Mindful Momma’s Mixtape

The holiday season is a time of joy and excitement. But it's also stressful! There is a lot of pressure to get the perfect gift for your loved ones, to have the best decorations, and to make this Christmas better than the last. Not to mention the crash that comes after New Years when the music stops and it's time to take the decorations down. The holiday season can drain you physically, mentally, and financially. In this episode, we discuss how we plan to make this Christmas count without going for broke. Happy Holidays!

Parent burnout is real. Between dealing with work, taking care of your kids, keeping up with household chores, and trying to maintain intimate relationships with friends and family, It's a lot! We hear over and over again the importance of "self-care" but let's face it. When the dishes are piling up, your bills are due, and you get another call from your kids school, you can't just put everything on hold and take a bubble bath.    Luckily, there is solace in sound. In this episode, Krista breaks down how you can use music therapeutically as a quick 5-minute mental reset.   

Music is good for your child's brain. But how can you maximize the positive impact that music has on your child's growth? Spoiler Alert: listening to Mozart while you're pregnant isn't enough! You child needs to be actively engaged in musical activities to fully experience all the benefits.  In today's episode, we discuss all the ways you can incorporate music into your child's life to best help cognitive development. We also dip our toes into the role of A.I. in today's music and art creation.      

The sandwich generation is the point in life where you are caring for you growing children and your aging parents. Stuck between generations, you are responsible physically, emotionally, and sometimes financially for those you love most. This burden is difficult to bare even for the strongest of us. It takes its toll on our mental health, leading to feelings of exhaustion and helplessness. But, like any of life's challenges, there is a path to success and many tool you can use along the way to make it through. Krista shares her personal experience with the sandwich generation and offers some insight as to how you can wash down that triple decker mama sandwich! 

Do you or someone you know suffer from "Eeyore Syndrome" aka Debbie Downerism? Symptoms include feeling sad, tired, hopeless, and helpless.    Often times these feelings creep into our minds when we feel we have lost control of our lives or a situation. You may feel stuck in a situation or circumstance that you perceive to be inescapable. You start to blame yourself or others. These feelings of powerlessness often lead to depression.    Krista dives deep into the symptoms and causes of "Eeyore Syndrome" drawing upon the work of Dr. Daniel Amen's book "Your Brain Is Always Listening". We also discuss the many ways to combat what Dr. Amen calls the Hopeless, Helpless Dragon. So pick up your sword and shield and charge headfirst!

Anger. Nobody likes it, and everyone feels it. Whether you got cut off on your way to work, or you're the unfortunate soul stuck in the room with the one who was. Anger makes us all uncomfortable. Yet, it is a completely natural emotion. There are many ways to channel anger and express it positively. In this episode, we discuss Anger drawing upon Dr. Amen's book Your Brain Is Always Listening. We examine how anger impacts us and those around us both physically and mentally, and how to manage anger and tame the "Angry Dragons" in your life. As always, please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe on all platforms! Cheers

Hey listeners!   We're back with a very special episode. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month and Mothers Day we decided you all deserved an extra episode. As always we discuss all things mental health and motherhood, focusing on the benefits of leading with your heart as opposed to your head.    Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women out there and Happy Mental Health Awareness Month to ALL of our lovely listeners.   Cheers!

Hey listeners! Today we are tackling the difficult discussion of Death. Now, before you break out the tissues, note that we are talking about death figuratively also. Maybe you lament the loss of freedom after becoming a parent, maybe you miss the times where you could fall backwards off a skateboard and pop back up unharmed, or maybe you have to explain to your child the loss of their beloved grandparent.    All of these situations fall under what Dr. Daniel Amen refers to as "Death Dragons" in his book Your Brain Is Always Listening. We discuss these challenges in depth drawing upon his insight, and including our own perspective to provide you with some ideas as to how you can better understand and deal with Death Dragons. So, grab your favorite comfort food. get cozy, and pop on Mindful Momma's Mixtape! 

Hey listeners! In today’s episode, we take a look at sibling dynamics based on things like birth order, age, and gender. We discuss how this real or perceived hierarchy can create what Dr. Daniel Amen refers to as “Special, Spoiled, or Entitled Dragons”.    How does a parent successfully mediate between kids who are competing for attention? How do you teach your children the difference between fair and equal, and help them to overcome the harmful hierarchy? We cover all this and more. So grab your favorite sweet treat, a glass of the good stuff, and listen to Mindful Momma's Mixtape!

Hey listeners! Today we're continuing our discussion on anxiety. Anxiety gets the best of us. Heck, even the legendary musician Eddie Van Halen had performance anxiety. So how do you deal with it? Tune in as Krista breaks down the causes and characteristics of anxiety. She also discusses how to be present and get in THE ZONE! Whether through meditation, going for a walk, drawing, dancing, singing, or playing sports. You can silence the "background noise" inside your brain!  

Hey listeners! Today we're discussing anxiety, inferiority and how social media can make these feelings worse. From the "Martha Stewart Mom" who has it all together to the "Instagram Guitarist" with a million likes, we all compare ourselves to someone thinking: WHY CAN'T THAT BE ME? We draw upon the work of Dr. Daniel Amen, who refers to anxiety and inferiority as "dragons from the past" in his groundbreaking psychology/self-help book Your Mind Is Always Listening. We also discuss ways to cope with these feelings, including how music can be used as a form of therapy.