Sow Connected Podcast

This podcast is turning 3 today, and we start every year with this conversation because the process of intention setting is really important for anyone who seeks to build a life of purpose, joy, and community. So it's definitely something you can expect at the top of every year on this podcast! We start with our current Highs and Lows. Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks. Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Every year at this time, we both engage in the process of reflecting on our previous year and setting intentions for the upcoming year. We purposefully split our podcast conversation into two distinct parts. The first conversation is today and it's about looking backward. Then in two weeks, we will be chatting about our thoughts for looking forward. The reason we split them up is to make sure we spend sufficient time on the reflection part. We find that our intentions are better when they are adequately connected to and grounded in what has come before.

We know it sounds a little bizarre to be doing a podcast about death (while many are prepping for the holidays!), but we found preparing for this episode was incredibly helpful. The inspiration came from hearing a hospice worker talk about how having a healthier relationship with death can help us live better lives. So today we spend a little time talking about our relationships with Death!

We are fascinated with the topic of vocation—of  trying to align the gifts and interests that we have with the needs of  our communities and the world. Parker Palmer says that “Vocation does  not come from willfulness. It comes from listening. I must listen to my  life and try to understand what it is truly about – quite apart from  what I would like it to be about – or my life will never represent  anything real in the world, no matter how earnest my intentions.” This  reminds us of the way that Maria Montessori talks about helping children  find their “cosmic tasks” in the world. Yet, in our systems and in our  daily lives we rarely have time to deeply reflect on our role in the  world’s unfolding. Today, we are pausing to talk about it!

Today we talk through each part of our ideal weekday and reflect on ways we might be able to live more in tune these visions. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., enjoying Halloween, foster kittens, arriving in Bali, missing Halloween). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks including KidNuz and dog Halloween costumes for stuffed animals). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today we are going to take time to dive into a core aspiration of Sow Connected: the idea of living a life rooted in joy. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., traveling in Malaysia, building strong family connections, family progress, and carousal rides). Then we shift into Today's Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks including trampoline sleepovers and the Spot It game). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

We recognize that this time of year can get busy and hectic. So we excited to talk through ways we are trying to prioritize and streamline what matters and let of go things that are getting in the way for this season being full of joy, purpose, and community! We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., goodbye party, being outside and biking, parenting, and tenants moving out). Then we shift into Today's Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (nutritional yeast and podcast episodes with Dr. Becky). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today Sara and I take a note from Ann Quindlen’s book A Short Guide to a Happy Life and talk about writing “soul resumes.” We discuss our processes and  read aloud what we wrote. We also talk about areas of our souls that are  still in process. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., lack of sleep, a night away, Henry starting school, and making healthy food choices). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (StoryBird and pistachio ice cream). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today Katherine and I talk about how to keep things simple as mothers in order to maximize enjoyment of our space—all while streamlining our lives. Our hope is that this conversation helps move us toward the goal of becoming more minimalistic while maintaining a sense of authenticity and practicality in our spaces. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., a solid "catch up week", a fun craft class, what's happening in Texas, and fatigue). Then we shift into Today's Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (observing the seasons from the same spot plus a wax seal kit for letters). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today, Sara and I take a deeper dive into the  Internal Family Systems (IFS) model of therapy. We discuss the parts of  IFS (Self, protectors, exiles) and how to work toward healing with a  specific focus on how our past pain impacts our relationships with our  children. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., school advocacy, enjoying a more settled life in Hilo, and the challenges of homeschooling). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (“two things are true” from Dr. Becky and an ode to public libraries). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Katherine read a book a few years ago that talked  about the power of staying curious over becoming critical. As someone  who is deeply committed to lifelong learning, but also has very high  standards for herself and those around her (which can sometimes lead to  being judgemental), she LOVED this idea. Turns out, however, that it is  harder to do that you would think! Today we talk about what this idea  looks like (or could look like!) in our lives. We start with our current  Highs and Lows (i.e., vacationing with friends,  getting time away from family with friends, glamping, and feeling  stretched too thin). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (interesting Enneagram website and non-fiction read alouds with kids). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Our topic today dives deep into some very big questions we have around the 2022-2023 school year as Sara prepares to home school while traveling the world and Katherine grapples with educational options for her two girls. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e. bedtime woes, the joy of summer produce- especially peaches, the glow of well-planned trip planning, and the challenges of being together as a family all the time while traveling for an extended period). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (Zuri and homemade lemonade). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Our topic today is a reflection about how we are doing toward our annual  goals, since we are nearly at the halfway mark. We start with our  current Highs and Lows (i.e. settling into parenting,  reducing stress, feeling sluggish, and worrying about the current state  of our democracy). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (arepas from Trader Joe’s and the Feelings Wheel). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Mentioned on the Show

Our topic today is a conversation about the current states of our most essential relationships. We talk about what is going well and what we want to work on with our partners. We start with our  current Highs and Lows (i.e. end of school year chaos, vacation fun, and home repair woes). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (The Feel Better, Live More Podcast’s bitesize episodes and how to  involve children in travel planning). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Our topic is week acknowledges that our children are in or entering the “interpretive stage” of parenting according to Galinksy’s theory. This means that they are the most open to our messages about life and our values. This period only lasts until Adolescence around age 12. We are excited to share our top ten life lessons and how we think about imparting these lessons to our children. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., COVID, stress about the world, excitement about upcoming travel). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (a drawer organizer and Roadside America app). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Mentioned on the Show

We have talked before on the podcast about the  importance of restorative rest and about how routines and rituals factor  into our processes for making sure we have margin in our lives. In this  episode we dig a layer deeper on how we think about rest and  rejuvenation. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., weekends away with friends, dealing with the public education system, and stress). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (Wizard of Paws and the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today we talk about how we are thinking about envisioning and creating  summer plans. In this episode, we share how we went about getting really  clear about what matters to us, then how we can be proactive about  making it happen but also we can be intentional about saying no to the  things that don’t bring us joy. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., planning summer trips, re-envisioning holidays, and house rental stress). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (WeeHoo and coupon deals). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today we talk about something that both of us  really struggle with: how to have a mindful relationship with food. So  if anyone is listening with hopes of hearing from people who have  achieved mastery, this podcast might not be for you! But we do delve  into some honest talk about how hard this is for us and why, as well as  what we’ve have done to make it easier. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., finding our groove as a family, seeing if chickens can truly do  the chicken dance, long stretches of vacation parenting, and  colonoscopies). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (a cool way to organize a long Mac computer cord and a continuous spray bottle). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today we borrowed an idea from The Lazy Genius podcast and Barbara Brown Taylor to each share 10 things that are saving our lives right now. From farmer’s markets to time set aside for connecting with our children, we hope you will be delighted and inspired to notice what is helping you connect with a life of joy, purpose and community in this season. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., beautiful, decodable readers developed by Sara and friends, peaceful seasons of parenting, and a new oven with an induction cooktop). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (library cookbooks and $6.99 flower bouquets from Trader Joe’s). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today we are talking about beauty! We don’t mean  the cover of a magazine kind of beauty. We are talking about the moments  that take our breath away and fill us with wonder. We are talking about  the times that we notice the setting sun and are so captivated by it  that we pull over our car to take in the purples and the yellows and the  oranges of the sky. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., stay-at-home-dads, soul-filling activities, what’s happening in  Ukraine, and children being hurt by our absence). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (Stitch Fix and Childhood Conference 2022). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

How do I want to grow this year?” is such an important question to ask ourselves as we strive for greater purpose, joy, and community in our lives. Yet, it’s so hard—especially for those of us who have to focus a lot of our energy on taking care of other people. In this episode, we carve out a little time for ourselves to have this conversation. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., coming out of COVID lockdown- again, banned books, a weekend conference, seeing our children struggle). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (a wake-up clock for children and a squeegee art project). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

In many ways, all children go through periods of  having pretty extreme or challenging emotions or behaviors. This can  happen when they go through a big life change like starting school or  losing a pet. Behaviors can be even more pronounced when the child has  experienced trauma (like a pandemic!) or is autistic or has unique has  sensory needs. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., new healthy habits, COVID and canceled birthday parties, snow  days—the good, the bad, and the ugly!). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (setting up a DIY cocktail bar and using your dryer vent to heat your home). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Vacations are one of those things that can slip right off the radar until it’s too late. It can be really hard to muster up the energy, time, and—frankly—motivation to spend hours planning something that is months and months away. And COVID has made vacation planning downright impossible in a lot of ways. But if you want to be more intentional about planning vacations, this episode is for you! We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., weekends away, a personal retreat, and doubts about parenting decisions). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (an amazing cake and microwave chips). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

We’ve talked before about how we are both on  journeys to heal from attachment-related childhood trauma. In today’s  episode, we are going to dig deeper and share what we have learned from  our journeys. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., home organizing, mini-retreats, conflict with spouses, and parenting difficulty). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (writing birthday letters to our children and heated blankets). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today’s topic explores our one of our favorite themes: setting goals for a new year. We share our processes, our personal goals for 2022, and what tools and approaches we are using to stay on track. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., nourishing and relaxing Christmas holidays, a friend’s injury, and the faulty promises of our democracy). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (a post-holiday email to your future self and The Story Orchestra books for kids). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Mentioned on the Show

Today’s topic explores our processes for reflecting on this year as we gear up for a brand new year. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., getting foster dogs adopted, holiday crafting, and parenting challenges all around). Then we shift into Today’s Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (Galveston Diet and Black Paper Party). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Today's topic explores ways to handle holiday stress. Katherine shares how she is struggling to redefine the holidays to create traditions unique to her multicultural family. Sara offers helpful advise for planning ahead to streamline her to do list and maximize her enjoyment of the festivities. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e. a disappointing reiki session, a weekend in Kansas City, one on one time with kids, and a Christmas countdown tradition). Then we shift into Today's Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (visiting used bookstores and a Crafter's Box find). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

Remember when Annie Dillard said, "How we spend our days is how we spend our lives"? Today's topic delves into the rituals and routines that we bring into our lives in order to have more purpose, joy, and community. Katherine has powerful rituals that ground her on a daily basis. Sara tends toward routines that minimize brainpower and maximize efficiency so she can have blocks of interrupted time for creativity and expansiveness during the day. We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., backyard movie night, working on soul-aligned projects, marital conflict, and shoddy immune systems). Then we shift into Today's Topic. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (easiest way to make Muddy Buddies and a powerful book). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

We start with our current Highs and Lows (i.e., getting ready for Spring gardening, Hawaii trip planning, and plumbing problems). Then we shift into Today's Topic focused our physical environments. Next we share a couple of Tips & Tricks (like throat spray for preventing infection and recommendations for gardening with children). Finally, we close out with Facing Forward to share what we want to make true in our lives in the next two weeks  as we work to cultivate lives full of joy, purpose, and community.

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