The Connected Mom Life

The other day I found myself having all of the "should" thoughts… "I should call my parents, actually read the stack of books on my night stand, clean the dishwasher filter, etc." Sometimes "shoulds" can be helpful nudges, and other times, they can load us up with unnecessary guilt. Recently I've been asking myself a question when I think I "should" do something that is helping me gain greater cla...

We are well into January and perhaps (like me) you've been attempting to lean into one or more habits in these first few weeks of the new year. So, this seems like a good time to talk about the word consistency. In this episode, I'm sharing two ways I've been reframing consistency (i.e. tricking my brain) into not seeing every missed day of a new habit or inability to accomplish a new goal as a fa...

While "new year, slightly adjusted goals" doesn't have quite the same ring to "new year, new me" – it is a better depiction of how I like to approach the start of a new year. So, in this episode, I wanted to spend some time talking about ways we can think about the new year, plus share how this perspective is shaping my goals (and word of the year!) SHOWNOTES: https://www.theconnectedmomlife.com/8...

It's that weird week between Christmas and New Year's where time has no meaning and I'm not really even sure what day it is. This is also one of my favorite weeks to sneak away for an hour and enjoy some hot coffee, quiet, and do some good old reflection. So in this episode, I'm sharing the 5 reflection questions I ask myself at the end of the year to gain perspective on how I showed up in really...

I'm a HUGE fan of end-of-year best-of lists, so I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite finds of 2022. From favorite things I watched and read to the new gadgets I discovered (that now I can't live without) to the experiences I tried and now want to repeat – I'm covering them all in this episode! SHOWNOTES: https://www.theconnectedmomlife.com/83   WANT MORE EPISODES? Subscribe to the Conn...

One of my the most important things we can do as mothers is regulate our own nervous systems. But what exactly does that mean? In this episode, I'm joined by Christa Bevan to discuss exactly how our nervous system impacts our actions. Plus, signs we can look for to indicate that our nervous systems may be in a dysregulated state and what tangible steps we can take to get back to a regulated state...

With the holidays around the corner, I wanted to share my favorite gifts to give to all the people in my life – from neighbors, to coworkers, to teachers, to party hosts, to close family and friends. Listen in to gain inspiration for gift-giving ideas that are consumable, functional, personal, and can fit any budget! SHOWNOTES: https://www.theconnectedmomlife.com/81   >> MOM FRIENDS Black Friday S...

The holidays are a lot of things. They're fun, stressful, full-of-wonder, intense, and everything in-between. But a few years ago, I found myself feeling more of the stressful and anxiety-inducing parts than the full-of-wonder parts and knew that something had to change. Since then, I've experimented with some simple reflection and planning activities to better prepare me for the season. In this e...

Between worrying we're not doing enough as moms, to feeling like we're imposters in our work places, to stressing over whether that mom is actually interested in being our friend or was just being nice – Mind Gremlins are constantly by our side. In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and confidence coach Jess Critchlow to help us better understand what's actually happening when Mind Gremlins sur...

Here we go again. After moving 4 months ago, I'm finally in a headspace where I can think about building our new village. But life doesn't look the same as the last time I attempted to do this, so I'm approaching it differently too. In this episode, I'm sharing 3 rules I've set for myself as I pursue our new community and how these boundaries are already helping me to feel less behind, giving me m...

We crave community, but the reality is that we often feel a bit lost on how to pursue it in today's world of stressful jobs, privacy fences, and political climates. In this episode, Shannan Martin, author of Start with Hello, walks us through her own story of creating community – even as a self-proclaimed introvert who does not feel like being neighborly comes naturally at all – and offers us thou...

Now that Mom Friends is officially open and welcoming new members, I wanted to introduce you to one of our moms, Gwen. After moving "back home" last summer, she wanted to re-establish a new circle of friends - and did she ever! In this episode she's sharing the biggest perspective shifts that made all the difference in feeling more satisfied in her connections, how she made space for friendships i...

Join me and Katelyn as we discuss all things planning, priorities, and navigating the back-to-school season. This episode is PACKED with tangible practices and strategies to make this transition (and the year ahead) feel OH SO MUCH LIGHTER. Listen in as we discuss how to reframe priorities to make them easier to set, the #1 question to consider when attacking what's next on your to-do list, and th...

We're back! After a 5-month break to move my family across the country, I'm excited to say that the podcast is back! This was truly a summer of BIG changes. And with these changes, came lots of new decisions. So, in this episode, I'm sharing an update on what life has looked like the last few months, changes coming to the podcast and our Mom Friends community, and my favorite decision-making pract...

As busy moms craving life-giving connections, it can be hard to find them in a world full of so much difference - not just politically, but in parenting! That's why I was so excited to welcome back Sarah and Beth from Pantsuit Politics to the podcast to talk about how we can manage to still connect deeply with those around us, despite our divisions – and maintain sanity and hope at the same time!...

Over the years, I've been transparent about what it looks like to live far away from family while raising a family of our own. There's lots of really great things about it! There's also some hard things too. And recently, it became more and more obvious that the hard was starting to outweigh the great for us. So in this episode, I'm sharing the behind-the-scenes of our decision to move our family...

I just got back from a last-minute trip to see one of my dearest friends! But in saying yes to that trip, I knew I'd be saying no to being able to do the podcast I had planned. So I wanted to re-play the episode I had in my head when I made the decision to say YES to this trip, knowing it'd mean I'd need to give myself permission to take a break from my original plans. So I thought in lieu of my p...

We literally only have so much time for close relationships. So in this episode, we'll take a deeper look at what the research says about exactly how much space we have for meaningful connections, how romantic relationships and size of our extended families impact the size of our friendship circles, and what this all actually means for maintaining friendships as a busy mom. Because when we can und...

As a brand new mom living in a state with no friends or family, I had to build my circle from scratch (and stat!). So in this episode, I'm looking back on what it actually took to build the circle of support I have today. Including, the one thing I did that I think made all the difference in accelerating my early friendships, the one regret I have about where I didn't attempt to find mom friends (...

Today I'm all about making friends on the internet. But this wasn't always the case. I had to sort through all sorts of feelings before I could wrap my head around reaching out to a stranger online. So in this episode, I'm sharing how I got here and what it has looked like to go from follower to friend, how frequently we connect (and how!), and how my internet friends fulfill my circle in ways my...

If something is feeling "off" about your friendships these days, it could be because something is missing. In this episode, we'll dig into the 4 things every friendship needs. Because when you know what truly defines a friendship, it can serve as a roadmap to help you make new friendships, intentionally grow friendships more easily, repair friendships that aren't feeling great, and even step back...

If something is feeling "off" about your friendships these days, it could be because something is missing. In this episode, we'll dig into the 4 things every friendship needs. Because when you know what truly defines a friendship, it can serve as a roadmap to help you make new friendships, intentionally grow friendships more easily, repair friendships that aren't feeling great, and even step back...

In just a few short weeks I'm going to be opening the doors to a brand new community of built-in support for busy moms who are pursuing the local circle of friends they crave! And in today's episode, I'm sharing more of my heart behind it, how your DMs, emails, and conversations over the last year inspired it, and what exactly you can expect when you join us in MOM FRIENDS! SHOWNOTES: https://www....

In just a few short weeks I'm going to be opening the doors to a brand new community of built-in support for busy moms who are pursuing the local circle of friends they crave! And in today's episode, I'm sharing more of my heart behind it, how your DMs, emails, and conversations over the last year inspired it, and what exactly you can expect when you join us in MOM FRIENDS! SHOWNOTES: https://www....

Here's the truth: my goals don't change much from year to year. But the systems behind them definitely do. So in this episode, I'm sharing the habits I'm focusing on this year to continue to grow more into the person I want to show up as each day. Plus, the systems I've put in place to help me actually practice these habits! SHOWNOTES: https://www.theconnectedmomlife.com/65   Join the FREE Friends...