic is doing to their siblings. Are they getting lost in the shuffle? Will they resent their brother or sister? Will they resent you?
Many parents worry that their quieter child is fading into the background while the spicy one commands all the attentio
464: What If Your Home Could Be Your Parenting Partner? // Jan Odesanya
I stood at the stove the other night, and in the span of ten minutes, I was asked where the charger was, where the batteries are kept, and where the headphones went. And I thought, why am I the only person in this house who knows where anything is?
It's not that my kids are incapable. It's that my home isn't set up in a way that lets them help themselves. Everything requires me—finding things,
463: What If Your Only New Year Goal Was to Let Go of the Shoulds?
I recently sat down to reflect on 2025, and I was honestly shocked by how much lighter my life feels now compared to just a few years ago. I'm not talking about having less to do. I'm talking about releasing the weight of expectations that never fit me in the first place. The guilt over my son's screen time, the pressure to have my spiritual life look a certain way, the belief that I had to maximi
462: 3 Questions to Help You Grow This Year in Ways That Matter Most to You
A few years ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop feeling completely overwhelmed by all the things I thought I should be doing better—as a mom, as a wife, in my work, in every area of my life. My brain was foggy, my to-do list felt impossible, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was failing at everything. So I grabbed a pen and started writing—and three questions emerged that helped me cut throu
461: "I Hate You, Mom" — How to Respond When Holiday Stress Brings Big Emotions
It's mid-December, everyone's running on fumes, and your child just screamed "I hate you." And even though you know it's the exhaustion talking, it still stings because you're killing yourself to make the holidays special, and this is what you get in return.
The truth is, the holidays amplify everything: the excitement, the overstimulation, the meltdowns, and yes, the hurtful words our kids don
460: Embracing Winter: How to Thrive through the Season // Jamie Gines
As the days get shorter and the cold settles in, I can feel the pull to just hunker down and survive until spring, and I have to consciously choose not to give in to it.
Maybe your winter is the literal season, the dark mornings and the gray stretches that feel endless. Or maybe your winter looks different—a season of grief, a transition you didn't choose, something in your life that just feels
459: How to Feel Like Yourself During the Holidays (Instead of the Dysregulated Version You Don't Recognize) // Alyssa Blask Campbell
It's December, and if you've been feeling like you're running on fumes, snapping at your kids over the smallest things, or desperately craving a dark room where nobody needs anything from you—you're not the only one!
The holidays bring so much beauty and connection, but they also bring overstimulation, dysregulation, and that version of ourselves we don't always recognize. The one who gets sarc
458: Three Simple Phrases Your Kids Need to Hear from You // Eli Harwood
You know that sting in your chest when one of your kids says "I hate you" or slams their door in anger? Every instinct in you wants to smooth it over, to fix it, to make them not be mad at you anymore. But what if your discomfort with their anger is actually getting in the way of the connection you're trying to build?
In this episode, I'm talking with my longtime friend Eli Harwood, known onlin
457: Three Ways to Recover from Mom Burnout
You know that feeling when you're completely tapped out—when you can't give one more ounce of yourself to anyone, including you? That's not just exhaustion. That's burnout. And it doesn't mean you're failing at motherhood.
This week is Thanksgiving 🦃, and for many of us, that means facing all the "lions"—family dynamics, cooking timelines, travel stress, and that never-ending holiday mental lo
456: Your Brain Isn’t Broken. It’s Busy! ADHD Strategies for the Holidays // Amy Marie Hann
Managing ADHD during the holidays takes more than willpower—it takes understanding your brain and planning around it with compassion. When I started researching ADHD to help one of my kids, I didn’t expect to discover that I had it too. But learning how my brain works has changed everything about how I approach motherhood, especially during the busiest season of the year.
In this episode, I’m
455: How to Understand the Dad in Your House (and Yourself) a Little Better // Glen Henry
When I think about the kind of parent I want to be, I often think about my dad—steady, grounding, and always there. His quiet consistency has shaped so much of how I show up for my own children. And that’s why Glen Henry’s new book, Father Yourself First: Everything You Need to Become the Father Your Family Deserves, caught my attention.
Even though Glen wrote this book for fathers, the messag
454: A Calm-ish Approach to the Holidays // Niro Feliciano
The holidays often bring equal parts joy and exhaustion. Between school programs, family gatherings, and the endless to-do lists, it’s easy to feel like you’re giving everything you have...but still falling short of the calm and connection you crave.
In this episode, psychotherapist and best-selling author Niro Feliciano shares three practical takeaways from her new book All Is Calm-ish: How to
453: How to Travel for FREE with Your Family (Really!) // Amber Paul
With the holidays coming up, many moms wish they could visit family or plan a getaway—but the price of flights makes it feel impossible. That’s why I’m re-airing this popular episode with Amber Paul from Amber on Points, who teaches families how to travel for free (or almost free) using credit card points.
A year after recording this, I’ve now been practicing what Amber teaches—and it’s truly c
452: You Yelled... Now What? How to Repair and Reconnect // Devon Kuntzman
We all lose our temper sometimes. That’s part of being human—and part of being a mom. But what happens next matters most. Because repair, not perfection, is what builds real trust with our kids.
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Devon Kuntzman from Transforming Toddlerhood to talk about one of the most healing and hopeful skills a parent can learn: how to reconnect after those hard moments.
451: The Unexpected Email That Changed My Work (and Shaped Our Motherhoods) // Molly Alexander
This week marks the 8th birthday of 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms 🎉, and I wanted to celebrate it in a way that feels true to the heart of this community. Instead of looking back at download numbers or milestones, I invited someone who has quietly shaped nearly every part of this podcast behind the scenes for the past seven years: my dear friend and teammate, Molly Alexander.
Recently, Molly made
450: How to Be a Bold Decision Maker // Jessica Frew
Have you ever caught yourself second-guessing something as small as what to make for dinner or as big as how to respond to a struggling child and felt completely paralyzed? As moms, we make thousands of decisions every day, and it’s easy to lose confidence in our ability to choose well, especially when we’re weighed down by “shoulds” from outside voices.
In today's episode, I’m joined by Jessi
449: 3 Simple Strategies to Prevent After-School Meltdowns // Alyssa Blask Campbell
Have you noticed that since school started, your afternoons feel more chaotic? Maybe your child walks in the door, drops their backpack, and bursts into tears—or lashes out over the smallest thing. It can leave you wondering if something is wrong with them…or with you.
The truth is, what you’re seeing is incredibly common. In fact, there’s even a name for it: restraint collapse. After holding
448: Join our Team! A Word from the SAM Sisters
Do the ups and downs of parenting ever feel like a solo sport? You may have friends who love you, but when it comes to really opening up about your struggles and growth as a mother, do you feel like you have teammates—women who are working toward similar goals and cheering you on as you become the truest version of yourself?
In this episode, I’m sharing the voices of three moms from my Self-As
447: What Parents in Disney Movies Got Wrong
Have you ever noticed that some of the parents in Disney movies…aren’t exactly the best role models?
They love their kids deeply, but their fears, expectations, and blind spots often get in the way of connection. As I rewatched a few of these classics recently, I couldn’t help but think, "These parents could really use the Self-Assured Motherhood program!"
In this episode, I’m sharing thre
446: Is Perfectionism Good or Bad? // Katherine Morgan Schafler
Have you ever been told that your perfectionism is a problem? Maybe you’ve felt like it’s the reason you’re stressed, restless, or never satisfied with yourself. But what if perfectionism isn’t actually the enemy? What if it’s a form of power that, when channeled with compassion, can actually bring you more joy and meaning?
In this episode, I’m joined by Katherine Morgan Schafler, a psychothera
445: How to Set Boundaries without Damaging Relationships // Rachel on Happy Mom Summit
Many moms hesitate to set boundaries because they don’t want to seem selfish or unkind. But what if boundaries are actually one of the most compassionate things you can offer to yourself and to the people you love?
In this special episode, I’m sharing an interview I did with JoAnn Crohn of the No Guilt Mom Podcast for her Happy Mom Summit. JoAnn graciously gave permission for me to re-air our
444: The Four Tendencies in Motherhood // Sarah Joslin
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to stick to goals that matter to you, but you can follow through easily when someone else is counting on you? Or why one of your children seems to resist every rule, while another lives for structure and routine?
This week’s guest, Sarah Joslin, walks us through a personality framework that has the power to transform the way we see ourselves and our kids.
443: Feeding Your Family without Losing Your Mind // Celeste Noland
As school routines settle back in, many moms start looking for a better rhythm with meals—something that feels less chaotic and more doable.
But for many moms (myself included), feeding a family brings up more stress than we’d like to admit. We put so much pressure on ourselves to do it “right,” and when our kids complain or the fridge is empty or we’re too tired to cook, it’s easy to feel li
442: Creating a Space you Love with Color and Confidence // Valerie Bradshaw
When you think about decorating your home, do you feel inspired... or just overwhelmed?
Many moms dismiss design as something extra or unnecessary. But what if creating a space you love could actually support your well-being, reduce stress, and help you feel more grounded in your motherhood?
In this episode, I’m joined by Valerie Bradshaw, a longtime Self-Assured Motherhood Sister and home d
441: The 4 Types of Self-Care Every Mom Needs // Mia Hemstad
We talk a lot about self-care as moms, but most of the time, the examples we’re given (bubble baths, massages, solo Target runs) only scratch the surface.
The truth is, there’s not one kind of self-care. There are actually several distinct forms of care we need, and they each serve a different purpose in our lives and in our motherhood. When we only reach for one type, it makes sense that we
440: Tools for Parenting a "Spicy" Child // Mary Van Geffen
Oh, the stories I could tell about raising a strong-willed child.
But the truth is, if you have a spicy one of your own, you don’t need to hear my stories because you’ve got plenty of your own! Parenting an intense, persistent, sensitive kiddo is a daily rollercoaster. And sometimes, what you need most isn’t another “quick fix”… it’s a wise, compassionate mentor who truly gets it.
That’s wh
439: 3 Secrets for Calmer, Happier Kids // Ralphie Jacobs
Ever found yourself stuck in a cycle of constant correction, nagging, lecturing, or repeating yourself while your kids seem to tune you out?
It happens to almost every parent at some point. In the moment, it can feel like the only option… but learning a new way of responding can be a game-changer.
Today’s guest, Ralphie Jacobs of Simply On Purpose, shares three powerful tools that can shift
438: How Soul-Care Can Help You Enjoy Motherhood More: Real Stories from Moms Like You // SAM Sisters
This conversation is full of gentle reminders and practical ideas for building rhythms of care into your everyday life... so you’re not just making it through motherhood, you’re actually enjoying it.
You’ll hear from three incredible moms: Celeste, Tiffany, and Abby, who each found their own way to prioritize soul care. Not the spa-day kind, but the kind that fits into the cracks of real life.
437: Surviving Summer Chaos with Emotional Resilience + Boundaries // Dr. Jen Riday
Emotional resilience is one of the most powerful skills you can develop as a mom - and let’s be honest, it’s also one of the hardest to master.
From toddler tantrums to teen drama, from work stress to family dynamics… there’s no shortage of moments that can leave you feeling stretched thin and emotionally spent. And there’s no season that tests this quite like summer, when the routines are lo
436: Embrace the Mom You Are—Not the One You Think You Should Be // Julie Bastedo
Ever catch yourself comparing your motherhood to someone else’s?
In this heartfelt episode, my friend and motherhood mentor, Julie Bastedo, shares how a simple moment of comparison while cooking dinner led her to a powerful mindset shift: you don’t have to be all the things—you just have to be yourself.
This conversation is a beautiful example of the second principle in my Self-Assured Mothe
435: How to Make Decisions Without Overthinking // Kendra Adachi
If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by a decision–spinning in circles, overanalyzing every possible outcome, and feeling like you can’t move forward until you get it just right–I'm here to tell you that the struggle is SO real. I’ve been there. In fact, decision-making used to be one of my biggest struggles as a mom.
But over the past few years, I’ve been on a quiet quest to become a more confident,
434: How to Actually Enjoy Summer as a Mom
Summer can be such a gift—but it can also feel like a lot. Whether you're a few days in or several weeks deep, this season tends to stretch us in new ways as moms. We want to make memories, stay present, and still meet our own needs—but how?
In this solo episode, I’m introducing you to the SAM 6, a new streamlined version of the Self-Assured Motherhood framework that I’ve been teaching for year
433: Making Friends as a Mom: Why It’s Hard—and How to Do It Anyway // Dr. Marisa G. Franco
Making new friends as an adult is challenging—and motherhood often makes it even harder. Between family responsibilities, full schedules, and emotional fatigue, it can feel like there’s no space left for connection. And even when we do show up, it’s not always easy to know how to move from polite small talk to real, meaningful friendship.
In this episode, psychologist and bestselling author Dr.
432: Teach Your Kids About Money and Life Skills This Summer—No Nagging Needed // Saren Loosli
We want to raise kids who are responsible, capable, and financially wise—but it’s hard to know where to start. It can feel especially tricky to teach life skills like money management and personal responsibility without constant reminding or frustration.
In this episode, I’m joined by Saren Eyre Loosli, founder of Power of Families and one of my earliest parenting mentors. Saren is a mom of fi
431: 3 Road Trip Hacks for Traveling with Kids // Brittney Hanks
Summer is almost here… which means it’s road trip season! If you’re gearing up for some long drives with your kids in tow, this episode is packed with practical tips to help make those hours in the car smoother, more fun, and a little less chaotic.
Brittney Hanks—mom of four and the genius behind Home and Kind—is here to share her favorite road trip hacks that she’s developed over years of cr
430: Plan Meaningful Family Travel Without the Stress // Meggie Busath
What if your next family trip wasn’t about packing in more—but about slowing down, connecting, and actually enjoying your time together?
This week, I'm joined by family travel expert Meggie Busath, who shares practical ways to bring more intention, connection, and joy to your trips—without overcomplicating things or blowing your budget.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
🫶 How to stop overcompl
429: How Ordinary Moms Can Make a Difference // Sharon McMahon
If you’ve ever felt like the problems of the world are too big, and your influence is too small to matter, this conversation with Sharon McMahon will help you realize how powerful even just your small actions can be.
Sharon is a former high school government teacher turned trusted online educator and advocate. In her new book The Small and the Mighty, she highlights 12 lesser-known Americans w
428: What Fashion Taught Me About Motherhood (Yes, Really!) // Julie Allen
I've never considered myself a person who cares about fashion or "style" so when I first stumbled across Julie Allen on Instagram, I didn’t expect to stick around. But something about the way she talked about clothes felt different. It was kind, approachable, and freeing.
Julie teaches women how to embrace style tools instead of style rules, and as I listened to her, I realized how much that ph
427: A Simple Framework for a "Balanced" Summer // Jenny Layton
As moms, summer can feel like both a dream and a juggling act. We want to make magical memories for our families… but we also crave order, rest, and a little bit of time for ourselves. So, how do we actually find balance in the chaos of summer break?
In this episode, I’m joined by Jenny Layton—professional organizer, time management coach, and mom of five—who shares a beautifully simple framewor
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