In this encouraging episode, Carly is joined by Madison, founder of Cook at Home Mom, to talk all things realistic mealtimes for busy families. Madison shares her journey from frozen pizza queen to home-cooking advocate and offers practical advice for making dinnertime less stressful and more meaningful.

They dive into topics like:

• How to simplify meal planning (even if you're Type B)
• What to do when the 5 PM chaos hits
• Creating a family rhythm around shared meals
• Involving kids of all ages in meal prep (without losing your mind)
• Letting go of unrealistic expectations (spoiler: your 4-year-old won’t sit for 30 minutes)
• Building appreciation and connection through shared responsibility

Whether you're a brand-new mom wondering how to get food on the table, or you're in the thick of dinnertime with multiple kids and mounting stress, this episode is packed with relatable stories, helpful strategies, and a whole lot of grace.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The “hands!” method for serving dinner
• Kid-safe knives and stools to help little ones join in
• The power of planning just a few meals a week
• Why it’s okay if your mealtime doesn’t look like a Norman Rockwell painting
• 
  

Tune in for realistic encouragement and ideas you can try tonight — even if your kitchen is already a mess.

Connect with Madison:

Instagram: @cookathomemom

Website: www.cookathomemom.com

Podcast: The Vine

The Balanced Dinner Club - coming soon!

Follow Debt Free Mom for more realistic money and motherhood conversations:

Instagram: @debtfree.mom

Website: debtfreemom.co

Today's guest is Natalie Johnson: A mom of 5 in Ohio who shares her tips for feeding the family both at home and on the road on Instagram at www.instagram.com/homebeginswithlove

In today's episode we cover:

• food on travel days
• in hotels
• in rentals
• in other people's homes
• how to make food easier even if it's not from a restaurant.

Check out her instagram account and subscribe to the Debt Free Mom Podcast!

Laura Jennings began virtual assisting as a small supplemental income and quickly worked her way up to a clientelle that replaced her 9-5 job, allowing her to work from home, control her schedule, and earn more for her family.

She now offers coaching services to help women discover the skills they already have that are sought after as a virtual assistant and land that first client!

Whether you want a couple hundred dollars a month extra to speed up your financial goals OR you're looking to switch careers and intrigued by the idea of being a virtual assistant, today's episode and Laura's story can help you see if this is something that you can do too!

Download Laura's Career Switch Cheat Sheet: https://www.laurajtraining.com/career-switch-guest-podcast

Free workshop about becoming a virtual assistant: https://www.laurajtraining.com/masterclass-registration-guest-podcast

Your Virtual Assistant Coach Podcast: https://www.laurajtraining.com/your-virtual-assistant-coach-podcast

Laura's Social Media: @hey.lauranicole