Welcome Back: Living the Basket Case Lifestyle

If you’ve ever asked me, “How do you do it all?” — the short answer is: I don’t.

Life is messy, imperfect, and constantly shifting, and I’ve learned to lean into that instead of fighting it. My husband Kyle and I made a choice when I was pregnant with Henry — that I would stay home, and together we would build our family life first and shape everything else around that. We wanted to create our external world to match the family life we hoped for, not the other way around. That choice wasn’t easy, but it has been worth every hard decision, sacrifice, and late-night conversation.

Along the way, people have also asked me, “So what do you do?” And the truth is — I do a lot of things. My business, Basket Case, has many sides: gift baskets, marketing, helping small businesses, planning events. But at the heart of it all is the same thread that runs through my personal life: I love creating space for people to feel cared for and connected.

I was taught by mentors that you don’t have to broadcast your every move to be seen or validated. You simply do the work, you show up, and you let the satisfaction come from living it — not shouting it. Yes, it’s nice to be appreciated, but life isn’t about curating a highlight reel of accomplishments. It’s about living in a way that feels honest and sustainable.

That’s what the Basket Case Lifestyle is for me.

• It’s mornings that start with the chaos of backpacks, coffee, and dogs underfoot.

• It’s making the choice to put family at the center, even when it complicates everything else.

• It’s volunteering, working, and dreaming big while also admitting that I don’t have it all figured out.

• It’s grieving the sudden loss of my mom this year and still showing up for my kids, my business, and myself in small, steady ways.

• It’s believing that messy, ordinary days can be extraordinary if you pay attention to the little moments.

  
  

This blog is my way of opening up the conversation again. I don’t have a blueprint or a perfectly polished lifestyle to share. What I do have are real stories from a woman in her late 30s, raising kids, running a business, loving her community, and trying (sometimes failing) to keep it all moving. If something I share here helps you feel less alone, sparks an idea, or gives you permission to embrace your own “messy middle,” then it’s worth writing.

So here we go. Welcome back to the Basket Case Blog. Let’s live this lifestyle together.