2. Fun jammies expedite the bedtime routine tremendously. These cutesy brunch ones are everyone’s favorite right now!

   Subscribe now

3. Let your kids help in the garden. Beginning of summer me was stressed at how many green strawberries my two year old picked (and ate). I thought we would never have any ripe ones, lo and behold, we do, and the garden keeps my kids outside and entertained. These berry boxes have held up for ten years now, and the garden sign is my new favorite addition to the space.

4. Just get the cheap sand toys. This dump truck duo holds it down.

   

5. It’s all in the marketing. I made this chicken tamale cornbread pie (don’t do the box mix though, use this recipe instead) - and even my three year old ate most of his! I think the word “pie” helped sell it. Or maybe the two types of cheese.

   

   ---

   Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

   Subscribe now

Before I had kids, I had a clear vision of who I wanted to be as a mom: A successful corporate baddie. Maybe I wouldn’t get to spend as much time with my kids, but they would see me working hard; they would know their mom isn’t lazy and would therefore be driven to succeed in their own lives.

And then I actually had kids.

How I felt on an intuitive level as a mother contradicted everything I thought I knew. Granted, I spent the previous nine-months only looking for information that reaffirmed my own beliefs; that kids with working mothers thrived more. Yet, there I was, seven months postpartum, pumping at my desk, and bitter. Ooh I was so bitter.

(I also want to clarify, my former employer has a fantastic, private pumping space - but in the name of efficiency-maxxing, I preferred to pump at my desk (this cover helped).

Anyways, back to being bitter.

I thought I was born to climb the corporate ladder, to shatter every glass ceiling in my way. I’m the eldest daughter, after all. My six figure job was my entire identity - I mean.. I didn’t get a masters degree to just sit at home all day, right?!

My own mom was a working mom too, for that matter. This is what we do. This is what I’m supposed to do.

My second child arrived 15 months after my first. I told my husband I would bankrupt our family before setting foot in the office again.

That was two years ago and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve actually settled quite nicely into my life as a stay-at-home-mom.

Here’s the thing, though.

I get to enjoy this “trad-wife” life (and our largely traditional gender roles) because:

a) I chose it, and

b) My husband is not a trad-dad.

My grandmother didn’t have this choice. Your grandmother likely didn't either. They stayed home to rear children because it was their only option. Not their calling. Or their duty. Or their life’s work.

I’m a SAHM because I want to be. Because I am called to be here, right now. But it’s my choice.

AND it’s an enjoyable one. Because my husband lets it be. Because he’s my partner, my better half, my supporter in every sense of the word. I write this while he’s out at a playground with our kids. The SAHM I get to be is *very* different from the SAHM my grandmother was. How many diapers did your grandfather change? How many bottles did he feed in the night? How often do you think he offered a break to his wife? Oh.. wait.. a break from what? A woman’s calling? Her duty? Why would she need a break from that?

To be clear, I have no qualms with the trad-wife aesthetic on social media. I actually love it. I love the romanticization of it all. Beauty in the seemingly mundane and what not. And I also love that these women are the breadwinners of their family.

That they have the choice.

I see, and am also guilty of, so much rhetoric on Substack about slowing down. Soaking it in. Living a soft life. And I love all of that, I really do. But let’s pay homage to those who paved the way for us to *actually enjoy* a traditional life.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Like, gosh dang y’all my patience is WORN THIN right now. So.. let’s talk about a few things helping me thrive and not just survive.

Subscribe now

Cutesy Things

Fresh flowers, especially on nightstands, improve my mood 10000%. And yes, we normally have bedsheets, but content creation is my SAHM side hustle and the mattress and pillows were the star of the shot here (we were due for an upgrade and my back is thankful).

More importantly, my toddlers just got the cutest play kitchen ever, and like.. I want to use it more than they do. Tradesies.

Last, but certainly not least. CAKE. I made this for my daughter’s second birthday and ohemgee so good. I subbed Cool Whip for the organic alternative at the grocery store, but yeah it was still loaded with seed oils. And tasty AF.

Dinner Outside

As much as possible. The less clean up, the better my mental health. Blackstone in the backyard, or hotdogs at the river (thanks to this), if we’re outside I’m already happier. As a 2x toddler mom, quesadillas and burgers STAY in our daily rotation.

Morning Outside

Sensing a theme here, but I try to start every morning watering the garden first thing, before I check my phone. If I can breathe in fresh air, get some sunshine directly in my retinas, and curse out the slugs first thing in the morning, I’m a better person for it.

Despite the slug war - Our broccoli and strawberries are 10/10. We have hundreds of blackberry bushes surrounding walking trails around our neighborhood and gorge ourselves every day. Fingers crossed they remain cyclosporiasis free.

If you have thriving (or surviving) recs - I’d love to know, leave them below!

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

I take my kids to an over-chlorinated splash pad AND try to mitigate the exposure as much as possible. Why do I care? Chlorine is drying, displaces iodine in the body, and depletes sulfur, which makes it more difficult for the body to naturally detox (all compounding issues if you’re like myself (and my kids) and have the MTHFR gene, meaning you already struggle to naturally detox).

We use this swim spray before and after, and a bath with magnesium flakes and vitamin c powder helps to replenish the body.

As a pale, Irish girlie, I also have more chemical sunscreen coursing through my bloodstream than I’d like to admit. That’s because I didn’t know the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen until I found out the fancy, dermatology grade sunscreen I was using was unsafe for pregnancy. Rabbit hole commence.

I now use Primally Pure, as do my kids. Growing up, we always had an aloe plant on hand for burns, and I’ve never tried to grow aloe in my current PNW climate, but I do keep aloe spray on hand (love that it includes lavender too).

These stainless steel snack containers are still going strong in our house (bonus points that they’re cute - our regular stainless steel plates give prison vibes), as are these glass water bottles (love the silicone sleeves to help prevent breaking, very necessary because these things get dropped at least three times a day).

This is an example of crawling out of the crunchy rabbit hole - Last summer, I made almost all of my kid’s snacks from scratch: Applesauce, gummies, you name it. I would cringe at the idea of serving anything premade, and God forbid.. oats. This summer, I’m *more* open to premade snacks that make life on the go easier.. yes, even ones with oats (as long as they’re organic - oats are a frequently glyphosate sprayed crop, so stick to organic if possible). Enter: Made Good. We’ve been loving their organic goodies this summer!

Last but not least - As a SAHM, and soon-ish to be homeschool mom, Summer is still a time for learning (but make it fun), right?! My kids have been LOVING this Math Set, it comes with 9 games and activities (including the cafe set you see above) and three books. Plus we all know Lovevery reigns creme de la creme.

I would love to hear what you use, or avoid (even if it’s sunscreen and oats - I can take the criticism, I promise), as a more holistic mom (or not) this summer.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

My first three choices would’ve landed me in jail, so..

Nothing makes you more quickly realize that you might in fact need to therapize your anger than seeing someone (especially a kid) be mean to your kids.

I’m generally so far in my own lane, that I truly do not care how someone else is raising their kids.

And then.

A playground bully.

Subscribe now

And look. I am not naive. Kids can be mean. And this is probably controversial, but in some ways it serves a purpose. Kids humble kids in ways that parents could never. WITH THAT SAID, our job as parents is to intervene, right? Especially when we witness said behavior?!

It started innocently enough. We walked to our neighborhood playground and came upon two moms chatting, and three kids, all older than my own, but still, kids.

My two and three year old started going up the stairs, down the slide. Rinse and repeat. The youngest of the other brood, only about five himself, sprinted over, stood next to my two year old daughter and started yelling loudly “MOMMMMM what’s this BABY doing here?!” His mom ignored him. After the seventh time of him yelling this question, I was looking for eye contact from his mom. Nothing. No response.

Hmm not how I would handle it.. but I admittedly can be a helicopter parent, so decided I might be overreacting and let it go.

My two year old isn’t one to be phased anyways, and continued climbing up the stairs. Said five year old sprinted in front of her, blocked the slide, and said she wasn’t allowed to go down.

Me: waits for mom to intervene. *crickets*

Me: stands and stares at mom. *crickets*

Five year old: turns to my three year old son and says he can’t go down the slide either.

I suppress the urge to call him a fucking punk and calmly walk over. He tells me my kids can’t go down the slide because it’s for big kids only. I respond with “yes they can, now move”. Could I have been nicer? Sure. But some days I barely have the patience to gentle parent my own kids, much less someone else’s when said parent is sitting three feet away.

I look to mom for any sort of indication she cares I spoke to her child. *crickets*

My kids move on to making “pizza”, aka bark chips on the spinner. Other brood’s seven year old comes sprinting across the field, “STOPPPPP STOPPPPP NO DON’T TOUCH IT”.

Me: for fucks sake can this mom please come parent her kids?! *crickets*

Five year old: joins his big sister and starts swinging his arm at my two year old, trying to knock her away from the spinner. *crickets*

Two year old: bursts into tears and runs towards me.

I scoop up my two year old and calmly walk, storm the fuck over to the spinner, asserting that EVERYONE can play at the playground - And AT LAST, some intervention from mom. She says her son has a temper, she asks him to apologize. He runs away and hides in the trees. She looks at me and shrugs.

I debate if decking this other mom will traumatize my kids and get me arrested. I conclude it probably will.

I do it anyways.

OKAY OKAY NOT REALLY, but oooh did I fantasize about it.

Here I am, no better than her five year old.

BUT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

What I actually did was walk away without saying anything, I hyped up my kids to make pizza elsewhere on the playground and we talked about pretend toppings for a solid ten minutes.

Should I have done something other than ignore her and walk away? Probably. But if I opened my mouth in that moment, I didn’t trust what would come out.

My kids are young, I’m a relative newb to this whole mom thing - What’s the protocol here, experienced parents? What would you do?

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

Number One

Brambly Hedge. Too cutesy. Too much whimsy. Mice.

Number Two

Love You Forever. Can’t read without crying. Straight to jail.

Number Three

The Wonderful Things You Will Be. Too much empowerment. Illustrations too pretty.

Number Four

Crocodiles Need Kisses Too. Underlying sentiment too sweet. Too many kisses.

Number Five

Our Big Book of Words. Written by an SLP, immediately no. Illustrations way too nice to look at.

KIDDING

Were you ready to come fight me in the comments?

I don’t really care what my kids “read”, I just want them to be interested in books. But do I push for Brambly Hedge at the end of the night? Heck yeah I do.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

We eat outside most nights this time of year because.. two toddlers. Clean-up is just easier. With that said, my son inherited my Irish complexion, so we have to sunscreen up. I am OBSESSED with this non-nano zinc option (well.. that’s a mouthful). They also have a stick option, and best of all - A soothing spray for when burns do happen. Other things I’m loving right now include steamy noodles over the sink (I use this baddie at least once a day right now), and fresh flowers. Spring has SPRUNG, y’all.

Steaks, Broccoli, Mac-n-Cheese

My husband is home all day on Sunday so that usually means steaks for dinner!

ALSO - Father’s Day is coming up and if your husband (or dad) have a meat thermometer they complain about, trust me when I say get this one. My husband used the Meater for years and hated it, but he’ll talk your ear off singing the praises of this one. TRUST.

Mississippi Roast

If, like me, you flirted a little too hard and now spend your days figuring out 101 ways to cook venison, let me help.

Mississippi roast. She is *that girl*.

I throw a venison roast into the crockpot, add butter, pepperoncinis, coconut aminos (this one specifically), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and beef broth. It’s ready in about 8 hours and I whisk the liquid up with flour for a gravy. Serve over rice or potatoes and bada bing bada boom.

Chicken Cacciatore

Is this authentic? No. I don’t like mushrooms and we didn’t have any wine on hand, plus we needed cheese for toddler approval. But is it easy? Yes, and that’s because I threw everything in the instantpot and called it good. Dice up onion, tomatoes and green bell pepper, throw the chicken thighs in whole, and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano. 13-minutes and done. Serve over butter noodles. Easy peasy.

Sheet Pan Hawaiian Chicken

This recipe is SO GOOD, but I subbed soy sauce with coconut aminos and cornstarch with arrowroot powder (love this one).

Sushi Take-Out

Because sometimes the cooking fatigue is REAL. We used paper plates and everything. And even went out for ice-cream afterwards. My kids were hyped on sugar and I was hyped on the sunset (and also sugar).

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

And I loved my job - I worked in HR. It’s the perfect place if you’re nosy about what everyone else is making, AND it’s why I like to be transparent now. This is also not a new series to my ‘stack - I started writing about making money as a SAHM almost a year ago.

User Generated Content (UGC)

Let’s talk about my biggest money maker: UGC. I made $2,193.00 the month of April from UGC. So.. what is it? Pictures, videos, even blog posts (yes, just like what we’re already doing on Substack) created by regular people like me, and typically sent directly to a brand to share on their own platforms. There is an occasional social post required, and I’ve honestly just gotten over the cringe factor. I don’t care if I’m cringy, I’m trying to pay off our mortgage.

Most of my UGC work is found through apps (like these ones!) where brands post a campaign, I apply, and if accepted make content that I submit back to the brand. With that said, $2,193 is a drop in the proverbial UGC bucket. More experienced creators regularly clear five-figure months (goals). But for someone who first heard the term UGC six months ago, I’ll take my $2k. I’ve also been able to work with fun brands (Cholula HELLO), or get products we legitimately need (a new mattress - please and thank you).

I did eventually (like three days ago) sign-up for this guide that I wish I would’ve used when I first started. But.. it was expensive and I thought I could do it myself. Lo and behold, sometimes it actually is worth it to learn from people smarter and more experienced than you - Who knew?!

Other Sources of Income

Okay, let’s get into smaller sources of hustlin’.

Amazon - $15.52

Poshmark - $52.00

Facebook Marketplace - $263.00

TikTok Shop - $563.00

(a note on Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace: most of the time, when I get a product for free through UGC, I turn around and sell it once the job is over - I kept the Cholula and mattress though, duh.)

Full Disclosure

In the name of transparency - I work my butt off. I say this as a “nonchalant naptime” thing, and it IS (at least compared to what my work-life balance used to be like as a full-time working mom), and I also work every free second of the day right now. I’m a mom first, always, no matter what - And I squeeze this in when my kids are napping, when my husband is home, and at the crack of dawn while my kids are still sleeping.

It is work, yes - But it’s work that lets me do the most important work first: mommin’.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Let’s air these grievances.

• The four ounces of milk I spilled on November 7, 2025

• “I tHiNk hE’s HuNgrY”

• Jeans

• Slacker boob (like.. work a little harder, babe)

• Green inserts in Dr. Brown’s bottles (literally the only bottles that worked for my silent reflux baby though)

• Mirrors (specifically ones with my reflection)

• Time moving fast

• Time moving slow

• The singular drop of water in a drying bottle that I was *convinced* would harm my baby if ingested

• “sLeEp wHeN tHe bAbY sLeEpS”

• My dog barking

• Stairs (because c-section, and also, intrusive thoughts)

• Clogged ducts (so effing rude as a just enougher)

• My body’s inability to regulate temperature ever again

• Pumping bras that lose elasticity

• Neighborhood landscaping that apparently only ever takes place during naptime (still on my shit list tbh)

• Projectile poop (shit list.. literally)

• My baby pulling the pump cord while it’s attached to me (ultimate betrayal)

There are SO MANY things I miss, and mourn, and long for about my tiny, little newborns (mainly.. the tiny, little newborns themselves), AND as someone with intense anxiety, especially during the first six months postpartum - I can genuinely say this is the most fun, carefree time I’ve ever experienced as a mom. I miss my tiny babies, and I love my strong-willed toddlers too.

I look at these pictures and could laugh. Okay.. maybe not over the spilled milk yet (sobbed when it happened). But seeing my handwritten chart tracking every feeding, every pump, every poop (that literally got poop on it, the irony lol). It’s a wild, relatively short-lived, ride.

What made your betrayal list?

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

I read the above quote and immediately wanted to throw my phone in the ocean. But it’s a three hour drive, and I can think of better (or worse?) ways to water damage $900 worth of my stuff. So what I actually did was get a screen-free camera. Yup, old-school click and shoot, like the little disposable cameras from childhood except this is reusable and doesn’t end up in a landfill after one use. Oh, and you just upload the pictures, no CVS trip required. It was exactly what I needed to be a present mom during our tulip “field” trip (hah, get it?!) with my toddlers (all of the above images were shot on this camera)!

Subscribe now

But.. let’s talk about what a trip to the tulip fields is actually like as a toddler mom. Do I love packing up my two toddlers for a 1.5 hour car ride, to see maybe 30 minutes worth of tulips, followed by peeling my wailing, flailing, eldest toddler (shout out to one of our favorite books for this verbiage, iykyk) off the floor because he doesn’t meet the height requirement for a carnival style trampoline ride? No. And the car ride home? Fighting for my life. Flinging snacks in the back seat left and right trying to keep everyone happy, and awake (spoiler alert, my youngest fell asleep anyways).

But.. that’s kind of the whole point. Even in the most magical places, not every moment is magic - Just like in the seemingly ordinary moments, there’s magic to be found.

Many days are repetitive and mundane (two things I actually really like). The magic is simple when you’re a mom.

It’s playing with my kids, berries soaking in the sink, fresh flowers on my kitchen counter. Magic.

And maybe (thankfully?) we can’t take pictures at tulip fields every day, but since the camera is basic and screen-free, I can give it to my toddlers and see what their “magic in the ordinary” is. Which at this age appears to be their own feet, magnatiles (aka the best $40 you’ll ever spend), and chasing each other.

It’s taking time to intentionally fill my life with things I enjoy - Even if it’s something as small as a sign for the garden, or finding a beef tallow diaper balm (lol words I never thought I would hear coming out of my mouth before becoming a mom).

It’s spending an afternoon watching my kids have cousin time, giggling over pizza and words only they can understand. It’s sitting down to dinner outside with my little family, and feeling grateful the weather is starting to shift - summer is approaching. My husband, who I’ve somehow loved for sixteen years now (our dating anniversary is tomorrow!), spent the day cooking a chuck roast on the smoker, “poor mans brisket” he calls it - I think it’s delicious.

Our kids barely ate a bite. They spend most of their time running around the yard, chasing each other, laughing, fighting, everything in between. They’re so young still - toddler pudge clinging to their strong, tiny bodies; dimpled little knuckles on their hands.

I watch my husband, watching them. I think about what a great dad he is, how lucky we all are to genuinely love one other, to delight in each others’ existence (sans carnival style trampoline rides).

I am certain, however.. without a doubt.. that when I’m 80, this is where I’ll go in my dreams. Life happens on a Tuesday.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

1. Childproofing That Doesn’t Ruin *the* Aesthetic

I run very anxious (always have), but it really skyrocketed when I became a mom. I spent about a year in the two-under-two trenches, and now have two, very curious toddlers. And I need to get stuff done. Our main living space needs to be a place I can leave said toddlers alone for a few minutes while I run upstairs to switch out the laundry - So this sucker is locked down like Fort Knox.

We’ve had this oven lock for over two years and it gives me so much peace of mind. These seamless child locks have been a game changer to keep my kids safe, AND you can’t even tell they’re installed when the doors are closed. Safety but like.. chic, you know?

2. Snacks on Snacks.

Okay, we are MoStLy low-tox - I try my best, but I still keep these snack spinners in rotation because my kids love them and pushing the button to rotate different snacks keeps them busy, longer. And they are BPA-free, at least. Also, they come with stickers, and I’m a sucker for stickers.

For a high quality, *actually* low-tox option - Lalo stainless steel is now at Target! Obviously they are toddler approved, see toddler hand below - and the colors are so fun and bright. We love the bento boxes, lil dipper snack boxes (a must for condiment loving toddlers), and obvs the nesting bowls too (we live in a small house, gotta have nesting dishes for storage).

I was influenced by another mom to buy these glass water bottles - Our stainless steel ones kept getting…slimy. These are NOT slimy, and you can see the water level inside, plus who doesn’t love a wide straw. This pretty seafoam color was out of stock in my store, but ugh so stinkin’ cute. They’ve been yeeted onto the floor countless times and have yet to crack.

3. Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Hydration

Remember how I was just talking about being a fun millennial? This is.. not that. The other day I brought home a snake plant, and explained to my husband why we must have it to help with clean air in the house. And it was at this point he lamented we will have the cleanest damn air in the whole city. The whole state. Maybe even the whole country.

An exaggeration, yes. But like.. We have air purifiers in our main living space, plus every bedroom and they are dirty AF - Look at that filter! We love this brand for their three stage filtration system.

K, clean water and clean hydration go hand in hand. I am about to get a little woo-woo, but we use a Berkey countertop system to filter out all of the sus’ stuff in municipal water - For a long time I was adding electrolytes via citrus (fresh squeezed lemon or lime) and sea salt flakes. And I was getting charley horse cramps in the middle of the night - Like the awful ones where your big toe is paralyzed and ugh. No. Just no. I knew I needed to find a proper electrolyte solution that is clean and not full of dyes or fillers or whatever else - This is it for me.

Oh! And I found the cutest wood stand for our Berkey! Obsessed with how it warms up the space!

4. Kids Toys That Don’t Suck

Look. I am not a better than thou, wood toys only, hand chiseled from organic, ethically grown trees, mom. But OMG the toys can be so overstimulating sometimes. Do my kids play with their fair share of plastic, light up, volume level hearing loss, toys? Yes. But here’s my preference.

First of all - Anything, literally anything, by Lovevery - We’ve been subscribers since I was pregnant with my first, and I love them more every day (the block set is our number one right now).

I repurposed my toddler’s birthday banner into a fun, bedroom decoration - and LOVE! Although he does keep asking when his party is, and I keep explaining it already happened.

Magnatiles - IYKYK. We got this 100 piece set for under $40, and let me tell you, I would spend double that just based on the amount of time my toddlers spend playing with them. I also love to see all of their creations - Literally just so fun and cool when your kids are at the pretend play stage.

5. Something Just For You

If you’ve made it this far - Let’s talk. What keywords are we whispering into our husband’s phones while they sleep to prepare for Mother’s Day? Me, personally? Depends on my mood, but it’s a tie between this lux af skincare and a cheesy sheet pan of nachos with trash TV. I’m kidding. I’M KIDDING. What I actually asked for was this storage system for all my kids shit lovely, educational toys - So they can be better organized, and we can use the garage treadmill again.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

My feed is now, obviously, mostly 90s mom content (love), and also.. the term “90s butter mom” has come to light? Idk what that is, babe; in my 90s house we used margarine and even then sometimes it was the spritz bottle one, LEST THERE BE TOO MUCH FAT.

So.. why are we so nostalgic for the 90s (and I assure you, it’s not the margarine)..

What it comes down to, isn’t the aesthetic (which is arguably chic af, depending on the catalog you’re looking at.. hopefully dELiA*s). No. It’s more than that.

Subscribe now

I think we crave the version of life when everything didn’t matter so much.

Clothes were just clothes. Dinner was just dinner. We weren’t themed and aesthetic and for the ‘gram (or for the ‘stack) all the time. And I’m guilty myself. I often look through the lens of, “oh Substack would love this”.

The 90s *would never*.

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

We grew up before almost every part of life was constantly being shared. Before comparison worked its way into every decision we make.

In so many ways, it’s not just our lives we’re living now - It’s our life, next to someone else’s. Like OMG, I didn’t realize there was said trivial event going on this week that prompted decorating, and themed outfits, and an on-brand dinner to match.

And.. I also love all of that?! But like.. in my own time, on my own terms - Not because every other mom on social media is doing it, you know?

But, it’s more than that too. It’s our daily routines. Our daily standards. Are you waking up early enough? Habit stacking your day enough? Are you even being a 90s butter mom in the right way?! Which apparently, there is a right way to do so and it has nothing to do with butter or margarine?!

OHEMGEEEEE if there’s one thing to not be pretentious and exclusive and elitist about, I thought it was the 90s, but social media is telling me I thought wrong?!

Like.. we all just need to go touch some grass. It’s not that serious. We can all “90s” in our own way. That’s the point. That’s the nostalgia.

My (Probably Wrong) Nostalgia

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing with plastic hangers for funsies and chasing the smoke of a corncob pipe as high as I could catch it. Which feels like it needs elaborating on, so in my best 90s lingo - My “nanny” was Meemaw (no family relation), and sometimes we went to hangout with her daughter, Mimi, who’s husband smoked a tobacco pipe in the house, and my sister and I would try to “catch” the smoke curls. IDK IT WAS THE 90s. We all had a Meemaw and a lil’ second hand some back then. No judgement.

And what weighs heavy today.. the judgement. The comparison. And even, the intention. And I say this as a very intentional, Type-A, mom. There comes a point when the very best of intentions, actually start to feel like pressure.

And I think that’s the crux of why the “90s butter mom” is resonating with so many of us right now. It’s that she wasn’t carrying the weight of how everything looked and compared.

My kids? They have no idea what second hand smoke is, and, I’m good with that. So, perhaps there’s no chasing tobacco smoke curls in the glimmer of the sun shining in, but.. they also literally cry for me to get hangers down from the closet for them to play with every day.. so maybe I’m a butter mom after all? In my own, probably wrong, 90s nostalgic way that is.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

“Am I buying the right toys? Are they Montessori? Non-toxic? Not overstimulating, right? But like.. stimulating enough that they’re using their imagination?”

And then I look back on my 90s childhood. And maybe parenting doesn’t need to be so complicated.

How I’m Giving My Kids a 90s Childhood

I don’t entertain my kids all day. I’ve written about this before, and boredom is the crux of creativity. It’s part of childhood - The part that has my kids building pillow forts (truly no pillow or cushion in the house is safe), dragging blankets to build tents, digging in the dirt for the other side of the earth.

So many of my fondest childhood memories come from the things I would do when I was bored. Although, as an adult I am truly sorry to everyone who was forced to sit through our concert performances as Spice Girls the Second. *spice up your life*

They pick their own clothes. My toddlers get their shoes on the wrong feet about 50% of the time. I ask if their feet are comfortable and if they’d like any help, and then I let it go. My three year old wore a diaper for a majority of the day today (I did tell him pants were required when we went to library story time and Costco though). As long as what they’re wearing is weather appropriate, fine - we don’t need to be perfectly curated.

There was no aesthetic to uphold in the 90s because there was no social media to flaunt it on. Just good, old self-expression.

No pressure for big vacations. Summer means we blow up the inflatable pool in our backyard and bust out the hammock. Would I love to take big trips with my kids one day? Yes. But am I going to let social media make me feel like we’re missing out? No.

The biggest summer trip we’ve done to date was a five hour drive to a mountain town north of us, with friends who also have kids - And let me tell you, seeing all those kids run around the yard at dusk with glow sticks? Magic. Pure, 90s, magic.

We rarely eat out. I make breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home almost every day. Sometimes that means prepping in advance and eating lunch in the car, depending on what the day looks like for us - But it’s rare we eat out. And on occasion, that dinner at home is Trader Joe’s frozen pizza (pro-tip - sprinkle oregano to make it feel fancy). And I don’t feel guilty about it. My kids are fed and happy.

My kids come with me (almost) everywhere. Grocery store, bank run, post office - They’re coming with. Partially because they’re my little besties, and partially because that’s how you learn to live in the world, right? My kids might be the center of my world, but they aren’t the center of the world. You learn that by being out and about, engaging with others.

Was everything easier in the 90s? No, of course not. I’ve used Amazon Prime more times than I’d like to admit, especially in those early days of motherhood. I’m grateful for the conveniences of technology, but I also try to be aware of the downfalls - i.e., the pressure to uphold a certain image or style of parenting. At the end of the day, we’re all just moms loving on our kids, trying to do the best we can.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

I slurped my crispy Diet Coke (don’t come for me about the aspartame, okay) through a wide straw (elite) in the Nordstrom Cafe and told my sister we should go, it was getting close to nap time. We hustled downstairs, lamented over how cute the Mini Boden line was (thank me later) - but I said we had no time. We had to go. I checked Apple Maps in the parking lot, 52 minutes?! Yikes. Cutting it close.

Halfway through the trek home and I could see why it was 52 minutes. We were bumper-to-bumper. At 1:00 p.m. on a Friday MIND YOU. Thanks, Portland.

At a dead stop on I-5 North and my husband texts me - “She fell asleep for 10 minutes in the car”.

I. BEG. YOUR. FINEST. PARDON.

Subscribe now

The line you toe with two toddlers can be incredibly delicate. When we were parents to just one - Okie dokie, drive around a bit, let him nap. That option is much, much harder when you have two toddlers; one is sleeping, and the other, awake toddler, is of course, prone to carsickness. You just drive home.

And as soon as you stop too long at a red light, or put the car in park in the driveway.. that sleeping toddler? She’s UP.

Oh. What? You like.. wanted a break?

LOL.

Except. I wasn’t laughing. I was mad. Why would my husband wait to tell me she fell asleep until I’d been sitting in traffic for 30 minutes? I told him yesterday I’d be home in time for nap. I’m always home in time for nap. Why did he even need to leave the house to visit his parents today anyways? They’re coming up TOMORROW for dinner. Surely, he could’ve waited to see them until then.

No. He did this to punish me. He stayed until it was later than it should have been, because he always does. And of course our youngest fell asleep in the car. Why not ask me what time she woke up this morning?! What her wake windows are like right now?! Did you even roll down the windows on the way home?!

MAD.

A mad that simmered. And bubbled. And finally boiled over when it took me forty-minutes to get that toddler back to sleep after her ten-minute siesta in the car.

I had to briefly take a break from her alligator rolling in my lap, just to leave the room and punch air. Not one to be beaten down though, although maybe I did hurt my millennial shoulder a little, throwing hands with.. well.. air (but also not one to leave my toddler alone to cry), I walked back in and we rocked some more. She eventually passed out in my lap. And I set her down safely in her crib, ready to hash it out with my husband.

Seething, I walked downstairs. To my completely oblivious husband, who was happy both kids were napping at the same time, despite a minor car nap.

“DID YOU EVEN GIVE HER AN APPLESAUCE?!!”

I said in a whisper yell, lest we wake the two finally napping toddlers. My husband looked at me, baffled. Part of his ploy, I thought. He’s obviously punishing me.

Punishing me for taking time away, to myself. Punishing me for leaving him alone with two toddlers. Punishing me for having a life outside of these four walls. Punishing me.

I didn’t have an answer to my applesauce question. Which was NOT rhetorical. “Did you even give her an applesauce on the ride home?!” I repeated. Something I’ve mentioned time and time again - “Bring them applesauce for the ride home, it will help keep them awake”.

He said he didn’t.

And we made eye contact. And I broke. Laughing at myself. Laughing at the situation. Laughing at the girl who apparently hung her happiness on applesauce.

Like.. we met in a frat house basement in 2009, who even am I now?!

A stay-at-home-mom. One who had back-to-back pregnancies with two-under-two. One who just stopped pumping three months ago, after a consecutive 27 months of exclusive pumping. One whose hormones are slowly, but surely leveling out. One who has been cosleeping for three years and is sleep deprived. One who wanted a break to herself.

And my husband? That boy I met in a frat house basement 17 years ago? He’s doing the best he can too. Something that can be hard to recognize or admit as a mom. Because did he spend 18 months pregnant, and 27 months making milk every 2-3 hours at a time?! No. No, he didn’t. He can’t.

And at the end of the day, that’s not his fault, and he’s not punishing me. Maybe we’re just parents (now), but first, we were husband and wife, who loved (and still love) each other deeply.

Hopefully ones who always remember the applesauce though.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

In the Garden

A visit to the neighbors fairy garden - Recently updated for Spring, it’s too cute!

Although we don’t have a fairy garden in our yard, I am so excited to get back into our food garden - I think this might be the first year both of my kids are old enough to not eat dirt while my back is turned.

I’ve been debating getting the kids this gardening set, how stinkin’ cute, right?!

Subscribe now

Trip to the Flower Fields

Every year we visit the tulip fields - We live in an area with a lot of rain, but so much beauty, and I’m thankful for it every day. If you get there early enough you can snag a cow wagon for your kids to ride in.

Giving Back

I try to be intentional with the gifts I give my kids - Especially for holidays like Easter. These stuffed bunnies (Henry Bunny and Hannah Bunny) are handmade in Peru, and for every doll purchased, they donate 10 meals to children in need.

Spring Tablescape

Let the kids pick flowers - Decorate the table with them, and if they’re edible - even better! I like a festive spring drink too and have been loving these electrolyte mixes for myself lately - I used Legendairy Milk throughout my collective 27 months of exclusive pumping, and wholeheartedly support their mission to help new moms increase milk supply (founded by a new mom!) - My pumping journey is now concluded (praise be), but I still keep the electrolyte mix stocked in our pantry.

You know what will be on our table tonight though? These no-bake strawberry cheesecake bars - My husband turns 37 TODAY, and we’re so excited to celebrate our guy!

Prepare for Summer

Lastly, maybe most importantly - We spend this season gearing up for my favorite time of year - SUMMER.

I’ve had my eye on this bag FOREVER - But tbh would only think about it the day before going to the beach or splash pad, and the mushroom color I wanted was always sold out. I played smarter not harder this year, and snagged the mushroom color while it was in stock. Good-bye days of toddler cups spilling in my Goyard tote. Hello spring, and soon-to-be-summer.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

I put mini party hats on stuffed animals - the stuffies even got their own mini flag banners.

I fought back intrusive thoughts that my son is going to get sick and die.

Wait.. what?

This is scary to share. Mostly because, as someone who has struggled with lifelong anxiety, it can be hard for other people to understand and grasp. But if it’s something you struggle with too - You’re not alone.

Subscribe now

Motherhood has skyrocketed my anxiety in ways I’ve never navigated before, which, duh.. I’ve never loved and cared about someone else so much, and in the same way, as I love and care about my children. They’re my everything.

I expected to feel that way though, like they’re my everything, that is.. I didn’t expect to struggle with health anxiety - Something that often rears its ugly head on major milestone days, like birthdays.

So, what is health anxiety? I suppose it can be different things for different people - For me, it’s anxiety that courses through my veins so hard I feel like I’m vibrating outside of my body, literally buzzing; it’s intrusive thoughts that I’ve somehow missed something, or even worse, have inadvertently caused something, that’s made my children sick and well.. you know.

I wiped my tears, and reminded myself that my children weren’t sick, they were having the time of their lives causing water damage to our bathroom floor, and birthdays are joyous and do not equal death.

My husband and I tag teamed drying our kids off in fluffy towels, snuggled in warm blankets and read stories, and then we got cozy in the big bed together.

Until 10:45 p.m. when my son promptly sat up and projectile vomited all over said big bed. ANXIETY. THROUGH. THE. ROOF.

My husband said it was probably bad sushi. I said it was actually e.coli from the groceries I bought and served, on the cusp of turning into hemolytic uremic syndrome, the kids were going to suffer permanent kidney damage and be wheelchair bound, and it was my fault. The amount of health conditions I’ve become aware of as a mom, for a girl who barely passed high school biology, is surprising.

And that’s what health anxiety is like.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably guessed that I’m not medicated. And you’re right. So, what do I do to mitigate seemingly crippling anxiety? I talk about it - Mostly to people I love, who can talk me down off a cliff, and I usually start those conversations with “hey, I need you to talk me down off of a cliff”, or “hey, I know this sounds crazy, but..” - Where I am then reassured that yes, that does in fact sound crazy. I guess I write about it too, to all of you now. Sometimes saying (writing) the thoughts give them less power. At least for me, not-a-health-expert, just-a-mom.

But, one who can tie a pretty good party hat on a stuffy, serve some birthday pancakes (with homemade whipped cream, hopefully e.coli free), and celebrate my children for being pure light, love, and another year older.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

It doesn’t exactly mesh with the overall Substack vibe of a soft life free from the shackles of consumerism and other social media platforms (yes, yes, I’ve seen all the viral notes about deleting this app and abandoning that algorithm.. love that journey for everyone involved).

That is… not this post.

Because here’s the thing: I’m a stay-at-home mom who gave up a six-figure income to do so. And while I stand by that decision wholeheartedly, the math of real life still exists.

We have a mortgage.
And bills.
And groceries.

We’re even still paying off my back-to-back c-sections..

So let’s talk about what I’ve been doing to help.

It all starts with these exact dresses.

Subscribe now

Let me just get unpopular here real quick - I made the money on TikTok. Yes.. TikTok (commence eye-rolls). The same TikTok I deleted after becoming a mom three years ago because my feed was suddenly all fear-mongering new-mom content. Well, I redownloaded it over the summer.

And in doing so learned two new terms: User Generated Content (UGC), and TikTok Shop.

So… what are these? And how exactly do they turn into money?

User Generated Content (UGC)

UGC, in the simplest of terms, it’s when regular people create content for brands, usually short videos, that the brand can use for marketing. You don’t need a huge following, and typically the content is sent directly to the brand, no social media post required.

You’re not being paid for your audience. You’re being paid for your ability to make content that feels natural and relatable.

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop is a little different.

TikTok Shop is essentially built-in e-commerce inside TikTok. When you post a video about a product that’s in TikTok Shop, viewers can buy it directly from your video without leaving the app.

And if they purchase through your link, you earn a commission.

So instead of brands paying you upfront to create content (like UGC), TikTok Shop works more like affiliate marketing. You make videos about products available in the shop, and if people buy them, you get a percentage of the sale.

A lot of creators do both: UGC for guaranteed payments, TikTok Shop for commission income.

Which brings us back to the dresses.

Okay, and..?

So, how did I make $2400 in 48 hours, that’s why you’re here, right?

It started with a UGC gig - I’ll elaborate more on the nitty gritty of UGC at a later date, but for the purposes of this post, a brand contacted me and offered $400 for raw footage of their clothing (raw footage means no edits on my part, no voiceovers, no captions, no.. nothing.. just film and send).

They sent me the clothes (another perk of UGC is that you usually keep the products - though in my case, most of them end up getting sold afterward because we live in a 1,500 square foot house with approximately zero storage space).

When the package arrived, I did what I almost always do: I checked to see if the items were sold on TikTok Shop.

And lo and behold…

They were.

So separate from the UGC footage I sent the brand, I made a quick TikTok Shop video.

It was a faceless video that took maybe three minutes to throw together. Honestly, it’s so low-effort that I didn’t want to include it here… but I will, because I want you to see that literally anyone could make this.

I posted this video 4 days ago, and as of today, it has 178,000 views. I’ve made $2000 in commission on TikTok Shop.

Prior to this, I hadn’t ever had a viral TikTok Shop video, but I was prepared for what to do in the event of one… aka double, triple, quadruple down. I posted these dresses from every angle possible 5x a day. Everyone and their mother (and their mother’s mother), will have seen these dresses by the time I’m done riding this wave, and maybe.. just maybe.. those c-section bills will be paid off.

Am I still chasing the soft life? Yes, just with the bills handled too.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

It was 2:17 p.m. on a random Tuesday. The light coming through the window was aggressively honest. It illuminated everything: namely the crayon smeared across the fireplace grate and the couch cushions that have seen more snack residue than a daycare floor.

I’d been side-eyeing my house for weeks. And listen, I love my home. I do. It’s my sanctuary. But she was tired. We were both tired. The energy? Stale. The vibes? Meh. The entryway rug? Holding secrets and cat pee (dying inside even admitting it).

I briefly considered wallpapering something. Maybe ripping out the backsplash. But then I remembered that I have approximately $0 in my SAHM bank account.

So instead of a full-blown transformation, I opted for something more realistic:

A mini spring home refresh. On a budget.

Declutter Like You Mean It

Before you buy a single scalloped tray or floral pillow cover, you have to clear the stage.

Decluttering is the fastest, cheapest way to make a space feel new. When every surface is crowded, your house feels overwhelming. When there’s breathing room, everything looks intentional.

Decluttering also brings in money - I’ve written about this before here, but it’s one of the ways I make money as a SAHM. Between Facebook Marketplace and Poshmark, I made $860 this month, some of which went towards this HUGE basket that fits virtually all of our upstairs toys.

• The oversized basket that fits everything is definitely the backbone of the space

• Minimal, acrylic shelves deserve an honorable mention (as does this book - who else remembers this from elementary school?!)

• My toddlers love the educational posters, and I actually think they’re so cute

Seasonal Clutter is a Trap

I love a festive moment as much as the next mom. But I refuse to let minor holidays quietly take over my storage bins. If it requires its own labeled tote in the attic, we’re not doing it.

Take St. Patrick’s Day (coming up soon, and this Irish girly is not one to miss it). I keep it simple and personal. I got these custom name tags from Etsy a couple years ago, and set them next to themed books from the library the day of. Once the holiday is over, the books go back to the library and the name tags take up minimal space in a drawer.

Love the gold flakes in the custom name tags - Too cute!

Minimal decor. Maximum charm.

Seasonal Clutter That I Think is Cute is Not a Trap

Everything I just said about not buying seasonal clutter? Out the window when ya girl hits the Target dollar section. Idk, consumerism at its finest. So sue me.

I did keep it fairly minimal, but my spring decor refresh needed these:

• Little gold bunnies

• $15 marble tray

My kids also loved the bunnies and they each held one as we wheeled and dealed around Target.

On this note - Target’s spring decor section is a whole mood this year. I did not get any of these honorable mentions, but gosh dang they’re cute!

• Ceramic bunny

• Spring egg tealights

• Bunny garland

• Faux flower bundle

On the topic of Easter decor - I pulled out our felt baskets from previous years, and remain SO happy with them. Sadly, the radish and carrot version is sold out already!

Spring Refresh on a Time Crunch: If You Have 30 Minutes

The quick and dirty reset:

• Clean one surface (10/10 recommend this non-toxic, plant-based, fragrance-free, chemical-free cleaner)

• Add fresh flowers, and if you’re feeling extra then throw in this blue tansy just for you

• Open a window

• Put on a playlist

Done. Modern day Martha Stewart.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

So here’s what I actually do to make mornings easier as a stay-at-home mom to two toddlers (spoiler alert, it’s all in the marketing).

Subscribe now

Toy Rotation - AKA Marketing 101

When fewer toys are out, my kids actually play with what’s in front of them instead of dumping every bin by 8:12 a.m. It cuts down on overwhelm (theirs and mine), sparks more independent play, and buys me just enough breathing room to drink my coffee while it’s still hot and get breakfast ready in mostly peace and quiet. Less clutter, fewer choices, calmer start. Yes, yes, yes.

Our current favorites are the world’s cutest felt cookies, and a daily board from The Observer Play Kit that helps get kiddos engaged in the weather, day of the week, season, temperature - It’s actually been amazing for us to start the day with and helps promote independence picking out clothes etc. (use code LOVEELIZACORNELISON20 for $20 off your order).

Protein or We Riot

Carbs and gluten are scarce in our house for a variety of reasons (eczema, family history of celiac, working on gut and microbiome healing for my two c-section babies, the list goes on.. read this book and you’ll understand) - SO breakfast = protein-heavy.

Eggs. Sausage. Raw cheddar cheese. Meat stock. Something stabilizing.

I’ve come a long way from starting my morning with Diet Coke and a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit with mayo (literally ordered every morning in high school, slapped so hard tbh).

Love these glass, spill-resistant cups for the kids - They get dropped ~5x per day and have yet to break.

One Thing Just for Me (Okay, Okay.. Multiple Things)

• Coffee and red light. Or better yet, coffee and Vitamin D straight to my retinas if the weather allows. I do not assault myself with the violence of artificial overhead lighting at 6:00 a.m.

• Supplements - Currently using this specifically to help combat low energy.

• Skincare - Low-tox in so many areas of my life, but medical-grade skincare fanatic ‘til I die. I’ll post the full line-up at some point, just know that I hustle hard here so I can afford it. And if you’re my husband, just keep scrolling.

As someone who uses the same mug every single morning without fail (the one pictured above), I have a thing for collecting hand-thrown mugs, currently drooling over this one from Etsy (handle detail is literal perfection).

Anyways, nothing dramatic. Just a reminder to myself that I am a person, and not just the infrastructure holding this whole operation together - Although I would argue I am actually both.

Are my mornings calm? No.

Someone still cries before we make our way downstairs (tbh before we’re even out of bed most days). Someone still needs to be held while I’m trying to cook.

But I’m prepared.

And right now, prepared is enough.

Motherhood Chronicles is a reader supported subscription - If you enjoy what you read, please consider subscribing for more newsletters. If you’d like to support me even further, you can buy me a coffee. Thanks for reading!

Subscribe now