We'll Be Your Family

Sometimes, the answer to the question "How are you really doing?" can feel like cement in your mouth. But often, it's an honest answer that unlocks meaningful friendships. Join us today for a conversation with Coffee + Crumbs writer, Cara Stolen—our resident outdoorsy girl—as we discuss backpacking, friendship, and the intersection between the two. We hope this episode inspires you to grab your best gal pals for a hike (or walk!) and let them in on what's really going on.

For some of us, making friends as kids was challenging. The same can be true now, as adults. But you can turn a sour situation into something downright sweet when you show up as your whole self. Today, we're talking with YIGC contributor Neidy (naydee) Hess who shares about the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful of finding your people. We hope this conversation gives you permission to embrace the awkward, grieve the losses, but also delight in your community.

Many of us have experienced a significant shift in a friendship that we thought would last a lifetime. It's painful and can be hard to talk about, which is why we have C+C writer Sonya Spillmann on the podcast today to share about the vulnerable essay she wrote for YIGC called "When Friendships Change." You'll hear about the role food played in one specific friendship, and Sonya tells us what she knows now that she didn't know then. This conversation invites you to see your friendships, both past and present, as the gifts they truly are. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. We loved hearing Sonya's unfiltered take on past and present friendships; listen to this bonus episode to hear another Unscripted Gab Sesh. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.

In today's episode, we're taking a slight detour from friendship and hospitality to dive into the writing process with our resident "Writing Yoda" — Callie Feyen. How does doubt fuel our writing? How do we keep a posture of curiosity while witnessing to the world? What might happen to our art if we viewed creativity as part of our inheritance? We hope this conversation gives you a peek into the behind-the-scenes writing process of You're In Good Company, and perhaps even inspires you to write a story yourself (no happy ending required). This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Callie's wisdom influences our writing; listen to this bonus episode to hear how else we're Influenced. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.

Food is a love language, and if it's your love language, this episode is for you. Ruth Gyllenhammer, writer and content director for Coffee + Crumbs, joins Ashlee and Katie to talk about getting out of your comfort zone, the gift of being fully present, and what it looks like to feed our families. Whether you're away from home, or looking to start new rhythms around your family table, we hope this episode encourages you to practice hospitality right where you are. This show is brought to you ad-free by our generous Substack community. If you'd like to support the work we do for as little as $3/month, head to coffeeandcrumbs.substack.com to join us (and get bonus episodes!). For show notes, go to coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast. Ruth talks about her travels to Shanghai; listen to this bonus episode to hear how we do Traveling with Friends. For more encouragement in your motherhood journey, check out the stories at Coffee + Crumbs.