Elevating Motherhood

Latest Episodes:

145. The Sacred Connection Between Creating & Mothering with Ashlee Gadd of Coffee + Crumbs Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

“What does it mean to be creative…it’s allowing yourself to be so inspired by the beauty of the world that you want to capture it in some kind of form and then having the discipline to actually carry it out.” -Ashlee Gadd on the Elevating Motherhood Podcast

Mothers often feel guilt when they pursue something that takes time away from their children, especially when that something could be deemed less important than parenting. Writer Ashlee Gadd felt the same way when she was navigating being a first-time mother, exhausted yet yearning to be creative. Now a mother of three and the founder of Coffee + Crumbs, an online community bringing mothers together through storytelling, Gadd intentionally finds time to be creative.

Ashlee Gadd is someone I’ve followed my entire motherhood journey…for almost a decade. I’ve listened to her podcast and read her blog. Ashlee has been showing up for years through her brand Coffee + Crumbs. She’s been creating and mothering that entire time and all of those years of experience with creating and mothering are now brought together in her beautiful new book Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood.

Her book and this interview inspired me so much and I know they will inspire you. In a world that tells moms they are too busy to go to the bathroom by themselves let alone create anything, Ashlee is a voice of compassion and practicality that says “yes you can be a mom and create. Yes you can take matters into your own hands and make the time. Your ideas matter. Your creations have great purpose in this world. You’re not alone in your desire to want to create and bring more beauty into your life and the lives of your family and community.”

Ashlee’s Bio: Ashlee Gadd is author of Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood and the founder of Coffee + Crumbs—a beautiful online space where motherhood and storytelling intersect. As a writer and photographer, Ashlee has spent her entire motherhood creating in the margins. When she's not writing or vacuuming Cheerios out of the carpet, she loves making friends on the internet, eating cereal for dinner, and rearranging bookshelves. She and her husband have three kids and live in Northern California.

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

TODAY'S SPONSOR: WWW.HOMESCHOOLEXPLAINED.COM

Today’s episode is sponsored by Homeschool Explained, an online course I created to help parents find their confidence as they begin their homeschool journey. Homeschool Explained is also for families who are already homeschooling but feel they could use more resources and a confidence boost to keep going. My course is designed to save you time; it can be really overwhelming typing “how to homeschool” into an online search engine then spending hours sorting through the results. With Homeschool Explained, there will be no more maddening online searches for how to start homeschooling—this is me, a passionate veteran homeschool mom, holding your hand and walking you through homeschool 101 in just under 3 hours. The course is outlined to be logical and easy to understand. I take over 15 years of homeschool experience and condense it into a 3 hour instructional video and include a newly updated, downloadable PDF. I’m super stoked to announce that the PDF isn’t the only new upgrade! I’m now including ongoing encouragement! So learning doesn’t end when the tutorial video stops. At least once a month I’ll upload encouragement for you. This month I have 2…an audio for parents who are teaching their young children to read and a video about joyful journaling—how to bring joy into writing and record keeping.

FIND OUT MORE AT: WWW.HOMESCHOOLEXPLAINED.COM

144. Clonlara: Unique Accredited Support for Homeschoolers—An interview with Clonlara Director of Education April Huard Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

My children are homeschooled at home in Idaho but are technically private school students at Clonlara School in Michigan. How does that work? I get that question A LOT so I’ve invited April Huard, the Director of Education at Clonlara School onto the show to answer that question and share more about Clonlara’s unique and transformative mission.

Clonlara’s Mission: The mission of Clonlara School is to transform education on a global scale through a highly personalized approach that fosters authenticity, autonomy, and joy in the learning process. We are passionate about supporting homeschooling families as they follow their curiosities and become lifelong learners.

April Huard Bio: April is currently the Director of Education at Clonlara School, but started her education career as a second-grade teacher in a public school. When her oldest child was ready for kindergarten, she quit her job to start homeschooling her. April had no idea at the time that homeschooling would turn into a lifelong passion and prepare her for a career at Clonlara School. April and her husband have homeschooled all five of their children at various points during their school years. At Clonlara, April works with on-campus and off-campus students and an amazing global team of passionate educators.

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

Today’s episode is sponsored by Homeschool Explained, an online course I created to help parents find their confidence as they begin their homeschool journey. Homeschool Explained is also for families who are already homeschooling but feel they could use more resources and a confidence boost to keep going.

My course is designed to save you time; it can be really overwhelming typing “how to homeschool" into an online search engine then spending hours sorting through the results. With Homeschool Explained, there will be no more maddening online searches for how to start homeschooling—this is me, a passionate veteran homeschool mom, holding your hand and walking you through homeschool 101 in just under 3 hours. The course is outlined to be logical and easy to understand. I take over 15 years of homeschool experience and condense it into a 3 hour instructional video and include a newly updated, downloadable PDF. I’m super stoked to announce that the PDF isn’t the only new upgrade! I’m now including ongoing encouragement! So your learning doesn’t end when the tutorial video stops. At least once a month I’ll upload encouragement for you. This month I have 2…an audio for parents who are teaching their young children to read and a video about joyful journaling—how to bring joy into writing and record keeping.

SIGN UP TODAY AT: WWW.HOMESCHOOLEXPLAINED.COM

143. Learning Self-Sufficiency & Homesteading Science with Kody Hanner Mar 11, 2023

Show notes

“The modern homestead movement is 100% a state of mind. It’s the strive for self-sufficiency.”

My friend Kody Hanner wrote a homestead curriculum that my family adores. It’s being used by homeschoolers, schools, and I know some adults who could benefit from the huge amount of information in her homestead curriculum. Kody joins us today to talk about her curriculum, how it came to be, the modern homestead movement, life-long learning, parenting, and so much more.

Kody has generously offered a discount code for listeners of Elevating Motherhood. Use the code LORIBETH for 10% your purchase of the Homestead Education Curriculum

Kody’s Bio: Kody is a wife of a veteran, mother of 6, homesteader, and homeschooler, that has devoted her life to agriculture and embracing rural living. She created and authored the Homestead Education series of homeschool curricula that includes homestead science. She is the host of The Homestead Education Podcast, which is rapidly growing in popularity where she chats candidly about homesteading, homeschooling, and personal growth.

In This Episode, Kody and I Talk About:

· What qualifies as homesteading

· How she got started as a homesteader

· Her homestead background

· Homestead flexing

· Permaculture

· How she stared writing a curriculum

· The need for a homeschool homestead curriculum

· The writing process

· How long it took her to write the curriculum

· You don’t need to know everything, you need to know how to find good information

· The modern homestead movement

· Reach out to your county’s extension office for resources

· Production over consumption

· Slowing down

· Taking responsibility for your life

· Having entrepreneurial values

· People like to quiz homeschoolers randomly

· Adding depth to science experiments

· Who the curriculum is for

· Complaints she has received about the curriculum

· Writing to a broad audience

· Healing disconnect

· Integrating topics into your homeschool...and SO MUCH MORE!

Full Show Notes Available at: www.elevatingmotherhood.com

Today's Sponsors: www.homeschoolexplained.com and www.thefocusretreat.com

142. Fighting for Homeschool Freedom Amidst the Confusion of School Choice with Aby Rinella Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

What is your homeschool freedom worth? Today’s episode is probably going to be controversial to some listeners. My guest, Aby Rinella, and I are going to talk about School Choice and Public School Partnerships and what effect these have on homeschool freedom. You might not agree with what Aby and I have to say on these topics. You might agree with part of it. You might agree with all of it. And that is okay. We’re here to share a perspective that is not shared very often during recent conversations about School Choice. I always trust my listeners to use their discernment. You know what is best for your family. And I think we can all agree that there is no one size fits all solution for anything ever.

All of that being said, Aby and I are here today to share our perspective as two veteran homeschool moms with a lot of kids between the two of us. We are both passionate freedom fighting homeschool mamas who have been active in homeschool politics for quite a few years. Homeschool freedoms are under attack & are very much affected by the School Choice movement happening right now. I appreciate you showing up for today’s show and considering a different perspective than the one being sold by politicians…if nothing else, I’m hoping this conversation helps bring foresight to discussions surrounding school choice and public school partnerships as well as much needed perspective from homeschool families who have opted out of mainstream education.

Aby’s Bio: Aby Rinella lives in the mountains of the west with her college sweetheart and their three kids. Aby writes and speaks to encourage and inspire parents to answer the call to train up their children in God’s Word and to stand on truth in a culture that has lost it’s foundation. Aby can be found as a frequent guest on the Schoolhouse Rocked podcast and she and her husband serve on their state homeschool board. Aby also writes for the outdoor industry, sharing her family’s experiences in the outdoors. You can find her at www.calledtothetop.com

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

TODAY'S SPONSOR: HOMESCHOOL EXPLAINED WWW.HOMESCHOOLEXPLAINED.COM

141. Leah Boden on How the Legacy of Charlotte Mason is Informing Our Motherhood Journeys 100 Years Later Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

Leah Boden is back! Leah & I recorded Charlotte Mason 101 back in Episode 56…I highly recommend both of her episodes! Leah truly is the Modern Miss Mason and now has a book with the same title. I 10/10 recommend her book—it’s my favorite book of the year!

Charlotte Mason is a niche pedagogy that I passionately believe should be less niche and more mainstream. Charlotte Mason’s philosophies can be applied to education, homeschool, parenting, and life in general. I know I’m a better woman and mother after being introduced to her philosophies…and who better to introduce us to all things Charlotte Mason than Leah Boden!

Leah’s Bio: Leah Boden is wife to Dave, mother to four children, and a longtime home educator. With over two decades of experience in church leadership, Leah’s background also features many years in youth, children’s, and family work within the church and for the local education authority. Leah speaks, hosts podcasts and coaching sessions, and runs workshops sharing the beauty of a Charlotte Mason approach to childhood, motherhood, and education. She and her family live in the West Midlands, England.

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

BLOSSOM & ROOT DISCOUNT CODE: LORIBETH10

140. My Grandmother's Legacy Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

This is a very raw episode about a woman who is very dear to my heart.

My beloved Grandma Huck passed away at the end of 2022. We just got back to Idaho after her funeral in Ohio and I have to tell you that with her passing, I feel changed. I feel like our family’s hearts will be forever full and forever broken at the same time.

I debated on sharing about her. She was so special it’s one of those loves, one of those special relationships you hold super close to your heart because it was that special. But I also think that her legacy is too powerful not to share.

Full show notes and blog will be available at www.elevatingmotherhood.com

139. Jennifer Pepito on Wholeness in Motherhood + Her New Book Mothering by the Book Dec 28, 2022

Show notes

Books are incredibly powerful. We know this and yet as moms we don’t always make time to read. The world tells us that there is no time for anything, ever. And in the same breath often tells us what to do, what to read, how to think, how to mother…and a lot of that messaging leaves us feeling fearful, unworthy, and like we aren’t doing enough.

What if there was a way to step off the hamster wheel of modern motherhood and find ourselves feeling more whole, more worthy, and like we’re getting it right? And what if the secret to that was found in reading more books?

Today’s conversation with Jennifer Pepito is so enlightening. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a changed person, a changed mother, and I believe a better mother because I read books. Namely the books of the authors I have interviewed here on the podcast, including Jennifer’s book Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy. Jennifer is here to expand our book lists and shine a light on our motherhood journeys with deep, mature insights, ideas for battling comparison and other daily fears that arise in our mama hearts.

Jennifer’s Bio: Jennifer Pepito is the author of Mothering by the Book and the founder of The Peaceful Press (http://thepeacefulpress.com). Jennifer is on a mission to help moms overcome fear and love their life, and her homeschool curriculum empowers this through heroic stories, heartwarming poetry, and engaging life skills development. Her resources help create joyful memories among families, which leads to deeper connections and lasting relationships. Jennifer’s writing has been featured in several online and print journals, including Wild and Free, Commonplace Quarterly, and Home Educating Family. She’s a Wild and Free podcast host and has made guest appearances on popular podcasts such as 1000 Hours Outside, At Home with Sally, and Charlotte Mason Poetry. Jennifer lives in the mountains with her beloved family, where she enjoys reading aloud, working in her garden, and watching the sunset.

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

Elevating Motherhood Links:

Website: www.elevatingmotherhood.com

Instagram: @loribethauldridge @elevatingmotherhood

Wellnesse: www.wellnesse.com/loribeth (CODE: LORIBETH for 10% off your order!)

Homeschool Explained: www.homeschoolexplained.com

138. How Halloween 2022 Actually Went: A Follow Up to Episode 136 Nov 12, 2022

Show notes

This brief episode is a follow up to Episode 136…if you haven’t listened to that one, I highly recommend listening to that one first, otherwise this one won’t make very much sense.

I feel like it’s really important to not just talk about ideas or make plans, but to take time for self-reflection after an event to see how you’re feeling—especially as a mom.

Mamas set the tone for their entire family and sometimes it can feel really out of control to create a plan only to have the day come and the plan go out the window. Halloween 2022 was no exception for us. There were frantic moments the day of Halloween with costume preparation and getting everyone out the door on time, but all in all, I’d say this holiday went well and my goals ended up being more of a guideline than a set in stone plan of action.

My Original Goals From Episode 136 Included:

· Wean off of Halloween traditions (trick or treating)

· Switch Witch

· Harvest Festivals and parties over mainstream celebrations

· Heirloom costumes (no darkness)

· Celebrate with neighbors, make it clear we will use our discernment & leave if necessary

· Talk openly about Halloween and spiritual warfare

· Make pie instead of scary jack-o-lanterns

· Be aware of sweets consumption and ingredients

· Set a good example for our kids with either no costumes or innocent ones

· Up our vitamin regiment, get good sleep, take care of our health

How Halloween 2022 Actually Went:

· We’re still upping our vitamin regiment, getting good sleep and taking care of our health

· Switch Witch went off without a hitch

· We’re aware of sweets consumptions and ingredients—the kids asked about the candies they received and tried a few. They all agreed most of them were gross (green snickers, smarties, fire balls, etc). We let them have chocolates I bought at the health food store, let them keep just a few from trick-or-treating (they all chose less than 5 each!), and in general, candy was a non-issue

· We set a good example with no costumes…truthfully, I just didn’t have it in me this year. I was not motivated to spend money on Halloween costumes for the grownups

· The kids’ heirloom quality costumes were amazing and continue to be an everyday play hit in our homeschool. I’m really glad we invested in www.khepp.com and www.treasuresfromjennifer.com

· We did talk openly about Halloween and spiritual warfare…although it was a bit of a dance. I was left wondering if we shared too much or in the right way?

· We did not make a pie with our pumpkins, we fed them to the chickens after we carved nice things in them at a friend’s Harvest Party (did you see that “Jesus knows your harvest parties are really Halloween parties” meme going around?)

· Our church’s Harvest Festival was a blast…so wholesome and well organized! We will definitely be going again next year

· Are we weaning off Halloween? I don’t know. It was so fun doing an activity with our neighbors. I think it made me realize I want to do more adventures with them and it doesn’t have to be trick-or-treating

· A word on Trick-or-Treating…I had a moment where I thought this is so picturesque! What’s the harm in this? And then we came to the creepy house…listen to the full episode to hear this part

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

137. Rebelling Against Mediocre Motherhood with M is for Mama Author Abbie Halberstadt Oct 30, 2022

Show notes

Talking about mediocre motherhood is—believe it or not—probably one of my favorite things. I don’t align with a lot of the modern motherhood messaging that we’re fed and I know that our mama hearts desire more than mediocrity. I like talking about it so we can name it…and I name it so we can change it. Abbie Halberstadt is fighting mediocrity head on in her new book M is for Mama. She is here to remind us that hard is not the same thing as bad, she delivers so many other truths and encouragments. Hold on to your hats, mamas…today’s episode is on fire.

Abbie’s Bio: Abbie Halberstadt is a homeschooling mama to 10, former high school Spanish teacher, she is married to renaissance man with whom she’s built two DIY houses, she’s also a fitness instructor, business owner, blogger, bestselling motherhood author.

FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

Blossom & Root Discount Code: LORIBETH10 www.elevatingmotherhood.com/homeschool

Homeschool Explained Course: www.homeschoolexplained.com

136. Should We Celebrate Halloween? What Our Family is Doing for Halloween 2022 Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Halloween…you might be here because you feel something is different this year, too. Or you might be like “What’s the big deal? It’s just Halloween.” Or you might be here hoping I’ll expose it for the demonic celebration you think it is. Wherever you fall on this spectrum of perspectives, I’m glad you’re here.

People are super passionate about Halloween. Some love it and can hardly wait (my bestie from Episode 135 literally dresses up in 31 costumes and posts pictures of each online—one for every day of the month). And then there are those who are passionately believe Halloween is demonic with pagan origins. They see it as an invitation to invite darkness into our world unnecessarily. Some people view it as harmless and a holiday for people to just have a little fun, and there are those of us who land somewhere in the middle of all of these perspectives and aren’t sure how to feel about it or if we should take part in it. I think most of us in this middle are moms with little kids.

We don’t want our kids to be scared. We don’t like them exposed to evil or grotesque imagery and Halloween takes that control out of our hands. We don’t have control over what stores put on display, what people put up in our front yards (heaven forbid our neighbors put up a Freddy image on their front door for our toddler to stare at for a month), we don’t know who is going to open the door, what they’re dressed as, or if someone is going to jump out and try to scare us. And scare us anonymously…that’s the part that gets me…the masks make pranksters anonymous. That never sat right with me even before kids.

We live in a world where we tell our kids not to take candy from strangers…and then parade them around to the homes of strangers and instruct them to accept candy from them.

If you’re a “crunchy” mom like me, your kids don’t even know what reeses peanut butter cups and kit kats are…we stick to the healthier options when it comes to candy and rebuke mainstream, chemical laden crap. But that’s all people hand out because that’s what Costco, Walmart, and Target sell within our budgets.

And then there’s the costumes. Have you heard the term “prostitot?” It’s the kid sides prostitute worthy outfits that make most parents with any morals want to barf. Why on Earth do they sell midriff baring, mini skirt, way to adult costumes for kids (especially little girls)? They’re bad enough for the grownups (seriously…do an image search for “adult woman costumes” and tell me if anything comes up that doesn’t look like a hooker outfit with spandex, mini skirts, ruffles, boostiees, high heeled boots, and thigh high stockings)…but when they apply these same styles to outfits for children? I think a line needs to be drawn.

So.

Here we are. Parents acting hypocritically while often dressed as prostitutes filling ourselves up with chemical laden sugar all for the sake of “tradition” and “having a little fun.”

I know that might seem harsh, but when I take a step back and actually look at the holiday…that’s what I see. And I’ve been guilty of more than one of those offenses.

But we’re talking about THIS Halloween. And how many of us are feeling THIS year. 2022 is just hitting differently. It’s been over 2 years of divisiveness and 2 years of spiritual warfare being out in the open. So anything that causes division (like attitudes about a holiday) and anything that is obvious spiritual warfare (think light vs. dark…which, no one can argue that Halloween doesn’t fall into the “dark” category) is a huge turn off.

FULL SHOW NOTES AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM

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