"My husband and I moved from San Francisco to a rental in Marin a few months after finding out we were pregnant with our son Luca. We always loved Mill Valley and dreamed of buying a home there one day. Shortly after becoming pregnant with our daughter, we started actively looking as we were in need of more space. It took us over a year to find a home. The housing market in Marin is highly competitive and we kept getting out-bid. We were feeling incredibly discouraged and considered renting again when we saw a 'for sale' sign around the block from us. Funny thing is, this exact home was one I pointed to when we first moved to Marin and remember telling my husband I wanted one just like that. The house was listed the week of the 4th of July, so the open house was quieter than normal. The house was updated but pretty small, listed as a 2 bed/1 bath. The exterior was turquoise with a purple door and the interior was every colorful shade imaginable. So not me, I am very monotone! But what sold us was the backyard! It was big and flat (a rare find in Mill Valley). We put an offer in right away and were so happy to hear it was accepted! This summer we completed our first year in this home and it’s been dreamiest year of our lives so far!"

"Neutral and minimal. I love high contrast spaces mixed with natural materials, like leather and wood with stark white walls. The first thing we did when moving in was knock down a wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. This really opened up our space. We also painted the exterior of the house black and the interior white."

Cristina wears a Born to Roam vintage jersey, Acne pants, vintage belt, and Freda Salvador Sound loafers. Lola wears Zara. Luca wears Zara pants and shirt and a Gap denim top.

"Our house is so small, so pretty much everything needs to be purposeful and special to us. I love mixing old and new, playing with different textures and natural materials. And adding lots of house plants!"

"I really struggle with clutter and disorder and find myself to be most at ease when things are clean and put away, which is a serious challenge with two toddlers (and a messy husband!). I find that using baskets, trunks, and larger storage-friendly furniture is the best way to overcome the everyday chaos. I have baskets for toys in every room, but really try to keep the kids' stuff in their rooms unless they are actively playing with something."

Plant life example 1.

And example 2...

"I love the accessibility to everything! We are 30 minutes from wine country, 20 minutes from the beach, 10 minutes from insane hiking trails, and 20 minutes from the city! The location is perfect for going on little adventures together. I love being surrounded by nature and being nestled amongst redwoods. It’s pretty magical."

"My husband and I dream of moving to Montana or Wyoming one day, having a ranch and slowing down. So, maybe one day, but we love raising our kids here and feel so fortunate we are able to do so."

"We go out to eat a lot on weekends. Friday nights are usually a family sushi dinner at Samurai or a Mexican dinner at La Playa. Old Mill and Sycamore Parks are favorites we visit often on weekends. I love taking the kids to the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, the Academy of Sciences in the city, or the Mill Valley Library on Fridays when I work from home. Marin Country Mart is another favorite spot. We go there for Off the Grid and the Farmer’s Market. If we are looking for a bigger adventure, we will head to Stinson Beach or Slide Ranch. We love Sushi Ran in Sausalito or Molina in Mill Valley for date nights."

"We have the most amazing nanny who has been with us since Luca was 2 months old. She is incredible and loves my kids like they are her own. She also happens to be Hispanic and speaks only Spanish to them, which is a plus. My mom is close by in the city, so we get to see her often. I also have the best friends who span from Burlingame up to Marin, so we are very blessed!"

Top-knot cutie.

"I like to accessorize most. I try to keep my canvas pretty simple and easy. Lots of denim, white tees, tailored button downs. What excites me most is jewelry, shoes, belts, scarves, and hats! I like to dress practical and comfortable. Living in Northern California means lots of layering, which I love! I also find myself dressing from the bottom up. First I pick which shoes I want to wear that day and build around that. My style has changed since having kids. I was looking at pictures the other day and realized how much more I would add to my daily look before. I would layer upon layer upon layer whatever I found. More was more and I miss it. However, I feel like I’ve been either pregnant or with a baby almost four years, so less has been more practical. That said, I am starting to build my collection of fun accessories again to get back into it."

"99%. Outside of Freda's, I own two pairs of Converse, a pair of Nikes, a pair of Havaianas, and my fancy wedding shoes! And slippers."

"A vintage military belt my mom found at an antique store is the favorite thing I own. I find myself working it into most of my outfits. I usually wear that with a tee or tailored top, a pair of jeans, and a pair of boots or loafers. Simple items that make me feel put together every day."

"I am obsessed with our L.A. store partner Janessa Leone’s hats! She just has a very distinct voice and her designs always remain true to it. Born to Roam is also an amazing brand I love. Rayna is the force behind it and she is an insane curator of vintage finds! Other favorites include Sarah Swell Jewelry and Anna Sheffield. I love mixing rings and layering necklaces. Accessories are my favorite part of every outfit."

"I shop mostly when I travel. I don’t feel like I have time to shop anymore. So, when I do it’s either out and about discovering new areas and shops or online."

"Luca just turned three, so his room straddles the line between a nursery and toddler room. He has an Oeuf crib and matching dresser. We have a Land of Nod play table and moose chair, which he uses every day to color and read books! His favorite things at the moment are superheroes, animals, and dinosaurs, so his room has touches of each. He collects tiny figurines of just about everything, so we have these incredibly functional Ikea drawer/bin sets, which work perfectly to store his toys and hide the clutter! We have a few Animal Print Shop prints decorating the walls along with a map of Africa hanging above his crib and his preschool drawings on the opposite wall."

"He just started preschool and upon pickup the other day I was handed his first art pieces. I love them so much and framed them immediately! They hang just over his dresser. He also has this wild obsession with superheroes right now—specifically Spiderman, Batman, and the Flash! On his third birthday our friend’s son drew a large-scale batman picture that is unreal. It was such a special and thoughtful gift! His favorite part is probably the luggage-shaped bookcase stuffed with every book imaginable. He loves to read!"

Line 'em up.

"My son is Luca Gregory. Gregory is my husband’s name and also his father (Luca’s grandfather’s) name. We always knew it would be a part of our son's name, too, as we wish to carry the family name through. When Gregory and I started dating in college and would talk about our lives and future, we would always refer to our son as Luca. Our daughter is Lola James, which is a family name on my side. My grandmother’s name was Dolores (a formal version of Lola) and my father’s name is Jaime (the Latin version of James). I asked my dad if he would mind if we gave our daughter James as a middle name and he told me how my great-great grandmother was named Lola and she married an Englishman named James. It was a crazy coincidence!"

"Luca just turned three and his favorite things are superheroes and building toys, such as Magna-Tiles, Tegu blocks, and Legos! He also loves stickers and hidden picture books. He’s a pretty calm boy who mostly loves putting things together and taking them apart. His curiosity is endless and he is always trying to understand why things are the way they are. He’s really big into conversing and asking questions now, which is wonderful. This is especially special to us because during his 18-month wellness check we were encouraged to start speech therapy since he didn’t have any words. I remember getting him a formal assessment and them ranking the development from 0-10 and Luca scored a 0. I was so scared and confused, but also felt like he was so advanced in other departments. He was diagnosed with a gross motor speech delay. We started therapy right way and are so happy we acted quickly on it. He is now fully caught up and in fact he graduated speech therapy at his third birthday! So, when he wants to talk and ask questions, tell stories, sing, all of it, we just stop and listen and relish in the advancements he’s made."

"Lola James is about 18 months. She just wants whatever her brother is playing with! The sharing concept is a struggle in our home. She loves books, music, coloring, and dancing! She’s definitely our wild one, always wanting to be outside, climbing on everything, testing our limits! She is so vocal and will usually get her way. She is sassy and stubborn! She doesn’t want to be left out of anything—it’s like she overcompensates for the fact that she is younger and shocks us all by proving she can keep up!"

"Lola’s room is one of my favorites in the house. The lighting in there is so bright! It doesn’t have a theme, necessarily, outside of bright colors. We hung a few Minted prints and some fun garland along the walls. A Land of Nod bookshelf is covered in books, toys, and some small mementos, including a pair of casted shoes of mine when I was her age. She loves stuffed animals, so those are scattered throughout."

"She loves the Plum and Sparrow moses basket we purchased for her as a newborn. It is now the home to her stuffed animals. It’s the coolest handwoven basket made in Africa by local weavers. I also have a couple touches of Frida Kahlo in there that I love, as they have dual meaning for me! Oh, and this adorable antique high chair that my godmother gifted her. It's so special."

"Growing up in my house, we didn’t really have separate boys and girls activities. I remember fishing with my dad just as much as I would play dress-up with my mom. So, all the activities that are typically associated with either gender are things that excite me for both—watching them play sports, playing dress-up whether superheroes or princesses, and having heartfelt conversations, just watching their little personalities unfold and their interests develop. And being a spectator to all, as well as their biggest cheerleader!"

"My son was 10 1/2 months when I found out I was pregnant again. We were not trying to have another yet, so it was a complete surprise. I was terrified—my son was so young, I wasn’t even back on dry ground yet. I had a difficult time postpartum with Luca and was just finding myself again. I cried for days. I felt guilty that I wouldn’t be there for him as much as he needed me and I felt guilty for my company, Freda Salvador. Just as I was starting to more comfortably navigate the working mom thing, I get pregnant again! All this said, having Lola and Luca be so close in age is a gift. I am so grateful it happened this way for us. Of course, there are pros and cons of having kids so close together. One pro would be they are built-in best friends. Lola is catching up to Luca quickly and playing with him and engaging in all his activities. Luca loves her and is the most tender big brother. They share such a loving bond and I do think it is because of their closeness. Another pro is that we are in it now and it’s wild, but it’s also a shorter period of wild for our family. Naps are happening at the same time, so are diapers...soon we will be back to being civilized folks! Negatives are constant shifts of activities for each stage of development, making sure each is getting enough attention, there is less (almost no) time for me. It’s much more chaotic and much more intense. I mean, two in diapers for over a year is mad! But in my opinion, having gone through it, I wouldn’t change how it happened for us. I see the pros outweigh the cons."

"My pregnancies were pretty seamless. No complications or surprises. I was very fortunate to get pregnant quickly after deciding to try and was incredibly lucky to have two healthy births. Luca's birth was a little more dramatic. The umbilical cord was wrapped along his neck and we had no idea until I was pushing—my doctor acted so quickly though and it was all okay in the end!"

"I don’t know. I love being a mom and would love to have another one day, but who knows what life will bring. The idea of having another in a few years is exciting, but then again I am so blessed to have two beautiful children and am insanely happy with our little tribe. So, no decisions yet."

"That it’s important to understand that they are about to embark on the biggest transition of their life. You go from innately selfish to complete selfless in a matter of minutes. The first moment you hold your baby in your arms, everything changes! It’s no longer about you—it’s about protecting and loving this tiny creature. Don’t be scared or embarrassed to ask for help or seek support. Know that gazillions of women before you have been through this and it gets easier. Every day that goes by is one step further into getting into a rhythm, finding your stride, and dominating at being a mom. I am such a perfectionist and had a hard time being fine with 'just okay' during the newborn period. My mom would try to remind me that the house might be standing, but if I wasn’t careful I wouldn’t be and Luca needed me more than I needed the house to be clean. When Lola was born, I listened to this more carefully and tried to accept more help. And it was so much easier! Accept the help! Take the dinners, let others do the laundry, clean the house—all of it!"

"Watching the world through my kid’s eyes. Witnessing them discover the things around them. The wonder and innocence that exists in their little souls."

"Not being able to shelter them from the bad and ugly that exists in this world. Understanding I cannot have them live in a bubble and need to let them experience, but also wanting to protect them every minute of every day."

"I grew up in El Salvador, but was born during a pretty intense Civil War, so I was actually born in Miami, since my parents were living there during the worst part. I was born to an American mother and a Salvadoran father. We moved back to El Salvador when I was two. I have an older brother and younger sister. Growing up in El Salvador was hard because safety and security was a very real issue, but it was also beautiful and tropical! We would spend weekends at the beach, the lake, the volcano, visiting the farms. It was a dream for a kid who loved to be outside and discover! Adventures were endless with my siblings and cousins. I have countless aunts, uncles, cousins. We have a huge family! I have many memories of big family get togethers. We’d put on shows that involved skits, dancing, and singing. We moved to Carmel, California right as I was starting high school. It was amazing, but also a very shocking contrast. We could all of a sudden walk everywhere, safety no longer being a big concern. We’d tailgate at my brother's football games, cheer on my sister at her softball games, and travel up the coast to San Francisco often. My mom was able to introduce us to her city and I fell so deeply in love I moved here after college."

"My parents have been so supportive of me since I was young. Always encouraging me to follow my dreams, be whatever I want to be—I got to choose. But they also always stressed that I should work hard to be the best at it, never give up. My dad always reminds me the harder I work, the luckier I’ll get. I really want to pass this on to my children. My mom was also very big on trust. She told us she trusted us to do what was right, what we said we would do. I was never grounded growing up, but if I broke her trust or disappointed her in any way, it was the ultimate worst thing ever! I feel like this kept me in check to be 'good kid.'"

"It is very important to me that my children be bilingual and have a strong connection with El Salvador. I want them to know the culture there—the food and the folkloric songs that I knew as a kid. It’s not easy to do, but I try to speak to them in both Spanish and English. My father lives down there and we try to visit as often as possible. We are fortunate he comes every couple of months here, too. I actually have lots of family from El Salvador who live nearby and visit the kids, as well. My husband always jokes that they are the loudest get togethers! Latins are not quiet!"

"The most important thing I wish to teach my children is to love everyone no matter their color, religion, socio-economic background, etc. I want to teach them to respect others no matter what and to be open-minded when listening to others' views and opinions. I wish I could shield them from all the ugly in this world, but I know that is not possible, so I vow to show them the beauty that surrounds us. I will emphasize the ones who are changing the world for the better. Show them that love will overpower all evil. As a mother, I feel this is my duty."

Cristina wears a Doen top, Reformation jeans, vintage belt, and Freda Salvador Ace boots. Lola wears a Zara top and Ralph Lauren bloomers. Luca wears a Carter top, Zara jeans, and Natives.

"I have so many! Every mom really. This job is the toughest in the world and kudos to all the moms that have done it before me!"

"I read so many books, many of which I wish I read before my babies got here and even more that I wish I retained the information from. I read The Happiest Baby on the Block, On Becoming Baby Wise, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. All of those were so great. I feel like I took so much from each and was able to develop my own method for my children. My largest resource has been pinging fellow moms and the internet, websites such as Mother. I find that motherhood can be very isolating, but to see other women going through similar things and listening to them share their own struggles and accomplishments is comforting. I like 'real' stories and experiences, so I relate most to both these platforms."

"Oh man! It is so hard. I am still figuring it out. I know that for me, guilt is overwhelming and I work hard to keep it at bay. I remind myself constantly that I am doing what I love and I hope that one day my children will be proud of all my hard work and the fact that I pursued my dreams. My husband is incredibly supportive and believes in what we are building so much and for that I am lucky. He is an amazing dad and carries both our roles when I travel I find comfort in that my kids are receiving so much love and affection when I am away. At the end of the day, I work hard for my family and they keep me going. This stage in our lives is so stressful, but the moment I walk in the door every evening it all washes away. We have a nightly dance party with the kids when we get home and we just run around the living room having a ball! The kids’ laughter and excitement is everything!"

"Yes. In the sense that every hour I spend at work is an hour not spent at home with my kids. This translates to everything must have a purpose, a clearly defined goal. I try to be extra productive while I am in the office so I can fully focus on the kids during their awake times."

"That's another one I haven’t mastered. I try to wake up earlier than everyone and just lay in bed thinking and getting my head in the game for tackling the day."

"I’ve been trying to work on this. I wish I could say I have one, but I don’t. My family has really been encouraging me to start one, too. I know it’s important and I am motivated to start something soon! For now, it’s just walks with my kids! I find myself happiest when I am with them playing, running, dancing, etc."

"It's really simple and straight-forward. I discovered True Botanicals recently and have been obsessed with their products! The face oil and vitamin c serum are incredible. I also use First Aid Beauty cleanser. My makeup is pretty simple—concealer, bronzer, mascara, and liner. I use Nars, Bobbi Brown, Dior, and Chanel for these. And Benefit's Gimme Brow!

"Our room is very minimal. We hardly hang out in here, but I love sleeping in an organized and clear space. I love white! White curtains, walls, bedding—it gives me a sense of calm."

"I am a proud owner of a custom piece made by Aleksandra Zee that hangs above our bed. She is insanely talented!"

"I am co-founder and designer of Freda Salvador. Megan Papay and I started the brand about 6 years ago and launched a year later. We design and make shoes for pounding pavement. We focus on redefining classics and adding a twist—a little hardware, an unexpected material combination, etc. We have two retail stores, an e-commerce site, a wholesale business, and a newly renovated trailer. I love what we do! It’s complex but exciting, challenging in the most amazing way!"

"Megan and I met while working for another shoe company. We formed part of the design team and were responsible for designing shoes that were comfortable. The demographic we were serving was more mature geared towards career women, so the style wasn’t fully aligned with ours, but we learned so much about technical design and how craftsmanship is of utmost importance. We had great design synergy and really worked well together, so we set out to start our own line geared towards the urban girl. We launched Fall 2012 with the purpose of providing every day, statement, pound-the-pavement, no nonsense shoes!"

"As mentioned, I grew up in El Salvador until I was 15. We moved to Carmel, California to receive a stronger education. After high school I enrolled at the University of San Diego and studied Business Marketing and Italian. I always wanted to go to fashion school, but my father strongly encouraged me to get a business degree first, which I am now grateful for. I moved to San Francisco after graduation and got a job as the Personal Shopping Assistant at Neiman Marcus. I worked there for a year, but really wanted to be behind the scenes of the fashion world, designing and creating products! I decided to quit and enrolled at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. I received an MFA in Fashion a couple years later. Part of my education included a course on technical footwear design at Ars Sutoria in Milan. I grew up in a shoe-making family, so shoes were natural for me. I worked for another local shoe company for a year where I met Megan. I always dreamed of having my own line one day and I was lucky enough to meet a partner who shared the same vision and together we started Freda Salvador."

"Being a business owner is hard because you never fully shut off, you are never fully off-the-clock. This means that I am constantly sharing my mental and emotional capacity with both— family and work. I didn’t understand that before becoming a mother when I started a business, but I still wouldn’t change anything."

"I am so lucky I have an amazing partner who is a mother herself and also an incredible team! I can’t say it was a typical maternity leave, because I was always checking in on emails, but it was nice that I could be at home with my babies. I was available if someone needed me, but Megan took on so much both times. She really encouraged me to shut down after each kid was born. I feel so fortunate for her!"

"I can’t imagine how people do it otherwise. There is so much understanding, sympathy, and encouragement that comes from a partner who is also a mother. I can’t tell you how many times I have come to pick up Megan to head on a business trip while bawling my eyes out after saying goodbye to my kids and she breaks down and does the same—then we laugh it off. It is so special to know that that person knows exactly what you are going through. They understand your priorities and respect them. We are aligned in that family always comes first and since there are two of us, we can give and take."

"I become most inspired during my travels. If you travel with me you would notice that half the time I am looking down at the streets, watching people’s feet as they walk by rather than looking up like a normal tourist. I love menswear most of all. Their footwear is so functional and simple—I like to imagine it for women, but with added interest and flare. I am also inspired by interiors, art, jewelry... Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest do not work as well for me. I find it hard to be original when sourcing for inspiration there."

"I don’t know! It’s hit or miss really...some things live, some don't! I have no idea what I am doing, but I love having a garden and encouraging our kids to be involved in the process from planting to pruning to harvesting. It helps getting them to eat their veggies if they assisted in picking and prepping them. It’s been a fun learning experience on what to grow and what not to. I have so much to learn still. My mother-in-law helps me prune when she visits! I usually have it overgrown."

"Each year, we travel 3-4 times internationally and about 3-4 times to the opposite coast. It’s so hard and I haven’t felt it get easier. If anything, it’s easier when they are little and don’t realize you are leaving. Once they start picking up on a suitcase being packed, mentions of an airplane, and a heavy goodbye, it’s a whole other level of hard! FaceTime and photos help, as do busy distracting days."

Cristina wears a Madewell top, Janessa Leone hat, NSF cargo pants, and Freda Salvador Pure jaguar-print slides. Lola wears a Gap onesie and Janie + Jack pants. Luca wears a Zara shirt, Target bomber, and Peek Kids jeans.

"Megan and I tend to be heads-down people. We rarely look up and celebrate the successes. We just keep moving on to working on the next goal. But those moments when we see strangers wearing our shoes, that’s pretty awesome! I love creating and building a brand and community that's proving to be strong. It’s incredibly rewarding to think that this all came from a shared vision among our team! What I like least is always being on. I dream about vacationing on a remote island that has no internet or cell service."

"I think so. It has forced me to make tough decisions easier and faster. It has encouraged me to speak up on things I am passionate about/against."

"Freda’s growth. We are actively working toward creating more brand awareness, growing our product offering, and growing our community of amazing and inspiring women!"

For more on Cristina and Freda Salvador, you can follow along with her on Instagram here and here.