Enjoying Your Blended Family

We tell you all the time to have fun with your spouse and you will see less problems. It's a catch 22 though if you can't stand your spouse. We get it. When things have gone so wrong for so long, it's hard to get passed the issues long enough to connect again. Which keeps you in this unhappy marriage cycle.  Please if that is you, listen to this episode. We brought in marriage experts that are tra...

Randall and I have heard for years of the importance of having family meetings. We see a common factor in many successfully connected families and that is that communication is key. At the core of that, is giving your family an opportunity to feel seen and heard,  in the know, and have a sense of belonging. Family meetings do just that! So why aren't more families doing it? I believe it's from a l...

This episode is near and dear to my heart because Dominique shares her story of living with depression. Although this is not something I personally struggle with, my children have/do. As you know, when your kids hurt, you as a parent would do anything to take away the pain.  Dominque came from a blended family and through her upbringing she struggled in her teen years. When I first heard her story...

If you or your spouse has to travel ALOT for work and it makes it hard to connect, this episode is for you. Jamee from Date Crates shares 5 ways to connect even when there is physical distance between you.  In this episode, she mentions these resources: Marco Polo App -Marco Polo is the video chat app that brings you closer to the people who matter most without asking you to compromise on trust. M...

A lot of guys want to be the spiritual leaders of their home but they don't know how. Chris from Expedition and Randall talk today about how to take the scripture and apply it to your life so you can put it into practice in your family. If this is an area you or your spouse needs help, grab a copy of Men's Devotional for Dads: A Year of Prayers, Guidance, and Wisdom Follow Expedition Marriage on I...

In today's episode, I asked Randall questions about our date nights. I often feel like date night is just another thing on his task list. I know he works hard and I don't want date nights to feel like more work. Because of this, I will avoid planning anything. On the other hand, though, we both have learned to recognize when we need more quality time together because we become more annoyed with ea...

In today's episode, we share with you a tool that can help you take the STEP out of STEPFAMILY. They say it takes on average 7 years to BLEND and that is true, but if you do these things, your family will start connecting much faster. Not only as a whole but in each of the individual relationships as well. Can you imagine what it would feel like to have everyone in your stepfamily healthy emotiona...

In today's episode, I give you the cliff notes of my life. I can sum it up in one word, DYSFUNCTIONAL. When in reality, we are so hard on ourselves and our parents. We do our best with the resources available to us. But just because we come from dysfunction doesn't mean we have to continue the cycle. There is a better way and it isn't by going the complete opposite way like I did.  Stick with me,...

In today's world, with all the HATE that we see, this family has created a way for your family to not only embrace cultural differences but also enjoy them together. If you are thinking I can't afford that, today you'll learn some out-of-the-box ways you can!   Here's Mandi's blog post on Travel the World Without Leaving Home: 5 Fun Activities for Exploring Cultural Diversity with Your Kids But if...

  Today's episode will sound a little different. After a fun weekend with my adult stepdaughter, I discussed how I have experienced God in the middle of my divorce, through the hardest parts of our blending journey, and even now when our adult choices cause confusion and chaos as our kids begin to start their own lives.    I discussed this on my morning devo called Prayers From a Mom, there was so...

Have you ever wanted to get outside more or start hiking but you have kids and it seems impossible? In today's episode, I talked with Stevie about the benefits of getting outside and hiking with your family. Like many of us, she was tired of the busyness and mental load of running a household. She started looking for something different and they fell in love with hiking as a family.   She takes he...

We talk alot about the hard parts of being a stepmom and often focus on what we did wrong. But in this episode, I asked my stepdaughter to share areas where I got it right. She shares 4 areas with you that meant alot to her, we hope this gives you insight into areas your stepchild could benefit from as well.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BLENDED FAMILY : 5 Dates To Discover Fun In Your...

We are always looking for ways to bring your stepfamily closer together, and gardening can be just that. Even if you don't have a "green thumb," this is still something that will allow you to share some special moments.   In this episode, Corrina from "Growing Through It" joins us to share how you can take gardening and create those special moments with your family. You Can Find Corrina Here: http...

How do you navigate through high conflict coparenting? When you and your ex just don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to raising your kids, what do you do?   Join us in this episode, as we talk with Brittney from Blending Bravely. We share tools and tips to help you deal with high conflict coparenting.   You Can Find Brittney Here: https://linktr.ee/blendingbravely     EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO EN...

This can bring a lot of joy and healing to your family, whether you're an artist or not. Add art therapy to some of the fun things you do to bring your family closer.   Join us in this episode, as our good friend, Corrina, joins us and shares from her heart about art and family. You don't want to miss this amazing conversation.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BLENDED FAMILY : 5 Dates To D...

So what really does high-conflict coparenting mean?   Join us in this episode, as we break this word down, share what it means in a stepfamily dynamic, along with a few pointers that can help you through this hard stuff.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BLENDED FAMILY : 5 Dates To Discover Fun In Your Step-Family, by the end of these 5 dates you will have a great plan and see more fun in y...

Bowling can be a great way to get the family together and have some fun.    We share a few ways at what that can look like, and how you can create some awesome memories with your family.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BLENDED FAMILY : 5 Dates To Discover Fun In Your Step-Family, by the end of these 5 dates you will have a great plan and see more fun in your home, helping build stronger f...

Do you ever feel like you're scattered all over the place, or that you're failing in your family?   A stepfamily's mental load can be overwhelming, and without good systems in place it can feel like everything is about to come crashing down on you.   Ginger, from The Family Core, joins us in this episode to help share some tips, tricks and tools to help make your stepfamily life a lot easier.   Yo...

There's something about music that brings people together. What a fun way to connect with your family over live music.    This gives you a new experience that you get to have together, which creates stronger bonds, exactly what a stepfamily needs.   Ryleigh joins us in this episode, where we share some fun experiences, along with giving you ideas on how you can take this and use it to grow your fa...

Differences in you and your spouse's parenting styles can destroy your marriage, or strengthen them if we recognize and talk about them.   This is a great topic we shared on a Thursday Live that was recorded. There are many blended family issues we face, but one of the main ones is differences in us and our spouse. Although, when we learn to communicate about these things with each other, we can s...

Did you know that geocaching is still a thing and can be used to bring your stepfamily closer together?   We breakdown what geocaching is and give you several ways that you can take this idea and run with it. This is great for getting your family outside and learning to work together as a team, and it works great for individual hangouts too. EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BLENDED FAMILY :...

There are all kinds of emotions that come with being a stepmom.    Jealousy is one kind of emotion that can creep up and disguise itself as many things. Then it robs you of all the good things that can come with being a stepmom.   In this episode, a stepmom tells all. She gets real, raw, and vulnerable, with hopes to give you the power back as a stepmom and a biomom.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO...

Easter is almost here, and what a great way to create some awesome memories with your family while sharing the story of Jesus. You can have a lot of fun with Resurrection Eggs.    Join us in this episode as we share 3 ways you can use these this year to create something fun and new. One way even gets your extended family involved in the fun.   You can get your Resurrection Eggs here: https://amzn....

Making sure you have a good and healthy sex life in your marriage can have its challenges, especially if you are in a stepfamily situation.   This is such an important topic that's not talked about enough in a healthy way. Sex and intimacy helps to keep you both growing closer together and working better together.   Join us in this episode as we talk through the struggles and challenges that marri...

This is a great way to have a lot of fun and laughs with your family, even if none of you are good at painting.   We share all kinds of ways you can take a painting party and create some new memories that will help grow any blended family relationships. This is great to use with your whole family or as individual dates.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   HOW TO ENJOY YOUR BLENDED FAMILY : 5 Dates To Discover...