Smart Living with Grit and Grace | The Grit and Grace Project

Girl Code: Secrets From Our Unofficial Rule Book – 090

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More“Girl code,” you know what we’re talking about! Those unofficial rules that every member of our tribe understands, the code of behavior that governs female friendship. We have guidelines (even if we don’t say them out loud) on everything from dating to clothing, keeping secrets, and how we mother each other’s children. In this episode, cross-generational friends and co-hosts, Darlene Brock and Julie Graham, give real-life examples of how women live by this set of rules. When we do, our relationships become strong and life-giving. And yes, they can be downright funny. Listen, laugh, nod, and share this one with your girls! Viewing in an app? Full […]

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This Is How to Handle a Hard Relationship With Your Mom – 089

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreEvery mother-daughter relationship is unique. While some inspire the prose written in a Hallmark card, others can be much more challenging. Knowing this (and having their own complicated mother-daughter stories), Darlene Brock and Julie Graham devote this episode to the woman who might not have that picture-perfect relationship. Daughters, if your mom can be harsh, distant, controlling, neglectful, or absent, this episode is for you. In this real-life discussion, you’ll learn how to set healthy boundaries and how to take steps toward healing your relationship (you’ll also hear real examples from Darlene and Julie’s lives). Maybe your relationship lacks mama-drama, but listen anyway; this might be a

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Overcome These 5 Struggles and Live a Grit + Grace Life – 088

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreA life of grit and grace sounds like a great plan, something every woman wants. Right? But certain roadblocks just keep rearing their ugly heads! These struggles keep us from feeling strong: we have poor self-esteem, we’re riddled with shame or guilt from our past, or we feel the need to be perfect at everything. These plus a few more are the barriers that keep us from the life we all want to lead. In their relatable banter, your co-hosts Darlene and Julie admit to facing these struggles, but also encourage each other (and YOU) that they are, in fact, “figureoutable.” You can grow in strength as

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How to Raise Responsible Kids: Tips for Every Age – 087

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreIsn’t every parent’s goal to raise happy, well-adjusted, and, yes, responsible kids who can find success in life? Even comedienne, Phyllis Diller said, “I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford…then I want to move in with them.” We may not want to live with them, but we do want them to be able to build a life for themselves. In this episode, single boy mom Julie Graham asks all these questions and more of Darlene Brock, who literally wrote the book on raising great girls. They discuss some of the practical applications for every age. From the chores a child can do

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7 Lessons From Easter That Matter Every Day – 086

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More Who doesn’t love Easter—another opportunity to eat candy, decorate our home, create new family memories, and, of course, the dress. But at the core of this holiday lies the pinnacle of our Christian faith, so we wanted to take this opportunity to address what it is that we hold so dear. Since we couldn’t just do it the obvious way, Darlene and Julie spend this episode unpacking seven lessons discovered when looking at Jesus’ life—focusing in on the time before His death and resurrection. These lessons aren’t applicable for today only but every day as we live our #gritandgracelife. Listen in, and share this one with

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How to Find Your Own Voice, With JJ Heller – 085

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreHas your life taken an unexpected turn after experiencing disappointment? Perhaps it’s left you feeling like you’re not good at what you thought you were, or worse, not good at anything at all. This week’s guest, JJ Heller, will inspire you. Her unlikely journey from basketball player to recording artist entailed many unexpected turns. She admits that “finding her voice” (not just musically, but figuratively) took time, tweaks, and listening to valuable feedback from others. It also required patience—and persistence too! With her recorded album count now in the double digits, she can attest to the fact that when you work within your limitations and trust God

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Keep Your Love Alive: Avoid These Relationship Mistakes – 084

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreMost women are looking for a healthy, secure, and romantic relationship with the man in their life. Sometimes we do things that, instead of making it better, are killing it. Now, we know that men can be relationship killers too, but we will leave that for another discussion. So, we’re asking you, are you making these common mistakes that undermine the foundation of the relationship you hold so dear? We all do them, but if we don’t have a bestie who tells it to us straight, sometimes we don’t even know that we’re doing anything wrong. In this episode, Darlene Brock (happily married for an undisclosed number

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5 Philosophies You Need for Your Grit and Grace Life – 083

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWhat makes a woman able to live This Grit and Grace Life? The desire to be strong and secure in her worth. A woman who loves people well and is confident in her talents, demonstrating tremendous character. That’s true, too. You see it in how a woman carries herself in her relationships, whether at home, at work, or in her community. With this goal in mind, our fearless leader, (Co-Founder of The Grit and Grace Project) Darlene Brock, took an inventory of the life philosophies that she’s followed that she believes work. Ones that will help every woman create her very own grit and grace life. In

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Behind the Scenes of a Family Business With CreativeQT – 082

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWhat happens when you mix a creative dad, a multi-tasking home-school mom, five kids, and a unique idea inspired by their family chaos? A new business! One that will help manage some of the chaos in your home, too! Darlene and Julie chat with Adam and Dana Sue Hinkle, owners of CreativeQT about their family and business journey. It’s the phrase “Make Time Together” that became their simple reminder for families—and spurred them to create practical yet inspired tools to help families have it. Through learning, storage, and organization-based kids toys, they give you a few items that will help you spend less time managing stuff and

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When Is a Friendship Unhealthy and What Do You Do? – 081

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreHealthy friendships can bring joy to your life. Unhealthy ones, well, they can make it complicated and bring a list of questions with them. What does it take to create a friendship that flourishes? How do you know when a friendship should end because the harm outweighs the good, bringing hurt instead of joy? Can women have long-term friendships? Can they be “just friends” with men? These are just a few of the issues that co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Graham consider while unpacking how to deepen relationships with friends who are safe, those you can trust. Also, they’ll discuss how to cut off a bond that

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This Is Why Women’s History Month Still Matters – 080

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWomen have changed the world. And we know we can do it again. As a place for strong women and those who want to be, we understand that looking back at the accomplishments of women in the past gives us confidence that we can create our own. Realizing, “If they can do it, maybe I can too.” March is Women’s History Month. So, to celebrate, Darlene and Julie bring a few of these ladies to life, remembering their accomplishments and their words—many of which still impact us today. We hope that you will be inspired, feel supported as you take your life path and discover your strength,

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Your Mom Always Said This (And She Was Right)- 079

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreLooking back we all recall the mom phrases: “Don’t roll your eyes, they’ll get stuck like that”, “If your friend jumped off a bridge…” and “Because I said so, that’s why!” These all-too-familiar phrases became ones we mouthed in the backseat of the car as we were growing up. There also may have been phrases like “I love you no matter what” that she never said, but you wished she would have. On this episode, Darlene and Julie revisit several expressions moms are famous for, as well as ones they didn’t say, but you needed. If you’re a mom, you will find yourself repeating these to your

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How Do I Know What Defines Me? – 078

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More How would you describe yourself? Is it your relationship status, whether you hold the title of Mom, is it your career path or even your personality type? Do you believe there is anything that makes you special or unique? While these things are part of who you are, they are not the things that make up your worth. We often define ourselves by life stage, titles we hold or groups that we are a part of; but at The Grit and Grace Project we encourage you to look deeper, to your character, the real you no matter what place in life you hold. A woman of

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TV Couples We Love to Love and Why – 077

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWe’re feelin’ the love this week! Curl up with your valentine (chocolate) as we do a deep dive into the eight duos we love to watch–on TV, that is. These couples, both real and writer-created, cross genres and generations, each with their very own unique charm. Co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Graham went to the tribe at The Grit and Grace Project to crowdsource who needed to be a part of this episode. As they chat about the couples chosen, they share why each of these relationships works in their very own special way. There’s a lot to be learned from these on-screen connections, so grab your

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How to Make Decisions (Even the Hard Ones) – 076

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWomen are faced with decisions every day—from the tiny, seemingly insignificant ones like what to wear, eat or watch, to the big ones. You may be deciding what job to take, where to move or how to deal with friendships gone awry. Our lives can change by the decisions we make, and they even can be affected by those we refuse to make. With that in mind, co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Graham take this episode to outline five steps that help when making a decision. They also spend a little time on two of the tough ones facing women today—when to walk away from a dating

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How to Feel Your Emotions in a Healthy Way With Dr. Zoe Shaw – 075

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreFeelings. We are all affected by them, even driven by them, whether we want to admit it or not. Our emotions can harm us but they are helpful too, often depending upon how we process them. So, to sort all of these feelings out, we invited our friend, licensed therapist and relationship expert, Dr. Zoe Shaw, back to the show to help women discover the road to healthy emotions. Co-hosts Darlene Brock and Julie Graham don’t shy away from asking the personal questions as they reflect on how feelings have played a role in their lives; they also unpack how men and women differ in their handling

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Simple (and Funny) Advice for Your Grit and Grace Life – 074

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreOne of the reasons we love the internet and especially social media is the wealth of inspiration and entertainment that you will find there. The memes and quotes that we post and often share are worthy of repeating. We went to our tribe of strong women and asked them to give us ones that they like, ones that make you laugh and even make you think! Join co-hosts Darlene Brock, and Julie Graham as they bring these to you. You’ll relate, laugh, and also ponder the truth behind these sayings that are so accurate and yet so funny. You may even gain a little wisdom for your

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