Episodes
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The emotions of parenting teens can hit hard—whether it’s waiting for big college news, managing the quiet shift of an almost-empty nest, or navigating the bittersweet joy of watching your kids grow up. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing one of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned as a mom: how to create unconditional love, connection, and purpose—no matter the challenges or changes that come our way. This episode isn’t just about giving your teen the space to grow; it’s about discovering the gift of growth for yourself.
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The holiday season is upon us—filled with joy, love, and, let’s be honest, a fair share of stress. In this episode, I invite you to consider that peace isn't something you have to earn...but instead something that you have the power to choose. Join me as I share how you can step off the hamster wheel of expectations—your own and everyone else's—and truly embrace a sense of calm and connection. As you navigate the holidays, give yourself the most precious gift of all—the ability to choose peace.
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The holidays are approaching, and as midlife moms, the season can feel like a swirling storm of expectations, obligations, and emotions. We juggle so much—family traditions, holiday planning, our children’s ever-changing needs, and the bittersweet reality of approaching the empty nest. It’s no wonder we feel stretched thin. Overwhelm can manifest as a tangled web of stress, anxiety, guilt, and frustration, making it hard to enjoy what should be a season of peace and joy.
Let’s make this holiday different, my friend. Join me in this episode to learn how to overcome overwhelm--both over the holidays and in the year to come.
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Welcome back to the Small Jar's ONE Obstacle series where we’re diving into the one thing holding so many of us back from creating the happiness we want in midlife. This week, I’m diving into that tricky emotion we all encounter but rarely name: disappointment. Why is it so hard to admit that we’re disappointed—sometimes with our lives, our relationships, or even with ourselves? Let’s talk about why this feeling shows up, what it really means, and how we can shift from feeling stuck in it to feeling empowered.
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Welcome back to the second episode in Small Jar's new series where we’re diving into the one thing holding so many of us back from creating the happiness we crave in midlife. In this episode, I’m diving into one of the most common obstacles we face in midlife—worry. Whether it’s our kids, our relationships, or uncertainty about the future, worry can consume us, leaving us feeling powerless and disconnected from the moments that matter most. I’ll explore why our minds are wired for worry and how it keeps us stuck. Whether your mind falls prey to mindset traps or if you find yourself trying to control the people or outcomes around you, all of this only serves to heighten anxiety. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by worry, join me to discover how you can reclaim your peace, set powerful boundaries, and show up for yourself with intention.
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Welcome to a brand-new series on the Small Jar Podcast where we’re diving into the one thing holding so many of us back from creating the happiness we crave in midlife. If you’re a mom of teens or an empty nester, feeling like your world is shifting as your kids grow more independent, you’re not alone. What if I told you that there's one obstacle keeping you stuck, and that understanding this obstacle emotion is the key to unlocking a new chapter of peace, purpose, and joy in your life. In this episode, I’ll break down why this obstacle is so difficult to overcome, why the typical solutions don’t work, and how you can finally overcome it. If you're ready to get unstuck and start living the life that you want, join me for this new series launch!
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As moms in midlife, we face a lot of challenges. In this week's episode, I'm diving into something that’s been heavy on my heart lately—navigating my son's senior year, the pressure of college applications, and all the emotions that come with it. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by stress or found yourself worrying endlessly about your child’s future, you’ll want to listen in.
I'll be sharing the roller coaster of emotions I've been experiencing, and more importantly, how I’ve been working through it all. But here’s the twist—it's not just about managing anxiety or forcing gratitude. It’s about truly understanding how our minds work, why those stressful thoughts show up, and what it means to be present even when life feels chaotic.
So, if you’re ready to explore how to find peace in the midst of the storm, how to recognize the purpose behind your thoughts, and how to see the beauty in your life—even when it’s messy—this episode is for you. Join me as we unpack the journey of embracing both the joy and the challenge of these pivotal moments.
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No matter how old your child, no matter what else you have on your plate, I bet you drop everything if they need you. It's just what we do as moms. You do everything in your power to support their dreams. We're working so hard to support the needs of everyone else in our life. But, who's taking care of us? Even though we wouldn't trade anything for the gift of being a mom, this sense of purpose and meaning doesn't solve for the anxiety and stress we can feel as we navigate raising and launching our kids. It doesn't solve for the loneliness we start to feel as our kids become busier in their lives and eventually leave home. In this episode, I explore the question - who's taking care of you. And how you can learn to take care of yourself on a deeper level than ever before.
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Let's talk about this phrase, "letting go." As we raise our teens and approach the empty nest, the thought of "letting go" of our kids is painful. It can make us feel like we need to hold on tighter, or dread a time when we really will have to let go. We think it means we have to let go of our desire to keep our kids safe and help them be happy and successful. We can think he means we have to let go of our connection with our kids, and the deep purpose we have felt as moms. Is it any wonder that it's hard to let these precious things go? But in this episode, I ask you to consider, do you really need to let your dreams for your child, or even your purpose as a mom go? If you're struggling as your teen grows up, this episode will empower you to know that you never have to let go of your child. In fact, you can create the love and connection you want with them, no matter how far away they go.
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How often does the phrase, "I don't know," come to mind or out of your mouth?
I don't know how to get my teen to listen.
I don't know why my daughter is always angry.
I don't know whether I should get involved.
I don't know what I should do next.Sound familiar?
There are some times where you literally don't know. In other words, there are facts that you don't have. Other times, we fall into what I call the "I Don't Know" mindset....when we tell ourselves that we don't know because we want to protect ourselves from pain. The problem is, when we tell ourselves "I don't know", and we fear the possibility of pain, what we're actually doing is staying stuck in pain.
In this week’s episode of the Small Jar Podcast, I dive into how to understand the "I Don't Know" mindset...and how to empower yourself to decide how to move forward.
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If you've ever found yourself caught in a whirlwind of frustration, resentment, or feeling out of control because of how others are behaving—whether it's your kids, your spouse, or others in your life—you are not alone. Most of us give away our emotional power waiting for others to behave a certain way so we can feel okay. The problem is, this keeps us dependent on the circumstances of our lives going perfectly, and when they inevitably don't align with our hopes and expectations, we find ourselves stuck in painful emotion. Join me in this episode as I share how to create emotional intention so you can show up in your life with strength and peace, regardless of what's happening around you.
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One thing I love about being a mom is that I get to believe my in boys' potential, even when they can't see it. In fact, I am so fiercely dedicated to my belief in their potential, that there is nothing that can convince me they don't deserve all of the happiness and success their hearts can hold. But with ourselves, we're pretty quick to give up on our own potential. Or we wait for evidence to help us believe it. Whether we're looking for validation from others, or proof of our progress. The result is frustration and disappointment. And even worse, staying stuck. In this episode, I take a fresh look at the Mentor Mindset and how the skillset we have as we champion and coach our own kids is exactly the same mindset that can empower us to reach our own potential.
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As moms, we have really good advice. We want the best for our kids and we have a lot of experience in life that our kids don't have. But what's interesting is that the advice we give our kids is often the very same advice we need to hear ourselves. But how often do we actually take our own advice? In this episode, I share my personal experiences and examples from my coaching practice to help you see the wisdom you already have within you. Join me as we reflect on this sage advice and discover how to step into a more empowered and compassionate version of yourself.
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As a mom entering your child’s senior year of high school, you feel deeply the weight of the change to come. With each micro-goodbye, each "last", you feel closer to that time when you will have to say goodbye to your child. I've been down this road before with my older son, and as I approach my baby's senior year, I thought I would share the intentions I am going into this year with to be sure that I stay in the moment and support my son in the best way I can. I have learned that by becoming more intentional about your thoughts and how they shape your emotions, you harness the power to create any even deeper and more impactful connection with your child and also with yourself. This year is a pivotal time, full of bittersweet moments. Join me as we embrace all of it together.
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It's an emotional rollercoaster, this business of raising and launching teens. There are so many beautiful highs, but the lows are rough. We've been supporting our kids, helping them be safe, happy and successful, for so long, it's instinctual at this point. In fact, caring for our kids is as important to us as our own survival. So often we think of our emotions as being caused by people or situations in our life, but in this episode I explore how this isn't true. And why this is really good news! Look, in life, there will no doubt be triggers...situations that fire up our fight or flight response. Times that we have to navigate complicated decisions. Questions about how best to parent and support our kids. Life is always going to offer up new circumstances. But could you imagine understanding your emotions, and knowing how to be in control of them, so that you knew you could handle whatever comes your way? Check this episode out to learn how.
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Some of us dread the empty nest...others of us embrace it. No matter your perspective about that moment when your last child leaves home, us moms actually start the process of letting go much earlier. As soon as our kids hit puberty, we start to have to grapple with the reality that we can no longer have control over their safety, happiness or success. And in truth, balancing our at times conflicting desires to support our kids, help them thrive, and to feel like our role matters...this challenge can continue through the time when our own babies start having babies. In this episode, I reframe the conversation about the empty nest and share the three lessons that you have the opportunity to embrace so that you can step off the emotional roller coaster and create more peace, confidence, joy and fulfillment in your life. Where ever you are on your journey through the open nest, consider that although your birds might eventually leave home, they will come back….and as they seek their own happiness and success…that invitation is open to you as well.
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"Stay positive!" "You just need to learn to let go." "Find new purpose." "Learn pickleball!" It's not that this advice isn't well-meaning...the problem is that this advice doesn't address the root cause of the problem you're facing. Namely, that the transition when your kid goes to college can be really hard. We'd love to believe everything will be fine. Our kids have been telling us to let go for years. Find new purpose? How do I do that? The typical advice we new empty nesters hear sounds simple, but it's not easy. So in this episode, I'm not going to give you more advice. But I am going to do a mindset audit of some common tips people give moms of new college kids...and I'm going to show you exactly why it's not easy to follow. And spoiler alert: it's NOT your fault!
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Forget big goals, sometimes we just want to feel better in our life. But have you ever stopped to think about what that looks like? How do you want to feel? What if that is actually the goal - to feel better? In this episode I explore the positive impact of creating more peace, confidence and joy. It's actually not only about feeling better. The impact of these emotions is that you actually show up to your life in a whole new way.
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Life is messy. Life with teens, riding the roller coaster of emotions as they grow up...for us moms, it's particularly messy. Learning how to redefine ourselves as we approach the next chapter...messy. We often tell ourselves that "it doesn't have to be perfect". But how often are you satisfied with "imperfect." In this episode, I share the four lessons I was reminded of as I tackled my garden. Join me if you're ready to find the beauty in imperfection.
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