Silent to do lists, Pinterest meal pressure, self-care standards, religious pressures, we are surrounded by so many voices putting external pressures on us. The unfinished baseboards, the 400 recipes in your Pinterests food boards, the weights in the corner of your room, the unused gym membership. What if part of a restored life was learning to identify and reduce these clamouring gremlins that are trying to steal our joy and reduce the simplicity of what Christ has called you to in whatever...

Whenever I read a book by Elizabeth Goudge, I am transported into a world of everyday heroines and heroes that inspire me to live with a little more beauty and graciousness in my everyday life.  Episode 84 with Elsie Iudicello has the same effect. The wisdom and tender authority she carries, the way she talks about her marriage and husband, the graceful way she sets boundaries of community within her family, and her understanding of seasons, offers a refreshing and inspiring view of an...

Submission has become a polarising word. For those of us who were raised under hyper-religious structures in the 80s and 90s, submission was framed in medieval terms. For some, it's one of those things in the Bible, that we simply lay aside as archaic, along with the commandment for women to go outside of the city whilst on their period. For others, it conveys a whole world of hurt and manipulation.  But what is submission, really? Is it necessary? And does it have anything to do with...

Instagram has filled us with images of beautiful homes, and it's such a joy to look at these to be inspired, but at the end of the day, "what do you want children to remember about life in your home"? Is a perfect Instagram house going to build the memories you wnat your children to remember about their youth?  Myquillyn Smith author of The Nesting Place joins Jennifer Pepito in episode 82 to talk about how we build a home. Myquillyn spent many years living in rentals, often waiting for the...

Angie Tolpin founder of Courageous Parenting, alongside her husband Isaac, joins Jennifer for an incredible conversation between veteran parents about their learning process, the joy of parenting, the sanctification process, the illusion of perfection, and what our real mission is as parents.  For parents at any stage of their parenting journey, this conversation has something to inspire and instruct.    Episode sponsored by the Peaceful Press! Pre-order Jennifer's new book Habits for a...

Do you ever wish you could dig deep into theology while also folding laundry, doing dishes, running errands and living generally?  Phylicia Masonheimer, author of Every Woman a Theologian, does a beautiful job breaking down the theology of prayer for busy moms.  Jennifer and Phylicia cover the different types of prayer, the role of the Psalms in how we pray, and so much more. Phylicia is a wealth of information, and a good friend, and it was wonderful to have her join for Episode 80.  Episode...

Morning time is a huge part of the rhythm of the Peaceful Press. It's a daily time set aside each morning to connect as a family, read great literature, but most importantly it's the time where we pray and connect with God as a community and the body of Christ.  But how do we do that, what does it look like?  Jennifer has been doing morning time with her family for 25 years, and she is joined in episode 79 with Emelie Pepito as they talk about their family morning time, what they've learned,...

Christie Purifoy author of the Seedtime and Harvest joins Jennifer Pepito for an inspiring conversation on what gardening can teach us about parenting and our prayer life. What does parenting and gardening have in common? So much!    Episode sponsored by the Peaceful Press! Pre-order Jennifer's new book Habits for a Sacred Home and get access to exclusive bonuses.  Starting to plan for next year's schooling and looking for tips on how to homeschool?? Check out the Peaceful Press's free How to...

“For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.” – Teresa of Ávila Welcome to episode 77. Jennifer and Emelie come together to talk about prayer. Prayer is a habit essential to our walk as mothers. We are entrusted with the care of souls, and how can we do that without constant communion with God?  Not only that, but our Christian faith gives us open access to a loving God who speaks to us as individuals and the body of Christ, encourages, exhorts, guides us in our...

Lyndsey Mimnagh, founder of the Treehouse Schoolhouse, joins Jennifer Pepito in episode 76 for an in-depth look into doing busy well, the cost of community, as well as the benefit and so much more.    Episode sponsored by the Peaceful Press! Pre-order Jennifer's new book Habits for a Sacred Home and get access to exclusive bonuses.  Starting to plan for next year's schooling and looking for tips on how to homeschool?? Check out the Peaceful Press's free How to Start Homeschooling...

Ruth Chou Simons the creator of Gracelaced and author of books such as GraceLaced: Discovering Timeless Truths Through Seasons of the Heart and Pilgrim joins Jennifer Pepito for Episode 75.  Ruth dives deep into the many years that went into building her company, the minutes and hours stolen here and there that led to Gracelaced, and the hours of laundry folding that built the deep reservoirs that have gone into her many books and devotionals. After this episode, laundry has never sounded so...

If you were dropped into an alpine meadow with a large picnic hamper full of C.S. Lewisesque fruits and foods, and your children, would you have the most delicious day of your life? Imagine this meadow has a stream, and you don't have a phone or a computer; it's you and your children in the most pristine and quiet setting imaginable.  Would you have the best day of your life? Or would the silence and spacious emptiness of such a day make you feel uneasy? Do you think something important might...

Episode 73 marks the beginning of a four week segment on stewardship. Jennifer and Emelie start with the most basic stewardship, our hormones, specifically progesterone!*  Progesterone is the hormone that prepares your body for pregnancy at the end of your cycle. When you have enough of it, you should feel calm and nurtured in the days running up to your cycle. But stress, crowded schedules, busy school loads, and trying to do everything can derail our progesterone production.  Why does this...

Imagine sitting down with a cup of coffee in a quiet kitchen, with bread rising, the sunlight dancing over the walls and floor, and flowers blooming in the middle of the table. Then you settle yourself in for a conversation that is equal parts poetry and inspiration.  That is exactly what episode 72 is with Michelle Garrels. It is a beautiful conversation where Michelle welcomes listeners deep into the process of her and her husbands development of their family life, their homeschooling...

Work is a necessary part of life, and it's not always going to be fun, but we can still raise children who appreciate work and find meaning in it.  Welcome to episode 71! Join Jennifer and Emelie for a practical conversation about what inspires us to work, tips on raising children who enjoy work, turning new skill acquisition into play, healing from lies that you're only enough if you're working, and so much more!   Episode sponsored by the Peaceful Press! With Spring around the corner check...

This week, we are delighted to have Johnna Holmgren join us for Episode 70. She is the creator of Fox Meets Bear, a stunning and inspirational platform for creative, intentional mothers looking for a better path through motherhood.  Her wisdom, her delight, and the intentionality and joy she has put into creating a beautiful home and embraced motherhood is so inspirational.  Jennifer and Johnna have an incredible conversation about work and parenting, building a life, the struggles, the joy,...

How do you feel when you're doing the dishes, weeding in the garden, working for a paycheck, folding laundry, paying the bills, making dinner for a close friend you're excited to see, or packing for your dream trip? Do you know what these things have in common? They are work. But we have very different feelings associated with each one. Dishes, laundry, weeding are alternately exhausting, relaxing, or frustrating. Making dinner for our close friend or a loved one, packing for a dream holiday,...

It is such a delight to have Sarah Mackenzie on the Restoration Home Podcast. Her mission with Read-Aloud-Revival, her joy, deep thoughtfulness, and her passion for curating her home.  We're so glad you're here for episode 68! It's all about how we create connection with our children, protecting them from age inappropriate media and news, creating standards within our homes, and continuing relationships with older children. Finally, Sarah has some beautiful thoughts on control and faith in...

Sally Clarkson is a dear friend and long awaited guest of the podcast. Her long years of mothering, and her pursuit of sacred living for mind, body and spirit, has made her an enduring motherhood figure. In episode 67, she joins Jennifer to talk about planting a flag in the ground of your heart that says: from this point forward, I will no longer listen to lies, I will no longer live according to my fears, but according to the goodness of God, and His truth.  There is more than just symbolism...

Have you ever tried a therapist or counsellor and walked away feeling more empty, anxious or simply that things are not improving? In the process of creating a restoration home, do you feel alone, or like you are bearing the weight of it? Do you feel like you are swinging wildly between parenting styles as you try your hardest day after day to give your children the best childhood and parenting possible?  Welcome to Episode 66 of the Restoration Home Community! We are so excited about the...

It's the beginning of 2024, and we are opening The Restoration Home Community. We are so excited for this next year of habit building and community.  "Why" you might ask. Well, habits, community, looking your children in the eye, a few more family dinners is about more than a nicer life or happier children, a cleaner house, more time to exercise. These are all parts of building something beautiful and sustaining that can carry ourselves and our families through whatever lies ahead.  In...

How can the principles of a Charlotte Mason education help you love God and create an elevated wholesome family? Charlotte Mason wrote of education, "We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and 'spiritual' life of children...". The unity between a child's spiritual growth and their intellectual development has led Jennifer, over the years, to create the Peaceful Press and with her husband, curate a home environment that focuses on "whatever things are true, whatever things...

With 2023 drawing to a close and 2024 beginning, there are things we can do to process, grieve, celebrate the past year, so we can approach the new year with hope, vision, and excitement.  Jennifer and Emelie come together in Episode 63 to share how they process the past year, and plan for the next year.  This episode covers personal stories and ideas for the processes of welcoming in the new year. They cover the importance of dreaming with God for the year, setting aside time to grieve...

Is technology a tool or a toy, good or bad? What role does the arts play in technology? Can technology play a part in restoring homes?  Ryan Collins, president of Bethel Tech, joins Jennifer in Episode 62 to answer these questions and so much more. There is a place for connection over video games, and the arts are the bedrock to a career in technology, just as they are for other aspects of a child's development into a well rounded human. Ryan also brings to the podcast a passion for righteous...

One of the values of restoration is creativity. Architecture is creativity, making a budget go farther than you thought is creativity, cooking a beautiful meal, scheduling your day so you have time for what is important to you, and so much more require creative actions. At the root of creativity is "create", which means "to make or bring into existence something new". Creativity is producing something which is not obvious or already there.  While creativity can range from perfecting...