Homestead

My #1 Baby Registry Must-Have

by

Having had four babies back-to-back (to-back-to-back), we get a lot of questions about baby gear. Tons of emails have asked which products we find essential, as traveling parents with a minimalist sensibility. What makes life easier? Which picks could we not do without? We’ve been all over the board with baby stuff as our family has grown and changed, but I do have a baby registry must-have that’s been on my list since baby number one. The brand has improved and tweaked this item over the years to the point that I can easily say it’s my top pick, hands-down.

Incredibles 2 Costumes and Our Unconventional Roles

by

We were invited to the media premiere of Incredibles 2 last weekend, which naturally called for some epic Incredibles 2 costumes (you know we love coming up with creative family Disneybounding outfits). I left the toddler and baby back home with Nate since they don’t do too well in theaters yet, which meant that I had to get creative with the characters that the big boys and I channeled. It also meant that this film hit home for me in more ways than one.

Giving Something Back to Father

by

It’s almost impossible to imagine what it’s like to be a father before you become one. There’s an obvious understanding that it is a large responsibility. There’s even a sense of some type of stored up wisdom gathered over the years to be passed down. The role of being the rock, the hammer, the fixer, the teacher, and the source of reassurance all in one. It’s easy to assume that all these things happen innately once the first child comes.

Little Boy Hair, Demystified

by

Having four boys born in five years, I field a lot of questions about little boy hair. How do we wash it? How do we style it? How do we deal with haircuts?

What it Means to be a Man Today

by

Our family is going through a difficult time right now. Hah. Understatement of the century! I’m not ready to talk about that just yet, though. I’ve buried myself in work as a welcome distraction. There’s zero logic in anything going on in our world, but there’s logic in my response to it. I need to provide stability for my family. I need to be strong for my boys. The irony is not lost on me. Women, stereotypically, are not the workaholics. Women, stereotypically, are not the logical ones. But then, nothing about our family really is stereotypical.

Blending Minimalism with a Busy Life

by

I’ve heard people say, “Before I had kids, I was the BEST parent on the planet.” It’s funny how that works, isn’t it? We all have the greatest intentions, and then life gets in the way. When I was pregnant with my first, I bought small-batch homemade lotion from a local boutique and stocked up on cloth diapers. Then kids came along, and we basically just tried to survive. Things got…cluttered. And confusing. I felt like I was drowning under the weight of it all and I just wanted to go back to a life that was simple.

Losing the World and a Sister

by

What do you do when your wife is hurting? When she wants to say something but cannot find the words and doesn’t want to make a spectacle of how she truly feels and what emotionally eviscerates her? When she feels alone and cut off but desperately wants to reach out at the same time?

You do your best to do it for her.

The Happy Home Stockpile

by

I know what you’re thinking right now. “Woah, Chelsea, that is like a metric ton of toilet paper.” Indeed. People often ask how we juggle travel and home life with a big family. We’ve shared a ton of tips and tricks, but this is BY FAR the most important. The home stockpile.

Thank your Mom Tribe with Chocolate and Jokes

by

I was the first of my friends to have kids. I’ve been blessed to develop an incredibly large and supportive group of fellow moms since then, but I’ll never forget those isolating initial weeks. It was me, a baby, and absolutely NO CLUE what I was doing. I ended up leaning on two women in particular during those early days of motherhood when I needed a gut check, a hand, or just an ear to listen when the little guy refused to sleep at 3am. Nate’s mom and grandma (Oma and Nana) were the original members of my mom tribe, and I try to find ways to thank them every year around Mother’s Day.

+ More