Beyond Good Intentions With Kristen Duke

Amber is a health coach at @Biceps.After.Babies and shares encouragement that you can choose to live a healthy lifestyle at any age. AND you don't have to sacrifice the foods you love either.  As part of Amber's business, she coaches people in macro counting and strength training, teaching that body confidence needs to start with loving ourselves, focusing on what we CAN do, and praising our efforts and our childrens. She and I also spoke on my teen podcast @FistBump.Podcast directly to my teen friends, so encourage your teens to listen!

Surviving childhood leukemia brought on a great deal of survivors guilt for Jamie. She felt like a disappointment, uncertain why she survived when she had known so many other cancer patients that she adored, who weren't so lucky. She was bullied in high school, felt angry towards her parents, and just didn't understand why she was so special to have survived. She speaks of her suicide attempts, wanting to quiet the voices in her head. As an adult, and coming through on the other side, she travels around teaching youth about the importance of talking to someone when they are in these dark places.  I was happy to hear her weigh in on Affirmations, because it's a HOT TOPIC right now. She spoke about the power behind the positive words we speak, when we start to believe them. Find Jamie at @SurvivingTheBubble on Instagram

Leigh is a therapist specializing in Women's health. In this episode, we talk a lot about self care as well as anxiety which plagues so many people young and adult alike.  She says, "Depletion is probably the largest pre cursor to depression and anxiety. Self Care is SO important!" When you're stressed, your body shuts down. Leigh introduced to me The Resiliency System: Self Awareness Self Compassion Self Talk--not all of your thoughts are accurate Self Care--having benevolent feelings about our bodies instead of frustration She shares about a program she is developing called Worrier to Warrior.  Leigh's Instagram: @TakeCareOfMom www.TakeCareOfMom.com   Books she mentioned: Brainstorm by Dan Seagull Antidote to Fear---TRUTH. We all have to search for those truths and those truths lead us to believe we can be resilience.  The 2 terrible thoughts: I'm not enough (the core of depression) Me or my loved one isn't going to be ok (anxiety) I do have what I need to thrive and get through hard things. Teach our k

My friend Rachelle is a very intentional parent, right in the thick of things with a handful of teens and tweens. Her oldest is about to graduate high school (just like mine) and I was eating up all of the amazing ideas she shared about being service minded and teaching her teens to look outside of themselves.  Find the ideas Rachelle shares on Instagram or drop her a note of gratitude at @KnowingLivingLoving Books Rachelle Recommended: The Parenting Breakthrough  Love and Logic for Teens Hold Me Tight How to Win Friends and Influence People 5 Love Languages for Teens See our family favorites on our AMAZON store. Share this episode with your friends if you love it, or leave a review on iTunes!

My friend Leigh Anne is here to share her wisdom today not only about parenting adult children, but some fun stories and tips from when her kids were younger and into the teen years.  My favorite parts: Talking about waiting to be asked for advice Supporting their decisions no matter what The gift she gave her daugthers-in-law Family Traditions Making Family Dinners Make sure you check my AMAZON STORE with my favorite dresses and clothes this season. Find Leigh Anne on her Website: YourHomeBasedMom.com and Instagram @YourHomebasedMom Make sure you sign up for her newsletter to get her weekly meal plan!

My youngest child, Cali, is 10 today and we are talking all things TWEEN! She has wanted to be interviewed on the podcast for a while, and I thought her birthday was the best day for that. You may enjoy the mother daughter back and forth chat we had, and you'll especially get a giggle about half way through as we visit the topic of how exactly the sperm gets to the egg.  I chatted about Our recent Amazon purchases Join the conversation on Instagram today, too!

Mar'Lee contacted me after she heard last weeks podcast episode with Erin sharing about her runaway teen. She said this to me in an email, "I have had the impression I needed to do this for awhile, share my story.  Tell Erin thank you.  I was other is gone and I have always wondered how my mother felt.  I came home eventually, and found my faith, but that was a subject we NEVER talked about."   She felt like her story needed to be told, and she shares with me, with us, in this episode. I'm so grateful for her willingness to be brave and share, because I know it will bless others. Others who are grappling for a shred of hope.  Please hop on over to Instagram and tell Mar'Lee thank you for sharing. I know it will mean so much to her.  Podcast instagram: @KristenJoyDuke We're also grateful for any podcast reviews on iTunes!  CLICK HERE Hit "view in itunes" Open in iTunes Hit Ratings and Reviews Write a Review  

I got an email recently from Erin saying that she loved listening to the podcast, but hoped to hear more interviews from people that were going through struggles with their kids. In her message she says, "It is depressing sometimes to listen to a podcast that's amazingly positive when you're having a hard time." I've said it before and I'll say it again...contact me or nominate someone who has a story that others can hear! Most don't feel comfortable sharing a challenge when they are in it, so let me know! "I don't have very many answers but maybe even I can offer something to your listeners," Erin shared. In our chat, she shares about how she adopted two brothers as toddlers, and in raising them, it's been much more of a challenge than anticipated. Her oldest ran away from home as a teen, cut off contact with his parents, and moved from place to place, and she has very minimal contact with him now.  Her guiding scripture: "Be Still and Know that I am God." I need that reminder that I can sit and be with my o

"Usually we think our communicating is with our words, but our non-verbal communication is so much more powerful." Alisa shared so many amazing tidbits of information in our chat, this has definitely become into one of my top 5 favorite interviews on the Beyond Good Intentions podcast. She is so knowledgeable on a topic that I'm striving for daily with my children. She is a researcher of CONNECTION, and she shares how we can be more connected with individual family members with 10 minutes a day of quality time, the sweet spot of connection. "Long enough to make it meaningful and short enough to make it do-able", she says. She came upon this concept years ago when chatting with a friend that asked, "How do I be a good parent in a nutshell?" She had to ask herself in her own parenting as she found real life practice didn't come as naturally as she thought, having all the research. She asked herself, "Where does the theory and research and real life converge?" The answer: Connection. The most important thing we

I'm delighted to share with you my chat with Reachel Bagley. We met 8 years ago at a park in Arizona, and haven't seen each other since, but we've interacted online, as she shares wardrobe strategies as she helps others clean out their closets and minds at @CardiganEmpire.  We talk about how she met her husband, adoption, surprise pregnancy, and how our job as parents is to create a safe environment for our children, as our children are pre-programmed with their own agenda. We also discussed the commitment of TIME for our children is so much more of a foundation than opportunities presented with money.  >>>Our episode this week is sponsored by Living Scriptures. A great online resource for streaming children's video and clean movies. Sign up for a month trial to see if it's for you! Reachel's favorite parenting books we discussed are: The Whole-Brain Child and Raising Human Beings 

Tawni is a long lost friend that I just discovered, and I'm so grateful I found her on instagram recently. We discuss our love of teenagers, and her podcast, Becoming for Teens, as well as her family life in this episode.  Tawni shares about her younger brother with special needs, and how he's captivated the hearts of the community. She also shares about how she met her husband, and parenting her 4 young children.  I titled this episode after something she said near the end, a hope for her children to Authentically Be Yourself.  >>>Our sponsor for this episode is AMAZON. Don't you just LOVE Amazon? I recently put together our family favorites from games to gadgets and gizmos, check out our favorites in my AMAZON STORE. When you purchase anything on Amazon within 24 hours of clicking that link, it sends a small percentage to me for being a referral. So THANK YOU for supporting this podcast.  Join us on Instagram @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke to discuss this and other episodes

I've got my big brother in the house, and you better believe we disect our childhood! You'll hear the stories of when we didn't get along, when we did, and how we've weathered the years as siblings. I look up to my brother Ryan a great deal, and am grateful he's willing to look past my shortcomings and sensitivities over the years.  We talked about groundings, over-reacting, electronics being a "comfort food", and seeing the positive in people. We referenced my podcast discussion with my dad, which you can find in EPISODE #6.  >>>This weeks sponsor is HomeAway. That is a link to the most recent home we rented. Our family LOVES to stay in homes when we travel, and even when we get together with extended family! Come continue the discussion over on Instagram! @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke is where you can find us.

"I don't care what my kids end up doing with their life, as long as they always feel that their place in our family is important." I'm so happy to share with you a chat with my dear friends Kelli and Kristi, twin sisters who grew up with 9 siblings, raising families of their own down the street from each other and within 3 miles of 7 of those siblings (one even next door to their parents)! We got tears flowing from each of them for various reasons throughout our chat, I love their willingness to be vulnerable and share their hearts in order to bless all of us. I met them through blogging 7 years ago, and I've been grateful for their friendship over the years, and they've got some parenting GOLD to share with you today!  HIGHLIGHTS: Teen fist fights, infertility, adoption, life threatening experiences, that's just the tip of the iceberg with todays episode. We spoke about them being a brat to their mom but now a best friend, the shame game, technology, the birds and the bee's, pornography, over-scheduling, we

The title of this episode stems from our chat about parenting AND social media. As a child, you want to feel heard by your parents, and of course as parents we want our kids to HEAR us! In social media, (and in parenting) we all need more connection and less isolation. Anna and I talk about all of this in our chat.  * Anna runs @KidsAreTheWorst which is a humor community of parents sharing, @ThingsAreTheWorst, and also shares media tips at @AnnaIsTheWorst  * >>>We talked about the e-book guides that she put together about media and cell phones, which they are great resources for parents. They are all about developing stronger, healthier relationships with the Internet and social media through guided discussions, information, and plans that everyone signs.  Get Smart: (Ages 3+)  Let's Talk: (Teens on social media)  CLICK HERE to read all about both books and purchase them.  * Lots of talk on technology! Our kids are saturated with screens.  Favorite parenting book (which is actually a business book): Never S

Miranda has so many wonderful things to share, and she's excited about sharing, which I LOVE!  She's got a wonderful enthusiasm for life, and it comes through in our chat. The title of this episode is her trademarked slogan, and she is sharing tips on her website, podcast, and social media about living a minimalist lifestyle with LESS STUFF and MORE ADVENTURE! One of my favorite things that she said was towards the end, and you'll want to hear more of her explanation, but the gist is the importance of teaching our kids to feel fulfilled and success in everyday life, not just achieving big goals. SO MUCH WISDOM THERE! Listen as she chats about downsizing their home by half, and my lamenting on the stuff accumulation in my house. Serious goals! >>This post is brought to you by Budget Boot Camp. My husband and I started a budgeting adventure recently, and have been guided by these lessons by Jordan Page. After using a spreadsheet in the course, we cut some things out and are trying to save 30% of our income. Cli

I found Ashlee through her instagram @TheMomentsWeStand and right in her bio she mentions surviving infidelity and murder, which is a lot to take in, in one short sentence.  Ashlee has a story unlike any I've ever known, and she shares it courageously, but it wasn't always the case. She ultimately felt inspired to write out her heart, against original shame from her experience. I applaud her vulnerability in sharing, knowing it will bless others who have experienced trauma in their life, in any form. I love how when I asked her at the end what she hoped her children KNOW when they leave the house is that each of us are a light. That stuck with me, and thought it would make the perfect title.  CHECK OUT THIS WEEKS SPONSOR, Chatbooks! Follow that link to receive $10 off my favorite books for everyday family moments! See how we display them in our home HERE. Come chat about this episode on Instagram, @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke Find more Beyond Good Intentions info on that page on my website.  >>>How to find Ashl

I'm delighted to have my BONUS mom chatting today about parenting, and then grand-parenting! She raised 4 kids in small town Idaho, after growing up in California. She's shared so many nuggets of wisdom in our chat, it's hard to summarize it here! She shared about her first job working for her dad in the radio business, going to college in Hawaii, and the "2 time stick" she kept visible for her kids to remember to do their chores when asked. She speaks about being an empty nester, and nurturing your marriage, and then about her husband passing away and re-marrying (my dad). Here are a few quote-able quotes from our chat: "Teach the gospel on the walls of your home." "Don't "should" on yourself." "Dare to be Different." "Food is LOVE." 4 A's of a relationship and parenting: Accept, adapt, admire, and appreciate "My home is clean enough to be healthy and healthy enough to be happy." Stephanie is the QUEEN of silly one-liners, and we talked about how she doesn't even realize she's saying something unique. Here

My Chat with Kristen from Be Living Proof was exactly what I needed...a fellow mom of teens, discussing how to be the best parent we can for those pre-adults. Teaching "life isn't fair" and the sooner you realize that, the better!  We discussed: teens choosing friends finding new friends when current friends are making different choices how to teach them to have the confidence to make decisions other than their friends Device rules, filters, and flexibility of rules Social media comparisons We talked about the age she gave her oldest a phone, and the funny story behind that!   And we have the same FAVORITE PARENTING BOOK, but she's actually read past where I have, and I learned something I need to go look up in that book! Join the discussion about this episode at @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke Find Kristen on Instagram at: @Kristen.Be.Living.Proof Her website: Be Living Proof Favorite parenting book: How to Talk so Kids will Listen, and Listen so Kids will Talk

I'm delighted to share with you a conversation with my husband today. Even though we are chatting about grief, it's lighthearted. It's subdued in the beginning, but not heavy. It's hopeful and introspective as we share our thoughts on the recent passing away of his younger brother.  We discuss how we each grieve, what we appreciate hearing from others offering their condolences, and how grief isn't just about death. In our chat we reference my Instagram account where I shared a lot of thoughts before and after his brother passed away (and currently still saved in the highlights under "Steve"). In our chat, I also spoked about a few other blog posts on my website: My Love Story How to Help a Grieving Friend Losing a Brother How to Plan a Funeral (coming soon) Do I pray for a Miracle or Peace in God's Will? (coming soon) I invite you to join the follow up discussion on Instagram (@CapturingJoy.KristenDuke) and share your thoughts on this episode! ***If you loved this episode, share it with a friend! Click t

Welcome to Part 3 of the discussion on my faith, which is all about our most basic beliefs and doctrine, The 13 Articles of Faith.  As a child, I memorized them, and I've encouraged my kids to do the same. Just 13 verses, but they explain what it is exactly that we believe as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Hopefully you already listened to Part 1, which was an interview with my friend Abby, a recent convert to the faith. And then Part 2 where I share the origin, background, and history of The Book of Mormon and how it came to be. An introduction, if you will.  If you'd like to read the 13 articles of Faith in full, click on the link, and you're there! Please feel free to reach out to me via email (kristenduke@gmail.com), Instagram (@CapturingJoy.KristenDuke), with any questions or something you'd love to hear explained even more. I'd be happy to mail you a free copy of The Book of Mormon if you are interested as well.