A difficult flight, a beautiful resort, and why we were perfectly happy to stay put. WHEN: May 2026 LENGTH: 4 nights KIDS’ AGES: 4 years and 19 months DESTINATION: Playa Bonita, Panama STAY: The Westin Playa Bonita Panama TRAVEL STYLE: Resort-based family getaway BEST PART: The kids’ pool and time together HARDEST PART: The flight WOULD WE GO BACK? Yes—but there’s a big world left to see. We went to Panama in May 2026 for my birthday, while my husband was there for work. It w

Two trips, two little kids, and why Animal Kingdom won us over. TRIPS: November and February AGES: 21 months on our first trip; 4 years and 16 months on our second LENGTH: Two days each trip FAVORITE PARK: Animal Kingdom TRAVEL STYLE: Low-key, stroller-friendly, no pressure to do everything WOULD WE GO AGAIN? Absolutely. We've taken our children to Disney World twice. The first time, our son was 21 months old. We were already traveling to Orlando for my husband's work, so we

Stronger after kids, early-morning workouts, and finding a routine that actually fits my life. AGE: 33 WORKOUTS: 4–5 days per week TRAINING STYLE: Metabolic strength training WORKOUT TIME: 6:30 AM CURRENT GOAL: Improve my running pace and compete in events like DEKA FIT and HYROX FITNESS PHILOSOPHY: Consistency over extremes I want to be a strong mom. A healthy mom. A happy mom. I also want to be a hot mom. I want to feel confident in my own skin and have a body that's capabl

Ten days of luxury, adventure, hot springs and romance. WHEN: May 2021 TRIP: Honeymoon LENGTH: 10 days TRAVEL STYLE: Luxury + adventure DESTINATIONS: La Fortuna area + Playa Conchal FAVORITE STAY: The Springs Resort & Spa BEST ACTIVITY: Waterfall rappelling WOULD WE GO BACK? Absolutely. We chose Costa Rica for our honeymoon because we wanted something more than a beautiful hotel and a beach. We wanted adventure. And Costa Rica delivered. We spent part of our trip in the jungl

What learning at home actually looks like for us before formal school even begins. AGE: 4 FOCUSED LEARNING: About 15 minutes at a time DAYS PER WEEK: Usually 3–4 EXTRACURRICULARS: About 3 days per week CURRICULUM: The Good and the Beautiful (Faith Based) BIGGEST PRIORITY: Creating a love of learning DEDICATED SCHOOL ROOM: Nope DESK: Bought one. Don't need it. WOULD WE HOMESCHOOL LONG-TERM? That's the plan. My four-year-old isn't technically school-age yet, which is why I stil

What we've learned after almost eight years with a 100-pound, incredibly loyal, slightly ridiculous family dog. BREED: Purebred German Shepherd Dog COLOR: Panda AGE: Almost 8 WEIGHT: About 100 lbs. GOT HIM AT: 6 weeks old PAID: $1,400 in 2019 KIDS: Came about 3 years later WOULD WE GET ANOTHER? Yes—we're actually considering it. His name is Max. We drove 28 hours round trip to bring home an eight-pound German Shepherd puppy because I specifically wanted the unusual markings o

What worked, what didn't & what I'd do differently after 10 days in Asia with a toddler. WHEN: February 2024 AGE: Just turned 2 LENGTH: About 10 days TAIWAN: Taichung — 5 days JAPAN: Osaka → Kyoto → Tokyo — 6 days TRAVEL STYLE: One hotel base in Taiwan, city-hopping in Japan STROLLER: Ultra-compact umbrella stroller, used sparingly CAR SEAT: RideSafer travel vest JET LAG: Very real WOULD WE DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely. We ended up in Taiwan because my husband was traveling there

What we've learned after five years of feeding about 50 people in our backyard. WHEN: Last Saturday in September GUESTS: About 50 SETTING: Backyard MAIN EVENT: Whole smoked pig VIBE: Casual fall gathering, lots of kids, very little fuss EXPERIENCE: We've hosted it almost every year for five years Our annual pig roast has become one of my favorite excuses to get a lot of people we love in the same place. We've tried different food, activities and competitions over the years. S

What's proven in my garden, what's new & what I'd plant again. GARDEN ZONE: USDA 7a/7b GARDEN STYLE: Colorful, romantic, slightly wild SUN: Primarily full sun EXPERIENCE: A mix of established favorites + first-year additions I wanted my flower garden to feel romantic, colorful, abundant and a little wild—more cottage garden than perfectly manicured landscaping. Some of these plants have earned their place after years in my garden. Others were planted this spring, so I'm not g

What worked, what didn't & what we'd do differently. We took our 7-month-old through Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany for about a week. Here's the short version of what made the trip easier—and what wasn't worth hauling across the Atlantic. THE QUICK TAKE AGE 7 months ROUTE Belgium → Luxembourg → Germany BEST DECISION Booking the bulkhead with an airplane bassinet MOST-USED BABY ITEM Infantino baby carrier BIGGEST MISTAKE Bringing our full-size stroller/travel system HARDEST P