It's been a long time since I had a newborn at home (with no current plans to have another), but after an expectant friend asked me to share the must-have items we swore by, I realized I never shared our list. The amount of advice, tips, and "must-have" items you hear about when ...read more
Dear Sloan, I've been listening to the playlist your dad made for you before you were born. The first time I heard it, I cried. And now, four years later, it still makes me weep. It's what I played each night while I put you to bed. I'd turn on the purple mood lights your dad ...read more
I remember last year feeling so lost at the idea of how to plan a birthday party for my then-three-year-old. I knew Sloan would be overwhelmed by the idea of having 20 kids (and their parents) gathered around to celebrate her, but we pushed forward regardless. Since all of the ...read more
Buying things for kids they won't tire of immediately, break, or grow out of is quite the challenge—which is why its worth pausing to reflect on the successes. Here are the best purchases I made for Sloan in 2018: "Big girl" bed: Sloan was one of those kids that took her sweet ...read more
My therapist recently shared a trick with me for dealing with anxiety that sounded so obvious, I couldn't believe I'd never thought of it before. In retrospect, I realize I may have missed it because it was right there in front of me and so simple. The idea is this: Any time ...read more
Back by popular demand... Here are some of my favorite things Sloan said this week (read Part 1 here!). "I'm going for a quick walk. I'll be back in 20 hours." (While lying next to me in bed) "Let’s do spooning!" (Re: Luna) “She’s very very soft. She has feathers.” - Sloan“No, ...read more
It's been a year since I wrote about the 10 best items I've purchased for Sloan. Here are the purchases we're loving now that she's a (messy, opinionated, bright, resourceful) three-year-old! Star projector. Remember the glow-in-the-dark stickers we all had as kids? This star ...read more
My husband Nick and I are true L.A. devotees. We fell in love with the city upon first visit, and with each subsequent year (we're now at 10!), found more reasons to love it as we decided to grow even deeper roots here. But that decision—to live in and love a city—was much ...read more
One of my favorite things about Sloan's current age (she'll be 3 1/2 next month) is that she's this miniature (albeit slightly unpredictable) human. She's sharp and observant, sweet and sensitive, and makes us laugh on an hourly basis with the things that come out of her mouth. ...read more
One of my best friends once told me that life seems to turn a new page every ten years or so. At the time, I was in my late-twenties and remember thinking: Well, I guess something should happen in my early 30s since getting married at the ripe old age of 23 was pretty pivotal. I ...read more
Low self esteem has been something that's plagued me for the majority of my life. And while it feels almost pompous to admit, people are often surprised to hear that. I had a wonderful childhood (adoring parents, straight A's, excelled at sports) and love being an adult (I run a ...read more
When people ask me about parenting a three-year-old, I often comment on how it's full of extremes: the highs are so very high, but the lows are... well, low. Sloan has become this miniature human with whom I love to hang out—I'm no longer merely watching her the way I did when ...read more
We threw Sloan's birthday party this past weekend, but since she turns three today, I thought I'd share a few pictures from Saturday. The last two years we had very intimate gatherings at home with just a few people, but since Sloan now has a seriously impressive group of ...read more
There have been plenty of moments in Sloan's life that have been emotional to witness as her parent. Some of them have been rather predictable—the first time she smiled (at 5 a.m. after a long, sleepless night), her first wobbly steps, and when we dropped her off at pre-school. ...read more
As a mom, I've learned how essential it is to trust my instincts. There have been countless times that I've removed Sloan from balancing atop dangerous heights or grabbed something off the ground before she would have put it in her mouth. So a few months ago, when we were ...read more
Earlier this week, Geoffrey came out of Sloan's bedroom holding one of her old diapers, with one of her current diapers for comparison. The ones we used a year ago are almost half the size of her new ones and so small that they fit on her Cookie Monster doll—it's almost ...read more
I receive a lot of interest in the items I purchase for Sloan. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense—kids' products are inherently more eye-catching, splashy, and fun, so her "appliances," toys, and bows tend to get noticed. Our annual list of the 10 best things we've ...read more
And just like that, Sloan is 2. This past year she transformed from a timid baby into an inquisitive, bright, silly little girl. She brings so much joy into our lives, and with it a new perspective—one that makes me feel more present and connected in everything I do. We spent ...read more
It's almost impossible to believe it, but Sloan is turning two years old on Monday. This time next week, I'll be the mother of a toddler. It's been the greatest joy of my life to watch her grow and bloom into a young person with her own distinct personality. This weekend, we'll ...read more
I'm an introvert and have previously shared some insights into how I approach a variety of situations, both professionally and personally. While having an inward focus isn't negative, it's the one aspect of my personality that I've struggled with accepting as a positive. I tend ...read more
In the past two months, Sloan has truly become a little human—she's strongly opinionated, is able to communicate more fluently (even if her favorite word is, "No,"), and has even started going to school (for one hour a week, but still). Almost every time friends come over, they ...read more
I hate how cliché this sounds, but I truly can't believe I have a one-and-a-half year old. One of my friends just recently gave birth and I couldn't even remember that Sloan had been that small (and he was four pounds more than she'd been). Here are some of my favorite moments ...read more
I have a feeling I'm going to be saying this a lot over the coming months, but this age is the most fun yet. Sloan has developed her own silly ways of making me and her dad laugh, and hanging out with her in bed feels like spending time with a mini friend. Here's a bit more ...read more
There was a big shift that happened when Sloan turned one in which my baby turned into a little girl. Sure, she still flails around and most of what she says is gibberish, but she's just different. Here's a glimpse at what she's up to at fourteen months old. Most heartwarming ...read more
