3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms

I stood at the stove the other night, and in the span of ten minutes, I was asked where the charger was, where the batteries are kept, and where the headphones went. And I thought, why am I the only person in this house who knows where anything is?

It's not that my kids are incapable. It's that my home isn't set up in a way that lets them help themselves. Everything requires me—finding things, remembering where things are kept, managing everyone's ability to function in our space. And that is exhausting.

But what if your home could actually lighten your load instead of adding to it? What if the setup of your space could reduce the friction, the yelling, the constant need for you to be the only one who knows where things are? That's what today's conversation is about—thinking of your home as your parenting partner.

In this episode, you'll learn:

🏡 Why your home might be working against you (and the small shifts that help it work with you instead)

🏡 The one question to ask during a meltdown that changes everything

🏡 How to identify the hotspot in your home that's draining your energy most (and what to do about it!)If you're heading into this new year wanting to lighten your mental load just a little bit, this episode is a great place to start.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:


Motherhood Decluttered: Today is the last day to get my Motherhood Decluttered audio course for $50 off with code MOREJOY. Get it today for $47 and revisit it anytime to help you lighten your mental load any time you shift into a new season. Learn more at 3in30podcast.com/declutter.


Jan's Interactive Quiz: Download the free checklist, “101-Point Home Stress Diagnostic.” It’s packed with simple, practical shifts moms can start using right away to make their homes work with them instead of against them.

Related Episodes:

411: Decluttering That Sticks: 3 Mindset Changes for Lasting Impact // Erica Layne

268: More Peace, Less Frustration: The Power of Family Systems // Susie Salinas

351: Is Your Messy House Getting You Down? // Carly Thornock

Episode Sponsors:


Boll & Branch: Get 15% off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/3IN30.


AirDoctorPro: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code 3IN30 to get up to $300 off.


BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy.


HungryRoot: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/3IN30 and use code 3IN30.

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I recently sat down to reflect on 2025, and I was honestly shocked by how much lighter my life feels now compared to just a few years ago. I'm not talking about having less to do. I'm talking about releasing the weight of expectations that never fit me in the first place. The guilt over my son's screen time, the pressure to have my spiritual life look a certain way, the belief that I had to maximize my income at all costs. When I started letting those shoulds go, something beautiful happened—I made room for so much more joy.

In this episode, I'm sharing specific examples of how I decluttered my motherhood in 2025 and what shifted when I gave myself permission to stop performing and start living. You'll also hear the first lesson from my Motherhood Decluttered audio course, which walks you through the process I used to create this kind of lightness and freedom in my own life.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✨ The exact shoulds I released in 2025 (and the joy I found when I let them go)

✨ How decluttering your internal "motherhood closet" creates space for what actually matters to you

✨ Why letting go of heavy expectations isn't about doing less but about making room for more of what brings you aliveIf you've been carrying shoulds that don't fit you anymore, this episode will help you see that you don't have to become a "better" mom in 2026. You just need to become a less burdened one.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

Motherhood Decluttered: My Motherhood Decluttered audio course is $50 off through January 19th with code MOREJOY. Get it today for $47 and revisit it anytime you shift into a new season. Learn more at 3in30podcast.com/declutter.Flecks of Gold: Today is the last day of the Flecks of Gold New Year's Sale! Get 10% off with code NEWYEAR.

Related Episodes:

214: Simple Tips to Create New Habits in the New Year // BJ Fogg

411: Decluttering That Sticks: 3 Mindset Changes for Lasting Impact // Erica Layne

462: 3 Questions for the New Year

Episode Sponsors:

Boll & Branch: Get 15% off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/3IN30.

Wildgrain: Right now, Wildgrain is offering our listeners $30 off your first box—PLUS free Croissants for life—when you go to Wildgrain.com/3IN30 to start your subscription today.

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A few years ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop feeling completely overwhelmed by all the things I thought I should be doing better—as a mom, as a wife, in my work, in every area of my life. My brain was foggy, my to-do list felt impossible, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was failing at everything. So I grabbed a pen and started writing—and three questions emerged that helped me cut through the noise and get clear on what I truly valued, not what everyone else expected of me.

In this episode, I'm re-airing that original conversation from January 2022, and then coming back at the end to share what's happened since—what worked, what didn't, and how I'm answering those same questions for 2026. This isn't about pressure or perfection. It's about growing in ways that align with YOUR values.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✨ Why you might be chasing growth without ever feeling successful—and how to fix that

✨ The uncomfortable question that instantly clarifies what truly matters to you

✨ How one small habit shift can create a ripple effect across your entire lifeIf you've been feeling like everyone else got a head start on 2026 except you, I hope this conversation reminds you that the right questions matter more than the perfect goals.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

Motherhood Decluttered Sale! My Motherhood Decluttered course is $50 off through January 19th with code MOREJOY.

New Years Reflections Worksheet: If you want a worksheet to go through these three questions for yourself, I created one for you. Print it off, grab a cozy drink, and spend 20 minutes getting clear on what you actually want this year, not what you think you're supposed to want.

Flecks of Gold: Shop our Flecks of Gold New Year's Sale! Get 10% off with code NEWYEAR through Jan 12!

Related Episodes:

410: Align Your Goal-Setting with Your Menstrual Cycle // April Davis of Haus of Vagina

011: Setting Goals without Sacrificing Sanity // Monica Packer of About Progress

214: Simple Tips to Create New Habits in the New Year // BJ FoggEpisode

Sponsors:

Boll & Branch: Get 15% off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/3IN30.

BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy.

Hungryroot: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/3IN30 and use code 3IN30.

Let's Connect!

Join me on Instagram!

Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life

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00:00:00 Intro

08:17:00 One: What Small Habit?

11:44:00 Two: What Is Success?

17:40:00 Three: What If Only 3 Years?

27:59:26 Summary

It's mid-December, everyone's running on fumes, and your child just screamed "I hate you." And even though you know it's the exhaustion talking, it still stings because you're killing yourself to make the holidays special, and this is what you get in return.

The truth is, the holidays amplify everything: the excitement, the overstimulation, the meltdowns, and yes, the hurtful words our kids don't fully understand yet. But here's what I've learned after years of navigating big emotions with my own strong-willed kids: how we respond in these moments matters more than we think, and there are ways to handle it that actually strengthen our relationship with them instead of damaging it.

This is an encore episode from March 2023, and I'm bringing it back because this message feels especially timely right now. I'm sharing audio from an Instagram Live I recorded about an experience with my son six years ago, and then I'll walk you through three things I've learned about what to do when your child says they hate you or uses other big, hurtful words that land like a punch.

In this episode, you'll discover:

🎄 Why your instinct to "show them who's boss" in the heat of the moment actually backfires

🎄 The one-word response that validates your child's big feelings while protecting your own heart

🎄 How to know if your child needs outside support beyond what you can provide at home

If your child has said "I hate you" to you this December, I want you to know you're not failing, and there is a way through this that brings you closer together instead of further apart.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

Start 2026 with more connection and less guilt. The Flecks of Gold Journal gives you a simple way to notice the good in your child in just a few minutes a day. Grab yours before the year ends. 💜

Related Episodes:

452: How to Repair with Your Child After Yelling // Devon Kuntzman

232: Minimizing Power Struggles // Denaye Barahona

030: How to Coach Your Children through Big Emotions // Georgia Anderson

004: How to Stop Yelling at your Kids // Ralphie Jacobs of Simply on Purpose

Episode Sponsors:

AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code 3IN30 to get up to $300 off. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 3-year warranty.

Let's Connect!

Join me on Instagram!

Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life

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00:00:00 Introduction

03:02:00 The Story

18:46:00 One: Be the Adult

21:39:00 Two: Validate the Emotions

25:37:00 Three: Get Outside Support

29:20:05 Summary

As the days get shorter and the cold settles in, I can feel the pull to just hunker down and survive until spring, and I have to consciously choose not to give in to it.

Maybe your winter is the literal season, the dark mornings and the gray stretches that feel endless. Or maybe your winter looks different—a season of grief, a transition you didn't choose, something in your life that just feels stuck and heavy and long.

Either way, we've been taught to brace ourselves and push through hard seasons, to just survive until things get better. But what if there's a different way? What if the struggle isn't really about what's happening around us, but about how we've learned to relate to it?

This week, I'm talking with Jamie from Rise Meditate, who spent years dreading winter and has now developed a beautiful framework for working with hard seasons instead of just enduring them.

In this episode, you'll hear:

❄️ Why your winter struggle might have nothing to do with the actual weather (and everything to do with the stories you're carrying)

❄️ The study that proved fear can be passed down for 14 generations and what that means for your nervous system

❄️ What happened when Jamie finally stepped outside after years of avoiding winter (and why it felt like escaping from prison)

I know winters—whether they're the actual weather or the seasons of life that feel impossible to get through—can be so hard. If even one thing from this conversation helps you feel a little less stuck or a little more empowered, that matters.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

***

Announcements:

📔 Today is the last day to order the Flecks of Gold Journal and receive it before Christmas! This simple gratitude practice helps you notice and name the small, beautiful moments with your kids every day—and it's incredibly supportive of your mental health, especially during the "winters" of our lives. Order before midnight tonight at 3in30podcast.com/gold.

Related Episodes:

414: Feeling Low Right Now? 3 Tools to Help You Cope // Sarah McKenna

406: Navigating Holiday Melancholy // Dr. Tanmeet Sethi

How to Support a Friend during the Holidays who has Lost a Loved One // Rachel Gainer

Episode Sponsors:

Skylight: Right now, get $30 off the 15-inch Calendar at MySkylight.com/TAKEAWAYS.

Hand-Lettered Design:  If you're looking for the perfect gift for a child or woman in your life who likes art or creativity, this is it. You can get 10% off your order at Hand Lettered Design with the code Rachel10.

Let's Connect!

Join me on Instagram!

Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life

Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course

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