The Balanced MomCast | For Overwhelmed Christian Moms Seeking Time Management, Work Life Balance, and Focus

One constant struggle for me as a mom is learning to stay present with my kids when I know I have a ton of work to do. Some moms have the opposite problem: trying to get motivated to work when you’d rather just relax and play with the kids. That is not me and I know it’s not some of you either. Because today I’m answering a listener question about how I balance work, play, and rest while raising k...

Summer is officially behind us and school is back in session. That means early bedtimes and homework. Carpool and sports practice. Routines and structure. If you are suddenly finding your easy-breezy summer schedule hijacked by a ton of stuff you need to do and places you need to be, and more items on your to-do list than you have hours in the day, today’s episode is for you. Today I’m giving you...

This is my 17th Summer Break as a mom with kids on a school schedule. Some summers unfolded swimmingly and some did not. The difference between the summers that went well and the summers that I completely sabotaged rested primarily on decisions I made that ultimately sabotaged my balance. Today I’m giving you  5 ways to Sabatoage your Summer and suggestions for a better way. And be sure to stick a...

In March of 2021, I decided to leave social media. And after a year and two months, I’m here to give you an update on how all of that is going as well as  3 simple steps you can take today if you want to reduce the time you spend on social media. Also, in celebration of 150 episodes, I’m giving away 11 signed copies of my new book,  Mom, You’re Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You  so stic...

The death of my first son shattered my expectations of how family and faith should look. That tragedy opened the door to continue building my family through adoption and drove me to rely solely on Jesus to sustain me. Today I discuss how our parenting expectations rarely align with reality, I talk about how to identify unmet expectations, and I offer practical ways to respond when parenting or lif...

I believe one of the greatest struggles moms face is feelings of inadequacy. That’s why my mission is to encourage moms. I love to take the light of God’s Word and shine it on the lies of the enemy. I love to show women how to access the peace of God so that they can raise their children with joy and confidence. If you’re a mom who feels like she’s not enough, I have three things to tell you. For...

This is the final segment of a 4-part conversation about my latest book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. Today Mary K. Tiller and I talk about loneliness in motherhood, the necessity of mom mentors, and what I hope moms will take away from reading this book. For show notes, please visit thescooponbalance.com/147     While the Balanced MomCast is on hiatus, you can fi...

This is Part 3 of a 4-part conversation about my latest book, Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You . Today Mary K. Tiller and I tackle the whole concept of setting aside your own dreams to focus on the kids while trusting God with the outcome, and the superpower of humor as both a coping mechanism and a parenting strategy. For show notes, please visit thescooponbalance.com...

Mom, You’re Amazing and Other Things I Want to Tell You launched this week and available for purchase. So, my friend Mary K Tiller is here to interview ME. That’s right–for the next 4 episodes, I’m the guest on my own podcast. Today I answer a question I haven’t been asked in probably 20 years and share a fun story about what I intended this book to be (Fact: this was not originally a book about m...

Today is book launch day! Yay! Mom, You’re Amazing and Other Things I Want to Tell You is now available for purchase. So, my friend Mary K Tiller is here to interview ME. That’s right–for the next 4 episodes, I’m the guest on my own podcast. Today I talk about how Release Day is a mix between crossing a finish line and giving birth, what I wish I could go back and say to young Sandy, and how my ex...

Today I welcome back to the show my friend Angie Baughman. She’s a pastor, an author, and the host of The Steady On Podcast. And she’s here to share with you her 5-step framework for talking to your triggers: Those events in life that elicit in us a disproportionately emotional and usually entirely irrational response. If you missed Part 1, I encourage you to listen to that one first, where she sh...

Today we’re talking about those events in life that elicit in us a disproportionately emotional and usually entirely irrational response: Triggers! (If you’ve ever exploded at your children for a minor offense, you’ve been triggered.)  Today I welcome to the show my friend Angie Baughman. She’s a pastor, an author, and the host of The Steady On Podcast. And she’s here to share with you her 5-step...

Two of my favorite questions to ask seasoned moms are “Looking back, what do you wish you would have done differently? And "What do you think you got right?” I thought it would be fun for me to answer those questions for you about my parenting journey. So that’s what I’m doing today. Listen in.  For show notes, please visit thescooponbalance.com/141   While the Balanced MomCast is on hiatus,...

LAST CALL to join the launch team for Mom, You're Amazing! And Other Things I Want to Tell You. The deadline is March 11, 2022. I’m in a mini-series on raising teens. As I record this, I have a 22-(almost 23-) year-old, a 20-year-old and a 15-year-old. I’m no teen expert, but I have learned a few things about raising teens while raising mine. So, today I’m just having a frank discussion like...

Today I welcome back to the podcast my friend Sarah Turner for Part 2 of our conversation on raising teens . If you haven’t listened to Part 1, go do that first. And You may want to grab a pen and paper and take notes on this one momma because she drops a ton of wisdom here including, what to do when your teen triggers your anger, what you can look forward to in the college years, one thing she wi...

Welp, after 3 years of podcasting, I’m finally tackling a subject many of you have asked for: raising teens . Today I’ve invited my friend Sarah Turner to the podcast. She is a mom of six--three of whom are now in their 20s and two of whom are teens right now. In Part 1 of our conversation, Sarah tells us what she’s learned from raising all these teens and one thing she knows for sure that she got...

Our habits make our routines and our routines quite literally make our lives. So, what's making your life? Who do you want to be? Are you living a life consistent with that picture of yourself? If you want to be a peaceful woman who walks closely with God, then daily and weekly spiritual practices are vital. Today I give you a glimpse into mine. Listen in.  For show notes, please visit thesco...

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about establishing healthy habits and routines. We continue today with the Evening routine, the Morning routine, and the Weekly routine. And specifically, I’m going to give you 3 questions to ask yourself to help you decide what you should include in each of these routines so that you can live a well-balanced life. Also, today I give you a sneak pee...

Chances are high that one of your goals in 2022 is to eat more healthfully. You went to Costco and loaded your cart with fresh fruit and veggies and all the good intentions. And now you’re staring down a drawer full of produce that’s ready to go bad. Hold on. Before you throw away your produce and your goals, let me help you. Today I’m giving you 10 tips I use for eating healthy on a budget. For s...

Have you ever tried to implement a new habit and do everything everyone tells you to do to succeed, but then realize, “That doesn’t work for me”? Well, today is your day. Today I welcome back to the podcast my friend Mary K Tiller for Part 2 of our conversation about establishing habits and routines. Today we are talking about the importance of knowing yourself and what works for you and what does...

It’s January and that means a fresh start and new goals for the year. According to Forbes, 80% of New Year’s Resolutions will be abandoned by February. Why is that? And what can we do so we don’t become part of that statistic? Today I welcome back to the podcast my friend Mary K. Tiller. And in Part 1 of our conversation, we share with you our favorite strategies for building healthy habits and ro...

Welcome to 2022! One of my favorite practices at the end of every year is reading through my journal and taking note of what I learned. Doing this helps me know where I am, how far I’ve come, and what I should do next. So, today, I’m sharing 12 things I learned in 2021. Listen in. For more show notes, please visit thescooponbalance.com/132 While the Balanced MomCast is on hiatus, you can find me a...

Today I continue my conversation with chef Char Nolan. She addresses some of your most common struggles like “I want to cook more healthfully but I’m already stretched so thin” and  “I took the time to make this meal, now how do I get my family to eat it?” and “My kids are so busy in the evenings it’s just easier to grab fast food” and so much more. Lean in to this conversation mamas because you h...

We are one week away from what is arguably the biggest cooking day of the year: Thanksgiving. And I have a treat for you. I’ve invited my friend Char Nolan to join me today. Char is a wife and a mom, but she is also a professional chef. And she’s here to bestow upon us her decades of wisdom, both personally and professionally, in the kitchen and out. If you want less stress and more joy this holid...

Well, it’s November, and the holiday season is officially descending upon us. If you’re like me, your feelings about this are a mixed bag of “Awww...I love Christmas” and “Oh my gosh, I have so much to do!” If you are already struggling with balancing your day-to-day life, adding all the decorating, shopping, cooking, and partying can push you over the edge. Have no fear. I’m here to help. Today I...