Episode 11: Dinner, Decision Fatigue & Mom Life Meltdowns

Episode 16: The Hardest Part of Parenting; Letting Go, Staying Calm & Giving Grace

In this episode of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Kristine and Amy have a real and emotional conversation about parenting through every stage — from tantrums in the grocery store to graduation parties and preparing to send a child to college. They talk about the bittersweet moments of watching kids grow up, learning to pause and be present, breaking old parenting patterns, giving other parents more grace, and why judgment is rarely helpful. Kristine also shares a practical parenting tool called 1-2-3 Magic and how it helped her stay calm, protect connection, and create consistency with her kids and students. This episode is honest, relatable, funny, emotional, and full of reminders that parenting is hard — but none of us are doing it alone. Resources Mentioned in This Episode * 1-2-3 Magic: 3-Step Discipline for Calm, Effective, and Happy Parenting by Thomas W. Phelan, PhD: Learn More Here [https://www.sourcebooks.com/9781492629887-1-2-3-magic-6e-tp.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

Episode 15: The Truth About Skincare, Fragrance & Chemical Exposure with Jody Odell Zimmerman

In this episode of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Kristine and Amy sit down with Jodi Odell Zimmerman for a powerful conversation about reducing chemical load in everyday life. Jody shares how her own health journey led her to look differently at what we breathe, absorb, eat, clean with, and put on our skin. From fragrance and skincare to kids, hormones, food, farming, and the simple changes we can make at home, this episode is full of eye-opening moments. This isn’t about fear or perfection. It’s about awareness, asking better questions, and starting with small changes that can make a difference. As always, this conversation is not medical advice. It’s a real-life discussion meant to encourage curiosity, education, and thoughtful choices for your home and family.

Episode 14: AI Is Here… But Are We Using It the Wrong Way?

In this episode of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Kristine and Amy dive into one of the biggest conversations happening right now: AI. Is it a helpful tool, a threat, or a little bit of both? From ChatGPT and social media content to healthcare, kids in school, data centers, job loss, scams, creativity, and the very human fear of being replaced, this conversation goes in a lot of directions — and that’s what makes it real. Amy compares AI to a calculator: powerful when used correctly, but never a replacement for human judgment. Kristine brings up the ethical questions, environmental concerns, and emotional impact many people are wrestling with. We don’t agree on everything, but we model what healthy conversation can look like: curious, honest, respectful, and open. If you’ve ever felt excited, nervous, confused, or overwhelmed by AI, this episode will make you feel less alone.

Episode 13: Homesteading Isn’t Just for Farms with Melissa Lange

In Episode 13 of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered, Kristine and Amy sit down with Melissa Lange to talk about modern homesteading — and why it’s about so much more than chickens, gardens, and sourdough. Melissa shares how her family of 10 built a farm lifestyle from the ground up, how her kids run parts of the farm as real businesses, and why anyone can bring a little homesteading into their life, even without land. We talk about food sourcing, grinding your own flour, reading ingredient labels, raising kids with responsibility, regenerative farming, protein powders, farm losses, funny pig stories, and the deeper connection between food, faith, family, and stewardship. A few of the resources and topics mentioned throughout the episode: • High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/601805/high-performance-habits-by-brendon-burchard/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/601805/high-performance-habits-by-brendon-burchard/] • NeoLife Protein & Nutrition https://www.neolife.com/ [https://www.neolife.com/] • Azure Standard / Joel Salatin connection https://www.azurestandard.com/azure-life/blog/joel-salatin-supports-organic-farming/W2gNkPKKHVGtlOHE [https://www.azurestandard.com/azure-life/blog/joel-salatin-supports-organic-farming/W2gNkPKKHVGtlOHE] • Trim Healthy Mama https://trimhealthymama.com/ [https://trimhealthymama.com/] Whether you homestead on acres of land or simply want to become more intentional about the way you feed and care for your family, this episode is full of practical ideas, perspective shifts, and encouraging conversation.

Episode 12: Why Are We So Tired? From Diet Culture to Vitality with Gayle Ratchford

In this episode of Mic’d Up & Unfiltered with Kristine & Amy, we welcome our very first guest, fellow Norwex Consultant Gayle Ratchford, for a real, honest, and fascinating conversation about vitality, longevity, midlife health, blood sugar, hormones, gut health, and learning to work with our bodies instead of constantly fighting them. Together, we dig into the ideas behind the book Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé [https://www.glucoserevolution.com/] and talk about the simple shifts that can help support more balanced blood sugar, steadier energy, fewer cravings, and overall wellness. We also explore one of Gayle’s favorite topics — the importance of your gut lining and “gut slime” (yes, really!) and why your microbiome matters more than most of us were ever taught. We also discuss insights from Hormone Intelligence by Dr. Aviva Romm [https://avivaromm.com/books/] and the growing conversation around hormones, perimenopause, inflammation, sleep, stress, cravings, alcohol, food order, and feeling better as we age instead of simply accepting exhaustion as “normal.” You’ll also hear us chat about practical everyday habits, food storage, and reducing unnecessary toxins in the kitchen — including the Norwex Fresh Produce Storage Containers [https://www.norwex.com/p/fresh-produce-storage-containers?utm_source=chatgpt.com] mentioned during the episode. This conversation is personal, relatable, educational, and full of those “wait… nobody ever explained this to me before” moments. Resources mentioned in this episode: • Glucose Revolution [https://www.glucoserevolution.com/] by Jessie Inchauspé • Hormone Intelligence [https://avivaromm.com/books/] by Dr. Aviva Romm • Norwex Fresh Produce Storage Containers [https://www.norwex.com/p/fresh-produce-storage-containers] Disclaimer: We are not medical professionals. This podcast is intended for conversation, education, and personal experience only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your own health decisions.