🦛 Winning Isn’t Everything (Unless You’re Playing Hungry Hungry Hippos...)

If you’ve ever tried to play a board game with a four-year-old, you know that the quest for victory is fierce. But out in the real world, the rush to grab the spotlight, win the gold star, and come in first can sneak into almost everything our girls do. This week on the podcast, we are tackling what it really means to step back, put down the comparison trap, and embrace the kind of humility that Jesus modeled. Instead of pushing others aside to stand on top, we’re learning how true royalty knows how to take off their crown and use it to lift someone else up!

🌱🖨️✨ Grab Your Weekly Printables!

Grab our free, custom activity sheet from Episode 14 and let your daughter cut out and collect sparkling jewels every time she chooses to put someone else first this week!

👉 Download the Free Printable Here

✨ Want to go deeper? 🪏

Grab the Premium Companion Bundle over on Payhip or Etsy for the complete weekly experience! It includes the full Philippians 2:3 copywork set, beautiful story time coloring page, guided reflection journal page, extension activities, and grown-up guide—all for just $3!

👉 Get the Premium Bundle on Payhip

👉 Get the Premium Bundle on Etsy

💁🏻‍♀️ P.S. Looking for a past episode’s printables? Up for a bit of a browse? You can find our growing collection of freebie and premium printables in the 🌱 Seed & Star Resource Vault! ✨

🤗 Welcome Back, Friend!

It is so easy to get caught up in the race for gold stars, high scores, and being the center of attention—even for us grownups! This week’s episode is all about helping our girls take a step back from the spotlight to discover what true, heavenly royalty looks like. By learning to celebrate others instead of competing with them, those little everyday moments—like letting a sibling go first or cheering on a teammate—turn into powerful habits of grace.

Thank you for letting me partner with you as you cultivate deep roots of faith and confidence in your home!

🔍 How to Listen & Engage Today:

* Listen: Tune in directly through our Substack Seed & Star Hub, or pull it up on your favorite podcast player while you fold laundry, craft, or drive to co-op!

* Engage: Print out the Crown of Service ahead of time. Have your daughter cut out the jewels and track every intentional act of service and humility she chooses throughout the week.

* Keep the Truth Rolling: Keep this week’s verse visible on the fridge or the kitchen table to remind her that real greatness is found in serving others:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” — Philippians 2:3

💬 I’d Love to Hear From You!

Once you and your girls have listened, I would love to see their completed Crown of Service printables or hear about how they practiced putting others first this week!

You can reply directly to this email or leave a comment below to share a picture of those sparkling crowns 🤩

THANK YOU for choosing to spend your time with me here today and for allowing me to hang out with your family in such a meaningful way. Gather your girls, take a deep breath, and remember—you were made for this!

So long, and stay bright!

Amanda

Host of Seed & Star

🐕 A Dog’s Tail of Courage 🎚️

Have you ever noticed how cozy it is tucked inside a warm, familiar space or routine? Staying right where everything is predictable feels safe, but sometimes a moment comes along where doing what is right and good requires us to step right out into the chilly air—even if our knees feel like shaking leaves.

In today’s extra special story, The Courage to Climb, we get to see bravery through the eyes of Waffles—a sweet, observant dog with a very high opinion of naps and cheese! When his girl, Astrid, faces a big festival night, a fallen grandfather, thirty steep metal steps, and a lonely new neighbor named Ada, she has to make a choice. It takes a quick breath, a little social bravery, and remembering that God is right beside her on the edge of the high wall for Astrid to turn the lights on for the whole harbor.

This story goes hand-in-hand with Episode 13: Beautifully Brave!

🌱🖨️✨ Grab Your Story Time Printables!

Want to turn this cozy story into a hands-on activity?

Grab our free, custom activity sheet from Episode 13 and track your small acts of courage all week long on your very own Courage Shield Tracker!

👉 Download the Free Printable Here

✨ Want to go deeper?

Grab the Premium Companion Bundle over on Payhip or Etsy for the complete weekly experience! It includes the full Joshua 1:9 scripture copywork set, custom story time coloring page, Head, Heart & Hands guided reflection journal page, extension activities, and a multi-page grown-up guide—all for just $3!

👉 Get the Premium Bundle on Payhip

👉 Get the Premium Bundle on Etsy

🪞 Reflection Questions

Use these questions to chat through the story with your girls over a snack, in the car, or while coloring:

* Staying behind the counter in the pottery shop was Astrid’s “comfort zone.” What are some places or routines in your life that feel cozy and safe like that?

* How did Astrid show bravery in two different ways in this story? (Think about physical bravery and social bravery!)

* When Astrid was at the top of those steep steps, her hands were sweaty and her heart was beating fast. What helped her keep going even though she felt scared?

🤗 BTW, I’d Love to Hear From You!

Reply directly to this email or drop a comment below to share a photo of your girl’s finished Courage Shield Tracker or her coloring sheet of Waffles and Astrid!

THANK YOU, truly, for letting me share this story with your family today. Gather your girls, take a deep breath, and remember—you were made for this!

Stay bright,

Amanda

Host, Seed & Star

💁🏻‍♀️ P.S. Looking for a past episode’s printables? Up for a bit of a browse? You can find our growing collection of freebie and premium printables in the 🌱 Seed & Star Resource Vault! ✨