Find the Good Mamahood

Katlyn

Each episode features tools, resources, advice and encouragement for moms! Join my friends and me for honest chats about the highs and lows of motherhood and our favorite resources, tips and tricks. We’re on a journey to share the good we’ve found and find joy right where we are.

  1. 11/25/2024

    25. Finding Beauty in Brokenness: The Heart of a Foster and Adoptive Mom | Mandi Brown

    Friends, did you know that November is Foster Care and Adoption Awareness Month and National Adoption Month? A couple years ago I didn't know anything about these, or November's annual Stand Sunday observed by many American churches either. Honestly, I didn't know much about foster care at all. All that changed when several of my friends became foster parents, and I have been on a journey to learn more and support this community ever since. Listen in as I learn from my friend Mandi, a foster and adoptive mom who now works to support foster and adoptive families through an organization called Foster the Family. I can't wait for you to hear about the beauty and hardship weaved into foster care and Mandi's deep compassion and wisdom. Here are some highlights: foster care 101, Mandi's experiences with 18 foster children and 4 adoptions, relationships with foster kids' biological families, and ways you can support and join the foster care community. Mamas, you and I have a unique light to bring to the world to our children and also to other children around us. Some of them may come into our homes for a time or even stay forever. I invite you to think of the children and parents in the foster care world and consider, "How can I share this light that I have with others?" Extra Stuff: TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) is a “training method which offers a way to build attachment as you parent kids from hard places.” Learn more here: Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development⁠. Foster The Family: support groups map, Foster the Family Founder Jamie Flinn @fosterthefamilyblog Books: Foster the Family, Filled: 60 Devotions for the Foster Parent's Heart, The Connected Parent: Real Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment, The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to your Adoptive Family, The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting: Strategies and Solutions, Honestly Adoption: Answers to 101 Questions About Adoption and Foster Care Podcasts: The Resilient Caregiver Podcast (Mike and Kristin Berry), The Forgotten Podcast, FTGM episode on creating meaningful traditions Check out Project Belong, an amazing organization equipping Northern Virginia churches to support foster, adoptive, kinship and struggling biological families.

    47 min
  2. 12/22/2023

    24. Open Doors, Open Hearts: The Art of Welcome | Mary O'Donnell

    Happy holidays, friends! You're going to absolutely love this episode featuring my talk with a special family friend of mine, Mary O’Donnell. Mary's daughter is actually a good friend of mine who has inherited her gift for making people feel at home. I absolutely loved being at their house when I was younger, and counted it as a second home. And I wasn't alone - dozens of people from different ages and stages found refuge and even a long-term home with Mary and her family. Listen in as we discuss Mary's international upbringing, how the art of welcome became a major part of her life, stories from her famously full house, and essential elements to communicating genuine care to the people who enter your life and your threshold. I know I’ll be reflecting on this conversation for a while to come. It’s easy to let excuses like not having the perfect home or the perfect time prevent us from inviting others in, but often that's not where we start. I hope this episode encourages you (as it has for me!) to invite others into wherever you are and to share whatever you have this holiday season and new year. As Mary said, "It was all worth it; it was all wonderful because we were sowing care into different people’s lives." Extra Stuff: This is my church's sermon series on the early Christian church's culture of deep care and connection which I highly recommend: https://www.newcityfellowship.net/sermonlist/tag/acts

    36 min
  3. 10/12/2023

    23. An IVF Story | Rachel Johnson

    Welcome to episode #23 where my friend Rachel shares with us her deeply trying mama journey, one of infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF). *Trigger warning: Our conversation does include the IVF process and miscarriage.* After giving a great IVF 101, Rachel shares the physical and emotional difficulties she faced along the way. I appreciated hearing what was helpful and unhelpful for her, from resources to interactions with friends and family to Bible verses. As an outsider to the world of IVF, I got a glimpse of what it's like to go through infertility and how we can come alongside loved ones who are in the process of receiving fertility treatments. It is an honor to be able to share Rachel's (and little Mylo's!) story with you. (Note: Occasional shrieks and squawks courtesy of Lyla, my almost 1-year old baby girl who co-hosted her first episode with me!) Extra Stuff: Here are the fertility treatment grants Rachel mentioned: https://giftofparenthood.org/grant-giveaways/ https://www.hopeforfertility.org/ https://starfishinfertilityfoundation.org/ Here is the Shady Grove Fertility website: https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/. These are the Youtube couple channels Rachel followed: https://www.youtube.com/@RachelleandJustin https://www.youtube.com/@PhilandAlex These are the Bible verses that got Rachel through difficult times: Matthew 19:26, "But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Check out Rachel’s personal Instagram account to watch her in-depth IVF journey highlight and to connect with her: @ralzajohnson.

    56 min
  4. 07/13/2023

    22. Raising Bilingual Kids | Kaila Diaz

    This episode is near and dear to my heart since the topic is a huge part of our family and one of my major focuses as a mom: fostering bilingualism in our children! My friend Kaila is both an expert in this field and also a fellow mama raising a bilingual child. She shares some incredibly helpful advice, stories and frameworks to guide and inspire you in your journeys. Although we reference raising bilingual Spanish-English-speaking kids specifically, we also discuss many super helpful strategies and tidbits that apply to any bilingual family. I loved learning lots of ways we can cultivate a love for our target languages in our kids: "Link it to things that are fun: play and people." While it is ultimately their choice to embrace it or not, we can lay a foundation and show them how the language is beautiful, meaningful and worth embracing. Kaila reminded us there are many family language plans, even more than you typically find online. You can customize a language plan that’s just right for your family “that is attainable and sustainable.” Each family is unique, so don’t compare your bilingual journey to others. Any bilingual exposure you can give your little ones is a gift! This episode is packed with top-notch content, so here are some time markers to guide you as you listen: * 1:37 - Kaila's bio * 11:30 - linking language learning to fun * 15:15 - the importance of how we present target language (not shaming or forcing them) * 18:08 - the evolution of my family's Family Language Plan * 20:50 - strategies for encouraging kids to respond back in target language (not just listening and understanding) * 33:29 - tips for parents starting a bilingual journey * 36:56 - what to do if kids become indifferent or resistant to target language * 38:23 - the danger of shaming and the power of positive feedback * 41:51 - how to introduce early academic concepts * 43:05 - the importance of teaching safety terms in majority language * 46:22 - mention of several of the resources listed below * 47:31 - encouragement for bilingual parents Extra Stuff: Here is Kaila's podcast (a great place to start, especially if you're new to this topic!): Bilingual Parenting Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bilingual-parenting-podcast/id1456193421) You can find Kaila's company, Bilingüitos, at @bilinguitos on Instagram or the following website link for Spanish language immersion programs, playgroups, and online resources: https://bilinguitos.com/ This is Kaila's freebie! Ten methods of bilingual parenting with benefits & obstacles: ⁠https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TyVDvkNcUB-d92rvzgqafrq0sSRr6IIF/view?usp=drive_link⁠  MamaLlamaLinguist has free song playlists and fun printables: https://mamallamalinguist.com/ Here is the free virtual Spanish storytime I mentioned: @msroxanaspanish (Instagram) and https://www.facebook.com/MsRoxanaSpanish/ Viva Kids Bookstore: https://viva-kids-tiendita.myshopify.com/  Here is the book Kaila recommended: The Bilingual Edge (https://www.amazon.com/Bilingual-Edge-Teach-Second-Language/dp/0061246565)

    52 min
  5. 03/07/2023

    20. Working Through Conflict and Co-Parenting With Your Person | Chelsea Klotz

    I know Valentine’s Day has passed, but I’ve still got love on the brain. I've been thinking about ways to bless my husband, how to get creative with limited time for date nights, and the like. Maybe you are too. Sometimes it’s easier to focus on the kids and connecting with our significant other can end up by the wayside and we can drift apart. This episode features my conversation with my friend Chelsea Klotz about caring for your spouse and working through co-parenting and conflict (which often go hand in hand). She and her husband Will have been married for 13 years and they actually counseled Diego and me before we got married, so believe me when I saw she's got some gold to share. And if you’re listening and your life looks very different than ours, I’d encourage you to listen anyway and consider the things we touch on: conflict, prioritizing a committed relationship, and finding joy in everyday life. I appreciated the stories Chelsea shared of marriage struggles through different seasons of their family and great ideas for connecting with your person in busy times. As a sneak peek, here are a few of my top takeaways: "You can always go on a walk", "What's one small thing I can do today to love my spouse?", fight for date nights as often as you can, and push yourself to stay connected and keep the conversation going when conflict makes you want to pull away. Extra Stuff: This is the first in the 4-part podcast series Chelsea shared on choosing what type of school is best for them: https://www.risenmotherhood.com/podcast-episodes/ep-93-how-should-we-educate-our-children-the-case-for-freedom-part-1?rq=freedom%20in%20education These are the Bible verses she referenced about patience, forgiveness, and hope in relational conflict: Proverbs 19:11, Revelation 21:23. Here are the marriage books she recommended: This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence (John Piper) When Sinners Say I Do: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage (Dave Harvey) The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (Tim Keller) You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity (Francis & Lisa Chan)

    51 min
  6. 01/06/2023

    18. 2022 RECAP + Lyla's Birth Story

    Happy 2023, friends! This podcast is officially 2 years old and I'm celebrating by sharing a brief recap of this year's mamahood stories, the birth story of our second baby Lyla who joined us on Halloween, and how our family has been doing in our new reality as a family of 4. Check out the super fun resources I mention below. This new year, stay tuned for exciting new stories! I can't wait to share them with you and introduce you to new guests. Cheers to you, hard-working mamas! To a year full of growth and peace wherever you are. Extra Stuff: Here are the nursing latch videos that helped me have a successful breastfeeding start with Lyla: https://globalhealthmedia.org/videos/attaching-your-baby-at-the-breast/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deKN3wJ17Mk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l5BpqllTLg This is the super helpful visual birth plan template we used: https://www.mamanatural.com/birth-plan-template/ Here is the recipe for my sourdough cinnamon rolls plus a beginner's guide to sourdough: https://littlespoonfarm.com/sourdough-cinnamon-rolls/ https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2014/01/sourdough-bread-a-beginners-guide/ Feast your eyes on the beautiful and delicious Latin American food cookbook I'm working through (The Latin American Cookbook by Gill Gill Nicholas and Virgilio Martinez Veliz): https://www.amazon.com/Latin-American-Cookbook-Virgilio-Martinez/dp/1838663126 This is the book on habit-setting and habit-breaking (Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear): https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits And finally, this is the journal I'll be using this year during my (hopefully daily) Bible reading times (Give Me Jesus Journal by Well-Watered Women): https://shop.wellwateredwomen.com/products/give-me-jesus-journal-2

    15 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
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About

Each episode features tools, resources, advice and encouragement for moms! Join my friends and me for honest chats about the highs and lows of motherhood and our favorite resources, tips and tricks. We’re on a journey to share the good we’ve found and find joy right where we are.