Honest Q&A, Life Updates + EXCITING NEWS! (podcast ep. 4)

Welcome back to the podcast, episode number four. Thank you to all you guys who have encouraged me and said, this is great, keep going. You're very nice. I will explain in this episode why I needed to shift here, the real reason. And I also have very exciting news to share. And then we'll do some Q&A at the end that I got from you guys and from some people on Instagram. So I always feel like I need to start by saying like, This is what I did today, but honestly, it wasn't a very interesting day. I just ate a piece of pizza with some avocado on it. That was good. Normally it's butter. I like butter on my pizza. Okay. Let's just, let's just get into the exciting news. I'm so new at podcasting. I will never be an expert. I will always keep the humanness in. I will never edit. It's just talking about real things, simplifying our lives a little bit so we can Enjoy what life has to give and offer us. All right, exciting news. Drum roll, please. Did you hear that? I hope you could hear that. Um, The doors are officially open for my 21 day decluttering challenge. I am so excited to share this because in it, I'm teaching women like as a group, as a whole, how to... properly declutter, but also to not neglect yourself in the process. It's a beautiful thing that I had to learn the hard way when I started decluttering and we get to do it together. I will have three lives throughout the 21 days. You will have three to four videos per week that are dripped each week. So it's not going to overwhelm you. You'll have printable journal prompts and PDFs to guide you. I just, this is, this is where my job is taking me. It's getting closer, having deeper connection with the women that I'm teaching. The course that I have, I love it. It's probably going to close January 1, 2027, because it's not, it's not that it's bad. It's just, it's too isolating. And I want there to be community and support and humanness in all of my work that I do moving forward. Um, that's the first time I announced that my course is going to close. You'll still have access if you buy it, but it's just not going to be, you're not going to be able to buy it after then. Um, I'm excited for this. I think it's going to push me a little bit because I'm sorry, I just totally burped and the mic was right here. I'm so sorry. Excuse me. Excuse me. I'm still new at podcasting. You're supposed to like take the mic away, do your little like, and then, okay, I'm learning. I'm learning. I'm excited about it because this is something that I learned. The method that I use for simplifying your life, your home. And, um... It's just like your soul is something that I learned over five years, the way that I'm doing it and the way that I'm teaching. And I had to learn it the hard way. So essentially, I used to be a really overstimulated mom that just didn't enjoy motherhood. Although I had been hoping and praying and wanting to be a mom from as young as I can remember, like dressed up in second grade for what do you want to be when you grow up day, I dressed up as a pregnant mom. And I've always wanted to do that, but I found myself every morning waking up dreading the day and going to bed at night, feeling guilt and shame. Like there's so much friction. I don't know what to do because I'm not living a life that I want to live. And I tried every single diet, like every diet under the sun, thinking that that would change my mind and make me a a happier person. I tried meditation apps. I tried workout programs. I tried so many things like books and webinars just to like be a happier mom, but nothing moved the needle like decluttering did. And like immediate relief, instant relief, what space does, what a lack of clutter and just stuff and decisions that you need to make, what that does to your mind is incredibly powerful. But here's my take on it. I did all that but all the stress and the old me came back which was hard and I didn't pick this up for a while and thought I was failing at something but the system was actually what was failing me because we were focusing so heavily on the stuff and not focusing enough on me. And like who I am and what I value, those things matter when you're making huge decisions and when you're curating a home that feels safe and warm and that will help you rejuvenate for what life has to offer tomorrow. So. All of that led me to like all of my decluttering led me back to myself and who God created me to be and what his purpose is for me on this earth and how to honor the season of life that he has me in with the way I'm taking care of my home. That's what I created for you guys, an opportunity to get to know yourself on a deeper level and then curate your home, declutter it, give yourself space, give you and your family a place to just connect. instead of resolve conflict, make decisions, blah, blah, blah. And by no means am I saying we're about to make your home perfect. Do not sign up if that's what you're expecting. That's not what I'm doing. I'm not perfect. I have four little boys and we homeschool. So honestly, my house gets messy every day. But my goal is for a home to be manageable, for us to be able to land the plane at the end of the day and to come together and it be a peaceful Um, and with that being said, we do that often, but some nights, some days are so full that we don't. So again, not perfection, but just let's make life a little bit lighter, a little bit more full in the right way. And, um, let's really enjoy this one life that we get. That's how much it means to me. So I encourage you to join us. The doors are open right now. They will close on the 1st of November. And we will have that 21 days just with the women who have signed up. Your early bird access, you can get. I will leave the link down below where the code is already applied. And that early bird access ends on the 29th of November. A lot of details coming at you. I'll just leave everything in the description down for you below. You also can follow me on Instagram. I will give you updates daily. If you follow me on emails too, you'll get updates. So you don't miss out on the early bird or the doors officially closing. The next thing I have for today is a little bit of a life update, a work update, you can say. As you've probably noticed, I haven't been filming or producing any long form YouTube like production content. I've just been sitting and chatting and filming podcasts. This has been looming for a while and God was so kind to make the transition, like surprising, it surprised me. And it was so simple to do. I am in a season with four little boys and it's just so full right now. I don't want to sacrifice time making a production on the weekend is when I filmed and it would take time away from our family. And it was hard on my husband. It was a good thing, but like they had I had to be out of the house. Um, it just like, it caused friction because my life has them in it. But when I'm filming, I don't like to show my kids faces. So they had to be out of it. And I'm like, this isn't, this isn't it anymore. And so podcasting, I just like randomly turned on the video camera and I said, no edits. We're just going to go unscripted. We're going to talk like a real person would when you're sitting down together, drinking coffee or. On a back patio with some tea, whatever. And you guys were so kind to say like, this is great. Keep going. Like, thank you for saying that because it made me feel even better about how right this transition is and how much it needed to happen. Um I wish you could see my setup. I can't move my camera because my mic is so sensitive today. But like I have rollerblades down here underneath me. you I have this hilarious like red on red, for red gym shorts, red shirt totally doesn't like I would never wear this is so silly. having I'm sticking notes everywhere with my launch coming up. And I'm just like this feels real. This is what I want. me. Human connection, human, unedited, real content. And I want it for you too. So that's, that's where my update is when it comes to work and how I'm going to show up with you guys. And thank you for letting me go through my process of evolving as a human. Like I started YouTube. When I had one baby and now I have four babies and that changes a woman. And you guys have had like a glimpse into the many changes that I've gone through. So thanks for sticking with me and for encouraging me. It means a lot. And I know God has me here and he's given me a story that I can share with other women. And I feel really confident in that. And I'm so excited about the challenge because that's just. That's a level of humanness and mentorship and support that we are all looking for right now. And our home is our safe place. And I feel passionate about teaching women how to create their safe place. All right, enough of that. We have some Q&A coming up. This is actually the second time I filmed this. How sad is that? My mic didn't work on the first one. That was the biggest bummer. So we'll go through these questions. Maybe I'll pick some new ones. And I don't take notes. I just shoot from the heart. All right. So I like, I don't know. I just, I'm all about just maybe in the world of AI and tech right now, my soul is clinging to humanness. So that's what we're going to do. We're just going to spitball some of these. Do you wear blue block, blue light blockers? Are the dollar sign, dollar sign, dollar sign ones worth it? Ones for kids? Funny you mentioned that. Mine are right here. They're worth it. Here's my take. I bought Amazon ones for a really long time that were like 12 bucks and they didn't really last. And they weren't as like deep orange as these guys are. These are so impressive. And they have, um, a lot of info on their website. This is by Raw Optics, RA Optics. They have so much information on their website that you can read. To understand why they are different and what's going on when you wear these. Please. And the reason I say it's worth it is because the person who created Raw Optics walks the walk, talks the talk. He's legit. And you can see it in the way he lives his life, the way he talks, the way he's passionate about what he created. And you don't get that on Amazon and on all these cheap places. So what I've learned through simplifying my life is like, Yes, it's expensive. And honestly, I don't have an overflow of money. We don't. We have four children. So there's plenty of things that we need to pay for right now. And this is something that I waited a year and a half to buy, even though it was something I really, really wanted. And I was using other knockoff ones just until I could afford these. And I'm someone who's just like, it's worth it. It's worth it to do the real thing and to support the right people. That's what I've learned through simplifying is invest in the right people and the right things. Um, I have actually a code for you guys too. If you want a discount on these, um, the code is calm home, and I will leave that link down for you below as well, along with the decluttering course, all of that information down below. Um, big move coming up. Nothing is selling. Is it even worth it to continue to try to sell things? Honestly, I never really sold things, maybe on Facebook Marketplace a few times. Thank But I never really had a lot when I was moving a ton. No, I started with a lot. By the end of the baseball season, we didn't have a lot. I would say, honestly, like what I'm going to say is if you have this experience, if you're watching, can you comment maybe on the YouTube form you. and help this woman out? I don't really know what to say here. Can you like have a garage sale next week? Can you put little signs up and sell that way? Oh, I hope you find some clarity there. Or could you take it with you or is that the problem? Take it with you and sell it where you move? Marriage stuff, just anything you've recently learned in marriage. I'll tell you what I've learned, that I'm crazy. No, I've learned how potent and how powerful it is to love someone unconditionally because of the way my husband has loved me. in a season that's been hard with four little boys and working. And yesterday I had a really tough day and we went to bed. We woke up and he just loves me the same. That's a really powerful thing. And if that is something you can give your spouse, do it. Say it out loud. I love you no matter what. Act it in the way you live your life and the way you don't keep score and you support Even though they're crazy. I was crazy yesterday. It just, nothing has touched me deeper than the way Tate loves me unconditionally and makes me want to do that too. Another thing that I've learned, I mean, I've talked about this a couple of years ago on YouTube, but more so is anytime I want Tate to change something, like I wanna change something about him, I wanna nag, I need to look at myself and keep my eyes on my own paper. And honestly, just like swallow it, not, not bring it up. Am I perfect at this? No. But have I gotten better at it? Yes. Because it's very powerful when you fix yourself, when you become a person of integrity, when you are disciplined yourself. And when you build your capacity, I talk about this all the time with Corey Malloy and what she has taught me and Michelle Chad and what she has taught me through their forms is Keep your eyes on your own paper, build your capacity like your life depends on it because it does, and watch the other people around you thrive and grow. It's a real thing. It's a real thing. Like when I worked out, my husband was a happier person because I was a happier person. I had more strength. I had more energy, had more vibrance in my life. That's why I'm working out again. Like I took a month off and everything crashed. So consider this my accountability. I will never not be working out for the rest of my life. Um, no questions. Just love your new podcast. Thank you. Thank you. It's hard to like read that, say that out loud, but like, thank you. That truly means a lot. Um, how do you put in a soul work while running after a toddler? I have about five minutes to myself a day. It's hard. Toddlerhood is so fun and funny at times, but at other times it's really difficult. And I think like the mundane, the simple things, the days, that's my soul work. Like, okay, here's what I would say. Like, they're going to spill their lemonade and they're going to hug you and they're going to giggle. They're going to do all these things. And what has changed me the most isn't this big aha moment. It's being in. a situation where I feel I'm feeling a lot of friction. I'm feeling a lot of emotions. Like I'm trying to cook dinner. My husband's not home yet. The kids are outside. Someone's needing me. Someone's trying to eat. Someone's, you know, not doing something they're supposed to do. And there's a spill. There's a lot going on in motherhood. The soul work is being able to be in that place and take a 30,000 foot view and saying, this is my blip of time as a human. Up here. You're up here. Sorry, you're not down here. This is my blip of time as a human. I'm actually doing a really good job, and this isn't that big of a deal. I'm a Christian. I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus. Where was I going with that? Oh, yeah. I believe I'm an eternal person. My flesh is going to fail me. I'm going to die, but I live on with God. And that's a very powerful perspective that I can come to because I've, I've practiced it. I've practiced that muscle of like taking a step back when I'm getting flustered or overwhelmed to just take a step back and say, like, I'm just experiencing something that all humans experience. It's okay. I don't have to deep this. I like, I don't have to make this bigger than it is. Let's just do the next best thing that we can do. Um, that's the soul work. Like your soul work is in the mess. And I know that's hard with a toddler. Um, like make sure you're journaling, make sure you're in the sunshine and, um, loving yourself deeply because you're doing a good job. You don't need to be hard on yourself. I wish someone told me that a lot more as I was a fresh new mama. Um, what sentimental items do you save when decluttering I would say this depends on the item. Like I'll save. Tea sets, I saved pictures that my mom printed out when we were young. And I feel like this is why I created the course or the challenge. Because you have to know what you value in order to make hard decisions like that. And decluttering is full of hard decisions. You have to know what you value if you want to answer that correctly. You have to know who you are and what you want in this life or what's going on in this season of life in order to answer these questions. And that's why I also have lives so that when you have a specific thing, let's talk about it on the lives, like My grandfather's watch, I would feel so bad if I gave it away, but I really don't have a use for it that I'm like, here are your options. I've done this. I've worked with women for years. Here's an option. Okay. I hope this is still on. How do you handle screen time? My boys have screen time. Here are my boundaries. They have to do their work. They have to do their homeschool. They have to have beds made. They have to be dressed. They have to be fed. All of these things. You have to do all of that before you get screen time. And in my home, we never do screen time in the morning. It's normally in the afternoon when the baby's napping or when I'm getting some work done or when they've had a full day and they can just sit on the couch and watch something with an educational aspect to it. Wild Kratts, Crunch Labs, as of recently, the boys have gotten into that. It's been very fun. Um... Our Planet documentaries are great. Curious George for my little one. If you give a mouse a cookie for my little one. Puff and Rock. I don't know, like I'm not against it. I would love. I'm someone who's like, let me teach my kids how to do this. I'm also someone who's working and my husband's working. And, um, TV is a useful tool. I'll just say that that's my honest answer. And I would, I, I feel like I cope by saying I'm teaching them how to learn how to use technology. Like every time I turn off the TV, you're going outside. They know that they literally turn it off. Everyone gets off the couch. We go outside. Um, will this be on Apple podcasts or Spotify? It's on Spotify. I'll get Apple podcasts hooked up when I have the time. Hmm. How and why did you start your business? I am so grateful for it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I started it in the basement of a host family's home when my husband was playing in the minor leagues because I loved watching YouTube and I wanted to be a YouTuber. I didn't really start with a purpose other than like, I'm going to be a famous YouTuber. LOL. Um... And it turned into something bigger because it kind of like felt blank for a long time. I didn't post consistently. I didn't even know what to talk about when you don't have a purpose. It's hard to show up in front of a lot of people. I started decluttering my house and I was like, whoa, I've got something to share. Like this is changing my life. This is my calling. This is my purpose. Share my experience. And then other women were like, tell me more. And that's how my business was born. I'll say a lot of it is God. And if you guys are interested on what influencer life is like, and I know a lot of moms who want to make some extra income, I can give you an episode on simple things to do. I'm trying to teach my sister how to do it right now, walking her through that. So I'd be so willing to do that if you want to earn a little bit more money. And I'm going to finish with this one. That'll be like a shorter podcast today. It sounds like you had a rough time when your fourth child arrived. Can you tell us more about that? I feel like I already touched on this with my transition from YouTube productions into podcasting, but essentially, four little boys, I had like two boys, I didn't, I had like two boys, sorry, I'm learning how to talk better. I had two boys, then we had a four year gap, three and Like nine months, year gap. Then we had our third. And then I had our fourth shortly after, like a year and a half after our third. And I was able to manage three, no problem. Cause I had my big boys, I had my baby. But then the fourth, I love him. He's a little angel, but that's just, it was a lot to navigate. And I wasn't prepared for the fullness and the responsibility. list that's higher and what it called me to be, to do, to learn. It was just bigger than I had anticipated. And I'm someone who's like, I don't have a girl. I'm not like boys or boy moms are infinitely in a different world. I have no idea this. I don't have a girl, but I will say the world that I'm in looks different from the world that other people are in with a lot of girls. I wouldn't say one's better than the other. It's just really different. And it's very physical, like very energetically demanding. And I wasn't prepared for that, nor did I have a lot of energy. I wasn't working out. I wasn't, I wasn't like a strong version of myself and it exposed a lot. Am I, am I someone who's like parenting is hard? No. I mean, uh, I mean, yes. So parenting is hard. It has really hard moments, but it's also so good. It's this great paradox of like, I'm cleaning mess. I'm navigating conflict. I'm teaching them things. I'm reading over them at night and praying over them. There's so much beauty in what it is that I will never say like, I wish I was never a mom. I would never say that. I'm so honored to be a mom. I love my kids. I love the way God designed this to expand the woman, to make her grow, to call her into her truest self. Because when things are hard, you either ditch or you grow. And I'm someone, God created me just to like keep digging, keep asking why, keep trying. I will never give up. I am not a perfect mom. But I will never give up in learning how to be a better mom and more grounded in who I am. That's what my fourth has taught me. And it has had great moments, but it's had incredibly difficult moments as well. So that's what I have to say. Hopefully that doesn't scare any mom from having four. I don't be scared because my table is going to be full. And I and I know this season of chaos isn't going to last forever. But I just sang a song at a... an art auction for the Burundi Miracle Project, which is, I'll leave the link down below. It's an organization that I've been supporting for a long time. And I was able to sing the song Crowded Table there. And it just was so powerful. Because There's something beautiful about a crowded table and people who want to be together and they want to do life together and they want to do hard things and they want to process and they want to support each other. It's just gorgeous. It's just like that's life. That's humans. That's how God created us. And. And I'm just so touched to be a mom. So that's the end of this podcast. I'll leave all those links down below for you guys. I'm going to go make some burgers and probably some red pepper. red onion honey paprika sauce. It's gonna taste really good. I just I just know it's gonna taste delicious. I'm gonna dump that on my burger and on my rice with a lot of butter and a lot of salt and eat it all up. I'm gonna have dinner early because I'm tired and I need to go to bed early. It's a full moon too so I don't know how everyone's gonna sleep. Just going to say that. But I love you. Thank you for being here. I'll see you in my next episode. Don't forget to join me in the challenge. It's going to be a really good time. You will be blessed. I will be blessed. We'll all be blessed together. All right. See you in the next episode. Bye.