Faith Durand

We haven’t had a single bite so far this summer.

It's perfectly fun and delightful.

It's the thing a new parent *really* needs.

Take it from a sewer professional.

Eat it straight from the bowl with your kids.

Plus, the simple way I upgrade them to a restaurant-worthy side.

Sweet and (not too) spicy. One you start, it's hard to stop.

You can make it in minutes and it'll feed a crowd.

In honor of baby Cubby's first year, we gathered our favorite stories for you!

Name: Monica Chavez; partner, Ruben; and children, Esperanza (7 months), Mauricio (3 years), Abel (passed away in 2010)Location: Bay Area, CaliforniaMonica Chavez is a mother, blogger, and DIY expert whose Instagram account offers a steady, stunning stream of creative projects and inspiration. She lives in the Bay Area with her family, including a new baby who arrived during this strange year. “I’ve got a COVID baby!” she laughs. “She’s 7 months old.

Most of the time my house is, shall we say, messier than one would strictly like. With a five-year-old and a three-year-old, c’est la vie. But up until recently there was one room that stood out as weirdly miserable: my family bathroom. This bathroom was the victim of a bad, sad patch job before we bought our home eight years ago. It has drippy plumbing (I have a spot on the living room ceiling to prove this), awkward corners, and a curious lack of storage.

While 2021 has quite a bit of hope on the horizon (vaccines! reopenings!) the present reality for my family is still the cautious lockdown and quarantine we observed for most of 2020. That plus the extra-gray Ohio weather is tough for my kids’ exercise and energy. They get outside as much as possible, but I also entered 2021 determined to create more active play opportunities for them indoors.

Hi there, Cubby friends! We started Cubby on the spur of the moment this fall (although the idea has been in our heads for a long time). We felt cooped up with our families, but we had a hunch that, while this year has mostly been a flaming dumpster fire of things we hope never happen again in our lifetimes, we might be left with a teeny-weeny bit of nostalgia for all this extra time with our cubs.

Hey! 2020 is almost over! We are so ready. I don’t usually go big for New Year’s Eve, but this year feels different. Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering (and the mother of two young children), has advice that I have been clinging to. She urges us to plan holidays and occasions around a question: “What is it that I need most?” This New Year’s Eve, here’s what I think we need: catharsis.

When it comes to Christmas breakfast, I have one unbreakable rule: Christmas morning is for grown-ups, too. Just because you’re a grown-up it doesn’t mean you should get stuck at the stove flipping pancakes, or finishing an elaborate egg casserole. Christmas morning should be a surprise and a delight to you too, just as much as the little ones. But you also want Christmas morning to feel special and delicious, right?

Last week I asked some fellow parents how they’re feeling about the looming holiday. Henry, a coworker, said something that got our virtual heads nodding: “Right now I would appreciate other voices saying that it’s OK to not have a real ‘celebration’ this year.” Did you nod too? Are you still struggling over whether to gather with your parents?

Thanksgiving is almost here and, if you’re like me, you’ve probably barely started on your holiday meal planning. Those of us who are parents—especially if your kids are small, like mine—are busy enough already, and it’s been a tough season. I have found it hard to get jazzed up about cooking for a holiday that will just be my immediate family. But then today I kind of shook myself and said, Why so glum?

A banana split for breakfast? Oh, yes! This quick, easy breakfast takes a dessert classic and lightens it up for the morning with ultra-creamy Greek yogurt and a warm drizzle of jam. It’s also a perfect antidote to those fussy mornings when your child doesn’t want to eat anything.No, there’s no ice cream involved. (Ice cream for breakfast—that seems best saved for birthdays, eh?