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Mother Essentials: Katy Miller

Written by Erin Feher

Which mama is spilling her must-have Mother Essentials today? It’s none other than Katy Miller, mother to three daughters (ages 11, 9, and 4) and the head of Athleta Girl. Katy launched Athleta’s popular line for mini’s back in 2016, and has a unique passion for creating clothing for girls that encourage them to get outside, be active, and be the most confident versions of themselves. Katy and her team often invite their daughters, nieces, cousins, friends (even a Girl Scout troop!) to stop by the office and participate in the design process, and Athleta Girl keeps turning out the fun-yet-functional designs as a result. As you would imagine, Katy is an impressive amateur athlete herself, and can be found running, breaking a sweat at OrangeTheory , or doing flips on the backyard trampoline with her girls almost daily. We asked her to share the Mother Essentials that keep her and her equally active daughters moving through their days. See all 14 of her picks below!

Backyard Trampoline. “One of the newest additions to our household is our Springfree Trampoline. My kids are obsessed, which is great because it keeps them entertained and is an amazing source of exercise. They have the best time making up fun games while they are jumping, and I love it the most because I get to see them enjoying each others’ company and playing together.” Springfree Trampoline, $2,595, Amazon.  

Trail Runners. “I am an avid trail runner and these shoes are truly the most comfortable and help support my back and knees during more difficult or longer runs.” Hoka One One Stinson ATR 5 Sneakers, $159.95, Zappos.  

Athleta Hillside Romper. “This romper is my current go-to, whether I am dressing for work, headed out to dinner, cheering on my girls from the sidelines, or traveling. The fabric is so comfortable, silky sleek, and I love that it’s made from recycled plastic bottles!” Hillside Romper, $128, Athleta.

Skybox 18 Carbonite Box. “I drive a Honda Pilot, however, when we travel we are always still tight on space with all the gear that comes along. This rooftop box is a lifesaver for us, and means we’re all a lot more comfortable on our road trips.” Yakima SkyBox Aerodynamic Rooftop Cargo Space, $599, Amazon.  

Essential Oil Diffuser. “I love coming home to a house that is welcoming and smells amazing. The Saje diffuser really gives a room a calming aroma and my go-to scent from the brand is Liquid Sunshine.” Saje Aroma OM Ultrasonic Diffuser, $89.95, Saje.  

Grocery Delivery. “I love Instacart and it is my go-to for weekly grocery orders. I order and schedule my grocery delivery every Sunday so that I have more time on the weekends and can spend that time with my family instead.” Instacart.

Team Snap App. “I use this app constantly as it keeps track of the sporting events we have during the week. My daughters both play two or three sports each, so the app reminds me of all the lacrosse, basketball, and soccer games or practices we have coming up each week.” Team Snap.

The Daily. “This is my favorite podcast and I love listening to it every day on my way to the office. It is a great and easy way to stay informed.” The Daily by the New York Times.

Mommy-and-Me Workout Gear. “My girls and I try to move together as much as we can—whether it’s a hike or playing basketball on our hoop at home. Our matching women’s and girls set from Athleta makes this time even more fun (and is a great photo opp!).” Athleta & Athleta Girl Matching Tights and Sports Bra Sets, $28–$79, Athleta.

Daily Sunscreen. “I am very conscious of keeping my skin protected from the sun and use this on my face daily. I love that it is light, non-greasy, and of course, works really well to keep my skin safe.” EltaMD UV Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 40, $28.50, Amazon.  

Stainless Steel Bento Box. “I always try to make my girls’ lunch before heading to the office, and PlanetBox makes the process so easy. The single stainless steel container is safe, easy to clean, and durable. I really like that it helps eliminate using plastic and lots of individual containers.” PlanetBox ROVER Eco-Friendly Stainless Steel Bento Lunch Box, $55.95, PlanetBox.

The War That Saved My Life. “I have recently been reading a lot of Young Adult books with my girls. We just finished The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, and I really loved how the story incorporated history and lessons of perseverance from the perspective of a young girl.” The War That Saved My Life, $8.54, Amazon.

Insulated Water Bottle. “I try to be green and avoid plastic bottles, so I like to use this as an alternative. I am also obsessive about staying hydrated and this bottle keeps my water super cold throughout the day.” ydroFlask, $69.99, Amazon.

Weather Underground. “If I were not working at Athleta, I would have explored a career in meteorology because I am totally obsessed with weather! I check this app constantly since it gives you the hour by hour forecast.” Weather Underground.

For more on Katy Miller and her work, check out Athleta’s Instagram feed. And for more Mother Essentials, peep our past columns with clean beauty expert Tara Foley, Oakland retail queen Sherri McMullen, eco-fashion designer Alyssa KerbelShahidah Zareef of Bossmom NationJoanne EncarnacionLaTonya YvetteMorgan Walker of Make.doJeanne Chan of Harlow & Grey, and more.

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