THE TRAVELING SPARK STATION – WIDE-EYED AND WONDERING Part 3
Release Date: 05/24/2026
The Pink Refrigerator-A Book About a Spark Station, Of Sorts!
Gotta Love Family Podcast
I received this email in the early days of teaching parents how to use The Spark Station. “You may have seen this. It’s a picture book called The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan. This illustrates the secret of the Spark Station in an inspiring way. A junk dealer who likes to do–not much–finds a pink refrigerator that holds something new for him every day, and he gets excited about life and learning, closes shop, and sets off to explore the world. I thought you might enjoy this if you hadn’t seen it. Happy reading, Cathy D.” I was intrigued, so I went to the library and found the...
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The Traveling Spark Station – Holidays, Memories, and a Basket Full of Wonder Part 4
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Holidays have a magic that no other topic quite matches. Children feel them coming weeks in advance. They carry memories, traditions, food, and family stories all bundled together. They are, in many ways, the punctuation marks of a child's year, the moments against which everything else is measured. I can remember family holidays when I was a child, and my children still talk about theirs. That's what makes them perfect Traveling Spark Station territory. In this final installment, Part 4, of the series on The Traveling Spark Station, we're going to look at six holidays that have found their...
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THE TRAVELING SPARK STATION – WIDE-EYED AND WONDERING Part 3
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Here we are — Part 3. If you've been listening along with and , you already know the rhythm. You pick a topic, you gather a few books, a simple activity or two, and maybe something to eat. You show up, and something small and good happens. Part 3 is where the Traveling Spark Station gets wonderfully wide. We're talking about the entire world — its creatures, its seasons, its countries, its history, and the people who shaped it. These topics help children understand that they’re part of something bigger than themselves: a family with a history, a country with a story, a planet full of...
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The Real Problem With Kits Isn't The Kit
Gotta Love Family Podcast
While working with individual families, this question came up often - should I let my kids use kits or have them work from scratch? I had listened to speakers and read articles that said absolutely no kits. By then, I had stopped living in a black-and-white world. I had learned to take my family, their needs, as well as my own, into consideration when deciding what was good for connection and learning. I had gotten brave enough to say, "I'm the expert in my home." I surely didn't know everything and still don't, but I observed, pondered, and used my good sense. With that in mind, listen to...
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5-10-26 The Traveling Spark Station - Numbers Needles & Faries Part 2
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Welcome back. If you heard , you already know that the Traveling Spark Station isn't about content — it's about being present. It's about showing a child that the person standing in front of them finds the world interesting and wants to explore it together. In Part 2, we're going to explore two areas that might surprise you: math and the arts. I say "surprise you" because math has a reputation for being dry and intimidating, and the arts sometimes get dismissed as less important than "real" subjects. The Traveling Spark Station disagrees with both of those ideas. Math is everywhere — in...
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A Spring Story - A Principle Taught
Gotta Love Family Podcast
It's spring — that season of newness, freshness, and quiet beginnings. It seemed the perfect time to share a story from Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards' book The Daffodil Principle, because it beautifully illustrates something I've come to believe deeply: that lasting change happens 1% at a time. Not in grand gestures or overnight transformations, but in small, consistent efforts that grow into something magnificent. Join me as I share portions of a story that illustrate that we make a difference and leave a legacy 1% at a time.
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THE SPARK STATION – IT TRAVELS Part 1
Gotta Love Family Podcast
When my daughter, Jodie’s, children were young, I lived two blocks away. When I was caring for them in my home, they loved . But I wanted to connect more often, so for several years I would take my Spark Station traveling to their home. I didn’t stop there. I took it to Washington and Colorado to connect with my faraway grands. I used it at events with children. I wanted a better connection with all the children in my life. It came to be called the Traveling Spark Station. This four-part series is for anyone who loves a child but doesn't live with them every day — grandparents, aunts,...
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The Spark Station: Bringing It All Home
Gotta Love Family Podcast
When I developed the Spark Station, I thought I was helping parents learn to use a useful tool for connection, learning, and fun. What I spent most of my time doing was helping parents see their children differently — helping them stop seeing their children as burdens, responsibilities, or problems to be solved. My mission became helping parents adjust their sight and hearts, to see their children with new eyes. When we see differently, we behave differently. When we behave differently, we get new results. Willpower isn't what makes a home a heaven. Seeing our children as people we genuinely...
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The Spark Station: Bringing It All Home
Gotta Love Family Podcast
When I developed the Spark Station, I thought I was helping parents learn to use a useful tool for connection, learning, and fun. What I spent most of my time doing was helping parents see their children differently — helping them stop seeing their children as burdens, responsibilities, or problems to be solved. My mission became helping parents adjust their sight and hearts, to see their children with new eyes. When we see differently, we behave differently. When we behave differently, we get new results. Willpower isn't what makes a home a heaven. Seeing our children as people we genuinely...
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The Spark Station in Action_ Real Families, Real Results Part 2
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Last week, I shared an experiment I did with real families using the Spark Station. I reiterated the five rules that make everything else work and shared real family experiences for three of those rules. Today, we will cover the last two rules. I am also going to address what to do if it isn't working for your family and how to manage the hard days. Join me as I round out all the information so you can begin to find successful family connection with this fun tool.
info_outlineHere we are — Part 3. If you've been listening along with Part 1 and Part 2, you already know the rhythm. You pick a topic, you gather a few books, a simple activity or two, and maybe something to eat. You show up, and something small and good happens.
Part 3 is where the Traveling Spark Station gets wonderfully wide. We're talking about the entire world — its creatures, its seasons, its countries, its history, and the people who shaped it. These topics help children understand that they’re part of something bigger than themselves: a family with a history, a country with a story, a planet full of remarkable things worth knowing about. Join me and lets have some fun!