"We purchased it in the late summer of 2012 when I was 8 months pregnant. Garvanza is a neighborhood in LA with a rich historical background and lots of little bungalows, but adjacent to South Pasadena. It’s a 1920s Spanish Revival with a huge backyard, so we are always out on our patio having dinner or gardening. It’s small and happy. I love that we aren’t house-poor, which frees us up for more travel, which we love."

"Cheerful. [My husband] Michael and I visited Salvador Dali’s home in Cadaques, Spain. It was a series of white washed fishermen’s cottages that he had taken over and was filled with natural materials and items that he had found all over the world. I think that is the inspiration behind everything we bring into our home. Whether it’s an agate found on my favorite beach on Whidbey Island, a paper seahorse from France, candles from Sweden, ceramics from Positano, I want to be able to tell the story behind it to my children."

Francesca wears a white top from Doen and an American Apparel skirt.

"Our house is pretty small and has an open floor plan, so it clutters quite easily. 'Everything in it’s right place' (also a Radiohead song) is my motto. I find myself humming it as I walk around picking up."

"I love my girls’ artwork and our first family photo taken at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs when Elodie was eight-weeks-old. It ended up being in Conde Nast Traveler and Commune: Designed in California and I am taken right back to that moment with a newborn every time I see it. We own a furniture company called Yeah! Furniture, so we rotate pieces from our collection. It’s a nice way to see what works and what doesn’t. I’m currently loving having our Hoop Chair at home."

"I’m pretty regulated about that. There are certain toys that we always have in the living room while I’m making dinner; Magnatiles, silks, and blankets for a fort. They can play with anything anywhere as long as they tidy up after each thing. Otherwise, everything stays in the playroom or the girls’ bedroom."

Elodie wears a floral dress from Zara.

"All of the firsts. Remembering how little they are and experiencing the world through their eyes awakens memories from when I was a little girl. I love watching them grow."

"Watching them awake to the world of news and mainstream society. The first seven years are physically hard, but at least they are protected from peer pressure and all the things I feel my eldest is on the verge of discovering. I believe they will have a strong moral compass in the face of outside influence."

Elizabeth wears a dress by Christy Dawn.

"I feel like I’m constantly shedding my skin in every year of motherhood in a way I didn’t notice before I had children. Year after year, I’m refining my values a little bit more. Drawing the circle closer in some ways, expanding it in others. I grew up in a family of seven children and my eldest sister has five children, so I had a good sense of what having a family is like, the ups and the downs, before I had my own. I think the early days of motherhood can be really isolating as you find your new legs. I’m a bit of an introvert and I felt myself reaching out to others in a way that I hadn’t before."

"I was raised in an environment that showed me that the mother is the heart value of the family. I parent largely from that as a reference point. Without sounding cheesy, I feel grateful that I have been asked to nourish these little beings, not only physically, but also in their soul. I want them to grow up holding sacred spaces in their every day lives, connecting with nature and seeing the happiness that comes from helping one another. I try to lead by example. That being said, I also lose my temper and yell. I ask my girls for forgiveness all the time. Every day we have another chance."

"Elodie is an avid reader and has been bitten hard by the Harry Potter bug. We are still reading the second book as it’s a little scary for a seven-year-old, but she loves everything to do with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. She’s still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts to confirm that we are muggles and she is a witch! She’s nuts for animals and is already becoming a bit of a horse girl. Francesca loves gymnastics, wrangling animals, and playing with dolls. It’s so neat to see the different things they naturally gravitate towards."

"Elodie (rhymes with Melody) is named after her great-great-grandmother. Her middle name is Swan. I love the story of the Ugly Duckling and that the underdog became the beautiful Swan. I’m always rooting for the underdog. Francesca Alma’s name was inspired by our trips abroad. Michael and I both just loved Francesca. We met an amazing maker in Tulum named Francesca and I think that was where the idea came from, if I think about it. When she was born we knew Alma had to be in her name. It means 'soul' in Spanish and also, in it’s root, means 'kind and nourishing.' I love the calmness of it."

"I love how bright and cheerful their rooms are. Francesca had her own room until she was transitioning out of her crib. We kept her Kalon crib and converted it into a daybed so that she can still feel like she has a space if she needs it though Elodie ends up reading on it most of the time. I always slept in the same room as my sisters growing up and I totally wanted that for the girls. I love the quote: 'Love grows best in little houses, with fewer walls to separate, where you eat and sleep so close together, you can't help but communicate, if we had more room between us—think of all we'd miss, love grows best, in houses just like this.' I truly believe close quarters breeds intimacy. Also bickering, but I’ll take it."

"I love their Oeuf bunkbed. It’s been a game changer, allowing them to have their own space and share a room together. Their nature table is always amazing. We change the items on the dresser depending on the season. They are always rearranging it. I love seeing Elodie’s creativity and natural inclination to care for this space. Francesca wants to do it, too, because she sees her sister doing it. It’s pretty sweet. I recently got an Aura Frame and it’s a really fun way to have their favorite photos on display (I let them choose), and it brings a nice grounding element to the room. I also love a stained glass moon cycle that I purchased at my friend Monica’s store Individual Medley."

"A school day is very routine—wake up, get dressed, have breakfast. Francesca helps her papa make smoothies for us every single day. After school, we are usually home baking, reading, or doing something together. I only have them take one activity at a time. I’d rather just be home with them than have them in the car. On the weekend, we laze about in bed, have breakfast, then usually have one activity of the day, if at all. Saturday is baking day. Elodie really looks forward to the consistency of that day."

"I love You are Your Child’s First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin and Simplicity Parenting by John Kim Payne—my copies are dog-eared and have guided me through many a challenging day. Though not a parenting book, The Heart of Yoga by T.KV. Desikachar is a book I read every year and has helped me so much on my parenting path."

"Ahhh, I look very much like my mother and have a deep love of family traditions. She loved to make people laugh and make them at ease. I definitely try to, as well. I want people to feel at home with me. On the other hand, my mother was very diminutive and always put us first—to a detriment. Maybe this was the way it was in that generation, but I wish she had expressed her needs more. She taught me to be strong and independent from watching the trials she faced. So, we are different, but I feel very close to her in spirit. She was an encourager and respected my privacy. I want to give that gift to my girls."

"Wear your baby everywhere, always. This is how they learn. Also, babies are boring. Don’t worry about entertaining them. They came from a serene place inside you into a Moroccan bazaar. Show them the flowers passing by and let them watch the shadows on the wall. They don’t need toys for a long time. Everything is new and they are stimulated enough. I remember saying to myself all the time, 'If not the Mama, then who?' My friend told me she just got a tattoo of this because of me. Ha! But really, being a mother means just pressing forward in beautiful and frustrating times. Even though there are a lot of parenting books, there is no manual for this little one. Just go with your gut and push away any advice that doesn’t resonate to your core. If you surrender into this newness instead of trying to force motherhood to look a certain way you will be more awake to the good around you."

"It’s going to be hard at first. Imagine you have been living in a hotel room for weeks and then all of a sudden move into a room that looks familiar but has the opposite layout. You will find your rhythm, but it will take time. Be patient. Ask for help. Accept help."

"Comparison is the thief of joy. If you only knew how much you meant to others, you wouldn’t waste a second of your precious time trying to be anything else but a more fully realized version of yourself. I wasn’t told this in words, but I was told this by watching two young mothers with small children, who I love and admire, pass away from cancer this year."

"I grew up a child of divorced parents and my mom was single until I was 9 or so. I want my children to see me loving my husband. Loving myself. It’s not always easy. I think it’s natural to spend all of your energy on your children. How many hours in a day do we have to make money, raise our kids, take care of our house, take care of our husband? It’s exhausting some days. We have to be deliberate in how we spend our time. Life has a way of unraveling, so it takes constant attention."

Elizabeth wears a dress from Loup Charmant.

"Feminine and laid back. I grew up by the beach in North County, San Diego, so I am a relaxed Californian to my core. My time in NYC and Europe exposed me to a lot of exciting fashion, so I also love color. I love dresses made of natural materials that look delicate and feminine, but are actually sturdy."

"I’ve developed more of a uniform. Dresses in the summer, because it’s so easy to just slip over your head, but as soon as it’s cold, it’s jeans, sweaters, boots."

"Loup Charmant, En Soie makes the most gorgeous wool crepe dresses that are worth every penny, Babaa Knitwear, Veja, a.b, No. 6 (especially their tops and clogs), Doen, Hacienda Montaecristo dresses. I'm so happy Jane Mayle is back with Maison Mayle—I worked with her back in the day."

Francesca wears a hand-me-down Siao Mimi dress from Elodie.

"I bought a sweater in two colors at a store called Grandpa in Stockholm that I would wear with my Levis every day if I could. I wear my Tretorns most days. I love my this Doen dress, it is such a simple silhouette and so easy to wear."

Elizabeth wears the Willow dress from Doen.

"Mainly online. Or when I travel, if I have heard of a place I must go. A few times a year, I will go into local shops. I love the lines at Midland in Culver City and General Store in Venice. I also like to shop locally at the Echo Park Craft Fair held in Late Spring and Winter by Rachel Craven and Beatrice Valenzuela. I’ve been going to that since it was in Rachel’s backyard."

"I love getting experiences for my birthday and Christmas. I would like a day at the Korean spa all to myself and to go snowboarding. And to go back to Sweden—I’m in love."

"I do dry skin brushing before showers at least two times a week followed by a cold/hot/cold/warm shower with eucalyptus essential oil to give a nice steam. I exfoliate once a week and just simply wash my face and moisturize with an oil blend I made both morning and evening. I don’t stick to any one brand, but whatever I have I use until it’s gone. Having a bunch of tubes and jars in my bathroom is a huge pet peeve of mine."

"I’m heavily influenced by Ayurveda. I always do a warm cup of water (with a little lemon sometimes) in the morning, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar a day, during cold season I take a 'flu bomb', which is two drops of the essential oils lemon, oregano, and melaleuca in a small glass of water. I meditate 1-2 times a day for 20 minutes and, now that my girls are a little older, I’m able to sneak away for a cross training type class. Adding strength training is pretty much the most important thing mothers can do. Gotta keep that pilot light lit."

"I always make Molly Orangette’s 'A Quiet Soup' when I have nothing at home (I add sweet potatoes!). This is a soup that I bring to friends who are sick or have a new baby. It’s a crowd pleaser. Bowls of all sorts—I roast any veggie that are in my house (potatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, beets, broccoli), add quinoa/rice, and then make a tahini sauce to go on top. It’s so easy and so good!"

"I wish I were a better knitter, speaking Italian, and playing jaunty tunes on the piano. So maybe DISCIPLINE as these all seem attainable if I really wanted to do them. I also wish I were tidier. I’m the worst Virgo ever."

"Two is so good for our family. We took a big road trip this summer and it made me realize how content I feel in my family. I love sharing my life with them."

"I grew up in San Diego. In college, I spent a year and a half in Aix-en-Provence, France. This really was a catalyst for me. I traveled all over Europe with my friends and when I got back to San Diego I knew my time there was at an end. I then migrated to Seattle (my dad moved there after my parents divorced when I was five), met my husband-to-be and we moved to NYC together. I was enrolled to get my MFA but then I got a job working for Coach as an Art Director. I worked with Reed Krakoff a lot and ended up launching Coach Japan. By the time I left, I had over doubled my salary and had the best hands-on training for Creative Director I could ask for. I also moonlit and worked for a few other fashion brands and loved going to see all the amazing fashion week shows. I started to get bored with the constant cycle of the fashion world, though, and started focusing my energy on getting my yoga teacher certification and focused on learning more about Ayurveda and meditation."

"I moved across the country to LA for a Director role and then became pregnant four months later. I went back to work full-time when my daughter was four-months-old. It was a toxic environment and, while I was on maternity leave, people were gunning for my job. The minute the contract was up I walked away. Best decision of my life, as it opened me up to a whole new path. It also taught me to let go of the ego of saying 'I do such and such' and allowed me to grow into being a mother and valuing that as much as I did having a fancy work title."

"After that experience with Elodie, I decided to take some time off work. I had a really established career, but I realized how fast this time was going and decided to tighten the belt and be with her as much as I could. My husband is a serial entrepreneur, so I have helped grow our companies The Flashdance, Yeah! Furniture, and Yeah! Rentals. We also just bought a building, which will be offices, but also an event space. Besides that, I’m working on Early Riser Companion, which is taking most of my time these days."

"The only thing that creates a sense of balance is keeping a routine during the week. If everyone knows what the daily rhythms are, we are all a lot more calm. Francesca is not in pre-school full time, so I have her home some days and Elodie is in 2nd grade. I do not have a nanny or extra childcare. I pick Elodie up from school every day, so my work day is fast and furious. I want to at least do this until Francesca starts Kindergarten in two years and our family is sacrificing to make that happen. I stay up late a lot and when I am on set, I have to get a sitter."

"Being a Creative Director is a lot like directing a symphony. You are putting together the orchestra (photographers, stylists, set designers, copy writers, models) and no two pieces you play are the same. I love being creatively challenged and work well under pressure. I love that it is always changing."

Elodie wears the Elsie dress from Mabo Kids.

"I am pouring all of my energy into Early Riser Companion, a family almanac with rhythms, rituals, traditions, and transitions for families of children age 0-7. Like the Farmer’s Almanac it will be chock full of information about the natural world of childhood, beautiful photo essays, rhymes, songs, recipes, and wellness ideas. Think a less psychedelic version of Ram Dass Be Here Now. I’m working with the most gifted photographers, illustrators, and families on this and am so grateful for what it’s becoming."

"I am a natural optimist and if I can work a peaceful, positive message into what I’m creating then I am happy. I have found from authoring The Littlest and the few Early Riser Workshops that I have hosted, that I deeply want to connect with other women and mothers and find paths forward for personal renewal. My greatest wish is that Early Riser Companion will raise family consciousness and connect families from all over the world."

"I do! We live on the East Side and my girls go to school in Altadena, which is in the foothills of the Angeles Crest Forest. If someone dropped you off on a random street, you wouldn’t believe you were anywhere near Los Angeles. I have such a strong, nurturing community here and really feel like I live in a small town. It’s also nice to be so close to the mountains and the ocean. I have friends on both sides of town and love that when we visit them it feels like we are in a whole different world."

"Yes! I hope my husband isn’t reading this. Ha! I have a traveling bug and would love to live for a few months in Sweden or somewhere else in Europe. I don’t think a full year or more is actually necessary to get a good feeling for a place. I have a deep personal connection to the Northwest and my husband and I often dream of living in a little town from his youth called Indianola. You have to take the Bainbridge Island Ferry to get there and I just love all those islands up North. I would definitely live there at some point if he was into it."

"I feel like LA gets a bad wrap and, trust me, it would be a different story if we lived in the middle of this city. Being as far East as we are, we are disconnected from the crazy excess of the entertainment industry. I love our home, schools, and community and feel that our life is pretty simple. I run into friends everywhere and can drop off my girls at a friend’s house after school, vice-versa. The parents don’t drive Maseratis and are down to earth. That’s important to me. My girls do have freedom in nature and are around a lot of animals, which they love."

"On weekends, we linger at home, making coffee, and listening to records or reading books. If it is a day with no aim, then we will go on a walk on the Arroyo in South Pasadena (which we can walk to from our home) or go to the library or a farmer’s market, or to a park to practice bike riding, which is the big thing with my four-year-old right now. We don’t go to many restaurants with them at the moment so, unless we are going to a park or to visit friends, we always make our way back home for dinner."

"For breakfast and lunch: Kitchen Mouse, Civil Coffee, Lincoln, and Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. For dinner: Cafe Birdie, Cacao, and Ramen of York. A few great kid/family spots are Highland Park Bowl, Lacy Park for bike riding, Huntington Gardens has an amazing children’s garden and a lovely afternoon tea, Descanso Gardens, Brookside Park (aka Pirate Park) near the Rose Bowl, Altadena Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, and South Pasadena Farmer’s Market on Thursdays."

For more on Elizabeth, Elodie, and Francesca, check out Elizabeth's Instagram feed.