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With the holidays coming up, many moms wish they could visit family or plan a getaway—but the price of flights makes it feel impossible. That’s why I’m re-airing this popular episode with Amber Paul from Amber on Points, who teaches families how to travel for free (or almost free) using credit card points. Two years after recording this, I’ve now been practicing what Amber teaches—and it’s truly changed what’s possible for our family. I know it sounds too good to be true, (that’s exactly what I thought at first!), but it’s real—and it’s absolutely worth learning. In this encore episode, you’ll hear: ✈️ Why opening multiple credit cards (responsibly!) can actually improve your credit score ✈️ How to use welcome offers strategically to earn far more points from the spending you already do ✈️ Why you might qualify for a business card even if you’re just side-gigging A quick note: conversations about money and credit can bring up a lot of feelings. Wherever you are in your financial journey, this episode is meant to spark possibility—not pressure. For full show notes, including takeaways, click ⁠here⁠. *** Announcements: Grab the free companion guide (with Amber’s favorite starter cards) by clicking ⁠here⁠! Related Episodes:⁠ 369: How to Teach Your Kids about Money // Abby Chipman⁠⁠ 430: Plan Meaningful Family Travel Without the Stress // Meggie Busath⁠⁠ 507: A Fun Way to Get Involved in Your Family Finances // Amber Paul⁠ Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Let's Connect! Join me on ⁠Instagram⁠!⁠ Get weekly-ish emails ⁠with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: ⁠Free 3-Day Email Course⁠ ***

For a long time, I was happy to let our family’s finances be something I vaguely thought about. Like, I knew we weren't spending more than we made, but I couldn't have told you exactly how much we spent on groceries each month. It wasn’t until I started traveling on points that I had a reason to care where our money was going, and I’ve been surprised by how much more confident I feel now that I do. This week’s guest is my friend and points travel mentor, Amber Paul, back on the podcast to talk about why it matters so much for moms to be involved in the family finances, and why starting with something fun, like your next family trip, works so much better than starting from a place of anxiety or "should." In this episode, you’ll hear: ✈️ The memoir that made me so passionate about this topic (because it shows what can happen when women stay out of the finances for too long)✈️ How Amber’s family ended up bunny-sitting in Budapest (because a little creativity can stretch a travel budget further than you’d expect) ✈️ The app I open at night instead of Instagram (because tracking your spending is a lot more satisfying when it feels a little like a game) If you’re like me and tend to zone out the moment money comes up, I think you’ll find this episode helpful and motivating. And if you’ve always been right on top of your family finances, I think you’ll find it a great springboard into the fun and freeing world of traveling on points. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Ready to try traveling on points? Grab Amber’s free beginner’s guide at 3in30podcast.com/points for a recap of this episode and her current card recommendation Related Episodes: 453: How to Travel for FREE with Your Family (Really!) // Amber Paul 369: How to Teach Your Kids about Money // Abby Chipman 203: 3 Ways to Change your Money Mindset Today // Sara Payne Episode Sponsors: Tushy: For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off their first bidet order when you go to hellotushy.com and use code 3in30 at checkout. Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

Nine years ago this month, I recorded the very first episode of 3 in 30 in my closet, took a deep breath, and pushed publish. That night I celebrated with my husband and our two little kids, never imagining the people I'd get to learn from or the women I'd get to work alongside in the years ahead. Every October I look back on that day with a little bit of awe and a lot of gratitude, and this year I wanted to celebrate the show's birthday in a way that felt especially meaningful to me, by handing the microphone to my team members Emily, Christy, Abby, and Steph, who are each sharing the 3 in 30 episode that has made the biggest difference in her life. What moved me most about their conversation is that none of them expected their episode to be impactful. They came looking for help with their kids, or they almost skipped it altogether, and they walked away having learned something about themselves that shifted how they show up at home. In this episode, you'll hear: 🎂 The praise strategy Christy says felt "a little bit like a con man" at first, and why she still relies on it 🎂 The permission Abby had been giving her kids for years but never gave herself 🎂 Why Steph dreaded editing the episode that ended up staying with her most. If 3 in 30 has made a difference for you, the best birthday gift you could give me is to leave a review on Apple Podcasts telling me which episode stood out and why (I read every single one), and then share that episode with a friend. Thanks for nine years of listening! For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Related Episodes: 026: How to Praise Your Child When It Feels Like There is Nothing to Praise // Tony Overbay 190: Becoming a Less Angry Mom // Natalie Hixson 401: How Radical Gratitude Can Change Your Life // Dr. Tanmeet Sethi 476: How to Deal with Your Stuff So Your Kids Don't Have To // Eli Harwood Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Please tell them we sent you! Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

The power struggles in our home used to be about car seats and leaving the park. Now they're about phones, sleepovers, and YouTube. But whether you're dealing with little kids you can pick up or teenagers who tower over you, the key to handling power struggles is usually the same. When a power struggle starts, it's so tempting to dig in and prove who's in charge. But I've learned that the tighter I grip, the harder my kids pull, especially as they get older and need more room to grow. This week's guest is Denaye Barahona, PhD, child development expert and founder of Simple Families.In this encore conversation, she shares a gentler way through power struggles, one where nobody has to win, and where we can hand over control little by little without losing our connection (and without backing down on the things that matter most!). In this episode, you'll hear: 💜 The one question Denaye asks herself before she digs in because so many of our standoffs turn out to be about our preferences, not our principles 💜 The irony Denaye points out about kids' attention spans because we complain they can't focus while constantly interrupting what they're focused on 💜 The freezing, miserable family ski day that taught Denaye to change her mind, because sometimes the power struggle we most need to let go of is the one we're having with ourselves So here's to loosening our grip a little, and to trusting that handing over power, bit by bit, is part of raising kids who can one day hold the power well. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Related Episodes: 211: Raising Independent Teens and Tweens // Amy and Margaret from What Fresh Hell Podcast 478: What Every Mom of a Teenager Needs to Hear // Emily Ricks 393: How to Enjoy (Not Just Endure) the Teen Years // Amie Anger, Child & Family Therapist, LCSW   Episode Sponsors: BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy. Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Please tell them we sent you! Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

The first time my therapist asked me to picture "little Rachel" on the playground, glasses and all, and offer her the comfort she needed, I thought it sounded so woo-woo. I went along with it, but I was skeptical that imagining my younger self could change anything about how I feel today. What I didn't know then is that there's real science behind exercises like that one. Our sense of worth is built on our memories, and researchers are finding that when we revisit those memories in the right way, we can actually change how they're stored in the brain.This week's guest is Dr. Marisa G. Franco, psychologist and author of Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment. She explains that even though low self-esteem can feel permanent, the truth is much more hopeful: self-worth is a skill, and there are simple, research-backed practices that can help you build it at any age. In this episode, you'll learn: 🧠 Why love and success can actually feel threatening when your self-esteem is low (hint: they don't fit the story you've been telling yourself about who you are) 🧠 The ordinary childhood memory (involving soccer practice pickup) that shaped how Marisa felt every time someone ran late, and what shifted once she revisited it as her adult self 🧠 What Tetris has to do with softening painful memoriesIf you've spent years assuming that the way you feel about yourself is just who you are, I hope this conversation shows you that it can change, one memory and one moment of self-kindness at a time. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Related Episodes: 433: Making Friends as a Mom: Why It's Hard—and How to Do It Anyway // Dr. Marisa G. Franco 386: Raising Securely Attached Kids // Eli Harwood 245: You're Exactly Where You Need to Be // Alison Faulkner   Episode Sponsors: Tushy: For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off their first bidet order when you go to hellotushy.com and use code 3in30 at checkout. Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Rebel⁠: Brand names you actually want in home, baby, and outdoor at up to 70% off. Go to ⁠fromrebel.com⁠. ⁠Ethos⁠: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at ⁠Ethos.com/3in30⁠ Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

When I interviewed Shawnee for this episode, I had to chuckle, because one of the things she listed as soul-care was volunteering for her kids' PTO. As an introvert, I think of the PTO as the classic example of something moms finally learn to say no to, so seeing it on her list of things that fill her up was the perfect reminder that there's no single right way to be a good mom.   That's the heart of the Self-Assured Motherhood Program. I'm not here to tell you what kind of mom to be. I'm here to help you figure out who you already are, what you need to thrive, and how to love your people in a way that's truly yours.This week's guest is Shawnee Burt, a SAM alum and mom of four who shares one takeaway from each of the three SAM pillars. If you've ever felt guilty for loving the parts of motherhood that other moms skip, or for needing time that's just for you, this conversation will give you permission to stop apologizing and start enjoying the mom you are. In this episode, you'll hear: 💜 The strengths night Shawnee threw for her friends, the "Bosom Beavers," after spending time digging into her own strengths, and why a few tears were shed 💜 The Alice in Wonderland party Shawnee spent weeks preparing for, and why she no longer feels guilty about it (even though her husband is convinced their house will never recover) 💜 The whiteboard calendar in Shawnee's hallway, and why Mom gets her own color on it Whether you're a mom who goes all out for birthdays or one who'd rather keep things quiet and connected, I hope this episode reminds you that your strengths make you the best mom for your kids. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: 🌟 Enrollment for the Self-Assured Motherhood Program closes Tuesday, September 22, at midnight MT! This is the last year I'll teach SAM in its current format. Classes begin October 1st. I hope you'll join me! Enroll at selfassuredmotherhood.com. Related Episodes: 502: 3 Principles that Carried Me Through a Really Difficult Summer 495: Celebrate Your Strengths // Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #2 436: Embrace the Mom You Are—Not the One You Think You Should Be // Julie Bastedo Episode Sponsors: BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy. Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Rebel: Brand names you actually want in home, baby, and outdoor at up to 70% off. Go to fromrebel.com. Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30 Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure I was going to open enrollment for my Self-Assured Motherhood Program this year. Of all the work I do, SAM is where I feel like I'm making the biggest difference, but I honestly didn't know if I had it in me. My brother-in-law Logan died unexpectedly this summer, at 44 years old, and I spent most of the season at my sister's house doing dishes, walking the dog, and sitting with her in her sadness. I barely worked at all, which was exactly how it needed to be. But when my kids went back to school and I thought about gearing myself up for another enrollment period for SAM, everything in me said no. In the middle of that much loss, it was honestly hard to remember why any of my work even matters. What changed my mind was a journaling session. As I wrote about my summer, I could see that the SAM principles had been holding me up in my deep grief, and I hadn't noticed it happening while it was happening. That's what today's episode is about, because these principles aren't only useful in the seasons when you have the energy to become a little more intentional or a little more confident. The longer you practice them, they become what you default to when you're going through really difficult times. Today I'm walking through the first three principles of the SAM framework and how each one showed up for me during an excruciating summer. In this episode, you'll hear: 💜 What was taped to the wall behind my sister's desk since 2022, and how it ended up in Logan's obituary 💜 The one thing I never did, not once, in a whole month of caring for a grieving family 💜 Why I canceled a signed contract on our house in late July These experiences are deeply personal to me, but I really do believe they're universal in application, because when you know yourself and honor your needs, you can better love and support your people. That's the whole heart of SAM, and I'd love to spend this year walking through it with a new group of women. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: ✨ Enrollment for the Self-Assured Motherhood program is open through Tuesday, September 22nd, and it only opens once a year. Classes start October 1st. All the details are at 3in30podcast.com/sam. ✨ Still deciding? Join me for a free preview class on Tuesday, September 15th or Friday, September 18th at 10:30 a.m. MT. Sign up at 3in30podcast.com/freeclass, and I'll send the replay if you can't make it live. ✨ Logan's full life sketch is on my sister's blog Related Episodes: 484: In Memory of Logan McKenna: A Conversation with my Beloved Brother-in-Law 448: Join Our Team! A Word from our SAM Sisters 316: Considering the SAM Program? You MUST listen to this. Episode Sponsors: BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy. Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Rebel: Brand names you actually want in home, baby, and outdoor at up to 70% off. Go to fromrebel.com. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

The sign-ups have started coming in. Fall sports, piano, dance, school plays – it's a lot. And while we know we want our kids to be involved in things so they can thrive, too often we're left burned out and... not thriving. It's easy to assume the problem is the number of activities, and that the fix is to cut something. And sometimes it is. But a lot of the time, the schedule isn't actually the thing making us feel resentful or burned out or exhausted, and cutting out activites won't necessarily touch what's really going on. This week's guest is Meesha Slade, a mom of three busy kids, and she goes underneath the scheduling question, to the question I think we are actually asking, which is, "How do I do this in a way that doesn't cost me myself?" In this episode, you'll hear: 🚗 The brain dump Meesha did while sitting outside her son's TaeKwonDo class, and what showed up on the page that helped her resentment start to lift 🚗 The two hours Meesha spent stewing in a Scout room, and the boundary she set that night that has held ever since 🚗 Why Meesha's daughter was willing to join the swim team but refused to compete in a single meet for three years, and why Meesha decided to accept it This episode isn't going to tell you the right number of activities for your family, because there isn't one. Instead, you'll walk away with more confidence to know what's best for your family during this season so that each person in your family can thrive, including you. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: If this episode has you thinking that you'd like to get clearer on what actually matters to you, I'm teaching a free class called How to Show Up More Like the Mom You Want to Be Every Day (Give or Take a Few), offered twice: Tuesday, September 15th and Friday, September 18th, both at 10:30 am MST. In one hour, I'll walk you through the same kind of exercise that helped Meesha see her values on paper. Save your spot at 3in30podcast.com/freeclass. Related Episodes: 494: Voice Your Values // The Back-to-School Check-In for Moms #1 473: Three Things That Help Me Stay Sane During Busy, Overwhelming Seasons 375: 3 Ways Voicing Your Values will Help Lighten your Mental Load // Rachel Nielson on the Happy Mom Summit Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Rebel: Brand names you actually want in home, baby, and outdoor at up to 70% off. Go to fromrebel.com. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

Consistency has never come easily to me. I'm a scattered creative, I have ADHD, and I have struggled with routines and habits for pretty much my whole life. For years I assumed that meant something was wrong with me, and I felt like it was my fault that I couldn't stay consistent with anything. But this week's guest, Monica Packer, has changed how I feel about habit-building. Monica hosts the podcast About Progress, she recently wrote the book Sticky Habits, and she's one of my best friends in real life. She has spent a decade teaching women to build habits in a way that is compassionate and realistic for busy moms. She gave me a new definition of consistency in this conversation, and it is the first one that has ever made habit-building feel possible for someone like me. In this episode, you'll learn: 🫶 The research on invisible labor that explains why habit advice written for men keeps failing you 🫶 Why our insistence on doing it perfectly is the very thing keeping us from staying consistent 🫶 What Monica did to make the habit of going to bed at a good time stick, even though she hates it If you've been feeling the pull to reset all of your routines and create a bunch of new habits this back-to-school season, I hope this episode can help you do so in a way that's supportive and compassionate. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: ✨ Sign-ups just opened for a brand new free masterclass I'm teaching: How to Show Up More Like the Mom You Want to Be Every Day (give or take a few 😉). I'll be teaching one tool, not a fancy system or a huge overhaul. I'm teaching it live on Tuesday, September 15th and Friday, September 18th, both at 10:30 a.m. MT. Save your spot here! ✨ Monica's book, Sticky Habits: A Woman's Guide to Reclaim Happiness, Ditch Perfectionism, and Create Habits That Last, comes out September 8th. If you pre-order at stickyhabitsbook.com, then you're invited to the virtual launch party on September 8th, which I am co-hosting. Come join!   Related Episodes: 267: How to Stop Procrastinating in the New Year // Monica Packer 214: Simple Tips to Create New Habits in the New Year // BJ Fogg 269: How to Create a Morning Routine that will Last // Sara Dean Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

My instinct, when one of my kids is struggling, is to solve it, save them from it, or to worry about it so intensely that the worrying becomes consuming. These instincts are natural because I love my kids so much, and I hate to see them in pain. But they also don't work, at least not very effectively. Our children need to experience hard things in order to grow, and the most useful thing I can do, as their mom, is to walk beside them, listen to their big emotions, and help them find resources. It doesn't come as instinctually because it's a slower process, but it's what they really need when they're going through something hard. This is the sixth and final episode in my back-to-school check-in series for moms, six short episodes walking you through the six principles of self-assured motherhood, each one with a concrete way to assess how you're actually doing. Today's principle is Support Their Struggles, and I picked that verb over solve, or save, or shame, because supporting means being with your child in the hard thing rather than lifting them out of it. In this episode, you'll hear: 🤍 The list I have moms make in my program that helps them know where to start in supporting their children 🤍 What happened when I first started to suspect one of my kids had ADHD, and how I worked through the overwhelm of getting started 🤍 The green, yellow, and red descriptions for this principle, so you can name where you actually are right now without turning it into one more thing you're failing at Whatever your child is carrying, you can be a steady presence beside them without picking it up and carrying it yourself, and that steadiness will mean more to them than any solution you could hand over. This is slow work; it's hard work, and it matters so much. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Take the free self-assured motherhood quiz at 3in30podcast.com/quiz to see how you're doing across all six principles, and you'll get a discount code when enrollment opens on September 14th.   Related Episodes: 420: How to Best Support a Neurodivergent Child // Kim Gameroz 448: Join Our Team! A Word from our SAM Sisters 399: When Your Teen Struggles with Friends // Brooke Romney Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

What you look for, you will find. I have believed that about motherhood for a long time now, long enough that I built a whole journal around the idea, and I have heard from hundreds of mothers who have had the same experience. They weren't finding more good because their children had suddenly changed. They were finding more good because they had started looking for it. That is the whole heart of today's principle, and I love teaching it because it is such a happy way to parent. It makes you feel like a good mom. It reminds you that your kids are awesome, even on the days they are hard. And it gives you hope that all of this work you are doing is worth it, and that it is working. This is the fifth episode in my back-to-school check-in series for moms, six short episodes walking you through the six principles of Self-Assured Motherhood, each one with a concrete way to assess how you're actually doing. Today's principle is Gather the Good, and we're talking about it specifically in the context of noticing and calling out the good in our children. When you start naming the good out loud, something lovely begins to happen. Your child starts to believe that story about who they are, and then they start behaving in ways that support it, which gives you more good to notice, which gives them more reason to believe it. It's a beautiful cycle, and it can start with one sentence said within earshot at the dinner table. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ The two sentences I say out loud about my kids when I know they can hear me, and why I'm not doing it to get them to behave ✨ Why the child who is hardest to praise is usually the one who needs it most, and what to do when that's the season you're in ✨ The green, yellow, and red descriptions for this principle, so you can figure out where you actually are right now, before the school year gets loud There is so much good happening in your home already, and I hope this is the school year you get to spend more of your energy finding it. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: ✨ Want to know how you're really doing across all six principles of self-assured motherhood? Take my free quiz. You'll get a clear picture of where you're thriving and where you could use some support, and you'll be added to the info list for my Self-Assured Motherhood program, which opens for enrollment on September 14th with a special discount for quiz-takers. ✨ If you're looking for a concrete daily practice for this principle, the Flecks of Gold Journal is the perfect tool to help. Related Episodes: 447: What Parents in Disney Movies Got Wrong 304: Motherhood is hard. This helps. 158: Creating Golden Moments with Teenagers // Saren Eyre Loosli of Power of Families Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

I have a confession. Of the six principles I teach in Self-Assured Motherhood, soul-care is the one where I'm still not where I want to be. I've taken good care of my mind and my spirit over the years, but when work gets busy, the first things to go are exercise, sleep, and eating well, and I'm starting to feel the cost of that in my body as I get older. I say soul-care rather than self-care on purpose. Self-care has gotten a bad rap over the last few years, and I understand why. It has come to sound like bubble baths and expensive skin care, which can be an overwhelming (and not always helpful) thing to hand a woman who is truly worn out and struggling. A soul is body, mind, and spirit together, and caring for all three is a much bigger and more useful thing to talk about. This is day four of the Back-to-School Check-In for Moms, a six-part series walking through each principle of the Self-Assured Motherhood framework, one short episode at a time. Caring for your soul can be bubble baths, but it can also be eating regular meals, and scheduling your mammogram. It can be learning something interesting, and it can be making sure to schedule a much needed nap. Soul-care is how we make sure we have the energy and bandwidth we need to take care of those we love and thrive in our lives. In this episode you'll hear: 🤍 The story of 33 men trapped underground for 69 days, and the warning the mountain had been giving for months before anyone stopped to listen 🤍 A question one of my SAM students asks about childcare that will change the way the phrase "self-care" sounds to you 🤍 The green, yellow, red assessment for this principle, and the color I had to give myself If something in you has been asking for attention for a while now, I hope this short episode will give you permission to listen. You deserve to be taken care of, just like everyone else in your life. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Take the free Self-Assured Motherhood quiz at 3in30podcast.com/quiz to see how you're doing across all six principles. Quiz-takers get a discount when enrollment opens on September 14th.    Related Episodes: 438: How Soul-Care Can Help You Enjoy Motherhood More: Real Stories from Moms Like You // SAM Sisters 441: The 4 Types of Self-Care Every Mom Needs // Mia Hemstad 320: Making Space for Self-Care: It Might Not Be As Hard As You Think // Dr. Nicole Sparks Episode Sponsors: AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code 3IN30 to get $250 off select AirDoctor air purifiers, including the 3500, 4000, and 5500 models. Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

After years and years of therapy, I have gotten pretty good at setting boundaries with almost everyone in my life. My weakest area, by far, is my own children. I'm a softie, and it is very difficult for me to let my kids be unhappy and not immediately try to resolve it. That instinct comes from something real, because connection with my children is one of my true strengths and I lean into it on purpose, but it can tip over into permissiveness pretty easily. And since I work from home, the line between when I'm mom and when I'm working has stayed blurry for years, which means I have been frustrated with my kids for interrupting me when I was never clear or consistent with them in the first place about when they could and could not come in. This is the third episode in my back-to-school check-in series for moms, six short episodes walking you through the six principles of self-assured motherhood, each one with a concrete way to assess how you're actually doing. Today's principle is Balance Your Boundaries, and because boundaries have become such a buzzword, I want to take us back to a simple definition of what they are and what they are not. Boundaries are what you will do to honor your needs, not what you expect other people to do. Which means the whole thing gets a lot simpler, because it stops depending on anyone else cooperating. In this episode, you'll hear: 💜 A recording I made by accident that I decided to play for you, even though it is not my finest moment as a mom 💜 The image a counselor gave me years ago that I come back to every single time I feel guilty about holding a limit 💜 The sign I'm putting on my office door to help me, and what I'll do the first time on of my kids ignores it Being unboundaried can feel like the loving choice, but it so rarely is. I hope this school year is the one where your boundaries start to feel like an act of love, because that is exactly what they are. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Want to know how you're really doing across all six principles of self-assured motherhood? Take the free interactive quiz at 3in30podcast.com/quiz. You'll get a clear picture of where you're thriving and where you could use more support, and you'll be added to the info list for my Self-Assured Motherhood program, which opens for enrollment on September 14th with a special discount for quiz-takers. Related Episodes: 445: How to Set Boundaries without Damaging Relationships // Rachel on Happy Mom Summit 437: Boundaries and Emotional Resilience in Motherhood // Dr. Jen Riday 251: How to Set Boundaries with your Children // Stacey Collins Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

I have spent so much time, energy, and money over the years trying to get good at the things I am simply not good at. Routines are my big one. I am not great at keeping our home organized and running on any kind of rhythm, and there have been whole seasons where I decided that fixing that about myself was the most important work I could possibly be doing. Now, there's nothing wrong with striving to be better, and I am fully on board with growth, but we all have a finite amount of energy, and every hour I spend hyper-focusing on a weakness is an hour I don't get to spend magnifying the things that make me who I am. This is the second episode in my back-to-school check-in series for moms, six short episodes walking you through the six principles of self-assured motherhood, each one with a concrete way to assess how you're actually doing. Today's principle is Celebrate Your Strengths, and I love teaching about this because I love giving every woman permission to acknowledge and celebrate her innate gifts and strengths. When you stop trying to be a well-rounded version of everyone else and start leaning into what you naturally do well, your growth in that area becomes exponential, your joy goes up, and your family gets the very best of you instead of a watered-down imitation of somebody else's mothering. In this episode, you'll hear: 💛 The Olympic gymnast who competed in exactly one event, and why his coaches wanted it that way 💛 A question about baseball from a Harvard Business Review article that I share with every woman in my Self-Assured Motherhood program 💛 The answer one of my kids gave in the car one summer that made me so grateful I had leaned into my strength that day instead of apologizing for everything I'm not You have gifts that nobody else can bring to your family in quite the way you can, and I hope this school year is the one where you spend your energy magnifying those, rather than apologizing for all the rest. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Want to know how you're doing across all six principles of self-assured motherhood? Take the free interactive quiz at 3in30podcast.com/quiz. You'll get a clear picture of where you're thriving and where you could use more support, and you'll be added to the info list for my Self-Assured Motherhood program, which opens for enrollment on September 14th with a special discount for quiz-takers. Related Episodes: 436: Embrace the Mom You Are—Not the One You Think You Should Be // Julie Bastedo 315: A Word from our SAM Sisters 314: How to Feel like Yourself in Motherhood // Aleisha McKean Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***

It's back-to-school season, and our kids are about to be assessed on their reading, their math, and their writing. But what if we gave ourselves an assessment for how we're doing as moms? (And I don't mean a test involving balancing equations... I would rather not know my score for that. 😬) Instead, we can assess ourselves on our emotional wellbeing, because that affects everything about motherhood. And so I've created a mini series to give us exactly that.In this mini series, there will be six short episodes that walk you through each of my six principles of Self-Assured Motherhood. These are the six areas that make the biggest difference in your joy, your peace, and your emotional wellbeing, and knowing where you stand in each one shows you where you're already doing well and where you could use more support. Today, we are starting with my first principle: Voice Your Values. This is my favorite principle in the framework, and the one I put first because everything else rests on it. In this episode you'll hear: ✨ The two dictionary definitions of "values," and which definition we're talking about here. ✨ The five cards my husband handed me during a values activity at a couples retreat, because they explained a dream of his that had been a mystery to me for years. ✨ The green, yellow, and red definitions I read straight from my workbook, so you can figure out which one describes you right now. You can take my free self-assessment to see exactly where you stand in all six areas — go to 3in30podcast.com/quiz or click the link in the show notes. As you head into the back-to-school season with your kids, I hope you'll take some time to assess where you're at in your own growth and happiness. These six principles are a great place to start. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: Enrollment for the Self-Assured Motherhood Program opens September 14th. Take our Quiz and you will be added to the info list, so you will hear first when the doors open. Related Episodes: 375: 3 Ways Voicing Your Values will Help Lighten your Mental Load // Rachel Nielson on the Happy Mom Summit 388: What a Spaghetti Dinner Taught Me About Teaching // 3 Reasons the SAM Program REALLY Works 389: I'm a Seasoned Mom. Is SAM for me? // Wanda Opitz, SAM Alumni Podcast Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***