Minimal-ish Podcast

21/05/2024

We are approaching summer which means swimsuits and shorts season- and it also might be the time of year where we are finding every way to hide behind our clothes yet still keep cool in the heat if we’ve got body image things we’re dealing with.

If that’s you- you’re not alone. Motherhood changes our bodies and it can be really hard to embrace the changes & to find clothes we feel good in.

We’ll be talking about some summer topics on Minimalish with some fun episodes over the next couple of weeks, and we are starting off with a replay of one of my favorite summer-themed episodes with . It’s a blast from the past (2021 to be exact) and a conversation that deserves a replay.

I definitely needed to (re)hear this conversation! I hope in encourages you whether it’s your first or second listen.

PS: if you have a summer staple outfit that makes you feel great- give us the details below🤍.

06/05/2024

We’ve been talking about getting intentional at home for the last 5 weeks on the podcast. This past week, I shared some things that help me be my most intentional self at home.

I’m certainly not perfect, and have seasons where I’m less intentional than others. I think we all do. But this series isn’t about perfection. It isn’t about beating ourselves up for all the areas we’re struggling, either.

It is about celebrating the areas where we’re doing it, acknowledging areas of growth, and moving towards just one of those growth areas.

If you’ve been listening along, I hope you’re enjoying this series, and I hope last week’s episode encouraged you to celebrate your wins 💕.

Search “Minimal-ish” anywhere you listen to podcasts 🎧 to listen in!

01/05/2024

I don’t stop writing because things are going well.
Or because things aren’t going well.
I’ve written through both of those types of seasons.

It seems I stop writing when I doubt myself. Doubt the words matter - to me or to you.

It seems I stop writing when I lose myself a little.
When life gets a little too busy. When things get confusing. When I don’t see the clear path ahead.

This has happened more than once - as it will in life.
And it seems if I write through it, I hold on to who I am as I navigate the murky waters.
And if I stop? I get a little lost.

So, I don’t know about instagram algorithms.
I don’t want to know about them.
But I do know I’ve been overthinking instagram for far too long: If I’ll show up here or not. How I’ll show up here. If it’s a waste of time or worth my time.

Here is what I know - when I write, I feel more at home.
And I know myself enough to know I just won’t really write without somewhere to share it.

So, hey friend,
It’s been a while since I wrote something.
But writing helps me see the beauty in my everyday, and I think I need a little bit more of that right now.
Writing helps ground me in what matters, and I definitely could use some of that.
So I think, although I’ve tried to convince myself, for whatever reason, that this little app is a waste of my time,
I’ve decided that I really don’t think it is. Not for me. Because it gives me a reason to write.

Here’s to writing more - whether or not it sounds perfect,
whether or not the algorithm likes my old-fashioned static-posts and long-captions.
I’m just excited to write again. I’m just excited to be here with you again. ☕️🤍✍️

30/04/2024

We will have our book club meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, May 1) at 7pm ET!

I’ll post a link for it here and in Patreon.

For now, here are questions to discuss from the end of the book! Each section has its own picture and feel free to discuss however you’d like to in the comments!

Looking forward to tomorrow! Check back here for the link- it will be via zoom.

25/03/2024

Happy Monday everyone! I am starting to finally feel better. It was a crazy weekend in my house which I will detail in the episode which will come this week at some point. I have a lot on my plate right now, and this weekend was, like I said, not according to plan haha. But towards the end of the week we have Spring Break so my husband will be home - I will be able to put some time to the bonus episode! Anyways...

If you haven't listened to last week's episode yet, it is a very different conversation than we typically have on Minimal-ish, but I was happy to have it because it is a topic I love! Here are some questions to think on and discuss if you'd like! Answer one or all or just use them for your own reflection :)

1. What are some ways you prioritize fitness/ wellness in your daily life? Aka what works for you?

2. What are some ways you'd like to improve this area of life?

3. Have you struggled with body image/ negative mindset about fitness, wellness, your body, etc?
4. What takeaways did you have from this episode?

16/03/2024

Eras Tour is the new Ms. Rachel. At least for today. 😂🤍

13/03/2024

Motherhood requires so much of us.
So much of our bodies.
After two weeks of pain and cabbage in my bra, I was feeling like it’s a little unfair- the pain we have to go through to start feeding our babies, and then the pain to stop. I honestly don’t know which is worse.

And then there’s the guilt I feel for stopping when she would still happily continue nursing. I nursed for almost 2 years, but still, the guilt. Her skin is so much better since we stopped (she’s sensitive to a lot of foods and has bad eczema- the main reason we stopped is I believed her skin would improve and it has) but still, the guilt.

And then there are the 9 months of growing them inside of us- with various pain and ailments to accompany it. And childbirth- however they come into this world. There’s pain, and there’s painful healing involved.

And then our bodies are never the same- yet society holds women to unrealistic beauty standards. We can scream body positivity all we want, but it’s hard to fight that, isn’t it?

Not to mention the hormones, the mental health struggles, which are very real and often worse than the physical pain.

So yeah, after 2 weeks of weaning, of painful clogged milk ducts, of crazy hormone changes, of feeling so far from myself, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. Sorry for all of us.

But of course- there’s another side. We’d all do it again in a heartbeat because of the babies we bring into the world and nourish through all of this pain.

And the side I’m clinging to - to get through to the end of this pain - is how strong we are. We endure this pain. We continue to care for our babies through it. And we repeat that each time we’re sick or we’re struggling. We keep strong, the best we can, to take care of them. We are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

What if we walked through each day with a reminder of that strength? It would change some things, wouldn’t it? You are so strong. Time to acknowledge that. Time to remember that. 💪🤱

12/03/2024

If you’re not sure where to start decluttering or you just feel overwhelmed with the state of your house right now…come listen to the most recent episode of minimal-ish with - you will leave ready & equipped to take steps forward.

Out of over 220 episodes, this might be my favorite one for getting started with decluttering, or decluttering as a messy, less-than-organized person. It’s very actionable, and I fully believe you will gain some strategies you can put to use right away (like the visibility rule shared in this post).

If you listened already, let me know if you agree that Dana is just amazing ❤️👏.

PS: we will be reading her book “Organizing for the Rest of Us” next month in our book club! Join us at Patreon.com/minimalish

29/02/2024

1. The way my littlest bear-hugs my biggest in the mornings after waking.
2. The way fresh, warm coffee tastes, and the way the freshly ground beans make my living room smell like the coziest coffee shop.
3. The way I remember the laughter & play of my kids right after bedtime, as I’m putting their toys away.
4. The way the sun comes in my kitchen window, even if it’s highlighting the dishes-everywhere situation.
5. The way music is playing on both Alexa’s and it initiates an instant dance party with my girls.
6. The way we watch the voice in the evening all together - even if it involves wild, loud playtime overpowering the singing voices half the time.
7. The way that my kids laugh the loudest and are the happiest when I’m tackling them with tickles and smooshing their cheeks with kisses - that’s really what they want the most.

The house isn’t tidy because I don’t have the energy.
I’m not the most productive, lately.
And I am feeling restless.
I don’t know what to do with myself in the quiet of nap time when I really have a thousand things to do.
I don’t even know what I want to do.
But I do know, that these little things are the big things.
These are the things that make me happy.

20/02/2024

Just released episode 2 of the The Minimal-ish + Coffee Podcast, which is part of the Minimal-ish Collective.

Get more from Minimal-ish Collective on Patreon

14/02/2024

My mom always used to get us a tiny little gift for Valentine’s Day. Like a CD or magazine. And some chocolate. And to think she got to do that without social media telling her it was too much or not enough 🤯

But it was always so special to me. So today I gave my kids each a stuffy and a book. Two things they love. Not because social media said I should. But because a little gift was something that made me feel special on VDay as a kid. Because it feels like a doable little tradition. I did it because I wanted to. Just like my mom always did years ago.

We also got some baked goods from a local bakery. Little things to make the day one to look forward to. To me, that’s what these little holidays sprinkled through the year are. Just days where things are a little different, a little less ordinary. Simple traditions to have fun with. Tiny joys that remind us that life is also meant to be fun & having fun together as a family is important.

These little holidays can feel heavy on the marketing these days, heavy on the consumerism, heavy on the expectations. One more thing to add to the mental load of motherhood.

But maybe they don’t have to be. Maybe we don’t have to get inspiration from 30 different people on social media and then end up feeling bad because there’s no way we are doing that much. Maybe we can just keep it simple by asking what feels good? What feels right for our family? Family traditions are meant to be yours. You don’t have to measure up to everyone else’s.

I kind of long to be a mom in an age where social media didn’t tell me what it looks like to be a good mom on Valentine’s Day. But here we are. The thing I’m learning is that social media isn’t telling me any of that- if I feel bad, it’s because I’m telling myself that story based off what I’m seeing. It really is on me.

Regardless, I’m learning we’ll be much better off if we shut out the noise a little, keep our eyes on what’s best for our own family, and just do that. ❤️

Happy Valentine’s Day to you - however simple or elaborate it may be in your house. 💕

13/02/2024

Just making space on the feed for a few of the generous, kind encouragements that keep me going. 🤍

I say it often, but I am truly so grateful for each time you listen, share, or even let me know you’re listening and enjoying minimal-ish. I’m grateful for you 🤍.

We are so close to 1000 reviews on Apple podcasts! If you have an iPhone, love minimal-ish, and haven’t left a rating/review yet, I’d be so grateful if you take a few minute to do so!