Simple Families | Parenting + Minimalism

What does it mean to “raise successful kids”? Today I am chatting with Krista from A Life in Progress. I knew I could rely on Krista to bring some excellent perspective to this topic and she comes through in this episode. When it comes to life, Krista thinks outside the box and walks off the beaten path. She has raised three young adults and considers her kids to be her greatest teachers. Krista and I are diving deeper into the idea that there is more than one path to successful parenting and perhaps raising “mediocre” kids might not be so bad after all. Show Notes/Links * A Life in Progress * What if All I Want is a Mediocre Life * What to Do When You Live with Messy People

Parents spend a great deal of time and money baby-proofing the home. But how does this process impact our kids? Today, I am chatting with Nicole from The Kavanaugh Report. Nicole and I are both passionate about creating a home that is child-friendly rather than child-proof. That means that we are thoughtful to design our homes with both the children and adults in mind. How have you created a home that is child-friendly? Show Links: * Case Against Childproofing (Article) * The Kavanaugh Report (Nicole’s Blog)

Zoë Kim has lived in 24 homes in 13 different states. She’s an expert at moving and has a healthy dose of wanderlust, but she also manages to connect to the communities in which she lives. In today’s episode, Zoë and I are discussing moving, finding minimalism, and how to build a happy home (make that plural, in her case). Show Links: Zoë’s Blog: Raising Simple Zoë’s Book: Minimalism for Families (Affiliate)

I haven’t always lived in places that I love. But I have found gratitude and contentment in some surprising places. Today on the podcast, I am sharing how I created a home that I love along with how I engage in my community to increase a sense of attachment and rootedness. Want to talk more about this topic? Join us this month in the “Love Where You Live Experiment”. [button url=”simplefamilies.com/may”]JOIN HERE[/button]

  In today’s episode we are exploring the idea of “putting down roots” and becoming attached to the places that we live. Melody Warnick shares her own personal experience and the research on this concept called place psychology. If you ever spend time linger on Zillow or perusing the “Best Cities to Live” lists, then you will love to hear what Melody has to say. For the month of May, we will be falling in love with our less-than-perfect homes and connecting to our communities. Join Denaye from Simple Families, Zoe from Raising Simple, and Melody, Author of “This is Where You Belong” as we explore this exciting (and much needed) topic. JOIN US HERE  Show Links: * This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick * Walk Score

Have you ever dreamt of starting an organic garden? Today on the podcast I am chatting with my friend and homesteader Beth Brettell from High Sierra Permaculture. She’s a former designer turned homesteader, and along with her partner Bret they have created a beautiful and productive garden in Northern California. Beth answers all of my beginner questions + gives us all a quick lesson in Organic Gardening 101. Be sure to follow Beth and Bret on Instagram to see what life looks like on a homestead and learn more about organic gardening. Want to learn more? Get their free crash course to get started. In this episode, Beth and I chat about: * When to plant. * What to plant. * Is it better to start with seeds? * How to prepare soil. * An introduction to composting. * How to attract pollinators. * +much more SHOW LINKS: * Farmers Almanac * Master Gardeners * Permaculture Homestead Crash Course * Pinterest: Beginning Gardening 101 * Instagram: High Sierra Permaculture

As mothers, we often carry the heavy responsibility of feeding our families. Despite what Pinterest leads us to believe, cooking for a family doesn’t have to be fancy. In today’s podcast episode I am chatting with Erin Odom of The Humbled Homemaker. Erin and I are discussing our favorite methods for simplifying meal planning and cooking for family. We both know firsthand that this season of life with young children can be difficult to prep and cook healthy meals–so we are scaling it back to the simplest ways that we know and sharing them with you. Show Links: * The Humbled Homemaker * More Than Just Making It (Erin’s first book/aff link) * You Can Stay Home With Your Kids (Erin’s brand new book) * Eating Well on a Budget (Free E-Course) * Field To Plate (Seasonal food guide) * Trim Healthy Mama (Erin’s favorite health/recipe guides)

We know that the kitchen is the most used room in the house–yet simplifying the kitchen is anything but easy. On the podcast today I am chatting with Melissa Coleman of The Faux Martha. Melissa is a food blogger and she is sharing her story about how the kitchen “broke” for her. She decided she either needed to make big changes or call it quits. Fortunately, she stuck with it and now she’s sharing the art of creating a minimal kitchen. Inspired by Melissa’s ways, I will be sharing a tour of my kitchen and pantry in the Simplify Food + Family group this week. Join us there! Show Links: The Minimalist Kitchen (Melissa’s book) The Faux Martha (Melissa’s blog)

Every parent wants to feed their children nutritious food. That probably means a heaping dose of vegetables, ample proteins, and a well-rounded source of vitamin-rich foods. Even if we know what we should be feeding our children, we don’t always know the magic tricks to actually get our kids to eat those super foods. In today’s episode, sociologist and author Dina Rose Ph.D. explains to us why feeding children really isn’t all about nutrition. Dina is changing the conversation from nutrition to establishing positive habits–her wisdom will have you thinking bigger than just broccoli. Want to join in this discussion for the month of April as we talk all things food + family?  [button url=”simplefamilies.com/april”]SIGN UP HERE[/button] Show Notes * About Dina * Her Website: It’s Not About Nutrition * Her Book: It’s Not About the Broccoli * Her Super Food Explorer Kit

In our house, mealtimes are pleasant. My kids eat well and we enjoy each others company. I don’t have it all figured out, but I do have a Ph.D. in Child Development with a research background in child wellness. That means I use a combination of both research-based ideas and intuitive planning to help develop my kids into good-eaters. Not all these things are going to resonate with you and work for your family–but they have surely worked for mine. Want to join in this discussion for the month of April as we talk all things food + family? SIGN UP HERE.  SHOW NOTES * We started out this way from Day 1 * The Cardinal Rule of Feeding Children * The dinner table is enjoyable * We keep “meal windows” * Snacks are used carefully * We don’t talk about “likes and dislikes” * Food preferences are considered dynamic rather than static * There are no assumptions, other than that our children will eat well * I use backwards meal planning * We keep the food-prep and recipes simple * There’s no sugar SHOW LINKS * Exactly How I Feed My Kids (a blog post) * Your Questions Answered (a podcast episode answering all your questions on this topic) * Getting Started with Baby Led Weaning * Martha Stewart’s One Pot Meals * The Minimalist Kitchen by Melissa Coleman

I don’t have a regular yoga or meditation practice, although I wish I did. Yet each day I find moments of mindfulness and presence in regular activities. In today’s podcast episode I am speaking with Shawn Fink from The Abundant Mama Project. We are chatting all about how to meditate without meditating–and by that I mean how to find moments of calm within the chaos that can overwhelm motherhood. What unconventional, yet very ordinary ways do you catch moments of mindfulness in motherhood? Show Notes/Links: * A Busy Mom’s Guide to Meditating without Meditating * Achieve Balance with a Mindful Motherhood Philosophy * Rise and Shine Challenge * Savoring Slow Book + Kit

She’s skinny, ​crafty, active, accomplished in her career, family-focused, and well-dressed (all the time, even at drop off). She’s the perfect mom. She’s the mom that we are secretly striving to be–the one that does it all and has it all. In fact, many of the things we spend our time and energy striving towards are because of her. It’s because we feel like we don’t measure up. Because we feel like we aren’t enough. Today on the podcast I am chatting with Catia Holm, author and inspirational speaker. We are talking about the striving that we do as mothers. What if we could let go of that perfect mother and embrace the very person we are today? I never knew how much magic could be found in the ordinary -Catia Holm Show Notes/Links in this episode: * The Courage to Become by Catia Holm * The Six Stages of Parenthood by Ellen Galinsky * The Robcast

Parenthood is notoriously associated with sleep deprivation. Good sleep goes beyond just getting kids to sleep through the night. Do any of these things resonate with you? * At the end of a long day you desperately need sleep, but you can’t put your Instagram/Netflix away. * You drink coffee to wake you up in the morning and wine to help you go to sleep at night. * You wake up in the middle of the night with a to-do list a mile long. * You are so incredibly exhausted but yet you can’t fall asleep. Getting a good night sleep is important for your physical health and mental health. But it’s also important for the well-being of your family. Because if you are tired and irritable, you may struggle to be calm, present, and mindful with your children and spouse. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Janet Kennedy, the NYC Sleep Doctor. Dr. Kennedy and l discuss the barriers to being well-rested as a parent and tips for improving your sleep hygiene You can get Dr. Kennedy’s book here, or visit her at NYC Sleep Doctor. What’s keeping you up at night?

Stress and overwhelm are an epidemic in childhood–which means mindfulness for kids has become essential. As adults, many (if not most) of us carry significant amounts of stress and overwhelm on a daily basis. It has become so ingrained into our society and culture that we have normalized it as a part of who we are as individuals. Even if “stressed out and anxious” is normal for you–you need to consider the effect that it has on your children. Stress impacts our children twofold: (1) they are impacted by the stress levels of their parents and (2) they are impacted by their own personal stress encountered in daily life. In today’s podcast episode I am speaking with Jessica Knopke about teaching mindfulness to kids. Jessica is an Occupational Therapist and Yoga Teacher who has dedicated her career to bringing calm and intentional movement to childhood. She is also the founder of Lily Pad Yoga, a yoga center and Youtube channel which brings movement and breath to children. In our chat, Jessica shares more about her observations of the growing rates of childhood anxiety and depression–along with specific strategies that we as parents can use to plant seeds of mindfulness in our children during these early years. Jessica shared that mindfulness in children doesn’t necessarily mean stillness, because they have an internal drive to move.  Jessica will be joining us in the Mindfulness focus group for this month, click here to join in the discussion and ask her any questions you may have! In the mean time, check out five of Jessica’s simple strategies to teach mindfulness to kids. Mindfulness for Kids at Home: 5 Simple Ideas Blowing on feathers.  Blow feathers off the palm of your hand.  This will help children to experiment with different intensities of breath. Starfish breath. Make a starfish with one hand by opening up all the fingers.  With your other hand gently trace the outline of the starfish.  Breath in as your finger moves up and breathe out as your finger moves down. Using our finger to trace as we breathe fosters a mind-body connection. Anchoring to sounds.  Listen for the subtle sounds outside the room, inside the room, and then within your own body.  It might be the hum of the furnace or the chirping of a bird–we can pause our brains and tune into the sounds that are present right now.  Mindful eating.  You can really pay attention to that first bite of your meal.  How does it look?  How does it smell? Is there a sound it makes while you chew? If you are picking it up with your hands, what does it feel like?  Before you take that first bite, who can you thank for that food? The worms that nourished the soil, the sun for helping it grow, the farmers who grew it, the workers who packaged it, truck drivers who drove it to the market, the grown ups who put it on the table….then chew that first bite really slowly. * Glitter jars.  Put warm water, sparkles, glitter glue and food coloring (optional) in a jar.  Shake it up and it resembles how we feel in our bodies and minds when we are scared or angry.  As you sit in stillness watching the glitter settle your mind and body begin to settle too.  Then we can see the water clearly, just as we can see more clearly now that we are calm. Do you want to chat more about bringing mindfulness to kids? Join the discussion! Be sure to check out Jessica on Youtube!

In today’s episode, I am sharing some simple (yet exciting) changes coming to the podcast and the Simple Families Community. Listen in to hear more, and click here to join the conversation for this month.