I am going to introduce a series called Q&A to feed my love of learning about people from the small details to the deep stuff. I am going to focus on the amazing women in my life using mainly the same questions (main difference will be the mom questions). I hope you find this as interesting and inspiring as I do and we can start to go beyond the Facebook facade to see how we are so alike and so different from one another. 

I'll go first and stay tuned for what I am hoping turns into a weekly interview.

Bits + Pieces 

Where do you live and with whom? 
I live in the Bay Area with my husband, Jay and two sons, Chase (5) and Max (1) and our beloved dog, Pepper. I am a woman surrounded by men.

If you didn’t have to work for money what would you do? 
I would have a home interior business and blog as a side hustle.

What did you have for dinner last night? 
Sriracha honey glazed chicken with pineapple salsa, beans and rice.

Choose five words to describe you.
Resilient, creative, sensitive, loving, social

What keeps you up at night?
I am inherently a worrier. If I can’t sleep I am usually worrying about the big things – the state of the world, politics, how to raise good kids – or the mundane – mental to do lists or how is Friday Night Lights going to end (yes, I am about a decade behind).

What inspires you? 
A really good meal, writing, conversations with Jay, authentic relationships

What do you do for “me time”? 
Exercise, socializing sans kids, a good mani/pedi, write this blog

Some of Your Favorites 

What book are you reading right now?
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. I haven’t finished it yet, but am really enjoying it and recommend it.

What song or album are you playing on repeat right now? 
Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book album.

What is the one beauty product you are obsessed with and would recommend to all your friends?
I recently discovered a drugstore foundation that I love, Loreal’s Lumi Foundation. It is more coverage than the tinted moisturizer I have been wearing for years, but doesn’t look heavy or cakey and the price is awesome.

What is your favorite item in your closet? 
I unexpectedly inherited a pair of Articles of Society jeans. They fit so well and never lose their shape. Even better, they are cheaper at around $50 price point than the jeans I usually go for in the $150-$250 price point.

Go to adult beverage? 
Right now I am on a wine spritzer kick. It’s definitely a 1980s throwback, but they are so good and since I am dedicated to my fitness, it helps save on the calories of a full glass of wine. I usually mix white wine with a lemon seltzer and lemon zest.

Mom Questions  

Give me three words to describe your life as a mother. 
Hectic/Magical/Exhausting

What do you currently do really well as a parent? 
I am able to strike a balance of the important (sleep, eating, discipline, shaping young minds) with the fun (dancing, being goofy, laughing, just sitting and being with the kids)

What is something you wish you were currently better at as a parent? 
Knowing when to just stop talking. I have a tendency to repeat, repeat, repeat something to make sure Chase (5) really hears what I am saying when I know deep down he’s stopped listening two words in. Less is more, but I can’t seem to stop.

Name a few things you miss the most about life before kids? 
The freedom to wake naturally in the morning. The luxury of time (there is never enough). Brunch – I never even went to many brunches, but just what it stands for.

Can you tell me about something that you have experienced as a parent that you didn’t see coming before you had kids? 
How much my identity would be wrapped up in my definition of a mother.

If you can name three traits you want your kids to have as they leave the nest what would they be? 
Kindness above all else, confidence and the ability to access/articulate their feelings.

Give me one piece of advice that you would give a new mom. 
Breathe, it’s just a phase.