The High Functioning Hot Mess Podcast

Elizabeth Bronk McLaughlin
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

The High Functioning Hot Mess is where high-achieving women come to drop the perfection act and get real about stress, health, and healing. Hosted by functional dietitian Elizabeth Bronk McLaughlin, this podcast explores the beautiful chaos of doing it all—while learning to soften, slow down, and actually feel good again.

  1. 17h ago

    28. Little House Summer Series: Home Isn't a Place, It's a Practice

    What happens when the home you grew up in no longer exists? In this episode, I get vulnerable about losing my childhood home and my grandmother within the same year — and what that's taught me about home being something we have to actively create, not just something we're given. Drawing inspiration from Ma Ingalls and her little china shepherdess, I talk through the small, sentimental practices that are helping me build a home of my own: gardening, inherited keepsakes, inviting family in, and the everyday rhythms that turn a house into a home. This one's close to my heart. I hope it meets you wherever you are in your own relationship with home. In this episode: Why losing my childhood home and my grandmother in the same year changed how I think about "home" Learning to create home for myself instead of returning to it The sentimental objects (and a broken wind chime) that make a house feel like home What Ma Ingalls' china shepherdess can teach us about home as a practice The small daily rituals that ground me now Today's episode is sponsored by Small Town Beauty by Asia, a handmade beauty brand rooted in faith, confidence, self-expression, and genuine connection. From lip glosses and lip treatments to blushes and other beauty favorites, their products are thoughtfully created to help you feel beautiful in a way that feels authentically you. ✨ Use code HOTMESS15 for 15% off your order. Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess Today's Sponsor

    13 min

  2. Jun 22

    27. Little House Summer Series: Community, Sisterhood, and the Loneliness Epidemic

    This week on The High Functioning Hot Mess, we're continuing our Little House Summer Series with a conversation about something many of us are craving more than ever: community. Using Little House on the Prairie as a backdrop, I reflect on my own experience moving to Wisconsin during the pandemic, the loneliness that followed, and what the Ingalls family can teach us about sisterhood, belonging, and building community in a world that feels more connected—and yet more isolated—than ever before. In this episode, we discuss:• Why built-in community mattered so much in Laura Ingalls Wilder's world• How the pandemic changed the way we connect with one another• What we've gained through technology—and what we may have lost• Why in-person connection still matters• How choosing community on purpose has shaped my own life and business• A reflection prompt to help you reconnect with your own "Plum Creek" If you've ever felt lonely, disconnected, or like making friends as an adult is harder than it should be, this episode is for you. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review or share it with a friend. It helps more women find the show and join the conversation. Today's episode is sponsored by Small Town Beauty by Asia, a handmade beauty brand rooted in faith, confidence, self-expression, and genuine connection. From lip glosses and lip treatments to blushes and other beauty favorites, their products are thoughtfully created to help you feel beautiful in a way that feels authentically you. ✨ Use code HOTMESS15 for 15% off your order. Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess Today's Sponsor

    11 min

  3. Jun 15

    26. Little House Summer Series: Why Modern Women Feel More Dysregulated Than the Pioneer Women

    What if the reason so many of us feel overwhelmed, distracted, and dysregulated isn't because we're doing life wrong—but because we're trying to navigate a world our nervous systems were never designed for? In this episode, Elizabeth explores what modern women can learn from the rhythm, simplicity, and attention of pioneer life without romanticizing the past. From endless notifications and Pinterest boards to sourdough, gardening, and unplugged days, this conversation dives into why so many of us feel overwhelmed and how we can create more intention in our everyday lives. Why modern life can feel so dysregulating The difference between being busy and being purposeful How technology can support us—or consume our attention The hidden cost of constant comparison Creating more rhythm and intention in daily life What Elizabeth is learning from gardening, sourdough, and taking real days off Today's episode is sponsored by Small Town Beauty by Asia, a handmade beauty brand rooted in faith, confidence, self-expression, and genuine connection. From lip glosses and lip treatments to blushes and other beauty favorites, their products are thoughtfully created to help you feel beautiful in a way that feels authentically you. ✨ Use code HOTMESS15 for 15% off your order. Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess In This Episode:Today's Sponsor

    13 min

  4. Jun 8

    25. Little House Summer Series: Little House on the Prairie Deep Dive

    This week we're wrapping up the book reading portion of our Little House mini series with Little House on the Prairie — and what a book to go out on. We walk through the Ingalls family's journey from the forests of Wisconsin out onto the open Kansas prairie, chapter by chapter. From the heart-stopping creek crossing in chapter two (and the moment we almost lose beloved Jack) to wolf packs circling the house at night, prairie fires, a near-fatal well dig, mysterious visitors, and a Christmas miracle courtesy of the one and only Mr. Edwards — this book is packed with adventure from the very first page. We also talk about what it actually meant to build a life from scratch and why these people were just genuinely built differently. And we get into the bittersweet, gutting ending, because Laura Ingalls Wilder wasn't writing a fairytale. She was writing her life. Next week: We're shifting into something exciting — the modern woman vs. the pioneer woman. What are we grateful for? What can she still teach us? And how do we bring a little of that pioneer spirit into our lives today? #pioneerinfluencer The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder is available wherever books are sold. The TV pilot referenced in this episode is Season 1, Episode 1 of Little House on the Prairie (1974). Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess

    15 min

  5. Jun 1

    24. Little House Summer Series: Little House in the Big Woods Deep Dive

    We’re finally getting into the books! In this episode, I’m diving into the very first installment of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved series — Little House in the Big Woods — and I have a lot of feelings about it. As someone who lives about an hour from Pepin, Wisconsin (where Laura was born!), this book hits a little differently for me. I share about driving past the site of the original log cabin last fall on the way to my friend Kaysee’s wedding, visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Pepin, and why being this close to this history feels so special. Links & Resources • Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum — Pepin, WI • Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder Enjoyed This Episode? If this episode brought out your inner pioneer girl, it would mean the world if you shared it with a friend who loves Laura Ingalls Wilder as much as we do. And if you’re not already following The High Functioning Hot Mess, go hit that subscribe button — we’ve got more Little House content coming your way before the Netflix reboot drops in July. Leave a rating or review wherever you listen — it genuinely helps more people find the show. And come find me on Instagram @thehighfunctioninghotmess to keep the conversation going. I want to know: did you grow up with these books? Do you have a favorite chapter from Little House in the Big Woods? Tell me everything. Next up in the series: Little House on the Prairie — the Ingalls family heads west, and things get a lot more complicated. See you there. 🌾 Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess

    15 min

  6. May 18

    23. Little House Summer Series: Thoughts on the Netflix Reboot

    In this episode of our Little House Summer Series, I’m sharing my honest thoughts on the upcoming Netflix reboot of Little House on the Prairie — including why I’m excited, why I’m skeptical, and why I think so many of us are craving slower, quieter, more grounding stories right now. We talk about: How I unexpectedly fell back in love with the Little House books and TV show as an adult The surprising emotional depth of the original series Why modern television feels so overstimulating lately The rise of remakes, reboots, and nostalgia culture Whether social media is impacting creativity and storytelling Why the “quietness” of Little House feels so healing My hopes (and concerns) for the Netflix adaptation premiering July 9 This episode is part nostalgia, part cultural commentary, and part “please let television be wholesome again.” I think a lot of us are craving exactly that. We’ll be taking a little pause next week for Memorial Day, but the series officially continues June 1st as we begin diving into Little House in the Big Woods. This is what we’ve all been preparing for. If you’re loving the series so far, make sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and send this episode to your fellow nostalgic girls who secretly wish they lived on a homestead sometimes. See you next Monday. 🤍 If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend or tag me on Instagram so I can see you’re listening! And if you’re loving this series, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings 💌 Let’s Stay ConnectedNow on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess

    10 min

  7. May 11

    22. Little House Summer Series: How I Fell in Love With Little House on the Prairie

    Before this became a summer series… before it became something I wanted to share… Little House on the Prairie was something that quietly found me in a season where I really needed it. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of how I reconnected with the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder as an adult—and how what started as a nostalgic, late-night read turned into something much deeper. What it looked like to slowly get pulled back into the series—one book at a time Why Laura’s growth throughout the series resonated so deeply with me How themes like growing up, letting go, and starting over still feel relevant today What this series helped me process during a season of anxiety and transition As I kept reading, I realized something I wasn’t expecting: Even though these stories take place nearly two centuries ago… the emotions are the same. Growing up. Letting go. Figuring out who you are. Leaving what’s familiar. Building something new. And in a time where everything in life can feel overwhelming, fast, and overly complicated… there was something incredibly grounding about coming back to something simple. Later that year, I had the chance to visit Pepin, Wisconsin—Laura’s birthplace—and stop by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. It was one of those moments that feels small on paper… but meaningful in a way that’s hard to explain. This wasn’t just about reading a series of books. It was about remembering that: Life doesn’t have to be so complicated We don’t always need to be “working on ourselves” There’s something deeply supportive about simplicity, rhythm, and familiarity Next week, we’re diving into the original Little House on the Prairie TV series—what made it so beloved, and my thoughts as we head into the upcoming reboot 👀 If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend or tag me on Instagram so I can see you’re listening! And if you’re loving this series, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess ✨ In This Episode:🌿 Why This Story Matters🧵 A Full-Circle Moment🌞 What I Took Away🎧 Coming Next💌 Let’s Stay Connected

    8 min

  8. May 4

    21. Little House on the Prairie Is Getting a Reboot… Here’s What You Need to Know (A Summer Series)

    This summer, we’re doing things a little differently. When I first heard that Little House on the Prairie is getting a reboot on Netflix (coming July 9), I had two immediate thoughts: I will absolutely be watching We need to talk about this Because over the past year and a half, the world of Little House—especially the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder—has become something really meaningful to me. Not just nostalgic… but grounding. So instead of taking a break this summer, I’m leaning into a new direction. Welcome to the Little House Summer Series on The High Functioning Hot Mess—a space where we’ll explore what this beloved story can actually teach us about slowing down, simplifying, and feeling better in our everyday lives. My love for summer and the energy I’m intentionally creating this season How this series came to life (and why now felt like the right time) What Little House on the Prairie represents beyond nostalgia A fresh perspective on wellness: why more isn’t always better What you can expect from this summer series (no reading required 😉) Yes—we’ll talk about the books.Yes—we’ll talk about the original show.And yes—we’ll absolutely be discussing the reboot. But more than anything… This series is about coming back to the basics. Slowing down Spending more time outside Nourishing your body Reconnecting with what actually feels good Letting life be a little simpler (and a little more fun) Because the truth is—we don’t need 25 supplements and a perfectly optimized routine to feel better. We need consistency.We need rhythm.We need connection. If you’re feeling inspired, I’ll mostly be pulling from: Little House in the Big Woods Little House on the Prairie But truly—no pressure. This is meant to feel easy, not like homework. Next week, we’re diving into my story and how I fell in love with this beloved series. If you loved this episode, share it with a friend or tag me on Instagram so I can see you’re listening! And if you’re craving more of this slower, more intentional approach to wellness, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s coming next. This is your invitation to a slower summer. You don’t have to do more to feel better. Sometimes… you just need to come back to what already works. Connect with Elizabeth: 💻 https://www.elizabethalicellc.com/ 📸 @elizabethalicerd on Instagram 💌 Subscribe to Vitality Vignette for cozy wellness musings Now on TikTok! The High Functioning Hot Mess ✨ In This Episode:🌿 What This Series Is Really About📚 Want to Read Along?🎧 Coming Next💌 Let’s Stay Connected🌞 A Final Thought

    8 min
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

The High Functioning Hot Mess is where high-achieving women come to drop the perfection act and get real about stress, health, and healing. Hosted by functional dietitian Elizabeth Bronk McLaughlin, this podcast explores the beautiful chaos of doing it all—while learning to soften, slow down, and actually feel good again.

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