How ideal does it sound to have a teen that meal plans for your family...all the way though from looking at sales....to choosing good meals...to then making said meals...and even cleaning up after them...

Here's the thing...Moms suck at delegating...our brains are hard wired to see all the things that need to be done, to do the things the way we want or need them done, and do it as quickly & efficiently as possible.

We're getting closer to the end and most of us are feeling pressure to double down on finishing curriculum...worksheets...checking all the boxes that tell the world (and sometimes our husbands or nosey do-gooders) that we're doing a good job teaching our kids.

But we're here to remind you that you already are doing enough.

That even if you've skipped days, or haven't finished that math book (who has?! No one in school does!), or you "FEEL" like your kid is behind...you're doing a good job.

Your child is right where they are meant to be.

Homeschooling is a long game and they HAVE learned a lot already.

So instead of filling your bucket stressing over the final things that need to be finished this year...we want to encourage you to let go and give one of these activities a try instead.

It's no secret we love the tickets...but as with everything...it can get out of hand...

Okay...even a LOT out of hand.

Here are the boundaries I've set to keep our ticket system working FOR us and not the other way around.

Caveat: Listen...if you're deep in a survival season...if you're putting your underwear on inside out because you're getting dressed in the dark and only half alive...if your idea of a well-rounded meal looks like a cup of coffee...that's been cold for hours...

This podcast is for future you...and we promise she's coming...

If you're coming out of the fog...

If you have a little more energy and capacity

If you feel like you're ready to lay some great foundations for your kids (and frankly...for you!)

So tickets...let's talk about using them with the clipboards...or even without

I don't think I've met anyone yet who doesn't like earning things and getting prizes.

This, in particular, is handy when spicing up your homeschool groove.

Let's discuss what has become one of my favorite mom decisions of 2024—and possibly the last five years.

There was a big movement after the Yes Day movie came out to incorporate being a YES mom into our lives. I don't know about you, but I'm already a yes mom. I say yes to 1,000 requests a day.

Neither my kids nor I needed me to find more ways to say yes each day or to create a day where I give in to every whim my kids have, but it did make an adorable, albeit impractical, movie.

What I really needed for my sanity—and I would say, for my family—was a day when I could say no, guilt-free, to the extras we're always squeezing in and instead say yes to the things on my to-do list that weren't red-tag items.

It might be a little brutal if you don't know the theory behind red-tag items, but you'll get the reference to motherhood after I explain it.

We bought the thing.

We probably even started…

But then we got stuck…

This podcast is your unstuck podcast.

Here are 3 things you need to get you started with your clipboards today.

We'd be lying if we didn't admit we've giggled over our guest’s business name.

It's actually downright brilliant. Equal parts funny and straight to the point.

Jenn Lormand is bringing some fire today mixed with humor, hope, and healing.

She's a published researcher, exercise physiologist, and author. AND she's been living and thriving with Stage 2 prolapse for the last ten years.

After being told an invasive surgery was her only hope following her third birth, Jenn was determined to create her own solution. Together with her Tighten Your Tinkler cofounder (PT + manual integrative therapist Christina Walsh), Jenn developed a new movement-based protocol that allowed her to reverse her pelvic floor symptoms.

Jenn and her business partner Christina helped hundreds of New Orleans women reduce and eliminate pelvic floor issues before going online in 2019.

The Journal of Women’s Health Physical Therapy featured their research, confirming the effectiveness of their protocol at ending pee leaks, back pain, and painful sex – WITHOUT kegels or trendy internal vaginal devices.

The Tinkler mission is to inspire hope and healing – helping women to heal holistically so they can show up fully present for their lives through at-home programs that are non-invasive and kegel-free.

Britt & I had a good, long conversation about this one…

Listen to learn how to get your laundry done without losing your ever-loving mind!

Everybody knows the excitement of a brand new curriculum...a brand new year...all that hope...

But in reality, the honeymoon phase ends for everything. Even the very best of relationships...because we grow, we learn, we mature...and so does our homeschool.

But growing pains are a real thing and so is homeschool fatigue.

So how do we combat that...come February when we've picked ourselves up after the holidays and we've gotten into a groove finally, but we're all still dragging.

We all want life-changing habits...don't we?

I KNOW you got excited when you saw that title, and don't worry—we're going to deliver on this one.

We'll tell you what they are, how to start them, and how they will change your life and your family.

One of the biggest issues we've not only faced in our own homeschools but also hear about all the time from other moms is the overwhelm of getting to all the things each day and fighting kids to do them.

Now, we're not just referring to arguing and outright fighting, but the silent fight of mentally competing with all the to-dos in our heads and kids who have gone to the bathroom 10 times already or sat for 37 minutes just making doodles on their page, or left to "get something" only for you to realize they've been missing for 2 years.

It's all these silent little fights that will wear down a homeschool mom to her very core.

We know. Believe me.

The best way to combat this is to simplify.

Simplify not only what's on your plate but also what's on your children's plate so they can work without you being the belly button.

Here is the BEST way we've found to do just that...

It's January, give yourself a high five...we've made it this far mommas!

It's funny when you become an entrepreneur as a mom because it's amazing how much overlap there is between being the CEO of a business AND being the CEO of your home, family, and in our case our homeschools as well.

We are always looking at how we can learn from these overlaps and how good practices in one can serve in the others.

In this case, we were looking at how annual reports and statements could actually be really powerful in our homeschools as well.

It's the halfway mark...and there are probably a few of us (or maybe all of us) are wondering, "What on earth have we accomplished in our homeschools this year?" Or worse...feeling guilt over everything we HAVEN'T accomplished. 

We know we've spent HOURS on math, language arts, and allllll the activities, field trips, and projects, but it's still completely normal to feel like we haven't done enough... 

Enter the profit and loss statement...

Traditionally, a profit and loss statement includes a business's total revenue, expenses, gains, and losses, arriving at net income for a specific accounting period.

But put your teacher glasses on and it really makes sense to do the same for our homeschools.

Raise your hand if you've ever yelled at your kids...

So... that's all of us...

And if it's not you...you might be on the wrong podcast.

We're talking to the momma hearts who want so desperately to be calm, and who have tried again and again, only to "fail" and end up exploding on your kids yet AGAIN...

Getting back on track is simpler than you think!

We see you.

Do Less.

All those hopes...all those dreams...all those GREAT ideas...say no to them.

Your brain is gonna argue with you and tell you how good all those things are...

It's gonna tell you how impactful, meaningful, and memory stacking they're going to be for your kids...for you...for your family.

But the truth is, kids are gonna whine, someone's going to lose their shoes, siblings are going to find a reason to argue...and you're gonna come home tapped out...

That's okay for some things...that are actually worth it...but for all the rest...it won't be.

It's going to leave you feeling resentful, tired, and asking why you even do these nice things if your kids are just gonna complain about it and fight the whole time.

Here are three things to ask yourself before you say yes...or no...to all the wonderful opportunities that add up during the holidays.

If you listened to episode 127, chances are you're already a pretty big fan of Sterling Jaquith (and if not, go listen when you finish this one!).

Sterling is a wife and homeschooling momma to 6 beautiful souls, but her accolades don't stop there...she's an author, podcaster, speaker, successful entrepreneur, and both a Catholic Business & Motherhood coach who teaches women to discern God’s will for their lives, decrease chaos and live with more peace!

And that's where we come in. We officially met her last year and after spending just 15 minutes together we became huge fans!

She has a way of speaking right to the very core of our momma hearts and lifting us, encouraging us, and calling us out in all the right amounts.

Today we have Kathleen Borsh!

She's the creator and artisan behind Knots of Grace®, where she designs beautiful and functional knotted rosaries for modern Catholics. 

Inspired by her diverse experiences and faith journey, Kathleen’s rosaries are decorative and serve as daily prayer reminders, helping people connect with God and find peace. 

In this episode, we have Mariah!  She's the designer and woodworker behind The Cozy Catholic Life shop. She’s a Catholic convert, wife, and mother to 1 on earth & 2 in heaven.

She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and daughter and loves coffee, campfires, and Eucharistic adoration. After crafting many home decor items and prayer aids to deepen her own faith, she answered God’s call to share her creations with those who also seek to draw closer to Him.  

The Cozy Catholic Life is an apparel & home decor shop that helps Catholic families pray more, evangelize, and live liturgically.