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Welcome to Country Proud Living with your host LoriLynn. "Where nurturing spaces empower your life and every day feels a little more like home."

In today’s episode, LoriLynn shares a real-life moment of pause—when grief and heaviness made it impossible to “push through”—and how that experience became a gentle invitation to soften the inner critic. You’ll learn how grace can be a design principle for your inner life and your home: creating space, light, margin, and a soft place to land.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the inner critic often whispers (and why we mistake it for “truth” or “motivation”)
• How perfection can feel like belonging—and how to loosen its grip
• A simple, no-journaling practice to respond with compassion: “Would I speak to someone I love this way?”
• How your home environment can amplify self-judgment—or support healing
• Why releasing urgency is a form of self-respect (especially for high-capacity women)

A simple practice (try this today):

When your inner critic shows up, pause and ask: “Would I speak to someone I love this way?”

Episode Timeline:

🕰️ 00:11 Welcome + Episode 96 intro
🕰️ 01:10 Why this episode shifted (heaviness, grief, and needing to pause)
🕰️ 04:10 Naming the inner critic (and why it feels “protective”)
🕰️ 06:20 Grace as a design principle: space, margin, light
🕰️ 08:30 Where the inner critic shows up in everyday life (rest, unfinished projects, comparison)
🕰️ 10:45 The compassion question: “Would I speak to someone I love this way?”
🕰️ 12:20 Home as a partner in healing: calm corners + intentional simplicity
🕰️ 14:10 Letting go of what no longer serves you (the “shedding” story)
🕰️ 16:10 Releasing urgency + learning

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

Welcome to Country Proud Living with your host LoriLynn. "Where nurturing spaces empower your life and every day feels a little more like home."

When the world feels heavy, uncertain, and overwhelming, this gentle episode of Country Proud Living offers a pause—a moment to breathe, soften, and tend to yourself without guilt. LoriLynn speaks honestly about emotional overload, empathy fatigue, and the weight many are carrying right now, while offering compassionate reminders and practical tools for caring deeply without carrying it all. If you’ve been feeling tired, tender, distracted, or emotionally full, this episode is a soft place to land.

🕰️ Episode Timeline

00:11–01:30 | Welcome + Setting the Tone
A gentle welcome to Country Proud Living and why this episode needed to be a pause instead of pushing forward.

01:30–04:00 | Acknowledging the Weight
Why feeling heavy doesn’t mean something is wrong with you—and how constant exposure to crisis affects our nervous systems.

04:00–07:00 | You Can Care Without Carrying It All
Empathy, humanity, and why we weren’t meant to absorb everything we see and hear every day.

07:00–10:00 | Practical Ways to Care for Yourself
• Limiting doom-scrolling, Choosing education or uplifting content, Grounding in the present moment, and Focusing on what you can control

10:00–13:00 | Healing Through Creation, Kindness & Joy
• Creating something, Allowing feelings without rushing to fix them, Small acts of kindness, and Letting joy, laughter, and connection still exist

13:00–15:00 | Breath, Rest & Gentle Closing A short grounding breathing exercise (safe for driving listeners), reminders to hydrate, rest, disconnect—and a final truth to carry with you.

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

Welcome to Country Proud Living with your host LoriLynn. "Where nurturing spaces empower your life and every day feels a little more like home."

In this episode of Country Proud Living, host LoriLynn sits down with Kim Costa, a seasoned expert with more than three decades of experience in residential construction, design, and real estate. Kim helps women and families create homes that align with their lives, values, and wellbeing through her signature Wheel House framework. Her unique approach goes beyond aesthetics to explore how our spaces influence our confidence, energy, and everyday choices.

Kim’s work has sparked meaningful conversations across platforms, including her role as a host on American Dream TV, where she reframes what it means to live well. In this episode, Kim shares her journey, insights into mindful home transformation, and guidance for letting go of old spaces or habits that no longer serve us.

She also discusses her upcoming book — Live in Your Wheel House — a thoughtful guide designed to help you intentionally align your home with your purpose and next chapter. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss!

📌 Important Links to Connect with Kim

Official Website (Lifestyle Foundations / Wheel House):
👉 https://lifestylefoundations.com/
— Explore the Wheel House framework, assessments, and resources.

👉Instagram: IG: @kim.e.costa
— Inspiration, tips, and community with Kim.

Facebook:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/696466460215181
— Updates and conversations.

LinkedIn:
👉 h

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

Welcome to Country Proud Living with your host LoriLynn. "Where nurturing spaces empower your life and every day feels a little more like home."

In this special episode, LoriLynn celebrates two years of the Country Proud Living podcast and invites you into a gentler, more intentional way of beginning again — one rooted in slow living, intentional design, and compassionate self-growth.

If you’ve felt pressure to set big goals or sprint into the new year, this episode offers a refreshing reframe: you don’t need big goals — you need intentional direction, supportive spaces, and permission to start softly.

🕰️ Episode Timeline

🕰️ 00:11 – Welcome + 2-Year Celebration
Gratitude for two years of nurturing spaces, empowered living, and community.

🕰️ 02:00 – Giveaway Announcement
How to enter the free virtual color & design consultation
• Follow the podcast
• Rate & review
• Follow on Instagram @LoriLynnCountryProudLiving
✨ Winner announced Saturday, January 31 at 11:11 AM

🕰️ 04:00 – What “Start Soft” Really Means
Why January doesn’t need to be rushed — and why spring is the true beginning.

🕰️ 06:30 – Small Steps > Big Goals
A beautiful life is built through small, intentional choices made consistently.

🕰️ 09:00 – Home as a Tool for Growth
How your environment can either support your growth or quietly drain you.

🕰️ 11:30 – Gentle Ways to Start Soft
• Choose a word, not a goal
• Design for how you want to feel
• Create sanctuary before strategy
• Let progress be quiet
• Trust consistency over intensity

🕰️ 15:00 – Vision, Retreats & What’s Ahead
Why sanctuary, vision, and community matter — and a peek at future retreats.

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

🎉 🎉 🎉 Country Proud Living is officially two years old, and today’s episode is a heartfelt pause to say thank you. Thank you for inviting me into your homes, your cars, your walks, and your quiet moments. This podcast has never been about perfection — it’s always been about creating a life and home you’re proud to live inside. To celebrate, I’m giving away a FREE virtual color & design consultation to help you refresh a space, choose paint colors, or finally get unstuck on a design decision — from anywhere you live. Details to enter in the episode and IG @lorilynn_countryproudliving

🕰️ Episode Timeline 0:11–3:00 | Gratitude & Grounding: A quiet winter morning, fresh snow, hot coffee, and deep gratitude. 3:00–8:00 | Becoming, Not Arriving: This podcast is about becoming — not rushing, performing, or chasing metrics. Growth happens slowly, intentionally, and with heart. 8:00–15:00 | Lessons from Two Years of Showing Up: Five quiet truths learned along the way:

• Consistency beats confidence — start before you’re ready
• Homes change as we do — let your space evolve with your life
• You’re not behind, you’re becoming — less ego more intention
• Slow progress is still progress — forward is forward
• Community matters -vs- numbers— less follow me instead come with me

15:00–End | What’s Ahead: What’s coming next includes:

• Continued nurturing conversations & interviews
• Real-life design wisdom rooted in lived experience
• Gentle encouragement for growth and self-trust
• A new Country Proud Living website
• A refreshed podcast cover & trailer
• Exploration of a future retreat experience for women ready to slow down and go deeper

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

Welcome to Country Proud Living with your host LoriLynn. "Where nurturing spaces empower your life and every day feels a little more like home." In this soul-soothing episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn speaks to the woman who feels tired, unmotivated, or quietly reflective—and wonders why. You’re not behind… you may simply be wintering.

This episode explores the wisdom of honoring rest, slowing your pace, and nurturing your home during winter so clarity, intuition, and resilience can quietly take root. Wintering is not stagnation—it’s restoration, reflection, and preparation for what’s next.

❄️ The Winter Pause – Honoring Rest & Renewal 🕯️

🕯️ Wintering looks like:
🪑 Permission to rest without guilt
🫖Slower rhythms that calm the nervous system
☕ Space to reflect, simplify, and release what no longer fits
🔥 A nurturing home that becomes a place to land
🧣Quiet clarity and confidence forming beneath the surface

🕰️ Episode Timeline
✦ 00:11–04:00 Permission to pause & release productivity guilt
✦ 04:00–10:00 What wintering really is—and why it’s necessary
✦ 10:00–16:00 Rest as preparation: nervous system reset & deeper intuition
✦ 16:00–22:00 Wintering in your home: coziness, simplicity & support
✦ 22:00–28:00 Letting go, listening, and trusting quiet growth
✦ 28:00–End Why clarity is born in stillness & what winter is growing

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

Welcome to Country Proud Living, where nurturing spaces empower your life—and every day feels a little more like home. 1 0 0 EPISODES !!!! (including the bonus episodes; ) 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 WhooHoo !!!

✨In this reflective episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn shares the lessons she’s learned about creating a nurturing life—one rooted in intention, presence, and gentle growth. Learn why a meaningful life isn’t achieved but practiced through small choices, supportive homes, and slowing down without guilt.

✨This episode invites you to choose warmth over perfection, connection over comparison, and presence over productivity as you step into a new season with clarity and care.

✨Thank you for your support it means so much to me! Have a healthy, prosperous, and beautiful new year. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who's reflecting right alongside you, and be sure to subscribe so you can continue this journey with me in the year ahead. Thank you for being a part of Country Proud Living. 💛

🕰️ Episode Timeline:

• 00:11–03:00 Welcome & reflection on the Country Proud Living journey
• 03:00–10:00 What a nurturing life really means (and what it’s not)
• 10:00–18:00 How your home reflects your inner life
• 18:00–25:00 Quiet growth, intention, and moving forward gently
• 25:00–End Closing reflections & hopes for the year ahead

⭐ SEO Keywords: nurturing life, intentional living, peaceful home, slow living, mindful lifestyle, country living, personal growth

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR

Send us a text

Welcome to Country Proud Living, where nurturing spaces empower your life and every day feels a little more like home.  
Sometimes the most meaningful life lessons don’t come from big moments — they come from flour-dusted counters, familiar traditions, and slowing down long enough to notice what truly matters.

In this cozy bonus episode, LoriLynn shares 14 gentle life lessons inspired by baking sugar cookies, reminding us that starting before you’re ready creates clarity, rest is essential, perfection isn’t the goal, and sharing what you create is where joy multiplies.

This episode is an invitation to simplify, soften, and live your life with more intention — especially during the Christmas season.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why tradition is one of the most nurturing elements in home and life
• How simplicity and basics create the strongest foundation
• The importance of rest, margin, and not rolling your life too thin
• Why perfection steals joy — and presence creates it
• How sharing what you create multiplies meaning

Quote Shared in This Episode

🕰️ Episode Timeline

• 00:11 – 02:00 | Welcome & the deeper meaning behind sugar cookies
• 02:00 – 10:00 | Lessons on tradition, simplicity, growth & quality
• 10:00 – 18:00 | Rest, margin, boundaries & creating ease
• 18:00 – 26:00 | Time awareness, burnout prevention & pacing life
• 26:00 – End | Presence, sharing what you create & Christmas reflection

If this episode warmed your heart, consider sharing it with someone who could use a little encouragement today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes of Country Proud

Welcome to the Country Proud Living Podcast, I'm your host LoriLynn.

Thanks for stopping by today! Please subscribe to the podcast by clicking plus follow at the upper right. Click those three little dots at the top right & copy the link to share the show with your friends and family. Please leave me a review. This is truly one of the only ways to help my podcast grow. I just want you to know what it means to me that you're here today. I know everyone's time is valuable and it means a lot. Thank you. Love and light, Lori Lynn.

Please share this podcast with your like minded friends and family and subscribe to never miss an episode!
If you have questions, ideas of topics you would like to learn more about, you want to work with me, or you have feedback both good and bad is welcome it can be sent to lorilynn@countryproudliving.com

SHARING ADDITIONAL LINKS TO CONNECT WITH ME: : )
IG: www.instagram.com/lorilynn_countryproudliving
PODCAST:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/country-proud-living-nurturing-home-empowered-self/id1715855014?i=1000645120377
OR for Spotify, iHeart, the pod can be found most anywhere you choose to listen:
https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2247458.rss
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olafsonlori
MY ART GALLERY: https://lorilynn-o-uter.pixels.com/
PINTEREST: https://pin.it/3mX6xMNcR