odette Archives - now & gen

Sharing my birth stories

Heather Catania — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 22:54:23 +0000

Yesterday, my baby turned three and tomorrow my eldest, Tom, will officially be an 8-year-old. Their birthdays are making me incredibly nostalgic. I’ve been going down the rabbit hole looking at all their baby pictures. It’s also made me reflective about motherhood and childbirth. Hearing others’ birth stories was so helpful and empowering for me. So, I wanted to share my birth stories with all of you. I grew up with a mom who gave birth to all three of my younger siblings at home. I saw how empowering the experience was for her and always knew that having a home birth was something I wanted for myself. However, as you’ll see in the video below, I learned very quickly that childbirth doesn’t always go the way you’ve planned. In fact, all of my kids’ births were wildly different than I had imagined. Regardless, the biggest lesson I learned through all three labors was how important it is to have people you trust and can rely on in your corner to cheer you on and make decisions on your behalf. For me, that was my midwife Sally Avenson, my doula Carrie Kenner, and my husband Jared. (And a special shout out […]

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How to Keep School Lunches Interesting

Heather Catania — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:50:15 +0000

We’re a few months into the school year, and if you’re anything like me, packing lunches for the kids every day is getting O-L-D. I want to be that mom who packs something healthy, colorful, and exciting every day of the week, but it is so much harder than it looks! For school lunch inspiration and advice, I reached out to one of the best school lunch packers in the business: Catherine McCord of Weelicious. If you’re not following Catherine’s awesome Weelicious Instagram page, you should be. She posts gorgeous, nutritious, creative school lunches comprised of everything from a huge variety of fruits and vegetables from the farmers’ market, to homemade baked goods, to items that are gluten-free or dairy-free, to treats and snacks that look like cute animals. It’s my go-to place for lunchbox inspiration, so I was thrilled when Catherine offered to share some of her tips on the blog. Keep reading to steal her secrets for keeping school lunches interesting for kids—and for parents. What kinds of foods should parents pack for school lunches? My philosophy is pack a fruit, veggie, carb, and protein. If you know you have those things, you’ve already won. Adults eat so […]

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Frosted Pretzels Recipe

Heather Catania — Sat, 26 Oct 2019 15:00:23 +0000

A quick, fun, easy dessert or snack recipe that you and your kiddos will love.

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DIY: Feathered Halloween Masks

Heather Catania — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:25:03 +0000

Confession: I’m a huge stan of Martha Stewart. I used to hoard all her magazines growing up and could spend hours flipping through the pages. She has this inner toughness mixed with femininity that I admire. Not to mention all those amazing crafts! I’ve always found crafting fun and relaxing, especially when the items you make, like these Halloween masks, are pretty and usable. My friend Virginia Davidson saw these DIY feathered Halloween masks on Creative Bug and suggested them to me as an activity to do with the kids. They were a huge hit and a fun way for me to channel my inner Martha. When doing this craft with kids, you will need to be careful of burning little fingers (yours included) with hot glue. But the gorgeous end result is well worth it. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide to make your own DIY feathered Halloween masks. And let me know how you feel about crafting with your kids (crazy fun or crazy stressful?) in the comments! What You’ll Need store bought white or black masks hot glue gun scissors craft felt in a variety of colors loose feathers Step 1 Pick three or four felt colors. (For an owl, […]

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Homemade Salt Dough Ornaments

Heather Catania — Sat, 22 Dec 2018 18:52:00 +0000

Salt dough ornaments are one of those crafts that look easy and fun to make…and they actually ARE. They also keep my kids occupied for hours, which feels like a major parenting win during the chaos of Christmas. In between sports and school they plop down at the table and pick up a brush and paint the ornaments. I’ve been letting my OCD guard down and leaving the drop cloth on the kitchen table with all the supplies and just let them pick up where they left off with their creativity. My inner clean freak is losing it a little, but I know that I will be so happy we did all of these next year when I am hanging them on the tree and lamenting about another year passing by. They really do provide such nostalgia and let me know what the kids were into that particular year. (Dinosaurs were a common thread for Shep this year while Odette seems to be having a Jackson Pollock moment.) I can’t remember where I found the original recipe, but it’s morphed over the years and this is the version I’ve found to work best. Here’s what you’ll need to make the […]

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10 Toddler Shoes I Love

Heather Catania — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 00:52:11 +0000

Whenever Odette runs out of eyesight, I’m 99% sure she’s in my closet pulling out shoes. I guess you could say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, because I love a good shoe—whether it’s a sky-high heel, classic Converse, or beat-up cowboy boots from my days on Wildfire. But nothing is cuter than a pair of toddler shoes. Something about the tiny footwear just makes my heart melt and shoe shopping for Odette’s is *almost* as fun as shopping for my own. (Sorry, Jared.) From girly ballet flats to snow boots and sneakers, here are the toddler shoes I’m obsessing over right now. New Balance Sneakers, $45 These comfy, sporty trainers are perfect for morning walks and chasing her brothers around the park. Boden USA Leather Shoes, $42 As any parent knows, getting toddlers dressed can turn into an epic battle of wills. These super-soft Mary Janes are stylish and a cinch to put on, allowing me to focus on more important things, like where I left my coffee… Vans Metallic Sk8-Hi Sneakers, $45 My friends and I lived in Vans when I was growing up in California. This modern take on the high-top […]

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Simple’s Transition to Solids by Nicole Tubiola

Heather Catania — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 14:15:14 +0000

Hey Guys! Here’s Part Two of my dear friend Nicole Tubiola’s Guest Blog. We met during our WILDFIRE days, and she came to my rescue to help me transition Odette into the solid food phase. Nicole runs a company called Simple that prepares baby meals for busy mamas in their homes and leaves these meals in their freezers. She created this amazing video with instructions below on how to cook and prepare these important meals! Without further ado, here is our first guest blog by Nicole Tubiola. Also, be sure to follow her on Instagram for daily tips and tricks! XO, Gen The First Month of Baby Food by Nicole Tubiola As every parent knows, having a baby will give you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The amount of love you feel astounds you and self-doubt seems to follow your every move. Whether it’s your first or 10th, each child brings a new experience and new emotions. I thought Genʼs blog on introducing Odette to solids perfectly illustrated the emotions behind all the “firsts” you have with your kiddos. Since 2009, I have owned a baby food company… I have literally cooked for hundreds of babies. Which […]

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