Emily Rose MacDonald

The Sparkle Project

Kids EN ↓ 277 episodes

The version of motherhood we're sold looks nothing like the one we're actually living. That's by design. The Sparkle Project is for the moms who are done pretending otherwise, and ready to reclaim the parts of themselves that got lost along the way. Hosted by Emily MacDonald, a single mom, feminist, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, each episode digs into the identity shifts, invisible labor, and systemic failures that make motherhood so hard. You'll hear from the experts, advocates, and real women who are finding their way back to themselves, so you can feel less alone in the hard parts and more lik...

Author

Emily Rose MacDonald

Category

Kids

Latest episode

Jul 7, 2026

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Episodes

Raising Kids and Rebuilding Yourself After Divorce with Julie Sedler 16.09.2025

What does it look like to raise kids while navigating the emotional rollercoaster of divorce — and to rebuild yourself at the same time? In this deeply personal episode, Julie Sedler joins Emily to talk about the messy, transformative process of mothering through divorce while learning how to prioritize your own healing, identity, and joy. Julie is a chemical engineer turned author and speaker who...

[Self-Care Snippet] Show Your Kids The Importance of Self-Care Jess Evans 12.09.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode Co-Parenting, Identity, and Dating After Divorce with Jess Evans . Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to Worth...

Burnout, Balance, and Joy as a Working Mom with Jessica Vickers 09.09.2025

Working moms carry the weight of careers, parenting, household duties, and the heaviness of today’s world. But what if you could feel lighter, find joy, and release the pressure to “do it all”? In this episode of Worthy Mother Podcast , Emily is joined by Jessica Vickers, a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in supporting working moms of color. Together, they unpack the realiti...

Exposing The Mental & Emotional Load of Back-To-School Season 02.09.2025

Back-to-school season is upon us, and with it comes an often heavy invisible load for moms. From the never-ending logistics of drop-offs to the emotional weight of our kids’ feelings (and our own), this season can feel like a lot. In this episode, Emily shines a light on the often unseen mental and emotional labor mothers take on during this transition. She opens up about her own experiences as a...

[Self-Care Snippet] Carve Out Time To Be With Yourself Kamini Wood 29.08.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode Overcoming Limiting Beliefs as a High-Achieving Mom with Kamini Wood . Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to W...

Beyond Coping: What Drives Perfectionism and Hyper-Independence in Moms with Tisheila Justice 26.08.2025

What if perfectionism, hyper-independence, and mom rage aren’t character flaws but survival strategies that once served you? In this powerful conversation, trauma therapist Tisheila Justice joins Emily to explore how unhealed wounds resurface in motherhood, why these coping mechanisms feel so hard to let go of, and how we can begin breaking cycles for ourselves and future generations. The conversa...

Unpacking the Myth of the Natural Mother with Vanessa Spinarsky 19.08.2025

Is motherhood supposed to come naturally? Or have we been sold a myth that leaves moms feeling broken and inadequate when reality doesn’t match the script? In this deeply validating episode of The Worthy Mother Podcast , Emily sits down with therapist, writer, and mom Vanessa Spinarsky to unpack the cultural myth of the “natural mother.”  Together, they explore: Why so many women feel like they’ve...

[Self-Care Snippet] Taking Things Off Of Your Plate with Holly Bertone 15.08.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode How to Transform Your Life With Gratitude with Holly Bertone . Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribed to Worthy Mo...

What Having a Village Really Looks Like in Modern Motherhood 12.08.2025

Raising kids isn’t meant to be a one-woman job. In this episode, Emily reflects on her first family vacation as a single mom, and how the experience reshaped her understanding of the age-old phrase: “It takes a village to raise a child.” From airport chaos to beachside lounging, she explores how her support system, AKA her village, stepped up in big and small ways, reminding her (and us) that moth...

Why Conflicting Emotions Actually Make You A Better Mom with Dr. Margo Lowy 05.08.2025

We’re diving into one of the most taboo topics in motherhood: maternal ambivalence. In this validating episode, Emily sits down with psychotherapist and author Dr. Margo Lowy, whose book Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments and Bitter Truths of Motherhood opens the door to honest conversations about the full emotional spectrum of mothering. Dr. Lowy explains why the mix of love, frustration, j...

[Self-Care Snippet] Anything To Help You Feel Embodied with Lavinia Brown 01.08.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode How Inner Child Healing Can Positively Impact Parenting with Lavinia Brown . Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscribe...

How To Overcome The Identity Crisis of Motherhood with Krissy Bold 29.07.2025

Ever felt like you’ve lost yourself since becoming a mom? You’re not alone, and you’re definitely not broken. In this episode of Worthy Mother Podcast, Emily sits down with Krissy Bold, former teacher turned stay-at-home mom and identity advocate, to unpack the real, raw experience of navigating identity after motherhood. Together, they explore the identity crisis so many moms experience, why it’s...

ADHD in Motherhood: Shame, Identity, and the Mental Load with Samantha Skvaril 22.07.2025

Are you a mom navigating life with ADHD - diagnosed or undiagnosed? In this honest conversation, therapist and late-diagnosed mom Samantha Skvaril joins Emily to explore the emotional rollercoaster of ADHD in motherhood. From unpacking the shame we carry, to redefining what it means to be a “good mom,” we dig deep into how ADHD uniquely affects women and mothers. The episode covers: How ADHD prese...

[Self-Care Snippet] Spend Time On What Lights You Up with Hannah Olson 18.07.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode Redefining Motherhood as a Relationship and Caregiving as a Job with Hannah Olson . Like what you hear? Make sure you are su...

The Case for Doing Less: Why Lowering Your Standards Might Be the Key to Peace 15.07.2025

Are impossible standards stealing your peace in motherhood? In this solo episode, Emily challenges the “perfect mom” myth and offers a bold reframe: doing less might actually make you a better mother. From the pressure to keep a spotless home to the guilt around saying “no,” Emily dives into why so many moms are chronically burned out, and what you can do about it. Learn how to redefine your own e...

Why Motherhood Triggers Past Trauma & What To Do About It with Lilly Risch 08.07.2025

Why does motherhood seem to resurface wounds you thought were long buried? In this episode, Emily sits down with trauma therapist Lilly Risch to explore the deep, often surprising ways parenting can trigger unresolved trauma, and how healing is not only possible, but transformational. Together, they discuss: Why becoming a parent often brings up your "stuff" The difference between normal...

[Self-Care Snippet] Lean on Your Support System with Shannon Bonardy & Tabita Ramos 04.07.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode Childcare in Crisis: Moms Advocating For Change with Shannon Bonardy and Tabita Ramos . Like what you hear? Make sure you ar...

Raising Justice: Everyday Activism For Mothers [IG Live] with Breanne Smith 01.07.2025

This episode is a bit different than normal - but for a good reason! So many moms right now are feeling called to engage in activism while faced with the reality that they can't necessarily leave the kids to hit the streets in protest. Earlier this week, I joined Breanne Smith for an Instagram Live to get her insights on parenting as activism and to answer the question so many moms are asking...

Feeling Lost in Motherhood? How to Reconnect With Your True Self with Rachael Smith 24.06.2025

Motherhood can be beautiful — and also deeply disorienting. So many moms experience a sense of loss of self in the transition into motherhood and struggle to reconnect with who they are in this new season of life. This week, licensed professional counselor Rachael Smith joins Emily for an empowering conversation on how moms can reconnect with themselves after having kids. In the episode, they talk...

[Self-Care Snippet] Practical Tips For Regular Self-Care with Lisa Zawrotny 20.06.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode Spring Cleaning: Compassionate Productivity & Whole-Life Decluttering with Lisa Zawrotny . Like what you hear? Make sure...

From Comparison to Confidence: How to Stop Measuring Yourself Against Other Moms 17.06.2025

Raise your hand if you’ve ever measured your motherhood against someone else’s—especially in the age of Instagram highlight reels and Pinterest-perfect parenting. In this  solo episode of Worthy Mother Podcast, Emily explores why modern moms are stuck in the comparison trap and how to break free. From the hidden reasons why comparison is so common in today's motherhood culture to the emotiona...

The Power of Pause: A Mindfulness Framework for Moms with Azia Whitted 10.06.2025

What if the secret to thriving in motherhood isn't doing more — but pausing more? In this powerful episode of Worthy Mother Podcast, Emily sits down with TEDx speaker, coach, and founder of Pause with Azia Ranea, Azia Whitted, to explore how intentional pauses can transform your daily life, energy, and the example you set for your children. Azia walks us through her 5-part PAUSE Framework, gu...

[Self-Care Snippet] Go Take A Nap with Brittany Reinke 06.06.2025

This is a Self-Care Snippet from Worthy Mother Podcast. As mothers, we need to prioritize our own care. Within this few-minute long episode, you will hear how our past guests prioritize their own self-care and some tips on how you can do the same. Tune in to the full episode Mothering with a Disability: Everything is Figureoutable with Brittany Reinke . Like what you hear? Make sure you are subscr...

Supermom Myth: The True Cost of the Mental Load with Stacy McCann 03.06.2025

Are you tired of being told you can “do it all” — and somehow feel like you’re still falling short? In this episode, therapist and mom Stacy McCann joins Emily to unpack the Supermom Myth and reveal the invisible forces that leave so many mothers burned out and overwhelmed. They talk about: The truth about the mental load and why it’s rarely acknowledged How patriarchal systems and internalized pr...

Prioritizing Personal Growth & Healing In Motherhood with Kayla Moffett 27.05.2025

Motherhood can feel overwhelming, messy, and all-consuming — but it can also be the space where we grow the most? In this raw episode of Worthy Mother Podcast , Emily sits down with Kayla Moffett — host of the Shift Happens Podcast, mom of five, and no-nonsense truth-teller — for a deep dive into personal growth, grief, identity, and healing through the chaos of motherhood. From navigating teen pr...

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