The Sober Mom Life

I just got home from a 3 day trip to Las Vegas. Even when I was a drinker I wasn’t a Vegas girl, so I was curious what the experience would be like to be there sober.  Few places glamorize drinking as much as Sin City, and on this trip I saw that on full display. It was an important reminder, and it made me all the more grateful for my mocktails, my early nights in bed, and my lack of shame.  If you’re preparing for your first sober vacation, whether it be to Vegas or anywhere else, check out this episode on how to prepare for your first sober vacation.  Here’s my Sober in Vegas highlight reel!  Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe!  For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free!  We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristi Tanner is a sober influencer, sober coach, the owner of Sober Social, a wonderful NA bottle shop in Madison, Wisconsin, and a meeting host inside the Sober Mom Life Cafe. It is a life path that she never could’ve predicted for herself and it required her to  search for the answer to a big question: who was she without alcohol?  Alcohol had become central to Kristi’s perceived identity. By the time she hit rock bottom in 2019, the single mom of four believed that she could not find any other way to get relief from her pain and unhappiness. But after a divorce, stints in rehab, a psych ward, detox, two DUIs and a night in jail, she had a terrifying realization - if she didn’t get sober she was going to lose her children, and she would deserve it.  Kristi remembered that she had loved living before she ever loved alcohol, and she had to find her way back to that feeling. It was then that she raised her white flag, accepted that she needed rehab, and began to search for who she was beneath the alcohol that was ruining her life.  Since that day in 2019 Kristi’s life has been turned upside down in the most beautiful way. She is now over 5 years sober, she has learned that there are better ways to handle her pain, and she has regained access to her joy. She has been open and curious about life without alcohol and has deeply found herself within a sober life.  Learn more about Kristi’s work:  Sober Social in Madison Wisconsin  Instagram @mocktailmommy Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe!  For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free!  The Sober Mom Life Community is also available, for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  Check out The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie and I are here for another installment of SobrieTEA, where we spill the tea about our favorite escape: Bravo and Reality TV! This week we’re diving deep into the return of The Valley, including Jesse and Michelle’s ugly divorce and co-parenting proceedings and Jax and Brittany’s navigation of substance abuse issues. Plus - a check in on Southern Charm, which reality men Suzanne and Katie might’ve dated when they were younger, Love on the Spectrum, and a dash of true crime. Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free! The Sober Mom Life Community is also available, for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. Check out The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica recounts her journey from a high-achieving educator to a sober coach, revealing the emotional struggles of navigating alcohol in social settings. She reflects on the pressures of maintaining a public image while grappling with nighttime drinking habits. A pivotal Instagram video sparked her shift to sobriety, leading to profound family connections on New Year's Eve. The discussion emphasizes the power of community support in recovery and the transformative experiences that come from embracing a sober lifestyle.

Alcohol wasn’t present in Courtney’s childhood, so when she was offered champagne by friends at a holiday when she was fifteen, she had no knowledge of how it would affect her. She only knew that it was ‘forbidden’, and what 15 year old wouldn’t want to try a forbidden thing? The cozy sense of warmth that overcame her was so appealing. After that day, alcohol easily slipped into her life. Courtney experienced a series of red flags around her drinking through the years, but she ignored them. She clearly didn’t have a ‘problem’, so there was no reason to consider her relationship with alcohol too closely. Yet, as she became a mother, alcohol began to take up more and more space in her brain, and her relationship with it became more and more uncomfortable. An unexpected third pregnancy that resulted in a miscarriage served as a wakeup call. She was given an opportunity to truly feel her emotions around alcohol, and to create new habits that required sobriety to enjoy. It felt so good, and she became fiercely protective of these new life choices. At that point, she began moderating and paying close attention to how alcohol made her feel until one day at a brewery it became completely clear: Alcohol was not serving her. In fact, alcohol was taking joy from her life. She was done. Courtney has recently reached 100 days of sobriety! Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For women with a history of disordered eating, the first months of sobriety can often include an unwanted surge of challenging experiences around food. Registered Therapist and eating disorder specialist Liza Feilner joins Suzanne and Susan today to help us navigate this tricky issue. Liza has over two decades of experience supporting women with eating disorders, and she has also been sober since she was 23 years old! She’ll share why food challenges and disordered eating can arise in sobriety, the importance of giving yourself grace as you navigate major life changes, and how to seek help if you are struggling in this way. Learn more about Liza’s practice: https://www.claritygroup.org/liza-feilnerAre you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free! The Sober Mom Life Community is also available, for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. Check out The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maria is back on the pod! When she was last here she was six months sober, and today she’ll tell us about the changes, challenges, and wins she’s had in her sobriety journey in the past year.You’ll hear why Maria no longer counts days, the normalcy she now feels regarding her sobriety, and the immense benefit that sober community has had in her life as she’s navigated through challenging times, such as an IVF transfer that didn’t pan out and a lapsed experience with cannabis. Check out Maria’s first episode on the podcast here! Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Katie is nearing the end of her maternity leave and she has caught up on SO much TV while in the newborn bubble. So, we’re back to dive into all of the great Bravo that’s been on in the last few months! Today, we’ll recap the great last season of Traitors, Southern Charm’s long awaited return, and how the new younger cast on Summer House has really changed the energy of the show. Plus - Suzanne and Katie's thoughts on the second seasons of Severance and White Lotus, and Jax’s interviews about rehab.  Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mom and I just got back from the latest Sober Mom Life retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it was absolutely fantastic! This retreat was such a breath of fresh air and really solidified my feelings that we’re building an amazing community of caring, non-judgmental sober women. You’ll hear all about the event, from the meals to the sessions to the bonding and everything in between. Plus, you’ll get the inside scoop on how to sign up for the next Sober Mom Life retreat if you'd like to join us in the fall! Thank you to the wonderful companies that supported the retreat with their delightful gifts: In My Sundays pajamas: https://www.inmysundays.com/Adorn 512 Jewelry: https://www.adorn512.com/Take the personality test Susan mentioned: https://viacharacter.org/Are you looking for community in sobriety? Join us in the The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For $40/month, you’ll get access to 12 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed, our monthly book club and happy hour, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and even a monthly Bravo chat! For a limited time, get one week free! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed, the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah H., a mother of three, shares her enlightening journey of sobriety after realizing that alcohol, once seen as a fun addition to celebrations, had negative effects on her behavior and well-being. She recounts how her perception of drinking changed during motherhood, leading her to explore a sober lifestyle starting with Dry January. Sarah's powerful reflections on grief, empowerment, and the importance of shared stories highlight her evolution towards embracing sobriety, transforming her life and inspiring others along the way.