There is always a pair of my socks at the bottom of the stairs in my house; without fail, they are the first things to come off when I get home.

I help rescue lost animals – my university roommate’s cat that escaped 3 times, an old dog wandering on the sidewalk without his owner, a stray kitten, a cat that had been evasive for a few days, and a family of 4 ducklings that fell in a sewer.

I reread everything at least five times before I hit send or submit, and then I’ll reread it once more after.

Having children was always part of my plan, but I never could have predicted what it would feel like to have a piece of my own heart existing outside of my body. Or how accurate a sick toddler could be with sneezing into your eyeball.

I can’t clean the house or have a shower without music playing, and yes, it’s almost always the songs I used to dance to at the club.

When I travel to a new place, I always pick up a fridge magnet as a souvenir rather than a brochure that would likely hide away in a box. Practical items are the way to happiness, and a cluttered fridge.

There is always room for popcorn. Always.

I firmly believe that life IS meant to be real – homes are messy, kids won’t always cooperate, and adulting is hard. I’m not one to judge, and I will remind you you’re doing a great job.