Extraordinary Moms Podcast

Hello again friends. I have another powerful episode to bring you today. On this episode, I talk with my friend Emily Ames, who lives in Southern California and is mom to four darling children. When her fourth baby, Henry, was about to be discharged from the hospital after birth, a doctor miraculously heard a faint heart murmur and sent him up for more tests. Those tests revealed a heart defect which would require immediate life-saving, open-heart surgery a day later. She went from holding her "healthy" baby in her arms to moments later facing a life or death situation. Hear how she handled the news and what brought her strength as her baby battled for his life in the NICU. While she was always an extraordinary mom, this event had a dramatic impact on the way she views motherhood and the way she savors each moment with her children.                      Show Notes: More information on Henry's condition. After the episode we talked more about some of our favorite parenting books. Here are a few we talked about: Deliberate Motherhood, How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen Contact Jessica:  Instagram//Facebook//Email

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on my sleeping issue, on Monday. I am happy to report that we only got up 3 times the next night! We're making progress. So Friday Favorites... I've got some good ones for you. 1. "New Girl"... I've swapped out most of my Netflix-watching time for producing this podcast, but in the event that I'm able to multi-task, I either listen to a podcast or watch a show. I wasn't sure what the show was about when I started (it's about a girl who moves in with three guy room mates), but let's just say I was laughing out loud pretty early on. Zooey Deschanel is darling and there's just a lot of funny content. My personal favorite character is Schmidt, because I love his vocabulary and the way he pronounces words (like "fritata... he really hits every "t"). There is some racy content  thrown in there, but for the most part I totally recommend it. 2. Orzo broccoli side dish. I've made it twice this week. Enough said. It's the perfect side dish for any simple grilled meat. I follow this recipe, but then also sprinkle on a little extra cheddar and shredded parmesan at the end. Muah. So good. And I always use frozen broccoli but thaw it and rough chop it so you're not dealing with HUGE pieces. 3. Today is a Miracle "Don't Waste Your Motherhood" t-shirt. I found out about this company because the owner is a new listener (hi, Tahnie), and she created these shirts to fundraise for Cystinosis, a disease that she suffers from which led to her needing a kidney transplant 20 years ago. I love buying things that also contribute to a good cause. So once I found out about these shirts, I quickly ordered one and I LOVE it. I love the message and I love the fit of the shirt (I got a size medium, but typically where a small). They also have shirts that say, "Today is a Miracle," which is also a message I fully support. GUESS WHAT!?!?!? Tahnie is so kind to be offering 20% off to podcast listeners! Share the show with a friend and then you can use the code "MOMCAST" to get 20% off your purchase. You know you want to be matchy-matchy with me. Those are my favorites. Thanks for checking in and I'm excited to bring you another inspiring episode on Tuesday. Have a great weekend! Contact Jessica:  Instagram//Facebook//Email

I am so excited to share my conversation with Jenica Parcell, of A Slice of Style blog, with you today. Jenica and I don't know each other personally but from the minute we started talking, it felt like we were old friends chatting about life. In this episode, Jenica will share very openly about her struggle with infertility, while also revealing some very happy news that just happened in the last few weeks! She will also share some fashion tips and great book recommendations for you to check out. Whether you have personally struggled with infertility or not, Jenica shares some powerful wisdom about getting through trials and finding joy in life. Enjoy getting to know Jenica in Episode 8 of the Extraordinary Moms Podcast. Show Notes: Find Jenica on her Blog and Instagram Books Jenica's reading: Play it Away, Harry Potter, Same Kind of Different As Me Find Jessica on Instagram//Facebook//Email

It's been a COLDDDDD week here. Every time the temps dip down I am so thankful to have a warm home to live in and the appropriate clothes and blankets to keep us all warm. Those are easy things to take for granted, but I think it is critical to help our children realize that these things that may seem basic and unremarkable, are actually considered luxuries in many other parts of the world. Anyway... here are the three things that I've been enjoying this week: "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. This is her first novel and it's amazing. I can't believe how well-crafted it is for a first book. The novel details a girl in the foster-care system and her life experiences that shape her choices after she gets out. She is extremely knowledgable about what messages flowers communicate and she ends up reaching a lot of people in that way. It's beautifully written and very thought provoking. 2. Does this picture totally gross you out? I hate handling raw chicken, so I came up with a way to lessen the number of times I have to do so. When I go to the store and chicken breasts are on sale, I buy a large package or two. Then once I'm home, I get out several ziploc bags (gallon or quart size) and use a sharpie to label them "bite-sized chicken pieces", "butterfly chicken", "chicken tenders." Then I get to work cutting away on a large cutting board. It's not fun at the time (it can be made a little more fun if you put on a podcast... maybe the Extraordinary Moms Podcast?), but I can't even tell you the sense of satisfaction I get after I'm done cutting up all the chicken and doing the final swipe to close those bags. Then I put them in the freezer and they are ready for use any time I need them in the next few weeks. And I don't have to cut up any more raw chicken! 3. Yoga. I just love it lately. I got in a bad habit of multitasking during my at-home yoga practice, and watching a show or listening to a podcast while I worked out. While the workout was there, the calming, meditation aspect was not. I got a Groupon to go to a yoga studio (great way to find a deal on a normally expensive activity), and I've been prioritizing going in twice a week for the last few weeks. That hour is heaven. No one interrupting me, I'm taking care of my body, my mind is clear. Heaven I tell you. While my pass has now expired, I do plan to continue my practices at home, but I won't be Netflix-ing while I do so. I love that yoga provides a good workout, but you don't feel like it's strenuous at the time. I like incorporating it with my cardio and weights during the week. There are lots of 5-20 min yoga videos on YouTube that are great for a light practice. Hope you enjoyed the favorites. Tune in on Tuesday for another awesome episode on the Extraordinary Moms Podcast. Instagram// iTunes//Facebook// Email

Welcome back friends! I'm so glad you've decided to join us for another episode. I want to congratulate our Stroller Bag Giveaway winner, Katie W. I hope you like the bag as much as I do! Today we're talking fitness with my college roommate, Autumn Bonner. Autumn lives in San Diego, and is a fitness expert who is passionate about helping other moms to find time to workout  and to find their way to become the best version of themselves. She founded Tailored Fitness which offers at-home, online workout videos that cater to moms that can't make it to the gym. She is so encouraging and I love that her focus is really on making fitness a part of your life because you want to be healthy and strong, not just to be "skinny" or to look like the celebrities. She is also passionate about promoting a healthy self-image for her two daughters. I know you'll love hearing Autumn's fitness tips and her own journey getting her body strong again after baby. Show Notes:  Check out Autumn on: Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest Workouts - app.mytailoredfitness.com Blog - blog.mytailoredfitness.com Workout with your Baby - http://app.mytailoredfitness.com/#/app/workouts/Ir09xmXJKV How I lost the Babyweight in a nutshell - http://blog.mytailoredfitness.com/how-i-lost-the-baby-weight-in-a-nutshell/ Ray of Light Designs  - http://rayoflightdesigns.com/ Contact Jessica: Instagram Email Facebook

I am so grateful for all the love the podcast has received this week. Can you believe we made it to #4 in the Kids and Family Section on iTunes, and the overall New and Noteworthy section? On day 1, nonetheless! So thank you from the bottom of my heart! It was so exciting to officially launch on Tuesday, and I want to really thank my guests Emily, Jackie, and Alison for sharing their stories and their wisdom. It has been so much fun putting these episodes together and I hope you are enjoying them. I will be releasing a new episode every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on Itunes or Stitcher so you don't miss an episode. I'm excited to share with you another three things that I am LOVING these days... The Rumbi Baby Stroller Bag/Behind the Seat Organizer. So, in full disclosure, I helped start this company with my brother and I had a big part in tweaking all the features of this awesome bag to make it the most functional and practical it could be. It may look like another black diaper bag, but it's so much more than that. I primarily use mine hooked onto a seat in my car as an organizer. It's so convenient and holds all the things that would normally be all over the floor. But then sometimes, I remove it and use it as a shoulder bag or sling it over the handlebars on my stroller, and it works perfectly for that. It's insulated, so it's a must-have for park or amusement park trips. Love it. Here's the fun part... I'm doing a GIVEAWAY! If you simply leave a rating and review for the Extraordinary Moms Podcast over on Itunes, or share the podcast with someone or follow me on instagram and then leave a comment on this post saying what you did it, you'll be entered to win a stroller bag. I will announce the winner on Monday in a post. Good Luck! (You can also check out Rumbi's other products like the carseat protector that covers your whole backseat and has a zipper panel in the middle to still allow you to access the middle console and seat belt. And for fans of the show, if you enter JESS1010 you can get 10% off any of the products on Amazon). Costco workout pants. Okay... I know there might be some people that care about the brand of their workout clothes, which is fine... I'm just not one of them. I care about comfort and style and that's about it. These black ones are 32 Degrees Cool brand (are you sold yet?) and they are black with a subtle python pattern (their description, not mine). It's subtle, not trashy, I promise. They are $14.99 and they are so comfy and do a lot to slim your legs and tush. Buy them. Alison's Cookie Party.

I am so excited for you to hear today's episode. Alison Faulkner, of The Alison Show, has been a friend of mine since the 7th grade when we were paired up to write an essay on one another and we've been friends ever since. She was the maid of honor at my wedding and I was in hers, and it's safe to say we've seen each other through a lot! Some throwback pics to her wedding...               Alison is now a professional party animal and ambassador of awesome. You might know her from her blog, YouTube, or of course her dancing on Instagram. Lately she's been throwing dance parties for 600+ women and building her brand, all while raising her three children. She's an extraordinary mom and wife (her husband did the podcast's intro music), even if she doesn't think so. I can't wait for you to laugh along with us as she shares what she's been up to lately in her business, what she thinks makes a great mom, and how she strives to be happy in order to be the best version of herself for her kids. And there may be an uncomfortable moment when some photography students outside of her office window get an eye-full. You can listen below or head over to Itunes or Stitcher. And if you would, please leave a review and SUBSCRIBE. It's my birthday on Thursday and that would be the best birthday present, to get a great response for the show. Enjoy Episode 4 with The Alison Show! Show Notes: Follow Alison on Instagram and YouTube or on her blog Loves: Freshly Picked Moccasins, BYU Photography Students, and dancing! Favorite shows to binge watch: Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Freaks and Geeks Drink of choice: Diet Coke with cranberry and lime or Diet Limeade with strawberry from Sonic Alison's Cookie Party: We didn't talk about this but it's one of my favorite things. She did this amazing sugar cookie course all about how to make and decorate beautiful and delicious sugar cookies. It's amazing and you get written instructions as well as video, which is just so fun. Check it out.

How much do you love Jackie? Today's episode will continue on with my conversation with Jackie, and pickup where we left off in the doctor's office. She had just received the news of Mathis' SMA diagnosis and she had a choice: to wallow and watch her baby die or to LIVE. Tune in to see which path she chose. Enjoy Episode 3 with Jackie Shakespaere. If you walk away with one message from this episode is this, "We can do hard things and we don't have to do them alone." Oh the things we can learn from our babies. So in honor of Mathis, today... let us live!  

Welcome back, friends. I have another powerful episode for you today. Today I talk with my friend Jackie Shakespaere. Jackie is an extraordinary mom with a powerful, touching story. She will share with us about her challenging upbringing and her journey in parenting ALL boys! She is an example of steadfast faith and hope for a brighter tomorrow. In today's interivew, Jackie will share her courageous story of her sweet baby Mathis, who at 6 months old was diagnosed with a terminal illness called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). She shares very intimate details about her struggle with getting/staying pregnant, as well as the path she traveled to get a diagnosis for Mathis. Because there is so much to this powerful story, I have split the interview into two episodes. So this first half in Episode 2 is the leadup to finally getting a diagnosis for Mathis and then you can hear the rest of the story about his life after diagnosis in Episode 3. Grab your tissues and a pen. There are so many nuggets of truth in this episode. Enjoy! Show Notes: Follow Jackie on Instagram. www.curesma.com Jackie's favorite book series by Janet Evanovich that made her laugh out loud during her time of the Baby Blues.

On this first episode of the Extraordinary Moms Podcast, Jessica interviews Emily Dixon, of the One Lovely Life blog. Emily describes herself as an eater, reader, and baby chaser. As wife to Michael and mom to Sophie and Milo, Emily is also a recipe developer and lifestyle blogger on her website, with a background in public health. She’s been blogging for almost eight years, and doing her best to really and truly live a lovely life amidst life's (many, many) ups and downs. In addition to discussing her successful blog, Emily will also share with us about her motherhood journey, including a devastating miscarriage and her daughter’s diagnosis with autism. This episode will tug at your heart, answer some questions you might have about autism, and undoubtedly inspire you as Emily details this difficult, yet beautiful, journey. Emily is truly an extraordinary mom. Show Notes:  If you enjoyed my conversation with Emily, you can find out more about her at the following locations: Website: www.onelovelylife.com Instagram: @onelovelylife1 Facebook: /onelovelylife Pinterest: /onelovelylife Twitter: @onelovelylife Snapchat: onelovelylife For for of the post about Sophie's diagnosis click here. Emily's delicious sweet potato recipe. Books we mentioned: Adult coloring book craze Prisma Colored pencils (for the SERIOUS adult colorer) "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr "Peace is Every Breath" by Thich Nhat Hanh "Bittersweet" by Shauna Niequist  

Today is the day... the first day my voice is out in the air for all to hear... I really should have thought about how my voice would sound in a recording before I decided to do this, but nonetheless... these interviews are going to be worth it! Enjoy this segment introducing the Extraordinary Moms Podcast and stay tuned for our first episode next week with Emily Dixon, of One Lovely Life. Thanks for listening and if this teaser has piqued your interest, please subscribe on ITunes and leave a review to tell me how excited you are. I want as many people to know about the podcast as possible.