The Sober Mom Life

For most of Emily's life, she only knew one way to drink: ‘Wisconsin-style binge drinking’. (I can relate. We grew up in the same town!) After becoming a nutritionist, however, a subtle sense of guilt about her drinking began to bubble beneath the surface. She didn’t think much of it, though, because she had no idea how toxic alcohol was - they never addressed it in her nutrition classes! After becoming a mom, Emily’s weekend binges became 5pm glasses of wine, and year over year her guilt grew. Still, quitting never crossed her mind. In fact, in 2019 she was mindblown to learn that a friend was trying Sober January. The concept didn’t even make sense to her! Emily now realizes that that conversation planted the seed for her sobriety journey. By the end of 2020, Emily was seeking sober curious content. Her curiosity got the better of her when she tried a 21-day sober challenge. It was then that she experienced a terrifying wake up call - alcohol withdrawal symptoms. From there, she began to pay attention. When she returned to drinking, she could taste the ethanol and see the effect her hangovers had on her life. Six months later she took her next break, and this one ended up sticking. She is still sober to this day! She is now starting to learn what she enjoys outside of drinking, and is working to fill her life with fulfilling self care. While she doesn’t say ‘forever’, she cannot think of a single thing that would make drinking worth it again. Check out Emily’s nutrition and food blog at www.myeverydaytable.com! You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You made it! 365 Days have been marked off the calendar. You are officially one year sober! …Now what? Today my mom & our resident therapist, Susan Knower, is here to talk about this unique point in the sobriety journey. We’ll chat about the thoughts that arise when the novelty of sobriety wears off, how to deal with the emotions that lie beneath your drinking, the importance of community in all stages of sobriety, and even what you can learn from the ‘gift’ of boredom. Resources from today’s episode: Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah HepolnThe Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here:  https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!!  Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s Real Sober Mom, Erin, is here with a story that is so relatable. In high school, alcohol gave Erin her first taste of ‘fitting in’. She leaned on it to socialize on the weekends throughout her teens and early 20s, and she never gave it much thought. Her drinking always seemed ‘normal’ when compared with those around her! Once she began having children, though, alcohol slowly started to seep into her weekday life, as wine became a ‘reward’ for making it through the intense days being a working mom. In 2016, things took a turn. Erin experienced a devastating pregnancy loss at around 20 weeks. In the aftermath, therapy and community support did not feel like enough. She began to lean on alcohol to cope. The progression of her drinking was slow, but she eventually found herself often drinking a bottle a night, and something within her began to whisper… was she an alcoholic? But the term didn’t quite seem to fit. Erin felt stuck in a pattern of questioning and moderation. Then, last fall, she found the Sober Mom Life community. This space helped her see a path forward! She has now been sober since January 1st, and in that time she has experienced so many big sober milestones. Erin is slated to run The Boston Marathon on her 100th day of sobriety, and she can’t wait to experience how good she will feel on that day! Erin wants to share words of wisdom that a longtime sober friend told her: The elevator stops at every floor, and you can get off at any floor. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!! Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There is a massive blind spot within the medical community when it comes to the dangers of alcohol. Dr. Kara Pepper is on the podcast today to help us understand why.Dr. Pepper is an Atlanta-based Internist who has been practicing for over 16 years. Before sobriety, her own biases and internalized shame led her to often avoid the topic of alcohol with her patients. She is now two years sober, and it has completely changed her approach to patient care!Today, she shares her sobriety journey, how sobriety has changed the way she speaks to patients regarding alcohol, what can be done to better educate the medical community on the dangers of alcohol, and how to manage disordered eating in the wake of fresh sobriety. Dr. Kara Pepper is licensed in 17 states and specializes in eating disorder care. She is also a certified life coach who supports medical professionals! Learn more about her offerings at www.karapeppermd.com or on Instagram at @karapeppermd Resources: Are You a Gray Area Drinker? with Jolene Park My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!! Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this replay from last February, we're talking a big first: Your first sober vacation. It's a big milestone! You might be wondering: can a vacation be fun without alcohol? I'm here to assure you that the answer is yes. Honestly, vacations can be even more enjoyable when you leave alcohol out of the equation. If you’re gearing up for your first sober vacation, I’m here to help. Today I’m sharing steps to help you discover what a vacation without alcohol can be like. You can do this! Resources: My How to Take Your First Sober Vacation blog post: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/02/how-to-take-your-first-sober-vacation/My How to Enjoy Disney World Without Drinking blog post: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/02/how-to-enjoy-disney-world-without-drinking/My Kind of Sweet - What I learned in two years of sobriety: https://mykindofsweet.com/2022/01/what-ive-learned-in-2-years-of-sobriety/#/Huberman Lab Podcast - What alcohol does to your body: https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/The sober drinks I had on vacation! https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co78Ikusb1C/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=The 4th of July episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-mom-life/id1631208632?i=1000568719357The Witching Hour episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-mom-life/id1631208632?i=1000583666938The Dry January episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-mom-life/id1631208632?i=1000591884992Books to support you (affiliated links): This Naked Mind: https://amzn.to/3PaCM7VQuit Like a Woman: https://amzn.to/3Qnk6lSMy mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $40/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!! Check it out here!Love this show? Let me know by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bookstagrammer Hailey Conroy is on the pod today! Hailey had been a weekend binge drinker through high school, college, and even law school, despite her Irish family history of alcohol abuse. She quit during pregnancy, but when her twins were born at 23 weeks, the bottom fell out. Her son passed after 3 days, and her daughter fought to live in the NICU for 9 months. Her 2 glass habit was also born. Alcohol was no longer a social tool for the weekend. It became a daily tool to bludgeon away the feelings so they didn’t swallow her up.Several years and several kids later, Hailey still had her daily mommy wine. She regularly swore off of it, and then caved in the Target alcohol aisle because “two drinks isn’t really a problem.”It was. Hailey quit the day after finishing Holly Whitaker’s book, Quit Like a Woman, and soon noticed that her anxiety decreased, her nightly insomnia disappeared, and the redness around her nose vanished. Now 7 months sober, Hailey wants to bust the myths around “healthy” alcohol moderation. Hailey is a book blogger who shares quit lit recommendations, sober firsts, and fun reels! Check her out on Instagram @hconroybooks. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting.If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!!  Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My worlds are colliding! Today’s real sober mom, Jessica, and I go way back. We met in college, became good friends as adults, and now she’s one year sober and in The Sober Mom Life Cafe! Jessica’s relationship with drinking always centered around her social life. Alcohol felt like a natural part of the social equation, so much so that she didn’t even think about it. After Covid, her home became a social hub for family and friends, and drinks became ever present. Slowly, Jessica started to pay attention to her drinking. And when she did she found herself asking ‘What am I doing?’. Jessica’s Dry January in 2023 turned into a full commitment to sobriety, and she is now one year sober! Jessica shares how her sobriety has (and hasn’t!) impacted her social life. She tells us about the physical and mental benefits she’s experienced from dropping alcohol. Then, she leaves you with some advice: You will get comfortable with your sobriety. It might feel awkward or scary in the beginning, but there is so much ease on the other side. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here:  https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!!  Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Here today by popular demand, it’s Mallory Ervin! Mallory Ervin is a Kentucky-grown, Nashville-living dreamer who had a roundabout way of arriving at today. From her time in the Miss America pageant to being a three-time contestant on The Amazing Race, Mallory turned her passion for sharing her love of fashion, beauty, and life into a platform for impact. Today she runs a global lifestyle brand she founded in 2016, hosts the Living Fully podcast where she encourages and inspires her dedicated following to seek joy and live fully, and appears across platforms ranging from Instagram to YouTube sharing her life and message of living fully. Today, Mallory shares how rehab saved and ultimately changed her life in 2014. She gives her thoughts on AA as someone who has been through the program but who doesn’t attend meetings to maintain her sobriety. Plus, we even touch on how we are each battling our sugar addictions. Mallory wants you to know: The absence of ‘bad’ is not a qualifier for a good life. Rock bottom is not a requirement for sobriety. If you feel called to make a change, that is all you need!Grab your copy of Mallory’s book Living Fully here! Follow Mallory on Instagram: @malloryervin Learn more about Mallory’s lifestyle brand at https://malloryervin.com/My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Announcing the all new Sober Mom Life Community! Starting February 1st, we’re launching a brand new community option for just $5.95/month! In this Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community feed (like Facebook, but better!) the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’d like to go deeper, join us in The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 6 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s real sober mom, Courtney, grew up as a child in a party household, often feeling forgotten amidst a sea of partygoers at her parent’s house. As she grew, she quickly found that alcohol could serve to alleviate her shyness, and she leaned on it to make friends. As an adult, Courtney became a therapist, and she realized through her work that she had childhood pain that she needed to address. With the help of a therapist using the modality of Internal Family Systems (IFS), Courtney had a revelation: she had been using alcohol to mask the pain she felt from feeling unimportant to her family. At this point Courtney began to seek ‘permission’ to quit drinking, but neither family, nor friends, nor her doctors offered her the permission she was seeking. Then she realized: she was going to have to give herself the permission. She is so glad she did! Through sobriety, Courtney has learned how to truly listen to her personal needs. She has found that she can show up for her family in a much more selfless way. Plus, she has been able to find greater healing with her parents. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here:  https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Announcing the all new Sober Mom Life Community! Starting February 1st, we’re launching a brand new community option for just $5.95/month! In this Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community feed (like Facebook, but better!) the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’d like to go deeper, join us in The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 6 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today health coach and co-host of The 2 Sober Girls podcast Michaela Horvathova is on the podcast! Michaela shares about how she lived two competing lives in her twenties: one focused on wellness, and one focused on partying. While this isn’t a lifestyle she regrets having lived at the time, it’s one that she found herself very much ready to change as she transitioned into life as a single mom and health coach. Now two years sober, Michaela is dedicated to helping women thrive in wellness, mindset, life and sobriety. In our wonderful conversation, we talk about the importance of mindset in sobriety, creating balance in our daily lives, and so much more! Learn more about Michaela’s health coaching at @healthwithmichaelaCheck out the 2 Sober Girls Podcast! My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here:  https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Announcing the all new Sober Mom Life Community! Starting February 1st, we’re launching a brand new community option for just $5.95/month! In this Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community feed (like Facebook, but better!) the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’d like to go deeper, join us in The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 6 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.