We'll Be Your Family

When it comes to hospitality, for author, yoga teacher, and C+C writer Melanie Dale, it's a family affair. Join Ashlee and Katie as they talk with Melanie about one of her essays in YIGC, "We'll Be Your Family on Christmas Eve," and get the scoop on her annual Christmas Eve party. From what her parents taught her to what she's passed on to her kids, Melanie shares her tips for leaving a legacy of hospitality. Find out which ingredient in her chili recipe is straight out of a horror movie, her worst dinner party ever (oof, the smell!), and how she pivoted from Christian nonfiction to middle grade paranormal fantasy with her new book, GIRL OF LORE! This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Melanie Dale has written a handful of books; listen to this bonus episode to find out our Favorite Books of 2025. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.   

We are thrilled to be back with a brand new podcast series to go along with our brand new Coffee + Crumbs book, You're In Good Company. In upcoming weeks, you'll hear from every writer who contributed to this collection of essays—a true preview of what's inside these pages. First up, Katie shares how making sourdough is a metaphor for letting grief and healing take its time, while Ashlee introduces us to the idea that "friendship" can be a verb; it's something we do with commitment and consistency. We hope this episode (this whole series, really!) encourages you to live out the gift of friendship—right where you are, with the people in front of you. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Releasing You're In Good Company is a huge win; listen to this bonus episode to hear more about What Went Right for us last year. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.

Today, we're talking all things foster care with Jessica Mathisen, a foster, adoptive, and bio mom. Jessica sheds light on the enormous need for vulnerable kids to have a safe place to call home, misconceptions about foster care, challenges for foster families, and how churches, neighbors—and essentially everyone—can help in some capacity. Good news: being a Super Christian is not a prerequisite for making a difference. If you're feeling convicted by this conversation (we sure are), she encourages us to take the next baby step because we'll never know all the good that God is doing with each "yes" along the way.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Jessica shares about foster care; listen to this episode to hear An Honest Conversation About Adoption. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.   

Today, we're doing things a little differently—our guest is a dad. Author and spoken word poet, Tanner Olson, shares his heart (and humor!) as we chat about his long journey to fatherhood and what God has taught him along the way. Tanner's words and vulnerability are profound as he reminds us to  s l o w  d o w n , notice the world around us, and that there's always hope in the midst of hardship. Oh, and he also tells us what dads actually want for Father's Day, so don't miss out.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Tanner shared his POV about fatherhood; listen to this bonus episode to hear POV: You're a Single Mom. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. 

Whether it's a different job, or another church, or yet another military move, we've all been the new girl at some point in our lives. Today, author Lindsay Swoboda—who's moved seventeen times!—joins us to chat about how we can hold the unknowns of a Life Raft Season loosely, yet intentionally. Lindsay shares her best tips for creating a sense of home, encourages us to sit with our kids in their pain instead of trying to take it away, and challenges us to pursue new friendships, even if it feels awkward. We hope this conversation gives you the confidence to build a life of connection, no matter what city or life situation you land in.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Lindsay shares tips for being the new girl. Listen to this bonus episode to hear our tips on Taking Your Friendships Out of the Group Chat. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs. 

One of our all-time favorite guests and unofficial Mentor Mom of the C+C team, Krista Gilbert, is back to answer alllllll our questions about motherhood. A mom to four grown kids, Krista shares her best advice for marital disagreements (humility is underrated), tailoring parenting to kids' individual needs (one-on-one time is key), and navigating the conversations we'd rather avoid (like, changing bodies and sex). From sibling relationships to responding to our kids' choices, Krista graciously reminds us that it always starts with us and our modeling, but it doesn't end there: our identity is not tied to our kids' outcomes, and that may be the greatest encouragement of all.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Krista hasn't been our only mentor, listen to this Ask a Mentor Mom with Ruth Chou Simons.  For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.   

Today we're joined by author Greta Eskridge, who shines a light on how to approach a dark topic with our kids: pornography. The stats tell us it's not a matter of if our kids will be exposed to porn, but when. Luckily equipping our kids doesn't have to be as scary as we think. Greta shares practical language for age-appropriate, hope-filled conversations and makes a strong case for moms to lead the way. We hope this episode gives you the confidence to talk with your kids about porn so they can stay safe in our digital world and also grow into sexually whole adults. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. For more on how technology is affecting our kids, listen to our bonus episode Kids + Tech (Our Version). For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.   

One of our all-time favorite guests, Aundi Kolber—author, mother, and therapist—is back, and today she's encouraging us to take what we need. Aundi sheds light on how and why we end up disembodied, how to reclaim connection with our God-given needs (especially as moms), and how we can play the role of participant in our own healing. Whether you're struggling to notice what you're lacking or struggling to prioritize your own care, we adore Aundi's nudge to approach ourselves and circumstances with tenderness, but also a touch of fierceness that proclaims, "I matter." This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Aundi helped us tune into our needs. Listen to this bonus episode, How to Ask Better Questions, for some ideas to learn what's important to others in your life.  For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.   

From rediscovering the art of thrifting to embracing breathwork, today we're sharing what's keeping us grounded in the midst of life's demands. While Ashlee's fueling her body with protein smoothies and filling her Little Free Library with hope-filled books, Katie's got Jackie Hill Perry in her earbuds and Half Baked Harvest meals on her plate. We hope this episode inspires you to find a workspace with loads of natural light (it doesn't have to be a coffee shop!) and a sliver of time to finally clean out that junk drawer.  This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Listen to the original What's Saving My Life Right Now bonus episode. Spoiler: We're still Rage Cleaning™ for mental health. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.   

Amanda spends two years of her impressionable adolescence under the care of Larry Nassar, former family medicine physician and team doctor of the US women's national gymnastics team. Having not fully understood that what she experienced was abuse, it's only later—when Amanda and her husband struggle to conceive—that the details of her painful story come to light. Then, just as the case against Larry begins to hit the media, Amanda becomes pregnant. She steps forward, along with 155 other women, to testify against Nassar in court. Amanda uses her voice for the daughter she's carrying, and in the process re-discovers her own. Content warning: sexual abuse.  At the close of this series, we want to extend a special thank you to each woman who bravely offered their story to the project. If this series impacted you, encouraged you, or opened your heart or mind in some way, please help us spread the word. We'd love for you to share this series with your friends and family, your colleagues, and even your online circles. If you've only got a minute to spare, please leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to podcasts, which helps other women find our show. "Making a Mother" is a production of Coffee + Crumbs.  Executive Producer, Writer: Ashlee Gadd.  Producer, Writer, Host: Julie Vlahon.  Writer: Sonya Spillmann. Music, Sound Design, Mix Engineer: Scott Vlahon. Special thanks to WDIV in Detroit for permission to use their reporting on the Nassar case and trial. We also want to thank Stacy Kaiser and Dr. Lauren Bouchard for their expertise. To learn more about RAINN or M-Power or any of the information we shared in today's episode visit our show notes at coffeeandcrumbs.net/makingamother. This episode is brought to you by Needed—offering Radically Better Nutrition™. Use CC20 at checkout to get 20% off your first order. This episode is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/CC10 and get 10% off your first month. This series is also brought to you by the paid Substack Community of Coffee + Crumbs. To support our work in the future, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com. From all of us at Coffee + Crumbs, thank you for listening to Making a Mother.