Confessions of a Recovering Micromanaging Perfectionist Martyr

🛋️ Confession: I may have done a little too much staring at my past 👀 After losing my brother, therapy was a true gift, and then something started to shift 💭 Join me for a look at grief, a super helpful quote from Dr. Edith Eger, and how I figure out when it's time to throw up the therapy bat signal 🦸‍♀️ Have a listen 🎧 JoinTeamConfessions!

🐱 Confession: as a kid, my cat-holding technique was... let's call it enthusiastic 😬 Years later, a furry roommate named Connor taught me something I never saw coming about my own growing kids 💛 Join me for a tender, slightly sheepish look at what happens when the people we love start to wriggle, and how this mom is learning to respond 🐾 Grab a cozy seat (and maybe a cat) and listen in 🎧...

Another birdie left the nest this fall, and the house is so quiet we've gone from Grand Central Station to a library that occasionally asks to borrow the car 🚗📚. Team, this one's about the pull to fix everyone's pain, the urge to book a flight, and what I'm learning to lean on instead. Spoiler: it's not just my clean house 🏡✨ (okay, it's a little bit my clean hous...

Another fall, another season, another car that just won't start (metaphorically speaking 🚗😅). This one's about excuses — the sneaky kind that dress up as self-care — and what it actually takes to get moving again. Spoiler: it involves a treat 🍬, a little Catholic guilt 😇, and way more compassion than I expected to give myself. Team, let's talk about starting over. 🙌 JoinTeamCon...

What happens when a football game, a church Harvest Fair, and one impressively slammed car door collide? 🚗💥 An overtired Farmer Mags briefly loses track of which opinions actually need her attention. 🐑 In this episode, I share a parenting standoff—and the humbling realization hiding beneath all that attitude, fatigue, and farm-inspired wisdom. 🌾😅 Links to other episodes referenced in this pos...

How much of my love depends on everyone—including me—behaving acceptably? 🤔 When unrealistic expectations collide with family life, I sometimes make a statement that hurts me more than anyone else. Enter one surprisingly sturdy Nerf gun. 😬 In this episode, I explore conditional love, perfectionism, and the small shift that might help me offer everyone—including myself—a little more grace. 💙 Joi...

Why does running late flip every one of my emotional switches? ⏰😬 On the way to my daughter’s appointment, I noticed micromanaging, perfectionism, and martyrdom all climbing into the car with me. This episode explores what rushing awakens in me—and the gentler, faith-filled response I’m practicing instead. 🚗💙 Plus, the humbling truth about how often we’re actually late! JoinTeamConfessions!

🍞 Are you an ingredient... or the baker? 😆 In this Summer Rewind, I'm revisiting a simple baking metaphor that helped me loosen my grip on all-or-nothing thinking. From control and teamwork to accepting different ways of doing things, this short episode explores what happens when we stop insisting everything be made from our recipe. 💛 A lighthearted reflection on growth, flexibility, and f...

🏈 What if the people in your life aren't letting you down... you're just asking them to play the wrong position? 🤔 In this Summer Rewind, I'm revisiting one of the most helpful discoveries from my recovery journey: the surprising connection between expectations, disappointment, and relationships. 💛 A lighthearted look at football, compassion, and why handing the ball to the right...

🧩 Ever feel like some people are built more like Jenga towers than brick walls? One wrong move and everything comes tumbling down. 😬 In this Summer Rewind, I'm revisiting a lesson about sensitive personalities, relationship challenges, and the surprising opportunities hidden inside frustrating interactions. 💛 A lighthearted conversation about kindness, patience, and navigating personality...

🐻 Ever find yourself avoiding conflict just to keep the peace? Same. In this season finale, I'm confessing a growing temptation to stop "poking the bear" when teenage attitudes come roaring out of hibernation. 😬 From eye rolls to lip, we're talking about the difference between preserving serenity and permitting disrespect. 💛 A lighthearted look at parenting, boundaries, and...

💛 What happens when the hardest chapter isn’t yours—but your child’s? In this final conversation with Christine and Dave, we explore the complicated space between fear, courage, healing, and hope. 🌱 Through an unforgettable family story, we talk about resilience, support, and the quiet ways people help us find our footing again. 💫 A heartfelt conversation about love, community, and what healing...

One sentence from a friend completely changed how I think about comments regarding kids’ bodies 💭❤️ In this episode, I’m reflecting on body image, parenting, and why even well-meaning remarks about appearance can stay with children for years 👀 From awkward compliments to lasting impressions, this conversation explores the words kids may quietly carry with them. JoinTeamConfessions!

Apparently my forehead has been keeping receipts 😅🪞 In this episode, I’m reflecting on stress, tension, “11 lines,” and the surprising connection between our faces and our moods 💭✨ From grimace lines to laugh lines, this episode explores what it might look like to soften up a little—inside and out 💛🎧 JoinTeamConfessions!

What happens when life flips the script overnight? 🎙️💔 In Part II of this heartfelt conversation, Christine & Dave share reflections on job loss, vulnerability, resilience, and learning how to “do hard better” together ❤️🌊 There’s honesty, humor, a few hard-earned lessons, and plenty of moments that might leave you quietly nodding along 🎧 Link mentioned in this episode: Confessions Conversa...

Gym mirrors and I have never exactly been best friends 😅🪞 In this episode, a thoughtful conversation with a friend gets me wondering if my self-acceptance might need some strengthening 💪❤️ From awkward reflections to quiet recovery reps, this one explores the surprising connection between fitness, compassion, and learning to see ourselves a little differently ✨ JoinTeamConfessions!

Confessions post #400 🌞 Two identical plants. Same water. Same house. But one thrived… and the other barely survived. 🌿 That small difference got me thinking about how environment, awareness, and tiny shifts can change the way we grow. In this episode, I reflect on the journey from surviving to thriving—and how sometimes the answer is simply finding better light. 💚 JoinTeamConfessions!

A random 4AM thought led me down an unexpected path: what if families had their own version of college school spirit? 🎓 In this episode, I reflect on the culture some universities create—and how that same sense of pride, loyalty, and belonging might show up at home. A lighthearted look at parenting, family memories, and the hope that our kids someday feel proud to be alumni of the place they grew...

For years I ran at full speed keeping life on track for our family. Now that things are quieter, something surprising keeps showing up—guilt when I’m not being productive. 😅 In this episode, I reflect on learning (very slowly) to sit in a moment of peace without immediately jumping up to do laundry. A small conversation about busyness, identity, and giving ourselves permission to just breathe. 🌿...

Sometimes life delivers news that stops everything. In this first Confessions Conversation, I sit down with my friends Christine and Dave to reflect on the moment their world shifted in 2019. What followed was fear, unexpected kindness, quiet strength, and a lot of learning as they found their way forward together. Part I of a heartfelt conversation about partnership, perspective, and the people w...

My eighth and final high school hockey season has ended 🏒❄️ This episode is a small love letter to fierce girls on the ice, welcoming coaches on the bench, and the warm communities that grow in freezing rinks. It’s about pride, gratitude, and not wanting to forget these cherished times. ❤️ Link to Girls Ice Hockey Movies JoinTeamConfessions!

Ever notice how guilt can sneak into even the smallest decisions—like spending money on yourself? 💸 In this episode, I share a story about the quiet cost of believing I wasn’t “worth” the investment. From babysitters to yoga retreats, the lesson surprised me: sometimes the most expensive thing isn’t the spending… it’s the guilt we carry. Have a listen 🎙️ Links mentioned in this episode: Doubt - H...

After weeks of scoreboard talk, I started wondering if there’s a kinder way to check in on how life’s really going. In this episode, I share a simple Life Balance Wheel I’ve been using to get a quick snapshot of my “game of life.” Curious what your wheel might reveal? Subscribers can grab the worksheet PDF and play along. 🎙️ Links mentioned in this episode: You’re Not My Scoreboard - Who Gets a Vo...

Last week we talked about life’s unofficial scorekeepers ⚾️… and that got my brain spinning. If life really is a game, what kind of player do I want to be out there? In this episode, I’m sharing a few of the “rules” in my personal playbook—from calling timeouts to trusting teammates and maybe leaving the wild pitcher in the bullpen. 😅 Check out what made my list. 🎙️⚾️ Link mention in this episo...

Ever feel like someone in your life is quietly keeping score? ⚾️ A recent conversation got me reflecting on opinions, boundaries, and those moments when it feels like someone else is calling balls and strikes in my life. In this episode, I share a few thoughts about noticing the “scorekeepers,” deciding who really gets a vote, and remembering we’re all just playing our own game. 🎙️ JoinTeamConfes...