The following content may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, we receive a commission.
This edition of Eight By Eva is all about my fellow-Homebirthing-Mama Megan Connerley! We met taking a prenatal yoga class in Hollywood, and I was immediately impressed by her yoga outfits of workout clothes mixed with always-fly ornate nail art and cool gold door-knocker earrings. This chick was CHILL! Her adorable daughter, Vida Amar, is now 14 months old. Besides being made of the toughest stuff there is (her all-natural Home Birth lasted THREE DAYS), Megan is also a #GirlBoss who runs her own cool Hair Wrap lines, Hot Sundae & Mini Scoops (for baby!) while ALSO working full-time as a clothing designer. I love Megan’s approach to parenting and her young, cool, and funny vibe. Below, Megan answers my eight favorite questions:
- What is the best parenting advice you have received? I think the best parenting advice I’ve received is to just go with your kid’s flow. We’re only one year deep in to parenting and already my child has shown me she is her own person with different wants and needs. I have to remind myself it’s OK if things don’t go the way I think is best! For example, when Vida decided she was done altogether with nursing and I wasn’t ready for it to be over, I found myself hung up on the thought that it was somehow my fault and we wouldn’t have that bond I saw between a breastfeeding mom and her baby. My awesome Doula, Sada Simran, told me to get over it and go with Vida’s flow! I did get over it and in the process ended up opening a whole new space for enjoying The Now. Silly me thinking it was in any way going to affect our bond, we’re so close! She’s crazy about her mama 🙂
- What is your greatest challenge as a parent? My biggest challenge has been making time for myself! It’s something I’ve definitely struggled with since the beginning. I’ve found that since I work from home I tend to work during any down time I have while Vida is sleeping– hardly ever taking time to do something nice for myself. This is something I’m trying to get better about. It’s a work in progress!
3. What’s the latest with your kid(s)? Any new dynamics? Funny quirks? Challenges? Vida is 14 months old and her new thing lately is mimicking laughter! It’s really funny, if she hears anyone laugh she starts laughing with an exaggerated HA-HA-HA!! She’s also pointing at everything especially when we’re out on walks, she makes a lot of friends this way! I just love how her big personality is just shinning through!
4. What is your dream day as a family? I love when the 3 of us explore new places around this amazing city we live in! Even when we go places I’ve visited a hundred times before, it feels so new and different seeing them through Vida’s eyes. Any hotel stay as a family is guaranteed good times for our little one! She loves exploring and I’m sure the AC blasting doesn’t hurt either!
5. Kid item you can’t live without? Lately its been a kids toothbrush! Seriously, Vida LOVES chewing on them and it keeps her entertained for a nice while. I bought a 3 pack and keep one in my bag, another in her travel toy bag, and the other around the house and I seem to find them right when she’s about to have a meltdown!
6. Favorite local kids’ activity? We love swimming at the Verdugo Aquatic Center’s kids activity pool! It’s so fun and great for the little ones as well as older kids. We’re also huge fans of the Natural History Museum, exploring Griffith Park and walks around Lake Hollywood.
7. How do YOU unwind? I read! I LOVE reading on my kindle late at night when its nice and quiet! I’m lucky if I get through a chapter most nights before passing out.
8. What are your favorite beauty products? Since we’ve been spending so much time in the sun this summer I’ve been addicted to BeautiControls Regeneration Smooth Advanced-C Protection cream (formerly Cell Block-C). I also have to give a special shout out to my Clarisonic Mia facial scrubber, and to my Sonicare toothbrush if that counts as a beauty product! Both are seriously amazing. Either that or I really just like blasting a layer of skin and tooth enamel off! haha. Makeup wise I always carry my Urban Decay Naked On the Run palette– so convenient for any lady on the go.
Thank you for sharing this profile of Megan Connerley. I am Megan’s aunt and I have not seen her since she was about 10 yrs. so it was really nice to read about what a lovely person and mother she is today. My own grand daughter had a baby boy 6/09/14. My first great grandchild.She is also a great mother to her son. I live in Nebraska. Thank you again for sharing. Susan Heitman
If you have met Megan’s mom or her high school art teacher, you know why Megan is so terrific and talented! The only thing wrong is how far she and Vida are from Northern California.