Look Ma', No Hands

I spent the month of May really swimming upstream as a parent. That's when I had a realization about parenting advice that I'm sharing with you today.

Smiling, happy siblings are the picture we see often when presented with family snapshots on social media and in holiday cards, but are siblings who get along really imperative to a functioning family? If your kids don't like each other, is there anything you can do about that? Blimie Heller returns to Look Ma' No Hands to give her perspective.

It's human nature to want what we can't have, but what if the influences around you actually make you think want things you don't actually want? This is a phenomenon called mimetic desire, and in his book "Wanting", Luke Burgis explores how mimetic desire can lead us down an unfulfilling path and also help us curate a life that genuinely brings us joy.

Look Ma' No Hands is BACK...and trust me, this conversation is all the proof you'll need to know it's better than ever.

In this first episode of Season Two, I'm welcoming one of your favorite guests, Megan Birkel of Willow Crowns, back to the podcast to discuss:

Zoloft and motherhood

What's really important in parenting (and what's really NOT)

The kind of mothering that really pisses us off

Meghan Markle (you don't want to miss this part)

and more!

Is cancel culture cancelling culture? How can we move forward in the face of hurt caused by another without writing them off entirely? Societally, can we move in a more constructive direction when opinions shock and surprise us? What can we do differently when it comes to strangers, friends, ourselves and our children? Rachel Tuchman, license mental health counselor from Long Island, New York, weighs in.

When it comes to relationships and marriages, kids are a total game changer. Often times, the advice we get about connecting and reconnecting with our partner or spouse once our children are born is unattainable or impractical, but in this episode, psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Miller is sharing practical, real-life and every day ways to strengthen your relationship with kids in tow.

A happy, calm family starts at the top (read: with mom.) If you've ever needed permission to put yourself first, and evidence as to why that actually helps everyone around you, this is the LMNH episode you can't miss.

Sibling rivalry is one of the biggest challenges in parenting, and Blimie Heller of Unconditional Parenting is here to help us navigate these complex dynamics and do what we can to contribute to harmonious relationships between our children.

Author and Washington Post columnist Meghan Leahy is back on the podcast today to give you some straightforward answers to your trickiest parenting conundrums, along with debunking some of what we're told about "getting on the same page" as our spouse and why being on different pages can actually be helpful in raising our children.

If you love hearing from Meghan like I do, check out her book "Parenting Outside the Lines," an Amazon Editor's Pick, here.

You've seen him on TikTok...now you can hear MrChazz on Look Ma' No Hands!

On this episode of LMNH, MrChazz talks all about his experiences teaching young children, what he learned and how and why he seeks to teach adults about all the best ways to interact with and nurture our kids. From letting go of perfectionism and being an "improvenist" to the true journey of changing our parenting ways for the better, I know you'll love what MrChazz has to say.

I had no idea what an "integrity child" was versus a "harmony child" when I first sat down to interview Blimie Heller, but once she started telling me about what each one was and what their differences are, my mind was blown. I can say with confidence that this episode changed the way I look at and parent my children on a daily basis, and so much of what I've learned from Blimie has made me a better mother and a happier person. I know you'll love what she has to say on this very illuminating episode of Look Ma' No Hands.

I had so much fun connecting with Megan Birkel in today’s episode of LMNH! Megan and I BOTH moved at the end of a pandemic year and I couldn’t wait to compare notes on the crazy adventure of relocating with two kids. 

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• Ending up where you least expected to after countless challenges...
• Prepping your kids for change and allowing them to feel their feelings (even when it’s super uncomfortable)
• How Megan found her new house (it’s an amazing story, really.)
• The Hive App and other developments at Willow Crowns
• Letting the good stuff in

To visit Megan's shop, head to willowcrowns.com or follow her on instagram @willowcrowns and @willowcrownsathome.

In this episode of LMNH, my old and dear friend from college, Hannah Therrien, shares about her journey of recovery in the areas of eating, spirituality + more and how that journey has changed her. To learn more about her services, visit her online at https://hannahtherrien.com/.

Today’s episode is a fun solo Q&A in which I answer some of my most-asked questions around moving to a new city, making new friends and settling into a 5000-person town after life in Houston, Texas.

I’m also addressing instagram fatigue (I’m feeling it, are you?), getting present and focusing less on what it all looks like, what I wish I did differently when we packed up our stuff to move here and my totally upside-down skincare routine.

In today's episode of LMNH, I'm interviewing the realtor who sold us our home in Basalt, Colorodo - Lisa Hatem! I am totally fascinated by the way the pandemic has changed where families (and individuals) want to live and what those changes have meant for real estate throughout the country, and Lisa weighs in on why families are choosing the great outdoorsm what her last year has been like and how long these changes might be sticking around for. Additionally, I intro this episode with a 15-minute check-in followed by a mini-meditation for anyone who feels overwhelmed by uncertainty, the "not-knowing" marked by 2020 and 2021, the recent trauma in Texas and parenting in general.

Amanda is an American born, London based Clinical Nutritionist, Mindfulness Expert & Yoga teacher specializing in all three of these areas in children & family units.

She has worked with children clinically for nearly a decade in nutrition and mental health, incorporating wellbeing protocols to help modify behaviour and teaching children and families how to be calmer, happier and stronger in the family home and in the school system.

She teaches social-emotional wellbeing in the UK school system and works as a consultant supporting schools to develop their wellbeing curriculum.  

In 2017, huge changes happened in Amanda's life: she confronted her alcohol issues and got sober, filed for divorce, and established a solid co-parenting relationship with her children’s father. She started a new relationship, this time with a woman.

During this period of transition, of huge change in her life, Amanda's priority was the emotional wellbeing of her two daughters. 

Her work as a child specialist yoga and mindfulness teacher meant that she was well placed to assist her children as they navigated their emotions and the change in family circumstances, and Amanda cites her work in mindfulness as a key way in which the family were able to communicate, manage their feelings and move through huge life changes in a positive way.

I interviewed Anna McKay in March 2020, right before the pandemic hit. It's the only recording of LMNH that I've ever lost, and I often wonder what it would be like to go back and listen to that conversation in light of everything we know now. Anna and I discussed how to change careers when you've become a parent and are realizing you have new priorities upon re-entering the workforce, but neither one of us knew what types of challenges parents would be facing only weeks after we spoke. In this episode, Anna sits down with me for a very different, equally valuable episode in which she outlines why people might be wanting to make a career change right now, how to go about doing it and how pandemic parenting has changed the way we work and live.

Image Consultant Natalie Weakly has taught me more than almost anyone I know about curating an ideal wardrobe, buying more of what you love and less of what you don't, finding the right pieces for your coloring and body shape and how to incorporate color and accessories into your everyday style. I LOVE all of her tips, tricks and recommendations that she shares on her instagram account @natalieweakly, and today on the podcast she's talking about some her favorite pandemic fashion hacks like:

• The one makeup product everyone needs when they're wearing a mask
• How to stand out on a zoom call
• The three people everyone should be following on instagram (a repeat from a previous episode that was SO worth repeating)
• How to use all those clothes you feel like you haven't needed since the pandemic started

and more!

One of my favorite mom-life hacks is having a closet I love to choose from almost every morning, a makeup routine that's approachable and a thorough understanding of what will actually look good on me if I order it online (because who has time for all of those returns?!) I've learned so much of this from Natalie and can't wait to share more of her wisdom with you on today's episode of LMNH!

Becky A. Bailey, Ph.D., is an award-winning author, renowned teacher and internationally recognized expert in childhood education and developmental psychology. She touches thousands of lives each year through live events. Over 2.5M of her top-selling books are in circulation, and Conscious Discipline has impacted an estimated 20M children. A pioneer in social and emotional learning, Dr. Bailey has a proven track record of success spanning more than 30 years.

If you haven't read the book "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up", you've probably heard of the hit netflix series "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" or at least grown familiar with her now-household sayings and questions like "do this spark joy?" In this very special episode of LMNH, I sit down with Houston's first-ever certified KonMari consultant as we discuss organizing your home, your life and your schedule. Plus, why the time it takes to truly organize and tidy a home pays us back exponentially. If you're surrounded in a mess and can't figure out why, or if your house is looking like the inner-contents of your brain on your most frantic day, listen to this conversation and learn more about how we can all effectively pair down our wardrobes, schedules and lives and live more fully and joyfully.

Meghan Leahy is the On Parenting columnist for The Washington Post and a certified parenting coach. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, three school-aged daughters, and her two dogs. Leahy has appeared on NPR and ABC, as well as numerous publications. Please visit Meghan at her website www.mlparentcoach.com.

IN THIS EPISODE, MEGHAN AND I DISCUSS:

• Why “expert” advice is hurting us more than it’s helping us
• The cacophony of parenting styles and what we can learn from them (and leave behind)
• Why we’re afraid our children will turn into “spoiled brats” when they don’t express gratitude and why we’re mostly mistaken
• Why you should stop counting bites at the dinner table
• How to apologize to our children and know when we’re doing it too much or need to be doing it more
• How kids feel when we set boundaries for them, and what their meltdownsafter-the-fact really mean

IN THIS EPISODE,

DR. MIRMELLI AND I DISCUSS:

How conflict can actually help us get closer with our partners/anyone

Our primal, primitive insticts and why we’re all fighting on Facebook (and even in public) right now.

Finding a good balance between social media and reality

Why it’s important to feel like you can share your truth, even in a society that increasingly limits the social acceptability of what we can and cannot say

The types of people who tend to stir up arguments online (keyboard warriors) and why it’s best not to engage them (you’re off the hook!)

Back-to-school is here, and some parents finally have the time and space to stop, breathe and actually feel some of the emotions of the whirlwind past few months of pandemic parenting. Having spoken to many parents over the past several weeks, I’ve found that many of those feelings are ones of regret, shame and loss as we look back over so many moments being stretched thin, worn out and unable to be the kind of parents we think we should be. In this episode, Willow Crowns’ Megan Birkel returns to discuss these emotions, what her life looks like today with one of her children back in school and how she’s changed - in some ways permanently - after being a Pandemic Parent.

This is a crazy time to be a parent with school-aged children: do we send them back to school or keep them home? Virtual school or none altogether? In this episode, I disclose my personal choices over these issues and more and how I'm coping with the current realities of pandemic parenting.

My two daughters were two totally different babies, and yet, there were five pieces of baby gear that got me through the fourth trimester with each of them that I LOVE recommending to new moms. Tune into this episode to hear what they are + a few more recommendations I have for any mom looking to simplify new motherhood and make the journey a little easier.

There's a difference between choosing the BEST school and choosing the RIGHT school for your unique child. Whether you're looking into public or private options, or trying to pivot in a pandemic, Julie Blumberg of Houston School Options offers substantial advice in this episode for every parent on the school search.

Stephanie Jourdan, Astrologer of Higher Self Communications in Los Angeles, joins me for this one-of-a-kind LMNH episode in which we discuss our current reality, what we have to look forward to, our relationship with the earth, why 2020 was destined to be a year like no other and what astrology can teach us about it all.

If you're interested in learning more about Stephanie or utilizing one of her services, be sure to visit her online at higherselfcommunications.com.

In this brief but mind blowing episode of Look Ma' No Hands, Parenting Coach Randi Rubenstein gives us her four-step sibling fighting tool that totally flipped me upside down when I heard it. I was doing almost everything the opposite of what she suggests and I couldn't believe how logical and game-changing her tools were when I heard them. So excited to share her wisdom with you in this episode!

Sibling dynamics in early childhood can be a huge challenge to navigate. From navigating conflict to addressing each child's different needs, Randi Rubenstein comes to the rescue again in this episode where she gives great suggestions on how to validate our children where they're at and be less divisive, helping our kids live more harmoniously with themselves and one another.

So many of the self care practices that are advertised to us cost money, and in a time when self care is so necessary and so many are either out of a job or working on less income than they’re used to, this can feel like a very destructive barrier to healing and grace.

Enter Faith Broussard Cade, AKA @fleurdelisspeaks. After a traumatic brain injury, doctors told her she needed to rest in order to recover and in so doing, she lost her job. Her household income was cut in half, which was precisely when she started writing the notes of self love that so many of us have come to treasure during this uncertain time.

Many years after her injury, her notes have helped spouses find courage to leave abusive partners, stopped someone from taking their own life and guided people through the darkest corners of their lives. In this latest episode of Look Ma’ No Hands, Faith talks about why she writes those notes and how they have continued to serve her and everyone who reads them.

50 episodes later, these are the top ten ways (and it was hard to choose) that I've been completely transformed as a person and parent since starting this show. When I did my first interview less than a year ago, I never imagined LMNH would take me on the journey it has. The interviews I've conducted have changed the way I parent, live and look at my life - all for the better. In this episode, I'm sharing ten tangible pieces of guidance that I've received from interviewees on this show that have made a huge impact. I'm so grateful to my guests, my audience and everyone who has supported me thus far. Here's to many, many more!

If you're feeling overwhelmed as we find ourselves over three months into an unprecedented global pandemic, allow this episode with Megan Birkel to remind you that you're not alone. Just as we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory, many of us are taking unfamiliar steps for our sanity and in this episode, Megan gets candid about how she's coping with our current crisis, what she's learning and what her plans are for the rest of the summer and beyond.

As we socially distance ourselves to avoid further catastrophe in the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are suffering silently when it comes to our mental health. Our nation is currently facing a Zoloft shortage and nearly 50% of Americans have anywhere from a mild to severe level of depression. Beyond feeling helpless, many who suffer from depression and anxiety are doing so with an added dose of shame: I shouldn't feel this way, at least I'm still alive, it could be so much worse, all I'm being asked is to stay at home, etc. Elizabeth Miller of Elizabeth Miller Therapy helps us understand why this kind of self-talk is hurting us and helps us unpack the shame that is preventing many of us from doing what we need to do to for ourselves in a time of immense emotional struggle.

Kids wait all year to go to camp, so with camps like her own being cancelled all across the country due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Sunni Markowitz decided to open Camp Lantern Creek as a Virtual Camp for girls age 7-17. Camp Lantern Creek teachers life skills like babysitting, lifeguarding, EQ enhancement and more, and there's still time to sign up before the first of three one-week courses begins on Monday. Head to camplanterncreek.com now to sign up and learn more about how Virtual Camp can help our kids find joy in uncertain, stressful times.

Bri Braggs delivered her four-month-old in a home birth after researching hospital statistics on the maternal death rate of Black women and realizing it would be statistically safer for her to deliver her child in her own home. 

Have you ever had to make that kind of decision? I know I haven't.

In this very candid episode of "Look Ma' No Hands," I chat with the founder of Fertile Alchemy as she candidly describes her experiences as a Black woman, daughter and mother in America. From what she was told about the police growing up to what she plans to tell her own son and how she feels about what's going on in this country today, this episode is a raw and honest account of the gap between the experiences of Black and White women in America and one of the many conversations that needs to be had in order to close it.

Blogger, influencer and venture capitalist Carrie Colbert had it all.

And then she got pregnant. At 40. (And not exactly on purpose.)

A year later, she found herself raising her daughter on her own, moving out of a flooded home and forging a new path - one that would NOT include a male counterpart, she swore. It makes sense that at the precise moment she decided to write off men entirely, she found the one.

On this episode of Look Ma’ No Hands, Carrie makes a BIG announcement and tells us all about what her career looks like today with one almost-3-year-old in tow, a FIANCÉ (yes, she’s engaged!) and an unexpected quarantine. If anyone knows how to pivot, it’s Carrie, so if you’ve found yourself wandering in the unknown during this uncertain time, or if you’ve ever needed a reminder that life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans, you’ll love what she has to say.

Follow Carrie on Insta @carriec.

Some couples are thriving in quarantine and others are planning to file for divorce as soon as they can get to the courthouse. What's the real difference between these two scenarios and what can we do if quarantine hasn't been the best thing for our relationship? Sex and relationship therapist Dr. Emily Jamea of Revive Therapy discusses what we can learn and take with us from the success that some of have had in this quarantine and what couples who've struggled should consider before taking action.

Are you struggling to connect emotionally and physically in your relationship? Do you feel stuck? Dr. Jamea is now offering a private, 6-week online workshop for a fresh approach to reviving individual, relationship, and erotic health.  To find out more, visit her online at EmilyJamea.com and use the coupon code "LMNH" for 50% off!

In Megan's fourth episode on Look Ma' No Hands, she answers YOUR questions on how she maintains a strong and communicative relationship, what she knows about working things out with your spouse when you disagree and the kids are listening, how she's navigating post-quarantine life in Texas and how she dealt with adversity in her past to find confidence in her present.

To learn more about Megan and shop the Willow Crown collection, visit her on instagram @willowcrowns or find her online at www.willowcrowns.com.

GIVEAWAY: head to my instagram @lauramaxrose THIS WEEK by Friday 5/22/20 and enter to win a BOX of Willow Crowns bows! Giveaway entry details on my feed.

You are more than who you love and what you choose to work on.

In this episode of Look Ma' No Hands, I share part of my own mental health journey in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month as I sit down with Mental Health Coach and founder of "Becoming Wildly Well" Brande truly is. Now, she helps individuals recover who they really are and engage the lifelong journey of "becoming" ourselves.

The world of motherhood is rife with opportunities for self-doubt and loss of self,  but in this episode, Brandi discusses how we can start to turn inward, trust ourselves and stop seeking outside validation for our parenting choices.

If you'd like to learn more about Brandi or are interesting in working with her, you can visit her online at www.becomingwildlywell.com or on instagram at @becomingbrandilea.

Many years ago, Carla White found herself overweight, drinking heavily and feeling apathetic about her life. Her journey to more happiness led her to create The Gratitude App (highlighted by Oprah and Entrepreneur Magazine) which became a tool I used in my own spiritual awakening many years ago. In this episode, she shares what she knows about the brain, why we're actually wired for happiness and how to create more of it in our lives in very simple, concrete ways.