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

Dating? What to Look for in a Man – 073

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreAre you single? The dating waters can be treacherous, but they don’t have to take you under! You’re looking for a good man. Maybe you already have a list of must-haves and deal-breakers. Or perhaps you need to make one. Does this current dating world scare you? Do you assume online dating doesn’t work? What qualities do you find in a good man? Co-hosts Darlene (who is “very married”, as she puts it), and Julie (widowed boy mom re-entering the dating scene) discuss how to find a man worth your time. To gain answers, they tapped into a great resource: the team of writers at The Grit […]

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Are You a Strong Woman of Grit and Grace? – 072

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreThis Grit and Grace Life is a podcast for strong women and those who want to be. After several conversations with friends and hearing from readers of The Grit and Grace Project online magazine, co-hosts Darlene and Julie realized that you might not be so sure you have this inner strength at all. Or, maybe you’re unclear of what exactly makes a woman strong. In this week’s episode, they explore what a strong woman looks like, what qualities she possesses, and society’s view of empowerment, even if seeking to be strong contradicts her faith. At The Grit and Grace Project, we know that you have what it

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Finish the Year Strong, and Be Ready for the Next – 071

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreBefore you gear up for a fresh start in the new year, a strong woman sets aside a few moments to pause and reflect on the year that she’s leaving behind. It’s an opportunity to be reminded of growth, to acknowledge our mistakes honestly, then recognize the opportunities ahead for change; never forgetting the hidden blessings scattered throughout the year. On this episode, Darlene and Julie give a ‘year in review’ of what they’ve learned and lost in 2018 and what they intend to carry into 2019. They share personal successes and sorrows as well as highlight milestones here at The Grit and Grace Project and This

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How to Get Your Hormones in Check with Ashby Duval – 070

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreDo the words “hormone health” make you cringe? Our hormones get blamed for mood swings, tiredness, complexion nightmares, and even weight gain! But, could there be a little truth in that blame game? There is something to be said about understanding the things that can make you crazy! So, Darlene and Julie are joined by their resident “hippie in heels,” friend, and writer at Grit and Grace Life, Ashby Duval. Having lived through a personal battle with this issue, she brings insights into what role hormones play in a woman’s health and what to change if yours are out of whack. You’ll learn what to look for

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Is Society Right About Women or Are We Misunderstood? – 069

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreSociety has a lot of misconceptions about women. Are we emotional, unable to handle a budget, or into shopping? The answer is maybe yes and maybe no. Stereotypes can often be harmful, and a few are downright ugly! While we admit our shortcomings, we believe each woman has unique traits and qualities that set her apart. So, how does a woman of grit and grace combat these cultural assumptions? We start by realizing that we aren’t all alike, yet we do possess many characteristics that unite all women and make our gender special. Co-hosts Darlene and Julie discuss how crucial it is for us to tap into

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Grit and Grace for All the Other Women in Your Man’s Life – 068

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More Your man has a lot of other women in his life who require attention and often demand his interaction. It could be his mom, coworkers, a daughter, an ex, friends, or a baby mama to name a few. If this relationship requires his attention, it might need yours too! Because we love our men, we want great relationships with them, but it’s impractical (and unhealthy!) to try to keep them all to ourselves. So, can you find the grit and grace to give him space to have healthy relationships with these women? Darlene and Julie share how to navigate all the other women in your man’s

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This Is How to Put Thankful Back in Thanksgiving – 067

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More It’s Thanksgiving week….be honest, are you not feeling all that thankful right now? Maybe “thankful” has lost its effect on you? Too much to do, too much drama, or you may be struggling to find a reason to celebrate. We get it—we’ve all been there. And there’s grace for you in that! In this episode, Darlene and Julie give you a fresh perspective to consider as you indulge in all the highly-caloric-yet-oh-so-worth-it-fare. They share what they’re glad about, which might get your thoughts going on some things you can be grateful for, appreciative of, indebted by, relieved of, or even places you have found contentment. Listen

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Darlene and Julie Recommend These Unique Christmas Gifts – 066

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreAre you looking for unique Christmas gifts this year? Something a little different and more personal than what you will find in the avalanche of sale guides that hit this time of year? Since this is an excellent time to start your Christmas shopping you have to look no further. This episode will introduce you to a collection of 7 unique shops which will offer something special for every person on your list. Darlene and Julie would like you to meet a few friends of This Grit and Grace Life who make specialty items. They will offer a little insight into why you’ll want to buy from

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On Business, Happiness & Health with Burn Boot Camp’s Morgan Kline – 065

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreCan you start a business, build a strong marriage, be a present mom, and take care of your health too? If you do attempt that balancing act, can you expect to be perfect, accomplishing all without the occasional failure? Absolutely not—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to chase that dream you have! On this episode, Darlene and Julie talk to Morgan Kline, Co-Founder and CEO of Burn Boot Camp. She and her husband, Devan, defied odds (and haters!) to launch Burn Boot Camp in 2012, and today there are over 300 franchises across the country. She also hosts a podcast, and like all working moms, Morgan

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Stop the Holiday Hustle: Celebrate More, Stress Less – 064

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More The holiday season is upon us, and with it: the stress. We find ourselves with an overloaded schedule, and often in the midst of the fun is family drama. Maybe this is the year you’ll get ahead of the hustle of the season and find a way to slow down. Wouldn’t we all like to experience real celebration and enjoy it, not merely survive “the most wonderful time of the year?” Darlene and Julie discuss what they love about each holiday as well as ways to get the most out of the gatherings and how to make memories that will be cherished by you and yours

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These Strategies Will Help You Raise Great Kids – 063

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | More It doesn’t take a perfect mom to raise great kids. It takes intentionality, grit, and grace! Author and Co-Host, Darlene Brock, shares her hindsight and offers practical tips from her new book, Raising Great Girls: Help for Moms to Raise Confident, Capable Daughters (perfection not required), that will apply to moms of both genders. As a single boy mom, Julie asks honest questions and explores how Darlene navigated the tricky parenting situations in which most parents find themselves. Darlene explains how being your child’s coach, creative counselor, and professor of gender studies (three of the jobs she unpacks in her book) makes all the difference in

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Marriage Matters: Here’s How to Invest in Yours – 062

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreAttitudes toward marriage have changed. Fewer couples are choosing to marry and, instead, are living together and starting families without the additional commitment that marriage brings. Often, their reasoning is that marriage doesn’t last, but we do not believe it has to be this way! We know from experience that relationships take the investment of time and attention and can always be improved. Recent stats on millennials reveal that those who are getting married are staying married. So, something is working. In this episode, co-hosts Darlene Brock (married more decades than she wants to admit—but only so you won’t calculate her age) and Julie Graham (married nearly

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You Have a Sparkle, Here’s How to Find It (With Former Miss USA Kristen Dalton Wolfe) – 061

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreIs it possible for a Miss USA winner to struggle with insecurity? Many of us don’t feel like we stand out. We often fail to believe we are lovely or unique. Or, maybe you’ve never thought much about these things. This episode’s guest, former Miss USA Kristen Dalton Wolfe, tells all women they aren’t alone in any of these feelings. As she discusses her challenges, she shares a message with women on how to find their true identity and encourages them to embrace their individual “sparkle.” Kristen unpacks what it means to discover this inner radiance and assures others that they have it too. She may have

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Why Cross-Generational Friendships Make You Better – 060

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreCan you learn something from those who are younger than you? Should you listen to those “older and wiser?” Yes and yes! We began this show because co-hosts, Darlene and Julie, come from two generations and we believed their different life seasons could intersect and bring a unique perspective for your #gritandgracelife! In this episode, we consider how having cross-generational friendships with women and men can make you better in all arenas: home life, work life, parenting, and passion-pursuing. We explore the strengths of millennials to boomers and everything in-between. We will glean so much grit and grace when we put our pre-existing attitudes aside and listen

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If You Can’t Avoid Divorce, Can You Do It Honorably? With Attorney Leesha Newkirk Crouch – 059

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreWe believe marriage is a vow made with honor—cherished, worthy of fighting to keep, and should not be easily or quickly broken. As much as we wish it weren’t true, we realize that sometimes marriages fail. So, if you find yourself facing divorce or know someone who is, we believe it is vital, even in this difficult season, to walk through the next steps with knowledge, honor, and integrity. With that in mind, we invited our friend, attorney Leesha Newkirk Crouch, back to the show. You will learn that there is a path to amicable divorce where you, your ex, and your children can create the best

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Regret: All the Ways It Can Actually Serve You – 058

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreRegret: such a short word that can carry massive weight! Do you know the feeling? Is there something you wish you had done or not done that still lingers on your mind—days, weeks, months, or even years later? Sometimes we can find ourselves contemplating the adverse effects of regret, and we reflect on the past with a significant amount of sadness. In this episode, Darlene and Julie discuss some of their regrets, and they discuss how letting them propel you forward might be the perspective shift we need to become the strong women we want to be: ones who learn from our past. Let’s allow the experience,

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Women and Judgment: Why We Do It and How to Stop – 057

By Smart Living with Grit and Grace / Podcast

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | TuneIn | RSS | MoreHave you ever been unfairly judged? Were some things said or believed about you that wasn’t true? Or perhaps you’re hesitant to admit that you could be the one doing the judging. The struggle is real, and every one of us has experienced both sides of this coin, probably not very long ago. Whether we like it or not, women are quick to judge, and we have a hard time not letting the opinions of others determine our self-worth. On this episode, Darlene and Julie discuss the common areas we tend to over-analyze others: appearance, work and finances, motherhood, how they make their decisions and their faith.

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