Mama Bear Dares

*Listen through to the end of this episode for information on our first giveaway!!! On today’s podcast sisters-in-law Leslie and Tesi talk about dividing up household duties in an intentionally non-gendered way. Tesi discloses her rockstar ability to change the oil in her family van and the goal she has set for herself to learn how to do more tasks generally carried out by the men in her life. The women discuss car maintenance, hanging picture frames, producing a podcast, as well as the impact this way of approaching household chores has had on their spouses and their children. Thanks so much to our sponsor SIS International! Please go to their website to shop extraordinary fair trade pieces. The hostesses of Mama Bear Dares go there first for any birthday or holiday gifts and know you won’t be disappointed! Here's the website: www.sisshops.com. *Giveaway information: For a chance to win a box full of Leslie and Tesi’s favorite fair trade items, subscribe to us on iTunes, rate us on iTunes, review us on iTune

There’s a perception in our culture that if we face obstacles, the world is warning us that we are on the wrong path...or that if an idea terrifies us, it’s probably not worth doing. But on today’s podcast, Jody Landers proves that Mama Bears are born when we lean into fear and do what scares us. If anyone knows about doing big things in life despite being terrified, it’s Jody. With three healthy young boys already part of their brood, Jody and her husband Andy delivered Quincy. Born with a rare birth defect, Quincy spent weeks in the hospital and months in a body cast. It was in that hospital room that Jody’s Mama Bear was born. With the tenacity she found in that hospital room, Jody went on to adopt twins from Sierra Leone, organize a handful of moms to fill backpacks for foster care children, and raise over a half million dollars for clean water. A few years after that she and Becky Straw founded The Adventure Project from her home with her six children underfoot. Most recently Jody dove into a Kickstarter

Moms are complex creatures with incredible depth and layers of complexity. Even though Tesi and Leslie, the hosts of this podcast, have known each other for 14 years each conversation reveals something new. Such are the joys of long friendship—it’s our oldest and dearest friends that we never run out of things to discuss over coffee, wine, or via Skype. On this Mama Bear Dares podcast we meet Tesi Klipsch. Tesi lives in Michigan with her husband Zach and five children—born to her by birth and through adoption. Tesi tells us about her interest in health, fitness, and helping others discover their personal best, as well as the challenges and joys of raising five children, three of them whom were adopted from Ethiopia. Always quick to laugh, Tesi and Leslie enjoy a purposeful conversation that introduces you to one of the Mama Bears behind the podcast. Link to Tesi’s personal blog at www.TesiKlipsch.com. Follow along as she explores mothering older children, and her unique take on current events and race in Amer

In Mama Bear Dares inaugural podcasts, we aim to introduce you to the hosts of the show, Leslie and Tesi Klipsch. This pair of Midwestern women married brothers within months of each other and, for the last 14 years, have shared several life stages: the newlywed stage, the pregnant mamas-to-be stage, the new parenthood stage, and, most recently, a  move to the world of adolescent shepherding. Through it all they’ve laughed a lot. And talk a lot. And shared a passion of encouraging those around them to love the world. Today we introduce you to Leslie, a mom to three through birth and adoption, a writer, and a woman who recently added a puppy to her life. Tesi and Leslie talk about the believing in who you are, the ins and outs of everyday life and how it shapes you as a person, and the importance of self care amidst work and parenthood. Watch for updates and the release of Leslie’s first book, Mama Bear's Manifesto, on her author website! www.leslieklipsch.com Interested in coworking in Eastern Iowa/Western Il

Take a glimpse of what's to come on the Mama Bear Dares Podcast! If you like what you hear and are curious to learn more, please subscribe on iTunes, follow us on FB, Twitter, and Instagram, and check out our website!  Thanks for listening. We hope you'll become a part of our Mama Bear Community!