Minimalist Moms Podcast | Purposeful Life & Parenting Tips

Every year, millions of honey bees are transported across the country to pollinate the crops that fill our grocery stores - but few of us ever stop to consider the toll this takes on the bees themselves.
In this episode, I sit down with author Jennie Durant to discuss the surprising and often unseen realities of modern beekeeping and industrial agriculture. We explore the challenges facing honey bees today, including pesticide exposure, disease, climate pressures, and the demands of large-scale farming. Jennie shares what she learned while researching Bitter Honey and introduces us to the beekeepers, farmers, and advocates working to create a healthier future for pollinators.
Whether you're passionate about food, sustainability, gardening, or simply living more intentionally, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the interconnected systems that support our daily lives - and why the future of bees matters to all of us.

Links Discussed in This Episode |
Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
Book: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Previous Episode: Buzzing with Purpose: Teaching Kids to Protect Pollinators | Luke Howard (Going Deeper)
Previous Episode: The Future of Food: What Regenerative Farming Really Means for Your Family | Jenni Harris (EP440)
Xerces Society
Pollinator Partnership
Connect with Jennie
Website
Instagram
LinkedIn
Book: Bitter Honey: Big Ag’s Threat to Bees and the Fight to Save Them

About Jennie |
Jennie Durant is a writer and researcher focused on bees, agriculture, and the environment. She has spent more than a decade working with beekeepers, scientists, and policymakers, including time at the US Department of Agriculture and University of California, at both Davis and Berkeley. Her writing has appeared in Grist, Glamour, HuffPo, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Episode Sponsors |
The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 
Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.
You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Ruggable and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://ruggable.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com

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In this conversation, Diane sits down with Chris McKenna - founder of Protect Young Eyes and author of The Five Habits of the Tech-Ready Family - to discuss why managing technology isn't ultimately about screen-time limits - it's about relationships, trust, and connection.
Chris shares the powerful insight that "technology is better when it's a we activity," challenging the common belief that digital safety can be achieved through apps and parental controls alone.
What makes this conversation different is that Chris doesn't leave parents with fear. Instead, he offers a practical roadmap built around five simple habits that help families create healthy technology boundaries while preserving connection.
Links Discussed in This Episode |
Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
Connect with Chris
Website
Instagram
Book: 5 Habits of the Tech-Ready Family: Raising Wise Kids in a Wild Digital World

About Chris |
Chris McKenna is a leading voice in digital safety for families. As the founder of Protect Young Eyes, he has helped millions of parents navigate the complex world of technology and social media. His practical, research-based approach empowers families to embrace technology wisely while protecting what matters most.
Episode Sponsors |
The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 
Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.
You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Ruggable and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://ruggable.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Now is a wonderful time to revisit this conversation with Myquillyn Smith. As many of us spend more time at home during the summer months (or begin thinking ahead to fall projects) it's easy to feel the pressure to refresh our spaces, buy something new, or finally "fix" the rooms that never seem quite right. In this episode, Myquillyn offers a refreshing alternative: working with what you already have, letting go of rigid decorating rules, and creating a home that feels personal rather than perfect. Her practical, budget-friendly approach is a timely reminder that a meaningful home isn't built through constant consumption, but through intentional choices that reflect the people living there.
Links Discussed in Episode |
Substack: Minimalist Moms Podcast 
NEW EBOOK | Let's Simplify: Newborn + Postpartum
Connect with Myquillyn:
Instagam
Website
Book: House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget by Myquillyn Smith

Episode Sponsors |
The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 
Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.
You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Ruggable and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://ruggable.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Many of us are trying so hard to take care of ourselves - eating well, moving our bodies, getting sleep - and yet we still feel exhausted, anxious, and stretched thin. If you're constantly tired, struggling with brain fog, or feeling like your body isn't responding the way it used to, there may be more going on beneath the surface than simply "getting older" or being a busy mom.
In this episode, I’m joined by Lauren Papanos, founder of Functional Fueling and a specialist in hormone and thyroid health for active women. We discuss the growing connection between burnout, chronic stress, inflammation, and thyroid dysfunction, including Hashimoto’s disease.
Links Discussed in This Episode |
Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
Free Hormone Quiz
Lauren's Resource: Environmental Working Group
Connect with Lauren:
Website
Instagram

About Lauren|
Lauren Papanos, MS, RD, CSSD is a nationally recognized nutrition expert specializing in hormone, thyroid, and metabolic health. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Board-Certified Sports Dietitian, trained in functional endocrinology and immunology, as well as a podcast host and published nutrition researcher with over nine years of clinical experience.
Episode Sponsors |
The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 
Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.
You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Ruggable and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://ruggable.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

According to the Center for Disease Control, 194 million Americans - or 76.4% of the population - have at least one chronic illness, and half of them are women. While many of these individuals finally have a diagnosis, and are no longer “sick”, they’re still not “well.” They’ve gone through the treatments, taken the medications, and yet still find themselves suffering. 
So, what do you do after you’ve discovered the root of your condition, and you’re still not healed? How do you move past the trauma of being diagnosed (which often takes years for many patients), as well as the trauma of now living with this condition. More importantly, what is this limbo between sick and well that so many patients find themselves in? 
Joining me today for this discussion is author and advocate, Amy Kurtz. Amy shares the plan she used to move through this integral part of recovery so that others can finally break free from their own bridge between sick and well.  
Links Discussed in This Episode |
Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
Subscribe to the Minimalist Moms Youtube Channel
Connect with Amy
Website
Instagram
Book: But You Look Fine: Trapped in the Hell Between Sick and Well and How To Break Free

About Amy |
Amy Kurtz is a trailblazing author, certified health coach, patient advocate and speaker dedicated to empowering patients to reclaim agency over their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. A distinct voice in the health space, Amy’s work has been heralded by Dr Mark Hyman, Kris Carr, and many more. Lena Dunham named Kicking Sick one of her “Top 10 desert island books of all time” in New York Magazine. Amy has been featured on Oprah Daily, Good Morning America, The Boston Globe, NYMAG, Fox, and more. In her debut book, “Kicking Sick: Your GO-TO GUIDE for thriving with chronic health conditions,” Amy shares her journey of living with chronic health conditions and provides a roadmap and actionable guidance to help readers manage debilitating conditions and live fully.
Episode Sponsors |
The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!
Enjoy the Podcast?
Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. 
Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.
You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.com
* Check out Ruggable and use my code MINIMALIST for a great deal: https://ruggable.com
* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy