Lighten Up with Melanie Dale

Latest Episodes:

Lighten Up #63: Body Image Crossover with Sarah Bragg Feb 27, 2018

Show notes

Today I'm back with Sarah Bragg of Surviving Sarah for our monthly crossover episode, where we take a topic and chat about how we can lighten up about it on this show and how we can survive it over on her podcast. Guys, I hate today's topic. It is so hard for me but somehow seems to be a theme right now. Last month over on Jamie Ivey's Happy Hour podcast I shared about my history with an eating disorder and today Sarah and I are talking about body image. Blech, I know. This is hard stuff. We all struggle in some way with accepting something about our appearance. So today we're talking about it and how we can lighten up about it. Who or what in your life shaped your view of what the "ideal" woman should look like? Sarah and I talk about ours, and we go deep into the 80s and early 90s on this one. Then we share the craziest products or procedures we've ever attempted to achieve our ideal look and our experiences with everything from sports bras to Spanx. Do you also struggle with perfectionism and comparison when it comes to body image? Listen in and lighten up.

Links from the Show:

Surviving Sarah Podcast - check out the other half of our conversation!
Sarah Bragg on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Raising Girls by Sissy Goff
If You Only Knew #1 - my interview on The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey

Lighten Up #62: Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros Feb 20, 2018

Show notes

Today I'm talking with poet and writer Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros and we run the gamut from light to serious. She tells an amazing story about wearing leggings as pants, and you are in for a treat today because she agreed to perform her original poem, "By the Grace of God" for us and shares her process for writing poetry. We talk about how she serves her community by serving coffee, there's some serious power in a cup of coffee, and what she's learning these days about her faith and "decolonizing her theology." Then we chat about immigration, the current climate toward Mexican-Americans, and how white women can support and advocate for our Latina sisters. Super light stuff, right? Seriously, though, Carolina has some beautiful advice about how we can make space, create room, and understand the power we wield. And then at the end, she takes us to school with a fantastic reading list, which will be in the show notes. I love this conversation, a little light, a little deep, just the way I like it, so listen in, and lighten up!

Links from the show:

Carolina's website
Follow Carolina on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Festival of Faith & Writing
20 Awesome Christian Women to Follow on Social Media
"By the Grace of God"

Carolina's Awesome Reading Guide: Latina poets, writers, scholars

Non-Latina but fierce and amazing

The male names

Lighten Up #61: Callie Feyen Feb 13, 2018

Show notes

Today I'm talking with my Coffee+Crumbs buddy Callie Feyen, author of the new book, The Teacher Diaries: Romeo & Juliet. We talk about dirty emojis, getting caught passing notes in class, pumping gas, and I think I drop my greatest segue ever, "speaking of blowing up at a gas station," how do you think people need to lighten up? Callie is super wise and she talks about teaching, writing, and her new book, The Teacher Diaries, which she says is a love letter to teaching middle school. Whether you're star-crossed lovers or would like to flip Cupid the bird this Valentine's day, listen in and lighten up.

Links from the show:

The Teacher Diaries: Romeo & Juliet
Find Callie on Twitter and Instagram
Coffee+Crumbs
Give Your Child the World, by Jamie Martin
Wonder
Auggie & Me
Festival of Faith & Writing

Two essays from Callie:

Lighten Up #60: Jen Lewis Feb 06, 2018

Show notes

Today I'm talking with Jen Lewis, founder and executive director of Purse & Clutch, my favorite bag company dedicated to ethical fashion. We talk about road rage and breastfeeding...not together, because that would be a mess and probably super illegal, and then we dig into how Jen started an ethical purse company, how she collaborates with artisans around the world, what she looks for in a bag, and what's she's learned as a businesswoman and entrepreneur over the years. As a special gift to Lighten Up listeners, Jen has given us a coupon code for free US shipping. Use code LIGHTENUP through February, and orders placed by Friday, February 9th should arrive by Valentine’s Day. So grab a new bag or wallet for Valentine's, Galentine's, or because you love yourself. To support artisans around the world, listen in and lighten up!

Links from the show:

Purse & Clutch
Find Jen and Purse & Clutch on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
The Magic of Motherhood
Coffee+Crumbs
Children's HopeChest
Slave-Free Christmas Challenge
Joyn

Lighten Up #59: Friendship Crossover with Sarah Bragg Jan 30, 2018

Show notes

What is the most exciting thing about your favorite TV show? It's when they do a crossover episode with your other favorite TV show, right? When Flash has a crossover with Supergirl, when The Walking Dead has a crossover with Fear the Walking Dead...it's very exciting. Well, I am a fan of Surviving Sarah Podcast, and the host Sarah Bragg is one of my favorite people. We have cooked up monthly crossover episodes for you guys where we take a topic and talk about how to lighten up about it on my show and how to survive it on her show. And today is the first one! We're talking about how we can lighten up about friendships, the challenges of maintaining friendships as we move into new life stages or locations, believing the best in each other, setting expectations for our friendships, and how developing friendships is an important part of self care. We're going to flip the script and ask, "How can I be a good friend?" rather than "How can I get a good friend?" If you have a friend, want a friend, or are a friend, there's something here for everyone, so listen in, and lighten up!

Links from the show:

Surviving Sarah Podcast
Sarah Bragg on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Women Are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends

Lighten Up #58: Holley Gerth Jan 23, 2018

Show notes

Listen, can I be totally honest with you? I think January can be such a killer for comparison. It's the hardest time of the year for me when it come to feeling discontent and bummed out about my life. I look around and see everybody taking the year by storm, and my kids just had one million snow days and all I want to do is watch Netflix all day and stay in my jammies. I look around at what everyone else is doing and feel like a hopeless slug. So today I got up and showered, yes -- sometimes that's the start of a brand new mood -- I went to yoga, prayed with a friend, sat down to edit this show, and I feel better. I recorded this episode a few weeks ago and guys, it was exactly what I needed today to lighten up and put a smile on my face, so I hope you enjoy it too. In today's episode I'm talking with counselor and author Holley Gerth about all kinds of things. The results of her extensive research on where you get the best jeans, her incredible story of adopting an adult out of foster care, being a brand new grandmother, and her new book, Fiercehearted, experiencing depression, and her Fiercehearted manifesto. Also, we cover some basics of chicken anatomy.

Links from the show:

Check out Holley's new book, Fiercehearted!
Find Holley on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
fiercehearted.com
holleygerth.com
Not Your Daughter's Jeans
Lucky Brand
Old Navy

Lighten Up #57: Alli Worthington Jan 16, 2018

Show notes

Hey welcome to episode 57 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. Guys, Alex just showed me how to download the Netflix app to my phone. Oh. My gosh. Why didn't you guys tell me? I may never read or write a book again. I'm going to be a professional TV watcher. Isn't technology terrifyingly awesome? I am currently binge-watching Supernatural, so I am filled with all kinds of fear right now and assume that my toaster is possessed by an evil bread-burning spirit and Linda Blair is living under my bed. Luckily, today I have Alli Worthington on the show to talk about fear. In addition to my Netflix-inspired fear we also all struggle with real fear from time to time. Alli has a new book out called Fierce Faith: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Fear, Wrestling Worry, and Overcoming Anxiety. If you're struggling with fear and anxiety, you definitely want to listen to this episode because Alli unpacks a whole practical guide to battling fear. And speaking of battle, we totally talk about Star Wars, too. Since we recorded this right before The Last Jedi came out, please enjoy our timey whimey predictions and laugh at us worrying about whether or not Rey would go to the Dark Side. We were very concerned about Kylo Ren. If you've seen the movie, you know the truth now. Whether you're dealing with fear, fearing Kylo Ren, or have never seen Star Wars, listen in and lighten up!

Links from the show:

Find Alli on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
Check out Alli's new book, Fierce Faith
FierceFaithBook.com

Lighten Up #56: Jamie Ivey Jan 09, 2018

Show notes

Hey welcome to episode 56 of Lighten Up with Melanie Dale. Today I'm talking with Jamie Ivey, host of The Happy Hour Podcast. Guys, I got to laughing so hard while I was editing this show that I had to hit pause. We had the best time together. We talk about fancy yurts at the glamping retreat center she owns, and she tells a story about when her manicurist asked her to testify in court. We unpack our views on the Southwest Airlines check-in line and share stories of people on planes. You guys...people on planes are weird. And then we discuss her new book, If You Only Knew. We talk about everything. Her story, growing up Christian, getting pregnant in college, pornography, dealing with shame, forgiveness, and finding safe places to confide our stories. If you feel trapped in your past and want to break free from shame, Jamie shares great advice, so listen in, and lighten up!

Links from the show:

Check out Jamie's new book, If You Only Knew

Find Jamie on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter

Jamie's first Lighten Up episode, #3!

Green Acres Camp

Lighten Up #55: 10 Tips for 2018 Jan 02, 2018

Show notes

Happy New Year, guys. Today I’m talking with my very favorite person on the planet, Alex Dale. Alex owns Loudmark, a strategic marketing and design company, but most importantly he’s been married to me for almost 18 years, bless his heart. We share our tips and ideas for 2018 in ten categories - parenting, marriage, character, beauty, food, exercise, friends, work, technology, and faith - something for everyone! Also, in what is probably the most guy-centric moment in Lighten Up history, he shares his remedy for swamp-ass. So anyway, come on over to our house, through the interwebz, join Alex and me for a cup of coffee, listen in, and lighten up!

Links from the Show

Lighten Up #54: Sally Clarkson Dec 12, 2017

Show notes

Today, I’m talking with Sally Clarkson about her new book, The Lifegiving Table. I love Sally because she’s already raised her kids into fabulous, functioning adults with jobs and lives of their own and she gives me great hope that it’s possible to successfully raise decent human beings! Yay! Who else is super relieved to hear this today? She shares tons of ideas for getting our families around the dinner table and what a difference we can make with these small deposits of time over a lifetime. Also, Sally is giving away two copies of her book, so head over to my Instagram @UnexpectedMel to enter to win! No matter who is gathering around your table this year for the holidays, I know you’ll enjoy this conversation with Sally, so listen in and lighten up!

Links from the show:

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