Edit Your Life

“What is wrong with me and why can’t I get it together?” These are among the heartbreaking questions recently sent in by a listener who feels that she is routinely falling short juggling the demands of work + parenting a toddler. In Episode 118 of Edit Your Life, Asha talks about this letter with licensed mental health counselor Jonathan Baxter. They discuss the gulf between life balance expectations and reality, the toxicity of comparison, separating who you are from what’s happening in your day-to-day life, how to function while in survival mode, and the importance of issuing kindness and self-compassion when there’s not enough time or sleep to go around. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

As much as we love diving deep and reflectively into topics, it’s time for something light and fun! In Episode 117 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha talk about what they’re reading, watching, and listening to right now (including a cake-related Instagram account). And they’d love to hear what you’re enjoying too! + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Facing challenges makes us stronger, but that doesn’t mean it feels great in the moment. Hard things are...hard. No matter how many successes we’ve had in the past, many of us still struggle with self-doubt. How do we respond? In Episode 116 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha talk about their own battles with insecurity and imposter syndrome. They share 7 practical tips for tackling life’s challenges with confidence, or, at least, with self-compassion. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Like most families in America, we’re processing our heartbreak, anger, and confusion in the wake of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We’re also grappling with how to help our kids deal with the news. How do we talk to them about school shootings, violence, and other tragic events, especially given that many of them are already talking about it amongst themselves? And how do we communicate with younger kids about safety without terrifying them? In Episode 115 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha share their experiences with their own kids, who range in age from 6-18. They talk about how to share details in age-appropriate ways (including not sharing at all), give kids space to react, encourage action, and accept that as parents, we simply can’t have all the answers, but we can respond in ways that support our kids, our communities, and ourselves. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Language naturally evolves over time, but it can also be challenging, especially around (politicized) topics such as gender identity. In Episode 114 of Edit Your Life, Christine interviews Casey Brown about gender identity, language, and parenting. They talk about Casey’s gender identity journey over the last 17 years, the importance of giving kids room around gender identity, how kids are often more comfortable than adults when talking about gender, “pronouns 101,” and how compassionately communicating with other human beings boils down to some really, really simple universals and actions. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Most of us want to eat healthy family meals and prepare them with a minimum of fuss and expense. That said, not all of us like to cook, and not all of our kids like to eat what we cook. Even those of us who enjoy cooking don’t always have the time. Real life is messy, no matter what our shiny cookbooks and social media feeds say. In Episode 113 of Edit Your Life, Asha interviews Stacie Billis, managing editor of Cool Mom Eats and author of the cookbook Make It Easy. Listening to Stacie talk about food, cooking, and real-life family meals is a breath of fresh air! Asha and Stacie talk about the tricky storyline around family food (and why Stacie waited years to write her cookbook), her relaxed approach to getting meals on the table, favorite grocery store shortcuts, meal planning tips, and permission to find your own joy of cooking...whatever that looks like to you. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

In a recent episode, we suggested revisiting your cookbooks as a way to reset your dinnertime routines. The resulting listener conversation after that episode was so lively and animated...clearly, we’re not the only ones would could use some inspiration in the kitchen. So we decided to devote more episodes to talking about food! In Episode 112 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha share 7 cookbooks they’re loving right now. Their recommendations span new cookbooks to old classics, entrees to desserts, plus an Indian cookbook that reminds Asha of the food she grew up with. Listen, then head straight to the bookstore, library, or your own shelf of cookbooks! + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

One of the challenges of adulting includes tackling hard-but-necessary adult tasks, like making a will, buying insurance, and saving for retirement. We know these big jobs are important, but they can be so intimidating it’s tempting to keep putting them off...forever. This episode is for anyone who gets anxious about these tasks, or who doesn’t know how to begin. In Episode 111 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha share own experiences tackling adult life planning basics. They go on to offer baby steps for getting started on the big tasks, including making a will, buying life insurance, saving for college, and saving for retirement. ***High fives to episode sponsor Ladder! Ladder provides life insurance for modern families with a streamlined, online process that gives you an instant decision. Pop over to ladderlife.com and answer a few quick questions to get a free quote!*** + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Overparenting. The term carries a whiff of judgement, as if the line between “just right” and “too much” parenting were obvious. But it’s not that simple, particularly because many of us live in a culture that pushes more and more involvement...sometimes more than even we feel is okay. In Episode 110 of Edit Your Life, Christine interviews educator Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure. They have a wide-ranging conversation about overparenting that provides both grace and practical advice. Christine and Jess talk about letting go of control, how ignoring the grade portal actually encourages learning, and how lovingly stepping back doesn’t have to feel like walking away. While Jess’s tips are directly relevant to parents of school-aged kids, we hope all parents will listen to her wise, compassionate perspective. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Decluttering seems to have a permanent spot on our to-do lists, and there’s no end to the advice about how to do it “right.” But bottom line, what’s right is what actually works for you. After all, the goal isn’t to declutter, or even to have a perfect, clutter-free home; it’s to make room for a more peaceful, distraction-free life. In Episode 109 of Edit Your Life, Christine talks to professional organizing consultant Rachel Rosenthal about the difference between “neat” and “organized,” and move on to small, doable ways to integrate decluttering into your daily routine. They discuss handling paper and toy clutter, organizing your closet (no, you don’t have to empty it first), and managing food waste, and Rachel shares her favorite organizing products and tips for maintaining your organized home. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

It’s a new year -- a time when we’re often hard on ourselves when it comes to goals of all stripes, including food and exercise. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In Episode 107 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha shift the framing of new year goals to positive changes you choose rather than failures to correct. They go on to offer 8 positive, doable, guilt-free tips for resetting your eating habits after the holidays. High fives to our episode sponsor PRANA (www.prana.bio/us), a family-owned Canadian purveyor of yummy 100% organic, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, and non-GMO snacks. PRANA just launched in Boston at Stop & Shop, Star Market, Shaw’s, Good Health Natural Foods, Basha’s Natural Marketplace, Your Health Matter, and Living Earth so look for them on your next grocery store run! + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Often, the simplest holiday rituals are the ones we love the most. In Episode 107 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha encourage you to take the pressure off creating the picture-perfect holiday season by embracing simple rituals YOUR family enjoys. They share 8 easy rituals -- from neighborhood light walks to local craft fairs to building LEGO sets -- in the hopes of inspiring your own low-key holiday fun. High fives to our episode sponsor Epic!, a super cool, giant (25,000 titles!) digital library for kids 12 and under. Hop on over to getepic.com and get two free months of unlimited reading on Epic! by using the promo code: edityourlife. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Getting together with family and friends is what the holidays are all about. But, as with so much else during this busy season, guilt and obligation can push what should be a joyous time into a crabby slog. In Episode 106 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha give you permission to edit the guilt out of your family gatherings. They start with a check-in on where they’re at this year with holiday preparations, then rebroadcast 9 tips for communicating clearly, setting realistic limits and expectations, and managing the day-to-day logistics during the busy holidays (including carving out time just for you). + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

The holiday shopping season is upon us, which, for many, kicks off a bizarre cascade of delight, frustration, overwhelm, and stress. We love to give presents...but we’re also trying to stick to a budget...and our friends are trying to declutter, just like we are...but we want to express our love and it’s fun to give gifts...but, and, but, and, but...you get the picture. Holiday gifting can be complicated! In Episode 105 of Edit Your Life, Christine and Asha share 8 tips for editing your holiday gift list without tamping down your generosity, including perspective shifts to help you refocus on connection instead of obligation, how to get organized, clutter-free (and in some cases, virtually cost-free) gift alternatives including gifts that give back, plus tips for communicating with your family so everyone’s gift expectations are on the same page. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com

Kicked off by the revelation of Harvey Weinstein’s longtime sexual harassment and abuse, women have been speaking out about their own experiences by the thousands (many using the #metoo hashtag in social media). Christine was moved to open up about own childhood sexual harassment experiences...something she hadn’t before discussed publicly. Her Facebook Live broadcast prompted this week’s interview, because we wanted to pivot toward a resource that will help other parents broach this difficult topic with their kids. In Episode 104 of Edit Your Life, Christine interviews Nora Gelperin, Director of Sexuality Education and Training at Advocates for Youth. She shares down-to-earth advice about how to talk to kids about sexual abuse: what it is, how to recognize it, and how to protect themselves. Christine and Nora also discuss how to advocate for a strong sex ed program at your child’s school, and Nora recommends her favorite sex ed resources. + + + + + Every week, Edit Your Life shares practical ideas for decluttering your home, schedule, and mental space without getting bogged down by perfection. Hosts Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest are award-winning bloggers and the co-authors of MINIMALIST PARENTING and won the 2017 Iris Award for Podcast Of The Year. Share: #edityourlifeshow Show notes: edityourlifeshow.com Facebook: facebook.com/edityourlifeshow Email: edityourlifeshow@gmail.com