Basic, Never Boring
Jessica is a Chicago-based Italian mamma to two little kings, Leo and Pietro. She’s a pop culture addict and reality television fiend.
Follow Jessica on Instagram at @MessHotJess for reflections on mom life, realizations of parenting toddlers, and FML moments.
Happy Halloween, everyone, from the Ur Basic Mom team! In honor of the most fun (well maybe second most fun) holiday for kids, we’ve asked our contributors to share their best Halloween costumes, EVER. Check out the Ur Basic Mom team’s best Halloween costumes… in no particular order: Annie- Ur Basic ‘Pooh’ Mom My mom…
Now that I’m a mom of a 4 and 2 year old, I know the importance of getting my kids out of the house. Active kids demand a lot of stimulation and ways to burn energy. So, to say that weekends (and sometimes weekdays and evenings) are chock full of trying to pack in as…
Going outside to chase my kids around, setting up the kiddie pool and hauling all our gear to and from the sandy beach has gotten, well, OLD. I am not a summer person. I always start out enthusiastic, but inside, I cannot wait to pack up the shorts and tank tops and wave goodbye for…
What’s better than reading a good book on the beach, at the pool, or at the lake? Just kidding! You’re a parent. You can’t do that! When you’re a parent if you find time to actually read a book… it better be worth it. Better yet, follow Jessica’s advice and listen to an audiobook! Either…
Around the time we welcomed a baby brother into our family, my 2.5 year old son was starting a new preschool. When we were called in to discuss some “concerns” with the teachers, I just thought “oh, here we go again.” To say my older son is “all boy” is a complete understatement. Especially when…
Like any mom, I have dealt with my fair share of stress and anxiety. And, I’ll admit, while I know that things like working out, journaling and meditation are means to decompress and cope… sometimes those options are just not as fun as a sleeve of Oreos, am I right? Either way, I’m always down…
I was a total yearbook nerd in high school (fun fact: I actually went to yearbook camp one summer). However, it wasn’t all for naught, I pursued journalism as a career and have been working in the industry for the last 10 years. Growing up an 80s/90s kid, I was infatuated with family photos. This…
For me, as soon as the mayhem of Christmas wraps up, I have about a week until I begin thinking about my son’s birthday. He’s about to turn 4 in early March, and the idea of throwing yet another birthday soiree has, unfortunately, soured me over the years. See, I went over the top for…
We’ve all been there: it’s midnight and you just got laundry done, dishes put away and caught 10 minutes of one of last season’s episode of “Scandal” before your eyelids start shutting on their own. You go to bed, and you’re asleep about 20 minutes when your toddler walks in. “Mom! Can I have some…