Pause Pages: Low-Maintenance Beauty, Skin Inflammation, Kiwi's First Virus, and Sunshine-Filled Days

a monthly care package of thoughts, faves, and little joys — plus some prompts for a little mom self-care woven into your day.

Welcome to the monthly roundup! Think of this as a little care package of all the things I’ve been loving, thinking about, and obsessing over lately — books, baby stuff, articles, and random life joys that deserve a shoutout. It’s also a time to pause, reflect, and nurture yourself — a little mom self-care woven into your day.

Hello dear Mama Substackians,

Today is my husband’s birthday, so I am working on making his fave chicken tikka masala for dinner (used this recipe). I also baked a cake (this one). It was my first time making a multi-layered anything, and I think I nailed it???! I haven’t tasted it yet though… but it’s pretty!

Cooking red sauce while wearing Keira in my Sakura Bloom carrier was risky, but somehow no splashes. While I adore this stage, and I am really soaking it in, I very much look forward to the days when Keira can stand at the counter with me in one of those wooden learning towers. I have my eye on this brand (love how it folds)… thoughts, seasoned mamas? I imagine us baking and prepping dinner together. I’m not in a rush, of course — I know that day will be here before I know it though… and then I will cry. So, I’ll leave it at that.

Last week was a doozy, because Andrew got sick… then Keira (first time 🥲 read more down below), and then I started to feel not-so-well… My throat felt swollen, but somehow it was just a one-night thing, and I walked away unscathed. I personally think it was the handful of raw garlic and this elderberry drink I make anytime I feel something coming on. I also took one of those liposomal Vitamin C + propolis packets. I haven’t actually been sick in THREE years, so my ego refuses to break my streak.

However, I really don’t see how any parent avoids getting sick when their child is breathing, snotting, and coughing in their face all day and night.

Super exciting times, haha.

On another note, I’ve decided to open up our monthly Pause Pages to everyone — whether you’re a free or paid subscriber! I want everyone to enjoy these roundups, my current thoughts, faves, and little joys. BUT, if you’re feeling called to dive in deeper, I’d looove to have you join us as a paid subscriber. We have the sweetest group chat of mamas who are always there to support each other, and you can ask me/us anything. Think of us as your virtual village. I’m super active in there and love chatting with you all. Plus, you’ll get new issues every Thursday, as well as access to the archive that is growing n’ growing. And you’ll be supporting my work with the price of a latte, which means the world to me.

I’m really proud of what we’re building here on Substack, so if you’re looking for some virtual mom friends & want to read the words I write on this motherhood journey, come hang!

May Intention: get out + soak up the sunshine

If you read last month’s roundup, I’m here to share that yayyy, we didn’t just survive our first flight with Kiwi… we thrived! It was a pretty positive first experience despite the 4-hour delay, and getting to our destination at 2am. That was rough, but all in all, Kiwi did great. She slept both ways for the most part, and was a social butterfly when she was awake. It was really sweet to see her waving and smiling at everyone on the plane. :)

As the days get warmer in Austin, I’m prioritizing lots of time outdoors. It’s time for picnics, park hangouts, afternoon walks, swimming, and (hopefully) strawberry picking! 🍓 April was a whirlwind of birthday parties, travel, and celebrations, and while I wouldn’t change a thing, May feels like the perfect time to slow down and enjoy the little things. I’ve been feeling the pull to nap outside with Keira in a hammock under a tree (I dont have a hammock, but I’m dreaming of it lol). With Texas getting closer to inferno season, I really am wanting to enjoy the milder temps… enjoy those afternoon walks while we still can.

I’m keeping my calendar a lot more open this month. I love having plans, but I also love space to breathe. I love the weekends where we wake up and say, “what do you feel like doing today?”

With Keira’s first birthday creeping up (seriously, how is that even possible?!), I am savoring these sweet moments with her. No rushing. Life’s too short not to enjoy the sunshine! Also, I can’t wait to write about other bday, and share our inspo/what we are doing to plan! It’s going to be so much fun.

💭 Prompts to Ponder:

• What’s one outdoor adventure you’ve been wanting to try this month?

• How can you make space for more lighthearted moments in your day?

• What’s one thing you can do this month to embrace the sunshine, even if it’s just for a few minutes?

Reflection: 9 months into motherhood

Lots to recap this time!

• Wow, the 8-9 month mark was the biggest leap in her development I’ve ever experienced! Sooo many new skills all at once. Hands down, this has been the most fun stage so far! It keeps getting better and better.

• Keira is crawling, climbing up on things, trying to stand, and wants to be on the move. She still wants to be held for naps, so my mama heart loves that.

• Sleep has been 10/10. Feeling very well-rested (minus last week… read the last bullet). Keira loves to cuddle, and she does nurse throughout the night — I really don’t mind it! I don’t fully wake up. It’s been about 5 months since we’ve been exclusively bedsharing, and I truly love this time together.

• I am dealing with some skin inflammation… I don’t know if it’s necessarily eczema. I am waiting for some stool test results to see what it uncovers. I feel good internally, but I do want to pay attention to the signs my body is giving me before it gets worse. I am working with a muscle tester and my functional med doctor.

• Postpartum hair loss… part two? Yup, it seems like we are hitting another round of hair loss. I had some friends tell me it happens… so I guess I’m not in the clear like I had hoped! Hah.

• Keira endured her first little virus last week. The first night was the hardest, but we made it through. Thankfully, it was just one of those things that had to run its course. Nothing majorly scary. The fever the first night felt scary because we hadn’t dealt with that before. I’d never experienced her crying like that before either… it’s so hard seeing our babies in pain. The worst feeling.

🧠 Mom Brain Moment: I was making breakfast for Keira, and I cracked the egg in the sink instead of the bowl. LOL.

Life Lately: things worth sharing

1. I’ve been loving my super simple beauty routine lately. It’s quick, easy, and minimal effort, which is just what I need right now. I use Merit’s complexion stick over my SPF, followed by Saie dew blush for a lil pop of color (Merit’s is nice too!). I finish with Merit’s highlighting balm stick for a soft glow and sometimes add a bit of their cream-to-powder eye shadow. That’s about it. It’s the kind of routine that makes getting ready feel pretty darn easy. I don’t bother with lipstick usually because I’m always kissing on Keira!

2. Picnic season is upon us!! I am in love with our Toki park blanket in gumdrop pink checker. It’s so pretty, very cushy, and big! Love seeing Kiwi crawl around on it! I’m really excited to use it all summer long for spontaneous hangouts and soaking up the sunshine.

3. One book every parent should read (imo): Nurture Revolution. I’ve mentioned before how much I’ve been enjoying learning about neuroscience as it relates to infant sleep and their brain development. This book is such a 5-star read. While it’s an entire book about the benefits of nurture, the concept is pretty simple in the sense that it doesn’t feel like a long to-do list, scripts, or difficulty to remember… it’s intuitive, and it’s something I think we should all know more about when raising this next generation. If you’re into audiobooks, it’s also included on Spotify Premium (and probably other places). Definitely worth a listen.

4. Got a lot of compliments on these linen shorts. They’re breezy, cute, and just the right length — not too short. Comfortable and stylish, I’ve been wearing them on repeat.

5. I’m obsessed with my Storq carryall bag. It folds up into a compact pouch, making it super easy to pack, but I ended up using it as my purse the whole time on our trip! I love the print too. I wish it were sliiiightly larger, but for an everyday carryall, it’s gorg.

✨ Got any topic requests or questions? Let me know in the comments!

See you next month, mamas!