“Let this be your permission to go inwards and listen to the answers that are already within you.”  —  Allison Villa   Hello dear friends - some bittersweet news to share…   This will be the final episode of the Couplehood podcast. (I may return once again or re-direct my energy into other projects...we shall see!)   After much reflection, I’ve decided to take a pause on many aspects of my work life.   In this episode, I share why I’ve come to this decision, the passage that inspired me to go inwards, as well as some reflection questions to help you refle ..read more

“The day to day moments are just as meaningful as the date nights you have.” —  Allison Villa How do we show love every day, when family life is so full-on? I get this question a lot. This is why I created the Love.Every.Day. series every Tuesday on Instagram...and now, also on the podcast! Love.Every.Day tips are simple yet powerful ways to show your love to each other. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know how much I advocate showing your kids what a loving relationship looks like, because how you love each other today lives on for generations. Let’s continue to build an ..read more

“The best measure of your parenting is your child’s happiness.” —  Allison Villa Have you ever stopped to think about what lessons you have learned in parenthood?  Recently, I’ve celebrated a huge milestone in my life; 10 years of motherhood.  In today’s episode of Couplehood, I took some time to reflect on what I’ve learned in my 10 years of parenting and what I would tell myself 10 years ago when I began my motherhood journey.  As you listen, I encourage you to reflect on your own parenting journey and write down the lessons that you’ve learned along the way. I find ..read more

“A Blessing Way is traditionally when multi-generations come together to celebrate & support the mother-to-be before baby’s arrival.” —  Allison Villa Today’s episode of the Couplehood podcast is for those of you that are expecting, or have someone in your life that’s expecting. We’re going to cover the difference between a Baby Shower and a Blessing Way. If you’ve never heard of a Blessing Way - don’t worry - I’m going to fill you in! I recently hosted a Blessing Way that had a unique twist from the traditional ceremony. This one celebrated both the mother and father-to-be - such ..read more

“I want our kids to see the support we give each other. You can have differences, but still be loving and supportive of each other.” —  Sarah Today’s episode is part of my limited Sandbox Spotlight series, which features interviews with real-life couples talking about their real-life experiences navigating the 4 Relationship Seasons, developing better communication skills, and deepening their connection. If you haven’t listened to my episodes on the Relationship Seasons, I recommend you check them out first! My guests for this episode are Sarah and Steve. They have been together for 14 ..read more

“You don’t need to know how it’s going to unfold. You just need to take the first step.”  — Allison Villa  In this episode we are continuing the Couple’s Sandbox Spotlight Series, but for this special episode, I invited my husband Arjan to join me! We share some insight into where our relationship is today.  If you’re a couple that has experienced a significant lifestyle change this year like a move to a new location, switching to homeschooling, or completing a reno, then this episode is for you.  Arjan shares that in the past year we’ve had a lot of external factors that h ..read more

“Before the pandemic, I was a completely different person.” —  Cecilia If you’re a couple that’s had a major lifestyle change during the pandemic, this will be a useful episode for you! This is the second episode of my limited Sandbox Spotlight series, which features interviews with real-life couples talking about their real-life experiences moving through the relationship seasons with total honesty. If you haven’t listened to my episodes on the relationship seasons, I recommend you check them out first! In this series, we explore how couples deal with relationship stresses and learn how ..read more

“I really believe in the power of reflecting on milestones, because they can help us to grow and better understand ourselves.” —  Allison Villa The last year has been a big year for all of us — and that may be the biggest understatement I’ve made so far in 2021! Having the ability to look back and reflect is important, whether you’re looking back on a year of pandemic chaos, a particularly challenging month, or even just a difficult conversation.  Reflecting on our milestones, triumphs, and not-so-triumphant experiences can help us grow and gain a better understanding of ourselves an ..read more

“When you support each other in your self care, that is the ultimate act of love.” —  Allison Villa The past few episodes of Couplehood have been about the relationship seasons that all couples experience. If you haven’t listened to the first two episodes in this series, I recommend listening now. It’s important to understand how these seasons work together because, just like the weather, they follow patterns and have logical transitions between them.  This episode takes a deep dive into the second relationship season, the Coasting Season. I like to call this season the “yellow light ..read more

“When you are listening to your partner, I want to encourage you to listen in a way that helps you to really understand them, as opposed to getting ready to reply.” —  Allison Villa Are you a good listener? Listening effectively is about more than just quietly letting someone else speak.  It’s about consciously hearing what they have to say, instead of just waiting for your turn to reply. It’s both an art and a vital tool for strengthening your relationship. When it comes to communicating effectively, expressing and listening are equally important. You need to be able to help another ..read more