Real Happy Mom

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Katie Kimball is here to talk about what teens actually need from us in this season and why the kitchen might be the best training ground for real life. We got into the two big inner needs teens are juggling: agency (choices and control) and answers (support when they’re stuck). Katie also broke down autonomy versus “ancestry,” aka why teens push away, but still need roots, connection, and family stories. We wrapped up with practical ways to motivate your teen to start cooking (without a power struggle) and how this one skill can give you back real time during the week.
Mentioned in this episode:
👉 Teens Cook Real Food (affiliate link)

👉 Raising Healthy Families

3 Takeaways from this episode:
Teens crave agency (choices) but still want answers sometimes—your job is to balance both without taking over.
The kitchen is a low-stakes place to practice resilience: problem solving, pivoting when things go wrong, and recovering from mistakes.
Cooking builds independence and connection—food is a simple way to give teens autonomy while keeping them tied to family roots.
Links and resources:
Teens Cook Real Food (affiliate link): https://raisinghealthyfamilies.com/realhappymom

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This week I’m talking about why so many of us start Monday feeling confident… and by Tuesday we’re already renegotiating everything. What you actually need isn’t a stricter schedule. It’s a realistic plan that works when life is doing what life does. The real reason your week falls apart isn’t laziness or lack of discipline… it’s decision fatigue from making too many choices in real time. So I’m walking you through three simple decisions to make before the week starts so you can stop carrying the mental load all day.
Mentioned in this episode:
👉 Sunday Prep Workbook+: https://go.realhappymom.com/sunday-prep-workbook-special/

3 Takeaways from this episode:
The goal isn’t a perfect plan — it’s a plan that still works when your week gets messy.
Decision fatigue is what makes you feel behind, so move the biggest decisions earlier before the week starts.
A “realistic plan” can take 10 minutes: scan your calendar, decide dinners, and pick your top three priorities.
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I’m talking to you today if your energy is low and you feel like you can only do the bare minimum. I saw it loud and clear in my weekly email poll—almost 39% of moms said low energy is what throws their week off first. So instead of trying to force a “perfect” week, I’m sharing a simple baseline called a minimum viable week. It’s built on three anchors that hold your week up even when you’re running on fumes.
Mentioned in this episode:
👉 Sunday Prep Workbook Plus: https://go.realhappymom.com/sunday-prep-workbook-special/

3 Takeaways from this episode:
When your energy is low, you don’t need a complicated plan—you need a simple baseline that keeps your week from collapsing.
A minimum viable week uses three anchors (prep, hotspot, refill) so you can plan softer instead of pushing harder.
Your refill anchor matters because your week won’t feel steady if you’re trying to run it with zero fuel.
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This episode came straight from a real conversation I had with my mom after our early family Christmas—when she asked what was next for me, career-wise. I told her clearly that I don’t want to open my own practice, even if that’s what people expect “the next step” to be. What I want right now looks quiet and honestly a little “boring” on paper: I want to be present with my family, soak up my kids while they’re still here with me, and take care of myself. If you’re heading into 2026 feeling pressure to climb, prove, or impress, I want you to know it’s okay if your dreams are quieter in this season.
3 Takeaways from this episode:
You don’t have to chase the “next step” just because it looks like the logical move to other people.
A quiet season is still a meaningful season—especially when it centers your family and your wellbeing.
The only goals that matter are the ones you feel good about, not the ones that impress others.
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This week, I’m helping you lighten the mental load before Monday even gets here by closing some of those “open tabs” in your brain. I’m sharing why overwhelm usually isn’t from having too much to do, but from having too much that hasn’t been decided or released. I’m walking you through three simple buckets—not this week, not mine to carry, and not necessary—so you can stop dragging extra weight into the new week. And I’m reminding you that you don’t need a brand-new you… you just need a few clear decisions that give you room to breathe. 
Mentioned in this episode:
Sunday Prep Workbook+: https://www.realhappymom.com/reset
3 Takeaways from this episode:
Overwhelm grows when you keep “unfinished decisions” open—closing loops is often more powerful than adding another to-do.
If it’s important but not urgent, put it in not this week so you can protect your energy for what actually matters now.
When something feels loud and urgent, pause and ask: “Is this truly necessary, or is it just noise?”

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