Our Time to Rise in Midlife

What happens when a girl turns 21? How about when a podcast does? We have a little bit of a party. And we reflect on how far we've come and where we're going. That's exactly what we're doing on this 21st episode of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast. Co-hostesses Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall talk through what this whole podcast thing is about. Why they're doing it. What the intent is and...

You only need to go on Teresa Swanstrom Anderson's Instagram feed to know she likes all things girly and pretty. But don't let the pink and glitter fool you into thinking she is meek. Quite the opposite, Teresa is a fierce mother of six who has traveled to the other side of the world more than once to bring home four of her children. In fact in this episode you will hear stories of Teresa's childh...

Did you know that as soon as 8 th grade you can start preparing your child for college? Many of us wait until our student is a junior or senior to start the process, but there are some important things we need to know and do before that point. And if you are already there? Well, this interview will be very timely and important for you. Jeannie Burlowski is my guest on this episode. She is a full t...

t's no wonder our interview with Jess Wolstenholm was all about living an authentic faith in front of our kids. It was her combination of authenticity and love for Jesus that drew us to her at our first "chance" meeting. Two years ago we sat next to Jess and her partner at Grace for Moms, Kristi Chowny, at a conference luncheon and immediately hit it off. Jess has a warmth and a genuine interest i...

Kendra Tillman wants you to know you are stronger than you think . Yes you mama, with the work to be done at home and in the office. With dinner to be made and bills to be paid. She sees women doing the calling God has put in front of them and she is their cheerleader. A mom of three herself, Kendra recently took a huge leap and quit her full-time job to pursue her dream of being a full-time entre...

Sarah Harmeyer is a special guest on our podcast because she is so dear to both of us. In fact we taped this episode when Sarah was sitting in Krista's real life kitchen. Sarah is a people gatherer. A woman on a love mission as she likes to say and she has invited many to join her in loving people around the table. In this episode you will hear the how and why behind Sarah starting Neighbor's Tabl...

Our interview with mother and writer Wynter Pitts delighted us with surprises. With four girls at home Wynter unknowingly founded a magazine for tween girls. By unknowingly, we mean she didn't set out to make a magazine, she simply was a mom wanting to create something for her daughters. Appropriately named, For Girls Like You, organically developed into a quarterly magazine and is now a project h...

Months ago Krista's sister, Kendra, said to Krista, "You have to meet Katie!" Soon after, Krista told Alex the same thing. And now we are saying to you, "You have to meet Katie!"  A writing instructor at Whitworth University , a contributor to the popular Coffee and Crumbs blog, Katie's writing is stunning. It puts words to our feelings and more importantly points us toward a larger truth as we gr...

Kendall acts as the Executive Producer and Emcee of MOMcon  (MOPS International's national gathering of over 3,000 moms) and has recently taken on the job of Leadership Experience Content Strategist for the organization. In our conversation we talk through how to make work/life balance decisions when there are kids to raise and expectations to be examined. What a difference a mentor makes and our...

Cherie Lowe is known as the Queen of Free. She developed a reputation for freebies as she shared her story of debt reduction on her blog. Soon she was not only sharing money saving tips, she was sharing the heart behind why she and her husband Brian wanted to eliminate their consumer debt. And it wasn't just a little credit card bill, they had over $127,000 worth of consumer debt. We talk with Che...

Susie Davis is the kind of woman we could talk to for hours. Because she is in a word: wise. She talks to us in this episode about how mentoring relationships have naturally happened over the years through her relationships with younger women. Susie is a mom to three and a mother-in-law to almost three. We talk about the tragedy Susie's own young life that began a journey of intense fear. This fea...

It's our tenth episode of The Open Door Sisterhood podcast and we are pleased to welcome Stacey Thacker to the sisterhood! In this interview we hear about Stacey's life with her husband and four daughters, how she found the title of her new book Fresh Out of Amazing , and what she read that helped her when her father died unexpectedly a few years ago. This is a story of God opening unexpected door...

Krista and Alex talk with writer and blogger Tammy Strait about the struggles of parenting, about believing Psalm 139 when it says that we are enough, and about great running gear for runners (and wanna-be runners).  

This is part 2 of a two part interview with my co-host and author Alexandra Kuykendall about her new book, Loving My Actual Life.  Tammy Strait joins us as a guest co-host. We talk about health, body image, what to do about our constant connection to social media, and how to keep perspective in the midst of parenting.  

This is part 1 in a 2 part interview with author Alexandra Kuykendall about her new book, Loving My Actual Life.  We talk about how we met, the book cover, finding adventure, breath prayers, dates, and how it's a challenge to love our actual lives.

With all of our goals and structure for the summer we sometimes forget to take a load off with our kids and play ! A session full of ideas on how to do this for all ages. From preschoolers to teenagers we'll have the ideas you need to be "fun mom" once in a while.

The weather is nice, and the opportunities are plentiful for hiking, biking, running, and swimming.  We will explore how to make summer exercise fun, how to get on top of healthy eating, and other ideas for promoting health and wellness as a family.

Wait, we need to teach our kids to tie their shoes? And ride public transportation? And manage money? All by the time they need to leave the house? Summer is a great time to fit in those practical teachings that will allow them to be functioning adults someday. No matter the age of your children, moving them toward independence can be a fun adventure for mom and kids. Because Alex was on a well-de...

Our children become ninjas when it comes to media and summer. How do we possibly stay on top of their use? From implementing limits to using technology for good, we'll look at how to develop some safeguards and strategies that not only protect our kids, but keep us from flushing their tablet down the toilet.

From referee to memory maker, moms can't control sibling relationships, but they can shape them. For many households summer is the season with the most "together time." This can create tension and opportunity for connection. We'll look at how to use your influence to minimize sibling conflict and increase bonding during the long days together.

It's always better to go into summer with a plan. How will you schedule your summer days? Your weeks? What are your goals for the summer as a whole? For you and for your family? These are some of the questions we are tackling in week #1 of the Summer Survival Series.