Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a blogger/writer living in the Midwest with my two dogs, husband and 8-month-old baby, Bee. I love cheese, limited edition prints and cocktail rings.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I could give you a brief rundown, but I shared a pretty specific schedule here recently, and it’s still fairly exact!
What is your favorite thing about motherhood?
I feel like becoming a mother forces you to transcend your current situation. I mean, you’re kind of thrown into this utterly uncomfortable situation of postpartum healing and leaking milk and dirty diapers and endless tears, and then you wake up and realize that your newborn is a baby (and then a toddler, and then a child, and then a teenager…!) and you’ve made it through some really hard times together – and that you’re a better person for it. You’re kind of forced to no longer think about yourself as a singular unit, because you’re now part of someone else’s story. (I think, too, there’s a deep urgency to make that story into something beautiful, which makes you rethink the role you’re currently playing, you know?)
What has been the hardest part about motherhood?
Oh man – there have been so many hard days. Sometimes I feel like I’m walking around with a blindfold, terrified that I’m leading my child into harm’s way without even realizing it. There’s a lot of learning I still feel I want/need to do, but at the end of the day, motherhood is one big exercise in having faith: faith in yourself as a parent, your family as a rock and your child as an individual.
What is your favorite part of the day with your little one?
The morning! Our mornings are mother/daughter time, as my husband is a night-owl and sleeps in while I take over. We eat breakfast together and then have playtime as we listen to Billy Joel and stack blocks and practice walking (much too soon! Eek!). The sun is bright, the house is quiet and my phone is silenced. I cherish these mornings so very much.
How do you “do it all”?
Oh dear, I certainly don’t! I wrote a post on balance recently here, but I simply try to prioritize what’s most important to me in that moment. I’ve sacrificed the things that are less important to me (cooking, entertaining, decorating) for the things that are most important to me right now (time with my husband, feeling fulfilled with my work, caring for my daughter). This is just a season where I’ve been focusing more on myself and my family, and I think we all go through seasons where priorities shift and change and sift until there’s room for more experiences. For now, we’re just staying afloat! I’ll also say that my husband is an enormous help, spending time with Bee while I sneak in some uninterrupted work time. It’s such a blessing to have that time to truly focus.
What are your top 3 products for babies/toddlers?
Hmm, I don’t know about toddlers, but the best things for us (so far!) have been Bee’s Snug chair, Aden+Anais swaddle blankets and Polarn O Pyret’s footie pajamas.
What are your top 3 products for you?
My French press wins for sure. Next two would be my friend Martha’s scarves and perhaps my Whitney English day designer.
If you had 1 hour of free time (kid free and the chores are done) how would you spend it?
Oh, gracious; that sounds lovely. I’d sneak away for a leisurely lunch with my husband. Or curl up with a great book and a hot bath. It’s a toss-up. 
Show us a glimpse of your favorite spot inside your home.
I love our sunroom in the summertime – it’s perfectly breezy and calm: instagram.com/p/K8jrBdv1ya
Any advice for other moms?
Oh, I’m no good at giving advice, but what helped me most was when someone shared their official parenting mantra: “This too shall pass.” It rings true for both the good times and the bad, and I’ve always found some perspective in that simple phrase.
- Thanks Erin for sharing your thoughts on mommyhood! You can follow Erin at Design for Mankind, Design for Minikind, and twitter.
