All Mom Does Podcast with Julie Lyles Carr · Purposely

Messy Momming with Courtney DeFeo

September 17, 2025·36 min·2 clips

Courtney DeFeo's kids surprised her with a Ratatouille-themed Mother's Day dinner, complete with sound effects and costumes.

A Mother's Day Ratatouille dinner opens the door. Julie remembers coming home to costumes, menus, sound effects, and children who still knew how to make play feel like a gift. That memory sets the mood for the whole conversation. The episode is less about putting on a good show and more about the relief of seeing kids hold onto laughter, imagination, and welcome as they grow. The guest keeps bringing it back to simple hospitality. Remembering a favorite cereal for a guest, or ordering pizza when spaghetti falls apart, becomes a way to love people before the house or the plan is perfect. There is a nice little exhale in that. Moms know the feeling: the plan changes, the sauce is missing, the girls arrive faster than expected, and suddenly the temperature in the room goes up. Then the story softens. Five girls spend the night, dinner gets complicated, and pizza is enough. That is where the episode lands best. Hospitality can be generous without being impressive. Joy can be real before anyone organizes it. Julie keeps the frame wide enough for play, laughter, parenting, and faith, but she does not turn the moment into a lesson plan. Even the thought about putting away childish things becomes a fair question about what adults give up too quickly when they stop making space for delight. Parents of older kids will probably feel this one most. The high school years can make ordinary nights around the table feel oddly precious, with college somewhere up ahead. The practical pieces stay small: remember what someone likes, say yes when you can, order pizza when needed, and let kids be kids a little longer. The close stays faith-centered, with God, family, and community all in the same room.

As heard by us

A warm, grounded look at keeping play, hospitality, and faith alive at home.

All Mom Does Podcast with Julie Lyles-Garr makes a steady case for keeping play, gratitude, and hospitality alive in a busy house. It stays close to small family moments: a Mother's Day dinner with costumes and sound effects, a last-minute switch from spaghetti to pizza, and the…

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Why you'd press play

When you need parenting wisdom that still leaves room for laughter, play, and a little delight.

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