In this episode, we speak with Chelsea Hale, a madre of one, that decided to say EFF IT and put her ego aside in regards to co-parenting her son with her ex. She realized that lawyering up and fighting with him was only feeding her ego, but hurting her son.  So, they both decided to put their son first, and worked on developing a very harmonious co-parenting relationship.  It went so well, that it made them reconsider their own relationship, so they are now on the path of exploring that.  You just have to EFFing breathe, know that you will get through the hard times, and put your ego aside when it comes to what’s best for your kids.  To follow Chelsea’s co-parenting journey, please give her a follow on Instagram at @thechelseahale

Now that we are in Season 3, and the year is coming to a close, we decided it would be nice for us to catch up with each other with  where we each are at in our EFF IT moment. This has been a year of some major EFFing changes, growth, and self reflection. So we wanted to share with you all where we’re at because EFF IT moments can look different for everyone. Thanks for tuning in, and coming along for the ride!

In this episode, we speak with Barrett Prendergast, a madre of 3 boys, who said EFF IT with her husband, and decided to move their whole family from LA to Italy.  It was something they thought they would maybe do once they were closer to retirement, but with everything going on in the world in regards to school shootings, quality of life and of food, they decided the time was now.  They are 3 months into their move, and are experiencing all the highs and sometimes lows of stepping out of their comfort zones.  But, by accepting that it was going to be very challenging, they are taking things day by day, growing together, and building their family connection through this new chapter in life.  You just have to effing decide that you are going to do something, and commit to it.  Change is scary and hard, but know that you will come out the other side, and that side will be worth all the emotions and fears that you feel when you take that first step. To follow Barrett and her family’s new chapter in Italy, please follow her on Instagram at @barrettprendergast, and their newsletter barrettandtheboys.substack.com.  If you are interested in some holiday gift ideas, please visit www.valleybrinkroad.com to check out their luxury gift basket company, as well as @valleybrinkroad on Instagram.

In this episode, we have Jen Brady back on from Season 1 to update us on the momentum she has had since saying EFF IT a year ago.  Since having her EFF IT moment, and embarking on a new career path of tattooing areolas for women who have had reconstructive breast surgeries, it has opened up a lot of opportunities for her to learn, and to fears that she didn’t know she had.  It was great to bring her back on and talk about her progress because what we see, aside from our own journeys, is that once you say EFF IT, it makes you more willing to try and learn new things.  And by doing these new things, you then become exposed to new people, environments, information, and perspectives that you wouldn’t have had if you decide to not take that first EFFing step.  So, you just have to EFFing trust and fall in love with your ideas, especially if they make your heart flutter!  To check out Jen’s journey, please follow her on Instagram at @jenrestoresatx.

In this episode, we speak with Sal and Lena Osborne, two madres to 7 kids, who said EFF IT and went against what they had learned growing up in Mormonism. They were both married to men, had children, and were living the way they were expected to in accordance with organized religion.  But, when they met each other, they felt something that they had never felt before for anyone else.  They both stepped away from Mormonism, went through painful divorces, and came together with a love so strong and so deep that it was worth any discomfort that they were experiencing..  They are now living their true, authentic lives together with all their children, and couldn’t be happier.  You just have to EFFing be your own cheerleader, know that you will get through the discomfort and discover a freedom you never knew could exist.  To follow Sal and Lena’s love story, please check out their show on Hulu called “Mormon No More,” and visit their website to check out all their latest news, services and courses that they offer.  And don’t forget to give them each a follow on Instagram at @comingoutcoach,, and @lena_osborne.

In this episode, we speak with Heaven Leigh, a madre of one, who decided to say EFF IT and open up and be honest about making the decision to become a single mom, which was not an easy decision to make.  But, the relationship was difficult, and was no longer serving her and her son.  She knew that if she stayed, it would be her son that would be affected the most.  So, she got herself and her son out of a toxic situation, and they are now on the other side of the whole experience, with the love and support of her family and friends, which she didn’t expect to get because she was never one to ask for help.  This is an important reminder to all of us, madres, to know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  We need the support and love of people around us. But, if we never ask or speak our truth, we may never know how much people are willing to help us, and stand with us.  You just have to EFFing remember what you have been through, how far you have come, and just do your best and know that the right thing will come to you.  To follow Heaven and her journey, please follow her on Instagram at @heavenleigh.

In this episode, we speak with Mel Martell, a madre to a little boy, who decided to make a big, EFFing life change by moving the whole family to Costa Rica in order to slow down and be present.  After her career change about a year ago, things started moving really fast for her and her husband, but they didn’t want to miss out on all the magic of their son growing up.  So, they traded their hometown of Austin for a slower pace, and monkey-filled, life in Costa Rica for a while.  It was a very scary decision to make, especially when life was good.  But, it’s been a good move because it has made the family’s bond stronger, and has immersed them in nature and community.  Just know that it’s EFFing ok to slow down. It’s EFFing ok to change your mind about things you thought differently about before.  And, lastly, to EFFing evolve! To follow Mel’s journey, please follow her on Instagram at @ohthatmel. 

Welcome back, Madres!  We are excited to be back for our 3rd Season, and to start us off is an incredibly inspiring episode with the founder of Nopalera, Sandra Velasquez.  Talk about an EFF IT moment!  At the age of 43, Sandra, a single madre of one, needed to make a big change in her life, or else she wasn’t going to be able to make ends meet.  She decided to go big and start a luxury line of Mexican bath and body products, and knew that she needed to kick this out of the park.  With no idea on how to formulate products, she signed up for a course, and learned how to make her products, and then went onto Shark Tank to raise money to fund her line.  She worked 3 jobs to get her to where she is now, and her line has been mentioned in Oprah Daily as one of the top favorite Latinx and Hispanic Beauty Brands for the month of October. You just have to EFFing keep going and believe that you deserve all the success you want!  To check out Sandra’s luscious line of bath and body products, please visit www.nopalera.co, and follow her at @nopalera.co on Instagram. And, if you are in LA, please check out the Nopalera Pop Up shop that will be open till December 5th at 3118 W. Sunset Blvd. 

In this episode, we are flashing back to a popular episode that we did with Gloria El-Achkar, who had quite an EFF IT moment of leaving her abusive relationship, and got herself and her kids out with just the clothes on their backs. It was a very hard thing to do, but it was the best decision she could have made for her family. It’s truly an inspiring story, and one that resonated with a lot of our listeners, so we wanted to bring it back! On a side note, we have come to the end of Season 2, so we will be taking a break, but will be back with some new, inspiring mamas and stories for you all for Season 3. See you all in a month! 

In this episode, we speak with Samreen Arshad, a madre of one, who decided to say EFF IT and start a cosmetic line after stumbling upon makeup tutorials on Youtube that were like an escape for her during her dark days of postpartum.  Her depression was deep, but when she would play around with makeup, she started to feel better because she looked better.  She had no makeup training or experience prior to this, but because she loved it so much, it has now become her career. You just have to EFFing be kind to yourself, stop thinking you have to be a supermom, and remember that when your baby is born, you also are reborn as your new self.  And, know that it’s ok to not know who you are once you become a mom.  You will ultimately find your way. To check out Samreen’s cosmetic line, please visit www.samreensvanity.com, and follow her on Instagram at @samreensvanity.com.