*I apologize for some sound issues. We are in the middle of a move and working on a new recording setup. In this episode, I talk with Emily Grohovsky who is the Founder and Lead Garden Consultant at Cedar Hill Gardens, serving the Jackson, Mississippi area and beyond. She shares some practical tips, tells us about her love of gardening, and how she helps foster that love and others, including her own kids. Emily is a wife, a mother to two boys, a part-time NICU nurse and now a full time garden consultant and kitchen garden designer. Completely self-taught, Emily’s dream is that every person can simply grow the food they love in their own backyard without it being overwhelming, frustrating or time-consuming.  She loves teaching families (always including the kids) and often speaks to gardening groups and at different social events in the area and she sticks by her motto: “Green thumbs are not natural; they are learned." To follow along with Emily and dig up all her great gardening tips: https://www.instagram.com/cedarhillgardenconsulting/ To learn more about Emily and her services visit her website: https://www.cedarhillgardens.com/

In this episode of the Collective Motherhood Podcast, I talk with Cindy McMullin with Hometown Property Group, a realtor in the Jackson, MS area and mother of five children. She talks about tips for home-buyers, gives advice for home-owners on how to make small changes with big effects to grow your affection for your own home, or add some value for selling it down the road, and so much more! Make sure to follow along with Cindy and Garrett on Instagram: @cindyandgarrettmcmullin Cindy McMullin Hometown Property Group (C) 601-594-6868 (O) 601-853-6080

On this episode of the Collective Motherhood podcast, I piggy-back on last week's episode about my marriage and then do the introduction I realized I never did. I share a bit about myself and explain, in short, how JXN Motherhood, a community and resource for moms in Jackson, Mississippi, got started. No matter where you are, geographically or in your season of life, I highly recommend doing the hard work of finding community. We are made for it and it is really hard to do life without it. Join our community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jxnmotherhood/

Excuse the Taylor Swift reference, but it was too timely. In this episode, I talk with my husband, Graham a bit about our marriage and its (now) funny little turns and the loooong valley we sat in between our wedding day and about 2.5 years ago. I thought for sure I was forever stuck in a marriage that would be nothing more than roommates acting fine for our kids. After hitting a breaking point, my husband and I did the hard work to reconnect and fix our broken line of communication, which then resulted in a more beautiful partnership than I could have ever imagined. We learned all the ugliness of each other in the process, but despite that, grew closer and deeper than we ever had in our six years of marriage previously. Graham and I talk about the importance of communication and honesty. This is not everyone's story. We recognize there are unhealthy marriages that cannot and should not be salvaged, but with two willing parties, a faithful commitment to each other and a lot of work, there really is hope for marriage, even when the chances seem mighty grim. 1. READ HOW TO STAY MARRIED: THE MOST INSANE LOVE STORY EVER TOLD by Harrison Scott Key.. I am putting an Amazon link, but I recommend you go support your local book store! https://www.amazon.com/How-Stay-Married-Insane-Story/dp/1668015501/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 2. Join our community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jxnmotherhood/

In this episode, I talk with Anna Mahaffey, LPC, about those hard tween/teen years. The shift from our kids running to us for everything, to these preteen and teen years of wanting to be more independent and interact with the world without their parents. It becomes more important than every to form a relationship of trust and honesty. This foundation, even moreso than any set of rules and boundaries, is key to keeping your relationship strong and participating in some really important and fun years of your child's life. To learn more about Anna and her work checkout: Psychology Today - Anna Mahaffey Cornerstone Counseling - Anna Mahaffey Connect with the JXN Motherhood community: Most of it happens here >> https://www.instagram.com/jxnmotherhood/ More to come soon here >> jxnmotherhood.com Articles and accounts Anna mentions checking out: theconversation.com article - https://theconversation.com/why-the-tween-years-are-a-golden-opportunity-to-set-up-the-way-you-parent-teenagers-195910 Protect Young Eyes on Porn - https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsaFFq1Oygj/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ== Birds and Bees - https://instagram.com/birds__bees?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ== Wait Until 8th - https://instagram.com/waituntil8th?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ== Bark - https://instagram.com/barktechnologies?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ== Officer Gomez - https://www.facebook.com/deputygomez?mibextid=LQQJ4d

In this episode of the Collective Motherhood podcast, I talk with Mary Kathryn Evans, LPC, TCTSYF about having a healthy relationship with our bodies. Mary Kathryn is a Licensed Professional Counselor and sees a wide variety of clients, but she has a special interest in disordered eating and body image. We try to unpack a little bit of what a healthy relationship of trust and acceptance looks like and how we can find value in our body by what it does and not how it looks. We don't always love our bodies, but that does not mean we are only left to hate them. Mary Kathryn talks about the work we can do to find body neutrality and other helpful ways to find ways to appreciate the good work our bodies do. To learn more about Mary Kathryn visit her website: https://marykathrynevans.com/ Follow her therapy account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW88HZ0veKy/ Join our JXN Motherhood community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jxnmotherhood/ Feel free to contact us via our work-in-progress website: https://www.jxnmotherhood.com/ BIG THANKS to the yummiest ice cream shop and our sponsor for the episode: https://www.instagram.com/maydayjxn/

In this episode of The Collective Motherhood Podcast, I talk with Ashton Boyett about her journey to becoming mom to a blended family of five kids. Ashton walks us through post-divorce with four kids as a single mother, what it was like getting back into the dating world, and then the meeting and marriage of her husband, Daniel, and the blending of her family with his. Though there have been plenty of challenges, Ashton shares what she has learned over the years while making these transitions, and the joy and beauty that has come from them. Join our JXN Motherhood community: https://www.instagram.com/jxnmotherhood/ Feel free to contact us via our work-in-progress website: https://www.jxnmotherhood.com/ BIG THANKS to our sponsor Cindy McMullin with Hometown Property Group!

In this episode of the Collective Motherhood podcast, I chat with Dr. Analise Douglas, MD about her journey to and through the medical field, in the meantime becoming a wife and mother. With a supportive spouse that encourages her pursuit of her passions, Analise was able to become a mother to her precious daughter while working on her cardiology fellowship. Analise was largely raised in the Jackson, Mississippi area, then left to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C. for her undergraduate degree. She then came back to the University of Mississippi Medial School, followed by a move to New Jersey for residency in internal medicine and now resides in Connecticut where she is pursuing back-to-back fellowships in cardiology and interventional cardiology. Though her journey has taken her in lots of directions, she has stayed the course and become a mother in the meantime. She stressed her ability to pursue these passions has come hand-in-hand with her husband's constant support. You can follow along with Dr. Douglas in a few different ways: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dranalisedouglas/?hl=en Blog: https://analisedouglas.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnaliseDouglas

What makes motherhood so hard? In this episode I chat with Rachael Garner, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Sex Therapist, as we unpack some of what makes motherhood so hard in this particular moment in time. From mental struggles like decision-fatigue and the invisible load we carry as mothers to the physical toll it takes on our bodies and more, we pop the top on what many of us are going through in motherhood that can sometimes feel like we are the only one. Rachael is a guiding light on some ways to navigate extending grace to ourselves, mentally and physically. Motherhood really is a good and beautiful gift, but it is okay to acknowledge the hard things about it. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a full-time working mom or anything in between, we all go through the ups, downs and all arounds of motherhood. Let's give ourselves grace and find community to help us see the light and find the joy! If you find yourself more than just overwhelmed and could benefit from consulting a professional, please don't feel alone in that! Motherhood is a lot and talking to a professional can help regulate feelings and give an extra hand in dealing with the weight of it. If you want to know more about our guest, Rachael Garner, please visit her website: https://www.rachgarner.com/ We would love for you to connect with us on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jxnmotherhood/ You can also contact us via our website: https://www.jxnmotherhood.com/ BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR : https://thehometownpropertygroup.com/agents/cindy-mcmullin/ Cindy McMullin with Hometown Property Group