I want to invite you to a free workshop to help you set goals for the second quarter in all areas of life. Sign up and enter to win a free 90-day Life Balance Membership
Go to YourLifeRocks.com/Next90Days
Before we can plan the next 90 days, we need to look back at the previous 90 days and what we accomplished (or didn't) in every area of life. This will be a self-coaching episode, so get your notebook and get ready!
It's our final week of the challenge and we are talking about a controversial topic. Is life balance possible? As working moms, we are doing the very best we can to hold it all together. Then to have someone say that balance is not possible. Something has to give. You know what will give? Your honest to goodness effort to try. And it is a slippery slope when you start to lower the bar. It will keep getting lower and lower and lower until one day, you will look up and wonder… who is this person? This is not me.
It’s not about being perfect or proving something to someone. It’s not about being in denial or being a martyr. It’s about being the best version of you for those around you. It’s about leaning on God’s strength when you don’t have strength of your own.
It’s about choosing each and every day that, that day is worth it to give it your all and believing that yes, you can do this life. The life that God called you to. The life that God blessed you with.
Grab the free bonus content for all seven weeks by going to https://yourliferocks.
Ready for a fresh perspective on your work? We could all use one from time to time. This episode is all about setting you up for renewal! As we settle into week 5 of our summer series, I have a lot of bonus content to help you get the most from this challenge. Grab your free copy by clicking here
Welcome to the show for working Christian moms! We are right in the middle of a 7-week challenge series. If you have missed any part of the challenge, please know that it is totally ok! You can jump in right here with this episode. Also, I invite you to grab the bonus content for the challenge, it’s totally free and that way you can go back through whenever you want to. It’s just there waiting for you.
Grab your free bonus content by clicking here!
Ready to hear the most freeing thing in the world? You are responsible for your life. Like it or not, it is the truth.
In this challenge, I'm giving you the 5 step process to get your power back and take ownership of your life. Learn how to determine your priorities as a working mom and how to get there with the choices you make.
Get all the bonus content and exercise outline by clicking here (it's totally free! My gift to you!)
Welcome to episode 95 where we dive into all things morning routines. Morning routines are key for working moms. If you have one, then you know how precious that time is, but maybe you are ready to take it up a notch. If you don't have one but find yourself stressed, unorganized, and wishing for more time in the day...I think it's time you get started.
Our host, Jenny Stemmerman, is going to walk you through how to construct the perfect morning routine for you and help you overcome the obstacles that might get in your way of actually getting out of bed and doing it.
Our podcast sponsor: www.LifeBalanceMembership.com
This training is a mini version of a training done for members of Life Balance Membership. Start your free 7-day trial today!
Thank you to our Life Balance Members for supporting the show!
Whether you need to reign in your spending due to a financial need or to reach a big goal, our special guest has you covered with some great tips. Join in on my conversation with Erin Odom the author of More Than Just Making It: Hope for the Heart of the Financially Frustrated and founder of The Humbled Homemaker, a blog dedicated to grace-filled living designed to equip and encourage mothers in the trenches.
We talk about the differences between savers and spenders, how we are wired to deal with money, and how it goes so much deeper than we might think. Plus, she shares 5 tips to help you curb your spending and save a little more for the things that matter most.
Check out her book: More Than Just Making It: Hope for the Heart of the Financially Frustrated.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Audible. Start your 30-day trial and get a free audiobook! Click here to get started.
Also, if you are looking for the Life Balance system that is mentioned, you can start your free 7-day trial of Life Balance Membership by going to LifeBalanceMembership.com
In this episode, we are diving into the topic of stress. I mean, who doesn't have stress in our lives, right? We all know that it is just a part of our every day, but how can we effectively deal with it?
Luckily, we have an expert guest to help us out. Gina Poirier is a happily married mom of three, stress management coach and writer who helps overwhelmed, exhausted moms find peace and purpose in the everyday. Check out free resources for Christian moms at ginampoirier.com, where "Wiping noses for Jesus is legit!"
Gina has put together some great tips for us on this topic. I hope you have a listen as she shares her insight. Here is the outline of our conversation.
1. Create a healthy perspective about stress. Stress is not a bad thing. It was designed by God for our good. Once we can see stress in our lives from a neutral place, we can be better equipped to deal with it in a healthy way.
2. Know you can't always control stress but you can control your stress response. Let's talk about stress resiliency. As you begin to build up this up for yourself, here are the things to think about.
Physical- Taking care of your body with good nutrition, staying hydrated, exercise, and getting the right about of sleep for yourself.
Emotional/Mental- Setting boundaries, minimizing toxic self-thinking, working on better relationships, limit screen time.
Spiritual- See point three.
3. Taking spiritual rest. God created us to do amazing things, but he also called us to slow down and rest. The Bible calls us to this over and over and God has set examples through nature and through his own actions as well. It's about celebration and showing gratitude. So choose your Sabbath. Pray about it and see how God would have you implement this into your life.
Gina has a great 5-day challenge for you called StessLESS. You should totally sign up for it and can find it here: https://ginampoirier.lpages.co/stressless-free-course/
This episode was sponsored by Life Balance Membership. If you are serious about creating more balance in your life, start your free 7-day trial and try out the Life Balance system for yourself. Go to LifeBalanceMembership.com to get started.
Back to school time is here! That means stressful mornings are too. It can be hard to get yourself ready for work, and the kids ready and out the door as well. Truth is, there is a lot of anxiety and stress with transitioning to a new school year...especially if your kiddos are transitioning to a new school like Middle School/Junior High or High School.
That's why we have a special guest for you! Joy Acaso is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker by trade, currently running her private practice as a Parenting Strategist. She has made it a mission to help parents navigate through difficult life transitions during the tween and teen years. In this episode, we talk about anxiety, helping our kids find their identity, and most importantly, Joy shares 3 tips to keep the school mornings successful, smooth, and stress-free.
Our sponsor for this episode is LifeBalanceMembership.com Start your free 7-Day trial and learn the system to creating life balance for your life!
Remember to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode.
Back To School Success For Working Moms can be rough. Sure, it's great to get everyone back into a routine but it also adds so much more to your plate. In this episode, I share 5 tips to help set you up for success as you begin this school year.
This episode is sponsored by Life Balance Membership. Get the system that will help you create more balance in your life. Start your free 7-day trial by going to www.LifeBalanceMembership.com
There is so much power in sharing a testimony, your story about how God is showing up and working in your life. This episode is number one in a four part series. I know you will enjoy and be blessed by these stories!
In this first episode of the series, we hear from fellow working mom, Kayla Brissi. Kayla came on the show to tell about her struggle with infertility and her miracle baby. As you listen, you will hear that it is really a redemption story about love.
Love through the baby God gave her, love through her true love after divorce, and most importantly, God's love for Kayla that was never ending.
This podcast is sponsored by Life Balance Membership for Working Christian Moms. Learn more by going to www.LifeBalanceMembership.com and start your free 7-day trial today!
Planning our time, setting intentions...they are the key to creating balance and reaching your goals. But sometimes we get sidetracked and our plans can get interrupted by those around us. As a working mom, there are multiple distractions. In this episode, we are talking about how to protect your productive time.
This topic was voted on inside our Facebook Community. We would love to have you join us!
I talk a lot about life balance and I help working Christian moms create more balance in their lives. But why? Why not just buy into the cultural norm that says balance isn't possible? Because it's a world view, not a Biblical view. Balance is alignment with God's will for how we are to live our lives. This is a two-part episode. If you missed part 1, go back and have a listen. In this episode, we are diving into what it means to set biblical goals that set you up for balance in your parenting, home, friends/fun and career.
We talk a lot about life balance. We help working Christian moms create more balance in their lives. But why? Why not just buy into the cultural norm that says balance isn't possible? Because it's a world view, not a Biblical view. Balance is alignment with God's will for how we are to live our lives. This is a two-part episode. In this first part, we will be diving into what the Bible says about growing in our faith, marriage, finances, and health. Be sure to hit subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode when we look at our career, parenting, home, and friends/fun.
In this episode, we are focusing in on our homes with our special guest Allie Casazza from the Purposeful Home podcast. We are all about helping working Christian moms clear chaos and Allie is going to share some tips to do just that in your home by decluttering. Allie is known for being a minimalist, but her message is really about simple motherhood. Podcast Sponsor: LifeBalanceMembership.com
Here we are again, at the beginning of a high expectation season. For me, expectations equal stress, which is why this is so ironic. Summer time is supposed to be a casual, easy time. No stress.
But let’s be real. We only get a handful of summers with our kids before they are grown up. And if you are like me, we want to help them make some great memories of summer time. Plus, summer is a great time of growth for kids, both physically and otherwise.
The real cause for the stress from expectations? The comparison game. It’s strong come summer time. For me, it starts with all the summer time movies of awesome camps, cookouts, time spent at the lake, amazing Fourth of July scenes where there doesn’t seem to be a lot of crowds and everyone is having a good time. It creates a false expectation of the laid back, fun in the sun summer. Then we can add a second layer of comparison with social media.
Seeing people talk about their travel plans, fun things they are going to do, their kids dressed up in cute summertime outfits and mini sunglasses. It can stress you out. Well, it stresses me out.
But, what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you could be intentional about your summer and design it...almost like a work project?
Let’s do it!
Alright, so let’s start with a goal. What is your desired outcome for the summer?
Let’s go a bit deeper here than “just have fun”. Think about coming into September and looking back on the summer and answer these questions.
Now that you have a goal and a direction to go in, let’s lay out the realities of the situation.
Let’s talk timeline and budget.
First, timeline.
Pull out a calendar with your kids and count the days of summer. How many days do they have?
Next, write out all the activities that they already have planned. Summer camp, VBS, going to grandmas…..
Then, and without your kids knowing what you are doing, look at your work calendar and their activity calendar and count how many full days you have with them.
Chances are, it’s not a lot. Now there are a lot of things that you can do in the evenings and even before work. Things you can set them up with for while you are working. We can still make an impact toward the goals for them while we are working, but knowing how many full days we have will give us a reality to base activities off of to reach our overall objective.
So, how many days do you have with them?
Now that we have a clear goal and timeline, let’s look at the budget. How much money do you have to spend on summer this year? Obviously, some of your already allocated budgets can go to having an awesome summer. Things like food can make a big impact.
This is where stress can start to come in. Some of the expectations that we have for summer require a lot of time and/or money. If we don’t have the time and money to create that expectation, that is where we can have the adult version of a temper tantrum. We don’t call it that, we call it stress and guilt.
However, by being intentional about it ahead of time we can take an objective look at the situation, and choose something different.
Look at your budget and talk to your husband. How much money can you put toward summer activities and fun? Whatever the number is, you can work with it. Just like you do every day. You are creative and resourceful.
Now that we have laid the groundwork, it’s time to start planning the fun stuff!
Next up, brainstorming session. Make a family summer bucket list. This has been a tradition of our family for a while. I ask the kids what they want to do this summer. Actually, I ask them, “if we do nothing else this summer, what are the 2-3 things that you want to be sure we do? What are you must do’s?”
They give me their top 2-3 things and we write it down. Now, just for fun, we write it down on a big sheet of paper. You know the ones, easel paper with sticky note stuff on the back? I highly recommend buying one of the easel paper packs with a dry erase front to have at your home. We use it all the time for games, planning, school work. It’s only about $35 and a great tool. Click here to see what I’m talking about.
Then, I write down my 2-3 things that are my must-dos and my husband does the same.
Looking at the kid's list, you want to compare it to the calendar.
This momma, is where we need to stay in check. Often times, we want to be involved in all the special times. We plan things so that we are the center of what is going on. We gotta let that go. What is important is that the kids are getting what they need, regardless of who is giving it to them. As a working mom, you may have already overcome this. But if not, pray about it. We can’t make it about us, we have to keep it about the kids.
Ok, so look at their list and see if they are already getting some of the things from the list. For example. My son wants to go fishing. He already has a fishing trip planned with his uncle. Sweet, done. Now in truth, we will probably go fishing a lot because it’s and moves us closer to our goals of quality time outside an unplugged from electronics (that is my goal for the kids this summer). But, if we weren’t able to go more often we can still cross it off the list.
Now, let’s come back to the point I was talking about earlier….about your involvement with the list. Look at the list and pick just 1-2 things that are most important that you are there with the kids for.
For so many of my past summers, my husband was staying at home with the kids and would take them places and have fun during the day. That was his job. I can remember coming home from work and hearing about a movie that they went to go see. It was a movie that the kids were really looking forward to seeing and knew they would be talking about it a ton. And I wasn’t there to watch it with them. It wasn’t about the movie, it was about feeling like I was missing out on an inside joke. It’s the little things that can make being a working mom hard.
After that experience, I started communicating the things that were important that I was there for. That way my husband and anyone else taking care of them knew that I wanted to do those things with the kids. Making summer memories are just as much for you as it is for the kids. These are memories of your babies youth that you will carry with you as they grow. Speak up without guilt.
Now, let’s put all the pieces together. Let’s plan this summer!
I have put all the pieces that we talked about in a handing planning guide for you complete with your calendar, and many more bonuses to intentional make this summer awesome. Click here to let me know the best email to send it to.
We have to align the time available with the activity and when the budget is available. This can be a balancing act, but I know you can do it. There isn’t a lot I can tell you on this part because it will be different for each family.
Now that you have the major events planned for summer, let’s talk about the small stuff. Sometimes this is where the magic really happens. For this section, we are going to break it up into practical and the awesome.
The practical:
Let’s talk summer routines for kids. This is a bit of a hard one. Well, it can be. We will be having an expert sharing about this inside our Life Balance Membership as part of our intentional summer series. If you are not yet a member, now is a great time to join so you get all the extras and bonuses that go along with the summer series.
For me, I will be mandating a bedtime and wake up time but it will be very generous. Instead of a schedule, I am creating a checklist and using some of what Lindsay McCarthy shared a few episodes back. If you missed that episode, it was #75. She is the co-author of Miracle mornings for parents and families.
While we are talking about practical things, let's talk about your supply list. Here is a link to my recommendations from Amazon. But like my husband says, you have to have the right tool for the job. Things like Sunscreen, sing ointment, water bottles, and the fun stuff like glow sticks and sidewalk chalk. Look at your list of activities and determine what items you will need and get them ahead of time. Did you know if you click here and shop Amazon you are helping to support the Your Life Rocks podcast?
When I was growing up, my mom was not very practical. You won’t hear me talk a lot about my mom because it’s just too painful to share much about, but I will say this. She was really great at making things special and magical. I am so thankful that God gave me that through her.
This is the fun stuff. There are a lot of little inexpensive things you can do to make summer special. From building a fort out of blankets and letting your kids sleep in it to pancakes that are the shape of the sun (yes the sun is a circle and so are pancakes but it’s all in the presentation). Think of the things your kid's love, and work that in.
We have a party on the last day of school. We don’t invite people over, but we celebrate. The kids get a summer survival kit complete with flashlights, glowsticks, art supplies, and fishing gear. They love it and it makes an official launch into summer.
Any little thing like family walks after dinner, ice pops in the freezer and sparklers on evenings that aren't the fourth of July. They all work together to create memories with your kiddos, and for you.
Don’t underestimate the effect food can have. The smells and tastes of summer can be amazing, so dive in! Inside Life Balance Membership I will be sharing a few of my favorite summertime recipes. Really, don’t think these things are not important because they are. The smell of the barbecue, corn on the cob, strawberries, and crawfish bakes. They are the food of summer time for us. What food reminds you most of the summer? Ask your kids the same question and make sure you include those foods often this year.
Now that we have talked about executing project summer awesomeness, let’s talk about review your progress. Please hear me when I say, hold these plans loosely. Slow down and breath deep. Remember your intentions at the start of this process. Remember the desired outcome. Sometimes we get so attached to the tactics, the stuff in the middle. Give yourself lots of grace. Know that not everything will go as planned. Don’t stress. Be as present as a possible. Listen to the stories your kids tell. Teach them things. Laugh, skip, and splash in the water with them. Summertime is precious. Just like every other time in the year. It’s a blessing. Thank God for what he has given and pray for safety and that the kids would get a better glimpse of him as they play in the sun.
Parenting isn't always easy and it's not always the same for everyone. In this episode, we have co-author of Zag Zig Parenting. Join the conversation as we talk about life as career moms married to stay at home dads, why it's important that we all encourage each other regardless of the work/home situation, and how remembering to breath is everything. From expectations of our husbands to guilt we put on ourselves about the kids....we cover it all.
Ever wonder who the person is behind the voice on this podcast? Well, in this episode, you learn all about me. From my career path, faith journey and stories from when my life was messy, ugly, unbalanced. In this episode, I pull back the curtain and talk about the struggles I face as a working Christian mom, and how I overcame them (by the grace of God). Also, I will tell you all about how Your Life Rocks came to be, our mission, and how you can be a part of making a culture shift for women just like you.
Links mentioned in this episode:
I love having time to myself to read a good devotional and go deeper in the word of God. I could spend hours reading Beth Moore, or many other Bible teachers. Those moments are precious but not many. As a working mom, it can be hard to grow in your faith. Where do you find the time? Our guest has the answer. Meet Maggie Baker, Editor In Chef at Everleigh Company and author of a new Bible Study called Zealous. Listen in as Maggie shares tips on how we can grow deeper in our faith while we balance being a mom, wife, and so much more.
Do you think work-life balance is possible? I hope so! Listen to this episode as host, Jenny Stemmerman shares her 3 secrets for creating work-life balance for working Christian moms. These are the principles that make up all the programs taught at Your Life Rocks. Learn tips to go deeper and create habits that will make a huge difference in your life, your families life, and your career.
By now I think we all know the benefits of a great morning routine and if you have read and put in practice the Miracle Morning for yourself, then you know first hand how transformative it can be. Especially for working moms like us that so badly need that quiet time for ourselves and with Jesus. Have you ever thought about putting in a similar routine for your kids? This episode we have the co-author of the book, Miracle Mornings for Parents and Families sharing 7 tips to implement this practice with your kiddos.
Ladies, the Bible calls us to be set apart. A lot of times we think about the actions that set us apart as Christians from the rest of the world....but what about your mindset? The Bible also talks many many times about the renewing of our minds. So why do we allow our minds to be in alignment with the world? I get it. It is tough being a woman trying to find work-life balance. You have a ton on your plate and it is hard. That is where the world will tell you balance is not possible. That you can't have it all. That you should just brace yourself for the stress and chaos because there is nothing you can do about it. It might be entertaining to relate to memes on the internet or videos about ranting moms slipping in curse words....but is that who you are? Or are you the daughter of the king? Are you capable of all things because of who strengthens you?
In this episode, I share my heart on the subject of mindset, balance, and how as Christian working moms we can balance it all and walk it out in faith. Plus I share a bit about my story and how I overcame the dark places of unbalance in my life.