“When no one’s looking I watch reality TV shows like Project Runway and anything on Bravo. I hate admitting to it because we don’t let Carter watch TV but it’s my guilty pleasure.” Olivia Metzger (@livviejane) on family life in Chicago…
Olivia Metzger lives in Chicago with her husband, Alex, and their two-year-old son, Carter. They are expecting a second son in March.
Our mornings are … full of adventure! Chicago is a really easy city to get around so it’s fun to take advantage of all that’s at our fingertips. When we’re feeling ambitious we like to visit the farmers market, the beach, the zoo, or a museum. When we’re feeling more low-key, you can find us picking up coffee at a neighborhood shop and going to the playground. I love the freedom of being able to choose our own adventure each day. Weekend mornings are generally a bit slower and usually include Alex’s buttermilk pancakes and extra cuddles in bed.
My kids mainly wears … clothing from independent, kid-friendly brands that make comfortable and good quality clothes like Grey Label, Rylee and Cru, and Childhoods Clothing.
I cope with clutter by … staying on top of it! Alex and I are both neat freaks so we’re constantly tidying, organizing, and developing new storage solutions for all our belongings. It helps that we ascribe to the notion of having fewer but nicer things so we actually don’t have all that much excess to manage.
I never leave the house without … sunglasses, my iPhone (it’s my camera), snacks for Carter and me, and these days a change of clothes and portable potty for Carter. We started potty training a couple weeks ago so I’m trying to be prepared for accidents since he’s still learning.
When no one’s looking I … watch reality TV shows like Project Runway and anything on Bravo. I hate admitting to it because we don’t let Carter watch TV but it’s my guilty pleasure.
I encourage creativity … by reading, listening to music, drawing, painting, cooking, encouraging free play, etc. Kids are naturally creative so I mostly try to let Carter do his thing and not get in the way.
I’ll never be able to part with … a chunky, gray scarf my mom knitted for me before my freshman year of college. Every time I wear it, it’s like getting a hug from her.
When all else fails we … put on a record and dance it out. Music and movement is just SO good for the soul.