The Mama Needs Podcast

Welcome to the Mama Needs Podcast, where we chat about all the things that ‘mama needs’! On this podcast you’ll hear real stories from Moms that you can relate to and listen in while you do your everyday mom life. I’m your host, Jenn Collins, Mama of 3 kids, wife and founder of Mama Needs Box, a monthly self-care subscription box for Moms. Can you even believe it’s time to start talking about Christmas and giving gifts?! It is not too early to start thinking about how and what you want to give this year. Can I encourage you to consider our December box as a gift to a special Mama in your life? Our December box is our very last subscription box until we launch our brand new gift box service for Moms in 2023! It’s not goodbye, it’s “see you soon”. Inside this special 4 year anniversary + farewell box, you’ll find 6 beautiful self-care products from small, women-owned businesses, a custom-made sticker + an exclusive coupon code for our new Mama Needs Box Shop coming in 2023. Help us celebrate 4 years by gifting the December box to a Mama you love now through November 30 while supplies last (and we are very limited this year)! Shipping the first week of December! Here’s the BEST news: just for listening to this podcast, you can use the code PODCAST at checkout for 15% off your order at mamaneedsbox.com. Alright let’s get to today’s episode! This one is SUPER FUN and you will absolutely fall in love my guest today. Her name is JJ Campbell and she is the host of a new-to-me podcast that I adore called Along for the Ride Podcast! Her podcast is basically a game show for families to listen to while in the car - it will quickly become a new favorite. JJ is seriously one of the most fun and joyful people I have ever interviewed and you will hear that right off the bat. You’ll hear why she created her podcast, how she compares herself to the one and only Bob Barker and the really deep and meaningful reasons why connecting with our kids in the car is so important. We laugh our way through this episode and so will you, I guarantee it! So, enjoy my conversation today with JJ. Find JJ + Relevant Links: FREE Resource: alongfortheride.info/conversations  Website - http://www.alongfortheride.info  Social media - @aftr_kidspodcast Podcast - https://www.alongfortheride.info/podcast

Hey Mamas, I’m so glad you’re back with me today for our newest episode with my guest, Mary Carver. First off, I have a question for you: Do you ever start praying and realize you are so overwhelmed with the situation that you’re praying for, that you just don’t know what to say? I know I feel that way, especially when going to pray for my kids. Sometimes I just don’t know how to express how I feel, what I want or how to pray for them.  Well, Mary wrote a book just for us Moms that we can conveniently keep in our car or purse and borrow some prayers to lift up for our kids. “Prayers from the Parking Lot” is a short devotional book written by Mary filled with 50 short reflections for moms on the go. It is the perfect tool in our toolbox to keep in the car while you wait in car line or at the doctor’s office and have a few minutes of quiet to reflect and pray for your kids. In today’s episode, I know you’ll be encouraged to hear from Mary on why she wrote this book, what’s inside it, what prayer she is clinging to right now and some funny stories in between. Enjoy my episode with Mary. Find Mary + Relevant Links: Books she’s reading: “Aunties” book series by Jesse Q. Sutanto and “Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Green Mary’s book - “Prayers from the Parking Lot: 50 Short Reflections for Moms on the Go” Website - http://www.marycarver.com Social media - @marycarver on IG and FB Podcast - http://www.thecouchpodcast.com

Hey Mamas, welcome back to the mama needs podcast. My guest today is Kristen King Jaiven who is a wife, mother, lawyer and now children’s book author. We’re going to chat about her book today called “Mommy’s Time”, a beautiful story of a mom taking the time to take care of herself so she can take care of her little one. It is the sweetest book and it’s one of those children’s stories that really hits home for the person reading it, too. You’ll hear why Kristen wrote it, what self-care means to her and her favorite part of the book, too. Plus you guys, we’re doing a giveaway! Go to our instagram post (@mamaneedsbox) to get all the details and enter to win the “Mommy’s Time” book + Mommy’s Time coffee mug. Now, enjoy my episode with Kristen. Find Kristen + Links: Mommy’s Time Book: https://www.kristenkingjaiven.com/book Mommy’s Time Mug + Book Combo: https://www.kristenkingjaiven.com/product-page/mommy-s-time-combo Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067900805202 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mommystime.thebook/ Book she’s reading: https://amzn.to/3CIUZpg

Hey Mamas! Well we are back with episode 101 today! Did you hear episode 100 with my special co-host? I hope you did but if not please go back and listen as me and my husband Joel co-host that episode - he asks me questions about the podcast and then we picked several episodes to recap and shared clips from some of them. We were silly and it was so much fun! I hope you’ll celebrate with us and listen in! So today we have a return guest with us as we kick off our next season of the podcast! Her name is Ashley Brown! She was on the show back in 2020 episode #47 and then we re-aired her episode because it was that good on episode #81! She is back today because she has a very special project she’s been working on hard for a while now and it’s a gorgeous planner. You will hear all about what she’s been up to since we had her on the show last time, the products she offers and all about this amazing planner. We all know there are sooooo many planners out there but you’ll hear how this one is different than any other one on the market! Enjoy my conversation with Ashley! Find Ashley: Web: http://www.routineandthings.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routineandthings Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/routineandthings/

Happy 100 episodes to me and also happy first day of fall to everyone! If you know me at all, you know I am obsessed with Fall. As a native Floridian who now lives in a place with all 4 seasons and my birthday is in Fall, it is my absolute favorite season and I get into it all. So yeah I couldn’t think of a better day to celebrate 100 episodes and my favorite season than today. I’m also really excited because I am joined today by my better half, my husband Joel! He’s going to help me host today, ask me some questions and just be here to celebrate with me. Not many people know this but he has edited every single episode of this podcast. He is a behind the scenes kind of guy and the poor man has had to listen to every single episode and make it sound good! He’s a trooper and I am so grateful that the editing is something I don’t have to outsource and I have someone right here with me that I can trust to put the finishing touches on all of our episodes and know his heart is to me succeed and share these stories with the world. So now the tables get turned a bit as he gets to be on the mic and ask me some questions! Then, we will share some superlatives - some noteworthy episodes and ones that stand out for different reasons and you'll hear short clips from them, too. I hope you enjoy this episode and thank you so much for celebrating with me! 🥳 Well-known speakers, authors and influencers: Scarlet Hiltibidal episode #17 Alli Worthington episode #63 Shannon Doherty episode #76 Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston episode #89 Tsh Oxenreider episode #091 The most fun guests: Molly Grayson episode #30 Shannon Parker episode #41 Dawn Barton episode #62 Alison Storm episode #78 BONUS Friends episode Anne Smith episode #85 Laura Fooks + my daughter Sadie episode 92 Most practical episodes: Kristin Petersen episode #49 Jenna Kranz episode #55 Bev Feldman episode #77 Alison Lumbatis episode #83 Krista Lockwood episode #88 Emily Lawson episode #90 Most inspiring episodes: Bekah Bowman episode #37 Breast Cancer Awareness Interviews: Dawn Barton episode #62, Marsha Lowe episode #61, Heather de Rose episode #60 Alana Dawson episode #69 Amber Housley episode #70 Amanda Cunningham episode #86 Emilee Connell de Umanzor episode #87

Hey Mamas! I know you’ve been waiting on our 100th episode and it is scheduled to release on September 22 - the FIRST day of FALL! If you know me at all, you know I am a sucker for all things Fall and I can’t think of a better day to celebrate our 100th episode with you! More info is coming soon! We are back for this very special BONUS episode which is just my gift to you in honor of our October theme for our subscription which is “Mama Needs to Pause”. What you are about to hear is a recording of a Breathing Session with Breathe Mama Coach Carol Webb. This was a part of our January box earlier this year and I wanted to offer it here as a BONUS so you can see what kinds of things we offer from time to time that are digital products. So we mostly include physical products in our boxes, usually 6 or 7 things. This was one of the things included in that box as a virtual class and our subscribers loved it, as did I. Let’s take a moment to slow down and breathe together. Allowing ourselves to relax with a 30 minute simple yet nurturing breathwork experience. We will use our breath to reset our nervous system and allow our body and mind to rest. Carol Webb is a coach for moms, a Reiki and EFT practitioner as well as a lover of breathwork. She guides moms in navigating the overwhelm to create more joyful and manageable lives. Carol lives in Ontario with her husband and two amazing children. Enjoy this beautiful time, let it be a gift you give to yourself as you slow down, press the pause button on life for just a bit and breathe. Find Carol: Web: https://justbreathemamacoach.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justbreathemamacoach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justbreathemamacoach/

Welcome to the Mama Needs Podcast, where we chat about all the things that ‘mama needs’! On this podcast you’ll hear real stories from Moms that you can relate to and listen in while you do your everyday mom life. I’m your host, Jenn Collins, Mama of 3 kids, wife and founder of Mama Needs Box, a monthly self-care subscription box for Moms. Do you have a tween or teen daughter? We’re back but just for this shorter bonus episode to feature my friend Deana Hicks. She is a wife, mama of a teen girl and owner of One Girl Inspired, a monthly subscription box filled with fun tools to inspire, empower and motivate teen and tween girls to believe in themselves, aspire to dream big and make their own mark on the world. We collaborated recently and put cards in each other’s boxes to advertise to a new audience and hopefully reach both some Mamas who need some self-care and their tween & teen daughters who need some encouragement! Also, in case you didn’t know, September is self-care awareness month and September 25th is National Daughter’s Day - perfect timing - it’s like we planned it or something! We talk about Deana’s background, what’s inside these beautiful boxes, and Deana shares some staggering statistics of tween & teen girls and then some encouragement for those of us raising girls in this generation right now. She also gives us the secret of the “Botox Brow” - you will want to know what this is, I promise! You will love hearing from Deana’s heart and the worthy mission behind these boxes! At the end, she shares a 15% off coupon code that you can use at onegirlinspired.com. And if you received our August box, you saw the card we put inside from One Girl Inspired with the code right there. Enjoy my conversation with Deana! Relevant Links: One Girl Inspired box (use coupon code DAUGHTERSROCK for 15% off) Mama Needs Box (use coupon code SELFCARE for 15% off) Atomic Habits Middle School Makeover Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen

Ok guys, I cannot believe we are about to hit 100 episodes of The Mama Needs Podcast! Just for some background, before I ever started my business or even dreamed of starting one, I knew I wanted to do a podcast at some point. I started listening to some business-related podcasts in 2014 and I thought, I can do that and I want to do that. But what in the world would I talk about? So I put in a pin in it until I could figure that out. Fast forward to 2018 when I was about to launch Mama Needs Box, our monthly self-care subscription box for Moms and I knew a podcast about self-care and motherhood would be the perfect companion to the box! Of course I had no idea what I was doing and if you listen to the first year of podcasts, you can hear it! But, podcasting is my literal favorite thing. It fires me up in a way nothing else does, I have learned so much and I get to use my voice to encourage Mamas all over the world! I have also met so many incredible women in the last almost 4 years and we will be highlighting my favorite and noteworthy episodes in our 100th episode. I just can’t believe I get to do this. At the heart of this podcast, my goal is to encourage you to take care of yourself. I hope you can listen to any of our episodes and hear something that takes you one step closer to filling up your cup, so you can pour out to your family.  So during this episode before episode 100, I want to highlight some past guests and their choice of self-care - what they like to do to take care of themselves that helps them be the Mama they want to be. Surely you can find something to do after listening to these amazing mamas share! Enjoy this look back as we hear snippets of conversations from some of our past guests. LINKS TO THE SHOWS YOU’LL HEAR: -Episode 2 with My Mama, Selena Rizzo -Episode 12 with Katrina Fisher -Episode 23 with Karla Bennett -Episode 34 with Melissa Elswick -Episode 47 with Ashley Brown -Episode 55 with Jenna Kranz -Episode 62 with Dawn Barton -Episode 73 with Rachel Cabalse -Episode 89 with Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston -Episode 96 with Kimberly Amici Ok, just WOW. I loved hearing these all over again and if you’re newer to the podcast, you might want to go back and listen to some of these OG episodes. I hope these amazing women inspired you, I know they inspired me all over again and made me laugh and cry as I listened to how they make the time and space to practice self-care. They prioritize it because they realized that they matter. And that is truly what our podcast and our subscription boxes are all about. We give you the tools and inspiration to practice self-care and help you remember that you matter, Mama. I would love for you to check out our boxes and give one a try for 15% off at mamaneedsbox.com and use the code PODCAST at checkout. Alright before we go, our 100th episode is coming this Fall and you won’t want to miss it! We will have special guests, we’ll look back at my favorite and noteworthy episodes, the funniest moments, the most poignant moments, the stories of heartache and stories of victory, we’ll do some fun statistics and my husband & kids have even agreed to interview ME for a segment on our 100th episode as well. You’ll hear more on it soon as it gets closer. So don’t worry, we’ll be back in the Fall with our 100th episode and many many more episodes and exciting things to come. Until next time, you matter, Mama.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to get back out there and make memories with my family! That’s what today’s episode is all about. I’m joined by two of my lifelong friends, Carla and Kristin, to talk all about traveling today! They’re telling us the trends they’re seeing now that 2020-2021 is behind us, where people are going and what they’re doing. We talk about how to travel with young kids and why it’s important to start making those memories early on and how it really shapes your family’s story. Carla and Kristin also have some great tips for traveling on a budget! We talk about why booking with a travel agent is a no-brainer for families and you’ll hear their must-haves for their road trips. You will love our chat and I know it will inspire you to get out there and GO! Enjoy my conversation with Carla and Kristin! GIVEAWAY!! If you book a trip with Carla or Kristin for your vacation this summer, you will be entered to win a free July “Mama Needs a Vacay” box! Using their travel agent services is 100% free and as you’ll hear in this episode, they can help you book any trip, anywhere, anytime! See below for how to contact them and get your dream trip booked this month for a chance to win! P.S. You can book your trip for anytime in the future and it will still count - you just have to book it this month! Find Carla: Facebook Instagram Find Kristin: Facebook  Instagram

Are you weary, burned out, overwhelmed, riddled with Mom guilt? This is the place for you today, Mama. If you listened to episode #93 where I shared my talk to our local MOPs group, you will also love this episode today. This is a space for you to come and rest your weary soul and heart. My guest today is Kristen Wetherell. She is a pastor’s wife, mom and the author of Humble Moms which released in April. Kristen is our voice of rest, encouraging us to look to Christ for our strength when we feel weak in motherhood. She talks about how developing anxiety in motherhood for the first time really helped her faith and made her aware of how much she needed him to keep moving forward. We talk about what the pandemic has done to us as Moms, the isolation, fears, anxiety has been overwhelming. We talk about how we can combat Mom guilt and overwhelm and Kristen gives us some actual tips for how to fight that off.  Listen, Kristen is full of wisdom and grace and she speaks to us from a heart of love and encouragement. But also? Her voice is so soothing and so kind. There are 2 things she said that have been haunting me since I recorded this interview with her and I will share them here before we even start so things can start ruminating. She said “Jesus has more to give you than you have yet to receive from Him.” And “I wonder if we don’t actually go to Jesus because we don’t actually believe that he has something to give to us”. Like I said, I haven’t been the same since I heard those two sentences and I am still processing through them. Listen in and enjoy my conversation today with Kristen. Relevant Links: Humble Moms by Kristen Wetherell Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald S. Whitney Find Kristen: Website: kristenwetherell.com Instagram: instagram.com/kristen_wetherell

Have you ever thought about what you want your family to be known for? Or the values that are important to you? Have you ever thought of creating a family mission statement? I know I hadn’t thought about these things much before until I talked to our guest today, Kimberly Amici. Kimberly is a family culture coach, which she will explain about in our episode. As a wife and Mom of 3 kids, she realized they weren’t doing much to be intentional and she found herself saying yes to everything and no to very little. This led her on a journey to start making changes in her own life and then in the life of her family to create values, a mission statement and what they wanted their family to be about, be known for, how they wanted people to feel when they entered their home and so much more. Kim gives us absolute GOLD today as she describes how she did this and how we can do this too. The biggest takeaway I got from this episode is that once we set down our family values, those don’t change. What does change is how we accomplish those. During the pandemic or really any big family transition or change, how we work out our family values can keep us rooted and grounded. Kim challenges us to really think about what’s important - what to say yes to and no to. And I loved to hear how Kim and her family lived out their value of playing games during quarantine - I know you’ll love it. So get ready to get really intentional and really practical with us today - you can also download some free resources in our show notes that come directly from Kim so you can start this process in your own family. Enjoy my conversation today with Kim! Relevant Links: Family Culture Discussion Sheet Sloane Tea 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Find Kim: Website: www.buildyourbestfamily.com / www.kimberlyamici.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildyourbestfamily/ / https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyamici/

Do you have a business idea, but you’re not sure where to start? Maybe you have a hobby you enjoy doing and so many people have told you that you should start a business from it, but you’re not sure you’re ready for that next step. We’re covering all of this and so much more in today’s episode with my guest, Erin Alexander! Erin is a married 30-something with 2 kiddos located in Eastern Washington state. She is the owner of an online agency called Product Powerhouse, which helps female shop owners show up online with confidence and grow the visibility and online presence of their store. She also hosts the Product Powerhouse Podcast, which I was a guest on recently. You can find that link in our show notes at mamaneedspodcast.com. Erin talks about how she balances work life, home life, mom life and how we both think that balance is actually a myth. Erin gently coaches us through how to do what we love while pushing past the roadblocks that hold us back. We talk about the line between doing what you love because you love it and doing what you love and make it a business. Erin gives us some tips about how to make a business plan. Lastly, Erin tells us all about her 6 week DIY Shopify course just for you to build a shop that you can be proud of and she tells us more about what her agency does and how you can work with her! Enjoy my conversation today with Erin. Thank you so much for listening today! If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you could take 3 minutes and leave a review on Apple podcasts! Help me spread self-care far and wide by sharing this episode as well. Thank you so much for listening and until next time, you matter, Mama.  Relevant Links: “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” by Michael E. Gerber U.S. Small Business Administration Navigating Supply Chain Issues and Entrepreneurship with Jenn Collins on the Product Powerhouse Podcast “Hang the Moon” by Alexandria Bellefleur Find Erin: Website: www.productpowerhouse.co Instagram: @product.powerhouse YouTube: Product Powerhouse

If you ever struggled with self-confidence as a tween or teen or you have a tween or teen girl now, this episode is for you. I’m interviewing Laurel Handfield today, author, Mom of 3 and wife. Her story is straight out of a chick flick movie: Her vacation to the islands turned into an unexpected romance when she met and fell in love with her now husband. After two years in a long-distance relationship, she decided to move to the Bahamas permanently. This led to a shift in focus and a rediscovery of her true passion: writing. Today, Laurel creates coloring/activity books for young girls. Laurel talks about growing up as a minority in her school, developing an eating disorder, lack of self-confidence, moving across the ocean to the Bahamas, starting a family and how all of that helped her want to be part of a bigger solution: to help girls find their worth and self-confidence. Laurel tells us about her books and what she’s working on now. She also gives us some ways to help relate to our tween and teen girls.  1. Listen to your daughters. 2. Don’t force a conversation. Let her come to you. 3. Be approachable. 4. Have a natural relationship with your daughter. Book she mentions:  “The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle Laurel’s Books: “President for a Day” by Laurel Handfield “My Pretty…A coloring and activity book for girls affirming their inner and outer beauty” by Laurel Handfield “I Imagine: A coloring and activity book for young girls to encourage their wonderful imagination” by Laurel Handfield Find Laurel: Website: Happy Island Press Facebook: Happy Island Press Instagram: @happyislandpress

Recently, I was invited to speak at our local MOPS group here in Franklin, North Carolina and I was so excited to be asked and to deliver a message that I hope and pray was encouraging and life-changing. I was able to record it so that you all could hear it, too! So today’s episode features me speaking to a group of Moms and honestly it’s much like I imagine when I am on here with a guest interviewing, too. I imagine you all listening in the car on your way to work or day care drop off. Or maybe you’re at home and you’re listening during nap time while you fold the clothes. Or maybe you’re listening while you’re on a walk or a run. Whatever you’re doing, my prayer is that this message meets you right where you are and encourages you today in a deep way. In my MOPS talk, I told a little bit about my story of motherhood and how I felt so inadequate and unprepared and terrified to be a Mom, I shared verses from Scripture that have really helped me in my motherhood journey, how God sees us even when no one else does, how much your work matters and how Jesus practiced self-care and is the ultimate example for us! Relevant Links:  MOPS handout “Surprised by Motherhood” by Lisa-Jo Baker Mama Needs Box (use code PODCAST at checkout for 15% off any subscription!)

Ok if you are the Mama of a tween or teen girl, or have a special tween or teen girl in your life, this episode is for you. This episode is very close to my heart because I invited my 13-year-old daughter Sadie to join me today in interviewing our guest! My Mama heart was beaming as she shared her own story and even asked Laura some questions! I can’t wait for you to meet her! So along with my daughter Sadie, our guest today is Laura Fooks, who is the Cofounder + Chief Encouragement Officer of Light Speaks Loudest. Light Speaks Loudest is a seasonal subscription box for teen girls to help them love themselves, love others and love God. Laura and her husband, Aaron, live in Denver, Colorado, with their goldendoodle pup. In this episode, Laura tells us about her subscription box for teen girls, you’ll hear from Sadie about the boxes she’s received, what she loves and why, Laura tells us why reaching teen girls is so important to her, we talk about the struggle parents can have to find resources that they trust for their teen girls, Laura tells us what trends she’s seeing right now in what teen girls are struggling with and how to approach these topics with our girls in a way that won’t shut them down (heads up, Mamas, listen in to this part because odds are that your daughter is struggling with one or more of these), and lastly, Laura tells us about an exciting mother/daughter project she’s working on right now! If you stick around toward the end, Laura gave us a coupon code for the Light Speaks Loudest Spring box which is on sale now so make sure you listen all the way through so you don’t miss it. Enjoy my conversation with Laura! Book she mentions: The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struggle to Save an American Neighborhood by Julian Rubinstein Find Laura + Light Speaks Loudest online: Website: http://www.lightspeaksloudest.com  Instagram: @lightspeaksloudest Know a teen girl who could use some encouragement and hope as she grows in her faith? Listeners can get 15% off your first Light Speaks Loudest subscription box when you use code MAMANEEDS. These quarterly boxes are intentionally filled with things to help your teen girl better love God, herself and others. Just go to lightspeaksloudest.com and enter the code MAMANEEDS during checkout now through March 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Did you grow up observing Lent? I didn’t know it existed until I went away to college, but it’s still always been somewhat of a mystery to me, along with the entire Liturgical Calendar. Our guest today is Tsh Oxenreider, and like me, she didn’t grow up observing Lent either. Now, she’s written a book on the topic filled with daily devotions walking you through the whole season. In case you aren’t familiar with Tsh, she is the bestselling author of several books, including Bitter and Sweet: A Journey Into Easter and At Home in the World, her memoir about her family’s year traveling around the world and living out of backpacks. She’s also a travel guide, teacher, and podcaster, and she lives in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband and three children. Tsh walks us through Lent, what it means, why we observe it, and how it’s historically been done. There’s so much more to Lent than just fasting and she gives us a breakdown of it all. We talk about how to get started if you’ve decided you want to start observing Lent this year. And Tsh gives us some actual examples that are more outside of the box from her own life, as well as others she knows and how they observe Lent as a family! Enjoy my conversation with Tsh! Book she mentions: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Find Tsh online: Book: bitterandsweetlent.com Website: https://www.tshoxenreider.com/ Instagram: @tshoxenreider thecommon.place (tsh.substack.com)

Ok Mamas, do you browse Pinterest to find crafts to do with your kids? Do you search for easy homeschooling ideas? And if you have ever felt like you couldn’t live up to that standard of the “Pinterest Mom”, this episode is for you. My guest today is Emily Lawson, former teacher turned stay-at-home-mom, turned entrepreneur! She created a business called Sandbox Academy where she put her love for teaching to use by creating activities for kids to do at home and Moms to have easy wins! We talk about her playbook which is filled with ideas to try at home, we talk about the shame that we as Moms feel when we try to live up to that Pinterest-perfect standard, we talk about some really fun Valentine’s Day activities that are so easy and last, she tells us about a project she just started working on that you will love! Enjoy my conversation with Emily! Book she mentions: The Sweet Magnolias book series Find Emily + Sandbox Academy Website: sandboxacademy.com Pinterest: pinterest.com/sandboxacademy Instagram: @sandboxacademy

You guys, I am so excited because I have two guests on the show today - best friends, bloggers and Moms, Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston. They just co-wrote a book together called “I’ll Be There (But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants)” that just released this week! Currently it is the #1 Bestseller on Amazon in Christian Self-Help and these two ladies appeared on GMA to talk about their book! Wow! We talk about how they became friends, why friendship means so much to them, starting off their very well-known Facebook page called Sister, I Am With You, and deciding to write a book together. Then we go a little deeper and talk about what’s happened to friendships since the pandemic started, why you can’t be everyone’s chick-fil-a sauce (trust me, you want to listen to that part), why friendship should feel like pulling on your favorite stretchy pants and what Jess & Amy really want you to take away from this book. These two are so much fun! Enjoy my conversation with Amy and Jess. Find Amy & Jess: Amy’s IG/FB: @amyweatherly / Mrs Amy Weatherly Jess’ IG/FB: @wonderoakblog / Jess Johnston Wonder Oak Book website: illbetherebook.com Sister I Am With You: sisteriamwithyou.com / @sisteriamwithyou / Sister, I Am With You

It’s the New Year and many of us are looking to declutter our homes - I know I am! So today’s episode is super timely. I’m interviewing Krista Lockwood, wife and Mama of 5, who teaches decluttering for moms who don’t want to be a full blown minimalist. In 2013 she and her husband moved from Alaska to Florida with only one suitcase each and while she doesn't believe you need to go that extreme she has been able to master the balance of having enough, but not too much. We talk about how Moms carry the guilt of decluttering, cleaning and making a lot of these hard decisions of what stays and what goes. We also talk about why decluttering is harder for some Moms than others - maybe it’s because of guilt or a change in mindset or because we feel safe with our stuff. Krista tells us to trust yourself and gently coaches us to take 1 step forward to see how it makes us feel. And lastly, she tells us how we can make our homes work for us instead of our clutter ruling over us. Book she mentioned: The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking by Saifedean Ammous Find Krista + Motherhood Simplified: Website: motherhoodsimplified.com  Instagram: @motherhood_simplified Facebook: Motherhood Simplified

My guest today is Emilee Connell de Umanzor. She is the founder of SoloHope, a nonprofit organization that empowers women by creating jobs making jewelry, home goods and more. Emilee, her husband and 2 kids currently live in south Georgia with their hearts heavily invested in the beautiful country of Honduras. Me and Emilee chat all about SoloHope: how and why she started it, what they do and who it impacts. She talks about meeting her husband in Honduras - you definitely want to hear her tell that story as she giggles her way through, it is the cutest!  We talk about the ornaments that I ordered for our December Mama Needs Boxes and hear stories from Emilee about the artisans who created them and the impact it had - that is my favorite part of this episode.  Lastly she tells us about a project she’s working on now - she and her husband purchased a 1920s building in their town in south Georgia and are turning it into a storefront full of ethically made global goods.  I know you will love Emilee - enjoy our conversation together and make sure you find SoloHope and follow along with the good work she’s doing in Honduras. Books mentioned: Mark of the Lion Gift Collection by Francine Rivers No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler Find Emilee + SoloHope Website: solohope.org Instagram: @solohopeorg Facebook: SoloHope Personal Instagram: @emileeconnelldeumanzor