3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms

There are seasons in motherhood when a well-intended reminder to “just focus on what you’re grateful for” makes you feel worse instead of better, because you’re exhausted, you’re not loving motherhood the way you thought you would, and the idea that gratitude will fix it all feels invalidating. I’ve been there more than once.

That’s a big part of why I loved this conversation with my friend Monica Packer. Monica and I are both raising neurodivergent kids who come with their own set of challenges, and we’ve each been in the throes of some really hard stages. And yet, a small, daily gratitude practice has been one of the things that helped carry us both through them. (And no, it didn’t solve all the problems, but it did help!)

This week, Monica, host of the About Progress podcast and founder of the More for Moms Conference, turned the tables and interviewed me for her conference, armed with her well-loved, slightly battered Flecks of Gold journal full of yellow Post-its marking the monthly tips inside it that have made the biggest difference for her. Together, we talked about what makes gratitude feel real, and how to keep the practice going in the busiest, messiest, most imperfect seasons, missed days and all.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

✨ The clever way one of my Self-Assured Motherhood moms captures her flecks in the moment

✨ What to do when your kids “never” get along or your teenager “always” has an attitude

✨ What it means when you can’t think of a single good moment from your day

As we head into a month full of gratitude prompts, I hope this conversation helps you see that gratitude, practiced in small and honest ways, is anything but trite, and that it can be one of the most powerful tools you have during your hardest seasons.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

✨ Our Early Bird sale is here! From November 2 through November 9, everything in the Flecks of Gold shop is $5 off, no code needed, and every order comes with a free Flecks of Gold for Kids Download. It’s perfect for those of us who like to get our holiday shopping done early, whether you’re treating yourself or tucking one away for a mom you love. Shop at 3in30podcast.com/gold.

💛 Want more from Monica? Her entire More for Moms Conference is available as an Archive Pass, full of sessions designed to help moms feel more like themselves. Get it at aboutprogress.com/moreformoms and use code 3IN30 for $10 off.

Related Episodes:

401: How Radical Gratitude Can Change Your Life // Dr. Tanmeet Sethi

404: 3 Ways to Teach Children Gratitude

109: How to Find Gratitude in the Marathons of Life // Taffy Micheli

Episode Sponsors:

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.

Quince: Give the gift of quality this holiday season. Go to quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/3in30 with code 3in30. That’s a full month of premium diapers delivered to your door for just $49/month for your first 3 months.

Ethos: Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Trustpilot rating as of 8/1/2026.

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For years, the most common advice I’ve heard (and given) to overwhelmed moms is some version of “do less,” and I still believe in it for so many of us. But some women hear that advice and feel a pang of loss, because the full, busy, people-filled life they’ve built is exactly the life they love, and they just wish they didn’t feel so stretched thin all the time.

Maybe that’s you, and you don’t want to give up the volunteering, the hosting, the garden, or the creative projects that make you feel most like yourself. That tension is real, and it deserves a better answer than “just cut something.”

This week’s guest is Stacey Mork Collins, certified life coach and my longtime Self-Assured Motherhood co-teacher.Stacey shares why overwhelm isn’t always a sign that something needs to go, and how getting curious about what’s underneath it can help you hold a big life with so much more ease.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

🌻 The one day a year Stacey cares what her kids wear (and why every other day they’re in stained hand-me-downs), because understanding what you value can turn a constant source of friction into a choice you feel good about

🌻 How Stacey pulled off a farm-to-table dinner for 100 people that raised over $10,000 for her kids’ school, and what her own family ate for dinner that week, because not every area of your life needs your best effort at the same time

🌻 The question Stacey asks every client who says “I don’t know,” because you often have more wisdom than you’re giving yourself credit for

So here’s to keeping the big, beautiful lives we’ve built, and to learning to hold them with a little more ease and a lot more self-trust.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

Connect with Stacey Mork Collins, who coaches moms with so many good things in their lives who still can’t figure out why it all feels so hard.

Related Episodes:

446: Is Perfectionism Good or Bad? // Katherine Morgan Schafler

334: 3 Ways to Lighten the Load of Parenthood // Greg McKeown

435: How to Make Decisions Without Overthinking // Kendra Adachi of The Lazy Genius

Episode Sponsors:

Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

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

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With the holidays coming up, many moms wish they could visit family or plan a getaway—but the price of flights makes it feel impossible. That’s why I’m re-airing this popular episode with Amber Paul from Amber on Points, who teaches families how to travel for free (or almost free) using credit card points.

Two years after recording this, I’ve now been practicing what Amber teaches—and it’s truly changed what’s possible for our family. I know it sounds too good to be true, (that’s exactly what I thought at first!), but it’s real—and it’s absolutely worth learning.

In this encore episode, you’ll hear:

✈️ Why opening multiple credit cards (responsibly!) can actually improve your credit score

✈️ How to use welcome offers strategically to earn far more points from the spending you already do

✈️ Why you might qualify for a business card even if you’re just side-gigging

A quick note: conversations about money and credit can bring up a lot of feelings. Wherever you are in your financial journey, this episode is meant to spark possibility—not pressure.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click ⁠here⁠.

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Announcements: Grab the free companion guide (with Amber’s favorite starter cards) by clicking ⁠here⁠!

Related Episodes:⁠

369: How to Teach Your Kids about Money // Abby Chipman⁠⁠

430: Plan Meaningful Family Travel Without the Stress // Meggie Busath⁠⁠

507: A Fun Way to Get Involved in Your Family Finances // Amber Paul⁠

Episode Sponsors:

Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

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Join me on ⁠Instagram⁠!⁠

Get weekly-ish emails ⁠with BTS of my life

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***

For a long time, I was happy to let our family’s finances be something I vaguely thought about. Like, I knew we weren't spending more than we made, but I couldn't have told you exactly how much we spent on groceries each month. It wasn’t until I started traveling on points that I had a reason to care where our money was going, and I’ve been surprised by how much more confident I feel now that I do.

This week’s guest is my friend and points travel mentor, Amber Paul, back on the podcast to talk about why it matters so much for moms to be involved in the family finances, and why starting with something fun, like your next family trip, works so much better than starting from a place of anxiety or "should."

In this episode, you’ll hear:

✈️ The memoir that made me so passionate about this topic (because it shows what can happen when women stay out of the finances for too long)✈️ How Amber’s family ended up bunny-sitting in Budapest (because a little creativity can stretch a travel budget further than you’d expect)

✈️ The app I open at night instead of Instagram (because tracking your spending is a lot more satisfying when it feels a little like a game)

If you’re like me and tend to zone out the moment money comes up, I think you’ll find this episode helpful and motivating. And if you’ve always been right on top of your family finances, I think you’ll find it a great springboard into the fun and freeing world of traveling on points.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements: Ready to try traveling on points? Grab Amber’s free beginner’s guide at 3in30podcast.com/points for a recap of this episode and her current card recommendation

Related Episodes:

453: How to Travel for FREE with Your Family (Really!) // Amber Paul

369: How to Teach Your Kids about Money // Abby Chipman

203: 3 Ways to Change your Money Mindset Today // Sara Payne

Episode Sponsors:

Tushy: For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off their first bidet order when you go to hellotushy.com and use code 3in30 at checkout.

Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.

Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

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Nine years ago this month, I recorded the very first episode of 3 in 30 in my closet, took a deep breath, and pushed publish. That night I celebrated with my husband and our two little kids, never imagining the people I'd get to learn from or the women I'd get to work alongside in the years ahead.

Every October I look back on that day with a little bit of awe and a lot of gratitude, and this year I wanted to celebrate the show's birthday in a way that felt especially meaningful to me, by handing the microphone to my team members Emily, Christy, Abby, and Steph, who are each sharing the 3 in 30 episode that has made the biggest difference in her life.

What moved me most about their conversation is that none of them expected their episode to be impactful. They came looking for help with their kids, or they almost skipped it altogether, and they walked away having learned something about themselves that shifted how they show up at home.

In this episode, you'll hear:

🎂 The praise strategy Christy says felt "a little bit like a con man" at first, and why she still relies on it

🎂 The permission Abby had been giving her kids for years but never gave herself

🎂 Why Steph dreaded editing the episode that ended up staying with her most.

If 3 in 30 has made a difference for you, the best birthday gift you could give me is to leave a review on Apple Podcasts telling me which episode stood out and why (I read every single one), and then share that episode with a friend. Thanks for nine years of listening!

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Related Episodes:

026: How to Praise Your Child When It Feels Like There is Nothing to Praise // Tony Overbay

190: Becoming a Less Angry Mom // Natalie Hixson

401: How Radical Gratitude Can Change Your Life // Dr. Tanmeet Sethi

476: How to Deal with Your Stuff So Your Kids Don't Have To // Eli Harwood

Episode Sponsors:

Quince: Make your fall wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. Please tell them we sent you!

Ethos: Take 10 minutes to get covered today, with life insurance through Ethos. Get your free quote at Ethos.com/3in30. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

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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