Week 13: A Peek Into This Past Week + What I’m Reading, Listening to, and Watching! and more...

This week was filled with hours and hours of baseball! Which I absolutely love! Watching Silas out there playing his heart out is one of my favorite things as a mom! Friday night's game was long and COLD — I was so glad I had brought extra jackets for ... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  View Online Here's what's new: Week 13: A Peek Into This Past Week + What I’m Reading, Listening to, and Watching! Hire a Registered Dietitian for Zero Out of Pocket + My Honest Review of Nourish Week 13: A Peek Into This Past Week + What I’m Reading, Listening to, and Watching! This week was filled with hours and hours of baseball! Which I absolutely love! Watching Silas out there playing his heart out is one of my favorite things as a mom! Friday night’s game was long and COLD — I was so glad I had brought extra jackets for everyone + three super warm blankets. We needed all of it! One of the highlights of the week for the younger kids was this deal I got on Kinder Joy Eggs (no longer available). You should have heard the squeals that came from our house when they saw the package!! They get to have one every day after school if they’ve had good attitudes and done their chores. Let’s just say it’s been a HUGE motivation!! I am loving this little area in my closet — I didn’t know that organizing it was going to make me SO happy!! (I got a book embroidery wall-hanging that I’m going to create to go up on the wall – you can see it sitting on top of the plant!) See some before and after pictures here. It was Mismatch Day at school for Kierstyn and she was so excited to put together a rainbow and cowgirl outfit. The unicorn and shoes were rainbow and the dress and hat were cowgirl – she came up with the idea on her own and executed it all by herself! I signed up to do a 10k on May 30 with Kathrynne and some of her friends. This is a whole new world for me and I quickly realized I needed to get outfitted properly — so David, Jesse, and I went to Fleet Feet on Thursday to get my feet scanned and get fitted for a running shoe that works well with my feet. I was SO impressed with Fleet Feet!! Their free appointment was so educational and the scans of my feet and walking were fascinating! Plus, they helped find socks, shoes, and insoles perfect for my feet! David was REALLY into the whole experience and wanted to be right next to me! For a girl who couldn’t ever run more than a half mile as a teen, I’m so excited that I was able to run over two miles multiple times this week without stopping — and it encourages me that all my workouts at the gym are definitely helping me get stronger and build endurance! My plan – as of now – is to run on Mon/Wed/Fri mornings and go to the gym for the strength- training class I love on Tues/Thurs and then do a longer outdoor run on Sundays. And then Saturday will be a rest day. I may tweak that, but that’s what I’m going with for now! Micah doesn’t have preschool on Wednesdays and I don’t have any Wednesday interviews this week (I usually do interviews on Wednesdays but did them Tuesday instead) so I got to hang out with this guy watching a truck show and knocking out some work. I love slow mornings like this! 6 years ago this week, we brought a tiny medically fragile baby boy home from the NICU — when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Kierstyn! That sweet baby boy would change our lives forever. Getting to foster him and walk with his mama and love and care for him on her behalf for 8 1/2 months was one of the hardest best things I’ve ever done. It broke me. It marked me. And I will never be the same again. Giving him back to his mama after 8 1/2 months of loving him on her behalf was truly the most heartbreakingly beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. It wrecked me and I cried so many tears for so many months over it. And yet… I look back and see God’s hand in all of it. If we hadn’t said yes to fostering him and then gotten the privilege (and heartbreak) of seeing him reunified with his mom, I truly believe we never would have said yes to David. The little baby boy from the NICU prepared our hearts and gave us so much experience in learning how the medical and foster system work — how to navigate the state insurance system, what is covered, who to call, and how to advocate. It’s a pretty complex world and I got months of practice and experience that would be a massive help when we were thrust into the world of severe disabilities and malnutrition with David and needed to get him immediate medical help from a multitude of providers as soon as he was dropped off at our door. Not only that, but the little baby boy from the NICU ignited a desire in us to tell DCS that we would like to say yes to caring for a child with significant disabilities or medical needs. This wasn’t even on our radar before. And it’s the reason DCS thought to call us when David needed a foster family. In addition, that little boy from the NICU opened our hearts to loving birth mamas in a brand-new way – which allowed us to walk alongside David’s mom in a completely different way – to go to bat for her, fight for her, and do all we could to make sure she is seen, cared for, and honored. That little baby boy from the NICU is now six years old and thriving with his mama – we are so proud of both of them and honored to have been a little part of their story! A bunch of you asked to see the Walmart dresses I had purchased to try out. You can check them out here — and there are links to all of them + a bunch of other dresses for less than $25 each here. Here’s a quick and easy on-the-go meal we have made for years and years. It’s official – we are now Costco members! We just went yesterday and got our membership using these hot deal! I’ll share more on Wednesday what we bought and some of our initial thoughts compared to Sam’s Club. Picked up my library holds this week — The Bodyguard by Katherine Center and Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Have you read either of these? Books I Finished This Past Week I finished Discovering Your Communication Type by Jason Vanruler this week. I got to interview him for my podcast recently and it was such a personally powerful episode (it drops in two weeks!) and I can’t wait for you to hear it. His book is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to have better communication skills — especially with those closest to you. I found it really insightful for me to understand myself better and to improve the way I communicate with Jesse. What I’m Watching I’m continuing to watch When Calls the Heart and am on Season 11 — so getting close to the finish line! I think I will have finished it by the end of April! I also introduced the kids to the movie UP this week and they loved it — all except for the part when, as Micah said, “The old lady dies.” What I’m Listening To My good friend, Olivia, sent me this podcast episode on friendship to listen to. While it felt a little all over the place at times, it had a lot of good nuggets in it regarding friendship and it made me think a lot about who I am investing in and how I am showing up for them. Podcast Episode This Week: Jesse Chaperones a Trip to Denver Although we inadvertently took a few weeks off from the podcast, we are back, and overall, the most accurate way to describe life lately is “full.” Between spring breaks, older kids popping in and out of the house, and multiple trips layered on top of one another, quiet moments have been pretty rare around here. Listen in this week as Jesse and I do something we hadn’t actually had time to do yet: sit down and process everything that’s happened over the past few weeks. We talk about the whirlwind of travel – his father-son ski trip to Utah with Silas, my church retreat, and, the school trip to Denver that Jesse chaperoned, which he describes as “the most servant-oriented trip I’ve been on.” Of course, though, life did not slow down when the trips ended. In fact, we walked straight from the airport into a memorial service for three men whose lives were tragically cut short. One of them had been very close to our family, and the loss really hit our girls – and all of us – deeply. A big part of this episode, however, as previously mentioned, focuses on Jesse’s time serving alongside students at the Denver Dream Center. Hear how they spent their days hiking in the mountains and their evenings working in inner-city Denver, sharing meals with people experiencing homelessness and connecting with people who were rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Listen as Jesse shares and reflects on some stories about the conversations that happened there such as moments where the goal wasn’t to “fix” anyone but simply to listen, learn names, and recognize the humanity in front of you! Jesse and I also discuss how even just small choices can shape the direction of a life (for better or worse) and how courage often looks like doing something that feels strange, risky, or unsupported. Sometimes, the most meaningful moments come when we step outside the safe little spaces we’ve built for ourselves and choose to do the thing that scares us most. I hope that you enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Jesse! Listen to the podcast episode here. In Case You Missed It – Posts From This Week Easter Basket Ideas for Kids — Whether you’ve got a curious infant, a busy toddler, or a tween who’s harder to surprise, we’ve rounded up Easter basket ideas for kids that are thoughtful, fun, and actually worth tucking into that basket. Plus they’re easy and affordable for you! Kielbasa Sheet Pan Dinner ($10 Family Dinner Idea) — This easy sheet pan dinner features kielbasa, potatoes, and your favorite veggies all roasted together on one pan — minimal prep, minimal cleanup! Pair it with a crusty loaf of whole wheat French bread for a complete, satisfying meal the whole family will love. 22 Easy Easter Dessert Ideas — These desserts are simple enough to whip up any day of the week but special enough to be celebration worthy. And finally, if you need a laugh, please watch this.       Hire a Registered Dietitian for Zero Out of Pocket + My Honest Review of Nourish Looking for a free dietitian online or online nutritionist consultation covered by insurance? I have been LOVING my Nourish dietitian and this is my completely honest review! Truly — it’s been life-changing for me! This One Small Step Has Been Transforming My Health (and It’s Covered by Insurance!) Are you wanting to make healthy changes in your diet but don’t know where to start? Struggling to hit your health goals or feeling overwhelmed by trying to stay on track? In the summer of 2025, I made a decision that I honestly didn’t expect to have such a big impact. I signed up to meet with a Nourish dietitian. Not because I had a big health goal or some drastic change in mind, but because I was feeling a little stuck. I had been working out more, trying to be mindful of what I was eating, and wanting to better support my body through this full season of life. I figured it couldn’t hurt to get a little expert insight, especially since Nourish is fully covered by insurance under our plan. Honestly, I expected to get a few helpful tips on calories and macros. I didn’t expect it to shift so much of how I view my body, my energy, my relationship with food, and even how I approach rest and recovery. But it has. And I’m so grateful. Let me tell you more about my honest experience with Nourish… What Is Nourish? Nourish is a virtual platform that connects you with an online registered dietitian — someone trained to help you with everything from emotional eating and hormone health to energy levels and gut issues — all from the comfort of your own home. Instead of handing you a one-size-fits-all meal plan or a strict list of foods to avoid, your Nourish online dietitian walks with you step-by-step. They listen to your goals. They help you build habits. They offer insight on how nutrition, sleep, stress, and movement work together. And they empower you to nourish your body well — without shame, restriction, or overwhelm. My Completely Honest (+ Very Vulnerable) Nourish Dietitian Review To be honest, I was hesitant at first. I wasn’t sure I needed an online nutritionist consultation. I wondered if my health goals were “big enough” or if it would be worth the time. But I also knew I wanted to take better care of myself. I felt a little foggy some days. I wanted accountability and clarity, and deep down, I wondered if I was giving my body what it needed to thrive. That first call with my Nourish dietitian? It blew me away. She helped me understand how the stress and depletion of the last few years — pregnancies, nursing, fostering, adopting a child with disabilities, caregiving, running a business, and raising six kids — had left me running on fumes. She walked me through how under-eating and under-sleeping were actually slowing down my metabolism and affecting my mood and hormones. She didn’t guilt me. She didn’t overwhelm me. She encouraged me and gave me clear, simple steps I could take that very week. What I’m Learning from My Nourish Dietician Every session has been eye-opening. Not because of some radical overhaul… but because of how freeing and healing it’s been to undo old beliefs. My dietitian has helped me: Identify and challenge long-held beliefs about food and weight. Realize how often I’ve equated worth with a number on the scale. Shift from restriction to nourishment. Take baby steps toward what she calls “food freedom” — where food supports your life, not controls it. It’s emotional work, too. But so, so worth it. Finding Food Freedom After I started eating more (at the encouragement of my dietitian), I discovered that it was a big struggle for me. I realized I had a lot of fear around food and had put a lot of stock into what the scale said. My joy or frustration for the day and how I felt about myself was often very tied to whatever number the scale showed that day. One of the big things my virtual dietitian encouraged me to do was to stop weighing myself. This was scary — but it ended up being SO freeing!! It took awhile to get used to, but once I did, I began to feel a whole new world open up for me! I discovered that I had spent years trapped in a cycle of so much food noise in my head — constantly analyzing calories, pushing myself to exercise more, thinking I needed to lose weight, chasing skinny, mentally beating myself up if I didn’t follow the diet plan I had come up with for myself. I did all of this under the guise of self-discipline when it actually was dysfunctional! I am slowly finding such freedom when it comes to food. My brain feels much quieter around food and it feels weird but also so amazing!! I love that I can find joy in food and eating without needing to constantly analyze, stress, or feel like I’m not where I need to be. I’m chasing strong not skinny, nourishing myself not a number on the scale — and it’s been incredible! Taking My Wellness Even Further Recently, my dietician has been challenging me with practical ways to prioritize more sleep and to prioritize play. She’s having me try out better bedtime routines and try out different hobbies. It has been so good for my soul… and I feel like meeting with her is therapy for my whole self! I’m also SO excited because Nourish is now offering lab work as part of their program and it’s covered by insurance for most people, as well! So just like you can hire a dietitian through Nourish and most insurance companies will pay for it, you can also now have lab work done as part of the program and it’s $0 cost to you if your insurance covers it! The Nourish Lab panel checks the most important data for your metabolic and heart health — cholesterol, blood sugar (A1C), kidney function, electrolytes, and thyroid hormones. This is all so helpful because this data enables you and your dietician to make more informed decisions as you collaborate to improve your diet and health, and it provides another way to measure your progress. These labs are done at a Quest Diagnostics location near you and are fully covered every 3 months at no cost to you, providing up to $200 per year in value.  I had a metabolic panel done and it was so easy to do, the results came quickly, and my dietitian went over it with me. Best of all, it was entirely covered by insurance! Making the Most of Your Free Dietitian Online If you decide to sign up (which I highly recommend if you’re curious!), here are a few tips to make the most of your online nutritionist consultation: Track your eating, movement, and sleep for a few days ahead of your first call (I used MyFitnessPal and my Oura ring). Bring questions or struggles you want help with — even small things like “I snack all day and feel tired after lunch.” Share your health history (I even brought my bloodwork to our second session!). Be honest and open — this isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. How Much Does a Session Cost with a Nourish Dietitian? If you’re wondering what a Nourish session might cost, here’s the exciting news: 94% of users pay $0 out of pocket when they use insurance! That’s right! You have a very good chance of being able to meet with a free dietitian online — right from the comfort of your own home. How cool is that?! I have been sharing about Nourish for the past few months or so as I have been using it and benefiting from it. Here’s what one my my readers had to say about their experience after giving it a try: “I tried Nourish because of you and it has helped me SO MUCH!! I’m overweight and I’ve never had anyone teach me how I’m supposed to eat to be healthy and fuel my body, until now…and I’m 45 years old. Any my insurance has been paying 100%!!! Thank you for sharing. It’s been life changing for me too. I’m so thankful.” I would say that number they give is quite accurate as the majority of my audience is also finding that Nourish is covered by their insurance, too. That said, every insurance plan is a little different — some may have a small copay or coinsurance — but Nourish does everything they can to keep your costs low and offers a simple insurance coverage calculator to help you know what to expect ahead of time. Here’s what you need to know: Most people pay nothing. Yes, really! The majority of users don’t pay anything out of pocket because Nourish is in-network with hundreds of insurance plans across all 50 states. You can check your coverage easily. Nourish makes it super simple to verify your insurance and see if there may be any copays or fees. No surprise bills. What your insurance says is what you’ll pay — no hidden costs or unexpected fees. All appointments are backed by the Nourish Guarantee to provide a no-surprise billing experience! Note: One of my followers was told that her insurance would cover Nourish and then that ended up not being the case. Nourish zeroed out her balance and didn’t charge her anything for the two sessions she had because of their Nourish Guarantee. Paying out of pocket? If your insurance doesn’t cover sessions, the self-pay rate is $145 per session — and you’ll know that up front. Why I Recommend It If you’re: Feeling stuck with your health goals Battling low energy or brain fog Walking through a tough postpartum season Wanting to build a better relationship with food Or simply needing some gentle accountability… I highly recommend checking out Nourish. This is one of the most grace-filled, personalized things I’ve done for myself in a long time. What Others Are Saying As you can see, I’ve really enjoyed Nourish but you don’t have to just take my word for it! Here are some messages and feedback I’ve received on social media and email from those who tried Nourish for themselves and shared the experience: Ready to try Nourish? Head here to check if your insurance covers it: Nourish Dietitian Program If it does, you’ll get access to a caring, credentialed online dietitian covered by insurance who will walk with you, encourage you, and help you create a life that feels vibrant, nourished, and whole. Nourish FAQ How much does a Nourish session cost? 94% of users pay $0 out of pocket when they use insurance! Is Nourish really free with insurance? Yep! Most insurance plans cover it 100% and you’ll pay nothing out of pocket! Saying yes to that first call with the Nourish dietitian is changing my life in the best of ways and I am so thrilled and grateful! Go here to sign up and see if Nourish is covered by your insurance. More Links You’ll Love: 5 Steps to Start and Stick With Better Habits Greek Yogurt Bowl with Protein Powder (Easiest High-Protein Snack That is Delish!) 6 Tips to Find Motivation to Work Out Every Morning How to Find Time to Work Out Multiple Times Each Week 6 Strategies to Kickstart Your Morning Success (and get my habit tracker FREE!) If you’ve ever tried an online nutritionist consultation or free dietitian online, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below! FREE Goal Setting Worksheets!  Let me help you set, track, and actually accomplish your goals this year!       Latest finds on Pinterest This Easter candy is SO easy to make and SO tasty! Make it a family-fun Easter activity or package it up for Easter baskets! Get the easy recipe here. These easy spring dessert recipes can be made ahead, are perfect for Easter, and are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! Looking for unique and different Easter basket ideas this year? This super easy homemade Easter candy recipe is sure to be a hit with your kids! Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy Email subscriptions powered by FeedBlitz® • 650 E. Palisade Avenue Ste 2, PO Box 173 • Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632