2016 nostalgia is misguided and perplexing

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2016 nostalgia is misguided and perplexing

For a fun little mini episode of my podcast It’s a Lot, I sat down with my producer, Chris Lindstrom, for a chat about how things are going with the show so far, some of our favorite episodes, and the bizarre 2016 trend that’s been everywhere on social media lately. Yes, 2016 was different, but it was not better. And neither were we! We both reflect on how we’ve grown and changed over the past 10 years—and how Rochester has changed too. It’s a fun discussion; I hope you’ll give it a listen!

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Mad friendship & writing funny with author Leanne Toshiko Simpson

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Mad friendship & writing funny with author Leanne Toshiko Simpson

On the latest episode of It’s a Lot, I spoke with fellow toddler mom Leanne Toshiko Simpson about figuring out when you’re ready to have kids, the joys of slow walks with curious toddlers, and the insidious productivity culture depicted in Thomas the Tank Engine. Leanne is also a writer, mental health advocate, and educator, so in the first half of the show, we dive into her bipolar diagnosis, navigating the mental health system, writing characters with mental illness, the joys of mad friendship, and how to write funny. It was a fun conversation and I learned a lot from Leanne’s insights on mental illness and mad community!

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Chloe Corcoran says living authentically is a powerful thing

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Chloe Corcoran says living authentically is a powerful thing

You know what’s a lot? Figuring out that you’re trans and then trying to navigate what the heck to do about it. You know what else is hard? Living authentically, whether you’re trans or cis. We talk about all this and more in the latest episode of It’s a Lot, featuring Chloe Corcoran, a speaker, advocate, and higher ed professional. Our conversation explores how Chloe’s competitive streak and sense of humor have helped her survive hard times, the importance of just trusting trans people, how far $20 can go when it comes to mutual aid, and more.

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25 Books I Loved in 2025

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25 Books I Loved in 2025

2025 flew by! This year, I launched a podcast called It’s a Lot, where we dive deep on social media, parenthood, and things that are a lot. I had a blast interviewing 15 different guests about the complex, weird, and wonderful things that are a lot in their lives. If you’re reading this blog post because you’re a bookworm, don’t miss my episode with Ella Dawson, author of But How Are You Really or my interview with Kristen Felicetti, author of Log Off. 

This year, I celebrated 6 years of Serve Me the Sky Digital, gave a talk about a book I love at the local library, taught writing for digital media at Nazareth in the spring and two sections of my social media course in the fall, and worked with several new clients, all while raising a very active toddler. Every day is fast-paced, fun, and tiring. Somehow, I managed to read 107 books (as of this writing). Many of my favorite reads this year were ARCs! I’m grateful to the publishers who send me advance copies of books so I can rave about them to the world.

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Everyone loves snacks, but do grownups love toddler snacks?

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Everyone loves snacks, but do grownups love toddler snacks?

For something fun and different on my podcast It’s a Lot this week, I invited Chris Lindstrom, my producer, the host of Food About Town, and co-founder of the Lunchador Podcast Network, and my partner and co-parent Tim Lynch, to join me on a journey of sampling 24 different toddler snacks. It was a goofy good time all around! Chris and Tim offer lots of thoughtful analysis (and speculation) about the flavor profile, manufacturing process, and more, while I tend to just chime in with “it’s SO expensive” or “that was awful.” Whether or not you’re a parent, this is an entertaining listen!

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The truth about two under two: it's just as hard as expected, says mom Kat Eddy

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The truth about two under two: it's just as hard as expected, says mom Kat Eddy

Kat Eddy, mom and owner of Katboocha, returns to It’s a Lot for a follow up about the reality of life with two kids under two! Spoiler alert: it’s really damn hard. We talked about crying in Wegmans (apparently a theme on this podcast now), getting help for postpartum anxiety, the struggles of having patience with your partner during the sleepless newborn era, and more.

We played back clips from part one of our conversation and reacted to them, which was lots of fun! Part two can be listened to as a standalone, but part one is great, so I recommend listening to that if you haven’t yet.

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Eboni Jones Stewart gets real about pregnancy loss

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Eboni Jones Stewart gets real about pregnancy loss

This week on It’s a Lot, librarian and bonus mom Eboni Jones Stewart joins me for a very honest conversation about her path to becoming a bonus mom and her long journey of trying to get pregnant with a biological child of her own. We discuss the scourge that is Roblox, how special (and overstimulating) it is to have living room kids, the atrocious things people (medical professionals included) say to you after a pregnancy loss, and more.

In the second half of the episode, we explore how techno-optimists have ruined social media (and possibly the world) by never considering the consequences of their actions, and discuss how Ella has learned to use her privilege to speak up and uplift others’ voices.

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Author and sex & culture critic Ella Dawson on how capitalism makes it harder to create art

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Author and sex & culture critic Ella Dawson on how capitalism makes it harder to create art

After following Ella’s work for years, I was delighted when we struck up an online friendship after I reviewed an advance copy of her (fantastic) debut novel, But How Are You, Really. Since then, Ella has spoken to my college students twice, chatted with me about burnout and boundaries for my business blog, and now joined me on my podcast, It’s a Lot. In this episode, we talk about the mental health impact of the post-publication adrenaline crash, coping with feelings of disappointment through finding community and having honest conversations, and the joys of interviewing other progress romance writers for Ella’s podcast, Rebel Ever After.

In the second half of the episode, we explore how techno-optimists have ruined social media (and possibly the world) by never considering the consequences of their actions, and discuss how Ella has learned to use her privilege to speak up and uplift others’ voices.

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Pauly Guglielmo gets honest about paternity leave struggles & his inability to resist buying his kid a toy at TJ Maxx

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Pauly Guglielmo gets honest about paternity leave struggles & his inability to resist buying his kid a toy at TJ Maxx

I had a blast chatting with Pauly Guglielmo, a food entrepreneur, radio/podcasting legend, and dad of two, about everything from our childhood traumas to the fun parts of parenthood in a special two-part episode. In part one, Pauly interviews me in his style of his podcast about entrepreneurship, The Pauly Guglielmo Show. In part two, I interview Pauly in my It’s a Lot style about the many aspects of his life that are just a lot.

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Dads & gallery co-curators Quajay Donnell & Richard Colon are building community & leading by example

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Dads & gallery co-curators Quajay Donnell & Richard Colon are building community & leading by example

Years ago, I interviewed both Quajay Donnell and Richard Colon for my passion project, I Heart ROC. We’ve all experienced a lot of life changes since then, and our friendships have grown too, so I was excited to check in five years later for a podcast interview! We talk about how photography has helped them better get to know Rochester, their journey to founding Behind the Glass Gallery, and their experiences as dads. At the end of the day, sometimes you’ve just gotta jump in the bounce house, even if you’re in your 40s and you know your legs will hurt the next day!

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