If you listened to Part 1, you already know why fun matters in midlife. Today, we’re shifting into the how.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Fun Expert Treena Innes, we get practical about bringing joy back into your everyday routine. From identifying your personal “fun type” to building simple habits, finding fun buddies, and experimenting with new rhythms, this episode will help you take small, meaningful steps toward a life that feels lighter and more alive.

You don’t need more time, money, or energy—just a few doable shifts. Let Treena show you how.

• How to identify your unique fun style
• Simple “fun experiments” to try this week
• Why leaving your environment can instantly improve your mood
• How a fun list makes joy easier to access
• Letting go of outdated responsibilities
• Why you need a “fun buddy” in this season
• The power of saying “Why not?” instead of “Why?”
• Daily reflection practices that help you notice what lights you up

Key Takeaways:

• Fun doesn’t require a big plan—just intentional small moments.
• A fun list keeps ideas visible so you stop defaulting to chores.
• Building a fun tribe helps you stay accountable and energized.
• Saying “why not?” opens doors to whimsy and spontaneity.
• You can create a fun-filled year with simple habits and tiny shifts.

Connect with Treena:

minddoodles.ca
Finding Fun Experiment Podcast
@treena_minddoodles

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

When was the last time you did something just for fun?
If you had to pause and think… you’re not alone.

In Part 1 of my conversation with Treena Innes, Your Life Fun Expert, we unpack why fun feels so hard in midlife and how we slowly lost our connection to joy. This episode will help you feel seen, understood, and a little more hopeful—especially if life has felt heavy or too serious lately.

Next week, we’ll get practical. Today, we’re setting the foundation with the mindset shifts that make space for fun again.

What we cover:

Why so many women lose their “fun habit”

How guilt, comparison, and generational messages shape us

The impact of technology on how we view joy

What happens when we never make time for play

How fun strengthens resilience, clarity, and emotional well-being

What “Fun Health” is—and why it’s just as important as physical health

Key Takeaways:

You weren’t taught to prioritize fun—and that’s not a personal failure.

Fun isn’t frivolous. It’s fuel.

Joy actually supports your mental, emotional, and physical health.

You can’t wait for life to calm down to feel joy—you create it now.

Connect with Treena

minddoodles.ca
Finding Fun Experiment Podcast
@treena_minddoodles

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

In Part 2 of this heartfelt and practical series, Shelly continues her conversation with parent coach Diana Davidson — and this time, they're moving beyond the emotions of drop-off and diving into what actually happens next.

Once the dorm room is set up and the goodbye tears dry, a brand-new season of parenting begins. The rhythms change, communication shifts, and the “How often should I check in?” questions start rolling in. And if you’ve ever struggled with things like Life360, texting boundaries, or knowing how to support your college student without hovering — you’re not alone.

Diana offers real-life strategies for navigating this new dynamic with confidence, peace, and connection. From communication rhythms to practical boundaries to fun creative ways to stay close across the miles, this episode gives you tools you can use today.

Whether your student calls every day or hasn’t texted you back all week, this conversation will help you build trust, stay grounded, and embrace this next chapter with intention.

Key Takeaways

• Parenting from a distance requires a shift from manager to guide on the side.
• Every child has different communication rhythms — honor their personality, not someone else’s.
• Before setting expectations, have a simple conversation: “What kind of communication feels good for you?”
• Boundaries create trust — and reduce anxiety on both sides.
• If Life360 causes stress or control, ask: Is this for my child or for me?
• Simple connection points (photos, pets, plants, playlists) can keep relationships warm without pressure.
• Your child grows when you give them space — and your confidence grows too.

Links and Resources

• Connect with Diana: https://dianadavidsoncoaching.com
• Diana’s free parent care package
• “They’re in College… Now What?” free webinar
• Join the Simple Shifts newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

This week on Midlife Made Simple, we’re diving deep into the emotional side of launching your kids into college life — the part no campus tour or glossy brochure prepares you for.

Shelly shares her own recent experience dropping off both boys this August, and parent coach Diana Davidson joins the conversation to unpack the pride, grief, identity shifts, and unexpected waves of emotion that come with this season.

Diana gives language to what so many moms feel: that emotions are love in motion, that you can hold both joy and sadness at the same time, and that your connection with your child doesn’t end at drop-off — even if your role shifts.

Whether you’re weeks away from move-in day or still adjusting to the quiet, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone, and that God meets you in every part of this transition.

Key Takeaways

• Your emotions aren’t weakness — they’re love in motion.
• You can feel proud and heartbroken at the same time.
• Social media can amplify extreme responses — your feelings are valid no matter where you fall on the spectrum.
• Grief and gratitude can coexist during big transitions.
• Your child’s emotions are connected to yours — when you care for yourself, you care for them.
• You didn’t lose your connection at drop-off; it simply changes shape.
• You were a person before you were a parent — rediscovering yourself is part of the journey.

Don’t miss next week’s episode, where we shift from the heart work into the practical work — how to parent from a distance, set healthy boundaries, communicate well, and stay connected without hovering.

Links and Resources:

• Connect with Diana: dianadavidsoncoaching.com
• Diana’s Parent Care Package
• Diana’s webinar: They’re in College…Now What?

Subscribe to the Simple Shifts Newsletter: midlifemadesimplepodcast.com

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

In this heartfelt Community Conversation, Angel Miraya joins Shelly to talk about the complicated, beautiful season of midlife where multiple roles collide—mom, grandmother, daughter, caregiver, and woman rediscovering her own purpose. Angel shares how running four half-marathons in 28 days became a spiritual reset, how she’s supporting her daughter through single motherhood, and why perspective, community, and prayer are everything.

Her story offers encouragement for every woman navigating transitions she didn’t expect, holding joy and grief at the same time, and learning to trust God with the pieces of life that feel too heavy to carry alone.

Key Takeaways:

• You can hold joy and grief together—midlife is full of bittersweet moments.
• Allowing yourself to feel your emotions helps you process change instead of pushing through it.
• Intentional prayer creates space for perspective, peace, and God’s guidance.
• Surrender isn’t passive—it’s choosing to trust God with outcomes you can’t control.
• Supporting adult children looks different in every season, and grace is required on both sides.
• Grandmotherhood brings unexpected gifts and healing for the parts of motherhood you didn’t get to experience.
• Perspective determines whether you see your responsibilities as burdens or as opportunities to love and serve.
• Community—safe friends who pray with you and for you—makes all the difference in a demanding season.
• Small daily shifts in obedience, kindness, or encouragement create a legacy bigger than any milestone.
• God often answers prayers in ways we didn’t expect, but His timing is always intentional and good.

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

Designer Deanna “Dee” Kline shares how pruning a good thing made space to step back into her business full time—and why changing your mind is growth, not flakiness. We talk about trusting God’s plan over expectations, noticing how discernment shows up in your body, and simple, quiet practices that help you hear your inner yes. If you’re standing at a threshold, this conversation will help you feel seen, supported, and ready to take your next right step.

• Prune the good to make room for the right thing.
• Changing your mind = growth with new information, not failure.
• Discernment can show up as body signals (chills, flutters—even nerves).
• “Sleep on it”: if it still resonates after 24 hours, it’s worth exploring.
• Quiet your world to hear God: voice memos, messy brain-dumps, porch time.
• You don’t need everyone to understand your “download”—the assignment is yours.
• Adult-child relationships flourish when we release control and support how they want to be supported.
• Start small: schedule one tiny action toward what God keeps nudging.

Join the Simple Shifts newsletter for episode resources + one doable rhythm each week: midlifemadesimplepodcast.com

Take 10 minutes to “brain-dump & be still”: record a voice memo or scribble a page, then sit quietly for two minutes and notice what idea keeps returning. That’s your next right, very small step.

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

Summary:
Ready to make joy practical? In this second half of my conversation with Emily Schickli, founder of Mind Body Dharma, we’re moving from the “why” to the how.

Emily—who has worked with companies like Google, Microsoft, Uber, and YouTube—shares simple, actionable ways to bring more fun and fulfillment back into your life. We talk about how to calm your nervous system in just three minutes, start small “bite-size experiments” to find what lights you up, move through resistance, and set boundaries that protect your joy.

If you’ve been craving something that’s just for you, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to finally begin.

Key Takeaways:

Regulate first: Emily shares her “Butterfly Hug,” a 3-minute nervous-system reset to calm anxiety and spark creativity.

Start small: Try two-week experiments to explore what brings you joy—no big life overhaul required.

Move through resistance: Fear and self-doubt are normal; awareness helps you keep going anyway.

Protect your spark: Communicate your project, plan with seasons, and give yourself permission to pause.

Simple first step: Reset your nervous system, download Emily’s guide, and journal one small idea that excites you.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Get Emily's FREE Guide, The 7 Passion Projects That Actually Give You More Purpose, Energy & Time: https://emilyschickli.com/7-passion-projects
• Explore Emily's Passion Project Membership, The Compass Club: https://emilyschickli.com/compass-club
• Follow Emily on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MindBodyDharma

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer

Summary:
Somewhere between raising kids, managing careers, and caring for everyone else, joy can quietly slip off the calendar. In this heartfelt conversation with Emily Schickli, founder of Mind Body Dharma, we explore how starting a passion project—something creative, meaningful, and just for you—can reignite your joy and sense of purpose in this next chapter.

Emily shares her own story of walking away from burnout in the tech world and how a simple spark of curiosity led to a new, life-giving path. You’ll learn how a passion project is different from a hobby, self-care routine, or side hustle—and why it can become a devotional practice that restores your energy and clarity in midlife.

Key Takeaways:

A passion project isn’t about hustle or money—it’s about meaning, creativity, and fulfillment.

Joy is a spiritual discipline—it reconnects you to who God created you to be.

Purpose isn’t found, it’s created through consistent, life-giving action.

Following your curiosity can help you uncover your next chapter without overhauling your whole life.

Next Week:
In Part 2, we’ll get practical—Emily shares a 3-minute nervous-system reset, small “bite-size experiments” to help you start, and simple boundary habits that protect your joy.

Resources in the episode:

Get Emily's FREE Guide, The 7 Passion Projects That Actually Give You More Purpose, Energy & Time: https://emilyschickli.com/7-passion-projects

Explore Emily's Passion Project Membership, The Compass Club: https://emilyschickli.com/compass-club

Follow Emily on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MindBodyDharma

Resources:

• Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/shellyniehaus/
• Simple Shifts Newsletter: https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/tips
• Women Entrepreneurs In Prayer Call - https://midlifemadesimplepodcast.com/prayer