Delighted by Motherhood
Issue 133, featuring an interview with Kira Nelson
Welcome to a special Mother’s Day edition of The Girl’s Guide! Whether you are celebrating others, being celebrated, or remembering someone you love on Mother’s Day, I hope it is truly a day to be cherished. As always, if you missed the most recent newsletter, find it here.
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Interview with Kira Nelson
In honor of Mother’s Day, today’s interview is with my fellow Patrick Henry College grad Kira Nelson, host of the Delighted Motherhood podcast. You can connect with Kira on Instagram and listen to the latest episodes of Delighted Motherhood here. Plus, you can check out Kira’s writing here!
What does your life look like right now?
Life these days looks beautiful and full! My husband, also a PHC grad, works as a partner at Morgan Lewis and I homeschool our four kids. We spend our days reading books, exploring nature, and doing ministry together at our church (Del Ray Baptist) and in our neighborhood (Old Sleepy Hollow). Although life is full, we are not overly full. The Lord has blessed me with time for pleasure such as long-distance running, novel reading, or watercolor painting.
Why did you start your podcast Delighted Motherhood?
I started my podcast because I wanted to help myself, and other young moms, think about motherhood from a biblical perspective rather than secular perspective. God is the creator of motherhood and he describes it as a good thing — the vocation of motherhood is never described as something undesirable. I want to help myself and others learn to dig into scripture when we face challenges in our God-given calling. Motherhood can truly be a delight when we make the Lord our anchor.
What's something you wish you had known as a first-time mom?
When I was a first time mom I was unprepared for how much joy the Lord would bring me through motherhood. Mom life is so hard! Many of the negative things people say are true. But they’re only part of the story. The grander story, that I think God wants to tell us through motherhood, is that he is good and he is for us. Pursue him with all of your heart and I think you’ll be surprised with how much delight you can find in motherhood.
Can you explain your teatime tradition?
We love teatime so much! Every afternoon around 3:30 to 4:30, we take a second to make something yummy to drink and something yummy to eat, light a pretty candle, and sit together and enjoy one another’s company. Sometimes we do this while watching WORLD Watch News, or working on some kind of memory work, or doing a craft. About two to three times a week we include other people in this practice as well. I’m a big fan of using beautiful breakable china, but just getting dishes secondhand so I don’t care when they break. Because! They break all the time. I also very much recommend Yorkshire Gold black tea.
What’s one of your favorite reads from the last year?
Reading in the afternoon is one of my very favorite times of the day! So it might be impossible for me to pick a favorite book from the whole of last year. But! A book that I love and have loved for years and read all the time is The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming by Sally and Sarah Clarkson. It is packed with practical and fun ideas for enjoying spending time with your family, and it’s organized by the month.
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The Haps
From Senate Intern to NFL Player
The Internet was ablaze after Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar congratulated one of her former interns for being drafted in the NFL. No offense to Jalen Travis, who will be playing for the Indianapolis Colts and is probably a nice guy, but having a political crossover is the only way to get me to pay attention to sports. Also, it’s really funny to imagine Travis, who looks a bajillion feet tall in his photo with Klobuchar, cramming himself behind a little desk to answer constituent phone calls. But back to the Internet’s reaction — there were some gems. “No job has ever prepared someone more for the physicality of the NFL and the abuse of rookie hazing more than interning for Amy Klobuchar,” one X user wrote. Fact check: probably true.
Here are more links to what I’m reading and listening to lately:
Laundry for Pro-Social Hippies (Bad Trad Mom): Only
can make me want to buy a book entirely dedicated to the art of laundry.100 Days of Trump, ft. Reagan Reese (Moment of Truth): My husband Nick interviews the Daily Caller’s White House correspondent about behind-the-scenes of her job! Read my 2023 interview with Reagan here.
The Meaning of Ralph Lauren Nationalism (Compact): “Dressing like an American means wearing what you want, when you want it. And if that means slapping a nice big flag on your garb, so much the better,” Samuel Goldman writes.
Stranded man airlifted from Mount Fuji — then rescued again days later after he returned to get his phone (CBS News): No phone left behind.
At Butterworth’s, the food knows no party affiliation (WaPo): I got to try Butterworth’s famous fries recently. They were worth the wait!
Ask Evie
Have a question you want me to answer in the newsletter? Click this link to send your question anonymously! You can read my most recent Ask Evie column, about friendships and political differences, by clicking here.
Loooove the tea time ritual! Something so cute about a baby with tea.