Occupation: Writer & Content Creator
Mom of: 1.5 (due with second son in August 2023)
Can you tell us a secret no one would guess about you?
I need a lot of alone time and Romanian and English are my first languages. My dad and his side of the family moved here from a Romanian village in Serbia in the ’70s, and I always grew up speaking it with my grandparents. I’m really grateful I can still speak it (although my grammar isn’t exactly perfect) and am now able to teach my son.
One meal you could eat everyday?
Every morning my 3-year-old and I make a smoothie with spinach, blueberries, Be Well By Kelly vanilla protein powder, chia, flax and hemp seeds, cashew butter, coconut water and coconut milk. It’s delicious and has been a godsend this pregnancy since I’ve been nauseous the whole time. Plus that way we both get our veggies in first thing, no matter what the rest of the day looks like. In addition to that, I could eat the Goop Kitchen Brentwood Chinese Chicken Salad every day.
One vice you wont give up?
Screen time before bed. I know it’s not optimal for my REM sleep but I’m a voracious reader and love winding down with a good book, a series of crosswords and a Wordle. For whatever reason I’m able to read faster on my iPad and I love the Libby App so screen time it is.
Late riser or early bird?
By nature, I love sleeping in but since becoming a parent, it seems that chapter of my life is over. I definitely feel better when I wake up before my son and at least get dressed but that almost never happens. Evenso, I love waking up to the sound of his feet pitter pattering down the hall to let us know he’s ready to play.
Morning routine you swear by
Although I’d love a little more time in the morning, I typically wake between 5:30 to 6:15 thanks to my human alarm clock. After my son checks in with me, I meditate for 2 to 5 minutes, use my tongue scraper, brush my teeth, get dressed, ice roll my face to wake up then head to the kitchen to make our smoothie and the rest of my son’s breakfast. While I get his food ready, he typically makes me a collagen and cinnamon cappuccino with Stevia (he’s a dream) then we sit and have breakfast, talk about our plan for the day and usually read a book. After we see my husband off to work, I get my son dressed and ready for school, handle drop off, then either head home to get some work done, walk the dog or head to a pilates class.
One day I hope…
To write a book but I’ll be happy as long as I’m loving and present for my family and continue to grow as a person. These days, simplicity is key…although my current fixation is having a second dishwasher, so I wouldn’t mind manifesting that.
More the merrier or less is more?
When it comes to parties, the more celebrants the better. In terms of material items, fewer better things is more my style.
Cool Brands you love?
I’m lucky enough to be familiarized with a lot of amazing brands through my work as a freelance writer, working mostly in the baby, parenting and lifestyle space. During this pregnancy, I’ve been wearing a ton of Storq, Isabella Oliver and Emilia George, which are all female-founded, stylish maternity-and-beyond brands. When I’m not pregnant, I wear a lot of Jenni Kayne, Buck Mason T-shirts and AGOLDE jeans. For kids stuff, I love customized sweatshirts from Elfin, Maison Juli for gifts and Tea Collection, Minnow, Mini Boden and Janie & Jack for clothes. I also love my Hart Jewelry custom charm necklace (so cute for moms looking for something a little different to honor their loved ones), Neon Lace for tableware, Lucy Grymes for paper party goods and Gloster Road Co. for stationary.
On the horizon: what’s coming soon?
I’m wrapping up our home redecoration, working on a creative project with my friend (more to come!) and finishing up my last bunch of stories for Forbes Vetted before I head out on maternity leave. We’re planning to welcome our second son this August, so I’m really focused on creating a smooth transition for our elder son as well as myself and my husband… or as smooth as it can be.