What if your kitchen could be more than a place to cook? In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Licensed Therapist and Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman speaks with Janet Iri, founder of My Mindful Kitchen and creator of the MMK Method.

Janet brings over 25 years of experience in hospitality, education, and sustainability — and she believes the kitchen is where parenting, connection, and mindfulness come alive. Together, we explore how everyday food routines can teach kids gratitude, life skills, and eco-friendly habits, while also reducing food waste at home.

This isn’t about picture-perfect meals. It’s about creating moments of learning, laughter, and connection around the table. Whether you’re looking to involve your kids in cooking, reduce your grocery waste, or simply bring more presence to mealtimes, this episode offers practical strategies you can use right away.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

• Why the kitchen is the perfect place to teach kids life skills and values
• Practical ways to reduce food waste and save money at home
• How mindful eating builds gratitude and family connection
• Creative ways to involve kids in shopping, cooking, and meal planning
• What the Mindful Kitchen Method is and how it can help your family
  
  
  

TUNE IN TO LEARN
✔ How to transform mealtimes into mindful, meaningful family moments
✔ Easy strategies to reduce food waste in your kitchen
✔ Fun and simple ways to get kids engaged with food
✔ Why gratitude and curiosity matter at the dinner table

FREEBIE

https://www.mymindfulkitchen.com/ebook-becoming-a-mindful-foodie

FIND JANET

• https://www.mymindfulkitchen.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/mmkmethod/
• https://www.instagram.com/mmkmethod/

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE
Your kitchen can be more than a place to make meals — it can be a space for connection, gratitude, and teaching kids lessons that last a lifetime.

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120 COPING SKILLS
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CULTIVATE CALM CHALLENGE
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1:1 PRIVATE COACHING FOR MOMS

https://www.amigamoms.com/coaching

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DISCLAIMER:
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

Ever snap at your kids because they asked what’s for dinner… while you were literally cooking dinner? You’re not alone — and it doesn’t mean you’re falling apart. It means you’re human.

In this episode of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, Licensed Therapist and Latina Mom Coach Vanessa De Jesus Guzman reminds us that you don’t need to be in crisis to deserve support. Mental health isn’t only about anxiety or depression — sometimes it looks like irritability, exhaustion, guilt, or feeling disconnected.

Vanessa shares practical ways to recognize when you’re “in a funk” and how to shift before burnout sets in. She also explains the difference between therapy, mom coaching, and community support — and how each can help you reset, reconnect, and feel more like yourself again.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

• 5 signs you may be in a funk (that most moms miss)
• What happens when we keep pushing through without support
• 5 simple, research-backed tips to reset before burnout
• The cultural lens of mental health and why unlearning “just push through” matters
• Therapy vs. coaching vs. community: how to know what’s right for you
• A short guided meditation to help you shift perspective and find support
  
  
  

TUNE IN TO LEARN:

• How to recognize the early warning signs of burnout in moms
• Why support isn’t just for crisis moments
• Real, doable strategies to manage stress and overwhelm
• The benefits of therapy, mom coaching, and community support
• Why early support builds resilience for you and your family
  
  
  

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE:
You don’t need to be falling apart to deserve support. Taking care of your mental health can look like therapy, coaching, or simply reaching out for connection. Start small, start now — because when moms are supported, families are supported.

LET’S STAY CONNECTED
🌐 Website: https://www.freetobemindful.com
🎧 Podcast: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselorvdejesus/
💛 Coaching for Moms: https://www.amigamoms.com/coaching
🎤 Speaking & Workshops: https://www.freetobemindful.com/speaking

Send us a text

Support the show

120 COPING SKILLS
https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills


CULTIVATE CALM CHALLENGE
https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-cultivatingcalmchallenge

1:1 PRIVATE COACHING FOR MOMS

https://www.amigamoms.com/coaching

WATCH THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/@counselorvdejesus


GET THE MUSE HEADBAND AT A DISCOUNT!
https://choosemuse.com/freetobemindful
Use this link to get 15% off your total when you purchase the amazing brain sensing headband that tells you when you're in a meditative state and guides you to improve your practice.


STAY CONNECTED:
Show Hashtag: #freetobemindfulpodcast
Website: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast
All Social Channels: @counselorvdejesus


DISCLAIMER:
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.

Birthdays have a way of sneaking up on us. When we were kids, it was all about cake, candles, and balloons. As adults - especially as moms — they can start to feel like just another date on the calendar, squeezed between school emails, soccer games, and endless to-do lists.

But what if birthdays weren’t just about a number? What if they became checkpoints, gentle pauses to reflect on how far we’ve come and what we want for the season ahead?

In this heartfelt episode, Vanessa - licensed therapist, mom coach, and host of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast - shares her own mid-forties reflections and the lessons that come with raising both a tween and a toddler at the same time. With humor, honesty, and plenty of real talk, she dives into how aging can feel less like loss and more like coming back to yourself.

Vanessa also opens up about the simple practices she uses around her birthday to reset, writing down reflections, creating an “I Want List,” and giving herself permission slips for rest, joy, and change. And she reminds moms everywhere that we don’t have to wait until birthdays or New Year’s to check in with ourselves.

Whether you’re in survival mode, juggling all the things, or just needing a reminder that it’s never too late to get yourself back, this episode offers grounding, laughter, and a mindful meditation to carry with you.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

• Why birthdays can serve as powerful checkpoints for growth
• How motherhood changes the way we see aging, and ourselves
• Simple reflection practices you can start today
• The importance of weekly pauses to reconnect with yourself

TUNE IN TO LEARN

• How aging can be an act of alignment, not invisibility
• Why moms often lose themselves in the roles they carry
• Two simple ways to pause and reflect without waiting for New Year’s
• The power of permission slips for joy, rest, and rediscovering yourself

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE
Getting older isn’t about losing who we are - it’s about finding our way back. With each year, we’re invited to stand more firmly in our truth, honor our growth, and give ourselves permission to be more us.

Parents.Com Referenced Article

Send us a text

Support the show

120 COPING SKILLS
https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-120copingskills


CULTIVATE CALM CHALLENGE
https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast-cultivatingcalmchallenge

1:1 PRIVATE COACHING FOR MOMS

https://www.amigamoms.com/coaching

WATCH THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/@counselorvdejesus


GET THE MUSE HEADBAND AT A DISCOUNT!
https://choosemuse.com/freetobemindful
Use this link to get 15% off your total when you purchase the amazing brain sensing headband that tells you when you're in a meditative state and guides you to improve your practice.


STAY CONNECTED:
Show Hashtag: #freetobemindfulpodcast
Website: https://www.freetobemindful.com/podcast
All Social Channels: @counselorvdejesus


DISCLAIMER:
Free to Be Mindful Podcast episodes are for educational purposes only and should not be considered as or substituted for therapy or professional help from a licensed clinician.