What I've been doing plus more great things to listen to/watch

OK, after weeks of super intense work and months of part-time focus, the online Mom Conference that Power of Moms is co-hosting this year is now open for registration (it'll be held Oct 13, 14, 15). I'm so so so excited about this online event that will give moms around the world the chance to participate in top-notch training by some great authors and speakers without having to get a babysitter or leave their homes. And thanks to some great sponsors, we're able to offer this conference for FREE.

Click below to learn more (and see a video of me and my kids with my Mom Conference partner Desi and her sweet kids):
Mom Conference 2015 

Another thing I've been working on is updating the Family Systems eCourse I've been working on for years. We launched it last spring to a group of 200 families as sort of our "beta testers." It was really well received by this initial group and they gave some valuable feedback which we've now incorporated into our now more full Family Systems eCourse. To celebrate this more full and finished version of the course, we've got a special $50 off this week only. So click on the link below the picture to check out the eCourse and if it seems like the right thing for you, use promo code "save50" and you'll get it for the best deal we'll ever be able to offer.

Family Systems eCourse

And of course, I'm always working on our own family - updating our routines and family systems for the new school year, working on my relationship with Jared and trying to protect some time for the two of us, talking to kids about what they're doing and how they feel about things, getting kids where they need to be - scouts, mountain bike practices and races, cross country practices and races, football practices and games (but Ashton takes care of most of that on his own, thankfully - see more below on that). Plus Isaac just decided he simply must join the swim team at Ogden High. Trying to figure out if we can make that happen on top of everything else. Really want the kids to be able to pursue the things that they feel excited about but wow, they're all interested in pursuing a lot of things! Other than the twins. Oliver and Silas just want to play with the neighborhood kids, build forts, climb trees, have nerf wars and jump on the trampoline plus go to scouts once a week. And I'm so glad they're so happy with this simple stuff for now.

Here's a glimpse inside my brain through what I found to be super interesting the past couple of weeks:

Ted Talk: 
The Story we Tell about Poverty Isn't True

I was drawn to this title as we live in an area where there are a great number of people living below the poverty line and as Jared (as the bishop of our ward) works to help a lot of people who are really struggling financially. I loved hearing her stories of people who are figuring out how to make ends meet and helping others along the way.

Podcasts:

I've been really into RadioLab lately. This episode was especially interesting to me:
http://www.radiolab.org/story/football/

Ashton decided he wanted to play football this year. While Jared was a great football player back in the day, we've never really pushed football with our kids - it's really not my favorite game and there really weren't any great football programs for younger kids in the places we've lived. Ashton played touch football one season but didn't seem to care about it that much. But then quite suddenly, he declared he was going to play football for Ogden High. He found out about tryouts. He borrowed cleats from a friend. He got himself to the school for practice on his bike. He walked all over the place selling football cards (cards that give lots of discounts on local restaurants) until he'd raised the full $400 he was asked to raise to support the team. He figured out and did everything completely himself. We'd have been happy to help and support him but he just jumped right in there and did everything himself.

So I've decided it's time that I learn about football. We've been to the games (where Ashton supports from the sidelines - he's hoping to actually get in the game at some point!). I'm finally learning about how football works. I've asked Jared a lot of questions and pulled out my phone to look up answers to questions while watching the game (so that poor Jared could watch in peace for a while).  And you know what, football still isn't my favorite game. I don't like violence. Not one bit. I don't like seeing kids encouraged to run into each other. It just seems to go against everything most every parent is trying to teach their kids. But I really like the work ethic that football is giving Ashton and it's so great to see him just really go after something and take initiative.

Anyway, this episode from Radio Lab was so interesting and helpful to me - it offered details about football's history and helped me understand more about why football is so important to so many people, while examining how dangerous it is and what the future of football might be.


And I recorded these three podcasts for Power of Moms in the past little while and they've been really well received:

Setting your Family up for Success

Reflections of a Failed Tiger Mother

Protecting Kids from the Me Me Me Epidemic

This podcast by my Power of Moms partner, April, and "Hands Free Mama" really made me think. Oh how much I want to be more present in my own life! I learned some important principles that are helping me. There's so much more I need to figure out though. I know a big part of the answer is to do less. But I felt strongly that I needed to help spearhead this Mom Conference so I've got to see it thorugh! Then I can slow down on my work hours more and apply the principles Rachel teaches more fully...

Hands Free Life with Rachel Macy Stafford