M+A Edit

Even before your little one starts crawling, you’ll need to start babyproofing. Most babies begin crawling between 6-9 months, which means you should start thinking about babyproofing before then. We turned to Dr. Payal Adhikari, a board-certified pediatrician at Child and Adolescent Health Associates and expectant parents teacher at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, to give us the 411 on everything you need to know to keep your little one safe. Her advice for the first step? Start by getting on their level. Actually lower yourself onto all fours and...

At Monica + Andy, we celebrate strong, fearless women every single day. So in honor of International Women’s Month, we set out to look for moms who are making waves in their communities. Women like Lindsay Avner, of Bright Pink, who has made a serious impact on women’s health right here in Chicago. We asked you to think of your teachers, neighbors, friends, or colleagues. Women who are fostering progress and inclusiveness. Women who are making a real difference in the lives of others. We were overwhelmed with all of...

Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-founders, Tamara and James Lohan first came up with the idea for a carefully curated collection of hotels after their first international trip as a couple turned out to be quite disastrous. The experience led them to write down every single thing they would want from a hotel. Those notes quickly became their business plan. What originally started as a guidebook has now become Mr. & Mrs. Smith, a carefully curated collection of 1,000+ boutique and luxury hotels across the globe.Mr. & Mrs. Smith quickly gained...

Dear Nathaniel and Willa,I'll make this quick. Not because I don’t have tons to say, but because one of the biggest changes that's come with motherhood is a wildly different way of experiencing time. My days (and my brain) are never expansive or meandering anymore. Everything has a more staccato rhythm — thoughts and conversations have to tumble out in bursts whenever they can grab some air.Please don't think I'm complaining. I read somewhere that parenthood makes one feel like a house that's undergone a gut renovation. Your facade and...

Job: Monica + Andy Storyteller + Editor Location: M+A Chicago Headquarters What is Monica + Andy? We are a digitally native, organic baby and children’s brand that strives to make things better for parents and babies. And we are growing! Inspired by the birth of her daughter, our Founder Monica Royer created Monica + Andy to deliver softer organic fabrics, better-designed clothing and blankets, and a seamless, easy shopping experience for new parents. Thoughtfulness can be found in every design detail and extends to our in-store workshops and classes for...

Most babies will start to make a move towards crawling somewhere between seven and ten-months-old. Keep in mind that the process of learning to crawl differs from one child to the next, but there are a few easy things you can do to encourage your little ones. Is your baby not crawling? Here's what to do. We asked Dr. Payal Adhikari, a board-certified pediatrician at Child and Adolescent Health Associates and expectant parents teacher at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, to fill us in on the top things to keep...

'As an entrepreneur, you have a few, go-to key advisors. For me, Bobby Yazdani rises to the top of my list. In many ways, he's a start-up 'coach'. He doesn't lay out the answers for me, but gives me tools I need to help Monica + Andy grow. He has the keen ability to, as he says, 'see around the corner' and help use those insights to build processes that foster our growth. I'm so excited to share his invaluable insights with all of you.' - MonicaAs the founder and...

To my tiny travel companion:These past two years have been a wild ride, haven’t they, Gemma?Sometimes it takes all of our energy just to get out of the house, washed and dressed, and get anywhere on time.And yet we made it all the way to Japan! And Jamaica and Croatia and Amsterdam and many other places that involve long flights and surprise snacks and epic jet-lag. I traveled a lot before you were born. But I started late and clumsily. I always thought it would be such a gift to...

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the women who are making waves by fostering progress and inclusiveness in their communities. And there’s no one that has rocked the boat of breast health and self-awareness quite like Bright Pink founder and chairman of the board Lindsay Avner.According to the CDC, breast cancer (aside from skin cancer) is the most common cancer to affect American women. Bright Pink’s mission is to save women’s lives from breast and ovarian cancer by empowering them to live proactively at...

One weekend while studying abroad in Italy, Ariel Kaye checked into a boutique hotel on the Amalfi Coast and got into bed after a long day of travel. She felt sheets that were softer and more luxurious than anything she had ever experienced. The experience stuck with her.Ariel went on to graduate from NYU before spending ten years at an agency in brand development and advertising. In 2012, she was shopping for bedding and was faced with overpriced monotonous products. So in 2014, with those Amalfi Coast boutique hotel sheets...