Mama Says Namaste Podcast

Dreaming of travel, yet aren't sure where to start? Nathan and I share my friend Holly's five questions to ask yourself before any big life decision, and then we share our acronymn for full time RV travel - and how it translates to all kinds of travel. Start with these questions, and break down the details so you're fully ready to enjoy the trip.

What do you do when you can't afford a vacation? Or maybe you can't afford NOT to take a break. Nathan and I share our top tips for vacationing on a budget, and looking outside the box of what a vacation can look and feel like. 

Have you really looked at how - or what - you're co-creating with your partner? How about your kids? Oftentimes we look at co-creation being collaboration with two or more people...yet there are two other aspects of co-creation we want to address that are important to keep in mind as you're looking forward together. 

Conversations with my 10-yr-old daughter about drive, being multi-passionate, and the beautiful grace of growth and discovery. 

Nathan and I share about the book, The Go-Giver Marriage: A Little Story About The 5 Secrets To Lasting Love. As we break down the 5 secrets and how to apply them, we share the real challenge to making a marriage to work...and it may have nothing to do with your partner. 

We're in a time of "what's your pronoun", and it can be hard to navigate roles, labels and expectations in our homes. Nathan and I cover a LOT in 25 minutes! We're not here to give you "the answer"; we want to dig deep with the questions for you to gain clarity and confidence...even in the gray areas of life. Because there is a  lot of gray, and that's part of this life! Maybe, instead of forcing...

Boredom is the plague you hope doesn't enter your home...or maybe you want it? While a kid saying "I'm booooooooorrrrrreeeedddd" can sound like fingers on a chalkboard, it's a great launchpad for amazing innovation and creativity.  In this quick episode, we break down the B-O-R-E-D acronym and some quick tools to redirect your kids and get out of the way while they expand their minds. 

Popularity seems to be a desired commodity for kids, yet what does it really mean to be popular? It makes me think of that song from the musical, Wicked...Popular, I wanna be pop-u-lar... Join 10-year-old Juliet and Ashley as we discuss 3 key things to keep in mind to really be popular in a way that lives on beyond high school. 

This week Nathan and I discuss the book, The Danish Way of Parenting, and what the PARENT acronym stands for, as well as the importance of  hygge ( as well as how to pronounce it!)  

Goals, words of the year...what do they really do for you? Do they inspire you or intimidate you? Is it freeing and exciting, or stifling? We'll walk you through what goals mean for us, what words and mantras we've focused on over the past 8 years, and what we're focusing on this year, along with a different twist on it all we invite you to explore for your own family. 

This week I talked with the Chief Knowledge Officer of Better Speech, Lenora Edwards, to hear about what they offer and tips for navigating speech, food and processing issues with kids. We talk about speech therapy, who all it helps, and how to support our kids at any level. 

Join me this week as I talk to Laura Hernandez, mama of ten and creator of Mama Systems, as she shares how to keep your sanity even with a busy household, special needs, or any other exceptions that are causing chaos in your home. Hop over to www. MamaSaysNamaste.com/podcast-mama-systems-laura to get the corresponding blog post and access her free self-care guide. 

Joy. Just Own it Yourself. Can you? Or are you so focused on making or bringing joy to others that you've sabotaged it with your own stress overload? In this short and sweet episode we help you with reframing so you keep your sanity and actually enjoy the upcoming weeks, as well as a few ideas where we've let go of tradition and added more simplicity and ease. 

As we're nearing Christmas, we want to share four quick tips that will help you navigate the holidays - and beyond - with an attitude of abundance and gratitude. What do drop? What's on your "don't do" list? What do you fill, and what do you accept? Check out the blog post and podcast episode - what is something that helps keep you calm and enjoying the holidays?

Not sure what to gift? Here are ideas that make a positive impact, as well as take into account the different personality styles in your life! I've added to a previous gift guide with even more ideas, and Nathan and I share about the gifts with meaning that truly leave a ripple effect of positivity vs. clutter. 

Is a wall always a brick wall of negativity? Or is there a chance to put clear boundaries around the life you want to create? As we've moved from our RV into a stationary house for the next six months or so, it's an opportunity for us to reflect on what we've created - and the walls we "kiss" - and what we choose to bring awareness and gratitude to. What might you be missing in the rush of your li...

It's the week of Thanksgiving. While we don't celebrate the history that caused pain to so many, we do focus on what true thanksgiving is. Gather your family around to hear what we're grateful for, and follow along with our ten-year-old, Juliette, as she leads on a meditation of gratitude!   

Are you healthy...really? Does this include all aspects of mind, body, and soul? We've compiled 12 tenets for wellness to open the door for health in all three areas - mind/body/soul. Are you reinforcing the LIFE you want to live, or the death you want to avoid? Let me know which of these 12 tenets come easy for you, and what might be a struggle.

Have you considered you're the narrator of your life? What story are you telling yourself? Is it one that is fueling you forward, or affirming what you wish would actually change? This week Nathan and I talk about the books we've been reading, and boy are they deep. So what do Dr. Bernie Siegel, Viktor Frankl, Nathan and Ashley all agree on? What, truly is the meaning of life? How do we write the...

Struggling with sleep in your home? I used to believe "you can sleep when you die"...and I see now how that can be a recipe for a much sooner death. As we're digging into what people are tolerating in their homes, lack of sleep was another one stated - and not just because of littles! Having TWO teenagers now in my own home, I know sleeptime can be a struggle for any age, and we're huge advocates...

You know that old saying about how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Well that's definitely the case for clutter. It can get out of hand, and then you're hit with way too much and not sure where to start. Well look no further. Let's take it a "bite" at a time and see how clutter can be curbed, and your home can be a place of joy. 

I've asked a question in the Mama Says Namaste communities - "What are you tolerating that you'd like to change at home?" While I'm still gathering responses, this week lays the foundation of what to ask yourself if you're in this "stuck" point of tolerating (or, even worse, resenting) the life you're in.  Here are three questions to ask yourself if you're feeling trapped in a life you're tolerati...

This is the Mama Says Namaste podcast...so what does that mean for our home life? Are we all zen and "namaste" all the time...and what does namaste really mean?  We address how we create a namaste vibe in our home by using an acronym of NAMASTE for open communication. And nope, we're not zen masters -we have plenty of high emotions with a tween and two teen daughters (not to mention strong persona...

Hurricane Ian has come and gone through our country and the aftermath is still happening. The flooding and destruction will be a long haul of recovery. As we share about our experience over the past week, and what all we saw, it opens the door to what this makes possible.  It can seem pretty bleak when you're hit with something catastrophic. Yet there can be so much that can come from a "clean sla...

Well, we're recording this today, Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, as we're waiting for Hurricane Ian to make landfall here in Florida. We've been evacuated from where we were volunteering down in the Florida Keys and are at another campground watching the weather, and bracing for how hard of a hit our house in Venice, Florida is going to get.  As friends and family come out of the woodwork from a...