Find the Good Mamahood

Friends, did you know that November is Foster Care and Adoption Awareness Month and National Adoption Month ? A couple years ago I didn't know anything about these, or November's annual Stand Sunday observed by many American churches either. Honestly, I didn't know much about foster care at all. All that changed when several of my friends became foster parents, and I have been on a journey to lear...

Happy holidays, friends! You're going to absolutely love this episode featuring my talk with a special family friend of mine, Mary O’Donnell. Mary's daughter is actually a good friend of mine who has inherited her gift for making people feel at home. I absolutely loved being at their house when I was younger, and counted it as a second home. And I wasn't alone - dozens of people from different age...

Welcome to episode #23 where my friend Rachel shares with us her deeply trying mama journey, one of infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF). *Trigger warning: Our conversation does include the IVF process and miscarriage.* After giving a great IVF 101, Rachel shares the physical and emotional difficulties she faced along the way. I appreciated hearing what was helpful and unhelpful for her, f...

This episode is near and dear to my heart since the topic is a huge part of our family and one of my major focuses as a mom: fostering bilingualism in our children! My friend Kaila is both an expert in this field and also a fellow mama raising a bilingual child. She shares some incredibly helpful advice, stories and frameworks to guide and inspire you in your journeys. Although we reference raisin...

Wow, I am so grateful to be sharing my conversation with my friend (and former landlord!) Stacey about parenting teens. Yep, she confirms those years can often be tough and trying. But she also shares the beauty that can be found in this raw and real stage of kids' lives and some rock solid practical advice on walking with them as they grow in independence. I'll share some bytes to summari...

I know Valentine’s Day has passed, but I’ve still got love on the brain. I've been thinking about ways to bless my husband, how to get creative with limited time for date nights, and the like. Maybe you are too. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the kids and connecting with our significant other can end up by the wayside and we can drift apart. This episode features my conversation with my friend...

For the first full episode of 2023, I am thrilled to present a super fun and enlightening conversation on the topic of creating meaningful family traditions! My friend Taye and her husband Dave have created a whole year-round ensemble of unique celebrations for them and their 4 kids, so she's basically a pro. Trust me, you're gonna wanna hear about the spectacular fun they get up to together. Taye...

Happy 2023, friends! This podcast is officially 2 years old and I'm celebrating by sharing a brief recap of this year's mamahood stories, the birth story of our second baby Lyla who joined us on Halloween, and how our family has been doing in our new reality as a family of 4. Check out the super fun resources I mention below. This new year, stay tuned for exciting new stories! I can't wait to shar...

In this episode, my friend and neighbor Allison Keeler joined me to talk about the major and often scary transition from 1 to 2 kids. This conversation was especially exciting because my own family is growing - we are expecting a baby girl at the beginning of November! I really enjoyed hearing about Allison’s journey into the world of having 2 little ones and everything she has learned so far. She...

I had such a fun conversation with my cousin Amanda Tucker all about her journey to becoming an artist and how she makes time to create while being a mama to two littles! Tune in to hear how she got her business off the ground and how she finds ways to involve her kids in her art. You'll also hear about her favorite paintings, the stories behind them, and what they mean to her and her clients.&nbs...

Did you (like me) acquire aches and pains in unexpected places after becoming a mama? Have you wondered how to take care of your body when your kids often require so much of you physically? If this sounds like you, you're going to love listening in on my recent conversation with my physical therapist friend Ashley Marsh. Her heart for helping with physical care and repair was apparent in every top...

It may not be spring quite yet around here, but spring cleaning and purging is in the air for me and some of my friends. In this episode, my friend Stephanie Taylor shares about her family's journey into a minimalistic lifestyle over the past few years - going from an average-sized living space to one half as small! It's an adventure story you don't want to miss. One of my favorite quotes that anc...

It's 2022, mamas!! I hope your year is off to a good start for you and your families. For the first episode of this new year, I wanted to bring my friend Sam Gambale on to talk about keeping romance alive when you are also a busy mom. I know this sounds like an impossible task - I often wonder how in the world we moms can find time to focus on our significant others with little voices clamoring fo...

Listen in for the best of Find the Good Mamahood's 2021: the people and places this podcast reached, topics featured in the episodes, my family's most rewarding and most challenging moments, and finally my personal goals for the new year as a mom and a person. Thank you all for being part of this past enriching and exciting year since this podcast launched! Happy 2022, here's to many more special...

Happy December, everyone! In the spirit of all things festive and family and cozy, I chatted with my incredibly talented friend Mary Cook who is known for her magic touch in transforming events and homes into beautiful inviting spaces. She told some funny tales of lessons learned while attempting DIY projects and shared how she first started getting into home decor. Need another reason to tune in?...

Welcome to Episode 10! This one features my friend Jessica Long and her experience going through not 1, but 2 extended hospital stays when her children were very young and had some scary medical challenges. I am so grateful she was willing to share honest stories of what it was like navigating the unknowns and the unexpected on her kids' journeys toward health.  Being a mom can often mean pai...

Hellooo back-to-school season! And of course, fall. ;) In this month's episode, another of my awesome coworkers joins me to talk about her family's experience trying several kinds of COVID schooling options while she and her husband have been working full-time. Tune in for some real talk about balancing the challenges of being a working mom, keeping your kids safe in a pandemic, and choosing the b...

Welcome welcome to our August episode! My friend Sam is a third grade teacher, military wife, and mama to 3 boys. She shares some things she's learned from challenging experiences like military moves and teaching during COVID and how she passes them on to her kids in ways they can understand. You'll also get some tips for how you can start making healthy living a part of your life, even as a busy...

As a special treat for you on this blazing hot last day of July, my friend Rachel and I talk about her experiences being a firefighter mom! I mean, we all know what it's like to "fight fires" on a daily basis but she actually did the real thing. ;) She shares about everything from how she got started through her last day, including fun facts like the parts of a fire truck (who knew?).  Plus,...

Join my friend Caroline and me for a chat about her family's ups and downs during this past unforgettable schoolyear, the first full one since COVID began. Her 5 - yep, 5! - kids got through tears, missing friends and cabin fever and finally made it to the end!  Shout out to all the teachers out there for showing up day after day, giving their best, and making something sweet and full of hope...

This is a short and sweet Mother's Day shout out to all you mamas out there plus an exciting life update! As promised, here is the contact info for our realtor, Guillermo Salmon. https://pearsonsmithrealty.com/agent/guillermo-salmon/

I brought on my friend and former coworker Ashley to share about her experience working from home full-time with a baby for the first time ever. I can so relate to her stories and all the feelings - so many feelings! - that come with juggling the two demanding jobs of mother and employee. The stress of remote work, the isolation and anxiety in the COVID health crisis, and the exhaustion from takin...

I am so excited to share with you my conversation with my sweet friend Katie Murray about home birth! It was a joy to hear her birth experiences and her passion for trusting your body and "training" for unmedicated labor and delivery. I tucked away some valuable tips for preparing to give birth, physically but also mentally and spiritually. Enjoy! Here are the links to some resources we talked abo...

Get ready for all the laughs! Plus some really honest stories and advice for new moms in hard COVID times. My friends Dayna and Karly and I share the challenges and unexpected blessings we experienced having babies during the initial stages of COVID in 2020. We talk postpartum depression, finding community, Netflix binges, breastfeeding, ladies' nights, sleepless nights and morning runs. You can f...

My mom, Jeanine Babyak, kicks off our VERY FIRST episode! She is a mega-talented artist and mom who homeschooled my sister and me all the way K-12. Join us to hear about the art of surprising and delighting your kids in creative ways.  Visit her website to see some of her art and other surprises she’s made for friends and family over the years: inspired-dezignz.com