Allison Cooper

3^rd grade is no joke. There really isn’t any way around it, their curriculum is tough shit.

I think that before I actually became a mom, I dreamt of sick days to be filled with breakfasts in bed, handwritten notes with all the words spelled wrong, and misshapen pancakes — but the reality is far from that dream. I'm flustered just thinking about it.

Parenthood is so chaotic that we find ourselves spewing words sometimes that we probably never, ever pictured ourselves saying. Then parenthood happened.

... there is no joy in the season when mom is locking herself in the bathroom to pull her hair out — don’t let that be you!

[CN: mention of suicide] It’s not all real. We don’t live curated lives that are built around purposeful omissions of reality...

I so firmly believe that everyone should have the freedom to truly be who they are, without limits, and it’s important to me to raise kids who are open and accepting of that, too. Here are five ways I’m raising a gender equal child.

Being a work-from-home-mom, I used to kind of loathe summer because it meant balancing activities and still trying to get all my stuff done, but this year is different. I’m allowing myself to take it slow (probably because I have no choice, being 32 weeks pregnant) and enjoy being a mama this summer.

So you have made it all the way up to the end of the finish line? Congratulations!

There used to be weekends where I would rise and have no plans for the day but to do whatever the heck I wanted. I relied on no one and no one relied on me. Yes, there are aspects of those days that I miss (especially the sleeping in), but being a mom has made me a better person and my life much more purposeful. Would I love a do-over of a weekend sans kids? Sure! But as far as my character goes, nothing can compare to the way being a mom has humbled me.

It’s always a glorious day in the fashion world whenever a new designer collaboration is released! Who doesn’t love getting a new, precious designer piece of fashion for a fraction of the cost? It’s a truly wonderful thing. This week, we say hello to the newest on the list, as H&M officially launches their much anticipated collaboration with the renowned Balmain on November 5.