Mom Camp: Around the Campfire

In today's episode I am chatting with Dr. Ally Power, Naturopathic doctor and motherhood coach. We are talking about how motherhood doesn't have to equal fatigue and low energy, or forgetting about you as a human. It's about finding ways to to make time for yourself, set boundaries, and prioritize your health. It's not just about health care or medicine, it's also about behavioural changes you can make to go with the health care changes. Ally is an expert in this area and has a lot of great info to share. This is a very informative and helpful conversation for moms at any stage.

In today's episode I am chatting with Stephanie Rosenfield. A former speech pathologist, Stephanie is now a life coach who works with overwhelmed moms to help them navigate the internal and external chaos that can creep up during motherhood. Stephanie shares how you can reframe the moments when you feel like you're going to lose your cool - it's about releasing "a little bit of air out of the balloon," taking some of the pressure off in those moments.

This chat is full of moments of wisdom that you will be able to take away and put into action in your own life. Enjoy!

In this episode I am chatting with motherhood coach Cayley Benjamin. This is a pretty profound conversation. Cayley's research is on the subject of "matrescence," which she defines and explains throughout the chat. It will likely shift how you think about motherhood and your own experiences. Matrescence is the transformation - physical, psychological, social, economic, and spiritual - that a person experiences as they journey into and through motherhood. Cayley takes us through these "domains," and how this is truly a lifelong transformation that continues to evolve.

This is a powerful talk, and a powerful reminder that we are not alone on this journey.

In today's episode I am chatting with Kate Bouchard, founder of Loba. Loba is an incredible pill and supplement organizer that not only organizes your pills in a beautiful container, but also turns what can feel like clutter and an obligation into a special ritual as part of your self-care practice. Kate shares the story of how her own journey through hormonal health challenges led to the development and creation of the Loba. We talk about Kate's entrepreneur journey and her passion for helping busy women simplify their routines. It's all about making habits simple, easy to remember, and more of a ritual that you look forward to than a hassle that you're likely to put off or skip all together.

Side note: Since the recording of this episode I now have a Loba, and it is amazing. It really has transformed this habit for me, and between my phone reminders and my kids saying "Mom, your box is glowing, time to take your pills!", it is definitely keeps me on track!

In today's episode I am chatting with Jamie Watkins. Often called the “Happiness Coach,” Jamie is the founder of My Peace of Happy, coach, author, keynote speaker, and mental wellness advocate. In our conversation she shares her inspiring story of what she has come through to live a life focused on creating happiness.

Jamie is truly incredible and just such a joy, with so much awesomeness to share. You're going to love her!

In today's episode I am chatting with Janette Shearer. I first met Janette through mom blogging and we have collaborated on a few things over the years, so I am so thrilled she is finally on the podcast! I have always been inspired by her posts, especially about running. Janette shares how she found her community through running, and how she went from a non-runner to a coach who runs half and full marathons and inspires others to do the same.

In today's episode I am chatting with Amber Trueblood, a licensed marriage and family therapist. She's a best selling author, speaker, and mom to four boys. Our chat today is about anxiety, and her brand new book "The Unflustered Mom" is all about this complex topic. In her book and in this chat, Amber takes us through the different categories or anxiety identities, kind of like the Enneagram or a personality quiz for anxiety types. By understanding how you experience anxiety, what can trigger you, and what can help you thrive, you are set up for so much more ease in your daily life. Amber's book is going to be a game changer, and this conversation is an awesome glimpse into how helpful this framework can be.

In today's episode I am chatting with Jenna Hermans, author of Chaos to Calm. Jenna has a background in psychology and human resources, with years of experience in building high functioning teams at work. She has taken this experience into establishing teamwork, efficiency, and effective communication in her home and developed a five pillar framework to help others do the same.

Jenna takes us through these five ways to find calm in the chaos of motherhood and break free from overwhelm, and explains how you can introduce them into your life through simple steps. It's about making a few small changes to create the space and energy you need, to leave your overwhelmed life behind and confidently take care of your family and yourself.

In today's episode I am chatting with Catherine Roscoe Barr, neuroscience-based wellness coach and founder of The Life Delicious. I am so inspired by this conversation, she is the perfect person to chat with about wellness. Not only does she have all the background and experience, but she has such an awesome way of sharing info and ways to incorporate wellness into your life, that you are immediately motivated to get started.

In today's episode I am chatting with Miranda Lee, about micro moments of mindfulness and meditation. Miranda is the author of The Five Minute Meditation Journal, a certified mindful schools meditation educator, and a yoga instructor. Her passion is connecting moms to mindfulness, self compassion, and meditation - but not in the "sit cross-legged for 20 minutes with your eyes closed" way you might think of meditation. Miranda shares some awesome ways that you can bring that same concept into your daily life in micro moments, and has such a wonderful, calming energy. Enjoy!

In today's episode I am chatting with Nellie Harden. Nellie is a family life and leadership coach, and her primary focus is helping parents of teen and tween daughters. Our chat isn't so much about the kids, but about how we as moms have the confidence to go into that next phase of parenting - the "second half of childhood" - and what that can look like. This can be a huge transition for both child and parent, and Nellie has some super helpful insight and advice to help you move through it.

In today's episode I am chatting with Andrea Gibson, founder of The Unconditional Movement. We are talking all about self-compassion and self-love, two topics that can sometimes seem hard to fully embrace. Andrea talks about how you can frame these concepts for yourself, so that they truly land and can be incorporated into your own life. It is absolutely a process, but as Andrea shares, 100% worth it.

She has an incredible energy and this was an awesome, very fun conversation.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In today's episode I am chatting with Stephanie Florian, who shares her story of the loss of her husband Rod last year. 

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S., and the fourth in Canada. Steph talks about Rod's diagnosis and what followed, and how she and her two boys are living day to day now. She shares what she has learned, and what she wished she knew earlier. While understandably still living with incredible grief, Steph is passionate about getting the word out about changes we can make today to reduce risk. 

This conversation is powerful, brave, and so, SO important. 

In today's episode I am chatting with Jill Wright, from Grow Like a Mother. In her first few years of motherhood Jill was experiencing a lot of challenges, so she dug into a lot of personal growth work. While it helped, she discovered that most of the personal development and self-help thought leaders aren't accessible for moms - either their programs are too expensive or what they teach doesn't work for a mom raising little humans. 

Jill has now developed her own, simplified, and mom-friendly programs for goal setting and time management. She helps moms who have lost themselves in the process of parenting through the pandemic, and teaches them how to claim back their lives - their time, confidence, and joy. 

In today's episode I am chatting with coach Christelle Pillot, founder of the Freedom Catcher Academy. Christelle's specialty is working with moms to recapture their freedom and remember who they are, alongside being a mother. She helps women navigate career changes, life changes, and find ways to reconnect to what brings them joy and ignites their passion. I love the work she is doing, and she really inspires brave conversations. This is a great chat and Christelle will definitely give you a lot to think about. 

In today's episode I am chatting with Brittany Dixon, a minimalist business strategist and productivity coach. A mom of two busy twin girls, Brittany specializes in helping business owners reduce overwhelm by "minimalizing" their systems and processes. Her background is in home organization, and she shares about the systems she has put in place both at home and in business. She is a master at streamlining and simplifying, and has some awesome tips to help get started! 

In today's episode I am chatting with an amazing human, my friend Jennifer Carlyle. Jenn has been part of Mom Camp since the very beginning, and leads our movement classes at all the Camp weekends. Jenn is committed to helping moms reconnect with themselves, and in this episode she is sharing about one of her favourite tools - POPs. These "pockets of peace" are a quick and easy way to check back in with yourself and grab a moment of peace when you need it. When mom life gets to be a lot and you need a quick reset, POPs are a game-changer. 

Jenn shares about her own story, and what led her to create these strategies, and what she's learned along the way. 

It's been a while since I've done a solo episode, but I felt the need to do a quick check-in and talk a bit about how I am processing the year that has just closed. I share how I am looking back, and why. I usually rush right into the new year full of new intentions and big ideas, but this year I am taking more time to close out the year that's just happened before I leap into the next 12 months. 

In today's episode I am chatting with Lindsay Kay, founder of 100 Days to Slay. This is a 100-day movement challenge, that encourages you to get at least 30 minutes of movement in every day for 100 days. Lindsay is passionate about movement for self-care and mental health, and shares how finding time for you and prioritizing yourself will help make you a better partner/mother/human. She is speaking my language!!

In this chat she explains all about how the challenge works and what it includes. Listen in on our conversation and then join me and sign up for 100 Days to Slay, starting January 1. I am so excited to get started!

In today's episode I am chatting with Elise Knox. We are talking about the magic of parenting teens...or at least how you can make sure you take care of YOU during these years. It's just like the instructions about putting your own oxygen mask on first. Kids are going to have some very big feelings and taking care of you ensures that you are more ready to hold space for them when those feelings show up. Heck, this goes for kids at ANY age! 

Elise has some great advice to share, and it's an awesome conversation. Enjoy! 

In today's episode I am chatting with Kelly Ryan, founder of Nerd Mom Nutrition. Kelly is a certified holistic nutritional consultant, a certified culinary nutrition expert, and a coach. Her focus is healthy food in a fun and simple way, helping families find ways to make their meals more nutritious but not more complicated or time consuming. If making your family meals more nutritious seems like a lot to take on, Kelly has an awesome way of simplifying healthy cooking to take away the potential overwhelm. She has a lot of great tips and tricks, and this chat is a lot of fun. 

I today's episode I am chatting with parenting specialist Rachel Bailey. Rachel has a podcast called Your Parenting Long Game, and she works with families with kids who have big feelings and big emotions. Every household and family looks different, and Rachel supports parents through various challenging situations that  can come up at home. Our chat focuses on how parents can reduce the emotional burden that comes with managing these often very stressful times. This one definitely hits home for me, and I know it will resonate for a lot of people. 

In this episode I am chatting with Dr. Missy Gryder. We are chatting about burnout and emotional wellness for moms - where burnout comes from, how to recognize it in yourself, the stress response, and how to recover from it. Burnout is hitting moms at a record rate in the last two and a half years, and Missy shares how we can rebuild our resilience and create emotional wellness for ourselves. She shares some practical, doable strategies that can be implemented right away. 

This is a big episode with a ton of great info. It's one that you will probably want to go back and listen a couple of times to catch all the great tips! 

In this episode I am chatting with Amy Beeman, about a major life shift that happened to her about six months ago. Amy shares how she is processing, and in some ways experiencing a loss of identity. She is now figuring out who she is, beyond the career she knew for so long. Ironically, Amy published a kids' book right around the time this transition started called "Unwrap Your Dreams," and she is now following her own advice and is in the process of discovering what her new dreams might be. 

This is a raw, honest conversation about a challenging and unexpected season of like. Thank you, Amy, for sharing the parts that aren't always sunshine and rainbows. ❤️

In this episode I am chatting with registered clinical counsellor and professor of psychology Natasha Ghosh. Our chat is all about demystifying therapy and how to find the right therapist for you. Natasha compares the process to bra shopping, and has some really helpful tips about how you can ensure you find the right "fit." What to look for, things to think about, and questions you can ask in the first consultation. 

Natasha is so amazing, and she really helps to make the whole process very accessible, and gives you tools to take away the overwhelm of finding the person who can best support you. It's an awesome conversation, and we had a lot of fun chatting about this important topic. 

In this episode I am chatting with writer Anneliese Lawton. We are chatting about all things motherhood, maternal mental health, and losing yourself in motherhood. Anneliese shares about her book coming out this Fall called Welcome to the Jungle: A Frantic Journey Through Motherhood and Self-discovery. It's an open, raw, honest discussion about what brought her to write the book, and we talk about some of the most challenging times in those early years of becoming a mom. This is an awesome conversation and she is doing some very cool things in the online space for moms, so definitely have a listen! 

In this episode I am chatting with Certified Professional Coach Ashley Kim about the subject of rage. Ashley works primarily with moms, helping them to address rage and reframing the emotion and associated guilt into something more aspirational - a call to adventure. Ashley explains what she means by that phrase, and how you can use those moments of rage as signals to teach you about your innermost thoughts. It's a great chat and definitely offers a lot to think about! 

This week I am chatting with Terry Cralle, RN. Terry is a sleep hygiene expert, and we are talking about all things sleep and sleep health. Sleep is foundational when it comes to mental and physical health. We chat about how challenging it can be for moms to get that recommended 7-9 hours a night, and Terry shares some tips for changing your perspective on how you think about sleep. 

Sleep is one of the most basic and important things you can do for yourself, and finding ways to prioritize it in your life is the epitome of self-care. 

In this episode I am chatting with Taran Conwell, host of the Undomestic Mom podcast. We've all heard the saying "it takes a village to raise a child," and today we are talking about how you can intentionally build your village. Taran is passionate about the concept of a mother's helper, she explains what this is, how to find one, and she has some great tips for when it comes time to hire someone. We also talk about asking for help, a concept that is often hard for moms to actually put into practice. Asking for help looks different for everyone, depending on the level of help you might need. This episode is all about intentionally building a village of support around you that meets your needs, and the needs of your family. 

In this episode I am chatting with Meredith Dawson. Meredith is such a light, and has such a huge passion for supporting moms. This chat is all about giving yourself permission to pause, and what that can look like in everyday life. Meredith speaks about how you can learn to honour yourself both as a human and as a mom, recognizing what value you bring to your life. 

Meredith has so many nuggets of wisdom to share throughout this conversation, you are going to come away totally inspired. 

In this episode I am chatting with Keisha Blair, author of Holistic Wealth: 36 Life Lessons to Help You Recover from Disruption, Find Your Life Purpose, and Achieve Financial Freedom. It's so much more than a book, it's a system or framework for how to think about your life differently. As Keisha explains, wealth isn't just about finances, this is about abundance in all areas of your life. 

I think the last two and a half years have made almost everyone re-evaluate their life in some way. This book and this episode are here at the perfect time, if you are looking to create "wealth" for yourself and your family. Keisha is passionate about helping people master the principles of a happy, joyful life, inspiring them to develop a greater sense of wholeness and resilience in times of difficulty. 

In this episode I am chatting with Ada Slivinski, founder and principal of the boutique PR firm Jam PR. As a business owner, Ada is passionate about hiring moms. She explains how she built her business as a young mom, and how she has created her business culture to make it welcoming and accessible for moms. We also talk about the super powers that moms bring to the workplace, from scheduling and prioritization, to the ability to juggle multiple projects at once. It can be challenging to return to work after a prolonged absence, and often confidence can take a hit as you begin to apply and interview. Ada shares encouraging words and inspiration to help moms reframe and reconsider all the awesomeness and value they bring. 

In this week's episode I am chatting with Katie Connolly, owner of Glowithin. Katie shares all about her work in craniosacral + somatoemotional release healing, explaining what it is, how it can benefit moms, how she works with her clients. She works with parents educators, and kids, helping them to balance their nervous systems. We talk about how to notice within yourself when your nervous system is out of balance, and how to recognize your own patterns. 

This is a fascinating chat. Katie has a gift for explaining the connections between emotions and our physical bodies, and offers different ways we can release the tensions we might be feeling. These tools are invaluable as a busy mom facing all the challenges that come with #momlife. 

In this episode I am chatting with Dr. Lori Brotto, professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, where she holds a Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health. Dr. Brotto is also the Executive Director for the Women’s Health Research Institute. 

We chat about cultivating sexual desire, specifically for moms. Moms that are tired, stressed, experiencing low libido - any of the things that might affect a mom's desire. Mom life can bring all kinds of challenges and some day (or weeks or months), intimacy can feel like the furthest thing from your mind. It's easy to get caught up in what you think "should" be happening, what's "right," or "normal." Dr. Brotto offers some great ways to re-cultivate sexual desire, tips on how to get things started, and some helpful ways to reframe the situation for yourself. 

This is an important conversation that doesn't get talked about enough. 

In this episode I am chatting with Emily Nichols, host of the Self Transformed podcast. Emily works with moms to help them improve their lives through healthy strategies, basing her work on the science of habits. She calls her process "habit hacking," helping people introduce habits into their lives in a lasting and meaningful way. We talk a lot about habit stacking, a practice where you connect a new habit to an existing habit that you barely think about it. For example introducing a gratitude practice while brushing your teeth, or doing 10 squats while your coffee is percolating. 

Introducing new habits that will improve your life does not need to be overwhelming. Emily shares some simple strategies you can use to make it completely doable. 

In this week's episode I am chatting with Kerry Cavers, founder of Moms Against Racism Canada. This is a huge conversation. In fact, I think I say the word huge about 60 times during the course of our talk. Kerry started Moms Against Racism in the wake of the George Floyd murder, and she shares how one small act of creating a Facebook group to help inform friends ballooned into the incredible, and growing, organization it is just two years later. We chat about a bunch of different topics under the umbrella of racism, including what exactly is meant by the term white supremacy, and how under-recognized the systemic nature of racism can be.

Kerry helps shed light on some of the misconceptions, and also on areas of our lives that we might not even realize have come from a white supremacy structure. Things as simple as our basic vocabulary, and terms that have their roots in racism.

Kerry shares how we can start dismantling any unconscious or subconscious racists beliefs we may have, and how we can start being actively antiracist. She teaches this work in an incredibly compassionate and open way, and understands that not everyone is starting from the same place. I know I am still learning, and it's definitely an ever-evolving journey. The important thing is to start.

This is such an important conversation.

In this week's episode I am chatting with emotional healer and spiritual growth coach Kailey Veenstra. This is an empowering, enlightening, inspiring, motivation conversation. In other words, it's a BIG one. Kailey is a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser, and she shares about the work she did to overcome these tendencies that weren't serving her. It's all about getting connected to your higher self. She has a gift for explaining things super clearly, making them very easy to understand - although you may want to listen a couple of times to fully digest all the goodness!

In this week's episode I am chatting with therapist Allison Lieberman. Her specialty is postpartum mental health, and the focus of our chat is postpartum anxiety. PPA is seriously under-diagnosed - Allie does an awesome job of explaining why this is, and explaining the symptoms that come along with this condition. She shares her story of what led her to specialize in this area, and her own experience with postpartum anxiety. We also get into the subject of intrusive thoughts, which I feel needs to be spoken about more, as they're one of those things that can make you feel isolated and like there is something "wrong."

Allie is an incredible source of knowledge and support, helping to clarify that postpartum anxiety is normal, very common, and what you can do if you recognize some of these symptoms in yourself. This is an important conversation, and the more attention we can bring to this subject, the more support moms will be able to access.

In this week's episode I am chatting with Tamara Komuniecki, a self-described serial entrepreneur and founder of the "Strong as a mother" movement. She is also the owner of Delish General Store + Jar Bar Refillery, one of my favourite local stop for all kinds of amazing home goodies.

Tamara shares her story of how she created the SAAM brand and movement. She also shares the difficult things that happened to her in her past that, combined with becoming a mom herself, have led her to become the mother that she truly needed. Learning to be a mom while also learning to be a mother to yourself is a powerful and challenging journey, and this is an incredible conversation full of inspiration and empowering moments.

Tamara is a total inspiration as an entrepreneur, as a mom, as a human. She shares so much insight as she takes the challenges of her past and transforms them into learning she can share with others. She is absolutely the embodiment of the "strong as a mother" movement.

In this week's episode I am chatting with coach Bridget Belden. We are talking all about life beyond momming. Whatever it is that comes after the "mom and ..." We chat about how much we love motherhood, but how often we can lose ourselves in our mom identity. Bridget works with moms to help them find who they are beyond motherhood. This is an awesome conversation if you have that little voice that is telling you that you want a little more for yourself, because Bridget will help you understand that a) that is totally okay, and b) to maybe start figuring out what that "more" might be.

In this week's episode I am chatting with health and mindset coach Samantha Kellgren. We are talking about how busyness, more income, and more responsibilities do not always equal "success." 

Samantha helps women dismantle belief that you have to be busy all the time, things will not fall apart of you take some time away. For high achieving moms that can be a hard message to absorb and take to heart. 

Samantha believes in giving yourself permission to schedule in time for YOU, and, if you've been here for a while, you know that I am passionate about that message. 

This is a great chat, Samantha has such great perspective and way of framing different situations. She brings some awesome advice and gives us a lot of things to think about. SO much good stuff. 

In this week's episode I am chatting with Darlynn Childress, a parent coach who specializes in creating a peaceful home. I know voices can get loud in our home, so I found this a very helpful conversation! Darlynn has a framework she uses with parents to help them feel calmer and create a more peaceful environment. It starts by thinking about the triggers that might be a) causing the behaviours from our kids, and b) causing our own responses. We also talk about how to stop the self-judgement that inevitably comes with those responses that we're not super proud of. 

If your house is full of "big emotions" like ours is, this one is a must-listen. 

In this week's episode I am chatting with Dr. Piper Gibson. This conversation is FASCINATING. Piper shares how she went on a journey into the world of holistic health, that changed her family's life completely. She discovered the connections between the gut, the brain, and behaviours, specifically when it comes to tics, ADHD, Tourette's, Anxiety, SPD, and ASD. 

After going from stay-at-home mom to children's holistic health expert, Piper has been able to help many families just like hers to gain control of their child's neurodevelopmental issues using food, functional lab testing, and natural approaches.  

As a mom of a neurodiverse kiddo who has a number of tics and other behavioural stuff, this subject is HUGE.