Confessions of a Recovering Micromanaging Perfectionist Martyr
As a mother of four and a self-proclaimed micromanaging - perfectionist - martyr, I constantly need to be reminded that control leaves me lonely, perfection can paralyze me, and caring for others over myself leads to resentment. Join me as I try to navigate being a structure-luvin' gal, in an absolutely chaotic household.
Episodes
408 episodes
Summer Rewind #2: The Dangers of Expectations - Do NOT Pass to Your Running Back
🏈 What if the people in your life aren't letting you down... you're just asking them to play the wrong position? 🤔 In this Summer Rewind, I'm revisiting one of the most helpful discoveries from my recovery journey: the surprising connection bet...
Summer Rewind #1: Jenga - Being Nice to Difficult People
🧩 Ever feel like some people are built more like Jenga towers than brick walls? One wrong move and everything comes tumbling down. 😬 In this Summer Rewind, I'm revisiting a lesson about sensitive personalities, relationship challenges, and the ...
Poke the Bear - Parenting Teenage Attitude
🐻 Ever find yourself avoiding conflict just to keep the peace? Same. In this season finale, I'm confessing a growing temptation to stop "poking the bear" when teenage attitudes come roaring out of hibernation. 😬 From eye rolls to lip, we're tal...
Confessions Conversations: Christine & Dave, Part III
💛 What happens when the hardest chapter isn’t yours—but your child’s? In this final conversation with Christine and Dave, we explore the complicated space between fear, courage, healing, and hope. 🌱 Through an unforgettable family story, we tal...
Kids and Body Image - A Lesson That Stuck
One sentence from a friend completely changed how I think about comments regarding kids’ bodies 💭❤️ In this episode, I’m reflecting on body image, parenting, and why even well-meaning remarks about appearance can stay with children for years 👀 ...
Letting Go of Tension - Starting With My Face
Apparently my forehead has been keeping receipts 😅🪞 In this episode, I’m reflecting on stress, tension, “11 lines,” and the surprising connection between our faces and our moods 💭✨ From grimace lines to laugh lines, this episode explores what i...
Confessions Conversations: Christine & Dave, Part II
What happens when life flips the script overnight? 🎙️💔 In Part II of this heartfelt conversation, Christine & Dave share reflections on job loss, vulnerability, resilience, and learning how to “do hard better” together ❤️🌊 There’s honesty, ...
Mirror Reflections - Beyond Physical Fitness Goals
Gym mirrors and I have never exactly been best friends 😅🪞 In this episode, a thoughtful conversation with a friend gets me wondering if my self-acceptance might need some strengthening 💪❤️ From awkward reflections to quiet recovery reps, this o...
Thriving vs. Surviving - Finding Better Light
Confessions post #400 🌞 Two identical plants. Same water. Same house. But one thrived… and the other barely survived. 🌿 That small difference got me thinking about how environment, awareness, and tiny shifts can change the way we grow. In this ...
Family Spirit - Lessons From College Culture
A random 4AM thought led me down an unexpected path: what if families had their own version of college school spirit? 🎓 In this episode, I reflect on the culture some universities create—and how that same sense of pride, loyalty, and belonging ...
Productivity and Guilt - Letting Go of Constant Busyness
For years I ran at full speed keeping life on track for our family. Now that things are quieter, something surprising keeps showing up—guilt when I’m not being productive. 😅 In this episode, I reflect on learning (very slowly) to sit in a momen...
Confessions Conversations: Christine & Dave Part I
Sometimes life delivers news that stops everything. In this first Confessions Conversation, I sit down with my friends Christine and Dave to reflect on the moment their world shifted in 2019. What followed was fear, unexpected kindness, quiet s...
Hockey Community - Fierce Players, Fierce Families
My eighth and final high school hockey season has ended 🏒❄️ This episode is a small love letter to fierce girls on the ice, welcoming coaches on the bench, and the warm communities that grow in freezing rinks. It’s about pride, gratitude, and n...
The Cost of Guilt - Learning My Value
Ever notice how guilt can sneak into even the smallest decisions—like spending money on yourself? 💸 In this episode, I share a story about the quiet cost of believing I wasn’t “worth” the investment. From babysitters to yoga retreats, the lesso...
Life Balance Check-In – My Personal Scoreboard
After weeks of scoreboard talk, I started wondering if there’s a kinder way to check in on how life’s really going. In this episode, I share a simple Life Balance Wheel I’ve been using to get a quick snapshot of my “game of life.” Curiou...
Strong Game Energy - My Personal Playbook
Last week we talked about life’s unofficial scorekeepers ⚾️… and that got my brain spinning. If life really is a game, what kind of player do I want to be out there? In this episode, I’m sharing a few of the “rules” in my personal playbook—from...
You’re Not My Scoreboard - Who Gets a Vote?
Ever feel like someone in your life is quietly keeping score? ⚾️ A recent conversation got me reflecting on opinions, boundaries, and those moments when it feels like someone else is calling balls and strikes in my life. In this episode, I shar...
Confessions Conversations: Julie Fitzpatrick
What happens after the life you planned quietly changes? 🌱 In this gentle conversation, Julie shares pieces of her story—divorce, rediscovering her inner voice, and the slow process of rebuilding. Along the way, we explore quiet truths, friends...
Thirty-Somethings - Growing, Grinding, and Glowing
✨ A love note to all the tired 30-something legends: grinding, growing, and glowing (quietly) through the mayhem. Life in your 30s can feel like a group project with no project manager—strong opinions, and the emotional bandwidth of a chewed-up...
Toxic Positivity - Why I Still Choose the Bright Side
🌧️ Heard of “toxic positivity”? This episode unpacks what it really means—without shaming the sunny side. ☀️ Come sit with a story about burnout, empathy, and finding the light (gently). 💛 No fixing, just a soft place to land.
Why Change Feels Bad - And What to Remember
🎯 Change doesn’t always feel good—and that’s not a red flag. In this week’s episode, we explore the messy middle of starting new things (and why it’s worth it). 💃💗 From golf coaches to breastfeeding flashbacks, here’s your humble reminder that ...
Pause Before Helping - 2 Questions to Consider
🧺 Thoughtful or over-the-top? This episode shares a moment where clean laundry led to a cleaner mindset. Two tiny questions made a big shift. 💡💗 Before you help (again), take a moment with us. It might just save you a round trip to Resentment T...
The Final Reframe – Just Neuroscience and Kindness
We’re closing out our self-talk series 💛 but this isn’t goodbye, just a pause to reflect. This episode unpacks what happens when you swap “truth-telling” for true kindness—and how science has quietly had our backs all along 🧠✨ One fina...
Parenting My Words - One Snarky Comment at a Time
Ever caught yourself saying “What’s a nicer way you could’ve said that?” 😅 Same—except this time, I asked myself. This week’s episode is about trading MamaDe’s Passive-Aggressive Playlist 🎶 for something softer, clearer, and way m...
Outdated Self-Talk – Time for a Reframe
What if your most “honest” self-talk is actually holding you back? 🧠💭 This week, I’m sharing the surprising reframes that are helping me trade old truths for new pathways. It’s not about pretending—it’s about practicing a voice that helps, not ...
