23 MAY 2021 · In this episode, I've spoken to Patricia Manley - a mum of two and a very successful businesswoman. When I started observing her on Instagram, I was a bit intimidated by the fact that she seems to have it all sorted out. But the truth is - she's been through a lot and struggles just like all of us do every day. Patricia has been working really hard to get where she is at the moment and never looked back at the choices she has made. One thing is for sure - she knows what she wants and has found her way of balancing what she wants from life and what her family needs. She thrives thanks to her well-organised working days, early morning routines, exercise, and a healthy relationship with food. I was super curious so I asked her to tell me what her typical (EXTREMELY BUSY) day looks like and it inspired me to be more organised myself. She also agreed to reveal one secret - the thing that she had to sacrifice in order to live her current life. It was quite surprising! Listen to the episode to find out what it is! The episode is very uplifting and I will remember our chat for a long time because it helped me remind myself that we, women (and mothers) can HAVE IT ALL. And Patricia is the living example of it.

16 MAY 2021 · It's a very personal episode in which I raise issues that I associate with self-love or lack thereof. I've decided to talk about self-love holistically and mention all things from my body, things I can control to things I cannot possibly have any influence on but that are part of me. I also talk about liking oneself as a person with all your traits - both positive and negative. I mention how a negative image of my own body was built, how it all started, and where I am now and the same for my self-image. I don't want to reveal too much because I really want people to listen to that one. I hope you can relate to my reflections or maybe even my struggles. If so, please let me know. At the very end, I also mention the 3 ways I used to strengthen my self-love and what I do not to forget that I'm a beautiful, worthy, lovely and strong person. For now, let me know the one thing you love about yourself the most!

9 MAY 2021 · In this episode, I had an inspiring chat with Lorraine Davies - a mum, an entrepreneur, a bundle of joy and energy who once (or actually many times) was stuck in a rut but has learned how to get out of it. And is now on a mission to help other women do it. Lorraine talks very honestly about her struggles during the lockdown as well as other really personal lows that she's been through in her life and how they impacted her as a person. She admits she is very happy now and is very happy to share how she has learned to achieve the balance between mum life, work-life and looking after herself. We've touched on many important themes in this longer than usual episode because the conversation just flew! Lorraine motivated me and is trying to build a community around herself of women who can be inspired to not be afraid to think about themselves because self-care is the best care. And that's to do with your mental and physical self. Don't miss this truly uplifting chat, take an hour for yourself, and get motivated to make a change in your life!

2 MAY 2021 · In this episode, I talk very generally about how we sometimes fall into extremes in our lives and perceive everything as either black or white, yes or no, forever or never, all or nothing. I mention examples from parenthood, gender roles, and life choices. It's not like I don't have this tendency because I genuinely believe that our brains like to simplify life this way - by categorising things and not letting any grey areas in. As it may just be too complicated to process. But we often deprive ourselves of the beauty of the shades of grey. Have a listen to this short episode and see if you agree with any of my points. Can you think of any other situations where we fall into black and whitism trap in lives?

25 APR 2021 · Can you actually be happier as a single parent and even want more kids? Apparently, you can! In today's episode, I had a chat with my cousin - Manuela Reker, who is a single mum living in Germany in the town of Gladbeck with her 5- year - old son Oli. And it was an inspiring one! I personally had a lot of misconceptions about being a single parent. I honestly can't imagine being one or maybe it's just the fact that I'm not forced to? Manuela talks about how her decision to split up with her son's dad changed everything (mainly for the better), how difficult the beginnings were, especially because of outside comments of 'You've chosen it so don't you dare ask for help now'. She mentions how she's figured it all out, what she loves about being a mum of Oli (and what annoys her as well!) She is brutally and blissfully honest and admits that the way things turned out and she feels at the moment - she would want to have more kids even if it meant raising them as a single parent. What I personally admire about her attitude is that she does not forget to look after herself, how she does set boundaries and teaches her son to do that too. Her strength and skills that she developed doing it all on her own are something I'm jealous of. Listen to her story and to the message she's got for all parents at the end.

11 APR 2021 · I think about myself, drink wine, go out with friends and do nothing. Am I a bad mother because of that? I don’t think so. I'd like to dedicate this episode to my friend Olga B. Thank you for the inspiring chats that we always have! Today. I’ve decided to talk about egoism and laziness in parenthood – the two very pejorative terms. This can be relevant for anyone but its parents, and I dare to say mothers especially, who are targeted by the societal pressures of always giving 100% of them to the kids and never taking a break (or the need for a break not even being recognised). I mention some philosophical as well as psychological theories of egoism and laziness and what that can mean in our lives. I will always be a strong advocate of “You can’t pour from an empty cup’ and will always be promoting self-care (and that’s not only taking a shower on your own or wee with no audience) and preventing burn-out. I’d like to think that I’m here to challenge the demoralising labels of egoistic and lazy mothers by changing the perception of some of the actions/behaviours that can mean something much deeper. I mention some of the examples of how I am an egoistic and a lazy mother and how I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it because some of those keep me sane and my family happy. Do you sometimes feel that you are an egoist or a lazy parent? In what situations?

4 APR 2021 · IS BREASTFEEDING REALLY 'NATURAL'? In this episode, I met to have a chat with Wendy Lever. Wendy is an IBCLC and has been helping women with breastfeeding since 2013. She herself is a mum of two big kids and admits that while she thinks in theory her job shouldn't even exist, the need for it now is higher than ever. Wendy helped me with breastfeeding when Leon was 2 weeks old and her advice literally saved my sanity and allowed us to work through the difficulties and have the milky journey we wanted to have. We've attempted to address and answer those questions: * why is there a need for lactation consultants - why isn't it so easy nowadays to just say - 'women have been breastfeeding for ages so you can do it too' * is breastfeeding really 'natural' * why is feeding babies such a hot topic and why do people care so much how other people feed their babies * should women feel guilty about their parenting choices? * why women should feel angry and who with? * what she thinks is the most important thing to look out for when feeding newborns * whether fed or breast is best It's been a fascinating chat. I'm sure any mama no matter how they fed their babies, will find it interesting to listen to. If you feel like you need support in your breastfeeding journey you can find Wendy on Facebook and via her website: www.wendyleveribclc.com

28 MAR 2021 · In this week's episode of the podcast, I share my reflections on expectations vs reality in motherhood. I talk about all stages of having a baby from planning to toddlerhood, as this is where I currently am in my motherhood. This is a very subjective view of the clash between my personal expectations and how the reality turned out to be. But what I aim to prove is that while the expectations are usually quite standard for lost of us, the reality is usually so different that it's worth talking about and debunking certain myths. Both positive and negative ones! I dedicate this episode to all my lovely friends who have been hit badly by the reality of motherhood in one way or another. I feel you, I am with you and please know that you are not alone. It's OK not to be able to cherish every moment of this journey. But the good times will be there to make up for the bad ones. You are a warrior and you've got a friend in me

21 MAR 2021 · In this week's episode, I've met with Gillian McWhirt to talk about mothering our kids away from home. Gillian is a first-time mama of a cute little 18-month-old girl, Campbell. She is originally from the States but has been in the UK for 6 years and admits that she misses home from time to time. This has become prevalent when she became a mum and hasn't been able to ask her own family for help. In our chat, we talk about exactly that - the ups and downs of living very far away from your family and in a different culture to the one we grew up in. The conversation starts with Gillian talking about her own experience as a mother but also her memories of growing up in Kentucky and how that has influenced her parenting choices. She does have a few priorities when it comes to raising her daughter - she definitely wants her to be an empowered woman and for her to have a healthy relationship with her body. We discover that we have had so many things in common growing up that it made this chat even more natural and I feel like the things we talked about will feel very close to home for many women. Because lots of aspects of our upbringing and its influence on our parenthood is just universal for our generation, no matter where we come from. So give it a listen to see if you've had similar experiences as we did. I bet you'll say 'Oh MY GD, YES!' many times. We mention a book called 'The book you wish your parents had read and your children will be glad that you did' by Philippa Perry that we both HIGHLY recommend!

15 MAR 2021 · In this week's very personal episode I share my personal attitude towards other women and what changed it. As a girl and a teenager, I found it hard to keep my female friendships. I somehow felt resentment toward other women. I always wondered whether it's just because of how I am, whether it's my jealousy of them and what they achieve compared to me or is it rooted in my childhood. I grew up without a mother and this could have affected my life. I also talk about what changed my attitude completely, how I perceive women in my life, who is the only person I call 'mum' in my life and how I appreciate and support other women. I also mention an interesting article: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/woman-who-doesnt-like-other-women_n_5cdadb04e4b0f7ba48ab8bcd Enjoy listening! Like, comment and share if you can, thank you! :)