On Letting the Field Lie Fallow

Well, friends, we’ve made it to the end of another amazing year here on The Modern Lady Podcast and it’s time to wrap things up. But as we’ve been winding down this season, we’ve been sensing that perhaps we’re being called to take another longer break from producing the podcast. It’s a natural pull that we seem to collectively sense as summer comes upon us: this desire to pull back, draw ourselves away from the hustle and bustle of the ordinary year, and… breathe! As we wrap up the sixth season of The Modern Lady Podcast, this familiar pull is also accompanied by something else: an invitation to consider the idea of a sabbatical, and letting the fields lie fallow.  

'Burnout' is a popular term in our culture today… but do we truly understand it? The truth is that many of us have experienced or are experiencing stress at high levels, all while trying to still keep life firmly on the rails.  And when left unchecked, this can quickly lead to burnout.  But what is burnout, really?  And are there some ways that we can curb it in our own lives?  This week, we'll dig into the history of burnout, how to recognize the stages of it and discuss various tips and advice on how to keep it at bay .

As we settle into the spring season, one theme has been popping up for us here at The Modern Lady, and that is the subject of self-care and what it REALLY means to take good care of ourselves.  We're hoping to revisit this topic again on the podcast soon, so we thought it would be a good time to rebroadcast our episode on self-care from back in 2019 first - it's another gem from our very first season of the podcast!  While in some ways this episode may sound a bit dated (given how radically our world has changed in the last few years!), we were pleasantly surprised to find that our views on self-care, though perhaps deepened, haven't really changed all that much!  So journey back with us today to visit "2019 Michelle and Lindsay" and chat with us about what it truly means to seek sustainable self care!   (Originally aired: February 5, 2019)

The temperatures are slowly rising, the birds are gradually returning and the Easter season is upon us!  It must be spring!  And you know what that means, dear listeners:  it’s time for our annual Spring Trends episode!  What’s in and what’s out in 2024?  Well, stay tuned, friends, as we dig into the food, fashion and travel “its and icks” this year!

Cultivating friendships is deep work.  Heart-work!  But making friends and maintaining relationships can sometimes be easier said than done, especially in today’s society. The desire and search for meaningful friendships remains foremost in many of our lives.  And while we look for those who will leave those lasting footprints in our hearts, it’s also important to consider how we too, by our friendship, impact the hearts of others as well! This week, we're chatting about the changing landscape of friendship, including on how we've changed since recording our first episode on the subject in 2020, how technology and AI may have a bigger impact than we think, what Dunbar's Number adds to the equation and how, in spite of all these things, that perhaps the core of what friendship is may not have changed so much after all.

Join us as we revisit another one of our past episodes!  This one is from our very first season of the podcast in 2019.  We have been wanting to record another episode on friendship for quite a while now, and are ready to finally dig back in - stay tuned for a brand new episode on friendship next week!  In the meantime, though, we invite you to tune in to this episode from Season 1 first.  Enjoy!

This week, where we live, temperatures are balmy and warm, prompting us to begin thinking about spring cleaning!  So we dug through the archives and found one of our favourite episodes, The Cleaning Compendium, from January 2020 to help inspire us:“This week, Michelle and Lindsay tackle the MANY questions they received from The Modern Lady community and dish the dirt on all things housekeeping!  From “The Friday Clean” to “The Five-Minute Tidy”, cleaning with kids to cleaning green, from laundry flow to listener tips and tricks – this truly is the “catch all” of cleaning resources from the ladies!”

Lent is the perfect time to tackle this topic!  The reality of temptation in our lives is guaranteed and hard to ignore.  Whether it’s avoiding sin, or sticking to a new routine or good habit, the temptation to take the easy road sometimes seems to be omnipresent.  But by seeking to understand why we are tempted and how we can overcome it, we believe that we can, indeed, face it with hope!

In every generation, there is a desire to be somewhat of a “radical”, to buck the current culture and trends, and to leave our own unique mark on the world.  But what if there were radical things we could do, starting today, that had the potential to change our own hearts, strengthen our homes and relationships and that would leave a legacy in light of the eternal?  This week, we're discussing three simple things we can do that may be counter-cultural according to the world's standards, but that have the potential to truly transform your new year!

’Tis  (almost) the season!  After decking the halls, many of us are welcoming guests into our homes for the holidays!  And whether you’re hosting a large family party or an intimate soiree with close friends, the thought and planning that goes into preparing to host can be overwhelming!  But what if we reframed hosting this holiday season?  From common stressors, to hosting tips, this week, we're chatting about why it's ultimately important that we, as a society, remain open to opening our homes to others and how, then, inviting others in has the potential to be one of the most special and intentional gifts we can give!