M+A Edit

Since launching her line in 2011, Rebecca Minkoff has become a globally recognized brand with stores around the world and a cult-like following.She’s a pioneer in the fashion industry, merging tech with fashion and constantly evolving her product line. She offers products like “connected” smart bags that provide consumers access to exclusive content and was the first brand to feature interactive mirrors in the dressing rooms. Always thinking about her core customer, she decided to break the mold and offer her customers a front row seat at fashion shows via...

Just before the new year, Chicago real estate broker Nicole Hasima became mom to sweet little Charlie. Nicole and her husband Chris (owner of Wicker Park restaurant Clever Rabbit) let us shoot a Gender Reveal with them last fall, so needless to say we were pretty excited to finally meet the little guy—and he didn’t disappoint! Read on to hear more about her pregnancy, why they decided to find out what they were having, and why she requested to do skin to skin after birth.Check out Nicole's Birth StoryWhat was...

I had my daughter in the middle of a very cold Chicago winter. Which meant we spent the first few months bundled up inside our home. And while I loved being with her, I felt lonely and isolated. I didn’t have mom friends to turn to for support or even just have an adult conversation. That’s why when I started Monica + Andy, I committed to making it more of a community than just a company.Last month I had the pleasure of catching up with my newly-expecting (yay!) friend Danielle,...

As a professional soccer player, Tim Brown was used to receiving and trying out lots of free shoes. Somewhere along the line, he started to notice that all sports shoes were beginning to look the same. So, with that in mind, he set out to make his own.Tim grew up in New Zealand and was familiar with the great qualities of wool - it's not only good for minimizing odor but also for regulating temperature. The benefits had been applied to clothing, but not yet to footwear. Alongside co-founder Joey...

After months of doting on your little VIP, the mere thought of going back to the office can make you wanna cry. Know that you’re not alone. Our latest working mama is Kate Wolfson, the insanely talented Deputy Editor at Gwyneth Paltrow-helmed goop and mom to 11-month-old Sonny. At goop, Kate has her hands in every aspect of editorial, including its covetable gift guides. Even though she loves her job (it’s as cool as we thought it would be!), she confides that there’s a lot of guilt for women who...

As the blogger behind Elizabeth Street Post and the Co-Founder of The Everygirl (the ultimate blog for career-driven women with more than 1 million unique visitors each month), we’d say Alaina Kaczmarski’s got this whole #Girlboss thing down pat. So when she let us know she was adding a new title to her resume—M-O-M—we were over the moon. We teamed up with Alaina for her Gender Reveal (watch the video below), so we got to see her selections for both baby boys and girls. Plus, she shares the ins and...

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...