Finding the Floor - A thoughtful approach to midlife motherhood and what comes next.

Send us Fan Mail “Doesn’t matter how small the improvement.”  This week I am sharing a bit about the British cycling team and the story of their rise to greatness after 76 years of not doing much. It is with that context that I thought it would be helpful to go into the new year as we think about any new year's resolutions.  So I share the ideas that helped the British team rise to excellence...

Send us Fan Mail  “Teach them to look for Christ's return as they look for mine each year.” In this episode I share about 12 different symbols of Christmas. Did you know the meaning behind the bow on top of a Christmas present?   I share about the symbols of red, green, the Christmas tree, Candy Cane, Gifts, Santa Clause and a few more. It is easy to get frustrated by the commercialization an...

Send us Fan Mail “Parents remain part of our identities for life.”  This year has been a big foundation change after the passing of my mother.  And now there is one more thing that has been added on to that, a remarriage.  So in this episode I share a bit why this change can be such a foundation shift for all of us whether we are kids or adults.  Then I share how learning and really understanding...

Send us Fan Mail “Much of our time and energy is spent pursuing things we currently don’t have. Gratitude reverses our priorities to help us appreciate the people and things we do”  I have been keeping a gratitude journal now for almost 18 months.  So I decided to look back on all the benefits that experts have said come out of practicing gratitude and see if I had seen them in my life over the pa...

Send us Fan Mail “Make the world a bit more human in the process.”  After last week I  have thought a lot about starting conversations and that led me to explore the power of introductions.  Introductions are helpful both in writing and when meeting someone new and I share how they both can relate.  I also share how being willing to take the time to make introductions can really help everyone feel...

Send us Fan Mail “Are you willing to be uncomfortable and still do what you need to do?”   I was all pumped up from last week's episode on the Serendipity Mindset to be better at reaching out, being open and making connections. However I noticed that at my first opportunity (a ward trunk or treat activity) I did the same thing I always did.  So I thought well maybe I just need some prompts an...

Send us Fan Mail “Instead of worrying about being impressive, what are ways I can make a connection?”   The Serendipity Mindset challenges us to learn to create our own good luck.  In his book, Christian Busch talks about a lot of different ways that we can harness and learn to see good luck and serendipity in unexpected situations.  In today’s episode I share a few of the things from this book al...

Send us Fan Mail  “How can I drink water without ice?”  After having my ice maker go out for a few weeks it really made me think about how much I love ice and really I do.  I decided to then focus an episode on 6 of my favorite things I can’t live without.  I mean I can live without them but I would rather not.  Ice is number one on that list.  Do you have 6 things that you can’t live without?  To...

Send us Fan Mail   “Always have something to do when your guests arrive at the party.”   It was fun going down memory lane and remembering some of my favorite birthday parties that I have thrown over the years for my kids.  I really do love a good party!  In this episode I share 5 different birthday parties, the Princess mother-daughter party, the Pokemon party, the Quidditch Party, the Wild Kratt...

Send us Fan Mail  “Skills? What skills can I put on my resume?”   This is the question I had a few years ago when getting back into the workforce.  And thankfully to my husband who helped me see a lot of the skills I have developed while taking time to be home with them.  And put in the right context and wording these skills can be transferred to your resume as well.  For this episode I share 7 sk...

Send us Fan Mail "Transition is slow and involves an emotional adjustment, which is internal, invisible, and intangible.”  Change can happen very fast and can be expected or unexpected but we then have to go through a time of transition which is the difficult emotional part as we get used to a new normal after the change. This week I share my thoughts of going through transitions and it is he...

Send us Fan Mail “Unhealthy guilt is disproportionate, misplaced and irrational.”   In this episode I am going to talk about the feeling I have been having lately which is unhealthy guilt.  This bad feeling we can have when we haven’t done anything wrong or broken our standards but are feeling bad.  Most  times this feeling is misplaced.  Some similar feelings like mom guilt and for me it has been...

Send us Fan Mail   “I see you. ” After watching the show The Chosen I was struck with a poignant scene between Eden and Jesus.  I share my thoughts on how Christ will ease burdens and tell of some times throughout my life  where He has tried to make things just a little bit easier.  It is a more spiritual episode and hopefully it inspires you to look and see ways that your burdens have been made l...

Send us Fan Mail “Praise the process and embrace challenges.”  I am excited to share what I learned from the book Mindset, the new psychology of success.  How we can learn to fulfill our potential by Carol Dweck in this episode.  I learned so many things about changing your mindset.  From fixed,  this idea that your intelligence or personality or really anything is fixed to growth where with pract...

Send us Fan Mail  “Is my child going to miss out if I let them give up on soccer or piano?”   These are questions we as parents face sometimes when dealing with helping our kids grow and develop. It is an interesting balance of when to push them to do something or when they are the driving force.  So in this episode I explain and define push and pull motivation and then share some of my experience...

Send us Fan Mail “Applaud the effort even if it fails in the end.”  Fall sports and games are full swing.  In this episode I am sharing 8 tips that can help us as parents be  good sportsmen and offer great support and help for our children who are on the field.  Beginning with tips like applauding effort no matter the outcome to remember that kids are just kids and they are learning on the field. ...

Send us Fan Mail   “The basic aim of organization is to know where things are and to be able to retrieve these things with minimal to no fuss. “    My kids are back to school and I wanted to get more organized, hoping this is the year the kids actually hang up their backpacks. The only problem is I don’t like traditional approaches to organization. Thanks to a little HGTV bingeing I found the show...

Send us Fan Mail  “We as a nation obsessed with talent ”  In the episode I talk about the book I recently listened to titled Grit the power of passion and perseverance by Angela Duckworth. A few things I share about this book that I enjoyed is understanding talent and effort.  I really loved this idea of deliberate practice and a growth mindset. The other thing I love is this idea that we can grow...

Send us Fan Mail " Want to hear a potassium joke? K." I grew up with a Dad who loved to tell “dad jokes.”  In this episode I talk about Dad jokes and how humor really has so many benefits.  Humor can help us be more creative, have better health and improve connections with others.  I share all of this and some of the dad jokes that both my dad and my husband love to tell. Plus I learned...

Send us Fan Mail “Things are way more dramatic in your head than in real life.” I made it and survived the Beast!  The Spartan Race!  So excited to be done and to share some of the lessons I learned from this race.  The 4 things I share in this episode are 1) Do something big even if it freaks you out, 2) Things are way more dramatic in our heads 3) preparation builds confidence and 4) Your mindse...

Send us Fan Mail “ Since being married and having kids that summer has become even more meaningful and rejuvenating for me. ” I love summer and in this episode I share the reasons why. I  love going to the pool with my kids which is one of the reasons I love summer so much. I also share how this going to the pool helped revitalize me after a very long winter after having my second child.  It is a...

Send us Fan Mail  “I have learned to have so much empathy for students (and their parents) who struggle academically or behaviorally.”   This week I will share a few stories about my son Simeon and his struggle in 3rd grade. Simeon has never really liked school.   Having my child suspended during that year is not something I expected.  I share a few things that I learned from going through that ye...

Send us Fan Mail ”This one I will never forget because I was the epic rescuer here.” Two stories this week from early on in my family’s life where I made a rescue.  One I share from an experience at the zoo and the other which took place in the parking lot of our city Library.  So one may not be a total fail but the other one I considered one of my favorite moments as a mom.  For more info go to w...

Send us Fan Mail “Stress is what happens when demands exceeds capacity.”   To say that this has been a stressful year is an understatement and in this episode I am taking a look at stress and if we can make it our friend.  I found some great information, that it is not necessarily the stress itself but whether we believe that stress is good or bad.  I share the idea of a stress mindset which can r...

Send us Fan Mail “Our moms and our children usually teach us a lot things we need to learn and grow in this life.” As we get to celebrate Mom’s this week I am going to share 10 things I have learned from my kids over the years.  Things like learning to love re-reading books to seeing life more abundantly when my girls put on a lemonade stand. As you reflect on lessons learned from your mom or bein...