Advertise on podcast: The Girlfriend's Guide to an Empty Nest

Maybe wisdom is actually allowing the hard days to be acknowledged and processing them in a healthy way, instead of pretending every is just fiiinnnneee. Check out this conversation to hear us share how we personally handle tough circumstances and bad days. We pray this honest conversation comforts you that you aren’t alone in having super hard days! It truly is okay to have a bad day so let this be your permission slip to allow yourself to have one (or more!).  What we share today: How our upbringings taught us to not feel our emotions  The problem with the church trying to invalidate or ignore bad days Why it’s biblical to be honest about your hardships  The difference between a bad attitude and allowing yourself to feel your true feelings on a difficult day Why you don’t have to justify your bad days to anyone How bad days help us appreciate the better days  The ability to see the good in the hard Learning to release things to God Tools we have gathered over the years that help us process when we are having rough days  Why it’s okay to have a bad day! The blessing of a bad day (like it requires you to lean on the Lord) The way we can make our bad days worse on ourselves  Why you aren’t a “lesser” Christian for having bad days or big emotions  Learning how to not let bad days become an excuse to lash out on others  Thoughts on not shaming yourself for having bad days (how that isn’t the voice of God!) How sometimes you just need someone to sit with you in the suck instead of trying to fix things How handy “bad day disclaimers” are! Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Welcome to our 50th episode! Woo who! It only seemed fitting that we start this milestone episode off with a super fun announcement. Tune in to hear what we are sharing! Also, if you find yourself wondering what is next for you, this episode will be a source of encouragement for you. Navigating the space of not knowing is just part of the empty nester life and we are here to chat about the very real and common season of unknowns. More from today's episode: A funny thing we are blaming Lisa Bevere for :) Anne’s plans for the next year New milestones in our empty nesting seasons How life has changed since we first started the podcast (3 seasons in, can you believe it?!) Normalizing being in a season of unknowns Why it’s hard on moms to sit in the not knowing Personal examples of not knowing what was next  What to do in a waiting season for next steps Thoughts on resistance to rest The struggle is real to get enough protein in. LOL! Reminders about where your worth comes from Why it’s hard to not be needed as much The freedom to try something new and suck at it that comes with empty nesting Get in Touch With us! ⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

It really is a demand on the heart to mother, right? Like, so many intense feelings come along with the job description of mom. So much tension is held and felt. You truly can feel opposing emotions AT THE SAME TIME. And today we unpack our thoughts on empowering our kids to make good choices as adults and how doing that can be hard on parents. It really is a growth opportunity to learn to live with the tension between our various feelings. Things we chat about in this episode: Why personal experience is sometimes needed for learning The tension of feeling many things as a mom Having faith in our parenting and learning to trust our kids Thoughts on how much advice to give grown kids Personal examples of “both/and” things we are going through How much should you actually know about our launched kids day to day activities?  Why silence from your kiddo can actually be a GOOD sign How getting away from us helps our kids learn their own preferences Why we love tracking apps (so handy for one main reason!) The struggle of wanting to orchestrate our kids futures Not getting in the way of our kids dreams Blessing our kids with no strings attached or manipulation The desire to want our kids to like being with us BUT also wanting them to thrive without us The tension and “both/and” feelings our kids feel too! The positives of having our kids moved out Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today you are in for a big giggle fest. We start the episode with a hilarious story from Anne’s life messing with her son (in a very harmless way) and also give some conversation topics for making your kids cringe! Lol!  We also dissect an article about current trending hobbies for mid-life women and give our thoughts on it. Today we chat about: Why fun is important to incorporate into your relationship with your launched kids Ideas of ways to add laughter and play into your life Why hobbies are not a luxury but a need Bird watching … Yay or nay? Why it’s not a failure to not finish a book Our experiences with book clubs The protein train … are we on it? Explanation of mahjong (a tile game) Surprising trends amongst college aged kids Wonderments about if certain lingo is dating us??!! Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Ahh! We are SO ready to be back with the girlfriends on this show! As Anne says, we are back BABY! What a joy it is to hop on these mics and share our hearts with you. Recording these conversations truly is so dang fun and we pray they bless you immensely too, friends.  Things we dive into today for our first episode back: Highlights (and lowlights) of our summers Plans for fall for the podcast Thoughts on make-up today vs when we were kids TikTok, ADHD, trends and marketing thoughts  A very interesting influencer neighbour that Anne has Social media’s influence on kids and adults (the good, the bad and the ugly) How social media makes you notice aging and bodies more Aging in an anti-aging world The online message of “You aren’t doing enough.” Our opinions on nylons (are they of the devil? Possibly) What we can learn from younger generations and their approach to the socials Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World: Amazon link here Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today we are sharing our thoughts on how our parents raised us and how that influenced how our generation then raised kids in a “hovering” fashion.  Becky also shares her concerns about her daughter moving home for the summer and Anne shares her experience with this with her own kids. For any girlfriends in this boat of kids temporarily moving home, we pray this one is so encouraging and empowering!  Topics in our conversation today: Do you give your child rules when they return home from college to live at home for the summer? The balancing act of not policing your kids but still giving them independence and healthy expectations for living back at home Things giving us joy with our kids right now (there ARE pros of social media!) The only rule Anne had for her kids when they moved home for the summer Factors that impact your future relationship with your kids positivity  The powerful teacher that failure can be and why we need to let our kids make mistakes The struggle to trust your kids AND God Practical statements you can say to your kids when giving your opinions to them without judgment The wisdom of still investing in what fills you up, even when they are home for the summer.  The grief of things still changing and evolving and how to deal with that in a healthy way Validation that this season has really hard, awkward and not fun parts Hope for a future where you actually enjoy an empty home Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

No brothers? No sons? No problem! :)  For those girlfriends who want to better understand raising boys or how to interact with/encourage the boys in their lives (sons-in-law, boyfriends of your daughters etc.), this episode is for you!  We share today about: Anne’s experience raising a son vs raising her daughters Helping your kids navigate online dating  A funny story of Anne standing up for her son his freshman year of college  What matters to boys in college compared to what matters to girls  Things Anne wishes she would have talked to her son about more Different techniques for learning about what is going on in a son’s life Anne’s biggest fear as a mother of a son Why you have to sometimes be more intentional connecting with your sons than your daughters once they leave home/get married Tips for being an open and not pushy parent, so your kids want to come to you for advice Unique Advice on welcoming new “kids” into the family via sons-in-law Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

There is a different tone in homes when laughter is easy, jokes are made more often and when your spouse is actually enjoyable to be around and not weekly getting a case of the Sunday Scaries (you know, dreading the upcoming work week). So today we pose the question: what can we do to set a joyful atmosphere in our homes as wives and moms? This episode is all about intentionality. Taking action to get a better outcome.  We pray this one encourages you, girlfriends! Today we dive into: How our contentment at work (or lack of) impacts our home lives Why YOUR pursuit of joy benefits your loved ones too Thoughts on changing jobs in the Empty Nesting season to bring you more purpose Looking for next steps once your kids leave, to lead you to new callings  Our experience with being Empaths and how that feels when your spouse is down Recognizing the impact you have as a woman on the mood in the home Ideas to have more fulfilling relationships and days How to find things that bring you joy and how to allow your deep dreams to awaken Amazing stats about productivity in your 50’s and 60’s Accidental joy hunting vs intentional joy hunting  The importance of staying curious Episodes mentioned:  Doing Some Thing Badly episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/37-how-about-not-setting-goals-this-new-year/id1760203235?i=1000743952619 Smothering Your Dog Once Your Kiddos Leave episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/4-where-to-put-your-mom-energy-now/id1760203235?i=1000664451393 Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today is an episode for all the mama bears out there who just want to swoop in and fix things for their kids. It is such a HARD thing when your cub is grown and now you are required to play a supportive role, not a fix it role.  We chat today: The importance of life’s trials being allowed to be a teacher Encouraging vs fixing Thoughts on how hardships in life shapes you (and your kids) The natural feeling of wanting to fix things The pain of watching your kids experience pain (even when it results in good things)  Why the answer isn’t always to make struggles go away How issues in relationships can teach our kids how to handle conflict and more Ideas on how to give your perspective to your kids with loving language Successes AND failures providing lessons for all Noun Parenting vs Verb Parenting  The skill of trusting your kids and your good job as a parent   Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today we are navigating a tough topic: what to do when your grown children are struggling. It is SO hard on a mama’s heart when situations arise that you can’t practically do anything to fix, other than letting them know you are there to listen and sympathize.  Today we chat about: Reflections of our own childhoods Our own parent’s style for parenting vs our own styles How to to give our imperfect parents grace Becoming the mom you wish you had growing up yourself How the older generations view emotions as weakness (and the impact of that on their kids) Thoughts on mental health in the church and our kids lives The wisdom of just asking your grown kids how to best help them The importance of apologizing to your kids Giving yourself grace for not knowing how to do everything right Why looking to the grace of God first, helps you to then have grace for yourself Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today we are chiming in on how to take care of ourselves. Please note, taking care of yourself doesn’t just mean exercise or eating nourishing meals. It also means learning how to be resilient to peer pressure to do something a certain way, like those around you are. We also share about caring for our future self by caring for our current selves physically and emotionally. We’ll be chatting today tons too about clothing and how to let yourself wear what you wanna! Even if your kids think your fashion is wacky :)  You’ll hear today: The freedom that comes from not caring what others think about your words, appearance, life choices etc Our thoughts on dressing aging bodies (is it okay to still dress like your 20 even when you aren’t?) Being mindful to listen to the right voices The comfort and confidence to be yourself, unapologetically  How clothing can become an unhelpful armour  Anne’s experience “getting her colors” done The power of considering what is right for you and not just doing what appears right to other Considering “Grandma You” and what you can do to be the version of her you desire to be one day Commentary on barrel jeans … what the heck?! How you feel vs what other people think Watching out for the “Comparison Gauge" Finding health promoting behaviors that work for you personally  Learning what feels good for you (which might not look like what the influencer says to do or buy) Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

The day has finally arrived …. Our hubbies borrow our microphones and host the show for a special episode! Get ready for some jokes but also some great male insights to the Empty Nesting season. You’ll hear new information from stories already shared on this podcast, all from Rick and Chad telling THEIR experience of these moments. They may or may not also make a few jabs at Anne and Becky : ) To quote Rick, “This is our chance to throw our wives under the bus.” LOL!  The guys chat about: How launching a child looks different outwardly on dads and what they actually are thinking inside Mindsets dads use to help with the deep emotions that come with kids leaving the home Drop off Day from a dad’s perspective (including some funny memories!) Why our husbands wanted to come on the show  Advice for dads dropping off kids at college  The blessings that come from less kiddos in the home The mixed emotions that come with an Empty (or Emptier) Nest How dads (these dads at least) feel when the kids come back for visits (tripping over shoes anyone else?!) How marriages and friendships change when the kids are no longer living in your home How conversations change with your kids once they leave Thoughts on boundaries to set with kids when they come home after being on their own How the dads chatted with their kids about money to set them up for adulthood budgets Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Tune in today to hear about some exciting things coming to the show! Think HUSBANDS! You’ll also hear on today’s episode how to practically transition into your new roles in the Empty Nest season and we also share a fun BAD challenge to join us in this year! Today we also chat about: Expert Adults vs Baby Adults The sweetest listener review from a military mama A refreshing way to look at being in your 50’s (it’s funny but true!) Shifting from guide to mentor to your kids (what the practically looks like) Compassion for moms, no matter what your child decided to do post high school Helpful analogies for this stage of life The exciting possibilities for moms in the Empty Nest season Why it’s not all about your kids anymore The wisdom of embracing the suck Thoughts on “shoulding” on yourself vs listening to what God is asking you to do (even if you stink at it) An invitation to do something you are terrible at this year Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today is a suuuuppper fun episode for the girlfriends listening. We have a very special guest on … Clara, Becky’s oldest daughter! You’ll hear in our conversation all things leaving the nest, starting college, building new relationships and learning to “adult”, all from a daughter’s perspective. We know this episode will bless you. Clara gives such insightful wisdom and encouragement for moms and kids alike! We chat about: The mixed emotions that come with starting a new chapter of your life What goes through your child's mind on Drop of Day on their new campus Tips (from Clara) on how parents can help make transition seasons easier How it impacts your child, knowing it’s a change for the whole family when they leave Ways your child can be international about savouring their “lasts” at home before they leave the nest Adjustments your child is figuring out, moving from a high school student, to a college student Learning how to adult, in ways like time management or living in a new city Remembering to do things your parent use to do for you Different approaches children can have staying connected to their family once they move out  How to NOT be a helicopter parent in college (ex: things not to text!) Thoughts on parents tracking their kids whereabouts  Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast

Today we are chatting about going a little rouge/counter culture and letting yourself not set goals in 2026. Yes, there is a time and place for that but sometimes goals can limit us, box us in, put distracting pressure on ourselves. And as Empty Nesters (especially that first year), it can be so good to learn to just BE and not DO. Trying to figure out who you are apart from your kids is a very hard challenge so that is plenty to focus on! #goaltonotmakegoals Things we share about today: Why Anne doesn’t set resolutions The strangeness of having free time and not knowing what to do with it The freedom that comes with no goals How Becky was able to thrive at times in 2025 as her nest started to empty Learning to exercise “muscles” you haven't since having kids Using this year (and new chapter)  to experiment and do things just because it sounds fun The powerful question of “how do I feel like playing today?” Examples of how Becky is starting to do things for herself, enjoying more flexibility with less kids in the house Things Anne has found she enjoys doing, once she tried new things as an Empty Nester How courageous decisions are a risk but also can lead to great blessing! The wisdom of letting go of things that don’t bring you joy anymore (it’s okay to change and pivot) Choosing to see the GIFT that kids leaving can be to YOU the mother The importance of having your own life and therefore having things to contribute to conversations with your adult children Get in Touch With us! ⁠⁠ Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ Instagram Connect with Becky: Website⁠ ⁠Her books⁠ The Inspired Business podcast