How do you feel about your body as you age? Loaded question, we know! Today we are talking about body image as you age. Level 5 (turning 50) can bring up a whole host of feelings and today we are sharing our thoughts and experiences with aging. Remember, what works for one woman to feel confident in her current body will look different for another.
You’ll hear today:
NOT should you or should you not do things but rather our experiences with aging
The different ways different women feel beautiful as they get older
The good desire to want to feel confident and beautiful that God put in women
The reasons culture makes us feel less attractive as we age (and how it doesn't respect certain types of beauty)
How it’s up to each woman to decide how to support her own body confidence
Practical ways to feel good in your skin
Adult breakouts … sigh, it’s a thing.
How with age comes wisdom and also not caring as much about people's thoughts
Self care looking like fashion or beauty choices at times
How Empty Nesting opens up opportunities to invest time and money on you!
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Today’s episode will start with a big time giggle on the expense of Anne. She’s sharing what can happen when you aren’t aware of current lingo and then she and Becky discuss the deep questions those embarrassing moments can bring up. The reflection, the wondering of things like, “Who is paying attention to me? Am I okay with being irrelevant?”
You’ll hear today:
The wrestling that comes with once being someone who strives, to now simply not caring or having that ambition anymore
The lack of information for mothers in this stage of parenting
Encouragement to re-invent yourself when the kids leave
The different value our culture puts on women in different stages
How our world worships youthfulness (and sometimes even in the church)
The good desire in your 50’s and beyond to be valuable and how it looks different now
How women our age are more picky about where they want to be seen (not always on social media)
The difference between a shift in your values vs your value
The freedom that comes when you see there are ways to make impact even when “culturally irrelevant”
The joy of putting energy towards timeless things
How contributions to the world looks different in different seasons of life
The people pleasing you shed as you age that can be mistaken for invisibility
Why things don’t have to be public to be valuable
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That thing that was once waaaayyy in the future has come and gone now for Becky: dropping her oldest off at college. It’s hard. It’s weird. It’s abrupt. It’s hopeful. It’s rewarding. And everything in between.
Today we are chatting about redefining your role as a mother and your relationship with kids as they get older and enter new life seasons. There definitely are wise and not so wise ways to do this!
Things you’ll hear today:
What changes when you become your child’s guide
How to support your kids, even if you don’t agree with their decisions
The risks that come with imposing parenting when the stage of life calls for being a guide
Why trusting your skills as a mother helps you trust your kids later on in life
The best way to “let your kids go” and encouragement for this time
Navigating how often to reach out to your kids once they move out
Signs your kids are not feeling judged for their life choices
How to NOT put your emotional care on your children (example texts provided!)
Considerations for the feelings of the kid(s) still in the nest
A helpful mindset to have to live in the moment
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Back to school season is in full swing right now. New school supplies, check. New teachers, check. Fresh starts for kids AND moms? Also check!
Today we are diving into the pros and cons of summer vs the regular school year. Each time of year brings a different set of challenges for moms but also unique blessings! You'll also find inspo in this conversation and practical ideas to help you discover the exciting next chapter of your life as a daughter of God.
You’ll hear today:
What we love about summer and what we enjoy about the school year
How bringing back routine impacts your physical time and your mental time
Thoughts on organizing your extra time during the school year
Things Anne and Becky miss about having younger kids and things they are glad they don’t have to deal with anymore!
How Becky is using work as a healthy tool right now, while her mama heart is hurting about missing her kids
Why it’s important to remember your kid’s childhood is only a small/short part of your life
Inspiration for finding what’s next for you as a mom once the kids are out of the house
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Today is a unique style episode: we recorded this in real time for you! We thought it would be insightful to interview Becky on how it’s feeling IN THE THICK OF THINGS. Sometimes with the passing of time, our recollections of events and attached emotions can dim … so why not check in while the hard thing is happening?
This special and emotional episode (grab the tissues!) reads sorta like a counselling session or big sister talk between Anne and Becky. Perhaps some of you are in the very same boat as Becky and if so, we pray this vulnerable episode is one of solidarity, hope, and practical encouragement!
You’ll hear today:
How grief is being expressed for Becky at this time (pre-grief is a thing!)
The tension of “both and” (so feeling two opposing things at once)
How to soak in your last summer with your kid AND give them more rope for independence
Things Anne remembers about this “weirdest summer” of your life as a mom
Helpful AND vulnerable conversations to have with your kid about them leaving
Disappointments that have happened to Becky, things that can’t be distractions anymore from feeling her feelings (a blessing in disguise)
The temptation to switch to another identity once your mom identity shifts
Why your kids need to see you as a PERSON and not just their parent
Some tough love and wisdom from Anne to Becky (and you) for this season
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Today is the episode about finances. Oooohhh, yes. We are going there. How to think about spending money on yourself. It goes much deeper than buying new things but uprooting thoughts about not being worthy of being invested in.
We talk today:
How we turn around and take money and time that was once spent on our kids and now being okay with spending it on ourselves
Something Anne looks back on, wishing she and her hubby had done on top of date nights when the kids were growing up
The benefits of NOT bringing the kids along on vacay
Lies that sometimes make moms think it’s not okay to spend money on themselves and their dreams
Big and small fun ideas of what to do with that extra cash
Things to expect to happen once you start to invest in yo self
The messy process of getting to know you again
An unexpected gift you can give your children
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Though we really wanna, it’s not helpful to our children when we try to rescue them all the time. So much learning comes from them taking responsibility for the consequences of their choices. So much growing into the person they need to be, who are okay and successful without us.
Today we chat about:
A funny story where Anne admits she was wrong in advice she gave to her adult kid (all our cat lover friends will love this one!)
How it looks to actually let your kids make mistakes (and why this is so darn hard to do!)
What “taking off the hero cape” is and what it does to your kids when you don’t
Different ways to help your kids that don’t involve removing the challenge for them
The difference between Equipping vs Rescuing
The long term impact of always swooping in to save your kids
A caution for all those generous mamas out their who have a love language of giving gifts
How guidance looks different as your children get older
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Today we have our first guest episode … wooo who! Author Kate Battistelli (yes, Francesca’s mom!) joins us to talk about her book The After Party of the Empty Nest. As her website says, “As you begin your empty nest, you’re not only leaving your child behind, but the life you knew so well.” And that our friends, is why this season is so darn hard at times. It makes sense why we feel like a fish out of water! It’s braaaannndd new territory.
You’ll hear in this episode:
Why being mom is not your only name
Figuring out what else God has for you
Why it’s okay to grieve in this season
Three different types of mama birds and how they embrace the empty nest differently
How God may dare you to do new things
The bonuses of the empty nest
The power of volunteering when finding new purpose
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It’s that time of year where some are a little antsy for summer to come and school to be over. But that’s not the case for everyone in the family: mom can be dreading the buffer summer between college days beginning.
Check out today’s conversation to hear how our thoughts on the “time bomb ticking” of things never being the same again.
We chat today:
The desire to smother your kid as the end of their high school career looms
What to expect in the last summer before post secondary begins
How to make the most of that last summer together and set boundaries on time
Why eye rolls aren’t the worst thing when you share your heart with your kid
The limbo/not in control season your child feels they are in during this weird in between season
Possible behaviors to expect in your child in the buffer summer
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New decade, new milestone. It comes with birthday cake and parties but also sometimes comes with imposter syndrome. “Am I too old to be relevant in my industry?!” What happens when you don’t feel like the “cool old woman” anymore but just the “old looking woman?”
Today we chat about:
Struggling with aging and looking older
Things we personally invest in to feel more confident in our appearance
Having fun with your appearance as you transition into older years
Why it’s not wrong to fight against aging
The blessing of GETTING to age
The good parts of getting older
Healthy motivations for taking care of yourself with proactive habits to age well
Why not loving aging goes deeper than vanity
How God has wired woman to desire beauty
Aging with grace and style
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We hear alllll the time about the importance of dating your spouse but dating your kids is actually just as key! If you desire to foster a relationship with your kids so that when they are grown they still willingly seek you out for comfort and advice, this episode is for you, friend.
Tune in to hear about:
What it looks like to date your kids
Two environments that often make kids open up for heart to hearts
The power of asking questions when communicating with your kids
Advice for connecting 1:1 with each child when you have multiple children
Why bonding is not always having to do with deep talks but also fun times
A unique way to connect with your kids instead of a sweet 16 party
The beauty of reminding your kids you are proud of them
Why it’s okay for your kids to see imperfect you
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Today Anne is getting vulnerable about the confusing season of life she is currently in. We pray this conversation helps you feel not alone in being unsure what’s next and that you know there is no shame in wrestling with this!
We chat today:
About Becky’s book on purpose and her wisdom on how to help people find their purpose
The tension of having hope and despair side by side
Figuring out if God is leading you to do something or not
The beauty of waiting upon God to show you what to do and finding your identity and worth in being His kid
How no sin or shame comes from God in His directing
Helpful prayers and questions for identifying what to do next
The excitement of being asked to do things utilizing new skills you didn’t know you had
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We chat on this podcast about guiding our kids through transition seasons but it’s not all about your kids. And we sometimes lose sight of that, with all the daily responsibilities that come with parenting. But once your kids are launched, there are some big questions to answer like: who am I outside of being their mom?
We talk today:
How to shift your calling
Mourning the loss of being a mom as part of your identity
Why it’s healthy to invest in yourself for the sake of your relationships
The wisdom of being selfish (we give you permission, girlfriend!)
Practical tips to learn how to get back to you
The danger of using hobbies to numb
The power of examining your tears
Simple but powerhouse questions to ask to get to know yourself and what you value
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As mothers of teens and adult children, we are realizing we have less and less control over our kids' lives. And maybe instead of striving to be a perfect parent, a change in goal would be wise.
We chat today about:
How God is the only perfect parent
Advice for stressful seasons with your high schoolers
A powerful quote Anne’s mom used to say about parenting
Cranky moms and how to deal!
The power of asking your children to give you extra grace on tough days
Why it’s okay for your kids to see your need for Jesus
Ideas of how to express your love to your kids
A surprising important ingredient in making your children feel safe, loved and supported and all the things
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Some things don’t actually matter in the long run. What happens to our kids in these formidable years ARE important … but not everything is going to mark their lives forever. Today we are talking about how to balance helping your kids thrive but not stressing them out with extreme pressure to succeed in senior year in all the categories.
We dive into today:
How culture normalizes moms stressing out their kids
The role comparison between moms leads to how we treat our children
Anne’s hindsight of what she would do differently if she could go back and navigate Senior Year again with her kids
The different factors that create a stressful environment for kids in the last year of high school
Main pieces of advice for this busy time (and beyond) for moms concerning homework and due dates
How hiccups in high school (mistakes) don’t mean your kid is going to fail at adulthood (we provide a powerful real life example in this episode!)
The wisdom of sometimes letting your kids walk away from goals
Something we need to prioritize in training our kids in that WILL matter in future years
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Do your kids know how to write a cheque? Boil water for pasta? Balance a budget? Sometimes we get so focused on teaching our kids these heart concepts, like God LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY! Yet, we forget to teach them how to do their laundry or fix a tire.
Today we are chatting about:
The value of teaching your children to write thank you notes
Skills we were brought up knowing that kids these days lack
Why Anne told her kids they didn’t have to work in college but why they decided to (a valid reason!)
Creative ways to teach your children about budgeting and debt
Why it’s key to remind your kids to consider others (including their parents)
The importance of sibling dates before one sibling moves away
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Confession: It’s HARD when the kids are GONE. Like really gone. You know, when they are fully moved out and won’t be bouncing back for summer break from college anymore since they now have a place of their own. Today we are chatting about how our expectations don’t always match lived out experiences for Empty Nesting. And how the grief of your kids leaving can appear in surprising ways and how each kid leaving will hit a bit different.
Check out today’s episode to hear:
Will your house be cleaner now without kids? Do you get another pet to fill the void?
Ways your time is freed up
The importance of reconnecting with your spouse BEFORE the kids are permanently gone
Things Becky is looking forward to and things she is dreading about having a fully Empty Nest
The weird transition into a new normal
Things Anne didn’t anticipate about leaving her son at his own home
How hard it is to not make mothering your identity
Why grieving is actually just part of parenting
The tough parts of mommin’ adult children (why don’t they call more!? Gah, so hard that they don’t need me as much anymore…)
Why your aren’t “doing Empty Nesting wrong” if you miss your kids
Dog IG account mentioned: https://www.instagram.com/simonsits?igsh=aWliY2l2a2FmNzJ6
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Suddenly with the kids gone you have more downtime. Today we are chatting about how to fill your time, in ways that fill you up personally, but also eases the bittersweetness of having an empty home.
We chat about:
A funny way that Anne has become her mother (ahem, a hobby Anne found out she loved that her own mother loved)
Ideas of creative hobbies to try to make your free time enjoyable and meaningful
The importance of having interests of you own (besides work or your kids)
Our experiences as moms during the pandemic
Things on our dream list to do
A key question to ask yourself TODAY
The different categories to find hobbies in (they all start with the letter s!)
Practical reflection questions to ask to help figure out what to do in your new found spare time
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Should you hold off on turning their room into a crafting room? Is it okay to move from their childhood home? Track their location yes or no? So many questions, so many opinions. Today we are discussing an article we found, sharing if we agree or disagree about things the article suggests we reframe from doing when your child goes off to college.
Today we chat about:
7 things we have heard you should not do when your kids leave for college
How Anne did not follow the article’s suggestions and why that’s okay
What a “highschool home” is
Hear how Becky “breaks” a rule from the article during the podcast episode! LOL!
The Biblical take on giving your kid space being essential
The thought of going back to the old fashioned days and how we communicated with our parents back then
The wisdom of showing your kids YOU are independent, in order for them to grow in independence themselves
The article referenced: https://apple.news/AmGzs2qdWQPC4Tuhh3WjiuQ
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Are you in the thick of touring colleges with your senior kid? Is it causing mega stress or excitement for you and them? It’s a big choice, looking forward towards the future and figuring out where they want to land for the next 4+ years. Or deciding if they even want to go to college.
Tune in today to hear:
The wisdom of dividing and conquering the activities between mom and dad for that senior year
The importance of your kids noticing how they feel when they are walking the campus
Why it’s okay to not choose the fancy school
Being open to going to your rival school
What a Vibe Check is and why your kid needs to do it
The power of considering building community when deciding on a school
Cost of tuition and how that may impact their school choice/college experience
Does everyone have an “Aha Moment?”
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