Episode Twelve: Looking Back and Looking Forward

In this episode the hosts have a candid conversation about their last two weeks including Halloween.  You may know that Halloween is their favorite holiday, but this Halloween was their best ever, even in the midst of the COVID era!  

Amanda talks about her real estate test and shares how that went-- YES she was able to take it and finish it!  Speaking of tests, they share their experience and thoughts of testing children.  Have you ever thought about the stress and anxiety that is created by testing kids?  Well we have and we asked some teachers about conducting assessment tests with children and got some great information from them that we shared on this episode.

So how can we help with this unnecassary stress and anxiety?   The hosts share some ideas of how you can help children and adults in your life build some resiliency which are probably things you are already doing.  Tune in to the episode for much more!

Thanks for tuning into The Blessed Life Podcast! And, an even bigger THANK YOU for subsribing and rating the podcast!  Please send your comments, suggestions, and anything else you would like to TheBlessedLifePodcast@gmail.com or by DM on Instagram or Facebook!  We love to hear from you all!

It is the Second Episode of the Second Season of The Blessed Life Podcast!  The hosts reintroduce the Safe Word in this episode by bringing back the Peacock!  

Amanda discusses her frustrations with trying to take her real estate exam through the "remote testing center" at their home... Did we mention frustrations?  It feels like since the last recording of the podcast, the hosts have been really practicing patience while learning how to continue to adjust to remote learning for their kids, remote working and navigating the complexity of ALL the schedules.  

They also discuss the likelihood of a new segment for their podcast: The Kid Quote of the Week.  You will not want to miss out on this week's kid quote brought to by Harlow!

The hosts also take a closer look at the local fires that ravished through Southern Oregon. The Alameda Fire burnt through three towns and was approximately 13 miles long, destroying 2,809 properties, of those 2,605 were residences.  They discuss the complexity of trauma and how different traumas can be triggered during these times and how trauma can build on top of other traumas.  They also share some ways that others can help those directly impacted by the fire (link below).

You may be asking yourself how can they talk about all of these struggles without talking about anything to cope with them?  Well, don't you worry... They talk about coping skills including how to release some of this energy and how to build resiliency using a variety of techniques including MUSIC!

To wrap up this episode the hosts discuss a song by The Bumping Uglies titled Optimism in F#, which is a powerful song about shifting your perspective regarding worries, stress and struggles.  

Don't forget to send us your answer to the ice breaker question: What is the scariest thing you have ever done for fun? And, your kid quotes to be featured on an upcoming episode of The Blessed Life Podcast! Email your responses to TheBlessedLifePodcast@gmail.com or find us on Instagram @TheBlessedLifePodcast

Here is the link to help those affected by wildfire in Southern Oregon:
https://jacksoncountyor.org/emergency/News/News-Information/category/donations-community-resources/how-you-can-help-wildfire-victims

If you have been impacted by wildfire and need resources, please reach out to us and we will be happy to get you connected.  

Stay Safe and Happy Halloween!

Amanda and Nate welcome you back to Season Two of The Blessed Life Podcast!  In the season opener Nate and Amanda share a little about what they have been up to in the off season and how they are coping with world since we have all gone COVID! 

The hosts also share some insight to what Season Two has instore, including deeper conversations, and some of the topics they will be covering like parenting our children through interpersonal relationships, empathy versus compassion and The Man Box!  

Lastly, Amanda and Nathan talk about Halloween, sharing some of their plans and their ideas for Trick or Treating and Haunted Houses.  They also invite their listeners to share their thoughts, plans and feelings about Halloween in 2020.  Please help us start the conversation around Halloween by sending your responses to TheBlessedLifePodcast@gmail.com or sharing on The Blessed Life Podcast social media pages on Facebook and Instagram!

Holy Cow.  It has been a little bit since we have recorded and published a podcast.  Our sincerest apologies.  We needed to find our COVID Balance and adjust to a new way of life.

Since we have been on our hiatus, Amanda has completed real estate school and is awaiting her test date to arrive.  Huge congratulations for your resilience and dedication to completing this huge endeavor Amanda! Nathan has been cycling a lot and working from home.  And, we have been working diligently to find balance with work/school/home life all being combined... which means additional focus on our kiddos.

Hey, what about Travis Hinman and Party Garage? Party Garage is an awesome endeavor that Travis has taken on where he DJs from his garage LIVE on FaceBook and works to raise money for non-profit organizations that are in need.  He is killing it so go check him out!

Want to know what else we have been up to or where the podcase is going next... Well go listen to it and have a Blessed Day!

Better late than never is what they say....  

In this episode the creators discuss some of the struggles they are facing during this unique period of time while sharing some strategies for working while at home, staying connected and grounded to reality, and some self-care tips for building resilience to overcome challenges in life.

They even experienced a little difficulty while recording this episode and were able to bounce back from it and continue to move forward in the creation of their passion.  

If you like the episode, go check out the Live video on The Blessed Life Podcast Facebook page for even more great and unique content.

In this episode the creators of the podcast discuss Nate's journey of recovery over the last nine years.  They explore a little about how he begun walking the way of living a new life without the use of substances.  Quickly in this journey, Nate found that more than substance use had to change, but also his behaviors and relationships... Fast forward nine years and here he is with his life partner, wife and co-creator of The Blessed Life Podcast, Amanda. 

The creators also discuss The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  The languages of love include: Words of Affirmation, Gifting, Affection or Physical Touch, Acts of Service, and Quality Time.  The discuss each language with some detail and how they can help to fill your partners love tank.  

Amanda and Nate also explore real-life, practical ways to discover what your unique love language is and how to help get your love tank filled.  There are also numerous online resources to find your own love language such as at http://www.lovelanguagequiz.com/   Finding out what your love language is can help benefit your relationship with yourself and others... But, remember you also need to fill other's love tank by speaking their love language for success in your relationships.  

Love Languages do not only apply to romantic relationships, but also the relationship that you have with your children, your family, your friends and most importantly yourself!

In Episode 21 Amanda and Nate start all over again, like brand new baby podcasters while they try a fresh new venture into podcasting.  We will tell you more as we go...

In this new and uncertain time of dealing with COVID-19, aka the Coronavirus, the creators of The Blessed Life Podcast take a focus on staying connected and grounded in the podcast-- well "grounded" may be understatement in this late night recording.  

Amanda and Nate also felt this was a good time to talk about coping with the constant societal changes that we all are facing out there.  We discuss coping with working from home, staying at home, being disconnected from friends and family outside of our immediate circles, and coping with the additional stress of the world.  They also chose to readdress the positive impacts of self-care while providing some examples of their own self-care practice.  

Wait, have we mentioned that this episode is the first incarnation of The Blessed Life Podcast Live on Facebook?  Oh...Wait, we have not yet... but if you are listening you have figured that out by now.  That explains the "like brand new baby podcasters" statement above... we are learning all over again so bear with us as we go... we will get better. 

You can expect fun, laughter, and a squishy banana.  Go follow the podcast on Facebook and Instagram for more live videos and insight to stay connected to the creators and other listeners.  We love all and thank you for being faithful listeners.  

Email us at TheBlessedLifePodcast@gmail.com
Check out our website at www.TheBlessedLifePodcast.com
@TheBlessedLifePodcast on Facebook and Instagram

Episode Nineteen, what is there to say... There were goosebumps, thrills, chills and tears shared by the creators!  Frankie Hernandez stops by the podcast to talk work, kids, life, heartbreak and legends. 

Frankie shares some about his experiences working with legends like Soja, Michael Franti, Jim Belushi, and Raggae Royalty-- Ziggy Marley!!! 

We also discuss the love of fans who support creators in the community and how the Tropidelics was able to recover after having their van broken into while on tour with 311.  

Frankie talks about his life on the road and at home, a bit about his spiritual journey and the love for his kids!

Tune it for a great episode!!!
If you have not seen the Frankie Hernandez Band, you are missing out on a great show... Go support local music!!!

Go Support Frankie Hernandez at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/texassoulsinger
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/frankiehernandez/c0ja

The creators discussed the pandemic of COVID-19, also known as the Corona Virus.  Share some podcast related experiences and announce their upcoming website and YouTube channel!!!  The website is www.TheBlessedLifePodcast.com and is up now with links to our favorite podcasts, our podcast and more... with a lot more to come still!  

The journey to Portland for Nate's birthday was filled with a lot of music from Dr. Dre to 311 (Happy 311 Day), a lot of good food from McMenamins to Pine Street Biscuits, and some shopping!  To find out about our VIP Experience with Pepper and 311 and all the other amazingness you will have to listen to the episode!!!

Thank you tuning in, turning it up, and sharing!!!