“Simple and warm. I’ve tried to create a space that makes people feel at home—a place where you can cozy-up on the couch in front of the fireplace or hang out in the kitchen while someone is cooking.”

Barrett wears a Natalie Martin dress and Costa wears Zara shorts.

“Definitely. I now really gravitate towards ‘less is more’ when it comes to stuff in our house. You kind of have to once you have a kid, right?! All the stuff just adds up so fast and suddenly you are living in a kid zone. I am always telling my husband André, ‘No more chachkies!’”

“The kitchen. It is the center of our world. I love nothing more than making dinner with André or my morning smoothie time with Costa. It is our happy place.”

“The kitchen and the dining room. If we aren’t cooking, we are eating.”

Costa wears a Nico Nico shirt.

Smoothie time!

“Sunday is our day. We wake up and have ‘smoothie time’ where Costa helps me make our morning smoothie. Then, it is off to the farmers market to get all of our goodies for the week. Back to the house to unload and make a late breakfast. Then, in this perfect world, Costa takes a 2-hour nap! When he finally wakes up, we head out to the park for some afternoon fun, and then to Desano’s for pizza to finish it all off right. And, if Costa is in a good mood, ice cream!”

"We made a Banana Maca Smoothie. Blend 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup coconut water, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp nut butter, 2 tsp maca, 2 tsp hemp powder, 1 handful almonds, and 4 ice cubes."

“It is so hard to even put into words, or even fully remember what life was like before we had a child. It is the greatest thing and hardest thing I have ever done. There is no more just you, that little one is forever on your mind.”

“How hard it all is. I don’t think there is any way anyone could prepare you for what it really takes to be a parent. I look at my parents (and all parents, really) in such a different way now. It is such hard work, and most of the time, people are just doing the best they can.”

“The gift of showing someone the world—of taking our children on adventures and sharing so many amazing things with them. I am just so excited for all of it.”

“I just want to do a good job, set a good example, and make sure Costa is alright. It’s easy to beat yourself up or get nervous about things, but I really try to remind myself that I am giving it all I’ve got. André and I both are!”

“Firm, but patient. I try to stay calm when Costa is getting emotional or worked up. I try to acknowledge why he is upset and talk to him about those feelings. Sometimes it’s hard, but I really try not to get worked up when he is.”

“Enjoy every second and try to be present. Sometimes the days feel so long, but know that the years will fly by. I feel like he was born yesterday and he is about to turn two. It is just crazy.”

“I hope I can say we are pretty darn similar. My mom is calm, but firm. Always loving. Such a hard worker and provider for her family. I would be lucky to be half the mom she is!”

“Pasta with peas and pesto! I make batches of pesto (you can easily freeze them) and in a pinch, boil some pasta with some frozen peas and toss it with pesto. Dinner is served.”

“I have been loving Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good cookbook recently. There are a lot of simple, easy, healthy recipes like Go-To Black Beans, or the Almond Butter and Kale Smoothie that I have been making on a weekly basis.”

Hi Dad!

“There is a beautiful oil painting in our bedroom by our dear friend Faris McReynolds. The soft pastel palette is magical and I just fell in love with it the first time I saw it. My other favorite art piece is a framed Feist poster we got in Marfa, TX during our wedding week. We got to go to an incredible concert before our wedding day, danced on the stage with Feist, and seeing that poster always brings me back to that unforgettable night.”

“Less is more, and go with your gut. I try to trust my first reactions to things. I want the things that surround us to make us happy and bring us joy.”

“I believe in a balance. Most of Costa’s toys are in his room. But, each day he brings out different toys, like blocks or magna tiles, and plays on the coffee table. At the end of the day, we sing the clean up song and take everything back to his room. We also have a small little table in the living room set up for him where he likes to color and read.”

Barrett wears a Christy Dawn dress and Costa wears a Zara shirt and shorts.

“When we were searching for the perfect baby name, André and I kept coming across it as a South American last name. We just loved the sound of it and it went well with André’s last name, Vippolis.”

“The love. It is like no other feeling. Sometimes I feel like Costa and I might explode because we love each other so much!”

“His smile. His laugh. His sharp sense of humor. His sensitivity. And how he always says, ‘mama hold you’ when he wants me to hold him.”

“Catherine McCord of Weelicious. I have recently seen a real glimpse into her life and her as a mother, and she is like a unicorn! Her kids are so well-behaved, so loving with her, and she just seems like a parent who gives it all she has got. She is amazing.”

“Remember to take the time for some self care. If you take care of yourself, you will be better off in all areas—as a mother, wife, business owner, person. It’s important!”

“Make those date nights! It is so important to make sure you take the time to connect, even if you are tired. Stay in, watch a movie, and eat some popcorn together!”

“Yep. One more and we will be good to go!”

“I haven’t really read any yet! But I did love the Wonder Weeks, especially when Costa is a bit younger. They helped me feel like I wasn’t alone in everything I was experiencing with him.”

“Feminine and Bohemian.”

Barrett wears a Spell Design Dress.

“I guess comfort factors in more now. Is the dress comfortable and functional? Can I run around in it? Will I cry if Costa gets smoothie hands all over it?”

“Lot of dresses. It’s pretty much all dresses.”

“Christy Dawn, Dôen, and Sea New York.”

“Probably a dress and sandals in the summer. High-waisted jeans, a t-shirt, and some boots for fall.”

“Mostly online. Christy Dawn, Individual Medley, Zara, and Mohawk General Store.

Costa wears City Threads shirt with Zara shorts.

Picture perfect.

“Shani Darden, an incredible facialist, helped my skin tremendously. It was very dry and had some discoloration after the baby. I use a bunch of products that she recommended from her site. It’s a pretty simple routine—face wash, eye cream, moisturizer (SPF for daytime and a richer cream for night), and a serum.”

“I have been eating really clean for the past two months and feel great. I am off coffee, dairy, alcohol, sugar, and gluten. I still cheat every once and a while, but I feel really great eating like this. I try to walk the reservoir in Silver Lake a few times a week and treat myself to the Korean spa here and there.”

“It is still pretty bare bones, but it has actually been kind of a saving grace. He has plenty of room to run around and play on the floor with his toys. All the furniture is light natural wood and we have lots of cute blue and white striped bins that help us keep things semi-organized.”

“My favorite piece is the large bookshelf along one of the walls. Costa is obsessed with reading and loves picking out his three books each night. He walks back and forth, carefully selecting his choices for the evening. It is just too cute.”

“He loves his giant giraffe stuffed animal. That poor guy has been through a lot with Costa!”

“If Costa and I are hanging in the neighborhood, we go for a stroll to The Juice for his favorite smoothie. Then, we walk to the Glenhurst Park for some playtime. Later, we might pick up a croissant at Proof Bakery on our way back.”

“I own a boutique catering, floral design, and gifting company called Valleybrink Road.”

“I worked in fashion for a long time. My husband and I had a handbag line for two years before we closed it in 2012. I had to make a change and kept coming back to food and entertaining when thinking about things I loved doing. I decided to go work in a restaurant and for some catering companies, and then I started a food blog called Valleybrink Road. The rest just kind of organically evolved from there.”

“The creativity and the freedom.”

“Beauty, nature, and family.”

“It has made me more passionate, more ambitious, and more excited about creating something and setting a positive example for Costa.”

“It is a struggle, but I am lucky I have flexibility. We always have our morning time and I make sure to be home for dinner, bath, and story time, unless I have an event. We always try to make Sunday our day, if we can.”

“Yes, a lot of our friends and other moms live close to us. Many of them are also new parents, so that has been really wonderful, as well.”

“Delegating responsibility. I have gotten a lot better, but still need to work on it. I just think I can do too much in a day. I really need to get better about planning ahead and asking for help when I know things are going to be crazy.”

“I’m just hoping to continue to grow and evolve the company. There are so many exciting things in the works. I just feel so blessed to be able to do something I love!”

To keep following along with Barrett and her sweet family check out her website and Instagram feed.