Hosting Tips to be the Hangout House :: Logan Wolfram [Ep 505]

Do you feel like it takes too much time and energy to host? Does having people in your home stress you out or seem out of reach? Today Logan Wolfram joins me- she is an author and speaker that knows how to host well. We met long-long ago at a blogger’s conference before the podcasting world was even a thing. I have been drawn to her knack for pulling people into her home and sat down to glean her wisdom in this area. Here are the topics we covered… Stocking the pantry for hosting Batch cooking tips and tricks Signature dishes and family favorites How to handle having a “smaller” home and hosting Figuring out what your kids and their friends are into and leaning into those places Connect with Logan Wolfram:  Website:  Logan Wolfram - Live Curious Instagram:  Logan Lane Wolfram (@loganlwolfram) Links Mentioned:   Interview for Declare Conference– How to Not Miss Out [Ep 17] Logan’s recipes Roux instructions and diagram Jackbox.TV Related Episodes: Work of Worth :: Kristi Griem {Ep 39} The Turquoise Table :: Kristin Schell {Ep 37} Summer of Mentorship 2019 Week Four :: Helen Smallbone Featured Sponsors:  Betterhelp-Write your story, with Betterhelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/DMA to get 10% off your first month. Rosetta Stone-Start the New Year off with a resolution you CAN reach! Today Don’t Mom Alone listeners can take advantage of this Rosetta Stone’s LIFETIME Membership for 50% off! Visit https://www.rosettastone.com/dma. That’s 50% off unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your life.  Apostrophe-Whether you’re dealing with acne, signs of aging, or dark spots, Apostrophe helps you get access to the right treatments for your skin. We have a special deal for our audience: Get your first visit for only five dollars at Apostrophe.com/DMA when you use our code: DMA. That’s a savings of fifteen dollars! This code is only available to our listeners. Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

As we enter a new year do you feel stuck or like last year did not go like you intended it to? Are you dealing with disappointments and finding it difficult to see God in your situation?  Today Cleere Cherry Reaves, author and podcaster, joins me to talk about how God’s word is the most powerful tool in shifting our focus and seeing the Lord in our everyday circumstances. In her new book Revive she writes about how Jesus is with us through the storms and trials of life, He does not simply pluck us out of every situation but we learn how to see Him in the hard times. Here are some topics we cover… Cleere’s son has a powerful testimony in the making as a non-verbal kid. She shares how she uses the word of God to reframe that situation.  How in seasons of brokenness and fragility we see the strength of God.  Trusting God's Plan and Recalibrating Expectations. How our habits create a “diet” of what we are consuming and how to change those to be more focused on the word of God.  How to take time to listen to the voice of God.  Connect with Cleere Cherry Reaves:  Website:  Cleerely Stated - Personal and Purposeful Products Facebook: Cleerely Stated Instagram:  Cleere Cherry Reaves | Speaker, Author + Podcaster Links Mentioned:   Candle Warmer Lamp Living Fearless: by Jamie Winship Revive: by Cleere Cherry Reaves Be Still: 90 Devotions for the Hopeful Heart: by Cleere Cherry Reaves Related Episodes: Processing Grief, Infertility, and Loss in Community :: Julie Fowler [Ep 502] Identifying Your God-Given Space (part 1) :: Cleere Cherry Reaves [Ep 403] Exchange False Beliefs with True Identity :: Jamie Winship [Ep 433] Featured Sponsors:  Pair Eyewear– Show off new sides of yourself this year. Go to paireyewear.com and use code DONTMOM for 15% off your first pair. And support the show by mentioning that Don't Mom Alone sent you in your post-checkout survey! Thrive Market–Ready for a junk-free start to 2025? Head to ThriveMarket.com/dma and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift Hiya Health–We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/DMA. This deal is not available on their regular website Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Do you feel like your mind is full of tasks making it hard to focus and be present with your family? Do you struggle to articulate what you need, feel, or want from your spouse?  Today, Dr. Morgan Cutlip is here to help us navigate the topic of mental load specifically as moms. Morgan is a psychologist and highly sought after relationship expert. Her book Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself helps moms advocate for their needs in a loving way. We cover a large range of issues facing parents today including…  The invisible running to-do list we keep in our minds. How to identify your needs and communicate them. How to get clear about what you feel and need so you do not confuse your spouse.  Identifying the two different types of guilt and how to respond.  The three domains of mental load- cognitive, physical, and emotional. Navigating the holiday season with the added tasks and pressure to make it magical.  Connect with Dr. Morgan Cutlip:  Website:  Dr. Morgan Cutlip Facebook: Dr. Morgan Cutlip Instagram:  Dr. Morgan Cutlip (@drmorgancutlip) Links Mentioned:   Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself by Dr. Morgan Cutlip A Better Share : How Couples Tackle the Mental Load  (pre-order)  How We Feel App  Related Episodes: Organize Your Mental Load  :: Laurel Denise [Ep 444] “How do I connect better with my kids?” [Ep 475] :: Summer of Mentorship Week 1 Body Awareness in Parenting :: Mary Van Geffen [Ep 333] Featured Sponsors:  Rosetta Stone - Start the New Year off with a resolution you CAN reach! Today Don’t Mom Alone listeners can take advantage of this New Year’s special of Rosetta Stone’s LIFETIME Membership! Visit www.rosettastone.com/dma. That’s unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your life.  Thrive Market - Want to shop at a grocery store that actually cares for your health? Go to ThriveMarket.com/DMA for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.  Greenlight -A debit card and money app for parents to raise financially smart kids and families to navigate life, together. Sign up for Greenlight today at Greenlight.com/dma Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Have you or a friend ever walked through a season of infertility and grief? Do you often wonder what to say when a friend is walking through loss of any kind?  Today my friend Julie Fowler is here to talk about her heartbreaking (but hopeful) story of motherhood and how God used her story to help people navigate loss. Julie has faced miscarriage, adoptions that fell through at the last minute, and baby twins she only held for four short hours. She truly has walked this long road and knows all of the feelings of grief and uncertainty around waiting for a baby. This valley produced a beautiful study of walking through infertility in community and connecting with God in the deepest, darkest places. We cover so much in our conversation including… How to talk to a friend in a season of infertility and loss- what not to say.  How husbands and wives can support each other instead of turning on one another.  Sharing your feelings with the Lord and then speaking truth over yourself. Wrestling with deep spiritual questions when your prayers are not being answered.   Making a support group uplifting instead of only heavy while still leaving room to process.  Connect with Julie Fowler:  Website:  Julie Fowler Ministries Facebook: Juliefowlerministries | Facebook Instagram:  Julie Fowler Ministries (@juliefowlerministries) Links Mentioned:   Infertility Bible Studies and Resources — Julie Fowler Ministries Treasures in the Waiting: by Julie Fowler Navigating Infertility and Loss with Strength and Hope: by Julie Fowler When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden: by Sandra Glahn Related Episodes: Nobody’s Mother :: Dr. Sandra Glahn [Ep 443] Hope During Infertility and Infant Loss :: Shawna Beucler [Ep 203] Every Bitter Thing is Sweet :: Sara Hagerty [Ep 143] Featured Sponsors:  Greenlight–Sign up for Greenlight today at Greenlight.com/dma. Great debit card and money app to raise financially smart kids and for families to navigate life, together. Betterhelp Find comfort this December, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/DMA today to get 10% off your first month. Beam-If you want to try Beam’s best-selling Dream Powder, get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com/DMA and use code DMA at checkout. Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Today my conversation with Dallas and Amanda Jenkins is a powerful reminder that the Christmas story still needs to be told thousands of years later. Dallas is the acclaimed director, writer, and producer of The Chosen, and now the heartfelt movie The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  The movie is based on a book read for years in the Jenkins’ house (and many households worldwide). Twenty years ago Amanda brought the book home and asked Dallas to read it to the kids. By the end they were both in tears and could not finish the story without taking turns reading. That started a 20-year journey of Dallas praying to make this movie and the Lord answered through an amazing story in His own time.  Moms play a vital role in this film from a mom telling her son to let Dallas have the rights to the movie, to Amanda helping with the casting, to Grace (the mom in the film) who uses her God-given space to change the lives around her. As we enter the Christmas season let us remember Jesus came for the outsider and not cling so tightly to our traditions that we do not see those who need to hear the true Christmas story.  Connect with Dallas and Amanda:  Website:   Facebook: Dallas Jenkins Instagram:  Dallas Jenkins (@dallas.jenkins) Links Mentioned:   The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | Now Playing In Theaters Molly Wright: How Every Child Can Thrive by Five | TED Related Episodes: Seek Him First :: Lillian Richey [Ep 494] Advent Untangled :: Mindy Rives [Ep 385] Celebrating Advent :: Tsh Oxenreider [Ep 305] Featured Sponsors:  Honeylove-Treat yourself to the best bras and shapewear on the market. Shop Honeylove’s Holiday sale and save an additional 20% Off sitewide at honeylove.com/DMA. Thrive Causemetics–Spice up your holiday season with Thrive Causemetics. Luxury Beauty that gives back. Get an exclusive 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/DMA.  Vegamour–This holiday season, give the gift of great hair with Vegamour. There’s something for everyone, including you! Visit Vegamour.com/DMA code DMA to shop.  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

I can’t believe it but today we are celebrating 500 episodes of Don’t Mom Alone! I am bringing back my very first guest and mentor Leslie to “recap” the last eleven years. Leslie had been encouraging me from before I started this podcast and her fingerprints are all over my motherhood. We get an update on her life and she shares how to navigate the empty nest phase. Leslie reminds us of Psalms 16:6-8 (which I also wrote about in my book), “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” God is faithful in ALL seasons from newborn to empty nest.  Also, some of my listeners call in to share what Don’t Mom Alone has meant to them. Here are a few of the highlights… How healing prayer ministry has been life-changing.  Be in community and reach out for help.  Become the inviter instead of waiting for others to invite you in.  Receive and give grace to others through the challenges of motherhood.  Connect with Leslie Johnson:  Website:  Sursee Gal Instagram:  Leslie Johnson 🎉aka Sursee Gal (@surseegal) Links Mentioned:   *A gift to you!! PDF of Psalm 16:6-8 Right Where You Belong: by Heather MacFadyen Related Episodes: Announcing…the God Centered Mom Podcast! Interview with Leslie Johnson (Sursee Gal) A Pep Talk with Leslie Johnson {SurseeGal} –Yelling/Reading/Needing :: GCM Ep 20 That’s Me. . .Craving Authentic Friendships :: Libby and Leslie {Ep 102} Featured Sponsors:  Betterhelp: Find comfort this December, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/DMA today to get 10% off your first month. Skylight Frame:  And now, as a special, limited-time offer for our listeners, get twenty dollars off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go to SkylightFrame.com/ALONE. Greenlight: The easy, convenient way for parents to raise financially smart kids and families to navigate life, together. Sign up for greenlight today at Greenlight.com/dma.  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Today we continue last week's episode in Part 2 with my friend Charissa Lopez. If you missed part one you can listen here to catch up Click Here for Part 1.  Charissa Lopez is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Dallas specializing in play therapy, EMDR, emotionally focused family therapy, and trauma-informed care. She is full of wisdom and the science to explain why we respond and parent in specific ways based on childhood patterns. We continue the conversation today by covering these topics…  Understanding Secure Attachment.  Exploring Preoccupied Attachment in Parenting  Disorganized Attachment - the most rare of all three tendencies.  Neurodiversity and Attachment Patterns and how to help our neurodivergent kids feel connected.  Interventions for Attachment Patterns - how to heal and parent from a place of secure attachment.  Healing Through Community- God created community for restoration and healing.  Connect with Charissa Lopez:  Website:  Charissa Lopez | Licensed Professional Counselor Links Mentioned:   Welcome Don't Mom Alone Friends! - Charissa Lopez Counseling Secure Relating: by Sue Marriott and Ann Kelley  Related Episodes: Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 1) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 498] Connecting Through Play :: Charissa Fry [Ep 319] Ages and Stages Series–The Tween Years :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 380] “How Do I Regulate My Own Emotions?” :: Charissa Fry [Ep 482] Summer of Mentorship Featured Sponsors:  Skylight Frame: And now, as a special, limited-time offer for our listeners, get twenty dollars off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go to SkylightFrame.com/ALONE.  Greenlight: This episode is sponsored by Greenlight. A debit card and money app made for families. Sign up for Greenlight today at Greenlight.com/DMA IXL Learning: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. And Don’t mom alone listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/DMA.  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Do you ever wonder why you respond the way you do to your kids? Do you feel like there are things to process from childhood but don’t have the words to explain those feelings?  Today Charissa Lopez, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Dallas joins me. She specializes in play therapy, EMDR, emotionally focused family therapy, and trauma-informed care. She is full of wisdom and the science to explain why we respond and parent in specific ways based on childhood patterns.  Join us as we talk about…  Secure attachment in the early years (ages 0-3) and how meeting our little ones needs just 30% of the time allows them to feel secure and attuned.  Loving parental behaviors – beyond the basic needs by showing our kids delight, affection, and supporting their inner and outer exploration.  How to repair relationships and remain a safe place for our kids. Dismissive attachment pattern explained.  HOPE- a way to learn more helpful patterns and allow God to heal past hurts.  Connect with Charissa Lopez:  Website:  Charissa Lopez | Licensed Professional Counselor Links Mentioned:   The Window of Tolerance :: Charissa Fry [Ep 260] Welcome Don't Mom Alone Friends! - Charissa Lopez Counseling–helpful pdfs on loving parental behaviors and attachment styles.  Related Episodes: Connecting Through Play :: Charissa Fry [Ep 319] Ages and Stages Series–The Tween Years :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 380] “How Do I Regulate My Own Emotions?” :: Charissa Fry [Ep 482] Summer of Mentorship Featured Sponsors:  Thrive Causemetics:  Spice up your fall look with Thrive causemetics. Luxury beauty that gives back. Get an exclusive 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/DMA Skylight Frames: As a special, limited-time offer for our listeners, get twenty dollars off your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go to SkylightFrame.com/ALONE.  Betterhelp: Let the gratitude flow, with Betterhelp. ● Visit BetterHelp.com/dma today to get 10% off your first month. Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Do you struggle with discontentment and comparison in motherhood and beyond? Do you constantly second guess the best way to raise your kids in regards to food, education, health, and even naptime? Today, Laura Wifler, from Risen Motherhood is here to talk about her new book written with her sister-in-law Emily Jensen. We start by breaking down the framework they introduce in the Gospel Mom and how we are often looking for a formula to parent our kids but God has given us a framework in the metanarrative of the Bible.  Next, we talk about the challenges of trying to live in a Christian mom community- we know God calls us to be with others but what do we do when friendship is hard or not life-giving? As moms, we feel like there is a right and wrong way to do every single little thing in motherhood- feeding, naptime, schooling, health and those often all lead to comparison. Laura gives us some truth and ideas regarding comparison, how to be content, and accept your actual life. God has so many lessons for us moms if we lean in and apply the gospel lens it helps give life and joy even in hardship.  Connect with Laura Wifler:  Website:  Risen Motherhood: Helping Moms Connect Their Faith To Motherhood Facebook: Risen Motherhood Instagram:  Risen Motherhood®️ (@risenmotherhood) Links Mentioned:   Risen Motherhood: by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler Gospel Mom: by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler, Laura Ep. 93 || How Should We Educate Our Children? The Case for Freedom, Part 1 Ep. 94 || Freedom in Education Choices: An Interview with Melissa Kruger on Private Schooling, Part 2 Ep. 95 || Irene Sun on Homeschool: Freedom in Education Choices, Part 3 Ep. 96 || Freedom in Education Choices: An Interview with Jen Wilkin on Public Schooling, Part 4 A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: by Eugene H., Peterson Related Episodes: Cultivating Intimacy with God in Motherhood :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 490] Owning Your Motherhood :: Erin Moon and Courtney Cleveland [Ep 325] Motherhood, Career, and Identity :: Kat Armstrong [Ep 171] Featured Sponsors:  HoneyLove: Treat yourself to the best bras and shapewear on the market and save up to 50% Off sitewide at honeylove.com/DMA this month only. Inventory is limited and the sale ends soon so don’t miss their best deals of the year. After you purchase, they’ll ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them we sent you. Thrive Market: Want to shop at a grocery store that actually cares for your health? Go to ThriveMarket.com/DMA for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift.  StoryWorth:  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors. 

Ever wonder how your mom friends with all boys or all girls handle parenting? Do you often wonder how in the world a “boy mom” or a “girl mom” views the opposite?  Today my good friend Courtney DeFeo is here to have an in-depth conversation about her experiences as a “girl mom” and asks me tons of great questions about what life with four boys is like (spoiler alert- active and crazy). Courtney is an author, podcaster, and creative mom of two girls. We bring the conversations we have had many times over the lunch table to the podcast today. Often our worlds feel opposite, her girls used to sit and play with playdough for thirty minutes, and my boys sit for three minutes. Her girls love clothes, nails, and coloring while my boys were in a bouncy house, eating my decor, and moving their bodies constantly.  We end by starting to break down the teen years and how the emotions show up differently for each gender. By discussing some of the gender stereotypes that come up we hope this conversation helps you support your mom friends better. And don’t forget to go over to Courtney’s podcast to finish the conversation later this week.  Connect with Courtney DeFeo:  Website:  Home - Courtney DeFeo Facebook: Courtney DeFeo | Facebook Instagram:  Courtney DeFeo (@courtney_defeo) Podcast: Pardon the Mess - Courtney DeFeo Links Mentioned:   Foundations: by Ruth Chou Simons The Worry-Free Parent: by Sissy Goff What in the World?!: by Leanne Morgan The Tech-Wise Family: by Andy Crouch Whoobli Ninja Inflatable Kids Punching Bag Trampoline with handle Skylight Digital Picture Frame ZELUS Balance Ball Trainer with Resistance Bands Water Blaster 2pcs Water Gun Fight Shooting Water Guns for Kids Roller Skates for Girls Boys Ages 4-12 KidKraft Vintage Wooden Play Kitchen LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Mighty Dinosaur Toy Related Episodes: Shrinking or Swelling to Fill Your Space :: Courtney DeFeo [Ep 406] RWYB wk 5 Uninvited :: Lysa TerKeurst, Kay Wyma and Courtney DeFeo {Ep 131} Art of Nurturing Boys :: David Thomas [Ep 119]   Raising Worry-Free Girls :: Sissy Goff [Bonus] Featured Sponsors:  Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Let the gratitude flow, with Betterhelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/dma today to get 10% off your first month. Vegamour: This holiday season, give the gift of great hair with Vegamour. There’s something for everyone, including you! Visit Vegamour.com/DMA code DMA to shop.  Greenlight: Greenlight is a debit card and money app made for families. Sign up for Greenlight today at Greenlight.com/dma.  Find links to this week’s sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.