Well, we launched our twice-yearly sale today on the same day as Amazon Prime Day. Impeccable timing!! Hopefully you have all the air fryers you need and not enough swimsuits and tees for your kids and will consider stocking up with us instead of helping Bezos buy another mega yacht! Here is a cute little round up of some of my favorite styles that still have most sizes available. I also think its a great time to snag a beach tote or Seaesta x Slowtide towel because the price is so good! KNIT CHECK DRESS // SEASHELL TERRY SET // SEAESTA X SLOWTIDE TOWEL // PUFF PRINT HOODIE // KIDS GINGHAM TOTE // FLEURS TWO PIECE // NAUTICAL CHECKS TWO PIECE // STRIPED STRAW HAT CACTUS SURF TEE // CRUISIN HAT // SEAESTA X SLOWTIDE TOWEL // SURFING COWBOY BOARDIES // CORD JACKET // COMFY CORD SHORTS // CRUISIN TEE // BAJA BOARDIES This Kale Caesar looks so good! You could do chicken but since I’m veg, I love the tofu idea! And a Vegan Tahini Caesar dressing DIY that looks delish. Love & pre-ordered her cookbook, Protein Packed Vegetarian! Going to make these Zucchini Muffins because we have so much zucchini in our garden still! I’m going to make this Hot Honey Halloumi Cous Cous Salad for dinner tonight since halloumi is back at Trader Joe’s for the summer! We have soooo many tomatoes in our garden now so adding those into the salad too! I ran into my friend Dayna who owns Prism Boutique at a tradeshow last week! She has the best style and the cutest shop where they’ve already done the styling for you! Shop local in LBC or shop online here! Shop small, baby! My picks: Beach Pants (duh!) / Button Up Vest / Day Dreamer Top / Striped Bucket Hat Also, they have a vintage market coming up in July that would be SO fun to go to - lemme see if I can leave my SD bubble! Ok I did buy these sunnies for summer!! I shared them last week and they sold out on ShopBop but they’re still available on Le Specs and I panicked that they were going to sell out so I bit the bullet. I love a fun sunnie! This tumbling mat was so fun for a movie night with my girl. I’m going to get another pair of these cutoffs while they’re on sale because I live in them all summer. Bowen Yang & Matt Rogers in the NYT Cooking Kitchen!! I could watch 100 episodes of this. This oldie but goodie song popped into my mind the other day and made me happy to add it to the rotation this week: Sunshine by Matt Costa. I finished reading Margo’s Got Money Troubles and I’m listening to The Women on Libby right now. Polar opposite books lol! Margo was quirky and made me a little sad because her situation was so tough but I loved that she just marched through it and came up with solutions and never said “woe is me!” The Women is heavy and making me sad but I’m a little obsessive about finishing books so I’m powering through. I just want to escape from life with books and shows, guys. I do not want anything else to make me sad or anxious!! I just started Dolly All The Time and so far its fun! Discount Codes!! Coco & Eve - JWHEELER15 - 15% off - still very loyal to this daily tanner. Hard to mess it up! Esas Fragrances - JULIA15 - 15% off (their new summer scent sounds like it will smell amazing!) We Feed Raw - SEAESTAxWFR - 20% off dog food our dog is obsessed with Brightland Olive Oil 15% off with this link (I just got a fresh bottle of the basil one and you NEED it for summer!! Drizzle it on all your summer salads and you’ll thank meee)
I struggled to decide where to begin for the first real post of Milky Time before I landed at the daunting behemoth that is the Baby Registry. In hindsight, it was probably not the best idea because I had no idea how long it would take me (I have been working on this post for literal weeks now, already deviating from my post frequency right out the gate). I’m starting here because when it came time for me to build my own baby registry, I remember it feeling like being asked to write a research paper in another language, one that I did not speak. Because what even is all of this stuff? What does it do? Do we need all of it before our baby arrives? Will making a “wrong” choice mean I am a terrible mother? What should I wait for and put on my registry, and what should I just buy myself? Obviously every pregnancy, child, labor, and baby is different, not to mention you and your lifestyle are your own. There will be things here that some people don’t need, so trust your gut and follow your intuition (a tactic that will serve you well in parenthood). I am breaking these items up by category and noting the relevant age for use so you can decide what needs to make it on to your registry, what to get yourself, or what might make more sense for you to try out with your baby or toddler today. I do have a few little call outs before we dive in: It’s important to me to provide shopping options on Milky Time beyond Amazon. In part because I really need/want/urge all of us to not do so much shopping there. I understand that this period in life is one where those very fast at home deliveries are life saving, and I am not here to reprimand or wag my finger. But the VAST majority of the shopping links that I now find through any cursory search online are for Amazon. And more and more of the shopping round ups that I read, including those I consider reputable like The NYT’s Wirecutter, seem to be linking almost exclusively to Amazon. It feels like a ridiculous consolidation of choice, i.e. an absolute monopoly. Like we are being made to believe that Amazon is the only online option out there—which is far from the truth. So what I will say outright, and perhaps this is the closest to finger wagging that I will get: if we want a world not ruled by billionaires with exploitative business models, we need to move with greater intention when we choose where to spend our money. If we want to continue to have options outside of Amazon, we have to seek them out and support them. So I want to do some of this research for you and provide alternative outlets to buy all of this stuff. My hope is that I can make it an easy and delightful experience :) But also, because I am a pragmatist, I am still including Amazon links below my suggested first choice links. I am doing this because I am anticipating that some readers may still opt for purchasing there. And I get it, sometimes it makes the most sense, sometimes shipping costs are prohibitive, or the subscription option makes life easier and saves money. You do you, and do what works best for your life. I have very intentionally omitted links to the brand Momcozy. I don’t even know if I am allowed to write this, but I will lean into the bliss of my ignorance if I’m not. I have heard multiple reports from independent brands whose products have been duped by this company, like this one. Many of those businesses subsequently either have to downsize or go out of business entirely. Momcozy’s business model is not unique, it’s a tale as old as time: copycat existing, successful products then deploy very well endowed marketing campaigns. They get the benefit of the intellectual property, research and development, labor, and market research of those much smaller companies, but because they shout the loudest in the marketplace, they eclipse the original makers and assume credit. I know firsthand the investment it takes to develop something that doesn’t exist, so this behavior really upsets me. I see every dollar spent with them as a dollar taken from a more deserving business.
My sister Lucy is back, and we’re cracking open a few Canns (mine’s unspiked) to celebrate her 30th birthday & one-year wedding anniversary! In this episode, Lucy shares the story behind the haunted hotel she recently stayed at, the brutally honest feedback she gave me at the beach that only a sister would, and her honest thoughts on turning 30, the pressure to have kids, and what actually changes after you get married. Plus, we answer your listener questions about weddings, rekindling friendships, & more! Watch on YouTube Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Key Takeaway / Points: Quick catch-up with Lucy & how she is celebrating her 30th birthday & anniversary all in one packed weekend Whether she feels the pressure to have kids one year into marriage Wedding advice for a 2026 bride: how to stay present, stick with your partner, and our ceremony vs. reception hot take Listener call-in: two weddings, one weekend - what would you do? This episode is brought to you by Cann. Use code CAMERON for 20% off your order at drinkcann.com. Here’s the link to the Facial Hair Remover Follow me: Instagram: @cameronoaksrogers Substack: Fill Your Cup Website: cameronoaksrogers.com TikTok: @cameronoaksrogers YouTube: Cameron Rogers
The teenage years are often viewed as a challenging stage of parenting, but they can also be the most rewarding: The challenging of authority, ideas, and the world is a gift, revealing how they think, what they value, and who they are becoming. Teens are genuinely funny, offering humor that is clever, self-aware, and often as entertaining as adults. Watching them with friends is a joy, full of laughter, warmth, and reminders of how far they’ve grown. They are often kind and thoughtful, showing tenderness and generosity in ways that can surprise and delight. Despite the mood swings and eye-rolls, these years provide some of the richest experiences in raising a child, reminding parents that the teen stage, with all its ups and downs, can truly be the best time to watch your child grow and flourish. We need to choose our words carefully — especially the ones we offer our children. I used to think I was being supportive, even encouraging, when I told my sons things like, “You’re going to do great things,” or “You’re going places, kid.” Those words came from love. From the belief in who they are and what they’re capable of. But in hindsight, I see that it may have been carelessness, not thoughtlessness, that led me to contribute to a culture of quiet, crushing expectations. The weight of our words: What I no longer tell my kids about their future. Amazon Prime Day is happening June 23-26. We’ve rounded up excellent deals on storage, study supplies, bedding, beauty, tech, and more for your teen and your entire family. Best Amazon Prime Day Deals Do You Need Our FREE College Admissions Timeline? Reduce stress with a clear plan for each semester (grades 9–12) to help your teen find colleges that are an academic, social, and financial fit. Download Here
Motherhood can be messy, and only focusing on the highlights never made anyone feel less alone! Welcome to Mom Confessions, a space to get the hard stuff off your chest, hear from other moms going through it, and find solace in our shared struggles. Read on for anonymous submissions from moms just like you. “Sometimes I feel like my husband is another kid. I need to make sure he’s eating well and give him time to work out and let him sleep in but if I let up for a day or two it’s “why did you let me eat that?” or “I didn’t get time to run because I was too tired from being up with the baby”. He won’t eat lunch when we all eat, because he says he’s not hungry, but then snacks on tortilla chips and as soon as it’s time to move on to something else we have to stop somewhere to get food for him. It’s infuriating and when I point it out to him I get called out for acting like I’m his mom. So he expects things to be perfectly in line but if I mention when he could be doing something different to help his outcomes I’m being too controlling. I honestly don’t understand how to interact with him anymore because it feels wrong no matter what I say or don’t say or do or don’t do.” “I honestly resent my husband for not making more money. Pregnant with our second and I can't fathom how we will afford daycare for two little ones. Wishing I didn't have to go out and be the bread winner and could just work part time and stay with the babies.” “Mom confession: I’m depleted. Apparently I’m supposed to be smart, cute, fit, fun, emotionally regulated, professionally successful, socially active, well-rested, meal-prepping organic vegetables, scheduling dentist appointments, limiting screen time, reading to the kids, maintaining a marriage, pursuing my dreams, and making sure my children don’t grow up to be little weirdos. At this point, I’d settle for a nap and a hot coffee. Oh but wait, I’d need to have time alone to do that. Maybe in another life time then.” “I want permission to stop performing “okay.” Not forever. Just for a season. I’m tired of feeling like every answer has to be positive, hopeful, inspiring, grateful, or wrapped up with a lesson learned. Sometimes I’m exhausted. Sometimes I’m discouraged. Sometimes I’m carrying more than I can comfortably hold. And I wish we gave mothers more room to exist in real color—not just the bright, filtered colors, but the greys, the shadows, the muted tones too. Those colors are part of life as much as the bright ones. I don’t need every feeling fixed. Sometimes I just want the freedom to tell the truth about where I am.” Submit your confession here. Also, don’t forget to check us out on TheEverymom.com Am I to Blame for My Mental Load? Here’s How I’m Trying to Let Go of ‘Doing it All’ I Struggle Putting Myself First—Here’s How I’m Changing That Looking for more?
Hey all! First things first THANK YOU to all of you who sent me contacts for bartending on Watch What Happens Live. They asked me for a copy of Parisian Heist and are hopefully reading now. Fingers crossed. Now let’s try to hive mind me onto Kylie Kelce’s wonderful podcast. I think the two of us have a shit-ton to chat about when it comes to motherhood, wife-ing and THE BIRDS. And don’t forget to SMASH that order button for Parisian Heist today. Your future self will truly thank you. If you’ve already smashes tell five more friends to smash too! Word of mouth is queen for books these days. Here are a few shots of my fam’s feral first weeks of summer in the Catskills. I’m eating pimiento cheese for lunch. The kids are running naked (which they call nudey) through the garden hose. I don’t think anyone is drinking out of it though. They’ve pulled every imaginable object out of the garage and used it in ways they should not be using it. I saw a snowboard used as a wagon last night. They’ve caught toads and frogs and salamanders and fireflies. Some of them have survived. They’ve built fairy and bird houses. They’ve roller skated on the neighborhood Medivac helipad. I am exhausted by this. Because a lot of this freewheeling fun for them also includes labor for me—suggesting the activities, turning on the hose, finding the nets to catch the things, driving them to yet another local pond, washing out a jam jar to catch fireflies in and putting said jam in a weird random bowl in the fridge. I’ve let them make all the forts. And then I’ve had to clean up the forts (yes, I make them clean, but let’s all admit they’re shit at it). But they’ve also been bored to which I’ve replied: Good. Figure it out. I’m proud of this. Left to their own devices most children WILL figure out how not to be bored. But most parents’ Pavlovian responses to boredom these days, or the mere threat of it, is to leap up and fix it. And that’s one of the reasons we can’t really have a nineties summer. Gen X and millennials weren’t trained for it. We’re trained to occupy, to fill up every imaginable gap in a schedule, to play with our kids even when we don’t like playing with our kids (I am not a play mom) and to battle boredom at the cost of our own sanity. All of the many, many nineties summer lists suggest things like stocking up on cheap popsicles, as if all parents can just drop their biases against bonus sugar overnight. I am all for the idea of a nineties, try less summer. But we don’t live in a world where that is actually possible any longer. We can take elements of a nineties summer and embrace the vibe, but the majority of us are still working at our full time jobs through the summer months. In real nineties summers where kids ran free and feral there was usually at least one parent or a teenage babysitter at home (sometimes barely teenagers themselves). Teenagers can’t babysit these days. They’re also wildly overscheduled and unavailable for low-paid labor that won’t shine on their resumes. When I think of nineties summer I often think of movies I watched in the nineties like Sandlot and Now and Then and Stand by Me. In those flicks kids rode their bikes everywhere without a care in the world. That’s because those movies were set in the sixties and seventies well before the invention of mega-bloated trucks ripping down every street at 60 mph, particularly streets with no sidewalks or bike lanes. I would love for my almost nine year old to ride his bike three blocks to his best friends house solo in Philly. My only worry in this scenario is cars. It isn’t even possible here in the Catskills where there are no sidewalks and trucks barrel down our small valley lane at 60 mph. So kids often get stuck in one place, unable to freely move about without parental involvement and that’s taxing on working parents even if they’re working from home. Nick and I have more flexibility than most parents do in the summer months. We run our own company and we make our own hours and can be anywhere doing it. But we are both still working amidst the kid madness. The nineties summer wasn't actually about popsicles or garden hoses. It was about kids having more freedom to move on their own without parental supervision (and also parents who had looser ideas about parenting). It was about the lack of phones keeping parents tethered to jobs they’re terrified they’re going to lose. It was about liability culture not yet having sanitized every sharp edge and unsupervised hour. So we’re probably not going to have a full-blown nineties summer, but we can try for a little bit of the vibes. I’m trying!!!! How’s it going for y’all?
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