One of my favorite times as a family is actually dinner time. I love to cook, it helps me decompress from the day, and I’ve found that spending time in the kitchen together has become a great way to connect. I’m not an expert, but here is what has worked for us:

• Sheet pans are your best friend. Throw a protein and veggie on a sheet pan and roast it for a full meal with minimal cleanup.

• Let the kids help. I’ve found that when I let my kids help in the kitchen, they’re more likely to try new foods.

• Don’t cook separate meals for the kids and for the adults. It’ll leave you burn out. Instead, just deconstruct what you’ve cooked to make it kid friendly.

Below are some tips and tricks from other Substack parents. There are some great ones, including some recipes. Enjoy!

Tips From Other Substack Parents

Tip: Set It and Forget It

My biggest hack is doing things that I can set and forget about. Think slow cooker, a sheet pan in the oven, or the instant pot. The key is that everything for the meal needs to be in that one thing so you can set it and then go do something else. Our favorite recipe that we might every single week is Pinch of Yum’s Instant Pot Spaghetti. It’s the only meal that my husband, the four year old and the baby all love.

Recipe: Instant Pot Spaghetti

- @

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Tip: Make One Meal and Deconstruct It

Our kids 2.5 & 4 have always eaten what we eat (sometimes just deconstructed). we also eat meals at the table together, so overtime, they expect this. we usually do simple combos like sweet potatoes, meatballs, veggies. or pasta with sausage and veggies. i always have things like beef, potatoes, rice, frozen veggies on hand to whip up quickly! keeping things simple is what works for us, it doesn’t need to be complicated to be healthy. you can elevate further with seasonings/ dressings. for example: they love steamed carrots with a little cinnamon! sometimes they eat it all, sometimes they don’t, and that’s okay.

- @ The Living Space

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Tip: Something Easy That Everyone Can customize

One of my go-tos is sheet pan quesadillas; I got the idea from ChatGPT. The original suggestion was for pizzas, but after some discussion, ChatGPT told me I could use the same guidance for quesadillas.

Recipe: Tortilla Pizzas

Prep earlier: Shred cheese, chop toppings. Meal time: Spread tomato sauce on tortillas, let kids add their own toppings (ham, mushrooms, olives, etc.), bake at 200°C for ~8 minutes. One tray = all done.

Depending on the day of the week, I might use bacon if we have leftover from Sunday breakfast. Sometimes I’ll slice leftover meatballs and add those (that’s a new one and was a hit with my son). Less often (because it’s an additional step) I’ve sautéed mushrooms (because my 11 year old loves those) and will include them.

- @

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Tip: Fill Hungry Bellies With Veggies & Fruit

When they’re hungry and I’m still cooking I put out a plat of apples, carrots, oranges, peppers, whatever crunchy fruit and veg is around. They snack and then when they inevitably reject my dinner, I feel slightly better that they’ve already had some vitamins. We also allow a bedtime snack if they’re complaining they’re hungry, but has to be protein - like a string cheese. My six year old likes to come downstairs for a hard boiled egg at 8:30PM 😮‍💨

Also, My #1 suggestion is the only way my kids will eat broccoli - they call it Broccoli Penne. It’s so quick and easy.

Recipe: Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe

- @

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Tip: Serve Family Style Meals

In a bid to improve my kids (4 and 6) diet, I’ve found two really good weekday dinners served family style that suit the whole family!

Meatball Monday: Trader Joe’s meatballs (in sauce for the adults, no sauce for the kids) served with spaghetti, chopped peppers and cheese.

Fajita Friday: Everyone can help themselves to their choice of fajitas, chicken, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, cheese.

I find the kids experiment more if it is in front of them to sample. At the very least they try avocado, chicken, cheese and fajita...which is a balanced meal to me

- @

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Tip: Add Bone Broth To Meals

For the weeknight meal. Hamburger Buddy is a favorite in our family of 9 home!

Recipe: Hamburger Buddy

• 3 minced garlic cloves

• 2 medium carrots finely chopped

• 1 chopped medium onion

• 2 pound of ground beef of choice

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• ¾ teaspoon salt

• 3 ¾ cups bone broth (I make my own in the instant pot!)

• 8 oz of small pasta (elbows, shells are my personal favorite!)

• 2 tablespoons of Worchester Sauce

• 2 tablespoons flour

• ½ cup sour cream

• Parsley or chives for garnish

Directions: In pot, begin sautéing the beef in a couple tablespoons of butter or oil. Meanwhile, begin chopping the garlic, carrots and onion. Food processor definitely helps this step! When beef is done, add the veggies with the thyme and salt. Cook on low until they are soft. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add 3 ½ cups of the broth. Then add Worchester sauce and pasta. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes or until pasta is soft. Meanwhile, mix the ¼ of beef broth with 2 tablespoons of flour to make a slurry. Once pasta is done add with the ½ cup sour cream. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Notes: For our family of 9, I usually do 2 pounds of beef with 2 pounds of pasta. I quadruple the other ingredients.

- @

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Tip: They’ll Eat When They’re Hungry

Don’t force them to eat anything they don’t want. If they eat the whole plate, great! If they barely touch it, no big deal. My wife and I don’t make separate meals for our daughter though. So if she’s hungry after dinner we just redirect her to the plate of dinner we keep on the bench.

- @

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Tip: Outsource the Planning and Shopping

My game changer was e-meals. It plans your meals and grocery shops for you! You can put in your dietary plan (keto, kid friendly, slow cooker, under 30 minutes, etc.) it will then come up with a list of dinners for the week, it generates a shopping list of ingredients, you cross off what you already have in your pantry, it sends the list to the Walmart app and grocery shops for you, then you can have your groceries delivered to your house!

- @ Redeemed & Relentless

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What other tips or tricks would you add to this list? Leave a comment below!

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We’ll be back next week with another edition of “From One Mom, to Another.” Let us know what topic you’d like to read about.

I wanted to get the best advice for traveling with little kids, from the wise and wonderful moms out there. Enjoy! And hopefully you’ll pick up a few new tips and tricks for your upcoming spring break and summer travel!

Pack Like a Pro

Tip: One Ziploc Per Diaper Change

When my kids were in diapers I’d travel with one diaper change per hour on the plane just in case, and I’d organize them by putting an entire change into one Ziploc/Hefty Zip bag so all I had to do was grab that Ziploc bag and my kid to change them – no need to lug a big diaper bag to the tiny bathroom and I could put the soiled diaper and items into that Ziploc bag and throw it away - here is what was in each Ziploc: diaper a few wipes in a smaller Ziploc bag to keep the wet but not get the diaper wet small pack (sample size) of Aquaphor/cream changing pad cover.

- Amanda @

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Tip: Pack Lollipops for Takeoff and Landing

They help with ear popping on the plane. My kids are grown now but I still pack them — and hand them out to screaming kids on the plane. Their parents are always thankful.

- Jill @

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Tip: Photograph Your Outfits Before You Pack

Plan each day’s outfit at home, snap a photo, and save them in order in your Notes app. No more morning debates — kids open the app and know exactly what they’re wearing.

- Manisha @

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Tip: Load Up on High-Protein, Nutrient-Dense Snacks

Skip the sugar and pack snacks that will actually sustain them. High protein, nutrient-dense — you'll thank yourself mid-flight.

- Brenna @

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Tip: Bring Your Own Baby Carrier — But Know the Rules

Airlines have gotten stricter about infant carriers on planes. The Björn, which used to be allowed during flight, is often no longer permitted. Research your airline’s current policy ahead of time and bring a compliant option so you’re not caught off guard at the gate.

- Brenna @

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Tip: Pack a Comfort Comeback

I suggest bringing a long lost favorite book. Giving an element of surprise and comfort to kids when they’re far from home

- Chenelle @

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Keep Them Entertained

Tip: One Good Toy Beats a Whole Bag

One open-ended sensory toy can replace 20 activities and leave you a lot more packing room. We pack a small jar of playdough (bonus if you had a few drops of lavender oil) and add a few loose parts like gems, buttons, a mini animal figure or two. Great for the plane, restaurants, and downtime in the hotel.

- Liz @

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Tip: Play the Alphabet Game

Pick a theme — animals, foods, things in a classroom, items in one room of your house — and take turns naming one per letter, going in order around the car. The difficulty dials up or down depending on age, and the variety of themes is endless. The best part: no scorekeeping, so no sibling rivalry. Well, less sibling rivalry at least. It's also full of unexpected teaching moments — my kids learned about quahogs, salamanders, and ptarmigans mid-game, pausing for explanations and exploration. Roadtrips make for captive audiences, and talking with kids is the best way for them to learn.

- Wendy @

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Tip: Give Yourself Permission to Forget About Screen Time Rules

Screens are your friends during travel. Let them have at it. Just make sure you've got headphones and that everything is charged.

- Jill @

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Tip: Bring Sticky Notes for Instant Entertainment

Bring sticky notes (like colored post it notes) or colored sticky tabs they can stick on the seat trays or windows. They are removable so no worries about them sticking them all over!

- Stacy @

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Before You Go

Tip: Talk Through Every Step Before You Go

Talk a lot about what's going to happen in the weeks leading up to travel. My three-year-old can describe each step of the airport in detail because we briefed him so thoroughly — he'll say "then we wait in line for our turn again." Airport-themed picture books help too

– Haley @

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Tip: See It Through Their Eyes

The tram from the parking lot, planes on the tarmac, the rumble of takeoff — it’s all brand new to them. When you lean into the wonder instead of the logistics, you’ll find yourself more patient when delays happen and more present for the whole journey.

– Bri @

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Tip: Reframe What a “Good Trip” Actually Looks Like

Completely reframe what a 'good trip' with young kids looks like. Don't try to plan a relaxing vacation or a city break — it usually just leads to frustration. Our best family trip was in Norway. We stayed for a week in the middle of nowhere, about an hour from the nearest grocery store, stocked up the car with food, and just lived outside — hiking, stopping at waterfalls, drinking from mountain streams. The kids were active all day and slept incredibly well. Choose places where your kids are welcome as they are, where they can move freely, and where you can spend as much time outside as possible. Everything tends to go more smoothly that way. And maybe bring a bottle of wine or two for the parents.

– Annabella @

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Once You’re There

Tip: Find the Nearest Playground

Find the playgrounds! There’s an app called playground Buddy that’s great for roadtripping or if you’re renting somewhere and need to blow off steam!

- Kathryn @ (via )

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Tip: Slow Down and Do Less

Hear me out: slow down and do less. (What?! I just spent how much to fly how far to not check everything off the must-see-do-eat list?) When you're not operating on a strict schedule, you'll actually end up doing, seeing, and most definitely eating more than you realize — and it will be so much more memorable.

- Liz @

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Tip: Check Your Museum Membership for Reciprocity

We have a local museum membership and always check for reciprocity at museums in other cities! We often get free or discounted day tickets.

- Angeliki @

What other tips or tricks would you add to this list? Leave a comment below!

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We’ll be back next week with another edition of “From One Mom, to Another.” Let us know what topic you’d like to read about.

My youngest son has Trichotillomania. It’s a condition that causes him to pull out his own hair, leaving bald patches scattered across his head.

We first noticed it when he was about a year and a half. His hair had been growing in normally, and then one day we started seeing bald spots on the top of his head. It didn’t take long to connect the dots — he was pulling while riding in the car, while drifting off to sleep, whenever he needed to settle himself.

The doctors we’ve seen have been honest with us: there’s no known cause, and there’s no real cure, just ways we can help redirect and distract. Most likely, he developed it as a way to self-soothe as a baby, and it just became part of his routine.

When he was first diagnosed, we shaved his head. The pulling stopped, his hair grew back beautifully, and I let myself believe — really believe — that we had gotten past it. I knew what I’d been told. I knew the reality. But as a parent, you hold onto hope harder than logic sometimes.

Recently, he started pulling again. Even though cutting his hair was the last thing I wanted to do, I knew it was the best way to help him break the cycle. So we did it again.

The hard part this time was that at three, he notices things. He knows his hair looked like his friends’ at school, and now it doesn’t. We told him he’d gotten a cool new haircut for summer, and honestly, he’s taken it in stride in the way only little kids can. I’ve never been more proud of him.

I think about other moms carrying something similar — a diagnosis that arrived without warning and left without a roadmap. A learning difference. Anxiety. A physical condition that no specialist has a tidy answer for. The details are different for all of us, but the feeling is the same: a deep, aching need to understand why, paired with the slow and sometimes painful acceptance that you may never know.

What nobody tells you about parenting is that some of the hardest moments are the quiet ones — sitting with a question that has no answer, loving someone through something you simply cannot fix.

But here’s what I’ve learned: when there isn’t a fix, we show up and we fight harder. We create stability. We find the right environments, the right tools, the right people. We celebrate every small win and learn to measure progress on our own terms. Because “fixing it” was never really the goal — loving our children for the beautifully unique little people they are is.

It’s seeing all the ways each of our children is different and wonderful, and spending our days helping them see those things in themselves too.

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🍝 We cooked this sausage ragu last Sunday and it was fantastic. It was a labor of love, but fun to cook on a weekend, and the whole family devoured it.

💻 I discovered this website that lets kids play with the keyboard without fear of messing anything up or accidentally e-mailing your boss.

👡 These Raffia platform sandals are giving me 90’s vibes. They’re perfect for summer with a cute dress or some shorts!

Welcome to new subscribers Elisabeth K. and Sally T., - . I’m so glad you’re here!

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

A lot of the narrative around motherhood — especially on the internet — is about how hard it is.

The late nights of the newborn phase, the potty training struggles, the meltdowns while they’re learning boundaries, the loneliness, the exhaustion, the overstimulation of it all.

Yes, all of that is true.

But I never want to forget how incredibly fun parenting is, too.

Motherhood has brought me some of the greatest joy I’ve ever known, and the beauty of it is that so much has come from the most ordinary moments of being together.

So much of my life wouldn’t look the same if I wasn’t a mom. So much of what I’m doing right now, I simply wouldn’t be doing.

Like jumping in a bounce house at my three-year-old’s birthday party, or building giant Magna-Tile castles before school. Eating ice cream cones in the middle of a weekend afternoon, or making s’mores in the backyard on a Sunday night.

Building Lego kits — something I never did as a kid — and watching my children discover Disney World for the first time, rediscovering that wonder right alongside them.

It’s all so much fun.

In my twenties, fun looked like staying out late at bars, happy hours with coworkers, weekend trips with my girlfriends. And that was a really great season. But the joy I feel now is something different. Something more peaceful, more genuine.

It’s the joy of watching my kids experience everything for the very first time, and the renewed appreciation I discover through their eyes.

It’s the joy of being completely unencumbered — no one’s judging whether a bounce house is cool, or whether grown adults should be this excited about a Lego kit. My kids don’t care, so I don’t either. And somewhere in that, I’ve gotten a little piece of childhood back.

We snuggle on the couch and introduce them to our favorite childhood movies — most recently Cool Runnings, which my boys absolutely loved.

They’ve gone backyard camping and told stories by flashlight. Which to them, was as much of an adventure as Yellowstone.

My husband says coaching t-ball this season has been some of the most fun of his life, and my son thinks his dad is as good as Nolan Ryan.

We’re each experiencing new things, together.

I know each season of their childhood will bring new challenges. But I also know now that it’ll bring this — this specific, unguarded kind of happiness I didn’t even know I was missing until they handed it back to me.

I’m so grateful they did.

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🎶 I’ve been listening to the new Mumford & Sons album on repeat, the whole album is great. I especially love their song with Hozier.

📺 I love love loved, Love Story, the Hulu series about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. It may not be historically accurate, but the love story captured me, and the 90s fashion was pure nostalgia. Definitely check it out.

🥛 I’m not big on breakfast, unless we’re talking about brunch! But I’ve been drinking these Chobani Drinkable Yogurts and they’re filling and delicious, plus have 20G of protein.

There’s so many new subscribers this week, and I’m so glad to have you here! Welcome Angelica T., Megan S., Emilee H., Bronwyn T., Brie H., Diana C., Sarah B., Rachel B., Lauren R., Kathryn W., and Ellen G.

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

Water

By: Bri Grosvenor

Mom, I need water

A little voice whispers in my ear

As we sit, heads bowed

God, I need water

Son to mother

Daughter to Father

The Morning News

By: Bri Grosvenor

We’ve bombed Iran

My husband says as I roll over

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes

His screen glow barely brighter than the sunlight peeking through the curtains

Mornings of this season with little ones at home-

The world has gone into lockdown

Russia has invaded Ukraine

Trump was voted into power again

I plant my feet on the ground

Try to gain my footing, remember my “here”

Put on a brave face as I kiss sleepy foreheads good morning

Soak in their joy

Drizzle syrup on waffles and slather sandwiches with peanut butter and jelly

Hug my two little boys, so full of life

Unencumbered by worries of wars, dictators, or diseases

Darkness, shielded by a mother’s love.

Over the past few weeks, our calendar has been dotted with candles and cake. Grandparents, cousins, aunts—one birthday after another. My kids have been completely swept up in it all, counting down to each celebration like it’s a holiday. To them, it’s magic: balloons, singing, extra hugs, and the simple joy of gathering.

Growing up, we used to give my mom a hard time about this very thing. She has always believed any occasion is worth celebrating. A birthday, an anniversary, a small win, a big milestone—it didn’t matter. If there was even the slightest reason to gather, she was already planning the menu and texting the group chat.

But now, watching her through the eyes of a mother myself, I see it differently.

What I once saw as “a lot” I now recognize as intentional love.

I see how she never wanted to miss a chance to make someone feel special. How she understood, instinctively, that celebration is one of the clearest ways to say: You matter. We’re glad you’re here. Your life is worth pausing for.

And I’m realizing how important that lesson is for our kids.

Because when children grow up watching us celebrate others—not just themselves—they learn something deeper than presents and parties. They learn how to notice people. They learn how to honor milestones. They learn that love is something you express out loud, not just something you quietly feel.

There’s something sacred about gathering around a table together.

Throughout Scripture, the Israelites marked moments of remembrance by sharing meals—pausing to reflect on God’s goodness and faithfulness in their lives. Their celebrations weren’t just parties; they were practices. Rhythms of gratitude. Living reminders that blessings are meant to be remembered, not rushed past.

I think that’s what my mom has been modeling all along.

Celebrating creates a rhythm. A steady return to gratitude. A habit of reflection. A gentle nudge to look around and take stock of the people who fill our lives with meaning. In a world that moves fast and forgets quickly, celebration slows us down long enough to say, This matters. You matter.

And maybe that’s the legacy I want to pass down—not perfectly decorated cakes or Pinterest-worthy parties, but a home where people feel seen. A family culture where we show up for one another. A childhood memory for my boys that says: We celebrated you, and we celebrated everyone we loved.

Celebration isn’t extra, is foundational.

It’s how we teach our children gratitude. It’s how we practice joy. It’s how we remember that the people in our lives are the real occasion.

And what a beautiful thing to hand down.

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🍔 We’ve been binge watching episodes of Just a Dash after the kids go to bed, and it’s actually inspired some fun meals in our home! He’s chaotic (and not P-13) but super entertaining to unwind after a long day.

📸 If you’re starting to shop for Mother’s Day gifts, this frame makes a perfect gift for any mother (grandmother, aunt) in your life. My kids love to stand in front of it and scroll through the pictures, and we love sending new pictures to my MIL’s frame.

🫐 I am not a baker, but this blueberry lemon ricotta breakfast cakes is one of the easiest and most delicious things I’ve made. Perfect to have on hand for the weekends, or for an Easter or Mother’s Day brunch.

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Happy Friday, Friends! Go out and celebrate someone this weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

Last week I was lounging in a chair by the pool when a mom walked by—one kid flanked on each side and a baby hanging off her chest in a carrier.

“I wasn’t that adventurous during the baby phase,” I said to my sister-in-law.

And it got me thinking: how would I do that season of life differently if I had the chance to do it all over again?

Our oldest son was born during the pandemic, when the options for being adventurous and social as a family with a baby were basically nonexistent. He was also a NICU baby, so we were extra protective and careful during that season too.

We spent a lot of time at home as a family of three. I don’t think he saw the inside of a store until he was almost a year old. I still remember his first trip to Target vividly—it was a whole new world for him.

By the time our second son was born, the world was back to “normal,” and I had so much more confidence in my abilities as a mom.

There’s nothing I regret, per se. But there are things I’d tell myself to savor a little more, knowing now just how fast it all goes.

First and foremost, I’d be in less of a rush. Instead of moving through the motions just to get things done, I’d try to be more present inside this season.

Enjoy that tub time with the little squishy baby in his whale bath, giggling and cooing while you pour water over his belly.

Linger a little longer during those middle-of-the-night feeds, when the house is quiet and the world feels paused, and there’s nothing in that moment but you and a sleepy baby staring up at you through half-closed eyes.

Go on more walks. I haven’t pushed our stroller in over a year now, but I miss those slow loops around the neighborhood, watching wide baby eyes take in the world like it was magic.

And then there are the less sentimental—but still life-changing—things:

Don’t buy baby clothes with buttons, snaps, or ties. Zippers are the only way to go.

Don’t stress about heating up a bottle that will inevitably get too hot and need to cool down while a hungry baby cries in the background. Room-temperature milk works just fine.

Babies can sleep through a lot. Don’t be afraid to take them along for your day. They adapt more than we think.

And most of all, I’d savor every single contact nap—letting that little baby snooze on my chest for as long as he wanted, even if the to-do list was calling my name from the other room.

I know it’s easier said than done. Especially when you’re sleep-deprived, healing, overstimulated, and figuring it all out in real time. It’s easy to romanticize a season once you’ve survived it.

But still.

Do y’all ever do that too? Tell yourself you’d be such a different mom—or parent—if you got the chance to start all over again?

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👒 We traveled to Mexico last week and I took my favorite packable hat. It’s folds completely flat without loosing its shape, and has a size adjuster inside, to fit any head. It’s currently on sale for $16.

📖 I finished reading The Last Mrs. Parrish last week and it was SO good. If you’re into thrillers that have plenty of suspense but aren’t too dark, this is for you.

🎒 My boys have these backpacks in size small, and they’re the perfect size for them to carry through an airport without complaining. They can fit their lovies, snacks, and water bottles, and I have them monogrammed so no one is confused about whose bag is whose.

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

The past few weeks have felt exhausting, a tiredness seeping into my bones. It’s the kind of tired you can’t quite shake, even in the midst of joy and time with family and travel and adventures and Super Bowl parties.

I stay up way too late doom scrolling, reading my Kindle for an escape, trying to reclaim a sliver of the day as my own.

The world feels heavy.
Deeply divided in a way I want to believe we’ll overcome, but I’m not sure we ever will.
The news feels heavier than it used to — story after story that sits in my chest long after I look away.
Large corporate layoffs.
Places and organizations I care about crumbling under the weight of years of supporting the community and a changing landscape.

I wake up tired, reminded of all the blessings that surround me when the pitter-patter of little feet comes running to greet me good morning and ask if they can help me make coffee.

I sleepily pack school lunches.
Sit behind a computer screen where we greet each other virtually and pretend everything is normal in the world. How can we go about our day as if everything is business as usual?

I set an alarm so I don’t miss summer camp sign-ups, stressed because I’ll be scrambling to find an alternate option if I do.

I didn’t meal plan or grocery shop this week, so dinner has been a combination of whatever I could scramble together from the freezer and Uber Eats deliveries after tee ball practice — something I’m not proud of.

I need to work out, but I’m too tired to go. It’s a chicken-or-the-egg situation. I know I’ll feel better if I do, but I can’t make myself do it.

Our sweet dog is getting older. Her vision and hearing are failing, so she’s stuck to me like glue. I think it’s out of fear. Her kidneys are failing, so she’s peed on the rugs more times than I can count this week, and I scrub the carpets with a mixture of irritation and heartbreak for this pup who has been my companion since I graduated college.

Life is so good. I have a roof over my head, a job, two incredible boys, and a community I couldn’t be more thankful for. We have family and vacations and dinners around the table filled with laughter. I get to read bedtime stories and feel little boys squeeze me tight after they say their prayers at night: “thank you God for another day, and please help dad get better at being a tee ball coach.”

And that’s the thing about motherhood. We feel everything so deeply.

The grief of the world. The joy of our kids. The exhaustion. The thankfulness. The anxiety about all the things beyond our control. The loneliness. The hope. The love.

I’m learning that surviving motherhood isn’t about controlling the emotions. It’s about letting them move through us — like waves — and trusting we’ll still be standing when they pass.

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🏅 We’ve been loving watching The Olympics as a family. There’s so much wholesome content. I especially love this story about the friendship of two moms, and this story about a mother-son olympic duo. Mom power!

☀️ I’m obsessed with this body oil sunscreen from Supergoop! It smells like coconut, and has SPF 50.

🌯 My friend Jessica made these Southwestern Egg Rolls for the Super Bowl and they are SO good. A definite crowd pleaser.

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

Good morning from Las Vegas!

My mom and I are here for a few days to see The Backstreet Boys at The Sphere. I’m writing this before the concert, so I can’t tell you how it was yet—but let’s be honest, I’m fully expecting incredible.

There’s something about being away with your own mom as an adult that makes you think differently about parent–child relationships.

Maybe it’s the looming decision about kindergarten for my son, or the weight of knowing that this one choice feels like it could shape the rest of his life. And once I start spiraling about that, I start thinking about all the decisions I’ll make over the years that will affect him in one way or another.

The other night I joked with my husband, “No matter what we do, at some point he’s going to grow up and be mad at us about something.” I said it half‑kidding, half‑completely‑serious.

Because honestly, every single person I know has some kind of hurt from their childhood or issue with how their parents raised them. They were too controlling. Too absent. Put them in too many activities. Didn’t give them enough unconditional support. Whatever it is, everyone is carrying something from childhood.

Becoming a mom has given me a whole new perspective. Every decision I’ve made since the day my kids were born has come from a place of love. And yet I still question and second‑guess everything.

Should we hold him back a year?

Are we putting them in too many activities at this age?

Should I have let him ride that scary roller coaster at Disney?

I stress because I want what’s best for my kids. I want to shield them from every hurt, every disappointment, every trauma—even though I know that’s impossible. But now I understand my own parents, and my own childhood so much better.

Not only were my parents trying to do the best they could at the time, but they were also doing it while carrying around their own emotional baggage from their own childhood. It’s a never‑ending cycle, and realizing that makes me have a little more compassion for the people who raised me. Becoming a parent myself gave me a whole new level of empathy.

There’s something uniquely complicated about the parent–child dynamic. No matter how much love we pour in, no matter how intentional we are, our kids will grow up with something—some moment, some decision, some season—that lands differently for them than it did for us. That’s just part of the deal.

Oddly, recognizing that gives me a sense of freedom. I can move forward knowing that my motivating factor in every decision is love, and wanting the best for my kids. That is what I can control, and I have to allow the rest to unfold however it may.

I hope that realization gives you a little breath of relief too. Move forward in love, and in grace, for yourself, for your parents, and for your kids. Love is the part we get to choose. The rest is being human.

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🧥 An unexpected most-used item from my closet this past week has been my cropped faux Furr jacket. I’ve worn it the past two weekends and it’s been so fun. I bought mine last season, but this version is very similar.

🥓 We cooked these sticky ribs last weekend and they were phenomenal, and the easiest ribs we’ve ever cooked. They bake inside in 2ish hours, and are coated in a delicious sweet and sour sauce that kids and adults both loved.

📖 I can’t read enough feel-good Rom Coms lately, they’re the perfect break from every day life, and I’ve really been loving Abby Jimenez. I finished Part of Your World and Say You’ll Remember Me. Would love other suggestions!

Welcome to new subscribers - James S., Aubrey, Mel, and Sanna. I’m so glad to have you here!

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

Earlier this week we had one of those mornings where everything unraveled before 8 a.m.

The dog had peed on the floor, the kids were fighting over toys, and I was frantically trying to pack school lunches before a Zoom call. I hadn’t showered or taken a sip of coffee before the requests started rolling in.

“Can I have some milk?”

“My waffle is cold!”

“I need a Kleenex!”

And in the middle of it all, one kid was losing his mind because his brother wouldn’t stop touching him with his foot, and it was “bothering him”.

I exploded.

“CUT IT OUT!!!” I yelled—so loudly that even our nearly‑deaf dog looked up at me with concern.

Immediately the house went silent.

The kids sat there wide‑eyed, unsure what to do next, while I went back to making peanut‑butter‑and‑jelly sandwiches with a pit in my stomach.

I would never yell at my husband, a coworker, a friend like that. So why do I allow myself to lose it with my kids?

I know what the parenting books say. I know the scripts, the strategies, the calm‑voice techniques. But in that moment—when your guttural instinct takes over—none of the self‑help advice matters.

Sometimes I feel like a ghost and a doormat in my own house.

From the moment we wake up, it’s a race: pack lunches, find jackets, locate the missing shoe, call the doctor’s office.

“Help me turn the light on.”

“My pants are wet.”

“I can’t find my bear.”

I’m constantly picking up after someone. Constantly fielding requests. Always the last one to sit down, to drink water, to pee. An endless barrage of needs—and that morning, the fighting on top of it all pushed me over the edge.

It’s not a moment I’m proud of, but it’s one I’m choosing to share.

Because every family has moments where the noise gets too loud and our patience runs too thin.

After it passed, I apologized. We hugged. We finished breakfast.

And tomorrow we’ll try again.

Because that’s what motherhood is — tiny moments of repair, of redemption, of loving them so fiercely that you promise yourself you’ll do better next time.

If you’ve had a motherhood moment you’re not proud of this week, I hope you give yourself grace.

Your worth as a mom isn’t measured by the moments you messed up, but by the moments you chose to show up again — different, and trying a little harder each time.

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🍿 My husband and I are big whodunnit fans, and we recently enjoyed Seven Dials based on the Agatha Christie novel. It’s only 3 episodes so they didn’t drag it on like other series which I appreciated.

🧖🏻‍♀️ I’ve been using this scalp revival mask to combat the dry winter weather and I’ve been impressed. You can leave it on for 10 minutes or up to overnight. I leave it on overnight and wash it out in the morning once a week.

🐷 Pork tenderloin is not something we cook a lot because I don’t love it, and it always seems to turn out dry, but this recipe?! WOW. We served it with sautéed cabbage and roasted sweet potatoes, and my 5-year-old had 3 plates!

Welcome to new subscribers - Suzann L., Brandi M., Kimberly B., Shirley L., Amy C., and Annette C., . I’m so glad to have you here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

I sat down to write this week’s newsletter with nothing to say.

On Tuesday, ICE abducted a five‑year‑old boy from his home1 and drove him 1,300 miles away. A preschooler is sleeping in a detention facility built for dangerous criminals, alone and without parents.

A few hours ago, I tucked my own five‑year‑old son into his warm bed as I fought back tears. My son is here, while that little boy is there, because of nothing but circumstances.

This is what motherhood looks like in America right now.

It looks like touring the local kindergarten and hearing that free school lunch is available this year, but next year is uncertain because of cuts from the Department of Education.

It looks like paying off a grocery credit card bill that’s doubled since this time last year, even though the cart holds the same food.

It looks like turning off the TV anytime the president appears, because you don’t know if he’s going to flip someone off, use slurs, or model the exact behavior we’re working so hard to teach our children is unkind and unwelcome in our home.

It looks like worrying about measles and other diseases that were nearly eradicated, because science has been pushed aside by those in power.

And it looks like realizing that apathy is no longer an option. You can’t “not do politics” when the future you want for your children is slipping away in real time.

What breaks my heart most is the silence, especially from people I love who claim to follow Jesus yet say nothing.

People more outraged by protesters entering a house of worship than by ICE abducting individuals inside that same house of worship.

And somehow, even in the heartbreak, it’s the mothers who keep me believing in something better.

Last night, I met a City Council member my age, with a son the same age as mine. She was shaken by the statistics on gun deaths among children, so she acted. Her office now provides free gun safes and locks to anyone in the city.

That is a mother doing something about it.

And she’s not alone.

A friend of mine in North Carolina is supporting her husband as he runs for County Commissioner. She gives him the credit, but she deserves it too. Her refusal to stay silent about current injustices, and her unwavering support, is what pushed him to run in the first place.

These women, these mothers, are the ones keeping me afloat. We’re moved to action by every injustice. Every five‑year‑old ripped from his family. Every child who can’t focus at school because he’s hungry. Every woman harmed by inhumane pregnancy laws written by men who will never be in our shoes. Every mom who kissed her child goodbye in the morning and never saw them again because of another school shooting.

So tonight, I couldn’t write about meal planning or the mental load or any of the usual musings. Not when there’s a mother out there who didn’t get to tuck her five‑year‑old into bed because of an administration that has lost its humanity.

In a time when the news feels like it could drown me, I look around and see women, mothers, choosing action, choosing community, choosing each other. That’s what keeps me from going under.

“What ‘radicalized’ you?” they’d ask.

“Motherhood,” I’d say.

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🎭 I love Marcello Hernandez on SNL, so when I saw he had a new Netflix special I knew I had to watch it, and it did not disappoint. I laughed so hard at his stories from his childhood, from family gatherings to his mom and sister’s beauty routines. It was hilarious.

🥗 I made this Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Chop this week and it was delicious, and made great leftovers the next day. Also, if you don’t already have one in your kitchen, a big huge wooden salad bowl is one of my most used pieces. I love this one from Crate and Barrel or this inexpensive one from Ikea.

📖 If you enjoy historical fiction, I just finished and loved this book. It’s set in 1930’s England, and features Agatha Christie and her friends trying to solve a real life murder.

Welcome to new subscribers - Claire S., Joe B., Kim J., and Lara A., I’m so glad to have you here!

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Happy Friday, Friends! I know most of the country is supposed to get hit with winter weather this weekend, so I hope you all stay warm and safe.

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

It’s that strange stretch after the holidays where the days are cold and the sun disappears before we’ve had dinner.

We drive through the neighborhood and the last of the Christmas lights are still twinkling. A quiet act of resistance, a refusal to let go of the glow just yet.

We put away the Christmas decorations, but it didn’t feel like the refresh I was hoping for — maybe because it’s still gray outside and the season doesn’t quite call for spring colors yet.

It’s 56 degrees in Texas and we’re acting like we live in the Arctic, so no one wants to be outside. Every night this week we’ve piled onto the couch and watched The Grinch again, both kids can recite every single word by now.

The spark behind New Year’s resolutions and “word of the year” energy is already fading.

Every work conversation that promised to “circle back after the new year” has officially circled back, and I’m struggling to remember what it is I even do. What’s my job? What’s my password? My computer is on its 5th update in five days.

The news is heavy.

And honestly, I’m in a bit of a funk. Anyone else?

My instinct in seasons like this is to hole up and go quiet. But I know that’s not what I need, I know that’s not what’s going to pull me out of it.

So tomorrow night I’m having a few girlfriends over to watch People We Meet On Vacation. Saturday my three‑year‑old starts spring soccer, and there are few things cuter than toddlers running clumsily after a ball. Sunday we’ll go to church (my physical and metaphorical sanctuary this past year) and then the neighborhood dads are hosting a chili cookoff to wrap up the weekend.

If you’re in a funk too, find some people. If they’re not close by, call them, FaceTime them, get in the car and go see them.

I read that the Chinese New Year doesn’t start until February 17th, so maybe we give ourselves permission to hunker down a little longer. Do less than we think we should.

Cook the soups. Watch the movies. Read the books. It’s a season meant for warm and cozy, not momentum.

Let’s call this month what it is, a reset, not a race.

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💇🏻‍♀️ I have fine hair with zero volume, but someone recommended this shampoo and this conditioner and it’s been a game changer. I even got complimented on my work zoom call!

👛 If you’re looking for the perfect bag that can be a shoulder bag or a crossbody, and is big enough to cary all the things we need as moms, this is it.

🍜 This Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup is the perfect meal to warm you up on these gray January days.

Welcome to new subscribers - Priyanka M., Kathryn W., Rachel K., Jess A., Allison F., Priya R., Isabel, Charlotte S., Kristine D., Kim P., Lindsey S., and Jenn. I’m so glad to have you here!

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

It’s been three years and three months since I delivered my last baby, my second child. Although we’re not fully out of diapers, we’re almost there, and life is starting to feel easier and lighter.

My kids are 3 and 5 now, and life is getting really fun. We’re no longer so constrained to nap schedules, and can leave the house most of the time with nothing but an extra pull-up and a water bottle. Long gone are the days of lugging around bottles, formula, teething toys, and multiple changes of clothes.

My kids are able to communicate their needs now, so I’m not frustratedly guessing what’s wrong when they’re upset (for the most part), and they’re really funny too, telling me all about their friends at school and repeating things they see and hear.

But I’ve started to wonder, what if we’re not done yet? What if I want just one more? How do you know when you’re done having kids? Do you ever feel fully done? And is it really another baby I want? Or am I just mourning a chapter of my life coming to a close?

I’ll be 37 in a few short months, much older than I was the first time I got pregnant. My OB-GYN tells me it would no longer be called a geriatric pregnancy, but rather an advanced maternal age pregnancy. Which sounds like a PR ploy for a society desperate for more babies from a generation having fewer kids each year. I had two high-risk pregnancies; could I even handle a third? And yet, even with all of that, the thought still tugs at me.

My boys would make extraordinary big brothers, and I think I’d be a kick-ass mom the third time around.

I tell myself I wouldn’t stress about things like what they’re eating, because let’s face it, every kid ends up on a diet of Goldfish, pizza, and cake at some point. I’m armed with all the tips and tricks I didn’t know as a newbie, like how to handle stuffy noses, diaper blowouts, and colicky babies like a champ. And I’d fully appreciate all of the little moments because I’m much more aware of how fleeting they are.

It feels like we’re moving into a new season of life. One filled with soccer practice, t-ball games, kindergarten, and sleepovers. And maybe that’s why this is all so bittersweet.

How can I bear the thought of never feeling the joy of another contact nap? Little hands wrapped around my finger. Seeing a big gummy smile and big bright eyes looking at nothing but you, their entire world.

How do you come to terms with never experiencing the thrill of first steps, first words, first bites of food again? Their newborn smell, the middle-of-the-night rocking while the house is quiet, those gurgly coos and giggles.

But then I look at the life right in front of me. I love our family of four. There’s one parent to one kid most of the time, and each of them gets plenty of our attention. It’s easy to travel, to all fit into one rental car, one hotel room, and around a table without having to pull up an extra chair.

And this is what I struggle with: do I actually want another baby? Or am I just sad at the reality that that chapter, that season of life, is over? Do I want to go through all of those moments again? The good and the bad of pregnancy, and the newborn phase? Or am I just sad about the fact that our life is changing?

How do you know? And do you ever really know?

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📱I’m trying to spend less time mindlessly browsing social media, so we were influenced by my friend Courtney to buy the Brick. My husband and I have both been loving it! I’ve found the most success using it at night so I don’t wake up and scroll social media first thing, and also blocking social media apps during the work day.

🎨 If you’re trying to pick up a new hobby this year, I can’t recommend Skillshare enough. They have classes for everything from photography and watercolor to creative writing. I love that there’s a community on there to share your work with for feedback.

🎲 Another fun item if you’re trying to spend less time on your phone is Q-Less. It’s a solo player solitaire game, perfect to play while sipping your morning coffee!

Welcome to new subscribers - Julie L., Traci L., Drea D., Sabine M., Usha M., and Daishun F. I’m so glad to have you here!

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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

From The Modern Motherhood Musings Archive:

I truly had no idea how much my life would change once I had kids. I’d even go as far as to say I was completely naive about what birthing a tiny human would mean for my life moving forward.

After having my firstborn, I was lost. We were just coming out of the pandemic. Our baby had a five-week NICU stay, I struggled going back to work, and I felt distant from my friends—many of whom hadn’t started having kids yet. It was the first time I realized that motherhood wasn’t just a new role; it was a full identity shift I hadn’t fully prepared for.

Not long after we finally started to get into the groove of parenting, I got pregnant with my second son, and we started the whole cycle over again.

My youngest is now three, and I’d say I didn’t start feeling like “myself” until this past year. But the more I think about what “myself” even means anymore, the more I realize something bigger happened. We’ve all heard other moms say, “It took me a while to feel like myself again,” but the truth is that “myself” isn’t the same version of me I was before having kids.

Maybe I feel like myself in the sense that I’m no longer too exhausted to go out to dinner with girlfriends, or that my husband and I can take a trip together while the kids stay with their grandparents and have a great time. I feel more like myself in the sense that I can acknowledge I don’t feel comfortable in my pre-baby clothes anymore—and that I’ve actually had fun building a wardrobe that fits this new me.

There’s such an identity shift that happens once we have kids. It’s impossible to be the same person you once were. How we spend our time, what we value, the friendships we lean on, everything changes.

I spent a long time going through the motions of motherhood: bottle feeding, sleep training, potty training, introducing solids, making sure they were reaching milestones. That season left little to no room for anything outside of work and caring for my family. Maybe the occasional get-together, but even that was usually with other moms.

Once my kids got a little older and there was finally a bit more margin in my days, I started to think about who I was and what this new version of me wanted. I suddenly had pockets of free time to fill with things that mattered to me.

Once I acknowledged I wasn’t the same person anymore, things slowly started to click.

I want our neighborhood to be a safe, thriving place for my kids to grow up, so I got involved in our neighborhood civic club.

I want policies that help and protect my kids, so I got involved in politics that fight for common-sense gun laws and women’s health rights. After two high-risk pregnancies, this became even more important to me.

I’ve loved the daycare where we send our children, so I joined the school board.

All of these things have felt like new adventures, and they’ve slowly made me feel like myself again. It’s not the same “self” I was before kids, and I’m actually okay with that.

Motherhood has made me braver, bolder, and more grounded in my purpose, and I don’t think I’d be this version of myself without it.

That’s the beauty of it all: we don’t return to who we once were—we grow and evolve into someone new. I didn’t know motherhood would change me this much, but I’m grateful for who I’ve become.

When did you start to feel like yourself again, and what did that even mean for you? Share in the comments so we can learn from each other.

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👜 My aunt gave me this toiletry bag for Christmas and I’ve loved using it for our holiday travel. It opens up flat so you can see all of your items without having to unpack them, and then you just roll it back up!

🚂 I loved playing Santa this year, and we found some great things on Lakeshore Learning. The favorite’s were the Pipe Builders, Real Action Fire Engine, and Aircraft Carrier.

🥞 This French Toast Casserole was the perfect make ahead breakfast to have Christmas morning. I’ll definitely be making it again in the future!

Welcome to new subscribers - Vikki C., Sarah S., Neha M., Kiya T., Chantel D., Jill P., Stacy M., Teri C., and Erin M. I’m so thankful you’re here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

My favorite part of Christmas this year wasn’t the food or the lights or even the rare quiet moments in between the chaos. It was playing Santa Claus.

There was something deeply satisfying about staying up late, arranging gifts, and imagining the look on my boys’ faces the next morning. I know them intimately—what makes them laugh, what they’ll ignore, what they’ll obsess over for weeks. I’ve spent so much time with them that choosing their gifts felt less like shopping and more like curating joy. I knew exactly what would light them up.

And on Christmas morning, it did. Watching them tear into the things I picked out specifically for them—things I’d thought about, compared, debated, and wrapped with intention—filled me with a kind of joy that surprised me. Seeing them happy made me happy. Simple as that.

But as I sat there on the floor surrounded by wrapping paper and squeals and half‑assembled toys, I felt something else too: clarity.

Because in that moment, I realized how often God has done the same for me.

I can look back at my life and see so many moments—so many “gifts”—that were clearly planned by Him. Things I never would have chosen for myself, or even known to ask for, but that ended up bringing me more joy, growth, or peace than anything I could have orchestrated on my own. His plan has always been better than my plan, even when I didn’t understand it at the time.

Motherhood has taught me so much about the character of God. Not in a theoretical way, but in a lived‑in, everyday way. When I think about how much delight I get from giving my kids good things—things that fit them, things that bring them joy—it makes verses like Matthew 7:11 hit differently:

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

If I, with all my flaws and impatience and exhaustion, can still love my children this deeply and want good things for them, how much more must God love us?

And on the flip side, motherhood has also helped me understand how His heart breaks over the things happening in this world. When my kids hurt, I hurt. When they’re confused or scared or struggling, I feel it in my chest. It’s impossible not to. So of course God feels that for us too—only deeper, wider, more completely.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I used to read that as a promise of getting what I wanted. Now I read it as a reminder that God knows me better than I know myself. He knows what will bring me joy. He knows what will shape me. He knows what I need.

Just like I knew what my boys needed on Christmas morning.

And the older I get, the more grateful I am for the gifts I didn’t pick out myself.

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💎 I was influenced by and added this bracelet to my Christmas list and I absolutely love it. It’s so stylish and the perfect accessory.

🥕 We made this roasted carrot salad with arugula for my husband’s birthday last week. We paired it with some grilled lamb lollipops and it was a perfectly festive dish!

📖 My husband gifted me this coffee table book for Christmas and I am obsessed. It’s a look through all of Michelle Obama’s looks throughout her years in The White House. It’s stunning and an incredible look back into history.

Welcome to new subscribers - Beka H., Hailey M., Andrea C., and Bill G. I’m so glad you’re here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Today was my kids’ last day of school for the semester, and they came home excited to hand me all their artwork. Stacks and stacks of glittered, glued, pom‑pommed, and scribbled pages. As their mom, I love seeing anything they make, but the sheer amount of it is overwhelming. I added it to the four bins already overflowing with artwork I’d started sorting through earlier this week.

They had their class Christmas parties this week, which meant bags full of trinkets: snap bracelets, chocolate coins, snowman sunglasses, and an assortment of other tiny odds and ends ended up in our house.

Their grandma bought gingerbread placemats to color and cookie‑decorating kits, our neighbors gifted us boxes of baked goods, and we decided to take a family trip to Michael’s to buy enough holidays crafts to get us through this year, the next, and maybe the year after. I’m thankful for all of it, truly — but I also feel like I’m drowning in stuff. So much stuff.

And while it’s especially overwhelming this time of year, I don’t think it’s just due to the holidays.

Every time we go to a birthday we’re sent home with treat bags full of plastic knick-knacks that may or may not get played with, and eventually end up in the trash. Stickers, bubbles, temporary tattoos, headbands. I know parents put thought and effort into making them, but it’s not necessary. The kids always remember the party, not the party favors.

My husband travels for work, and every trip he brings home conference swag for the kids — stress balls, pens, branded toys. They play with it for a day or two before it joins another pile of random things in our home.

I stare at these piles, feeling guilty about throwing anything away, knowing it all contributes to landfills already overflowing with our Amazon returns, fast‑fashion impulse buys, and the things we convinced ourselves we “needed.” And then, inevitably, I hit a breaking point, grab a trash bag, and suddenly nothing in sight is safe.

Why are we doing this?

Why do we feel the need to give five presents instead of one? Why does every birthday party require a parting gift? Why do “free shipping” and “next‑day delivery” make us click purchase before we even ask whether we actually want the thing?

And I’m just as guilty of it. I’ve been shopping like crazy this season to make sure my kids have “plenty of gifts” from Santa, while we have a toy room full of things they never touch. Their closets are packed, but they insist on wearing the same three shirts. I bought goodie bags for their parties, fully aware the contents would end up in someone else’s trash.

I want to be more intentional. To hand down gently used toys and clothes instead of letting them pile up. To give things a second life. Maybe start a toy rotation with neighbors. Maybe ask friends to wrap something their kids no longer use instead of buying something new for the next birthday.

I don’t have a perfect solution. But I do know this: we’re drowning in things, and none of it is making us happier. If anything, it’s adding to the mental load we’re already carrying.

What about you? Are you feeling it too? I’d love to hear your creative ways for managing, reducing, decluttering, etc.

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🍪 I hosted a holiday cookie exchange with the moms in my neighborhood over the weekend and it was a festive and fun way to catch up and relax! I made these soft sprinkle cookies and they were easy to bake and delicious!

🧼 I’m obsessed with this brightening face cleanser right now. It leaves your skin feeling clean, without that dry tight feeling some soaps give you. It also has the most refreshing strawberry scent!

📖 I was in a reading rut and decided I need to switch it up a bit, so I started this thriller and I am hooked! It’s a murder mystery set in a small Texas town, and full of twists and turns.

Welcome to new subscribers - Colleen B., Niyatee D., AJ A., Kensi N., Jenn, and Noreen R., I’m so glad to have you here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend, and enjoy the holiday season.

Earlier this week I had to travel to North Carolina for work. I left late Sunday night and didn’t get home until my kids were already asleep on Tuesday.

I didn’t want to fly out Sunday night. My kids had been gone all weekend with my parents, and I only got a few hours with them before heading to the airport. But also? If I’m honest? I was kind of excited to be going.

The trip itself wasn’t glamorous. I missed part of my weekend, got stuck in weather delays, crawled into bed at 1:30 a.m., and woke up a few hours later for an early meeting. It was hard and exhausting.

All day Monday I sat in a conference room, checking text updates from my husband and our nanny whenever I could, tearing up when I got the “we miss you mom, have a great day!” video.

On Tuesday, the kindergarten lottery opened, and I was reminded how thankful I am to have a spouse who is truly a partner, because there’s no way I could keep all the balls in the air alone. He handled everything so we could submit it on time, taking a huge piece of stress off my plate.

I missed the little pitter‑patter of feet running into my room to tell me good morning. But I also felt good getting dressed up, using my years of corporate experience, and working on things I care about. It’s energizing to feel valued in a space where my name isn’t “Mom,” “chauffeur,” or “chef.”

And that’s where the conflict hits. I don’t know how one person can feel so many emotions at once, but I can tell you that since I became a mom, I’ve lived in a constant swirl of them.

It’s almost like if I admit I enjoy my job, and that I love seeing my coworkers in real life, I’m somehow denying the part of me that aches to be home with my babies full‑time.

I want to be a badass in my career. I also want to be a full‑time mom. And it often feels like leaning too far into one means betraying the other. But that’s not the truth. I’m both. I’m allowed to be both. And I’m learning to hold that tension without apologizing for it.

Maybe the beauty is in saying: yes, I’d love to be a full‑time mom, and yes, I’m also really good at my career, and sometimes I even enjoy it. Yes, I’d love to volunteer for every school event and be at every swim practice, but I also love being able to pay for vacations and experiences for my kids.

My brain (and honestly society, too) keeps trying to treat these emotions as mutually exclusive, but they’re not. We can want all the things. We may not be able to do all the things at once, but that doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to feel the pull of each one.

Maybe that’s the real work of modern motherhood: learning to hold two truths at once without guilt. Letting ourselves want the career and the kids, the ambition and the softness, the boardroom and the bedtime snuggles.

We’re allowed to want all of it. And we don’t have to accept the narrative that only one thing can be true.

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🩳 My youngest son hates wearing pants, and it’s a struggle to get him dressed for school when it’s cold. Thankfully, I found these sweatpants that he’ll actually wear, and I’ve bought them in every color!

🧴 You won’t find this hand cream on any gift guides or see it trending on social media, but it is absolute magic. I use it constantly in the winter to prevent dry cracked hands.

🎶 I’m The Grinch who doesn’t really love Christmas music on repeat, but my brother in law shared this groovy Christmas playlist with us and it’s actually really good and nice way to mix it up a bit. Check it out!

Welcome to new subscribers - Ruxandra C., Kirsten C., and Still Me, Mama. I’m so glad you’re here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

I never realized how much holiday magic was actually created by moms, until I became one myself. And in this season of doing all the things from buying presents, organizing classroom parties, cooking, cleaning, decorating, and just generally having our plates full of to-dos, it’s easy to miss out on experiencing the magic ourselves.

If there’s anything I can encourage you to do today, it’s to turn off auto-pilot for just a bit, and spend time being more present this season instead of just going through the motions.

Sip your coffee a little slower in the morning, savoring that hint of peppermint.

Hug your babies a little longer, noticing their sweet arms wrapped around your neck.

Step away from your desk to eat your lunch. Give yourself that much needed break away from the screens and teams and zoom meetings.

Answer the phone when that friend you haven’t talked to in forever calls. Spend the time to actually talk about how each of you are doing.

Allow yourself to sit in silence a little longer during that church service.

Take walks in your neighborhood to admire the decorations. Drink hot chocolate every night with your kids.

There’s so much “to do”, you could spend the entire month checking things off your list and still feel like you’re nowhere close to being done. I’m afraid if that’s all we focus on, we’ll start the new year resentful of another season that went by too quickly, and burnt out instead of refreshed.

What if we all slowed down? Decided to move through the next few days and weeks a little more peacefully? Allow ourselves to stop and appreciate the magical moments, instead of being so busy creating them for everyone else?

I know I need that, and I’d bet I’m not alone in that this holiday season.

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📺 We finally got around to watching the latest season of The Diplomat and I loved it so much! Have you watched it? The dynamic between Hal and Kate is so frustrating, but also keeps hooked.

🧖🏻‍♀️ I’ve been on the hunt for new bath towels, but didn’t love the idea of spending $50 a piece. I found these bath towels at Kohls and they are SO SOFT and fluffy. Trust me, if you’re looking for new bath towels, I’ve done months of research and these are it.

🧀 I made this Mac and Cheese recipe for our Thanksgiving gathering and it was creamy and delicious. The kids and the adults loved it.

Welcome to new subscribers - Alexandra M., Michelle M., Seainin D., Ari M., and Keith K. I’m so glad to have you all here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Motherhood has taught me a lot about myself.

I’ve learned that I’m a really great multitasker, and I can tackle a to do list like no one’s business.

I’ve learned that I get very overstimulated when there’s too much noise, especially when one kid is yelling “mom, mom!” while the other is trying to tell me a story.

I’ve learned that my favorite thing in the world is a slow weekend morning with the whole family piled in my bed and a warm cup of coffee in my hand.

But the biggest thing I’ve learned? I really don’t like change.

My whole life I’ve prided myself on my ability to go with the flow, to react in the moment, to pivot.

Org changes at work? Learn, shift, adapt.

Move to a new city? Dive in, put myself out there, get invested in the community.

As a child we moved a lot. From Houston, to Atlanta, to Mexico City, to Louisville, and then back to Houston. I always carried that around like a badge of honor. I told myself I was adaptable. I loved new experiences. I loved new adventures. I was good with change.

But the second kids came around? I didn’t want a single thing in my life to change.

I don’t want my babies to grow up.

I don’t want our neighbors and friends to move away.

I don’t want to leave the wonderful daycare my kids have been at for the past five years when my son starts kindergarten next year.

A few years ago, we were in the process of buying a new house. It was only about ten miles away, maybe a thirty minute drive at most, and I was distraught for weeks. I was sad about leaving our first home. I was sad that my kids would be leaving their neighborhood where they walk down the street and wave to everyone they know. I was sad about being farther from my church.

Y’all, all of that drama for a move within the same city.

Motherhood has made me realize just how short our time is. Even the days that feel long, the ones where every request turns into a battle and you’re counting down the minutes until bedtime, even those days go by in the blink of an eye.

I’ve realized that some of the most precious people in your life are only around for a season. And in the most joyful moments, surrounded by everyone I love, I look around and I think to myself, “I don’t ever want this to change”.

But change is the only constant in life.

It brings with it both joy and heartache, so I’m doing my best to hold space for both emotions at the same time.

I’m appreciating the moments I’m in because I know just how fleeting they are.

I’m pausing to soak it all in, to look around and say, “wow I love this life”, while also being realistic about the fact that it won’t stay this way forever.

I’m giving myself space to look forward to what comes next, without feeling like that takes away from how much I treasure what I have right now.

For someone who always said she was up for an adventure, who dreamed about packing up and moving to Paris on a whim, motherhood has taught me something surprising. I actually want things to stay just the way they are, right here in this beautiful season of life.

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🎧 Please go listen to James Talarico on the Offline Podcast with Jon Favreau. The conversation was a breath of fresh air for anyone sick of the rhetoric from our current administration. He’s running for Senate in Texas in 2026, and energizing a new generation of voters.

🍿 We finished Death by Lightning last week and it was an entertaining view into a part of American History I wasn’t familiar with. Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson) was great, and they used modern day language for a show set in the 1800’s which I really enjoyed.

💄 I’m always skeptical of products with a cult following, but I’ve totally fallen for the EltaMD tinted moisturizer. I ditched my foundation for the week and this is all I’ve worn and my skin has looked great.

Welcome to new subscribers - Marija C., Sabine M., Stephanie M., and Shanna N. I’m so glad you’re here!

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!

P.S. I’ve recently opened up the “paid subscriber” feature on Substack. All of my content will remain free, but if you’ve ever wanted to support Modern Motherhood Musings financially, you’re now able to do so via a monthly or yearly subscription