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Sometimes, the answer to the question "How are you really doing?" can feel like cement in your mouth. But often, it's an honest answer that unlocks meaningful friendships. Join us today for a conversation with Coffee + Crumbs writer, Cara Stolen—our resident outdoorsy girl—as we discuss backpacking, friendship, and the intersection between the two. We hope this episode inspires you to grab your best gal pals for a hike (or walk!) and let them in on what's really going on. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Cara convinces us to hike with friends; listen to this bonus episode if you're thinking about Traveling with Friends. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.  Show notes:  Order You're In Good Company Cara on Substack Cara's Coffee + Crumbs essays Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

For some of us, making friends as kids was challenging. The same can be true now, as adults. But you can turn a sour situation into something downright sweet when you show up as your whole self. Today, we're talking with YIGC contributor Neidy (naydee) Hess who shares about the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful of finding your people. We hope this conversation gives you permission to embrace the awkward, grieve the losses, but also delight in your community. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Neidy says home-cooked meals and debriefing TV shows helps build friendships; listen to this bonus episode to hear more ways to Take Your Friendships Out of the Group Chat. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.  *** Show notes:  Order You're In Good Company Neidy on Substack Neidy on Instagram Coffee + Crumbs on Substack 300 Violin Orchestra Let's Talk About Friendship with Laura Tremaine The Life Council by Laura Tremaine

Many of us have experienced a significant shift in a friendship that we thought would last a lifetime. It's painful and can be hard to talk about, which is why we have C+C writer Sonya Spillmann on the podcast today to share about the vulnerable essay she wrote for YIGC called "When Friendships Change." You'll hear about the role food played in one specific friendship, and Sonya tells us what she knows now that she didn't know then. This conversation invites you to see your friendships, both past and present, as the gifts they truly are.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. We loved hearing Sonya's unfiltered take on past and present friendships; listen to this bonus episode to hear another Unscripted Gab Sesh. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Order You're In Good Company Sonya on Substack Sonya on Instagram Sonya's Coffee + Crumbs essays Sonya's website Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

In today's episode, we're taking a slight detour from friendship and hospitality to dive into the writing process with our resident "Writing Yoda" — Callie Feyen. How does doubt fuel our writing? How do we keep a posture of curiosity while witnessing to the world? What might happen to our art if we viewed creativity as part of our inheritance? We hope this conversation gives you a peek into the behind-the-scenes writing process of You're In Good Company, and perhaps even inspires you to write a story yourself (no happy ending required). This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Callie's wisdom influences our writing; listen to this bonus episode to hear how else we're Influenced. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Callie's latest book: When We Swung from Church Bells Callie on Substack Callie on Instagram Callie's Coffee + Crumbs essays Callie's website Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

Food is a love language, and if it's your love language, this episode is for you. Ruth Gyllenhammer, writer and content director for Coffee + Crumbs, joins Ashlee and Katie to talk about getting out of your comfort zone, the gift of being fully present, and what it looks like to feed our families. Whether you're away from home, or looking to start new rhythms around your family table, we hope this episode encourages you to practice hospitality right where you are. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Ruth talks about her travels to Shanghai; listen to this bonus episode to hear how we do Traveling with Friends. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Ruth on Substack  Ruth on Instagram The Artist Date of the Era by Ruth Gyllenhammer  Ashlee's Instagram post about the Taylor Swift concert in Germany The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

Today, in our ongoing You're in Good Company series, Molly Flinkman tells us about the time she invited nine strangers into her home for Thanksgiving. She fully owns what an insane situation it was while also making a compelling case for why it mattered so much. In this episode, you'll hear how Molly came to value this kind of hospitality—why she keeps her eyes open for strangers in need—and she'll also give some smaller scale suggestions about how this can play out in our real lives. In all the stories she tells, Molly invites us to consider the question she continually asks herself: What kind of stranger will you be? This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. We love hearing Molly tell stories; listen to this bonus episode to hear more stories from the C+C team, Story Slam. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.  Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Molly's monthly newsletter Molly on Substack Molly on Instagram Molly's Coffee + Crumbs essays Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

Today, writer Becky Morquecho joins us to chat about the challenges of food restrictions and what they've taught her about hospitality. She shares the hardships of her daughter's medically necessary strict diet but also encourages us with big and little ways friends make them feel included in the midst of barbecues and birthday parties. Whether you or your child is gluten-free, diabetic, has a dairy or nut allergy, or a rare metabolic disorder like Becky's daughter, we hope this episode says "We see you!" and maybe even inspires you to keep an extra jar of pickles in the fridge for someone you love. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Becky encourages us to come alongside friends who can't eat whatever they want; listen to this bonus episode to come alongside friends by Asking Better Questions. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Becky on Substack Becky on Instagram Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

Today we're joined by Adrienne Garrison, a writer, educator, and podcaster, whose life and work explore hospitality as both a creative practice and a form of survival. From a years-long holiday cookie swap that followed her across states, to designing meaningful learning experiences for her children, to podcasting as an act of deep listening, Adrienne invites us to consider what it means to host others with intention. We talk about loneliness, belonging, and the fierce hope that generosity might lead to connection, and how these experiences shape the stories we tell. Whether you love throwing dinner parties or crafting sentences, this conversation reframes hospitality as a brave and deeply creative act. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. While Adrienne is organizing podcasts and cookie swaps, we're over here trying to get our act together; listen to this bonus episode to see what's working and what's not: Organize My Life, Please. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Adrienne on Substack Adrienne's website Adrienne's Coffee + Crumbs essays Worlds Within podcast series I Will Wait by Adrienne Garrison Exhale Creativity podcast Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly Theo of Golden by Allen Levi Coffee +Crumbs on Substack

From lessons learned while living overseas to her small town library storytime, today author Kim Knowle-Zeller shares how blessings can bind us together. You'll hear how she started offering and receiving blessings and how it may be easier than you think to create a welcoming culture with your own hospitable words. Kim reminds us that building community takes time but encourages us to keep initiating. We hope this episode inspires you to see the power in gathering and offering words that bless others along the way.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Kim encourages us to invite a friend for coffee while the kids play or start an in-person book club; listen to this bonus episode to see how else we're Taking Friendships Out of the Group Chat. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Pre-order Small Steps by Kim Knowle-Zeller The Beauty of Motherhood by Kim Knowle-Zeller and Erin Strybis Kim on Substack Kim on Instagram Kayla Craig Kate Bowler Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey The last episode of the Risen Motherhood podcast Exhale Creativity Coffee +Crumbs on Substack

Welcoming others into our lives and our homes can get messy. Food spills, a glass breaks, dinner burns. Even when it all goes according to plan, there are still dishes to wash and tables to clear. But today, we're talking with C+C writer, Sarah Hauser, about how we can expect, and even embrace, the messes. Be warned, though. This episode may end up inspiring you to throw literal confetti in your house. Make sure to have the vacuum cleaner ready. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Sarah inspires us to splurge on planned messes for the sake of hospitality; listen to this bonus episode to find out When We Splurge and When We Save. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company All Who Are Weary by Sarah Hauser  A Meal With Jesus by Tim Chester Sarah's website Sarah on Substack Sarah on Instagram Sarah's Coffee + Crumbs essays Kaleidoscope Kids Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

When it comes to hospitality, for author, yoga teacher, and C+C writer Melanie Dale, it's a family affair. Join Ashlee and Katie as they talk with Melanie about one of her essays in YIGC, "We'll Be Your Family on Christmas Eve," and get the scoop on her annual Christmas Eve party. From what her parents taught her to what she's passed on to her kids, Melanie shares her tips for leaving a legacy of hospitality. Find out which ingredient in her chili recipe is straight out of a horror movie, her worst dinner party ever (oof, the smell!), and how she pivoted from Christian nonfiction to middle grade paranormal fantasy with her new book, GIRL OF LORE! This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Melanie Dale has written a handful of books; listen to this bonus episode to find out our Favorite Books of 2025. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.  Show notes:  Pre-order You're In Good Company Pre-order Girl of Lore by Melanie Dale Melanie's website Melanie on Instagram Melanie's books Melanie's Coffee + Crumbs essays Halloween contest win #1 Halloween content win #2 Chelsea's bacon crackers (add red pepper flakes for a little heat!)  Coffee + Crumbs on Substack

We are thrilled to be back with a brand new podcast series to go along with our brand new Coffee + Crumbs book, You're In Good Company. In upcoming weeks, you'll hear from every writer who contributed to this collection of essays—a true preview of what's inside these pages. First up, Katie shares how making sourdough is a metaphor for letting grief and healing take its time, while Ashlee introduces us to the idea that "friendship" can be a verb; it's something we do with commitment and consistency. We hope this episode (this whole series, really!) encourages you to live out the gift of friendship—right where you are, with the people in front of you. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Releasing You're In Good Company is a huge win; listen to this bonus episode to hear more about What Went Right for us last year. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. Pre-order You're In Good Company.

Today, we're talking all things foster care with Jessica Mathisen, a foster, adoptive, and bio mom. Jessica sheds light on the enormous need for vulnerable kids to have a safe place to call home, misconceptions about foster care, challenges for foster families, and how churches, neighbors—and essentially everyone—can help in some capacity. Good news: being a Super Christian is not a prerequisite for making a difference. If you're feeling convicted by this conversation (we sure are), she encourages us to take the next baby step because we'll never know all the good that God is doing with each "yes" along the way.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Jessica shares about foster care; listen to this episode to hear An Honest Conversation About Adoption. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.

Today, we're doing things a little differently—our guest is a dad. Author and spoken word poet, Tanner Olson, shares his heart (and humor!) as we chat about his long journey to fatherhood and what God has taught him along the way. Tanner's words and vulnerability are profound as he reminds us to  s l o w  d o w n , notice the world around us, and that there's always hope in the midst of hardship. Oh, and he also tells us what dads actually want for Father's Day, so don't miss out.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Tanner shared his POV about fatherhood; listen to this bonus episode to hear POV: You're a Single Mom. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.

Whether it's a different job, or another church, or yet another military move, we've all been the new girl at some point in our lives. Today, author Lindsay Swoboda—who's moved seventeen times!—joins us to chat about how we can hold the unknowns of a Life Raft Season loosely, yet intentionally. Lindsay shares her best tips for creating a sense of home, encourages us to sit with our kids in their pain instead of trying to take it away, and challenges us to pursue new friendships, even if it feels awkward. We hope this conversation gives you the confidence to build a life of connection, no matter what city or life situation you land in.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Lindsay shares tips for being the new girl. Listen to this bonus episode to hear our tips on Taking Your Friendships Out of the Group Chat. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.