Clutter Free Academy

All of the parenting books, the intentional planning, and the “I’m going to be a great parent” attitude meant nothing the minute Ellen had her firstborn, Erin. None of the discipline strategies worked the way they promised. So Ellen began the adventure of finding ways to understand the different hearts of her children. Only then, was she able to understand their needs so she could be the parent she really wanted to be.     Ellen Schuknecht (Erin’s mom!) joins us on So Here’s the Thing this week with amazing advice for every parent out there. Whether your child is compliant or strong-willed, you will want to have a pen and paper with you when listening! We cover topics such as: Getting to the root of disobedience Strategies to focus on the heart for a more positive long-term impact Letting go of the fear of parenting failure Why traditional parenting advice may not be working for you kids We want to give away two copies of Ellen and Erin’s new book, Free to Parent (more info on the book below) to o

Heartache. Searching. Loneliness. An overwhelming need to be exquisitely loved.   Can you relate? Our guest this week, Emily Wierenga, shares her journey in searching for “home”. She was raised in a Christian home but never felt truly loved. She longed to know she fit in with her own family, turned to an eating disorder and eventually felt healed just to turn back to the eating disorder years later.   Her story will touch your heart, inspire you and fill your heart with hope. Her heart for her family, her adopted family of Uganda and the way she lives out the love and home she has found is special and I am so excited to introduce her to you.   To find out more about Emily’s work and her non profit visit thelulutree.com Would you like to win a copy of The Atlas Girl? Leave a comment below about what home feels like to you.

Where does all the money go? It can be frustrating when you are trying to save money but every time you turn around there is something you weren’t planning for- school supplies, birthday gifts, and oh wait, is that Christmas decor in Hobby Lobby! Our guest Mary Hunt, author of Debt-Proof Living, joins us with practical, do-able and inspiring tips on how to take the stress out of the finances. If you are drowning in debt, almost debt free or anywhere in between, you’ll want to hear Mary’s EASY tips on getting where you want to me- financially free!   Mary shares: her experience of getting out of debt how to get started tips on staying motivated the key to getting started Listen in and leave a comment below to win her book, Debt-Proof Living. What is holding you back from becoming debt-free? * We discussed making our own Starbucks inspired coffee and we want to share all of our great recipes. Just visit Kathi’s blog.

God sometimes asks us to do things that seem crazy big and beyond our scope of “ableness” (and let’s be real, willingness!). Things like: Starting a business Creating a ministry International adoption What happens when we faithfully jump in with both feet? Jessica Honegger, founder of Noonday Collections, joins us on So Here’s the Thing to discuss her journey of listening to the prompting God put on her heart. From adoption, to job creation, to everyday willingness to see Jesus in the big and small, Jessica’s journey will inspire you. If you have a passion and you don’t know where to begin, listening to this podcast is it! You will gain some practical tips on: How and who to ask for help When to know God is saying go for it Bringing your entire family along for the journey Being real with yourself, your purpose and the demands of raising your family GIVEAWAY Win a pair of earrings from Noonday! You have a passion for a reason! What small change can you make to make a big difference in

In part two of my interview with my co-author Cheri Gregory, we talk about how the last two of the bullies from our book The Cure for the Perfect Life 12 Ways to Stop Trying Harder and Start Living Brave, Performancism and People Pleasing, follow us around and beat us up daily, and what you can do about it. Do you: Change your mood to match the mood of those around you so you don’t upset them with your happiness/excitement/bad day/ etc? Do more so you can seem like more to those around you? Have a long to do list out of fear of not being what you want others to perceive you to be? If you can relate, you may be being bullied by people-pleasing or performancism or both! It’s time to live braver and stop trying harder. * During this episode, Kathi and Cheri discuss rest and Bonnie Gray’s interview on So Here’s the Thing. That episode can be foundhere. * Here’s the link to the free verse downloads Do you need a Braver Living outlook? Join the 5 Days to Braver Living Devotional!

She had all of her “Christian” ducks in a row…. until God swept them all to the side.  Jen Hatmaker was a Christian speaker and author, married to a PASTOR for heaven’s sake who spent every day of her life doing the church thing and doing it well. But then, Jen prayed a prayer: “God, raise up in me a holy passion.” And that’s when her whole life got completely messed up. In this episode of “So Here’s the Thing” Kathi and Erin talk to Jen about her book, “Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity” and discuss how that one simple prayer led her to flip her life upside down… and do everything from serving the poor to letting HGTV invade her home. Tell us in the comments below how Jen’s experience of being interrupted has inspired you to pray for a holy passion or what is keeping you in your comfortable Christianity. Two winners will be randomly chosen and will receive two copies of Interrupted.

Hi Friends! My newest book, The Cure for the Perfect Life, came from my deepest desire to help the women in this world live fuller, richer lives at exactly where God wants them. This week Cheri Gregory (who co-wrote The Cure for the Perfect Life) and I sat down to discuss the concept of rebelling against the ideas of perfectionism, and procrastination. (don’t worry! People-pleasing and Performancism are coming soon!) Now this podcast is only for you if you deal with one of the four bullies we talk about: Perfectionism Procrastination People Pleasing Performancism You are invited to take part in our rebellion against perfectionism. Win 2 copies of The Cure for the Perfect Life- just comment below and tell us one small thing you are doing to fight procrastination or perfectionism, and who you are going to ask to be your bravery buddy (she can have the second copy!). Do you need a Braver Living outlook? Join the 5 Days to Braver Living Devotional!

When it comes to being a mom, have you ever felt like you wish someone would just tell you what to do? (Or at least talk you down after your kid has told you that he wishes Jake’s mom was his real mother?) My dear friend Stephanie Shott joined us this week to discuss mentoring, a topic that is near and dear to her heart as she lacked a true mentor and community when she was a teenage/single/unsaved mom. She started the Mom Initiative specifically to help women be the mentors other moms need. And guess what, she shares the secrets with us today. Some of the things we discuss: Mentoring makes us better women Great mentoring isn’t difficult! Why mentoring is so important REAL friends can be our mentors When you are in the thick of it, knowing someone is there for you makes all the difference. We shouldn’t do this mothering things alone friends. Take this first step to learn how to find your tribe and your mentors.

My friend and speaker, Michele Cushatt hasn’t had the prettiest life. It has been down right hard and the things God have called her to haven’t always been pretty. Michele has handled the not so pretty with such grace that I wanted her to speak about her experiences because no matter how ugly, she always inspires me. I think she’ll inspire you too. In this episode of So Here’s the Thing, we discuss how following God isn’t always easy. We deal with some of the tough questions like: Should I be a working mom or stay-at-home mom? If God has called me to this, shouldn’t it be easy? Why do some decisions have only comprises for answers? How can I even think of reinventing my life with all of the responsibilities I already have? How can/do I say NO to the wrong things so I can say YES to the right things? After listening, tell me how you have reinvented a part of your life whether it be your work, the way you juggle the needs of your family, your ministry or the relationships with your extended family. Tw

“You don’t get a pass on your faith because of a curve ball.” OUCH! Would your best friend be willing say the same to you if you needed to hear it? My co-host this week is Gillian Marchenko, author of Sun Shine Down: A Memoir. Gillian’s life as a mom, wife of a pastor and missionary in Ukraine was completely rocked when their third child was born with down-syndrome. In this experience, Gillian learned what deep faith, true friendship and real appreciation for life was all about. Through our discussion, Gillian shares how: it’s possible to feel two opposing emotions at the exact same time it’s ok to dislike the diagnosis and still love to react when your friend goes through a hard time Join us for an inspiring discussion about how dealing with the curve ball isn’t always pretty but absolutely survivable. What is the event in your life that you weren’t sure you would ever see the “sun shine again”? Share it with us for a chance to win a copy of Gillian’s memoir.

It’s easy to get bogged down with commitments- us moms have a knack for it! But then we start feeling exhausted, over committed and frustrated that our parenting, our physical, emotional and spiritual lives aren’t exactly what we had in mind. Join host Kathi Lipp as she welcomes guest Kasey Johnson, author of a new book and bible study specifically for moms called Mom Essentials. They discuss: the differences between essentials and extras how to best identify what each are in your life and why getting back to the “essentials” can be key to an overall healthy mama. “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being smarter.” Kasey Johnson  

Some parents are excited when summer comes. They get to be around their kids all day, everyday. This was SO not my experience. I loved the first day of school, not having to hear my kids whine that they were bored, or try to figure out what to do with them without breaking the bank. So this episode of So Here’s the Thing is all about keeping the fun in Summer Fun. If you’re just starting to run out of tricks in your summer bag, you will want to hear this conversation with Kathi and her co-host Erin MacPherson. Erin gave us some great ideas about creating a CAMP MOM and offers us her ideas from last years Pintasttic Summer. Finally, I promised you a picture of what my brother in law made in less than 15 minutes: A life-size Jenga. He took a bunch of 2x4s, cut them each to 10.5 inches long, until he had 48. Standard Jenga rules apply. (I promise you it took Randy all of 15 minutes to make the entire game.) I’ve seen directions for these floating around Pinterest. Some say you have to sand, but ours were un

Bonnie Gray wrote this amazing book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest, and after I read it, I had, had to, HAD TO, sit down and talk to her. In this world of go go go, do more, do it all well and don’t forget to look amazing doing it, this book is powerful reminder that finding rest is not a luxury but a necessity. Bonnie and I discuss our typical coping mechanisms, our fear of not being valuable, of doing it all and doing it well or feeling like a failure, and ways to shift the paradigm not only in our own lives, but the lives of those around us. If you wonder: - what is my value – would anyone love me or like me if I stopped “doing” – how can I recharge when there is no end in sight – how much more can I give then this podcast is absolutely for you. Give yourself permission to listen to our conversation, then move towards finding your inner whitespace. Enter to win a copy for you and a friend of Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening your Soul to Rest, by commenting below. (O

It’s easy to put your worth in your children’s failures and successes. In this week’s episode, Kathi and guest, Erin MacPherson, author of the Christian Mama’s Guide series, discuss being a part of the Bad Moms Club. While most moms are striving to be the best mom she can be, she is usually riddled with doubt, guilt and worry. If this sounds like you, take heart, you aren’t alone.  Kathi and Erin discuss ways to get through this journey of motherhood from birth through young adulthood. Some of the highlights include: “Don’t judge your parenting on one bad day!”- One bad day doesn’t undo all that parenting that you’ve poured into your kid/s. “Find your people that will still be a fan of your kid even when he/she doesn’t make the best decision.”- When our child has royally messed up, there is something about another adult who you admire seeing something besides “future adult delinquent” in your child that will give you hope. “Don’t put your faith in the sheep, put it in the Shepherd.”-  We base the outco

In this episode of You’ve Got This! we sit down with blogger and author extraordinaire, Crystal Paine, and talk about how to move beyond surviving day to day and move into being excited about your life once again. Crystal shares great secrets from her New York Times best-selling book Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life, and gives specific encouragement for all of us women who have stopped living and moved into survival mode. Just some of the wisdom that Crystal shares:  · Avoiding the trap of trying to “Just getting more organized” · Going into the “No Zone” · How to sort out your true friends from the users when you are trying to get out of survival mode · How do you get to the other side of survival mode and overwhelmed to peace · How to say no so you can say yes to what really matters · Finding and fixing your mom “Achilles Heel”  Join Kathi and Crystal for the most info-packed, freeing, 20 minutes you will experience all

A conversation with Sheila Wray Gregoire, the author of The Good Girls Guide to Great Sex (And You Thought Bad Girls Have All the Fun) and blogger extraordinaire over at To Love Honor and Vacuum. Kathi and Sheila have a fun, but frank conversation about sex in marriage. Here are some of the areas where they just go there:  • Women love talking about sex, but when you ask them about their sex lives, there is always a groan. What’s the deal? • What is the difference between sex and making love? • What can I do during the day to make me ready for sex at night? • Sheila’s best piece of advice when your sex life is stalled out. • What do you do if you are one of the 30% women who have a higher sex drive than her husband? • Sheila’s word to women whose husbands are addicted to porn. Fun informative, and hopefully for your husband, a little motivating. Let’s Talk About Sex (Baby…)   For more from Kathi Lipp visit www.kathilipp.com

Join Kathi Lipp and her cohosts Mandy Arita and Liz Sagaser as they talk about all the things you are talking about: Marriage Parenting Sex Managing the Homefront Living the Life You Were Designed For