The Moms I Know Podcast

Have you ever felt that your family home was out of balance? That the chores were piling up and you were the only one juggling it all? What if we told you that there is a system unique to your family's needs and abilities that will finally help you create peace in your home? Meet Laura Hernandez, founder of Mama Systems. "Calm house, calm life." – Unknown. In this final episode of The Moms I Know Podcast, we introduce you to Laura Hernandez, a mom to 10 children and teens, and the founder of her own small business, Mama Systems. If anyone knows what overwhelm and chaos feel like, Laura does, and not only did she figure out a way to create peace in her own home and life, she's designed a system that will help you to discover peace in your home as well. No, there is not one system or structure for every family - it's not one size fits all - but Laura believes that every family can develop a system that works uniquely for them, she's been helping other families to achieve this goal for years, and she's here to help you, too. Listen in to learn more about Laura, how her family of 12 came to be, and how she works with families now to help them discover their family's unique strengths in order to develop systems that are sustainable and empowering for the whole family. Laura says that the best things about creating systems in her own home are that she's now able to spend more time focussing on her own passions and she's more able to enjoy the time she gets to spend with the people she loves most. The best part of this interview is that she's here with us today because she wants the same thing for you. We hope you enjoy this episode. About Laura Hernandez: Laura is a wife and mom of 10. After adding 6 children to her family in 4.5 years, she decided that she needed to find a way to create peace in her home so that her large family could really mesh and thrive together. After reading countless books on homeschooling, large family logistics, and family dynamics, she decided that she needed something different, something that uniquely fit the needs and abilities of her own family - it was then that Mama Systems was born. Having discovered her own secret sauce, Laura now coaches other families through the process of defining their own systems through the use of schedules, deligation, incentives, and creativity with flexibility for all the realness of life. Subscribe Now: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube

If you've ever attended a birthday party, graduation, wedding, or baby shower, you have participated in celebrating an important milestone in a person's life. Persephone Rising Rituals co-create with individuals and families, meaningful ceremonies, rituals and rites of passage that invoke ancient wisdom and sacred practices to witness and honor a person's journey through some of the most meaningful and challenging of life's transitions. "When a baby is born, so is a mother." - Rachel Hollinger It's easy to get caught up in the fast pace of life and to be overwhelmed by all the current events happening around the world. One thing we know is that healing and rebuilding starts within ourselves, our families and our communities and how we honor and support ourselves and others through the many phases and changes of life. Through rituals and rites of passage, both community and inner awareness are strengthened. In this episode, Rebecca Tumason and Louisa Carter of Persephone Rising Rituals share some of the many ways that they support individuals and families through the assisted practice of rituals and ceremonies that inspire connection, strength, growth, and community as well as some of their own personal stories and experiences with rituals and ceremonies from their own lives. Whether you are seeking big ways to honor some of the biggest milestones in your families lives or you're looking for simpler ways that you can honor the ordinary inside and around your home daily or seasonally, we think you'll really enjoy this episode. Resources From This Episode: Persephone Rising Rituals on Instagram @persephone_rising_rituals NOURIS(her) Doula by Rachel Hollinger Mother Rising by Yana Courtland, Barb Lucke, and Donna Miller Watelet - - - About Louisa Carter: Louisa lives with her husband, two children and cat in Bozeman, Montana. She completed her doctorate in counseling psychology where she studied mindfulness, social justice and women's empowerment. Becoming a mother was akin to opening a portal into healing her own childhood and intergenerational trauma. It was also the catalyst for creating ritual and ceremony to help understand and move through important life phases such as miscarriage, childbirth and birth trauma. She is passionate about working alongside women to create support systems and is an advocate for the importance of self-care during the wildly transformative time of motherhood. About Rebecca Tumason: Rebecca lives outside Bozeman, Montana on a little family farm with her husband, three sons and daughter. Her days are mostly filled with mothering and surrendering to the homemaker title which her wanderlust is learning to love. Her background is in art and design, which before kids, took her many places throughout the world. Experiencing and living immersed in different cultures instilled an understanding of the importance of rhythm and ritual. She has a design studio in Bozeman and when time allows loves to create objects and spaces that evoke a calm, sacred serenity. Be it for a body. A ceremony. A room. Or a whole house. Subscribe Now: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube

Have you ever wondered if the career path you were on before becoming a parent is still right for you now that you are raising your family? Our guest for this episode, Carolyn Eckman of FIT4MOM Santa Cruz, joins us to share her story and her new definition of success in motherhood. "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the beauty in others; to leave the world a bit better weather by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson For this episode, we are joined by a very special guest. Carolyn Eckman has been our administrative assistant extraordinaire for the past 4 years and is an integral part of the production of this podcast. We have watched her and have been inspired by her evolution over the years and we are so excited to finally introduce you to her here. Like many parents, Carolyn faced a hard decision after becoming a mama. The cost of childcare was hardly offset by her salary and the trade-off of spending her days working in an office and away from her new baby caused her to adjust her compass. On her daughter's first birthday, she launched her first entrepreneurial endeavor, Rebirth Business Consulting, and never looked back. 4 years later she is the owner of 3 small businesses that she operates from her home and has found more joy, more life-balance, and more time to spend with her family. If you've been feeling the pull to make a change in your life to make more room for the things that are important to you, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Carolyn has been an inspiration to us and a joy to work and grow with. We hope you enjoy this episode. Resources From This Episode: Carolyn Eckman: @carolyneckman_ on Instagram Rebirth Business Consulting: https://rebirthbusiness.com FIT4MOM Santa Cruz: https://santacruz.fit4mom.com + @fit4momsantacruz on Instagram FIT4MOM Location Finder: https://fit4mom.com/locations Fun.For.Nails: https://rebrand.ly/fun-for-nails - - - About Carolyn Eckman: Carolyn Eckman is a wife and mom of 2 living in Aptos, CA. After becoming a mom, Carolyn realized the need to adjust her success compass and, with the support of her family, she left her 9-5 career 4 years ago. She now finds herself in the position of supporting and bringing joy to other moms, whether that is by supporting their entrepreneurial endeavors as a business consultant with Rebirth Business Consulting, bringing them a touch of Sparkle with Fun.For.Nails, creating outdoor opportunities for exercise and community with FIT4MOM Santa Cruz, or volunteering with The Santa Cruz Babywearing Group. When Carolyn isn't spending time with her family, dancing, or out in nature, she most enjoys creating opportunities for other mamas to feel empowered and successful in their own unique ways. Subscribe Now: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube

An organized space creates a sense of security and peace of mind that allows our nervous systems to relax and feel at ease. For this episode we had the privilege of sitting down with Mia Keenan, an organizing expert and the owner of Tidy Evolution, to learn more about the practice and benefit of the KonMari Method®. "I want to live my life in such a way that it colors my things with memories." - Marie Kondo Growing up in a family that frequently relocated, Mia was drawn to organization as a way of coping with change. As a child, these systems allowed her to create a calm and welcoming environment for herself in the midst of vulnerability and uncertainty. It wasn't until later in life, after learning more about and eventually studying the KonMari Method® that she was able to correlate this behavior with the philosophy and benefits of organizing. She is now an organizing professional helping families of all kinds create tidy spaces that bring more ease and flow to their daily lives. In this episode Mia candidly shares her story and experience. From the philosophy of the KonMari Method® to practical tips for tidying up your own home in a way that incorporates your children and deepens your family culture and connectedness, this episode is sure to leave you feeling inspired and motivated to begin your own tidy evolution. Resources From This Episode: Mia Keenan: tidyevolution.com Subscribe Now: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube

There are many many questions we are faced with daily as parents and nothing is cut and dry. With so much gray area, how do we confidently make choices that align consistently withour values and stand strong in our own intuition? In this episode we give you 3 steps to stand confident in your parenting choices. "Don't stand unmoving outside the door of a crying baby. Go to your baby. Go to your baby a million times. Demonstrate that people can be trusted. That the environment can be trusted. That we live in a benign universe." - Peggy O'Mara When it comes to following our hearts and our intuition as parents, it really comes down to how tuned in we are to our values and how deeply we're rooted in our convictions. When making choices of all kinds, from what we will eat and how we will conduct ourselves during pregnancy, to how we will birth and feed our children, how we will educate them, how and where we will live, how we will work, how we will navigate the use of technology in our homes, and so on and so forth, there will always be critics to question your choices or try to lead you down another path. The way we navigate these choices is unique to each parent, child and family and we want you to be able to confidently make the choices that best serve you and your family. In this episode we give you 3 steps to stand confident in your choices as well as how to forgive yourself for any past choices you regret so that you can confidently move forward from this moment on with empathy and love. Resources From This Episode: Peggy O'Mara: peggyomara.com Subscribe Now: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube