Break weeks can feel so disruptive to our regularly-scheduled life. The kids are home, routines are off, and your work responsibilities don't magically pause. In this episode, I'm sharing how I manage weeks like Mardi Gras here in New Orleans without losing momentum, or my mind.

Episode highlights:

• Why break weeks feel so frustrating (and why it's not a discipline issue)
• How to intentionally lower expectations without falling behind
• The "maintenance week" mindset: focusing on deadlines and essentials only
• Why choosing one main goal per day keeps you moving forward
• How resetting your home environment reduces mental noise
• Planning your re-entry so you're not scrambling when life returns to normal

Connect with Lauren:

· Instagram: @itslaurenmora

· Website itslaurenmora.com

I've used startup strategy for years to build businesses: testing ideas, starting small, and improving as I go. Recently, I realized I wasn't applying that same thinking at home…and it was making things harder than they needed to be.

In this episode, I share how the concept of a minimum viable product, from The Lean Startup book, can be applied to motherhood, home life, and everyday decisions to reduce pressure, effort, and overthinking.

Resources Mentioned:

The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries

Episode Highlights

• A business book that changed how I think: The Lean Startup
• What a minimum viable product (MVP) is and why it works so well in business
• How I used MVP thinking to build both my product and service-based businesses
• Why high-achieving moms tend to overbuild systems at home
• What "minimum viable" actually looks like in a parent's life
• How using smaller, testable solutions can reduce pressure and wasted energy

Connect with Lauren:

Schedule a free consult call with me

Instagram: @itslaurenmora

Website itslaurenmora.com

This episode marks one year of The Real Mother Effort! But instead of a highlight reel, Lauren shares the real reason this podcast has been a success. After delaying the launch for over a year, she explains why waiting was the strategic move, and how moms can tell the difference between procrastinating and honoring timing in their own lives.

Episode Highlights

• Why "just start" isn't always good advice
• How timing impacts consistency more than discipline
• How to spot the difference between procrastination and waiting for the right time
• When to push…and when to wait without guilt

If you've been stuck on a goal for a long time, this episode will help you decide what actually deserves your energy right now.

Connect with Lauren:

Schedule a free consult call with me

Instagram: @itslaurenmora

Website itslaurenmora.com

Getting dinner on the table can feel like a daily stress test—especially when you have at least one picky eater (and let's be honest, most of us do). In this episode, Lauren shares her very real experience navigating picky eating in her own home and the mindset shift that helped her lower the stress without giving up on nutrition.

This isn't about fixing your kids or forcing bites. It's about making dinner easier on you.

In this episode:

• Why picky eating creates so much mental load for moms
• The moment Lauren realized her stress was the real problem
• Simple planning strategies that make dinner easier
• How she approaches protein, backups, and food exposure
• Letting go of food rules that weren't helping anyone

Connect

• Follow me on Instagram: @itslaurenmora
• Learn more at itslaurenmora.com

This week I'm sharing a real situation from my own house that brought up a familiar feeling for a lot of moms: that quiet frustration that builds when it feels like you're the one carrying the responsibility while someone else gets to be the "fun one".

I walk through what happened, the story I started telling myself, the conversation my husband and I had afterward, and what this moment reminded me about a pattern that shows up in so many homes. I also share what has actually helped us feel more like a team instead of me holding everything in my head.

Key Points Discussed

• A real night that didn't go the way I expected
• Why resentment can sneak in so easily
• How different parenting defaults can create tension
• What's helped us feel more supported and less alone

Let's Connect

• Join my weekly newsletter
• Follow me on Instagram: @itslaurenmora
• Learn more at itslaurenmora.com

You don't need a color-coded calendar or an hour-long Sunday planning session to feel prepared for the week.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the simple weekly planning session my husband and I do together: what it includes, what it doesn't, and why it's made such a difference in our weeks. This isn't about perfection or adding another system to your life. It's about getting oriented, sharing responsibility, and reducing the stress we feel during the week as busy parents.

I break down exactly how we plan our week in 5-10 minutes, why we do it together, and how you can adapt the process so it actually sticks in real life.

Key Points

• Why weeks feel harder when we don't take the time to plan it out
• Why we plan together instead of alone
• What we review each week
• How we handle logistics, meals, and chores quickly
• Why getting it out of your head matters

Connect

• Subscribe to my newsletter
• Follow me on Instagram: @itslaurenmora
• Learn more at itslaurenmora.com

The start of a new year often comes with pressure to overhaul everything—or skip planning altogether because life already feels overwhelming. In this episode, I'm not walking you through a perfect annual planning process. Instead, I'm making the case for why intentional planning matters at all—especially for moms whose days are already full. We explore how planning isn't about just more productivity or "saying no to things," but about deciding what won't get lost in the chaos, and how even small intentions can dramatically change the way a year feels.

Key Points

• Why most people don't intentionally plan their year
• How planning changes the experience of your year, not your workload
• What a planning exercise should NOT be (no perfection, rigidity, or overhauls)
• A real-life comparison of a mom who plans vs. one who doesn't
• The compounding impact of small, consistent choices
• Why planning is an act of leadership—for you and your kids

Connect

• Join my newsletter
• Follow me on Instagram: @itslaurenmora
• Learn more at itslaurenmora.com

As we close out the year, I wanted to reshare the most listened-to episode of the podcast.

This episode was one of the earliest—and clearest—articulations of the work I still do today: helping moms move beyond living in reaction mode and intentionally create space for what actually matters, even in very full weeks. If you're heading into the new year feeling busy, scattered, or like the weeks keep disappearing on you, this is a powerful one to revisit (or hear for the first time).

__________________________________________________________________________

In this episode, Lauren shares a simple but impactful shift to weekly planning that helps moms stay connected to the people and moments they care about—without adding more pressure. It's not about doing more. It's about making sure life doesn't turn into one long to-do list.

Key Points Discussed

• Why a weekly planning rhythm matters, especially in busy seasons
• The difference between planning what you have to do and what you want to do
• How this practice originated during the early days of parenting and evolved into a sustainable system
• Why this approach isn't about perfection or packed schedules
• How to adapt intentional planning to your family's real-life constraints

Connect

• Book a free consult call with Lauren
• Follow me on Instagram: @itslaurenmora
• Learn more at itslaurenmora.com