The blog

Stories, honestly told

Fitness, family, food, and the small rituals that make life feel like yours.

The Wind on My Side of the Car
Family life

The Wind on My Side of the Car

A small moment that taught me why saying 'no' can be the most powerful lesson of all — a real-life story about boundaries, parenting, and teaching empathy that lasts.

July 16, 2026

What Olive Has Taught Me About Being a Dog Mom
Family life

What Olive Has Taught Me About Being a Dog Mom

Lessons from my first dog, my best friend, and my unexpected emotional support companion.

July 9, 2026

Press Play on a Better Day
Family life

Press Play on a Better Day

During a heavy postpartum season, I wasn't looking for a grand reinvention — I found a playlist. Here's how a handful of feel-good songs quietly changed the way I walk into my mornings.

July 3, 2026

The Garden That Came Back
Family life

The Garden That Came Back

I always wanted a generous, beautiful garden — the kind that lifts something in your chest before you can name why. Here's what three springs of failure, a mint invasion, and one piece of advice from a neighbor named Rob finally taught me about growing things that last.

June 26, 2026

The Quiet Cost of Always Being Nice
Family life

The Quiet Cost of Always Being Nice

For most of my life I believed my job in every room was to make sure everyone left it happier. Here's what that quiet, constant effort was really costing me — and what boundaries gave back.

June 19, 2026

But Why? A Survival Guide to the Greatest Question Ever Asked
Family life

But Why? A Survival Guide to the Greatest Question Ever Asked

Nico discovered the word "why" and now every sentence is a doorway. But somewhere between the hundredth why and a little smirk, I figured out what he was actually asking for.

June 11, 2026

It Feels Like a Movie. It's My Family.
Family life

It Feels Like a Movie. It's My Family.

Safe in a quiet country, sick with a war you escaped, ashamed of your own relief — hopeful and heartbroken in the same heartbeat. This is what it's like to watch your homeland burn from a warm living room half a world away.

June 5, 2026

Living With Lupus and Sjögren's: The Things You Don't See
Health

Living With Lupus and Sjögren's: The Things You Don't See

Three years without a diagnosis. A body that turns on itself in ways no one can see. This is what invisible illness actually looks like — and the things that genuinely help.

June 2, 2026

The AI Tools I Actually Use (And What I Use Them For)
AI & Tech

The AI Tools I Actually Use (And What I Use Them For)

I was skeptical of AI for a long time. Then I really tried it. Here's what I actually use every day — and how it gave me back time I didn't know I could reclaim.

May 26, 2026

Ouma Estelle's Melktert — The Recipe That Tastes Like Love
Recipes

Ouma Estelle's Melktert — The Recipe That Tastes Like Love

I didn't grow up eating melktert. One bite at Jurie's mom's house and I understood immediately — light, creamy, warm with cinnamon, and somehow tasting like someone had poured genuine love into the making of it.

May 26, 2026

Twenty Years & Still Going Strong
Family life

Twenty Years & Still Going Strong

No matter what we do, it's always a blast. She is my ride or die — and I mean that in every sense of the word.

April 25, 2026

Why I Started Making Comic Books for My Son
Family life

Why I Started Making Comic Books for My Son

It started as a way to teach him to brush his teeth. Now it's a whole series — and possibly the most meaningful thing I've ever made.

April 22, 2026

My 45-Minute Zumba + Fitness Hybrid Class Plan
Fitness

My 45-Minute Zumba + Fitness Hybrid Class Plan

The full class structure I use — warm-up, dance cardio, fitness circuit, dance party and cool down. Steal it for your own class or follow along at home.

April 22, 2026

The Crocodiles Are Real (If You Let Them Be)
Family life

The Crocodiles Are Real (If You Let Them Be)

Nico has imaginary crocodiles living under the sheets and monkeys too. Honestly? They might be the best thing that's happened to me.

April 20, 2026

The 20-Minute Reset: How I Declutter My Brain (and My Home) When Everything Feels Like Too Much
Organization

The 20-Minute Reset: How I Declutter My Brain (and My Home) When Everything Feels Like Too Much

It's not about the mess. It's the mental load sitting on top of it. Here's the simple reset I come back to whenever life starts to feel like it's running me instead of the other way around.

April 15, 2026