M+A Edit

Not all baby music is created equal. In fact, most of it is downright annoying. Don’t despair, we did some searching to find the best baby music that you and your little one will both enjoy. Not possible? Just wait until you find yourself alone in the car singing along to one of these gems. Our Best Baby Music Playlist Rockabye Baby! takes your favorite pop + rock songs and turns them into sweet lullabies. Think Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” by way of xylophone and bells. Twinkle Twinkle Little...

We’re getting personal on the podcast today! Monica sits down with the CEO and Founder of Interior Define, Rob Royer, who just happens to also be her husband. After struggling to find high quality and well designed furniture at an affordable price, Rob decided to make it himself. Interior Define was launched in 2014 and offers a new concept in custom furniture: edited, thoughtfully designed and well-crafted pieces that are fairly priced and complete customization as each piece is made-to-order. In this episode, Rob talks about launching the brand and...

Meet baby Ada James. Born December 2017 at 7 lbs, 5oz in Chicago.New mom Laura Garland is a preschool director, so she spends a lot of time with advice-offering moms. Her favorite nugget of wisdom was to not overdo it with the baby books, trust her instincts, and only take in the advice that resonated with her.As for the rest of it? Toss it out. What were you most excited for? To see my husband Dre hold Ada for the first time. We’ve known each other for over 10 years...

Wait, there's more to life than milk?! Most babies are ready for real food between 4-6 months. Key clues that they’re ready is when they’re sitting well with little support, have good head control, and can't keep their eyes off what you're eating! We asked Dr. Payal Adhikari, a board-certified pediatrician and expectant parents teacher at Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, to tell provide us with her favorite first baby foods (Note to your mother: it’s not rice cereal!) as well as the info we actually need to know before...

Much like babes, we go gaga for pretty, shiny things. And so it was when we laid eyes on The Last Line from jewelry designer Shelley Sanders. We’re talking gorg investment pieces (minus the standard industry markup) that are both sophisticated and fun. Though Sanders loves designing a good arm candy (see: perfect rainbow tennis bracelets), she says she’s “first and forever, a mama.” Find out how the busy mom of three has successfully added a fourth child (her business!) into the mix. Your age: 36Your kids: Arrow (5), Howl...

In 2014, Maggie Winter and her co-founder Jac Cameron set out to create a line they felt was missing in the marketplace: affordable, high-quality seasonless fashion basics. Fast forward to today, AYR (All Year Round)does just that.The digitally native brand has developed a cult following, found success with pop-up shops in New York, and is constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to non-traditional retail.In this episode, Maggie chats about the future of retail, her plans for additional stores, what makes the culture at AYR so different, and the key...

You’ve already got Goodnight Moon and The Hungry Caterpillar in your baby book library, but when it comes to reading to your 3-6 month old, interactive and multisensory books are where it’s at. Here are some of the best baby books we've found.We swear by these lift-the-flap, touch the page, sturdy board book reads in our own home. And we know your tribe will love them, too. Best Baby Books Where’s Baby’s Belly Button by Karen Katz Where’s the Ladybug by Nosy Crow If I Were an Elephant by Anne...

In just three years, Alyce Tran has turned The Daily Edited, an affordable luxury accessories line, into a global company with stores in the U.S., Singapore and Australia.On today's show, Alyce talks about the expansion of the company — including the recent sale of a 30% stake in her company for $4.5 million - and the growing pains that come with that kind of growth. Monica and Alyce also discuss how to maintain company culture across an international company, the personal cost of running a business and TDE’s social media...

It’s hard to teach kids the concept of giving in a season all about wish lists and Santa’s Lap. But, we believe, it’s never too early to start raising little humanitarians. To wit: our favorite ways to teach the importance of giving back to humankind.It Starts At HomeA good deep clean of your kiddo’s playroom can help remind them of just how lucky they are and much they have. Request their help in going through, organizing, and weeding out toys, books, and playthings they no longer use or want. And...

Is it just us or is making a family photo album OVERWHELMING? #amirightOur fave Chatbooks makes creating photo albums super easy. Just download the app and it pulls your social media feeds into an album. You can add images from your phone’s photo library, edit out captions, and rewrite descriptions however you want. And then poof! The app organizes the images into a chronologically correct no-stress album. You give the book a thumbs up and they send you a printed volume.OUR GIFT TO YOUA free Chatbook! Use the code 'monicaandandy'...