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We Call B.S. — Kids & Family
We Call B.S.

Join us as we challenge common misconceptions, stereotypes, and assumptions about what it means to be a woman in today’s world.

From body image to wellness, parenting to self love- and everything uncomfortable and magical and controversial that goes into surviving and thriving… the very things that fill us up and tear us down.

We are your hosts, Brittany Bollard and Sinead Quinn, friends, mamas, and successful coaches in their own right. We hope you’ll join us on this journey— after all, it’s our responsibility to challenge the norm, and well behaved women seldom make history.

Latest Episodes:

Lonely, But Not Alone Sep 01, 2020

It continues to be a tad bit ironic that in an age where we are actually capable of connecting the most, we are feeling the loneliest. There’s been this sustained sense of overwhelm and we’re left feeling uninspired and stuck. As moms, we also feel a unique shame and pressure that we don’t have it all together. In this season, fear has taught us to censor ourselves because no one can handle another conflict. And while kindness and tolerance are important values in community, so are honesty and vulnerability.

So here’s the mental health and self-care reminder you’ll need to survive the rest of 2020: stop waiting for someone or something else to save you. Be your own best advocate. What do you need? Go do the thing. Find your people, however challenging it may be and discover how you need to connect so that we can rise out of this...together.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

Why this feeling of lack and overwhelm continues to be so pervasive
How it’s easy to censor our thoughts and feelings in this climate
The little and big ways we are showing up to care for ourselves
Why these seasons can push us to remember what we value and love most about ourselves
How showing up in discomfort can be the best way out of the loneliness

“How bad does it have to be before you start creating that change? ”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

The Power of Hope with Cancer Warrior, Brooke Walsh Aug 11, 2020

Could you use some good news? How about a story of transformation and hope when it comes to your health? Today’s guest has a story that will stir something refreshing in you at a time we know you need it most. Brooke Walsh is a cancer survivor who suffered one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer, glioblastoma. In this episode, she shares her tenacity in following her gut even after many scans and tests indicated nothing was wrong with her. With a husband and two small children to raise, Brooke decided it was not her time. Even if it meant she was bound to a wheel-chair, she was going to witness her kids grow up.

We had the privilege of hearing Brooke speak in person at a conference we attended in Australia earlier this year. Her story impacted us both so much that we knew we had to share her message with our listeners. Even if you have never battled cancer before, you will be inspired by the story of Brooke’s resolution to live her life out loud, as she insisted on healing and rejected the influence of the “odds” being low.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

How Brooke responded to the news of her diagnosis
How the practice of gratitude was and continues to be a key element to Brooke’s healing
Why it’s critical for you to educate yourself about your own health and wellness, including what you put on and in your body
Why hope is useless without action
How Brooke continues to walk out her healing

“If you can feel gratitude, then you will probably feel hope too. It’s going to bring the other positive emotions with it. ”

-Brooke Walsh

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Connect with Brooke Walsh

Read Her Story in the Huffington Post

Fight, Flight, Freeze with Guest Dr. Alexis Rose Jul 28, 2020

If you have been a little shut down, volatile, or binging on anything lately, you are not alone. We’re fighting against germs, injustice, and a lack of resources. We thought we’d see more relief by now, but the hits just keep coming. Today’s guest, Alexis Rose is a trauma specialist who facilitates generational transformation for BIPOC & their family systems. Even though she outsmarts us in just about every way, she talks to us about trauma in a way we can all understand. Each of us is processing individual and collective trauma at this moment. If you’re exhausted and tired of being triggered, this episode can help you recalibrate.

Dr. Alexis Rose shares how she chooses to engage in social media and how she knows when it’s unproductive. She challenges us to identify the exact moment we are getting stuck in the noise around us. What are those emotions? What are those reactions? It’s time to stop and listen to your body so you can release that trauma and begin to heal. We’ve got a ways to go still. So listen to identify today what you can do to get unstuck and move into the action you want to take.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

Why you need to start treating this season like a marathon instead of a sprint
How you can identify the moment you are getting paralyzed by your emotions
Why we can’t just throw love and light at a collective trauma
How being in touch with your body can bring about healing

“If we want to respond from a place of love, then we first have to treat the wound. ”

-Dr. Alexis Rose

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Connect with Dr. Alexis Rose

Parenting on Purpose with Guest Amy Carney Jul 14, 2020

18 summers. That’s all we get to work with as parents and then we have to launch these humans into the world and hope and pray they contribute something valuable to the world. We do need to give ourselves grace on the days when we’re just trying to survive, but we also can’t expect much if we are not parenting with intention. So if you’re tired of just throwing spaghetti on the wall, hoping that something sticks when it comes to raising kids, you’ll want to listen to some practical, grace-filled wisdom from author, speaker, and parent, Amy Carney.

Amy was an exhausted mama of 5 who was tired of just surviving, even before the days of quarantine. She realized that something had to change if she was going to look back on her parenting days without regret. Amy shares some perfect places to start which include writing a parenting purpose statement and making the most of mealtime with her conversation starters. If you have a big family and don’t know where to start, Amy suggests just starting with the oldest. Then just start being intentional with 30 minutes of the day or one hour a week. This is an unbelievably challenging time to parent, but it’s also an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

In this episode, we’ll explore

Why it’s important to think about your family as a small business
The importance of the habit of gathering
Why it’s necessary to set parenting goals
Why the middle of quarantine is actually the perfect time to parent on purpose
What you can do to make the most of summer on lockdown

“This season is going to be a part of our family story, so what scenes do we want to write right now? ”

-Amy Carney

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Amy’s Website

Amy’s Instagram

Grab the book: Parenting on Purpose >https://amzn.to/36Hrt1q

Grab the Conversation Starters>> https://bit.ly/30conversationstarters

Its Okay to Not Be Okay Jun 30, 2020

We’ve honestly tried. We didn’t want to talk about the effects of this pandemic and quarantine anymore, but we're still not okay. What we are gathering from conversations we've had recently is that mental health is not being talked about enough right now.

We call B.S. on the idea that we should be better by now.

Rather than try to engage a discussion on what we should or should not be doing as restrictions begin to lift, we want to address the issue of mental health. People are tired, angry, sad, and anxious. This moment in time has exposed us in a way that we may never have been before. Though many of our typical distractions are not available, we can still watch too much T.V, eat too much junk, and buy things we don’t need. And when we don’t take a moment to check-in, there are consequences, either for us personally or for people we care about. We are not exactly thriving right now, but we have made some breakthroughs and learned a lot about ourselves. If you’re feeling tired, stuck, trapped, or uninspired, we are sharing some super practical ways we are coping on the hard days.

These include:

Get yourself a Brittany (you know, your person)!
Take a deep breath and inhale some oils! https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/enroll/start
Join Sinead in the 40 Day Guide for the Emotionally Stable Hot Mess Mom https://sineadquinn.lpages.co/40dayguideeshmm/
Find even more support through TeleTherapy or other Help Lines:

https://lp.talkspace.com/

https://www.verywellmind.com/best-online-therapy-4691206

https://safehelpline.org/

https://www.nami.org/help

In this episode, we’ll explore:

Why your emotions might be spilling over on the daily...or the hour
The difference between having time and making time for things that refuel us most
How you’re not alone if you’re still riding the roller coaster of emotions

"One thing that quarantine has done is shine a bright light on all the things we've been trying to avoid. ”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Asking for What You Need with Guest Tracee Stanley Jun 16, 2020

Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and civil rights movement that are now active. We know that you will glean so much from this interview with yoga expert, Tracee Stanley. We are grateful for her influence in transforming so much of Sinead's journey and for her willingness to contribute to the conversation in this community.

Any sleep-deprived mamas out there? We see you all bleary-eyed and exhausted. Are you finding yourself totally out of alignment with what you were meant to be doing? Maybe you’ve had a moment when you realize your vision board and your day to day have nothing to do with one another? If you’ve ever wondered what it would take to start making shifts away from this normal, you will love listening to our guest today, Tracee Stanley. Tracee is a Yoga Nidra, Tantra, and meditation guide. She’s taught these practices on retreats for names like Maryanne Williamson and Oprah. Yoga Nidra, along with some powerful exercises in mind-mapping allowed her to step into the life she was always meant to live.

Yoga Nidra is much more than a good power nap. By definition, Yoga Nidra is the divine sleep that enables you to wake up to your life. The practice perpetually challenges you to relax and surrender. When you experience continual deep rest, you are able to make decisions with clarity and intention. Yoga Nidra is also accessible to anyone in that this is a guided practice, not something you have to figure out all on your own. But you won’t easily find space and time to practice a ritual like yoga or anything else that helps you become your best self. You have to make time for it and ask those around you to support you on this journey. Will you have the guts to ask? We think your future self will thank you.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

Why you may benefit from mind-mapping if you’re feeling stuck
How to slow down so you can speed up
Why Yoga Nidra is such a transformative practice
How it can be easy to not notice sleep deprivation
Why you must ask specifically for what you need when it comes to self-care and how you can return the favor

“For me, the whole point of teaching is for people to experience their true nature. ”

-Tracee Stanley

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

Radiant Rest-Tracee's book available on pre-order!

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma -

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism

Connect with Tracee Stanley:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Finding Connection in Truth and Tragedy May 19, 2020

Please note: today's discussion is centered around an abuse survival story.

When it comes to dealing with different kinds of grief, whose grief is the worst? Losing a child? A spouse? A parent? The truth-it’s always our own. And yet, the more we connect instead of compare, the more we will find healing. Author and actress Amy Chesler is with us today to share her own healing journey as she dealt with the tragedy that her brother killed her mother. That kind of pain sounds unfathomable, but through time and writing, Amy has discovered the power of her voice. When she has chosen to speak out about her pain, it has enabled others to find their voices as well. As she has connected to others in her story-telling, the loss of her mom is in some way redeemed.

You’ll get a good laugh learning about what it was like for Amy to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger or the time Amy got Corey Feldman to go on a date with her mom. Learn how Amy has taken her grief and used it as a platform to call B.S. on the criminal justice system and why she will always refuse to stay quiet when it comes to abuse. Stay connected to Amy on social media to be the first to know when her true crime memoir is available.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

How there is power and healing through expressing the written word
Why the less we talk the more power we give to abusers
When death means something different
Why support doesn’t always have to say yes
How your perspective in loss and grieving is everything
Win or learn-you’ll never loose

“Once you decide authenticity is your message, it doesn’t matter what the noise is around you. ”

-Amy Chesler

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

Amy’s Website

Amy’s Instagram

Domestic Abuse Website

Or Call 1-800-799-7233 or Text: LOVEIS to 22522

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

The Pressure of Expectations May 05, 2020

We recently went live on Instagram calling B.S. and answering the question: In a world measured by productivity, how can I feel like I’m doing enough?

Though we certainly don’t have all the answers, this conversation led to some really powerful takeaways that we think you might be able to savor right now. It’s nothing new to be reminded that comparison will suck the life out of you 10/10 times. Our goals have got to be our own and if they are goals we intend on reaching, then we better break them down into daily actionable tasks. We talk about the fact that productivity and success can be elusive and temporary in their payoff. Chasing the high of the next big break often means we’re sacrificing something in the present.

So what’s the answer? There is none. But it seems like a better approach is to start from taking an inventory of your strengths. Consider what you were meant to do and the legacy you want to leave. Then work backward. And if all else fails, just figure out one way you can make today better than yesterday... and you’re on your way.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

How productivity can be a mirage of our worth
The difference between setting goals and setting expectations
Why you’re not lazy, you’re just scared
How refusing to try is an exercise in control
Why you need to do an inventory of your gifts and strengths
Why you need to lean into the parts that suck

“Sometimes we are focusing so heavily on one area to be our goal to get our high and be the measure of what we want to be. We need to ask ourselves why are we chasing that? Where are we lacking and what are we trying to fill in? ”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Raising Families That Last with Guest Michelle Irene Stupski Apr 21, 2020

Isn’t it kind of the dream to one day be able to be friends with your kids when they are older? You may have heard someone say that you can’t be a good parent and be friends with your kid. With the help of guest Michelle Irene, we call B.S on just that.

But this doesn’t just magically happen. It takes time, sacrifice, and intentional (but not perfect) parenting. Today Michelle shares honestly with us all the tips and tools she and her husband put into place while raising their kids. Michelle’s no Pinterest perfect mama, but her relationships with her kids speak for themselves, which is why we wanted her to share some nuggets of parenting wisdom on the show.

In this episode we’ll explore:

Why it’s worth it to honor our kids’ feelings and allow them to drive the conversation.
Why sharing your own failures can make for powerful conversations
How to keep lines of communication open
How to help kids lean into their gifts and talents
What it looks like to reinvent yourself in every stage of motherhood
When expectations can be dangerous
Why we must remind our kids that they always have a choice

If you have a tendency to be hard on yourself as a mother, listen today to remember why you do what you do. You’re doing amazing and it’s never too late to be intentional.

“We have children in hopes that they're going to be better than you and cheer them on so that they have the opportunity to be the best person they can be.”

-Michelle Irene

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Michelle's Website

Social Distancing Survival with Guest Andee Love Apr 07, 2020

At the time of this recording, we are making history as we endure the pandemic of 2020. We’ve lost access to family, community, jobs, school, and honestly any sense of normalcy. And we lost all of this so quickly. We are swearing we will never take a hug or a date night or a school drop off for granted ever again. But we also don’t really have any reason to believe we can predict when this will all be over. It seems that the only thing we do have control over is how we show up for the present moment. So how do we do that? That’s exactly what we’re discussing today with spiritual success coach, Andee Love.

In today’s episode, we consider all the different ways there are to respond to our current crisis. We even dive into what it might feel like the day we are told we can re-enter society and normalcy. As Andee reflects on the client work she has done in the last few weeks, she shares some super helpful tips for ways to ground ourselves in the middle of this chaos. There is no “right” way to navigate this moment, but we will miss out on the gift of this pause if we don’t take time to work through the emotions. We invite you to do this work with us as you listen.

In this episode we’ll explore:

How everyone responds to stress in different ways
What one thing we have control over and how to harness this power
How this moment will impact forever us as we move forward

“I think we’re at a time right now where the oxygen masks have dropped and everyone’s watching to see who’s gonna put theirs on first.”

-Andee Love

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Andee Love’s Website

Season Finale: Strength in Vulnerability Feb 03, 2020

Encouraged. Surprised. And perhaps a bit overwhelmed by gratitude. Those are just a few words that have described our experience starting this podcast. We are not much of a podcast without our audience and you have seriously shown up! You’ve told us in reviews, in DMs, in real-time conversations that the topics we are engaging in are topics that matter to you too. We’ve had some amazing conversations with just us hosts, but we’ve also had guests that have challenged us in powerful ways. So on this episode, we are sharing our biggest takeaways of the season which might be some of yours too!

Every guest and conversation we’ve had on this podcast has reminded us of a few things:

We are not alone.
We always have a choice in how we react to our emotions.
We do not have to cave in to what social media dictates we should be.
If we are not changing it, we are choosing it.
But perhaps most importantly….

Being vulnerable does not make us weak. It makes us strong and releases us from that which holds us back.

So with those lessons in your backpack, we invite you to prepare for a short break for the show, followed by season 2 of the podcast. We will have more amazing guests, more laughs, and if we’re honest, more tears. Life is messy and as Jami tells us, “you can’t pee in just one part of the pool”. Stay tuned and you will hear from us again in just a few short weeks!

“We can be everything we want to be. It’s not what others want of us. It’s what we want and what fills us up. Then let go of what you don’t want and don’t hold onto the shame of the areas of what other people are expecting.”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Finding Your Life Purpose With Oakley Peterson Jan 20, 2020

One of the things we tend to think about this time of year is what is my life purpose? What was I meant to do in this world? We may feel like we have our plan all figured out, but then sometimes we run into major roadblocks in life that change our entire path.

We are so excited to share this interview with you. We got the opportunity to chat with Oakley Peterson, a mom of three lovely children. In this episode, Oakley shares her unique life story, which began as a child bass player in a traveling band with her family. Later in life, she spent time volunteering in Africa, and then later working for a lobbyist. Oakley became a stay at home mom when she had her first daughter.

Oakley’s second son, Welles, has down syndrome. When Welles was born, Oakley made it her life passion to spread the message of love and acceptance.Through her experience of learning about down syndrome and watching how much her son inspires her, Oakley’s life purpose found her. She has a large following on Instagram: @nothingdownaboutit. On her Instagram account, Oakley's mission is to help other families understand down syndrome and how wonderful the journey is.

We call B.S. on perceiving the difficult things that happen in our lives as tragedies, rather than our life’s purpose.

In this episode we’ll explore:

Why leading with love is so important when advocating for your child or yourself
How to turn moments of difficulty into positivity
The importance of teaching and practicing compassion
Accepting that your life purpose will change and evolve

“If I lead with love, in any situation, I get the result I want 90% of the time. Rather than if I walk in with the fire in my belly. The fire in my belly, or in my soul, can be a fire of love and happiness and joy that I want to explode into the world. When we use love for that drive, I feel it just changes everything.”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

Oakley’s Instagram

Oakley’s Facebook

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

New Year's Resolutions with Jamie Gordon Jan 06, 2020

New year, new you. It’s that time of year again for new year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight or saving money, it seems that everyone sets out to create a goal for themselves. We all set out with good intentions to make a change for the better. Unfortunately, an overwhelming majority of people do not reach and/or maintain their resolution. Slowly, those bad habits creep back in, resulting in us feeling terrible about ourselves. Why is it so difficult to find success with these resolutions year after year?

Today we are chatting with Jamie Gordon, a certified transitional life coach. Jamie helps clients clarify their vision and create a new future for themselves without shame. She focuses on being, rather than doing. Jamie shares with us how focusing on our personal emotional development can help us reach, maintain, and exceed our goals. We learn that you can’t use a physical fix for an emotional need, and how to take meaningful action steps that will lead you to making a change.

We call B.S. on New Year’s Resolutions

In this episode we’ll explore:

Why New Year’s Resolutions don’t typically work
How honoring your feelings can help you explore the root of your problems
Focusing on the journey rather than the reward
Creating a vision for yourself, rather than a resolution, and how to put it in motion

“When you’re working with someone on health, you’re often actually working a lot on emotion, without them even knowing all of the time. There’s always a root cause that’s holding them back, and that’s in the subconscious mind quite often.”

--Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Connecting with Jamie Gordon:

Jamie’s Website

Jamie’s Instagram

Jamie’s Facebook

The Pressure of the Holiday Season Dec 23, 2019

And so, the holiday season is upon us. If only it was as simple to enjoy as it was when we were little. But if you’re like us, or 90% of the population, the holidays are a big mix of joy, sadness, pressure, magic, and memories of all sorts. We love Christmas but we also know ourselves well enough to know that it takes some mindfulness and intentionality to be able to accept the gifts this season offers and release the negativity when it threatens to steal the beauty of this season.

Join us as we share some of the biggest stressors and triggers of the season from a temptation to overspend and have the perfect decor to helping special needs kiddos navigate their sensory overload. We’ve got some simple ideas to help remind you of what’s truly important and release everything else like your dad’s passive aggressive comments about your weight.

We call B.S. on falling prey to the pressure and expectations of the holiday season.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

The mix of personal emotions the holidays have on each Sinead and Brittany
How we establish boundaries with confidence in this season
Why it’s okay and even important to be concerned about self-care in this season
How you can challenge yourself to see a new perspective this year

“Look at the kids and all the joy they are embodying and live through that as well because they can lift the energy all around you.”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Manifesting with Val White and Adam Podsednik Dec 09, 2019

“Abundance mindset”. “Manifesting your best life”. Have you heard these buzz words being thrown around? Especially around this season in preparation for the new year? Us too. And it’s not that we even think these concepts are powerless. They are just powerless without taking action.

So today, we are bringing in a couple a dynamic coaching duo: Val White and Adam Podsednik to talk about how they help their clients manifest the outcomes they long for most. Though these principles require action, we discuss how important an attitude of surrender and perseverance are often required at the same time. Val and Adam share how they navigated seasons where they struggled to be aligned in their internally but were able to support one another regardless. They even share an especially helpful tool that can help you get “unstuck” which they call the “Grateful Game”. Don’t miss this episode full of practical input and a lot of laughter as you are dreaming up your goals for the coming year.

We call B.S. on “manifesting”.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

How the idea of manifesting can be talked about more than implemented
How gratitude can pull you out of dark seasons
How to navigate a relationship when your partner and you are not in step mentally or spiritually

“It sounds cheesy, but I just use the words “changing it” and if I’m not taking any sort of action, or I’m just repeating my behaviors, ultimately, I am just choosing to stay the same. ”

-Brittany Bollard

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Connecting with Val & Adam:

The Spiritually Gay Duo Facebook Page

Holidaying with Kids Nov 25, 2019

In this episode, we are eager to share with you the joys and woes of our traveling experiences, complete with horror stories of car sickness and jet lag and tips for making all the little moments count. When it comes down to it, we are really just doing all the typical crazy we do day to day, but with a view and…. hopefully cooking a lot less. Our biggest advice is quite simple: lower your expectations and learn to laugh when you’re pulling a Home Alone airport moment!

In the second snippet of the show, we bring on our friend Jami who recently made a long haul flight to Europe with four kids. Though there were certainly pieces of the trip she’d like to forget, ultimately she felt like it was totally worth it. She shares about her desire to help her kids break out of the bubble and learn to appreciate different cultures, even if it comes in the form of nude paintings in a VRBO rental! Ultimately traveling allows you to offer your kids some truly special, unique experiences and the opportunity to learn how to be resilient and flexible.

We call B.S. on family "holidays".

Some of our best travel tips include:

Releasing typical expectations around screen time can be helpful.
Build in days for long trips for you and your kids to recover from jet lag.
Pack an extra set of clothes for everyone in your carryon-including undies and a swimsuit when needed!
Bring $5 headphones for each kid on the plane.
Remember that your kids look to you in stressful situations for how to direct their energy and emotions.
Embrace that you will be having the time of your life one minute and meltdowns the next.

“Vacations with kids are trips. It’s like changing diapers or calming a tantrum with a view. It’s the same stuff you deal with at home, so why not do it so you get the experience?”

-Brittany Bollard

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Balance: Mindfulness Nov 11, 2019

Mindfulness is a concept that is thrown around, overused and has become entirely confusing. We would like to revisit a definition of mindfulness and remind you that it doesn’t have to mean you are in full-on meditation mode. Really, all it comes down to is deciding that you get to choose how this moment affects you right here, right now. Will you fall into victim mode or find a way to be grateful? You decide.

Brittany gets vulnerable sharing the gritty details of her rock bottom and how she began to shift her mindset to begin eliminating both physical and mental toxins in her life. Sinead also encourages you to know that even an exercise like releasing rage (in a healthy way) can be mindful in the sense that you are letting it go so that it doesn’t have the capacity to make your mind and body sick.

Some Practical Tips for Practicing Mindfulness Include:

Connecting your index fingers and thumbs to recenter and take a moment to choose how a moment is affecting you.
Identify the parts of your stressors that you can change and what you cannot
Slow down: give yourself more time to respond, make decisions, get from point a to b
Listen to what your mind and body are telling you
Turn off the negative commentary in your head
Practice breathwork
Consider positive reframing of negative experiences during the day
Remember that you are human!

We call B.S. on the idea of “balance” and mindfulness.

In this episode we’ll explore:

A more realistic definition of mindfulness
How to reframe common situations to start moving out of a victim mentality and into acceptance or even gratitude
How the brutal and beautiful elements of life can co-exist in our human experience

Don’t forget to leave a review on iTunes! Take a screenshot and send it to Brittany or Sinead's IG to enter to win a self-care giveaway package!

“There are really amazing tools and we don’t have to be sitting like Buddha in lotus pose in order to be able to tap into it. We don’t have to be intimidated by it. Sometimes it’s just about choosing the other outlook on life.”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Working Mom vs. SAHM Oct 28, 2019

Why is it that as moms who are trying to raise incredibly kind, compassionate kids in today’s world, we are still the experts on judging other moms? Every family’s situation is so different and yet it is far too common for us to assume that we understand everything about how they’re wired as a mom or what any of their motivations are. Some moms have to work to pay bills. Some moms have to work to keep their sanity. Some moms stay home because they have no support network. But the reality is that everything worth doing is hard, so can we just stop judging one another?

Between the two of us, we have had a myriad of experiences between working corporate jobs, owning a business, staying at home, and working for ourselves. As we share about these experiences, we reflect about the hard and beautiful parts of each of these circumstances. We encourage you to stop identifying what makes you different than other moms and start recognizing that we’re all trying to balance way more than is actually possible. So take a moment and encourage another mom and let her know how amazing she is!

We call B.S. on the division of motherhood in working moms and stay at home moms.

In this episode we’ll explore:

The animosity we stir up when we judge another mom for her choice to work or stay at home
Society’s pressure for women to work as if they don’t have kids and mother as if they don’t have a full-time job
How judgement can’t usually expose an area of hurt or insecurity in our own life

“And if we’re judging other people, let’s ask ourselves, “why are we judging them?”. What about them is rubbing us the wrong way because the likelihood is that if it’s rubbing us the wrong way, it’s because we either want it or we’re jealous of it.”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Bonus Ep: Down Syndrome Awareness Month Oct 17, 2019

You may or may not already know that Sinead’s eldest has Down’s Syndrome. In honor of October being Down’s Syndrome awareness month, we wanted to bring you a bonus episode this week to share a little bit about Sinead’s experience of both joy and challenge along this road the last eleven years.

Sinead’s son’s diagnosis was quite a surprise and difficult to digest in the first few days of her son’s life. Yet it was beautiful to see how the compassion and encouragement Sinead and her husband needed were provided at just the right time. Now Sinead’s coaching and public speaking is centered around being able to encourage other moms just like herself to get serious about the work of self-care and finding their tribe. If you know someone with Down’s Syndrome, take a moment to let them and their families know how loved they are!

In this episode we’ll explore:

Sinead’s birth story and diagnosis of her son
How Sinead and her family have changed as a result of being able to love a kid with Down’s Syndrome
Things you can consider the next time you have the chance to engage with an individual with any physical special needs.

“I think that with any journey in life, when you are hit with something that causes you to go off the path you had envisioned, you grow. And we have definitely grown.”

-Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network

Special Olympics Website

Sineads’s Special Needs Mamas FB Group

Rockin Mom’s Retreat

Self Care Oct 14, 2019

Have you ever felt a bit of disconnection when you see images of perfectly decorated bathrooms prepared for a spa night at home or a bikini-clad 20 something holding a green smoothie on the beach proposing that this is the version of self-care you need? Us too-which is why today we are discussing the explosion of the self-care industry and how we are often too easily influenced by other definitions of self-care rather than paying attention to what truly energizes us and reminds us that we are worth prioritizing.

The truth is that only YOU can define what self-care is. And self-care isn’t be defined by what you buy. Sometimes self-care is as simple as saying no to another commitment or invitation and choosing to go to bed two hours earlier. Sometimes it’s not feeling guilty when you get to attend a kid free event. Sometimes it’s goat yoga. Or avocado toast. Even though we continue to explore the practice of self-care in our own lives, the practice of it reminds us that we are valuable. And when we practice self-care regularly, we are able to be more intentional and present with everyone else around us.

We call B.S. on letting someone else tell you what self-care looks like.

In this episode we’ll explore:

How the media and the self-care industry seek to define self-care for us
How you can start to explore your own experience of self-care
What self-care is and how the practice of it impacts all your other relationships

“It’s a practice and not what we need to purchase. So are we pushing people towards products that are promising happiness? Or are we pushing them towards self-worthiness, self-care, and having enough respect for themselves that make them better?”

-Brittany Bollard

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

The Celebration of Parenting Sep 24, 2019

Raising kids is no walk in the park. Actually sometimes it’s leaving them on the sidewalk so you can catch the other one as they run into traffic (before you judge, just listen, and you'll understand). Listen as we celebrate the magical, messy, most difficult joys of parenting and question the rose colored filter on the curated Instagram accounts of motherhood. If you are (or have, or will be) raising small children, special needs children, or you love someone who does, this episode is for you.

We call B.S. on the perfectly curated portrayal of life and family.

In this episode we’ll explore:

The pressure and guilt that comes with comparison
The need to grieve and celebrate at different parts of parenting
The power of being seen and heard on this journey
How we can learn to stand in our truth so others are empowered to do the same.

“I think what’s being skipped with the celebration is the grief behind these perfect images.” -Sinead Quinn

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Body Positivity Sep 24, 2019

Loving yourself and your body can be difficult. Today we are sharing a few things hitting close to home with our review of a new app launch that is geared towards children's weight loss (spoiler: we don't love it), as well as a few of our own struggles in empowering ourselves and our children through healthy habits. If you have ever struggled with body image or communicating with your children around self love, this episode is for you.

We call B.S. on childhood dieting.

In this episode we’ll explore:

The challenge of not conforming to one particular body type or ideal weight
The impact of messages we receive about our bodies in early childhood
The effects of labeling foods “good” or “bad”
What it means to “lead by example” in projecting positive body image

“I remember that was the very first time that I was looking at someone in the mirror that didn’t add up to the image I had in my head.”

-Brittany Bollard

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

Introducing Your Hosts: Brittany Bollard & Sinead Quinn Sep 24, 2019

Meet Sinead Quinn. In addition to being a mom and wife, she is a health coach for special needs moms She has three amazing kids (ages 11, 9, and 7) and her oldest child has Down Syndrome and severe Speech Apraxia. Being a special needs mom has impacted and inspired her work in phenomenal ways. She and her family moved from Australia to America 4.5 years ago and recently moved from The Bay Area CA to the Seattle area WA. Sinead’s biggest passion is health & wellness coaching and speaking at events to advocate and encourage the mind and body health and wellness of special needs moms.

Meet Brittany Bollard. Brittany is a mom, wife, and wellness enthusiast. Her kids are now 7,5, and 2 years old. She loves them to the moon and back but she would venture to say this has been an especially hard season of parenting and is grateful for anyone willing to share the road with her. Brittany was inspired to become an empowerment coach through taking her own journey from a very dark place and moving into an empowered state where she could take control of her health and happiness. She lives by “if you aren’t changing it- you’re choosing it,” and she loves celebrating the wins no matter how small.

These two firecrackers met at a health retreat after Brittany took note of Sinead’s high top sneakers and crystal necklace. When Sinead spilled her heart for advocating for special needs moms, Brittany demanded that Sinead start a podcast to shed light on this very important and underrepresented subject. As their friendship continued, Sinead was able to help Brittany work through a hard season and new auto-immune disease diagnosis. The health coaching sessions honestly felt like a podcast, so they just decided to go in on it together and invite you into their conversation, tears, and laughter. Prepare to engage in some subjects that make you squirm but also bring relief as they bring normalcy to a ton of shame-filled subjects around what it means to be a woman in today’s world.

Resources and Links Mentioned in this episode:

The Official Podcast Instagram

Sinead’s Instagram

Brittany’s Instagram

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