Real Happy Mom

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I know what it feels like to start a routine, feel proud… and then one day life happens and everything falls apart. In this episode, I’m breaking down the most common “consistency killers” that make routines hard to stick to—especially for busy working moms. I’ll show you how to redesign your routines so they work in real life, not just in a perfect week. And I’ll walk you through simple, practical fixes you can start using right away so you can stop restarting from scratch. 
3 Takeaways from this episode:
Consistency isn’t about “more discipline”—it’s about designing routines that still work when life gets messy.
The smaller your routine, the more likely you are to keep moving (a 10-minute version beats a perfect 90-minute plan).
Your restart plan is part of the routine—pick a reset trigger so you don’t quit when you miss a day.
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This episode started because my YouTube feed randomly turned into a whole finance channel, and it made me realize I’m 40… so compounding interest doesn’t have the same runway it did at 20. Then I heard one line about Jesus and leftovers that hit me right in the chest and made me look at all the “leftovers” I waste—not out of carelessness, but out of forgetting and not planning. That mindset shift led me straight to my orange tree situation and a full-on no-waste orange adventure that turned into real stewardship in real life. So today I’m sharing a simple Sunday Money Reset—five quick steps to help you pay attention, reduce the chaos, and stop waking up midweek wondering where your money went.
Mentioned in this episode:
👉 I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Ramit Sethi)

3 Takeaways from this episode:
Stewardship isn’t about perfection—it’s about pausing long enough to ask, “How can I use what I already have?”
A quick weekly reset (not a full budget) helps you catch surprises early so your week doesn’t get expensive by accident.
Guardrails—especially around meals—protect your money and your energy because decision fatigue is real.
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I’m walking you through a realistic weekly reset you can do in 30 minutes or less—because you don’t need a three-hour “get your whole life together” session to feel prepared. The point of this reset is to remove a little chaos so Monday doesn’t start with surprises and stress. I’m breaking it into five quick steps: clothes, meals, calendar, one hotspot tidy, and a small recharge for you. And if you’re running on fumes, I’m also giving you a 10-minute version that still keeps Monday from feeling like an ambush.
Mentioned in this episode:
👉 Sunday Prep Workbook Plus (Real Happy Mom)

3 Takeaways from this episode:
Tiny decisions made ahead of time (like clothes and dinner) can save your sanity when your energy is low.
You don’t have to “solve” the whole week—just notice the busy days and plan for a softer version of them.
A reset that includes you (even five minutes) makes the whole week feel lighter.

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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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