Extraordinary Moms Podcast

I am so excited to bring you a fascinating interview today, looking into the world of foster care. Today I am talking with my friend Sarah Paxton. Sarah is a Michigan native who got her BA in Journalism. She has four kids – Ava who is 10, Violet who is 8, North who is 5, and Evelyn who is 2. She and her husband Tyler have been married 11 years and have been  licensed foster parents in Michigan since 2013. Sarah shares very openly about her foster care experience, after having 2 brothers placed in her care twice over the course of the past 3 years. The experience definitely had its challenges, but I love Sarah’s perspective about giving these kids a chance at stability and learning to embrace the unknown. She also shares how fostering affected her biological children and what she wants you to know about children in the foster care system. It’s a compelling episode. Regardless of whether you feel called to foster care, the take away from this episode is that we can all do SOMETHING to serve children in need.  Show Notes:  For more information about fostering and adoption. Find out more about Sarah on : Facebook – Sarah Culver Paxton Instagram Contact Jessica: Instagram//Facebook//Email

Hi Friends. Thanks for joining me for another Friday Favorites episode. I have some goodies for you today… * Nail polish… Brand= Sinful Colors Professional; Color= Pink Forever. Usually I like my Essie polishes, but I was looking for just the right shade of bubble gum pink (I say the term “bubble gum pink about 85 times in this episode… you’re welcome). Lo and behold I found what I was looking for at Marshalls (by the checkout). I love the quality and color of this polish. It’s lasted two weeks without any major scuffs. Love it and the bright color just makes the winter dreariness so much happier. If you’re a finger nail polish person, give it a try. (Please note it’s the color on my nails in the pic below). * “The Fringe Hours” by Jessica Turner. I just finished this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t know about you, but this 24/7 motherhood business can be pretty tough sometimes. Between tending to your children and being there for your husband, there seems to be very little time left for YOU. The Fringe Hours, is the term she uses for those pockets of time during the day where you can do something for yourself. I love how she mentions that if you look over your day, you’ll find various times of waste, waiting, or available minutes where you can truly choose how you spend your time. And if we are wise, we will do the things that bring us joy, fill our soul, and serve us well. Instead of just waiting idly at the doctor’s office, have a good book in your purse to pass the time. At night when you are exhausted, do the dishes REALLY need to be done, or can you choose to cozy up on the couch with a warm cup of tea? I love this idea that when we are energizing ourselves through small doses of “me-time”, we can truly be better as we serve those around us. * Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. These are little bites of heaven. They also come in milk chocolate, if dark chocolate isn’t your jam, but trust me… these are gooooood. They come in a container over above the freezer section or in a plastic bag in a smaller quantity at checkout. Throw these in the cart next time you are checking out. Sooo good and the perfect treat at the end of the day (or middle, or beginning… anytime really). So there you go. Enjoy my three favorite things for this week. Talk to you on Instagram for Mom Talk Monday!

I am so thrilled to bring you a really compelling interview today for Episode 14. Lesley Miller and I have never met in person, but from the second we started chatting, I knew she was an extraordinary mom and a truly special person. Lesley is a writer who contributes on the blog Coffe + Crumbs, as well as being the mom to two little ones and wife of 11 years to her husband. They live in Southern California, and while we do talk about her motherhood journey, we also focus a lot on how she managed to keep her marriage strong when her husband was diagnosed with cancer only three months after the birth of their first daughter. We talk about facing uncertainty, teaching your children about handling trials, and the best decision she made in her marriage. Enjoy my conversation with Lesley. Show Notes:  Books we mentioned: When Breath Becomes Air, Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother, The Fringe Hours To know more about Lesley and to read some of her incredible writing, you can find her at Coffee +Crumbs, on Instagram, on Twitter @lesleymiller, and on her personal blog. Contact Jessica: Instagram//Facebook//Email

When I posted the Mom Talk Monday on Instagram asking for your favorite podcasts, I got some great new ideas! Thanks for sharing what you listen to. In addition, I also found out that there are some of you who would LOVE to listen to the Extraordinary Moms Podcast, but you don’t know how! I was in your shoes not long ago, and once I figured out how to listen on my phone, the heavens parted and my household chores and drives to school have never been the same. I love podcasts, because they are shorter than an audio book and they allow me to listen to something engaging, informational, or inspirational while I complete my daily tasks. There are so many awesome podcasts out there, and I will share with you some of my favorites in a minute. But first… I need to teach you how to listen to a podcast. The problem is if you don’t know how to listen to a podcast… you can’t listen to the “How to Listen to a Podcast” episode. So in addition to this audio episode, I will also be sharing written instructions below. Hopefully that’s helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to comment below. iPhone Listeners… Easy Answer… Find purple podcast app on your phone (it’s already there) and then search for this podcast and click Subscribe. More in-depth answer… There is a purple icon with a picture of a microphone with sound waves around it… and it’s labelled “Podcasts”. That is an app that is ALREADY ON YOUR PHONE! You may not have known it existed, but it’s always been there and it’s impossible to delete (crazy, I know!). From there, you click it and then click the magnifying glass in the lower right hand corner. Search “Extraordinary Moms Podcast.” You will then see several episodes listed and right below that you’ll see the podcast art under the word “Podcasts.” Click on the podcast artwork. That opens up the show. Next to where you see the stars to rate the show (which you should definitely do if you haven’t already), you can click the purple word “Subscribe”. This will allow you to have any new episodes that come out automatically sent to your My Podcasts episode list. You can also download individual episodes by clicking on the cloud with the arrow graphic next to the episode you want. You can also just click on the title and stream it using your data, but if you download it, it will save it in your “Unplayed” list and you’ll know exactly which episodes you haven’t listened to. The Unplayed tab (down in the bottom left corner) lists all new episodes from the podcasts you are subscribed to, or individual episodes you’ve downloaded. The “My Podcasts” tab (second tab from bottom left) lists all shows you’re subscribed to. In the event that you want to listen to more podcasts than just mine… hahaha… you can search individual podcasts using the magnifying glass or to see what else is out there you can look at the “Top Charts” in various categories (down at the bottom next to the magnifying glass). Android listeners… You are going to need to download an app from Google Play to listen to podcasts. I like Stitcher, but there are several others (BeyondPod, PodBean). You’ll just need to find the one that works best for you. If using Stitcher, you look up “Extraordinary Moms Podcast” and then click the + sign to add it to your favorites. If you click on the little gear in the upper right corner you can get it to automatically upload new episodes. What are my favorite podcasts? Here are my top 5: *

I’m so excited to bring you a different type of episode today. I love to read, but unfortunately the books pile up on my nightstand faster than I can read them. With three little ones, there isn’t much time during the day when my hands are free and I can sit down with a good book. However, I did make it a goal this year to read more, so I’m making it a priority whenever possible. There is so much amazing literature out there and I just want to read it all. BUT I DON’T HAVE TIME! That is why I am doing this special “Book Club” edition of the Extraordinary Moms Podcast. Every month or so, I will dedicate an episode to chatting with a fellow mom about a book that you might have on your nightstand or reading list. It might be a parenting book, but it could also be a fun or thought provoking read. The idea is that after you listen to the episode,  you will feel like you read the book without ever actually having to open it. In addition, you will also get the benefit of our conversation about the content just like you might chat with your girlfriends in your own book club. I think these episodes are going to be so fun and informative and I look forward to diving into great books this year. The book we are going to be covering today is, “The Five Love Languages of Children” by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell. You may have heard of the adult version, which is also awesome, but I just love how this book focuses on how our children receive and give love. In this episode, I chat with my good friend Stephanie Marston, who is my go-to person for all my parenting questions and book recommendations. She was a natural choice for this book club conversation. You can check out her cute family below. I really hope you enjoy this episode and as always, you can get more information about what we talked about in the show notes below. Enjoy!      Show Notes: “The Five Love Languages of Children” “The Five Love Languages“- adult version Positive Parenting Solutions– We mentioned Amy McCready’s tip of spending one on one time with your child. “Best Nine Minutes“- Podcast from Power of Moms Radio. Awesome! Contact Jessica:  Instagram//Facebook//Email  

Happy Friday everyone. Hope you have all had a great week. It’s really flown by for our family and to be honest, I love that. I love when I wake up on a Thursday morning and think, “Wow! Tomorrow’s Friday. We did it!” Anyway, I have some great favorites for you today and also, on the audio recording for this post, I have a very special co-host joining me… my almost 6 year old son, Parker. Last week I mentioned how he thinks it’s so cool that I have a “broadcast” and he was really excited when I offered to have him join me. He’s convinced this will make him “famous.” He’s really into becoming famous lately. So, tune in to hear his thoughts on life, Valentine’s Day, and school. Also, he challenges me in identifying all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I am a mom of boys… what can I say? On to my favorites… This cornbread. I love cornbread and especially in the winter months when I am making chili and ham and bean soup regularly, this is my go-to recipe. I get lots of compliments on it and even though I love the honey butter that goes along with it, I just love it plain as well. So easy and delish. And as a side note, I make a lot of the recipes from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and love them all. She’s a great, family recipe idea resource. I’m on a food kick. This Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is the bomb. I use shredded rotisserie chicken that I had pre-shredded and had in the freezer (remember that chicken tip I gave you a few weeks ago… boom!). And the rest of the ingredients are simple and I usually have them on hand. Also, because it’s a broth base, it freezes really well. A lot of times, meals coming from the freezer gross me out, but let me tell you that I just pulled out a carton of this soup a few nights ago, and it was just as good as the first night. I also love making the homemade tortilla chips in the oven. Makes it extra special. Reading… I made it a goal this year to read more. I have a running list of books I want to get to and I have made it a priority to Netflix less and read more. And guess what? it’s working! I think I’m on my 12th book since September, which is huge for me. Also, I’m going to be doing a book club episode every month or so, to give my listeners out there who also struggle with finding time to read a chance to listen in on a discussion about a great book. The first book club episode will be this Tuesday, and the book will be “The Five Love Languages of Children”. The takeaways are really practical and I LOVE the focus on helping our kids to really FEEL our love for them. So important. So there you go. Those are the things that are making my heart sing this week. Be sure to follow me on Instagram (jessicadahlquist3) because on Monday I will have another Mom Talk Monday, where I post a short video with a discussion question. Last week we talked about favorite podcasts. You are definitely going to want to get in on this conversation. As always, share the podcast with a friend who might enjoy it. You’re the best! Contact Jessica:  Instagram//Facebook//Email

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