The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Families are never flawless—but they can still be resilient, connected, and full of joy. In this episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Jessica Smartt returns for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a home your kids want to come back to. Drawing from her new book, Come On Home, Jessica shares stories of life on a family compound, the hidden challenges that shape everyday parenting, and the surprising ways legacy is forged through ordinary, imperfect moments. This episode is equal parts practical and heartfelt. From sibling rivalries to marriage struggles, from planting long-term seeds of connection to embracing laughter in the chaos, Jessica’s wisdom is relatable for every season of family life. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “doing enough,” this conversation will encourage you that the small things matter more than you think. There are lots of laughs in this one! Listen in and share it with a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if one open-ended question could turn a hospital room (or a hurried life) into a place where people feel seen? In this conversation, ICU nurse–turned–story gatherer Hunter Prosper shares how asking a dying patient about her greatest love cracked his own burnout and sparked Stories from a Stranger, a project he calls “therapy for millions.” Together we explore why real listening restores our humanity, how strangers open up when they feel seen, and why your emotions like anxiety, joy, heartbreak are the bridge that connects you to everyone around you. If you’ve ever wondered how to help your kids (and yourself) feel wanted, loved, and truly known, this episode gives you simple, powerful tools: the open-ended questions to borrow, the art of letting silence do its work, and the courage to start a conversation on the sidewalk or around your dinner table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if homeschooling wasn’t a conveyor belt of quizzes and boredom—but the most flexible, life-giving way to raise whole humans? In this conversation with Amber O’Neal Johnston, editor of the new anthology Homegrown, we dismantle the myths: how Amber went from “absolutely not” to “never looked back,” why freedom to pivot becomes a family superpower, and how learning in community (like Erin Loechner’s “together schooling”) turns neighbors, potters with kilns, and adventure clubs into the world’s most joyful classroom. We talk confidence over fear, travel as teacher, Charlotte Mason and living books, and why moms (and dads!) are the “special sauce” their kids actually need. We also get real about hard seasons like grief, health crises, money stress and why your kids aren’t “falling behind” when life happens; they’re gaining a profound education in perseverance, compassion, and peace. You’ll hear why “seasons take time to change,” how brains (and families) grow through challenge, and why relationships—not checklists—drive real learning. If you’re starting, restarting, or homeschool-curious, this is your Sunday reset: practical, soul-steadying, and deeply encouraging. Listen and share! Text this episode to a friend who needs a boost. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When feeding your family feels confusing and chaotic, this episode is your reset. Functional-medicine dietitian Ali Miller (RD, LD, CDE) shows how to move from “immediate” choices to environmental shifts to true habit rewiring—simplifying dinner with 5–7-minute protein sears, sheet-pan veggies, and one slow-cook a week. We talk “God foods” vs. ultra-processed products, why kids’ moods track their blood sugar, and how to make your kitchen the hearth again—less frantic, more joyful. Ali’s brand-new book, Naturally Nourished Kids turns big ideas into doable family routines (like bone-broth queso, cabbage chips, and rainbow sheet-pans). We also dig into guiding teens toward ownership (guided choices, smart carb-plus-protein pairings), and how probiotics + mineral-rich bone broth support calmer brains and sturdier immune systems. For a deeper dive into food-as-medicine and anxiety, explore Ali’s Anti-Anxiety Diet resources and her Naturally Nourished Podcast. Then queue up this episode on your favorite app and pass it along—because a calmer kitchen can change a whole household. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if joy isn’t a mood but a muscle? In this heartfelt, fast-moving conversation, Rachel Awtrey shares how she learned to “nod to hard things without bowing to them" from cayenne-in-the-chili nights and Lego landmines to job loss and grief. She unpacks three kinds of hard days (typical interruptions, long tough seasons, and true tragedies), why we often compare ourselves to an ideal version of ourselves, and how asking for help actually forges your strongest friendships. Along the way, we talk simple practices that change the temperature of your home: taking more meals outside and counting those hours toward the 1000 Hours Outside Challenge, short walks, grounding, ice-rolling for a quick nervous-system reset, and the underrated experience of adult play. If your life is technically “likable” but doesn’t feel that way right now, this episode is your permission slip to make some small changes. Grab Rachel’s new book, Love Your Life, Even When You Don’t Like It All the Time , check out her show, Real Talk with Rachel Awtrey, and say hi to her on Instagram (@rachelawtrey). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the antidote to our frantic, hyper-scheduled lives is a single pot of herbs on the back step? In this deeply honest conversation, returning guest Bailey Van Tassel shares how planting one container cracked open a new way of living—rewiring how she mothers, works, and measures “success.” We talk about the joy of learning again as an adult, the “just-enoughness” a garden offers in every season, and why kids (and parents) come alive when we co-create with nature. You’ll hear the city-to-soil story behind Bailey’s new book Kitchen Garden Living, and the surprising ways a messy bed of flowers can mirror a beautiful, resilient family life. Listen and let your shoulders drop. Then we get practical: pollinator borders that invite life, trap crops that protect your veggies, companion planting that keeps pests in check, trellises and hoops that make space, and Bailey’s simple “poker planting” method so you know what to grow, where, and how much. We also swap soul-feeding ideas—family foraging maps, pressed-flower pasta, homegrown teas and salves—and make the case to start small today. Follow Bailey and explore her resources at baileyvantassel.com. Listen in and then share this one with a friend who’s craving a gentler pace—and maybe a tomato that tastes like summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This conversation is a deep breath and a practical roadmap for a time when parenting has become so challening. Bestselling author Kari Kampakis (mom of four girls) joins Ginny to share what truly equips daughters for today’s pressures—friendship shifts, online comparison, dating drama, and the “conformity engine” that can steal childhood wonder. Kari’s hope-forward framework is simple and memorable: use the drip-drip-drip approach to big topics, teach girls to cast a wide net socially, and help them leave relationships with dignity. You’ll hear why urgency often backfires, how to avoid the “bitter barn,” and how to plant short, sticky phrases your daughter will actually remember. Explore more of Kari’s work here: karikampakis.com and her new book Is Your Daughter Ready? 10 Ways to Empower Your Girl for an Age of New Challenges here. This episode balances heart and horsepower. You’ll get language for hard moments (including party safety, peer pressure, and tech boundaries), plus the comforting truth that seeds you’ve planted can’t be unplanted. If you’re parenting a girl—from elementary through college—this one is equal parts perspective shift and playbook. Share it with a friend who needs encouragement today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our most light and peppy episode to date, Danielle Kartes reminds us that joy is available today—not if or when. In this upbeat, heart-forward conversation, the celebrity chef behind Rustic Joyful Food shares how a closed restaurant, tight budgets, and a whole lot of grit became the soil for fourteen books, national TV appearances, and a ministry of encouragement. We swap stories about building a resilient family culture around the table, the healing power of rhythm and routine, and why “Dear dinnertime, we love you!” can change a home’s atmosphere. Explore Danielle’s world (and her recipes by season) at RusticJoyfulFood.com Parents, you’ll love the practicals: getting kids confident in the kitchen, “flip it or skip it” ingredient swaps, toddler-tapas starters, and the lost skills every child can master—multiplying a recipe, seasoning with savvy, and knowing when a cake is done. Danielle’s brand-new book The Best Kids Cookbook is a joyful on-ramp to all of it. Also, check out the other books mentioned in this episode! Your Were Always There Meant to Share If this conversation encouraged you, share the link with a friend—your text might be the bright spot in their day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This special September Sunday episode is a deep breath for weary and wondering parents. Ginny welcomes author and podcaster Maeve Jemison to dismantle the most persistent homeschool myths—socialization, schedules, screens, “I’m not patient enough,” “we both work,” single parenting homeschool, and more—and to show why home can be the ultimate individualized education plan. Maeve shares how she pulled her daughter mid-year, moved from all-online to books on the couch, and discovered what so many families eventually see: kids thrive when we protect curiosity, right-size academics, build life skills, and make room for joy. It’s practical, eye-opening, and deeply affirming—exactly the reset you need heading into a new homeschool week. You’ll leave with concrete, calming takeaways: flexible rhythms that work for dual-income and single-parent homes, why functional literacy doesn’t require full-time school hours, and how embracing many ways to be smart unlocks confidence for every learner. This conversation is part of our September Sunday series designed to help you start each week steady and supported. Listen, share with a friend who’s on the fence, and keep the encouragement coming. • Get Maeve’s book: Home Is Where the Truth Is: Why You Can and Should Homeschool Your Child • Listen to Maeve’s podcast: Homeschooling for Catholic Parents — Listen on Amazon Music Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beloved guest Luis Fernando Llosa returns with a simple, gritty rescue plan for modern families: rebuild the family base camp so your kids can handle pressure, bullying, and performance culture without losing their joy. We dig into free play over frenzy, why most kids quit organized sports by 13, and how to prepare your child for the possibility of many job changes in adulthood. Resources: Emotionally Resilient Tweens and Teens by Luis Fernando Llosa and Kim John Payne Beyond Winning: Smart Parenting in a Toxic Sports Environment by Luis Fernando Llosa, Kim John Payne, and Scott Lancaster Whole Child Sports Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this heart-opening conversation, Ted Page and Ginny explore why grandfathers are oddly absent from popular culture—and why their presence might be exactly what modern families are missing. Drawing on Ted’s new book, Good Grandpa: Stories from the Heart of Grandfatherhood, and voices from grandpas across cultures and generations, they unpack the joy (chocolate for breakfast!), the work (moving rocks, building character), and the legacy (forever letters, shared stories) that knit families together. Learn more about Ted’s work and community at GoodGrandpa.com and find his book there, too. Ted makes a compelling case that today’s grandparents are the first to inherit the internet—and can use it to reduce screens, not increase them: FaceTime for connection, emails as “forever letters,” and then power down for books, brooks, clay pits, and tree climbs. You’ll leave with a simple mantra from Aunt Lois—“be there for them”—and practical ideas for welcoming grandparents in as allies who protect childhood, strengthen parents, and pass down love that outlives us. If this encourages you, share it with a grandparent (or grandparent-to-be), and grab more nature-rich family resources at 1000HoursOutside.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this heart-lifting conversation, Ginny sits down with author and mama of nine Amy Hughes to explore how ordinary phrases shape extraordinary childhoods—often more than we realize. From the “funny” comment a six-year-old takes as literal truth, to why “be careful” and “calm down” backfire, Amy shows simple swaps that lower fear, raise connection, and help kids think for themselves. You’ll hear practical ideas like creating a cozy “time-in” spot, ordering the environment instead of the child, and aiming for a five-to-one ratio of encouragement to correction—plus the courage to say the most powerful two words in a family: “I’m sorry.” Learn more about Amy’s work and find her gentle, faith-filled voice here: Words Like Honey (book), @simplelittleamy, and simplelittleamy.com. We also wade into the tender dance of letting go as kids grow and how to grant real autonomy while staying a safe, steady place to land. It’s a conversation for parents who want fewer ultimatums, more wisdom, and a home atmosphere that heals. If you’ve ever wondered how to speak life into your family when emotions run high, this episode will meet you right where you are and give you language you can use today. Share it with a friend who needs a hopeful nudge. A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below: Select Quote: Head to www.selectquote.com/1000hours to learn more. BetterHelp: Visit www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS today to get 10% off your first month. Quince - Visit www.quince.com/outside and get free shipping and 365 day returns NIV Application Bible - visit www.NIVapplicationbible.com if you’re looking to grow in your understanding of Scripture and make it real in your daily life. Capstone Wellness - For over 24 years, Capstone has helped thousands of families on their path to healing. Learn more at capstonewellness.com/1000hours NurtureLife - Head to NurtureLife.com/1000HOURS55 and use code 1000HOURS55 for 55% off your first order PLUS free shipping. Wayfair - Get organized, refreshed, and back to routine for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Earthley - Use the code 1000hours to get 10% off your next purchase at www.earthley.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if boyhood isn’t a problem to fix—but a strength to steward? In this energizing, tender conversation, Ginny Yurich and author Rebekah Lovell dismantle the myth that lively boys need taming. From a golf-cart rescue on Rebekah’s farm to the everyday habits that build courage and character, they name what our culture gets wrong: over-scheduling, medicating drive, and treating noise, dirt, and risk like defects. They also offer a hopeful path back with ideas like service before entertainment, real responsibility, and wide-open hours outside. You’ll leave with a practical playbook for reviving boyhood at any age: daily read-alouds, purposeful risk (trees, tools, real work), and simple rhythms that turn “busy” into brave. Start Rebekah’s free Outdoor Reading Club to pair books with sunshine, then use this episode as your nudge to cut screen clutter, unschedule a little, and watch initiative bloom. If you’ve sensed that childhood is being tamed indoors, this is your permission and your plan to bring back wonder, grit, joy and lots of dirt. Get your copy of Boyhood Resurrected here Explore the mission the ⁠Warrior Poet Society⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philosopher and author Dr. Kay Toombs joins Ginny to name the thing so many parents feel but can’t quite describe—a hyperactive worldview that trains us (and our kids) to crave instant results and reject slow, quiet, real life. Drawing on her brilliantly researched book, Changing Our Minds (get the book), and decades living in an intergenerational, agrarian community, Kay explains how always-on tech reshapes attention, dulls imagination, and erodes empathy, while crafts and time outdoors rebuild patience the old-fashioned way. From the contagious joy of teens knitting their first headbands to kids discovering where dinner actually comes from, this conversation makes a compelling case for trading dopamine-on-demand for the deep satisfaction of making, tending, and waiting. It’s also a practical playbook for families on the edge of burnout. Kay and Ginny outline how to replace screens with compelling alternatives, form a small tribe of like-minded families, and trust kids with real responsibility—steps that restore attention, confidence, and connection. If your home feels like it’s speeding up while patience is wearing thin, start here: explore resources at 1000 Hours Outside, then queue the episode and share it with a friend (listen on Apple Podcasts or listen on Spotify). This is a hopeful, hands-on roadmap for resisting hurry and raising children who can notice, wait, wonder, and love well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bonus Sunday episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, host Ginny Yurich sits down with unschooling mom Raven Kramer to make a beautifully simple case: when we let kids be kids, learning takes root. Raven shares how healing her own story shaped a “life schooling” approach where play isn’t fluff - it’s physics, literacy, fractions, and emotional intelligence in disguise. From board-game math and baking-as-fractions to skatepark conversations with people of all ages, Ginny and Raven reframe socialization, champion boredom as the doorway to creativity, and offer sane screen habits that put curiosity back in charge. Follow Raven on Instagram at @ravennkramer and learn more about her nature-based community at Wild School of Tampa Bay. You’ll also hear practical rhythms for dual-working households, why “outside” is a classroom, and how to make homeschool more affordable—from museum discounts to the fourth-grade Every Kid Outdoors pass (link). Want to go deeper? Ginny references Peter Gray’s Free to Learn and Angela Hanscom’s Balanced & Barefoot . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this off-beat, surprisingly aligned episode, Ginny sits down with producer Brennan McPherson to unpack Light of the World—a hand-drawn, theater-released animated feature that tells the life of Jesus through the eyes of a teenage John. Brennan shares how a small nonprofit rallied 400 artists over four years to make a reverent, funny, deeply human film that families can actually enjoy together—because the goal isn’t more screen time, it’s real-life connection. From the historically plausible ages of the disciples to Studio-Ghibli-level visual care, the film becomes a coming-of-age story about courage, friendship, and choosing the harder right—exactly the kind of conversations we want after a night at the movies. See showtimes or grab tickets here: lightoftheworld.com. Brennan also shares the project’s heartbeat: using beauty and simplicity to move people off devices and into embodied relationships. You’ll hear how his family’s six-line “Salvation Poem”—now translated into 100+ languages—became a memorable tool kids (and parents) can keep in their back pocket (salvationpoem.com). If your home values time outdoors, creativity, and the kind of stories that linger on the walk back to the car, this conversation will meet you right where you live. Light of the World is out now—make it a family outing this week: lightoftheworld.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rabbits, worms, sheep…and a whole lot of hope. In this lively, can-do conversation, Ginny meets homesteader and educator Laura Cox—the new friend she made at the Homestead Festival—who shows how ordinary families can reclaim food, skills, and sanity without moving to 50 acres. Laura de-mystifies meat rabbits (hello, “bunny berries” that are cold compost and garden-ready), explains simple worm-bin systems you can feed twice a year, and shares why rabbits are the highest protein per gram of the common meats—plus how quiet, low-odor setups can work in a garage, subdivision, or even with an HOA. You’ll hear how her one-income family traded grocery premiums for hands-on, joy-filled work; how agritourism, workshops, and even rabbit-poop sales (!) became a family economy; and why “learning by doing” grows confident kids and connected communities. We also roam through hair sheep and rotational grazing, a forthcoming Young Homesteader book on rabbits (with homeschool tie-ins), and the small businesses Laura spun up from her kitchen—like DIY elderberry syrup kits and a clean seasoned salt blend. It’s a fresh, funny, deeply practical episode that will have you eyeing your yard, your budget, and your week with new imagination. Start with one simple win (zinnias, anyone?), then build from there. Tap the links, listen with a friend, and share with a parent who needs a hopeful on-ramp today: Cox Homestead (workshops, mentorships, farm experiences): https://cox-homestead.com Laura’s Etsy shop (elderberry kits & seasoned salt): https://www.etsy.com/shop (search “Cox Homestead”) The Homestead Festival: https://www.thehomesteadfestival.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a family of six points themselves south and walks the entire Pacific Crest Trail—Canada to Mexico—with kids ages 16, 14, 13, and 11? In this powerful conversation, author Vince Strawbridge ( Pretty Good at Walking ) shares the decision to trade GPAs and schedules for a five-month “classroom with no walls,” and what the trail taught them about capacity, character, and family. We get inside the real logistics—mailing food boxes, burning through shoes, racing post-office hours, learning trail lingo like hiker boxes and trail magic—and the real parenting: discerning pain vs. injury, pacing to your slowest hiker, letting your fastest lead ahead, and discovering that shared suffering forges a different kind of bond. Vince explains why southbounders see less “trail magic,” how their daily mileage jumped from 14 to 26, what night hiking felt like, and why time itself feels different after you’ve measured days by footsteps and first light. But this isn’t just a hiking story—it’s a hope story for parents. Vince describes kids who changed without a single test score; a daughter who learned she quits at 98% of a hill and now pushes the last 2%; a son who found quiet grit; and a dad who came home and rebuilt his work around simplicity because the trail widened his range for discomfort—and joy. We talk growth-through-hard-things (“soon we will be cozy and dry”), why putting yourself in the path of an adventure that’s also for you is the secret sauce, and how extended family and “trail angels” were pulled into the story along the way. If you’ve ever wondered whether a big, out-of-the-box adventure could form your kids (and you) in ways a classroom can’t—this episode will light a spark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an era where smartphones slip into children’s hands long before they’re ready, parents are left asking the same desperate question: What should I do about my kids and technology? Dr. Jean Twenge, renowned psychologist, researcher, and author of iGen and Generations, returns to The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast with a lifeline: her brand-new book Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World. Drawing on decades of data and her own experience raising three teens, Dr. Twenge explains why depression among teens doubled between 2011 and 2019, how smartphones rewired childhood almost overnight, and why conversations alone aren’t enough. Rules, she argues, aren’t restrictions—they’re the guardrails that preserve sleep, mental health, independence, and joy. From the rule of “no phones in bedrooms” to “pick an age and stick with it,” Dr. Twenge outlines a blueprint every family can adapt today. She shows how saying “not yet” to screens actually says “yes” to resilience, friendships, reading, play, and confidence. This episode is both sobering and empowering, reminding parents that they’re not powerless in a tech-saturated culture. With clarity and compassion, Dr. Twenge hands us the rulebook we’ve been waiting for. 🔗 Learn more about Dr. Twenge’s new book: Ten Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We live in a world where every fact is at our fingertips, but what about the questions no search engine can resolve—What makes a good mother? What does the person next to me fear the most? Author Anna Mitchael joins Ginny to share insights from her book They Will Tell You The World Is Yours, a collection of short, powerful vignettes that push back on the cultural noise of “they say.” Together they explore why curiosity flourishes outdoors, how simple road trips can reshape a family, and what happens when you pause before accepting the scripts the world hands you. This episode invites you to resist the pressure to constantly perform, produce, and conform—and instead make small rebellions that open up bigger life. Through stories of aging, comparison, cubicles, canyons, and creativity, Anna and Ginny show how the questions that matter most can’t be Googled but must be lived. Explore more of Anna’s work here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices