Samantha Darby

I have two little girls, and while I really hate the "girl mom/boy mom" tropes, I fully admit that there are some key parts of raising children that differ between sexes. I believe in gender neutral toys and clothing and letting kids be kids, but…

"Whatever the opposite of postpartum depression is — that's what I have," Alyssa Himmel joked with her husband soon after their daughter Francis Sage was born. After a miscarriage, months of trying, ovulation tests, and a UTI from giving an old…

It's easy to get lost in the world of beautiful Instagram accounts, but beautiful Instagram accounts that also look attainable to the average, non-influencer person? Hello. You know the ones I'm talking about. They feature entire bookshelves…

I've never really found myself to be a brand loyalist, but when it comes to my girls, there are a few companies I would follow straight off a cliff. OK, that's a little much, but you know what I mean. Sometimes there are just brands that get you and…

There are few children's shows I can watch with my 4-year-old and feel wholly invested in. I need beautiful imagery, I need a story beyond talking animals, I need something that just feels good. It's the reason I can spend hours bingeing Sesame…

There are few things more pure than a little kid on a baseball field. It's the ultimate childhood dream to become a professional baseball player, and that magic for America's favorite pastime doesn't just disappear once you're an adult buttoning…

Any holiday is a joy as a kid. The excitement I felt about making leprechaun traps on St. Patrick's Day was enough to rival the excitement I now feel over green beer and grandparents babysitting as I recover from the inevitable hangover. But any…

I was not a kid who appreciated her hair being brushed, and that's putting it lightly. My mom was afraid the neighbors would think she was hurting me because of how much I screamed when it was time to wash my hair, and half of the photos of me as a…

Naming your baby can feel like a Herculean task. You want something special, something you love, but you also want a name that sets your baby up for success. That can mean different things to everyone, but if you're a Marvel fan, you might be…

After I had my second baby, I had to share her with numerous relatives wanting to help "hold" her, when all I wanted to do was snuggle, just the two of us, while someone else went on a toilet paper run to Walmart. I can't imagine sharing my baby…

I am what's known as a sentimental nostalgic. (I just made up that term.) Any mention of things gone past or traditions, and I'm immediately misty-eyed, my heart beating wildly. When those ideas are also things that remind me deeply of my own…

I was just 5 years old when Jurassic Park was released, soon to become an integral part of my childhood. And while the movie is full of shocking moments (still not over that scene in the kitchen with the velociraptors), the one part that still makes…

There are so many things about childhood I love. The bike helmets perched on kids' heads, bobbling slightly as they try to maneuver down the driveway on their balance bikes. The way their skin smells after an entire afternoon running under the…

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I will forever dress my babies in Carter's clothing. When the new big kid line launched, I literally almost cried happy tears. (Granted, I was mega pregnant, but still.) There's just something so timeless…

For my oldest daughter's first birthday, I went with a pretty simple theme — flamingos. I don't know why I was so into them for her, and I honestly can't remember what we did other than pink and blue accessories, a flamingo invitation, and a…

"I bet we've been together, for a million years. And I bet we'll be together for a million more." The opening lines of the Family Ties theme song are so ingrained in my own memory that I sing them to my little girls as I rock them to sleep. As I…

It's a pretty standard story: mother wants what's best for her kids, and she'll do literally anything to make it happen. It's why moms travel upwards of six hours to take their child to a gymnastics class that will prep them for the Olympics, why…

I have lists upon lists of baby names. Some are names I love, but would never use, like Poppy or Everett. Others include names I absolutely want to give children, but my husband has veto'd like a jerk, like George and Tilly. And some are just names…

At any given moment of the day, I am doing two things — some kind of task like unloading the dishwasher or brushing my teeth or working, and holding one of my children. It's been like this since my oldest was born, and it's a multi-tasking…