Episode 36

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Published on:

24th Dec 2025

[036] Jólabókaflóð: A Winter Reading Tradition of Books, Cocoa, and Calm

Jólabókaflóð is the Icelandic tradition of gifting books, drinking cocoa, and spending a quiet winter night reading together. Join me as I share the magic of our family’s Book Flood, why it mattered so much to us, and how you can create a simple, meaningful reading ritual of your own this season.

In this episode:

  1. The Origin of Jólabókaflóð [02:16]
  2. Personal Experience with Jólabókaflóð [03:16]
  3. Planning Your Own Jólabókaflóð [04:28]
  4. Tips for a Successful Book Flood [05:49]
  5. Resources for Year-Round Reading [07:34]
  6. The Deeper Meaning of Jólabókaflóð [09:04]
  7. Invitation [09:54]

Why it matters:

Because in a season that can feel frantic and overfull, Jólabókaflóð invites us to slow down, choose presence over pressure, and let stories reconnect us to ourselves and to each other.

Wildly Recommended:

  1. Bookshop.org book lists
  2. The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore
  3. Wildly Intentional Book Lists

Action Challenge:

So here’s my invitation for you this winter: Pick a night. Choose a book — or a stack of them. Make some cocoa. And let yourselves fall into a quiet tradition that has shaped generations of Icelandic families.

Resources + Links:

  1. Episode [024] Living the Story & Raising Readers: What Laura Ingalls Wilder Teaches Us About Connection that Lasts
  2. Episode [004] How to Curate and Create a Legacy with Your Home Library

Connect with Mandy:

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  3. Find Your Wild Way: Take the Quiz
  4. Visit wildlyintentional.com

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About the Podcast

Wildly Intentional
Reclaim your rhythm. Rethink the rules. Rewrite your life.
If you’ve ever looked around and thought, There has to be a better way—you’re in the right place. This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a call to live, parent, create, and lead on purpose. To break free from the scripts we’ve inherited and build something better—one season, one story, one choice at a time.

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I’m Mandy—maverick homeschooling mom of three, proud wife, family culture builder, cycle-breaker, and the person people call when they’re ready to rethink everything. From my kitchen table to your headphones, I’m here to shake up the norms, tell the truth, and light the way forward.

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About your host

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Mandy Webber

I’m Mandy—a mother, maker, mentor, and unapologetically wild thinker. I’m known for my magnetic energy, practical wisdom, and fierce curiosity—and for helping others unlearn the noise and reclaim the rhythms that actually matter.

I’m the one people call when they’re ready to do life differently—not just talk about it. Whether it’s rethinking school, reclaiming seasonal rhythms, starting a business, healing family cycles, or figuring out how to preserve 50 pounds of tomatoes and their sanity... I help people find their own way—deeply, honestly, and without the fluff.

I’m a builder and a truth-teller. A guide for the questioners and quiet disruptors. A pattern-seer, soul-rooter, and cycle-breaker. The kind of person who lights up a room while pulling back the curtain. I live what I teach, and I mother with my whole being—fierce, flawed, and wildly intentional.

I’m here to tell the truth, shake the norms, and light the way forward—one season, one story, one soul-led decision at a time.

Most days, I’m barefoot in the garden, reading aloud with my kids, canning in the kitchen, or following a big idea down a rabbit hole—coffee in hand, steadied by the quiet presence of my husband nearby. I’m a lifelong learner, a maker of many things, and a lover of good questions.

From my kitchen table to your headphones, this show is your invitation into real conversations, soul-stirring questions, and practical insights about how we live, lead, raise, create, and rebuild with purpose.

If you’re craving honest dialogue, grounded frameworks, spiritual depth, and a bold reimagining of what it means to build a life that truly fits—you’re right at home here.

Welcome to Wildly Intentional. Let’s rethink everything. Together.