Pretty Over Perfect

Catch up with us as we share our favorite fiction and non-fiction reads for summer, podcasts and music we've had in our ears lately and what we're doing with our kids on the hottest day of summer.  Jess's Favorites Books The Selection Series 12 Dancing Princesses Series  You're the Girl for the Job Habits of the Household Podcasts A Secret Tool to Keep Your Kids Entertained Thi...

Today we’re bringing you 7 tips for enjoying summer with the kids home - whether you’re a working or at-home parent during these months of freedom, and yes, some chaos. We’re all about setting our intentions for the season ahead so as to fully embrace the extra time we get with our little ones - and set flexible frameworks for everyone to enjoy. We chat about what to do about summer meals, snacks...

We’re back with part two of organizing with kids in mind: talking household routines, systems and schedules that keep us from drowning. We discuss how and when to purge without making your family hate you, plus how to get out of the endless cycle of accumulate/purge. We also talk about setting up routines that keep the home from getting out of hand, and how to get kids involved with chores and fee...

Organizing with kids in the home is a whole new ballgame - and the family’s needs change frequently through ages and stages. Today we tackle some of the common sticking points for young families: toys and laundry. We discuss how we are handling these in our own homes, as well as guiding principles for everyone. Finding solutions that work for our families begins with discovering what kind of maint...

Everyone needs some tools for remaining the adult in tense parenting situations. Jessica and Michelle go back and forth about the different stages of childhood and how to handle big emotions from someone going through it, and someone looking in from the outside.  Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect

Join us for a fun episode discussing all the latest: Barbiecore, Unexpected Red, Dumb Homes Paper Planners, Girl Dinner, Maximalism and more! We discuss these trends and whether we think they’re a bop or a flop.  Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect

We all need more fun in our lives: fun creates bonds and lowers stress. It can be easy to put on the back burner, but the truth is that fun deserves to be prioritized in our lives. So we’re strategizing for incorporating more fun, and giving out some free (or nearly free) ways to have more fun with your spring break!  Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect

Have you ever heard of the Pennebaker Method? It’s a protocol of using expressive writing to move through traumatic or stressful situations in order to find more peace and hope in their aftermath. It’s completely free and available at anytime to anyone, which is one of the reasons we recommend it - no matter what you’re going through it could help! People who use the method widely report feeling m...

When you are grieving the loss of a loved one, a dream, a job or a home, your brain enters an anticipatory state seeking resolution. This process requires neurological rewiring and is painful and chaotic. But, when we understand what grief is, we are also better able to move through it effectively, finding peace and hope. As humans we are united in our fragility, and all of us either have or will...

Reframing is a powerful tool that allows us to expand our perspective and grow from our instinctual response to stimuli in order to create actions, thoughts and habits more in keeping with who we truly want to be. Our automatic response to a situation or season may not serve us or our futures very well, so we discuss 6 scenarios we are currently practicing reframing in our own lives. We talk about...

It is increasingly easy in our culture to neglect our need and desire for rest - a break from all our striving to simply be in the moment, whether to enjoy what we are doing, process events and emotions or build relationships. But what the heck even is rest? Why is it so difficult for us to allow ourselves to rest? On this episode, Jessica and Michelle discuss all this, plus ways we can prioritize...

Michelle is joined by her sister, Georgia, to talk about how they incorporate the 5 Ss of Emotional Well-Being into our lives every day: Sunshine, Sweat, Sleep, Social and Synergy. We got these 5 Ss from this episode with Joy Bouchard . And if you want to hear more from Georgia Filler, you can here .  She recommended the Bryant Ferate Podcast which you can find here !  Come hang out! I can't...

Christmas Break can be a time of magic and memories, and also chaos, contention and disappointment. We asked our audience for questions on common Christmas Break issues and are answering questions about how to work through entitlement with kids, boredom when stuck inside for long periods of time, and why everyone feels the post-holiday blues (and some thoughts on how to change that).  We're p...

Entertaining can be such a focus of the holidays, but what if we shifted our focus to gathering. Gathering our loved ones together for the community we all crave. Our main goal is not to wow, but to give people a place to be loved. We’ve got simple ideas for inviting and delighting, plus no nonsense food ideas, too.  This episode is partly inspired by an episode on Hospitality featuring Shauna Nie...

We're applying our home organization method to the holidays - helping ourselves reflect on holidays past in order to set our intentions for the ones ahead, identifying sticking points and things we really want to recreate. Then, we're installing the system, making sure we make the big things the big things, so we know what we can say yes (and no) to. And of course, we're talking abo...

Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect

Today we're getting our homes organized before the chaos of the holidays sets in! We're re-evaluating sticking points in our homes, decluttering, sharing our favorite everyday storage solutions and thoughts on how to maintain the systems we have in place. And if a system isn't working, that means it's broken, not you! Join us as we make our homes a sanctuary of calm and joy for...

Fall is here and whether you love or hate it, the changing of seasons invites us to pause, reflect and allow for rebirth. In this episode we discuss fall activities and Halloween plans, rain-proofing our hair and whether or not Travis Kelce is as big of a deal as Taylor Swift.  Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect

It's been 100 episodes of Pretty Over Perfect and we're debriefing where we started, what we've learned and some of our favorite things we've picked up along the way! Thank you for being here with us - it means the world to share this journey with you! Just a  few  of our favorite episodes mentioned here: Home Design According to Your Energy Type Dressing Like the Protagonist o...

Fall is calling and with it, we're back in the kitchen (whether we want to be or not). This week we're talking all about meal planning for busy schedules, visualizing our needs and grocery lists for the week and assembling quick meals so our families can eat together and be satisfied. Jessica's favorites from this episode: White Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter Cookies Muddy Buddies Caf...

Jessica's back and we're talking all our favorites: summer memories, go-to meals, outfits and mantras. Plus, things what we're letting go of, what (and who) is inspiring us and how to make the mornings go smoother.  We love the book The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie . These are Jessica's favorite running shorts. Unfor...

Everyone is handling some kind of big project right now, whether personal or professional, concrete or intangible. Michelle is joined by her husband, Steve, as they debrief a big development project they just tackled and share their takeaways for organizing projects of any kind. Michelle mentioned this podcast about how our projects define us Adam Grant and Brian Little , Steve mentioned the book...

Michelle is joined by her husband, Steve, today and they talk about rituals they’ve formed over the years to protect and enjoy their relationship through all kinds of seasons.  Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect

We’re re-sharing this episode from last year all about how memories are made, how we can reframe experiences and why perfection is antithetical to happy memories! It’s always helpful to get reminders about what makes our lives truly good, especially when we have constant distractions trying to convince us we can buy or polish our ways into a good and meaningful life.  Come hang out! I can't w...

Life is throwing us a lot of... life lately! So we're re-running this episode from a couple of summers ago all about PLAY! Play brings joy to our days, but is also a great way to learn, bond, grow and pursue real life, which is often messy and amateur, but a whole lot of fun! Come hang out! I can't wait to connect with you!  @prettyoverperfect