Today I’m having a conversation with my friend, Shunta Grant, and oh is it good! We talk about how important it is to just to slow down and choose today.

Today, I am going to share some practical mama hacks, particularly for mamas who have kids under five.

This is the first of an entire month of episodes to celebrate motherhood! We’re calling it ‘May is for Mamas’ here on the Work & Play Podcast. You can expect two episodes per week, and we’re kicking off the series with a special guest: Kate, from Naptime Kitchen!

I'm going to give you a play-by-play of what it looks like to walk through a typical evening with the Ray family, three small children and all.

It's time to stop viewing boredom as a negative thing and it's time to embrace boredom and view it for what it actually is, which is an incredible motivator.

I know you probably don't want another thing to do to add to your already busy life, but this might just give you the insight you need to see how you're actually spending your days and give you the courage to make the changes that you want to make.

Of all the books I read last year, this one is probably my favorite simply because it's full of scientific knowledge about the brain and how it works, which is something I really know nothing about, and how God designed us.

I'm going to tell you what I hope for my work to look like this year and then check back in with you in a few months and tell you how it's actually going and what I've learned so far.

Whether you've already set all your goals, or maybe if goals are annoying to you and you never set them, I hope that you'll be able to take one little piece from this episode that will be helpful for your life as you look ahead to the brand new year in front of you.

I want to share three things for you to do the week after Christmas as a gift to yourself and maybe if you do these three things, you'll find that Christmas and New Years can be a little bit more enjoyable every year.

This year, we've been reading one chapter a month in the Nancy Ray Book Club since there are 12 chapters, one for each month of the year. Today, we'll dive into my biggest takeaways—the things that I want to be sure to embrace in my own home.

Today's episode is going to be short and sweet all about my favorite Thanksgiving tradition that any family can do, any couple can do, and it's the most wonderful practice of just opening your eyes to the beautiful, good life around you.

The older I get, the more I'm discovering that the most life-changing things are actually quite simple, and that's true for the three priorities exercise. Whether you are a CEO of a large company or a stay-at-home mom, this exercise will give you clarity at the beginning of your day and fulfillment at the end of your day. 

I believe that work is good and it feels good to know that you've done a job well at the end of your day. But, I also love to rest. We all crave it. We need it regularly. But for some reason this Sabbath rest, this weekly rhythm of just stopping all work has been lost.

Get ready, because I love a good morning routine. Fair warning: I am such a nerd about this. I know this sounds kind of extreme, but having a morning routine in place really enhances the quality of my life— I'm not kidding!

It can be helpful. It can provide income. It can be addictive. It can be a trap. Today, I want to talk about simple practices that I have found incredibly life-giving to keep social media in its place. 

While all of our days won’t be perfect, there are simple practices that we can embrace throughout our days, weeks, months and years that will point us back to the Lord in a rhythmic way. It’s called a Rule of Life.