Having a second baby? Maybe your third? This episode is all about adding a child - navigating big emotions (both yours and your toddlers'), practical tips for toddlers getting a sibbling and my experience with adding a second child vs adding a third child.  EMAIL ME hello@micaela.ca CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:50 You've got this! 03:27 Navigating your own emotions 05:37 Helping your toddler transition 09:42 Prepare for postpartum 12:12 Baby #2 & Baby #3 differences and similarities 18:55 Final encouragement

Have you been putting off starting your Blog or another creative outlet? For years, I told myself I didn't have time to blog or that I didn't know how to start a blog. But really, I was afraid. I let insecurities hold me back from pursuing my God-given dreams. If you desire to write or create content to encourage the world, there's a good chance this is a call God has placed on your life and you need to be obedient!   I'm sharing 5 reasons to start your blog today along with some encouragement for the process. Let's connect! Email me at hello@micaela.ca BOOK RECOMMENDATION Create Anyway https://amzn.to/44Jsypz    CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:04 Why are we talking about this? 04:22 Five reasons to start your blog 04:33 You can start imperfectly 06:31 There is room for you 07:16 Clarity comes with action 08:50 Your confidence will grow 09:32 It will be fun! 10:18 Final encouragement

Are you struggling to make time to read the bible or make time for God as a busy mom of toddlers? I'm sharing some spiritual disciplines working for me right now as a toddler mom along with some tips if you're looking to make a change.   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:51 Podcast update 02:37 Reading the bible as a busy mom 03:42 What's working for me 16:51 Areas I want to grow in 19:43 Where should you start?

Calling all praying mamas! If you're trying to figure out how to pray for your children or what to pray at your toddler's bedtime, I'm here to share some of my favourite prayers for your baby and toddler. We cover prayers for your baby in the womb, prayers for new parents and what I pray now with toddlers. There is no wrong way to pray. I hope this episode will bless you and encourage you to bring your sweet children before God! LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela.ca/podcast/028 💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:05 Why I pray 02:23 How to pray 04:52 Pray over your child's relationship with Christ 08:43 Pray for wisdom 09:54 Pray for your child's identity in Christ 11:15 Pray for the people they encounter 12:46 Pray for yourself 13:12 Our bedtime prayer

I really love motherhood. I used to be afraid to tell you that because I was worried it would end. I was worried adding a second child or a surprise pregnancy or three kids under three would put an end to my beautiful life and make me miss my child-free days. But I’m tired of hiding it. I LOVE being a mom, and enjoying motherhood is a gift I don’t want to keep to myself. Today I’m sharing 10 thoughts that help me enjoy my days as a mom in hopes to encourage you and help you rewire some of the negative mindsets you might be stuck in. I hope this episode blesses you!   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela.ca/podcast/027 💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca Get Out of Your Head (Jennie Allen) https://amzn.to/3REzFYF Take Back Your Family (Jefferson Bethke) https://amzn.to/44d2Rxk Family Teams Podcast https://familyteams.com/podcasts/    CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:48 My early days as a mom 03:05 I'm a new person and that's a good thing 06:03 I don't need to mother on my own strength 07:29 I want to treat every day like its my last 09:46 My kids are learning so much right now 11:10 These are the good old days 11:50 The best is yet to come 12:55 Family is the whole point 17:16 This problem has a solution 19:48 The rules are fake 21:54 Our family is a team 24:28 It's not my job to make my kids happy

GET 20% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF NATURAL CYCLES https://www.naturalcycles.com/refer-a-friend?code=referralid20&name=TWljYWVsYQ%3D%3D&referral=99shhwn7kwr98owv If you’ve been wondering how to prevent pregnancy naturally, look no further! I’m sharing why I love natural family planning, my brief experience with hormonal birth control and why we love the Natural Cycles birth control app as the simplest way to prevent pregnancy naturally.  LINKS Natural Cycles https://www.naturalcycles.com/refer-a-friend?code=referralid20&name=TWljYWVsYQ%3D%3D&referral=99shhwn7kwr98owv Taking Charge of Your Fertility Book https://amzn.to/4lFM9wV  My Favourite Pregnancy Tests https://amzn.to/42Btf1l  Ovulation Strips https://amzn.to/4iueHqp  Episode Transcript micaela.ca/podcast/026    CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:18 My experience with hormonal birth control 03:27 The simplest way to NFP 05:28 5 Reasons I love NFP 12:18 5 Simple steps to get started with natural family planning

Today we’re talking marriage with toddlers and 12 ways to serve your husband even with little kids at home. These are some of my best tips for a successful marriage after kids to keep you communicating with your husband and showing him love. We’ll cover ideas like greeting him at the door, a better way to ask about his day, praying for your husband, what to text while he’s at work and so much more.   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela.ca/podcast/025 💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:40 Why this matters 02:44 Make him a hot meal 04:48 Find out what matters when he first gets home 05:38 Offer him some time to himself 06:19 Pray for him 08:57 Write him a note 11:26 Be honest with him 12:29 A new way to ask "how was your day" 13:51 Greet him at the door 14:28 Surprise him with a snack 14:48 Speak well of him 16:45 Do one of his chores for him 18:18 Assume the best about him 21:23 Our new theme verse: Hebrews 10:24

In a more fun and lighthearted episode, I'm sharing what I wish I knew about pregnancy before getting pregnant the first time. Hopefully this list will make you giggle or find something to relate to whether you are a first time mom, or pregnant with your fourth like me! We touch on pregnancy ultrasounds, medical care here in Ontario, big emotions in pregnancy and my #1 tip for enjoying birth. What surprised you about pregnancy? Share your thoughts in the comments, or send me an email hello@micaela.ca   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/024 💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:39 Midwifery Care in Ontario 02:39 Ultrasounds are not like the movies 04:03 I forgot I was pregnant 05:08 Unsolicited advice/comments 06:28 I liked being pregnant 07:54 How it changed my marriage 08:26 I felt sorry for my husband 08:46 It might take time to love your baby 10:05 You might cry about the life you're leaving behind 11:20 Waiting to give birth is super weird 13:14 You might not want it to end 13:52 My number one birth tip

This episode is for the mama who’s feeling tired, overwhelmed, and  guilty for not loving every minute of raising toddlers. We’ll unpack my beef with the "motherhood is hard" narrative and go over a few small steps you can take to find joy when stay-at-home-mom-life feels overwhelming. Life may be anything but picture-perfect, but I hope you’ll leave this one feeling seen, encouraged, and reminded that hard doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong and you will find joy again!   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD (book by Jennie Allen) https://amzn.to/42y4y6b 📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela.ca/podcast/023 💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:43 The "motherhood is hard" narritive 05:56 Hard doesn't mean you're doing it wrong! 09:36 Where are you finding fulfillment? 11:46 Notice something new 16:25 Lighten the load of your home 17:27 Take a social media break

We're getting ready to have four kids under four! Today I'm answering all things baby #4. Do we believe in birth control? Are we finding out the gender? What do we drive? How do I survive pregnancy with 3 toddlers? I'm answering these and more today.  If you want to submit a question or respond to today's episode, I would LOVE to hear from you! Email me at hello@micaela.ca or leave a comment if the platform allows. LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela.ca/podcast/022   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:53 Was this pregnancy planned? 02:39 Do we believe in birth control? 03:44 Are we finding out the gender? 04:31 Why are our kids so close together? 05:02 What do we drive? 06:04 Birth plan? 07:05 How do we afford so many kids? 09:53 Pregnancy with toddlers? 12:26 What does my husband think?

As a first-time mom, I felt the pressure to buy everything for my baby. But now that I'm expecting baby #4, I'm here to tell you you really don’t need it all. Some items are just a waste of space and money! I'm sharing 10 baby items you can leave off your minimalist baby registry along with my top recommendations for baby sleep, baby feeding, baby gear, baby toys and more. If you're a mom on a budget googling "what do I ACTUALLY need on my baby registry?" you're going to love this encouraging episode.   LINKS 📝EPISODE NOTES & LINKS📝 micaela/ca/podcast/021 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ    💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:52 Why you don't need it all 02:53 10 baby items not to buy 10:20 Items I DO recommend! 10:45 Baby sleep registry items 13:48 Baby feeding registry items 17:48 Starting solids 20:23 Baby toys 24:08 Baby gear  

Quiet time is an essential part of our daily routine! We all need a rest during the day, whether my toddlers admit it or not. I'm sharing my best tips for implementing quiet time, how to respond when your toddler refuses to nap and tips to foster independent play even during the hours everyone is awake.   LINKS VISUAL TIMER WE USE https://amzn.to/4l57O1l  📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/020 💻EMAIL ME💻 hello@micaela.ca   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:28 Why we have quiet time 02:48 How I talk about quiet time 03:29 Nap refusals 04:27 Independent play tips 11:57 How we started doing quiet time

Surprise! I'm pregnant with my fourth baby! I thought I would share the news along with my best pregnancy tips for surviving the first trimester. If you're pregnant too and being plagued by nausea, fatigue and food aversions, I hope these tips will bless you. I've had all my kids 15 months apart, and I can honestly say my third and fourth pregnancies have been the smoothest so far.   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/019 💻EMAIL ME💻  hello@micaela.ca GET A BIDET https://amzn.to/4kYpdZo   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:49 Announcing my fourth pregnancy 01:34 First trimester survival guide 01:43 Set realistic expectations 03:39 Good nutrition 07:27 Communicating with my kids 09:01 A good sleep routine 10:42 Batch cooking 12:19 Having a midwife 14:35 My bidet 15:24 Leave your questions in the comments!

About a year ago, my search history looked like this: “Pros and cons of the 15-month age gap?” “What is the best age gap?” “Two under two tips” "Should I have my kids close in age?" It feels surreal being on the other side of the transition and able to share my own experience as a two-under-two mom. Spoiler alert - we love our small age gap! If you're looking for a positive perspective on two under two and the 15 month age gap, this is it! I'm sharing both pros and cons, but in my opinion, the pros heavily outweigh the cons.   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/018 💻READ MY BLOG💻 https://www.micaela.ca/blog   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 03:03 Cons of a 15 month age gap 07:25 Pros of a 15 month age gap 09:35 Encouragement for the transition from 1 to 2 kids 14:39 You've got this!

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to make time to read as a busy mom, look no further! As an avid reader averaging 8-10 books per month (even as a mom of three) I’m sharing my best tips and tricks to find time to read. I’m sharing what I read, my personal conviction about fiction books as a Christian mom and why I love reading on Kindle. I know, I know. It’s hard to take the plunge and switch to Kindle, but if you’ve been wondering, “should I get a kindle?” I’m here with a confident “YES!”   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   MY FAVOURITE KINDLE https://amzn.to/41RP1O3  📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/017 💻READ MY BLOG💻 https://www.micaela.ca/blog   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:22 Why reading is a great hobby 03:43 Why you need a Kindle! 05:48 What I read 07:18 My favourite Christian fiction authors 08:11 How to make time to read 11:04 How to want to read

Being a stay at home mom is a blessing. But it comes with its own set of unique challenges! Should you have a stay-at-home mom schedule? How should you spend your time as a stay-at-home mom? Do you need to take your kids out every day of the week to make sure you socialize them enough? In this episode I'm sharing a few of my favorite stay-at-home mom tips along with my personal schedule or rather routine in this season with three kids under three. LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/016 💻READ MY BLOG💻 https://www.micaela.ca/blog BOOK - The Lazy Genius Way https://amzn.to/4iBn7wO    CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:00 Why I like having structure 02:08 Your Mindset 03:55 How to introduce loose structure 04:25 My personal routine 07:14 Plan ahead 07:57 Leave space in your schedule 08:46 Minimize the decisions you make 10:43 Accept that your life may look different than your friends  

If you’re out there googling “how to wake up before my kids” I want to introduce you to another way. You don’t have to get up hours before dawn to be a good mom or to have peaceful mornings. It is possible to have peaceful mornings with your toddlers even if you hit the ground running. As a mom of three, I value every bit of sleep I can get, and that includes in the morning! I’m sharing how I plan accordingly and how I view my mornings to set us up for success.   LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/015 💻READ MY BLOG💻 https://www.micaela.ca/blog   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:32 Why I sleep in 03:40 Choose what matters & stop feeling guilty 06:01 How I prepare to sleep in 06:25 Breakfast 06:55 My Kitchen 07:49 If we need to leave the house 08:14 I end the day feeling fulfilled & rested 08:50 Find a different time to read the Bible

"Should I have kids?" you're wondering. Or maybe "Am I ready to have a baby?" Or for all the toddler moms out there, you're asking, "should I have another baby?" It seems like everyone is trying to answer this question lately. But in all the videos I watch on family planning, they're missing an important piece: your faith. Following Jesus changes everything about having kids. It changes our perspective on purpose, money, capacity and so much more. Let's begin unpacking this huge decision in today's episode.    LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/014 💻READ MY BLOG💻 https://www.micaela.ca/blog   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:05 Why this is on my heart 02:19 How Christians think about happiness 05:25 How Christians think about money 07:07 How Christians think about capacity 08:31 What we gain when we lay down our life 11:30 A disclaimer about marriage 12:00 The fertility question I wrestle with   Can motherhood really be made simple? I'm not going to tell you it can be easy. Anything worth doing requires hard work! But you don't have to feel burdened and stressed out and overwhelmed anymore. You don't need to do this on your own strength. I'm Micaela, and I'm here to help Christian moms of toddlers work on a positive motherhood mindset and simplify the things we can as we learn to trust God with the rest. I've made it my mission to help you find lasting joy and peace as you raise your precious toddlers.

Mama, I see you struggling through those toddler tantrums! I'm here with practical tips and encouragement for the days you don't understand your one-year-old, two-year-old or three-year-old and their big emotions. If you feel like you've entered the "terrible twos," I want to help you reframe that perspective and help you handle toddler meltdowns with grace and compassion.    LINKS 📖MY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODDLER MOMS📖 https://amzn.to/42UhhBQ   📝EPISODE TRANSCRIPT📝 micaela/ca/podcast/013 💻READ MY BLOG💻 https://www.micaela.ca/blog   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:13 Your mindset around toddler tantrums 06:42 Your perception of yourself 08:21 Preventing toddler tantrums 14:53 Managing meltdowns 16:04 Apologize if you need to   Can motherhood really be made simple? I'm not going to tell you it can be easy. Anything worth doing requires hard work! But you don't have to feel burdened and stressed out and overwhelmed anymore. You don't need to do this on your own strength. I'm Micaela, and I'm here to help Christian moms of toddlers work on a positive motherhood mindset and simplify the things we can as we learn to trust God with the rest. I've made it my mission to help you find lasting joy and peace as you raise your precious toddlers. 

Let's chat about how to be creative as a mom, how to have fun and find hobbies that work in a busy season of raising toddlers. I'm sharing five of my favourite crafts for moms that work well around babies and toddlers. From crocheting and embroidery to watercolour and blogging, I hope these mom-hobbies will inspire you. LINKS CRAFT SUPPLIES Caligraphy Caligraphy Pens: https://amzn.to/3XvfJea  Free Caligraphy Course: https://courses.thehappyevercrafter.c... Watercolour Paints: https://amzn.to/4i3l30x Blogging My posts about blogging: https://www.micaela.ca/blog/tag/blogging Blog Post Ideas: https://www.micaela.ca/blog-post-ideas  Crochet Yarn: https://amzn.to/4i08bbm  Crochet Hook: https://amzn.to/3F6xNVC  Embroidery Embroidery Kit: https://amzn.to/4kEHfjp  BOOK RECOMMENDATION Create Anyway by Ashlee Gadd:  https://amzn.to/3QKMznt  CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:54 Why I want to create 02:37 Ground rules for crafting 04:29 Caligraphy 05:28 Watercolor painting 06:23 Blogging 08:08 Crocheting 08:50 Embroidery