Looking to create a healthy home environment from our marriage, to our family, to the products we use? I had my good friend Audrey Roloff share all her secrets with us
This week I interviewed my friend Audrey Roloff, and she shared some incredible advice on creating an overall healthy home, including tips on marriage, communication, life balance, home products, and more! Audrey shares her 6 questions from her book “A Love Letter Life: Pursue Creatively, Date Intentionally, Love Faithfully” which are key for open communication between couples. This book has changed the game for open communication in my marriage and I know you guys are going to love everything she has to share about it! Audrey also shares her 3 tips for healthy communication which are again a game changer! If you know me, then you’re aware of my passion for all things clean, natural, and non-toxic. Audrey shares this passion of mine and she shares her story to transitioning to a healthy lifestyle and home.
A little about our guest, Audrey Roloff
Audrey Roloff is an amazing friend of mine and wife to Jeremy Roloff, along with so many other roles she plays with grace. You may remember them from the tv show “Little People Big World”. Audrey is also a great mother to her daughter Ember, and is expecting again! Not only is she a wife, mother, and author…..she’s also an inspiring entrepreneur who values her faith, a natural non-toxic lifestyle, and putting her family and God first above it all.
Listen to the podcast episode here for more in-depth conversation on this topic, or you can click here to listen to it on itunes. Don’t forget to subscribe here so you don’t miss future episodes 🙂
Notes from the Podcast
A Healthy Home: Marriage
6 Marriage Questions You Should Be Asking Your Partner Every Week
Open communication is so so important! Audrey and her husbands have 6 questions they check in and ask each other every week. Life can be so busy and hectic that it can be easy to forget to check in with your partner. This can lead to bottled up anger and bitterness which are relationship killers! Brandon and I looveee this communication tool and use it ourselves because it’s such a great conversation starter, especially for those difficult conversations. These questions are very approachable, especially for men. Since it’s the same 6 questions week after week it feels more approachable, and you know its coming!!
1. What brought you joy this week
It’s so easy to know what annoys your partner, but are you aware of what you do that makes them feel loved and happy?? It’s not as easy!! This question opens the door to understanding your partner, and gives you the opportunity to do more of what brings them joy.
2. What’s one thing that was hard this week
3. What’s one specific thing that I can do for you this week
4. What’s one specific way that I can pray for you
5. Is there any unconfessed sin/ unresolved conflict or hurt from the week that we need to seek forgiveness for or reconcile.
This question is the main conflict preventer!!
6. What’s a dream craving or desire that’s been on your mind this week
Audrey and her husband also include these 2 questions once a month!!
- How are we sorting our finances?
- How is our sex life?
3 Tips For Healthy Conversations
Audrey shared her best advice for having healthy conversations as well as how to have healthy disagreements. Arguing doesn’t have to spin out of control and lead to bigger problems. Learning how to have calm discussions even with differing opinions is key for any relationship. Here are Audreys top 3 tips which she uses in her own marriage.
1.Knowing each others Enneagram numbers.
If you haven’t heard of Enneagram before, it’s basically a personality test which describes 9 different ways of seeing things. Knowing you partners Enneagram type will help you understand the reason why behind their thought process. Knowing why someone feels the way they do make them so much easier to understand. It’s vital to understand that your partner see’s things differently; not try to change the way your partner sees things but that you can do different things about it to be more healthy.
2. Changing your vocabulary
When in a disagreement or talking about each other, Audrey and her husband refrain from using words like “always” or “never”. Why is this so powerful? Statements such as “You always do this” or “ You never do this” aren’t true and come off as attacking. No one is ever truly “always” doing something. When this hurtful exaggeration is taken out of the picture conversations come off less offensive leading to less disagreements.
3. The Power Of Physical Touch
When they’re having an argument for one person to reach over and touch the others hand, or leg. Having that physical touch is like a bomb defuse. The act of physical touch changes the entire conflict environment. The mood switches from “I want to be right” to “Were on the same team”. Reaching over to grab the others hand in a time of disagreement is such an act of humility.
A Healthy Home: Chemical Free Living
Transitioning to a Clean, Non-Toxic Lifestyle
As I mentioned previously, Audrey and I are both supperrr passionate about living a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle ranging from the products we put on our bodies to the products we use to clean our houses. Audrey shares her story transitioning to healthier chemical free home life. As you may know my journey started after beginning birth control and messing my hormones up. I found out about YoungLivings hormonal support essential oils and supplements saved my hormones and inspired me to commit to a cleaner, more chemical aware lifestyle.
Audrey began her journey after becoming pregnant and becoming more aware of the toxic products she was putting on and in her body and around her house. She used essential oils to support her pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Part of her message behind her love and passion for living a natural lifestyle is “let’s be more intentional about giving more to our bodies, so that our bodies can do more”.
If you want to learn more about transitioning to a non-toxic, natural lifestyle click here
A Healthy Home: Rest & the Myth of Life Balance
Defining Success and Finding Balance
Another super important subject we talked about was how to protect your mind and heart, and create our own definition of success while living in a world that never slows down and is always go go go. Audrey as a mother, wife, and successful business entrepreneur has so much awesome advice on this topic!! Putting your marriage/ home life first is key!! If you have a healthy home life and you prioritize your own physical and mental health, then you’re going to have a healthier business.
“Done is Better Than Perfect”
When defining success, Rest should be a huge part of it. Success should be defined by the amount of leisure time one has, not the amount of time you work. Taking time for solitude and silence is key for staying sane in this busy world!! Audrey and her husband shut down all social media and work on Sundays and enjoy the day to really enjoy family and friend time. Rest is a key component to success. The analogy of an athlete is important when talking about rest and success. Athletes training is just as vital as their rest days, fueling food, and sleep. It should be the same way with us if we want to be successful!
For more in-depth conversation on this episode of creating a healthy home, remember to scroll back up and listen to the podcast episode! Or you can click here to listen to it on itunes.
Want to find out more about Audrey?
Audreys Instagram: click here
Audreys Always More Clothing Instagram: click here
Audrey’s Podcast Behind the Scenes: click here
Audreys Website: click here