The only reason I learned I had skin cancer is because of small talk. I pointed out a long, healed scar on my coworker's arm during a three-hour train ride and asking her how she got it. We had so much time to kill and it seemed like such a simple question, but her response ...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
There are certain personal spaces that are second-nature to each of us, but also speak volumes about the owner's personality. I've always had a fascination with the items others keep in their refrigerators (hence the reason I not-so-stealthily peer into others' baskets in the ...read more
I've always taken pride in the fact that I'm good at apologies. I'm quick to recognize mistakes, and usually, "I'm sorry" does the trick. But occasionally that can come across as flippant or just a quick way to end an argument. Instead, I've been relying on two other words to ...read more
My mom's on the hunt for a new wallet, which means we've had a lot of conversations about exactly what she's looking for. She's insistent on a version that lies completely flat when opened, a detail that I would never consider, but one that apparently is non-negotiable for her ...read more
Everything was going fine until I woke up Sunday morning and realized I was completely alone. The "independent woman" vibes that had powered me through my first solo night of the long weekend had been replaced by the unnerving reality that I was completely disconnected. A ...read more
If you've been following along, you know I had a challenging spring, with a string of events that triggered some anxiety and left me feeling depleted. Over the past few weeks, things have really fallen into place, and just felt right. My family's healthy (cats included), our ...read more
A few weeks ago, I wrote one of the most difficult posts I've ever written, about a particularly stressful time when my anxiety was, at some moments, crippling. What I didn't anticipate in pressing "Publish," was just how many of you would open up, in the comments and in private ...read more
Friday is our five-year anniversary and more than a few things have changed in the past year: our infant turned into a toddler, our company continued to grow and evolve, and we traveled to two new countries together (Japan and France). Even though we're spending the majority of ...read more
At some point towards the end of last year, G and I incorporated some much-needed tweaks to the way we were eating. We were buying a lot of groceries each week (at both the store and the farmers' market), which would have been fine if we were actually cooking it all at home. But ...read more
When I was younger, I used to be incredibly hard on myself whenever I made a mistake. It could be something as small as burning a batch of cookies or as large as accidentally hurting someone's feelings, but I'd still be kicking myself for it hours (sometimes days) after the ...read more
Last week I went to dinner with two of my best friends and it was shaping up to be one of those special nights where everything clicks. The food was great, we shared a lovely bottle of wine, and we spoke about the true importance of friendship. But about two hours into our meal, ...read more
I’ve always considered myself an introvert, so awkward social situations are my kryptonite. Just thinking about tripping over my words at the wrong time is enough to give me anxiety, but these experiences have made me realize how helpful it is to have a plan in place. Here are ...read more
When I moved to Los Angeles almost ten years ago, I was always taking advantage of the countless free events that pop up during the summer. Years later, I'm diligent with trying new restaurants but rarely do the kinds of activities you do when you're new to a city, seeing it ...read more
I look forward to my weekends all week long. But as soon as Sunday afternoon rolls around, I fall victim to what my friends and I call the "Sunday Sads," this ominous feeling that creeps in just as the weekend comes to a close. I think it stems from the fact that my weekends and ...read more
I assume I'm not alone in admitting that I have a somewhat complicated relationship with fitness. I grew up as an athlete, often times jumping between two different sports in any given day, and thrived in team-based, competitive environments. But that all changed when I got to ...read more
I always enjoy reading about other people's work rules they live by - those little tricks they implement that help them make the most of each week. I've never considered myself to be a particularly productive person, often plagued by pretty intense bouts of procrastination, but ...read more
With wedding season in full swing (we just celebrated our 4-year anniversary last week), I thought it would be fun to answer some of the most commonly asked questions I've received over the years. From awkward situations to proper protocol, here's my take on all things ...read more
It's been four years since G and I got married. In that time we bought a house, had a baby, and expanded our business. We like to do something to honor the anniversary each year on the blog, so here's a questionnaire Alina had us each answer without looking at the other's ...read more
Several months back, shortly after Alina started at the company, we had a team bonding lunch at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. We were playing a game to get to know each other better, where each of us asked a question we all three had to answer. Mine was what's the best ...read more
One question I'm frequently asked is about time management. How do I schedule work, family, and personal events in an effective way? To be fair, I'm not always successful at achieving a perfect balance, but I've implemented a few processes that help me benchmark whether I'm ...read more
When I was pregnant, I knew I wanted a special lullaby to sing to Sloan when I put her to bed. When I was young, my parents played classical music for me after they said goodnight and it was such a nice ritual. I decided on The Beatles' 'Golden Slumbers.' It's always moved me ...read more
This past week I went away for my first girls' trip since having Sloan. I've been apart from her before for work, but that usually consists of 2-3 days of rushed meetings and quick turnarounds. A couple of months ago, after a string of particularly challenging weeks, I needed ...read more