Kendra Vallone Matthews is an Encinitas mom with a background in advertising and business. Today she’s also the budding entrepreneur of Hidden Foods Co. In this first installment of our multi-blog, interview series, Kendra and I begin our conversation chatting about the influences of her Italian-American grandmother on one side of family tree and the southern sway of her her maternal grandmother, with whom experiments in baking often took centerstage.

Moms do everything in their power to protect their families and keep them healthy. Fall is here and with kids back in school and involved in extracurricular activities and with sports ramping up, it’s important to be informed about a serious public health crisis that can affect anyone, anywhere, at any time: Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). October is SCA awareness month and a great opportunity for parents to better understand their child’s risks of experiencing SCA and how to safeguard against this medical emergency. Unfortunately, SCA is not rare.

Francesca Orlando is on a mission. Her commitment to understanding the nutrition our bodies get from food stems from changes in her diet since arriving in the U.S. Dietary guidelines, portion sizes, and the typical foods that many Americans turn to in search of health became Francesca’s focus when her own wellbeing hung in the balance. Her discoveries sparked a new venture — Healthful Living SD! Read part one of Francesca’s fascinating story of discovery and renewed health!

For many reasons, some women are becoming moms later in life. And there are many benefits to that, from financial stability to being emotionally ready for parenting. But as a generation of moms have kids later and people live longer, it means more and more moms are finding themselves in the so-called “Sandwich Generation,” aka caretaking for small children and aging parents at the same time.

It’s almost sweater weather, and we’re totally here for it. There’s just something about fall fashion, where you can cozy up in flattering and comfortable layers, while looking put together with minimal effort. Below, see a few sweaters that are sure to be favorites, including options in this season’s must have colors—chocolate brown and classic red—as well as some other easy-to-wear neutrals.

Josh Ritter is a singer-songwriter currently touring the United States and Europe with his Royal City Band. He’s released 10 albums, collaborated with Bob Weir and been covered by both Bob Dylan and Joan Baez (he also toured with the legendary songstress). His songs have also been used in film and TV, including the trailer for Natalie Portman’s film The Others and in the finale of the second season of Showtime’s Billions.

As parents, one of our fundamental instincts is to protect our children. The extreme violence happening in the Middle East, including the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, the horrifying deaths of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children, and the resulting sadness and fear permeating closer to home have all weighed heavily on families. Social media has also changed the way news and related images are distributed, making it all but impossible to control what our kids are seeing, particularly those with devices of their own. To help know how to support our children of all ages, particularly in this new hyper digital age, we spoke to  Dr. Aliza Pressman, author of the upcoming book The 5 Principles of Parenting.

Ever been told you’re your own worst critic? It happens to all of us. Somewhere along the way, says Niro, there was a lot of criticism around us, most likely from our parents, and that’s how we learned to respond. Now we have a golden opportunity stop that cycle. “As parents, we need to recognize that we become the voice that our kids internalize and carry into adulthood.”