Pretty Over Perfect

I'm excited to bring a special guest, my friend, Chaleah, to talk about parenting through a tough situation - her husband's deployment. We dive into her strategies to set herself up for success, as well as the things that bring her joy while solo parenting for long periods of time. 

Her recommendations:

3 Minute Gratitude Journal

Grow Bags for transportable gardens (and the plants don't get root-bound like they do in po...

Today I'm joined by my bookworm teenager, Ellie, as we talk all about how to get kids reading - with our favorite books for kids in all age categories. 

Here are some of our favorite books:

Picture Books (Babies and Toddlers)
Sophie's Squash
Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch
I Love You the Purplest

Read-Aloud Chapter Books (Preschoolers)
A Little Princess
The Wild Robot
The 101 Dalmations
Mary Poppins<...

Summer trips are calling - so let’s get packing! Listen for our top tips for packing lightly with families and enjoying your trip more as a result - having just what you need and not being weighed down with extra baggage! 

Ask your local library for audio book devices like Playaway. 

Interconnecting headphones are great for kids sharing a backseat and an audio experience. 

I wasn’t aware of these when my kids were in boosters, but I l...

Say that ten times fast! Click here for our Summer Essentials PDF - everything you need, all in one place, for ultimate summer planning! BONUS!! I've included some of our family's favorite ways to have fun - in case you need inspiration!

Summer is such a wonderful time of year - let's fully embrace it by setting our intentions, creating a framework, building a bucket list, coming up with a repeatable meal plan and the...

Whether you’re primarily an Upholder (loves a to-do list), Obliger (rises to the occasion for others), Rebel (desires freedom) or Questioner (loves to know how things work), we’ve got tips for maintaining systems - for you and the people living in your home with you! 

Home are ecosystems with many different tendencies in play. Understanding how everyone responds to expectations can help us set up and maintain systems that help ...

Last episode you cleaned out your closet, now its time to figure out what really "feels like you" by learning about your energy type and how you can best dress to support your natural flow in the world!

Based on Carol Tuttle's Dress Your Truth program, this episode will walk you through 4 energy types and how to dress accordingly - colors, silhouettes, shapes, patterns and types of fabrics.

Plus! Which Disney character...

You Need a System - for figuring out your signature style and containing that closet chaos! Well, we've got one for you! 

Let's look at your current wardrobe as your many micro-attempts at defining your style. You've bought things here and there over years thinking, "Maybe this is me." Well, now we're going to look through all those choices and figure out what really is YOU!

We've got a method for m...

What is a Drop Zone - well, any place you tend to drop stuff in your house. We all have them, so let's solve them! We're figuring out how to tackle the ongoing clutter of Drop Zones - mail, sentimental items, kids' clutter, returns to be made, and ongoing projects. 

And a Go Zone - ideally helps you get out the door smoothly. This is a one-stop shop for your keys, wallet, backpack or diaper bag and snacks to get throu...

Michelle brings our editor (and her husband) to answer listener questions about Kitchen Systems. 

Tune in to find out how to tackle that kitchen mess at the end of a long day, how to zone your fridge and what to do about leftovers! 

Click here to learn how to preheat your stainless steel pans to make them nonstick! 

These Brightroom Organizers can be confined to keep the space under your sink from becoming a black hole!  

Or this ...

We're beginning a new Spring Cleaning series all about how systems help us tackle everything in the home that needs our time and attention. When we create a system for how things get used and maintained, we are give ourselves the gift of a smoothly operating home, as well as more free time to pursue our work, hobbies and dream lifestyle.

We're starting with the kitchen - the heart of the home - with a few systems in place ...

The countdown to competition day has begun! Jessica breaks down her decision to compete in the Mrs. Utah pageant and tells us all the things going into her preparation. Jessica also shares her platform: The Mom Refresh Movement - all about empowering overwhelmed moms to regain their sparkle through simple and doable habits centered around Fuel, Rest, Editing, Sparkle and Help. 

To subscribe to the MomLetter and get weekly tips and i...

Today we're discussing Gretchen Rubin's The Four Tendencies - an idea she puts forth about how people tend to react to both inner and outer expectations, whether they readily meet them or tend to resist. As with any method of categorizing how people approach the world, we find this helpful for understanding how we (and the people we love) end up in the same situations over and over again. 

The Four Tendencies are 

• The U...

We’re big fans of a family meeting: a once-a-week time set aside for discussing everything the family needs. It can be practical, philosophical and everything in between. Whether you start by lighting candles, making waffles or flopping on the couch, it’s a great place for the family to work through conflict in a less-emotional state, build character skills, set intentions and work out the kinks of daily life. It can be as formal o...

We're closing out 2024 with a look back at our favorite things: memories, challenges, rituals, lessons learned and mantras that go us through. Plus- how we invite our families to spend some time in reflection and setting intentions for the New Year.

Michelle's Favorites:
Primrosia Dual-Tip Markers for Writing, Journaling, Doodling
Paperage Spiral Bound Notebooks (in different colors to keep track of what&...

Have you ever heard of kin-keeping? It’s the emotional labor of maintaining and strengthening family ties and involves all the organizing of holiday events, wrapping of gifts and keeping of traditions. If you are the kin-keeper in your home this episode is for you: we’re talking about the power and joy of this role, as well as ideas for decreasing the burden it entails so we can enjoy all the keeping of the kin that we are so busy ...

We're all about hosting for the holidays - and whether you've got big or small gatherings planned, we've got tips on how to save money, make the little things count, create meaningful conversation and welcome your guests with grace and calm.

Plus, we dive into the difference between warm and cool hosts, our feelings about being a little bit extra, and how we know which of us is the older millennial. 

Come han...

We are re-airing this fan favorite episode all about the hyggely lifestyle: leaning into all things cozy, warm and intimate in this otherwise cold and crummy time of year. This episode is based on the book The Little Book of Hygge (which makes a great holiday gift, IMHO) and covers the ten tenets of hygge: atmosphere, presence, pleasure, equality, gratitude, harmony, comfort, truce, togetherness and shelter. Enjoy!

Come hang out! I ...