Once Upon a Farm just expanded its lineup and protein is the star! The beloved kids’ food brand introduced refrigerated Meat & Bone Broth baby pouches, plant-based Legume Blends, Smoothies with Protein & Probiotics for older kids, and Power Wheels soft-baked snack bars— all organic, non-GMO, and free from added sugar and artificial ingredients.
ON THE EDITOR’S LIST
Storq by Kindred Bravely just made back-to-school season a little more coordinated and a lot more cute. The new Backto-School Collection brings together toddler backpacks, lunch boxes, insulated water bottles, nap mats, and wet/dry bags in four original prints, all designed to mix, match, and survive the chaos of preschool and daycare life. kindredbravely.com
WE WANT SMORE
Nugget® strikes again with Smore™— a new modular, “playwithable™” chair designed to be taken apart, reconfigured, and rebuilt for independent, imaginative play. Smore’s three sturdy pieces rearrange into reading nooks, tunnels, playhouses, desks, and more, adjusting as kids grow. Available in nine colors and three fabrics (including an allnew denim option!) with optional custom embroidery, starting at $199. nuggetcomfort.com
Cal
Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day returns August 23 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. Expect games, face painting, and the chance for kids to step onto the actual courts!
Beverly Hills’ biggest community block party on August 4 is free, fun, and super kid-friendly— SWAT trucks, K-9 units, live DJ, food trucks, and more!
MINI MUST-HAVE
Level up your Mini’s backpack this year with the new collection from STATE!
One of Chicago’s most beloved free summer traditions, thousands of rubber ducks race down the Chicago River to benefit Special Olympics Illinois on August 6!
Four days of Disney Junior magic at the Disneyland Resort, starting with a Block Party at Disney California Adventure on August 13, followed by three free days at Downtown Disney August 14–16!
NOW PLAYING
PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE ▶
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie hits theaters August 14, with the crew crash-landing on a mysterious tropical island filled with dinosaurs and racing to stop Mayor Humdinger from triggering a volcanic eruption.
mini-magazine.com
Head to Mini for more interviews with parents around the world, style, and more
FOLLOW MINI
Be sure to follow Mini on Instagram! We’re sharing behind the scenes peeks at making the magazine, new baby gear, nursery tours, and much more!
Find us on Instagram: @minimagazine
75 FRENCH BOY NAMES THAT ARE TIMELESS AND CHARMING The beautiful names actual French parents are loving and using now
10 MINUTES WITH BAREFACED CHIEF BRAND OFFICER ASHLEY BUCKLER The skincare CBO talks relatable cravings, the book she rereads every year, and Italy
WHAT’S IN THE BAG: LAUREN IRELAND The Summer Fridays co-founder spills her everyday tote full of beauty must-haves
SABRINA RUDIN ON CLEAN EATING AS A FAMILY The Spring Cafe owner breaks down how she manages clean eating on playdates and more!
MATERNITY SO YOU CAN KEEP DOING YOU
13 | MEET THE TEAM The team that makes all the Mini magic possible
14 | EDITOR’S LIST
A carefully-curated list of Kate’s favorites this season
19 | THE STYLE SPOT Dive into Picolette by Olivia Culpo, now at Target!
26 | WHAT’S IN THE BAG Saie founder Laney Crowell spills the contents of her Hermes Birkin bag
29 | MOM It’s the style spot for all of you chic Mini moms from bump to beyond
32 | TECH KIDS Discover the latest and greatest from the Mini tech sphere
35 | BOOK CLUB Grab this stack of entertaining reads before the summer ends!
38 | ON THE CLOCK Brow guru Kristie Streicher shares her fave kids books, guilty pleasure, and travel locale!
43 | ON THE SCENE Explore the new Doona X car seat and stroller, Nuna VIAA cabn, and parent-approved Mockingbird 3.0!
48 | ON THE CLOCK Magnetic Me co-founder Lauren Levy talks her fave restaurant, coffee order, and her app happy place
52 | SCOOP Your new playroom hero, the stroller brand doing fashion, a bold bike collab, and math skills set!
60 | HEALTH Two dads take on the kids snack industry, one delicious fruit snack (and pouch!) at a time
66 | MY BIG BOY ROOM
Go inside a four-year-old’s sophisticated room glowup, designed by mom Jacey Duprie and Babyletto 3 2 38 44 48
72 | RIDE OR FLY David and Madi Nelson created a genius travel accessory every family needs
82 | RAISING THE BARRE
Cover mom Witney Carson on mirrorballs, motherhood with two boys, and Finesse
98 | QUEEN BEE Beekeeper’s Naturals’ Carly Kremer opens up on pregnancy, propolis, and saving the bees
106 | THE BIG CHILL Lauren Makler’s own fertility journey sparked an idea for a unique egg-sharing program that allows free freezing
MINI
Founder and Editor-in-Chief KAITLYN KIRBY
Cover Photography
PATRICK MICHAEL CHIN
CONTACT US
Mini Magazine
Email | hello@mini-magazine.com Web | www.mini-magazine.com
Mini Magazine is a digital lifestyle publication for the modern parent available online at www.mini-magazine.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in digital and print reviews.
(On Right) Cover mom Witney Carson on set of our summer cover shoot.
(Below) The Dancing with the Stars champ talks raising two boys, making time for what matters, and her evolving fitness routine.
There’s something about late summer that feels like the best of both worlds. The days are still long, the pool isn’t going anywhere, and yet there’s that feeling of something new just around the corner. That’s exactly the energy we tried to pour into this issue. On the cover, we have the incredible Witney Carson— two-time Mirrorball champion, Emmy-nominated choreographer, founder of the new fitness app Finesse, and mom of two little boys who she’ll tell you is her favorite role of all. I loved talking about her DWTS win this season, the unexpected bond
she formed with partner Robert Irwin, and how her approach to fitness and mom life keeps evolving. Inside, Carly Kremer of Beekeeper’s Naturals is here just in time— her products truly saved me during a summer cold last week, so I am a full convert. We’re also diving into Cofertility’s egg-sharing model (yes, it’s really free), peeking inside Saie founder Laney Crowell’s Birkin, and rounding up everything you need to squeeze the last drop out of summer. Enjoy, Mini friends!
The coziest & chicest new addition to your wardrobe
FOR ALL YOUR LADY BUMPS.
MINI EDITOR’S LIST
PINK SHEEP
If you’ve got Mini Minecraft lovers, this new Herschel collab will be a must-have!
DRESS-UP DAY
I have a dress obsessed 6-year-old and this daisy sequin number from Lola and the Boys goes down as her favorite!
TRAVEL BUDDY
This Skoot ride-on suitcase scooter is one of the more genius kids’ inventions I’ve come across!
BEDTIME STORY
If you’re not on the HannaJams train yet, get on board! The new Bedtime Stories PJ collection is so fun.
UNDER THE SEA
You have not experienced soft jammies until you’ve had these by Caden Lane! My 2-year-old can’t get enough of these.
MAGIC MILESTONES
Olivia Culpo just turned her first year of motherhood into a Target baby collection. Meet Picolette. Named after her daughter Colette, the 60-piece baby line launched exclusively at Target July 26 and it’s the retailer’s largest baby collaboration to date. Think toile and gingham apparel, heirloom-quality rompers, a first birthday milestone collection, mealtime essentials, and giftable keepsakes— all with the kind of elevated, nostalgic details that make tiny outfits feel like memories worth keeping. Prices start at $4.99, with most items under $18.
CULPO
Keepsake Quality “My first year of motherhood completely changed the way I looked at baby products,” says Culpo. “Every little outfit becomes part of a memory. I wanted to create pieces that felt beautiful and timeless, but also practical enough to be lived in every day.”
CLICK TO SHOP PICOLETTE AT TARGET!
HYDRATION STATION
The only thing hotter than August is showing up without a water bottle. Above : $28 ; CamelBak Crayola Chug Stainless Steel Water Bottle, amazon.com; Below : $19 ; Summit Kids Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Straw Lid, simplemodern.com
LUNCH BUNCH
The cutest duo since peanut butter and jelly. Pack lunch in style with water bottles and lunch boxes worth fighting over.
QUILTED CUTIE
With multiple compartments, your Minis won’t miss a thing. $31; crateandbarrel.com
CHILL OUT
No ice packs, no problem! This lunch box is the most chill. $26; packit.com
ROARING GOOD
Your little dino lover will be chomping to get into this rad bag. $48; statebags.com
FEELING FANCY
Your ticket into the Meri Meri x Stoney Clover Lane Kitten Club. merimeri.com
SOLE MATES
WASHABLE WONDER
The Kids Strap Sneaker in Watermelon, rothys.com
EASY CLEAN
The Classic Canvas Shoe in Light Blue, kitsfootwear.com
TIME TO SHINE
Gazelle Comfort Closure in Clear Pink, adidas.com
The Roger Kids Sneaker in Dew/Sage, on.com
“Fragrance
“The
Laney Crowell
MADE FOR MAMA
The fourth trimester finally has a bundle worth gifting. Premium baby care brand Coterie and Perelel, the first and only OB/GYN-founded vitamin company, have teamed up on a limited-edition New Mom Bundle ($118) designed for the most overlooked season of new parenthood. It pairs Perelel’s postpartum Mom Multi Support Pack and Cellular Hydration Powder with Coterie’s cult-favorite newborn essentials: their ultra-soft diapers, 99%-purified-water wipes, and the petrolatum-free Bun Balm. A Bink Mama Water Bottle rounds it out. Available at perelelhealth.com while supplies last.
COOL SLEEP
If pregnancy and postpartum night sweats have stolen your sleep, A DOMANI was made for exactly this season. Their temperature-regulating sleepwear is crafted from a signature knit of natural fibers—eucalyptus, birch, beech, and pine—that stays cool to the touch, wicks moisture, and actually keeps you dry through the night. Oprah Daily named it the Most Helpful for Night Sweats in 2026, but any mom who’s woken up drenched at 3 a.m. already knows what this is worth. adomanisleep.com
Merit just introduced a volumizing mascara and it was worth the wait. The new Clean Volume Mascara ($28) is a Japanese-made tubing formula with a deceptively tiny, precision brush that lifts, separates, and sculpts every lash without a single clump or raccoon-eye moment in sight. It survives heat, humidity, and a full day of mom-ing and removes with just warm water. Clean, defined, and lifted— exactly what Merit does best. Available in black and brown at meritbeauty.com and Sephora.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE LOVING
Tech
MINI MUST HAVE
TONIEBOX LITE
The beloved Toniebox just got a little sibling. The new Toniebox Lite ($79.99) brings the same screen-free, child-operated audio magic in a smaller, lighter, more portable package. Compatible with all 1,500+ Tonies ever made, it’s the perfect entry point for new families or a second device for on-the-go listening. Available for pre-order now at tonies.com and walmart.com, with in-store availability at Walmart starting August 22.
RIGHT NOW IN PODCASTS
AndMom, hosted by WNBA star Skylar Diggins and sports journalist Cassidy Hubbarth, is the show for women carrying big careers and even bigger emotional loads. Equal parts sports, motherhood, and the messy space in between, it’s the kind of honest, unfiltered conversation you didn’t know you needed.
TONIEBOX LITE
Capturing the beauty, simplicity and magic of childhood.
Book Club
Monsters who teach opposites, owls learning independence, and a nap-trapped koala mama— these new titles have something for every little reader.
FOR NEW MOMS
NAP TRAPPED
by Emily Vondy
A silly, sweet story from TikTok’s favorite nap-trapped mama that celebrates the beautiful chaos of keeping everyone alive, including yourself. Pre-order now!
FOR BACK TO SCHOOL WELCOME TO OUR CLASSROOM
by Alexandra Penfold
From the bestselling creators of school-centered read All Are Welcome.
FOR INDEPENDENCE
OWL BY MYSELF
by Pete Oswald
From the illustrator of The Good Egg comes a little owl with a big mission: doing everything by himself. Charming, funny, and full of visual gags that kids will love and a bedtime ending that will make parents go aww.
FOR OPPOSITES
SMALL MONSTER, BIG MONSTER
by Allan Sanders
Big, small, loud, quiet— silly monsters tackle the world of opposites in this laugh-out-loud board book set in a wildly imaginative monster-filled city.
PROBLEM SOLVING
SPAGHETTI CODE
by Karlie Kloss
A joyful STEM story about problem-solving, pasta, and a coding machine gone delightfully wrong. Perfect for future engineers who also love a good noodle.
1. Finn Finds His Voice by Travis Althouse, $14.95
2. America, I’m So Glad You Were Born by Ainsley Earhardt, $17
3. Little Blue Truck Lost and Found by Alice Schertle, $16
4. The Caterpillar Song by Mr. Aron, $5.99
5. Danny Go’s Silly Spooky Party by Danny Go!, $16.77
6. Sing The Fifty United States! by Dr. Seuss, $16.99
7. Paw Patrol: Big Dinosaur Adventure by Megan Roth, $4.97
8. Dinos Love Donuts by Ben Okon, $12.11
9. The Pumpkin Thief by Alice Hemming, $17.70
10. Buddha at Bedtime by Dharmachari Nagaraja, $18.95
11. Because of a Bee by Lola M. Schaefer, $18.99
12. The Knight with No Bottom by Levina van Teunenbroek, $14.99
13. Toy Story 5: Little Golden Book by Luna Chi, $5
14. Q is for Quiet: A Bedtime Primer by Greg Paprocki, $12.99
15. Jimmy Buffett: A Little Golden Book Biography by Donna Rocco, $5.58
16. Lullaby Legends: ABC of Bad Bunny by Amber Lily, $11
17. Tiny T. Rex Tries Soccer by Jonathan Stutzman, $12.99
18. The Farm Next Door by Kelly Rice Schmitt, $18.99
KRISTIE STREICHER
MINI SPENT TEN MINUTES WITH THE celebrity brow artist behind The Nurtured Brow®, founder of KS&CO, and co-founder of Beverly Hills beauty studio STRIIIKE, Kristie Streicher, who’s also mom to Henry Golden (6), to chat her daily coffee order, guilty pleasure duo (we’re in!), the childhood career she was wrong about, and the Tahoe escape that’s become just as much her son’s happy place as hers.
Sidia hand cream, Goop lip mask, and usually a stack of books.
ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Greek yogurt.
LAST BOOK I READ Heart the Lover by Lily King and Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.
NEW Backcombing Texture Stick ($39), theksandco.com
For life at home.
APPS I USE MOST Blockudoku, WhatsApp, and Oura.
BEFORE KIDS I NEVER THOUGHT I would know so much about trains. Henry is OBSESSED.
ON THE CLOCK
FAVE KIDS MOVIE Luca.
PREGNANCY CRAVINGS Salami and cheese sandwiches.
FAVE PLACE TO TRAVEL Tahoe, hands down. I grew up spending time there and it’s still the place that feels most like home. I bought a place a block from the lake and now it’s become Henry’s favorite place too.
COFFEE ORDER Coffee with Bulletproof creamer which I make at home or carry the creamer in my purse because no one ever has it.
FAVE LOCAL RESTAURANT KazuNori.
SIGNATURE SCENT My signature fragrance is staying a secret, but I’m obsessed with the Nasomatto fragrances we curate at the studio.
WARDROBE STAPLES Vintage pieces collected over the years.
FAVE LOCAL SHOP STRIIIKE (kidding!) but we really do have the best curation. I love discovering small independent shops with beautifully curated home goods, vintage finds, and books. I’m a frequenter of all the flea markets.
IDEAL DATE NIGHT Dinner followed by a long walk.
GROWING UP, I WANTED TO BE A Travel agent. I genuinely thought they traveled for a living.
IF I HAD MORE TIME I would have a garden and learn to sew.
FAVE KIDS BOOK May You Love and Be Loved by Cleo Wade. A close second is Frank the Farting Flamingo.
GUILTY PLEASURE True crime documentaries and Sockerbit candy.
NEW AND IMPROVED
The Doona just got even better and that’s saying something. Doona X is the next generation of the award-winning all-in-one car seat and stroller that changed the game for onthe-go parents and it’s packed with upgrades worth knowing about. The iconic one-click transition from car seat to stroller is still there, but now Doona X adds three recline positions in stroller mode— Sit, Relax, and Lean Back—so baby can actually rest on the go. New features include an adjustable harness and headrest, shock absorbers for a smoother ride, quick release wheels on all four corners, a step-on/step-off brake, a larger UPF 50+ canopy, and a premium two-position handlebar with faux-leather detailing. It’s FAA approved, meets the latest US federal safety standards, and comes in an expanded palette of new colorways. Available now at doona.com and select retailers for $850.
NUNA VIAA CABN
This lightweight travel stroller folds to carry-on size while offering premium comfort and compatibility with Nuna PIPA infant car seats.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF NUNA
SNAP DECISION
Features a self-guiding magnetic buckle that finds its own lock, every time.
Snaps directly onto Nuna PIPA™ series infant car seats. No adapters, no fuss. CLICK AND GO
BASKET CASE
An extra-roomy basket holds up to 22 lbs of everything you need for a day on the go.
SUN SEEKER
An extendable, water-repellent UPF 50+ canopy that keeps the sun where it belongs— off your kid.
LIGHT WORK
At just 16.3 lbs, VIAA cabn offers a smooth ride and handles up to 50 lbs without breaking a sweat.
PACK AND GO
Folds down to carry-on size with one hand for effortless overhead bin storage.
VIAA CABN!
MOCKINGBIRD 3.0
Designed with real parent feedback, this single-to-double stroller offers thoughtful upgrades while maintaining the versatility families already love.
ONE AND DONE
A one-hand fold that auto-locks and stands upright on its own.
FULL SHADE
The only stroller with built-in headto-toe UPF 50+ sun protection, including an exclusive LegShade™ that pulls out to cover little legs.
LUXURY FOR LESS
Premium materials, all-wheel suspension, never-flat tires, and an XL basket that holds 25 lbs— starting at $549.
NEVER FLAT
Shock-absorbing tires that can’t go flat— ever.
LAUREN LEVY
MINI SPENT TEN MINUTES WITH THE co-founder of beloved pajama brand Magnetic Me, who’s also mom to Ari (13) and twins Mimi and Leora (11), to chat her signature guilty pleasure (it’s a purge, not a splurge), the Eurovision songs stuck in her head, the cruises taking her family around the world, and the astronaut dream she had as a kid.
A pile of books that I haven’t had time to read yet.
IDEAL DATE NIGHT Anything that involves signature cocktails with fancy ingredients.
WARDROBE STAPLES Magnetic Me pajamas. I literally sleep better when I’m wearing them.
APPS I USE MOST X is my happy place.
GUILTY PLEASURE Decluttering my house. The splurge is the purge!
ON THE CLOCK
FAVE KIDS MOVIE All of the Sing movies.
TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER Grande caffè misto.
PREGNANCY CRAVINGS
Cheese and carbs, mainly chocolate croissants. Chicken was revolting to me.
LAST BOOK I READ Suicidal Empathy by Gad Saad.
FAVE LOCAL SHOP Bloomingdale’s.
SIGNATURE SCENT Maison Rouge 540.
FAVE LOCAL RESTAURANT Miznon by Eyal Shani.
CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO Eurovision songs. Gah!
FAVE PLACE TO TRAVEL I love cruises so we can see the world because I love visiting new places with my kids. We adored Oslo, Copenhagen, Mallorca, and Malta.
ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Mounjaro.
IF I HAD MORE TIME I would take my yellow lab, Teddy, to the beach more.
GROWING UP, I WANTED TO BE AN Astronaut!
FAVE KIDS BOOK The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt.
NOW WATCHING I only have patience for documentaries these days. Everything from Hulk Hogan to Abraham Lincoln.
BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER Thought I would unlock a love like the love I
Scoop
PLAYROOM HERO
Ruggable just solved one of the great parenting design dilemmas: a play mat that actually looks good. Launching July 30, the new Play Mat Collection features soft plaids, playful patterns, and hand-drawn figures in muted blues, pastel pinks, and warm neutrals, designed to feel at home in any space. The generous 4.5’ x 7’ footprint is big enough for play plus a pile of toys, with an easy-to-wipe, non-toxic surface. Each mat is reversible (two looks in one!) and available at ruggable.com .
From left to right: @diymom.ca, @citysage, @myfavoriteroombykbmdesigns, @lewisishome, @tomboykc, @minimagkate, @lifeontheshadygrove, @ashleyaltenbach
NEXT LEVEL
For two decades, CYBEX has been dressing up the ride with their iconic strollers and baby gear. Now, for the first time, they’re dressing up the family.
WORD ON THE STREET
CYBEX—the brand behind some of the most coveted strollers in the game—just made its first move into apparel. The new 17-piece apparel collection brings the brand’s design-first philosophy beyond the nursery with oversized silhouettes, premium materials, and muted tones inspired by the streetwear cultures of Tokyo, New York, Milan, and Paris. Designed for both adults and kids, the pieces are intentionally fluid— a hoodie can be hers, his, worn during pregnancy, and passed down over time. At the center of it all is the My Plus One campaign, which flips the parent-child dynamic on its head. Here, kids aren’t just along for the ride, they’re shaping the culture. Currently available exclusively at CYBEX flagship stores in New York, Paris, Berlin, Prague, and Amsterdam and at cybex-online.com
THE BRIGHT SIDE
woom® Bikes and Lusso Cloud just teamed up for a limited-edition, bright, bold kids’ shoe inspired by woom’s neon bike collection.
TWO TO TANGO
woom® Bikes and Lusso Cloud just dropped a limited-edition kids’ shoe collaboration that’s as fun to wear as it is to ride in.
The woom Swirl Scenario Kids Slip-On ($55) takes its cues from woom’s new neon bike collection— bright, bold, and built for kids in motion—with Lusso Cloud’s signature lightweight EVA foam, cloud-like footbed, and flex-groove tread for traction on any surface. Available for ages 1.5 to 14 as a gift with purchase alongside woom’s neon GO and EXPLORE bike lines or separately at lussocloud.com .
BY THE NUMBERS
Lovevery’s new Math Skill Set takes the dread out of early math with hands-on games, storybooks, and a program so fun kids don’t realize they’re learning.
DO THE MATH
Lovevery just launched The Math Skill Set, a screenfree, hands-on program that makes math genuinely fun and the results back it up. In a 6-week study, 93% of kids improved their math scores by 42% and 100% of parents said their child became more enthusiastic about the subject. Part 1 ($160) covers Pre-K and Kindergarten skills through illustrated storybooks and skill-building games— including the crowd favorite Count On Cafe, a pretend restaurant game that teaches counting and addition through play-based ordering (trust us, kids lose track of time completely). Part 2 ($160) builds on those skills with place value, telling time, money, and early data concepts. Available now at lovevery.com .
THE LATEST IN THE WELLNESS WORLD
MEET THE SNACKS DOING DOUBLE DUTY AS BRAIN FOOD
FOOD
JJONATHAN WOLFSON
didn’t set out to start a snack company. He set out to figure out why his youngest son wasn’t growing the way he should have been. The “failure to thrive” diagnosis sent him deep into conversations with the medical experts in his own family, all of whom kept circling back to the same two nutrients: Omega-3s and choline, both considered so essential to early brain development that they’re built into nearly every infant formula on the market. His son, it turned out, would be fine. But the experts had a follow-up question that stuck with him: what about his other kids? Were they getting what their still-developing brains actually needed?
The answer became Brainiac Foods, the company Jonathan co-founded with Mark Brooks— a line of fruit
snacks, applesauce, and juice designed to sneak Omega-3 DHA and choline into the foods kids already inhale without a fight. It’s brain nutrition disguised as a treat, built by two dads who know better than most that a nutritious snack nobody eats isn’t nutritious at all.
We talked to Jonathan and Mark about the data most parents haven’t seen, what six brutally honest kid taste-testers taught them, and why they think brain health is the nutrition conversation everyone’s about to start having.
Most parents think they’re doing fine— feeding their kids fruit, yogurt, the occasional squeeze pouch. What does the actual
data show about how many kids are getting sufficient Omega-3s and choline?
JW: It’s not close. According to research conducted by the CDC, the average American family consumes less than 20 percent of recommended levels of Omega-3 DHA and only 10% of us get enough Choline. It’s not because parents aren’t trying. We are dads ourselves and know firsthand how hard it actually is to get a kid to eat salmon, leafy greens, broccoli—or no surprise, liver—which is where these nutrients naturally occur. One of our advisors said something early on that stuck with us: it’s not nutritious if they don’t eat it. That’s exactly why we built these nutrients into foods kids already love: applesauce, fruit snacks, and juice.
You assembled a pretty extraordinary team of neurologists, pediatricians and nutrition scientists to develop the BrainPack. What surprised you most about what they told you during that process? MB: We’ve all been trained to eat calcium for our bones, eat protein for
our muscles, or healthy fats for our heart. But the most important organ in our body is sitting right between our ears and almost no one is thinking about eating for it. That’s what surprised us most working with our team. There are countless studies showing meaningful results connecting Omega-3s and choline to better cognitive outcomes. Once you see that body of research, it’s hard to understand why brain nutrition isn’t already part of the conversation.
Let’s talk about what these nutrients actually do in a kid’s brain. Can you break down—in the most parent-friendly way possible—why DHA, choline and Omega-3 ALA matter so much during childhood specifically?
JW: Think of them as the building materials and the electrical connections for a developing brain. After water, the number one building block of a human brain is fat, with Omega-3 DHA being the #1 fat that provides the actual structure of our brain. Our brain operates using electrical signals and these signals pass between neurotransmitters. The #1 neurotransmitter is acetylcholine, which as the name suggests requires Choline. Both of these nutrients are sourced from what we eat; the body does not produce them natively. So unless we eat meaningful quantities of fatty fish, cruciferous vegetables, eggs, and liver, we are in deficit. Childhood is when the brain is developing at the fastest rate, all the way into our teens. We need to support its development with good nutrition from
infancy through teens and beyond. These nutrients are critical for brain development, performance, and health throughout our life.
The kids’ snack market is enormous and absolutely flooded with products that market themselves as “healthy.” What’s actually in most of those products and what should parents be reading on the label that they’re probably not?
JW: Most “healthy” snacks are healthy by omission. Less sugar, no artificial dyes— fine, but that’s a low bar. It tells you what’s not in the product. It does not mean that the product is positively nutritious for kids’ development and health. Parents should flip to the label and ask what’s actually being added for their child’s nutrition, not just what’s being left out.
“Most healthy snacks are healthy by omission.”
The fruit snacks are legitimately delicious (honestly, the best fruit snacks we’ve ever had!). How hard was it to crack the formula of something that actually tastes like a treat kids will eat but delivers real nutritional value?
JW: Harder than many of the things we’ve done. We look at it as having two customers. We need to attract parents to purchase us for the first time and we need to convince them to buy us again, which only happens if kids actually love the products. The good news is we’re a team of parents building this for our own families too. Our product developer is a mom herself and every product goes through real taste tests with real families before it ever gets close to a shelf. If the taste wasn’t there, none of the nutrition would matter, because there wouldn’t be a second purchase.
Patent Power Patent Power “We have a patent for how we put our brain nutrients into foods. We earned the patent because it is really hard to make snacks that taste great every time with meaningful amounts of Omega-3 DHA and Choline.”
If a parent is standing in the snack aisle right now with two products in their hands, what’s the one thing you’d want them to look for or look out for?
JW: Look for Omega-3 DHA and Choline on the label, not just a vague “brain health” claim. If a brand won’t tell you the specific nutrients there probably isn’t much of a scientific basis for their claims. Also look at which form of Omega-3 is actually in the product. DHA is far more beneficial for the brain than ALA, so that distinction matters.
Watch out for products that load up on nutrients kids are already getting plenty of elsewhere just to make the label look impressive. We built Brainiac to focus specifically on the nutrients that are genuinely hard to get from a typical diet,
like DHA and choline, not the ones that already have an easy path to a kid’s plate.
Brain health is having a moment right now— parents are thinking about focus, mood regulation, screen time and its effects like never before. Do you think the conversation is catching up to the science?
JW: It’s getting there, but slowly. Parents are talking about screen time, mood, focus, all the downstream effects, but most haven’t connected it back to nutrition yet. We think about it as good, better, best. Best is getting these nutrients from real food sources whenever you can. Better is fortified foods, like ours, that build Omega-3s and choline into something our kids will actually eat every day. Good is layering in a supplement when you need to
WHAT THEY SAID
The foodie founders go on the clock.
CHILDHOOD SNACK THAT WOULDN’T PASS THE BRAINIAC STANDARDS
Because I’m English, it was always Walkers Crisps— cheese and onion. Delicious, but definitely more of a treat!
LUNCHBOX ESSENTIAL YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT
I love crusty bread— dip it in olive oil, get some hummus, some healthy tuna. Good with everything!
INGREDIENT YOU’LL NEVER PUT IN A BRAINIAC PRODUCT
At the top of the list is artificial sweeteners. They don’t exist in nature and have no business in kids’ food.
MYTH ABOUT KIDS NUTRITION YOU WISH WOULD DIE
We need to remember that food needs to be fun. It’s not about abstinence, it’s about balance. Sweet is fantastic, unnecessary added sugars are not.
close any remaining gap. Nutrition is also only one piece of it. Sleep, movement, and time away from screens all matter just as much for a developing brain. The science has been clear on all of this for years.
You’re now in Target and Walmart, which is a huge deal for an independent brand with a real mission behind it. What did it take to get there and what does that kind of access mean for the families you’re trying to reach?
MB: We took time to develop our products to make sure they taste amazing every time. We were selling on Amazon and quickly became a top item in our category. That got us noticed by Walmart who have been an incredible partner over the years. We have partnered with both Target and Walmart to develop new better-for-you products that offer great tasting functionally nutritious products for their shoppers at a price they can afford. That’s the whole mission.
You’re also a certified B Corp, which is a meaningful distinction. What does that actually require of you as a company and why was that important to you from the start?
MB: B Corp certification means we commit to a higher standard across everything; how we treat our team, our supply chain, our environmental footprint, our community give-back. On top of that we submit ourselves to rigorous third party scrutiny to qualify as a B Corp. For us, doing right by families means making sure our products are actually accessible. That’s why we’ve worked hard to keep our price point low and why partnering
with retailers like Walmart and Target matters so much to us. Brain nutrition shouldn’t be a premium product for families, it should be sitting on a shelf every family can walk into and afford.
What’s next for Brainiac? Are there product categories or age groups you haven’t touched yet that are on the horizon?
MB: We started with school-age kids, then scaled down from Pre-K to infants with Little Brainiac. We look to meet families at more moments in the day—breakfast, lunchbox, onthe-go—and are looking at how we can serve teens with our protein products, since that’s an age where brain development is still very much underway and the snacking habits get harder to influence. ■
This Page:
Photography by Brittany Moser for Thrive Market
WHAT’S NEW ON THE HOME FRONT
JACEY DUPRIE CREATES THE ULTIMATE BIG BOY ROOM WITH BABYLETTO
BOY ROOM BIG
photography
FELICIA LASALA
There’s a moment every parent hits: the crib gets outgrown and suddenly you’re not just buying a bed. You’re deciding what kind of room your kid gets to grow up in. For Jacey Duprie, the fashion and lifestyle blogger behind Damsel in Dior, that moment arrived with her son Hugh and instead of treating it like a quick furniture swap, she treated it like a design project worth getting right.
The result is a room that splits the difference most kids’ spaces never quite land on. It’s sophisticated enough for the rest of the house, yet playful enough to still very much belong to a four-year-old. Working with Babyletto and pulling from the brand’s new kids collection, Jacey built the space around the Bondi Twin Bed— its curved, dark wood headboard doing most of the heavy lifting in the room—alongside the Swoops Chair, the Crosby Bookcase, and a Nessa Nesting Play Table that’s quietly become the busiest square footage in the house.
It’s not a nursery anymore, but it’s not trying to be a grown-up’s room either. It’s something better: a space built to keep up with Hugh, not one he’ll outgrow again in a year. We talked to Jacey and to Babyletto
Storage Galore Bondi 9-Drawer
Dresser in Natural Walnut, $1,399; Below: Mushroom
Pouf in Chai
Shearling, $298
Kids Product Designer Jean-Paul Dumouchel about what it actually takes to design a room that grows with your kids.
What are the biggest considerations when transitioning a nursery into a space that grows with a child?
As children get older, they develop their own personalities, preferences, and opinions, so it’s important that they love their room. It should be a place where they feel safe, comfortable, and genuinely enjoy spending time.
A child’s room also serves many purposes beyond just sleeping. It’s a playroom, a space to create and use their imagination, and eventually a place to focus on homework and other activities. Because of that, the furniture needs to do more than withstand everyday wear and tear. It should reflect the child’s personality, adapt to their changing needs, and be designed to grow with them for years to come.
How does Babyletto approach designing furniture that evolves alongside growing families?
At Babyletto, many of us are parents ourselves, so we understand firsthand how quickly a family’s needs can change as children grow. Sustainability is a core part of our design philosophy, which is why we put so much thought into creating furniture with lasting value. Our goal is to help families get the most out of their purchase by designing pieces that can evolve alongside their child.
It starts with selecting high-quality, durable materials that are built to withstand years of everyday use. Beyond that, we focus on thoughtful convertibility that extends the life of our products. Whether it’s a bunk bed that separates into two twin beds, a bed with removable guardrails as children become more independent, or the option to add taller feet to raise the bed as kids grow, we design our furniture to adapt to changing needs rather than be replaced.
Looking at Jacey’s space specifically, what makes it a great example of a room designed for longevity?
I love that Jacey chose Bondi for her son’s big kid room. Bondi strikes the perfect balance between playfulness and sophistication— it’s a collection that feels fun and inviting for a child while still fitting seamlessly into the aesthet-
ic that parents want for their home. It proves that a kids’ room doesn’t have to compromise on style. The collection was intentionally designed with soft, rounded forms throughout, creating a look that’s both beautiful and thoughtful for growing families.
Jacey also selected the 9-drawer dresser. While it may seem like more storage than a young child needs today, kids inevitably accumulate more clothes, toys, books, and keepsakes over time. Having that extra storage from the beginning means the furniture continues to
Big Boy Bed Hugh’s Bondi Twin Bed in Solid Natural Walnut, $699, anchors the new space and has real staying power.
Creative Corner Creative Corner Crosby Open Bookcase in Natural Walnut, $399; Swoops Chair in Olive Boucle, $279; Nessa Nesting Play Table, $329
Extra Space
Bondi Nightstand in Natural Walnut, $598
work for the family as their needs evolve. I’m also a big fan of including a play table in a child’s bedroom because it’s such a versatile piece. Kids are always looking for a place to build, draw, create, and imagine. Our Nessa Nesting Play Table is especially functional, with four nesting stools that tuck neatly underneath when not in use, saving space while still making it easy to gather friends for playtime.
That may be the design philosophy behind the space, but the true test is whether the kid and the parent tripping over toys at 7 a.m. truly want to be in it. For Jacey, the brief was narrower than it sounds: nothing too babyish, nothing too grown-up, just a room Hugh would actually want to spend time in. We asked her to walk us through it.
What do you love about Hugh’s new room?
I really adore his new bed. It feels sophisticated and elevated without losing the sense of play that a four-year-old’s room should have. The curved headboard softens the design and gives it a whimsical feel, while the rich, dark wood adds warmth and makes the entire room feel more timeless. It’s one of those pieces that can easily grow with him over the years.
What is working best within the space?
The play table has probably become my favorite piece because it really grounds the room. It creates a dedicated space for creativity, building, puzzles, and coloring, while giving the room a clear purpose beyond just sleeping. It makes the whole space feel lived in and encourages him to actually spend time in there. ■
Travel Buddies Madi and David Nelson are parents to four children: Easton, Noah, Navy, and Haven.
RIDE OR FLY
Madi and David Nelson have logged enough airport hours with their four kids to know exactly what’s broken about family travel— so they built the fix.
In June, the couple launched Skoot™ and within ten minutes, it had done $1 million in sales. The hero product, the SkootCase™, is a patent-pending, rideable carry-on that shifts from scooter to suitcase to pull-along luggage in seconds, built to solve the problem the couple knows firsthand: “Once kids outgrow the stroller, there’s very little designed specifically for them.” It’s the kind of idea that sounds obvious only after someone’s actually built it and now, the Dallas-based entrepreneurs are betting more families feel the same way.
Where did the idea for Skoot actually come from? Was there a specific travel moment with your kids where you thought, “There has to be a better way?”
David and I have always loved traveling and when we started having kids, we made a promise to ourselves that we’d continue exploring the world together.
“Kids don’t remember whether you stuck to the itinerary— they remember how they felt.”
Now, with four kids under the age of eight, we’ve experienced family travel in just about every way imaginable— from long airport days to month-long international trips.There wasn’t one defining moment that sparked Skoot. It was years of traveling that revealed the same frustrations over and over again. Once kids outgrow the stroller, there’s very little designed specifically for them. Parents end up carrying backpacks, dragging suitcases, and trying to keep everyone entertained through long airport terminals and flight delays. We started dreaming about what would have made our own travel days easier. We wanted our kids to feel independent, excited, and part of the journey instead of just along for the ride. The idea of combining a scooter with a functional carry-on luggage case came naturally because our kids already loved riding scooters everywhere. We thought, ‘Why should the fun stop when you get to the airport?’ That idea eventually became the SkootCase™, and from there, Skoot grew into a brand centered around making family travel more fun, functional, and memorable.
The SkootCase™ is such a specific, clever solution— a rideable suitcase that’s also a scooter. How long did it take to get from that idea to an
actual product you were proud of and what surprised you most about the process?
The journey from idea to launch took several years. We weren’t interested in creating a novelty product. We wanted to build something families could genuinely rely on for years of travel. We went through countless prototypes, testing everything from the scooter’s performance and durability to the luggage capacity and folding mechanism. Every design decision came back to one question: ‘Would this actually make traveling easier for our own family?’ What surprised us most was just how much goes into creating something truly original. Developing a patent-pending product meant solving problems that didn’t have existing solutions and that required a lot of patience, persistence, and iteration. Looking back, every revision made the final product stronger and we’re incredibly proud of where it landed.
You’re launching with a full ecosystem: the SkootCase™, kids’ backpacks, mom bags, accessories. Was that always the vision or did it grow as you got deeper into building it?
From the beginning, we knew the SkootCase™ was only one piece of the puzzle. As parents who travel often, we experienced so many little frustrations that no single prod-
uct could solve. We wanted to create a brand that thoughtfully considered every member of the family. Whether it’s a backpack that keeps kids organized, a tote that actually works for moms on travel days, or accessories that simplify packing, every product is designed to solve a real problem we’ve encountered ourselves. Our long-term vision is for Skoot to become the go-to destination for family travel— a place where parents know every product has been designed by people who truly understand what traveling with kids is like.
What do you want a kid to feel the first time they walk through an airport with a SkootCase™?
We want them to feel excited. If you asked my kids what their favorite place is, they would probably say the airport! Travel days can feel long and overwhelming for kids, but
they can also become part of the adventure. We love the idea of children feeling proud to carry their own luggage, confidently scooting through the airport, and feeling like they’re part of the experience rather than just waiting for it to be over. If a SkootCase™ can turn an ordinary airport into the beginning of an adventure and meaningful memories for families, then we’ve accomplished exactly what we set out to do.
Skoot Forward is such a meaningful piece of the brand, supporting families facing hardship or medical challenges so they can experience travel together. Where did that commitment come from?
Travel has given our family some of our most treasured memories. We’ve experienced firsthand how stepping away from everyday life, even for a few days, creates opportunities to reconnect, slow down, and simply enjoy
being together. We also know that many families don’t have the opportunity to experience that, especially when they’re navigating difficult seasons of life. Skoot Forward was born from the belief that travel isn’t just a luxury— it’s an opportunity to create lasting memories and find moments of joy together. Through Skoot Forward, a portion of every purchase helps support organizations that make meaningful family travel possible. As Skoot grows, we hope to expand that impact and help even more families experience the gift of traveling together.
You and David are building this together. What does that partnership look like in practice?
Skoot is really the next chapter of a journey we’ve already been on together. Before launching Skoot, we built our first business, Talulah, out of our garage while raising our growing family. Those early years taught us so much about building a business together and our strengths. We also learned that exceptional products and customer service are everything with earning your customers’ trust. We brought those lessons into every part of building Skoot.
Traveling with four kids is no small undertaking. What does it actually look like for your family? Is it smooth or organized chaos and has it gotten easier or harder as they’ve gotten older? I always tell people it’s organized chaos! Traveling with four young kids will never be completely seamless, but that’s part of the adventure! In many ways, it’s actually gotten easier as they’ve gotten older because they’re becoming more independent. They carry their own bags, help each other, and get genuinely excited. They know the airport routine better than most adults at this point! Of course, there are still delayed flights, tired kids, and unexpected moments, but we’ve learned not to chase perfection. Some of our favorite family memories have come from the unplanned moments. Travel has taught our kids flexibility, confidence, and curiosity and that’s worth every chaotic airport day.
Double Whammy Madi and David are also the founders of Talulah, the wildly popular clothing line built without a dollar of paid advertising.
WHAT SHE SAID
Skoot founder Madi Nelson keeps it real.
CARRY-ON ONLY OR CHECKED BAG
Checked bag ALWAYS! And we usually have 3 to 4 of them over 60 lbs.
WINDOW OR AISLE
Now as a family of 6 we take up multiple rows, so I’m always in the aisle!
MOST SURPRISING DESTINATION WITH KIDS
We just got back from Japan a few weeks ago and it is our favorite country we’ve traveled to yet! Such a special culture and SO kid friendly!
THING I NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT Portable phone chargers (multiple!).
SNACK I ALWAYS PACK ON A FLIGHT Candy/chocolate bribery.
FIRST TRIP WE TOOK THE SKOOTCASE ON
When we were testing some of our first samples, we took them all over England and France!
HOTEL OR VACATION RENTAL Hotel. Nothing beats the convenience of room service with kids.
What’s the one thing that used to stress you out most about traveling with kids that you feel like Skoot solves?
As a family of six, our biggest challenge was simply carrying everything. Once kids outgrow the stroller, parents suddenly become the luggage cart— hauling backpacks, carry-ons, and all the extras while trying to keep everyone moving through a busy airport. The SkootCase™ solves several problems at once. Kids are excited to carry and ride their own luggage, which gives them a sense of independence while taking a huge load off parents. Instead of asking, ‘Can you carry this?’ they’re asking, ‘Can I ride my SkootCase™?’ That shift completely changes the energy of a travel day.
Any hard-won family travel tips for parents who are about to attempt their first big trip with little ones?
My biggest advice is to let go of the idea that everything has to go perfectly. Kids don’t remember whether you stuck to the itinerary— they remember how they felt. Slow down. Build extra time into your travel days. Say yes to stopping to watch airplanes take off, grab a special airport treat, or explore somewhere unexpected. Sometimes the airport becomes part of the vacation. And don’t wait until your kids are ‘old enough.’ We often hear people say they’ll travel when the kids are older, but we’ve found the opposite. Every stage brings something special, and even if your children don’t remember every destination, they’re growing up with confidence, adaptability, and a love for exploring the world. Those are gifts they’ll carry with them for life.
Was there a trip that didn’t go as planned but became your favorite story?
We’ve definitely had our share of delayed flights, missed connections, and moments where we wondered if we’d ever make it to our destination! But those are usually the stories we laugh about the most now. One thing we’ve learned is that kids take their cues from us. If we treat a delay like a disaster, they will too. But if we turn it into an adventure—playing games at the gate, exploring the terminal, or finding a fun place to eat—it becomes part of the memory instead of something that ruined the trip. Some of our best family stories didn’t happen because everything went according to plan. They happened because it didn’t. Those unexpected moments have taught us that the journey really is part of the adventure. ■
BARRE RAISING
RAISING THE
by KATE KIRBY
photographed by PATRICK MICHAEL CHIN
Witney Carson is a two-time Dancing with the Stars champion, an Emmy-nominated choreographer, and now, a founder. But ask her which title means the most, and the answer is simple: mom. This is what it looks like when the girl who once danced to prove herself becomes the woman who dances because her boys are watching.
WWITNEY CARSON HAS spent eleven seasons on a ballroom floor, but this year, the story wasn’t about the choreography. It was about who was watching. Two little boys, home in Florida, waiting for their mom to bring home a second Mirrorball trophy, and ‘playing’ Dancing with the Stars in the living room while she was gone.
“I had to explain to them that Mommy was leaving every day because I was working so hard to try to win the Mirrorball,” she tells Mini. “Now we ‘play’ Dancing with the Stars at home all the time. I’m usually myself, and both boys insist on being Robert. They even make sure their shirts are off because, according to them, ‘that’s what Robert would do.’”
It’s a small, funny detail. It’s also the whole shape of her life right
now: a career built on performance, folded into a home life that’s loud, chaotic, and uniquely hers.
The family’s move to Florida set the tone. “We just felt like we were supposed to be here,” she says. Family nearby, boys outside year-round, weekends with nothing on the calendar. “My favorite Saturdays are the ones where nothing is planned. We’re
just together, making memories as a family.”
That groundedness followed her onto the ballroom floor this season too. Partnered with Robert Irwin, Carson found herself teaching someone whose whole life had, until now, been lived outdoors and off camera. “My job was simply to give him the tools to dance, and he did the rest,”
she says. “I wanted to create dances that invited people into our journey and let them see the vulnerability, joy, and authenticity that made our partnership so special.” They won. It was her second Mirrorball, eleven years after her first, and it didn’t feel like repeating herself. “This one felt different because it came at a completely different season of my life,” she says. “I’m a wife, a mom of two, and I’ve been on the show long enough to really appreciate how hard those moments are to come by.”
Off the floor, she’s building something new: Finesse, a fitness app rooted in the same instinct that’s carried her through every stage. “I wanted something that felt joyful,” she says. “As a dancer, movement has always been something I love and I wanted to bring that feeling to fitness.”
But ask her to rank the titles—Mirrorball champion, choreographer, founder—against the one that matters most, and there’s no con-
test. “Honestly, when I really think about it, it’s being a mom,” she says. “What fulfills me most is coming home to my boys. They’re my greatest purpose and my biggest motivation.”
You’re a mom of two little boys now. What has surprised you most about being outnumbered?
All the boy things I’d get roped into! I’m learning how to golf and fish, I know way more about trucks than I ever thought I would, and I’ve completely embraced it. I love getting involved in whatever the boys are excited about because it’s given me a whole new appreciation for those little creative minds. But don’t worry, they’ve definitely been brought into my world too. We have dance parties in the kitchen all the time, they come to rehearsals, and they love music and performing. So it’s been really fun watching our worlds kind of blend together. Life is definitely louder and a little crazier being outnumbered, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Life is louder and a little crazier, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
their cousins, and now my brothers have moved here, with my parents coming soon too. Family has always been everything to us and this move has brought us even closer. We love the lifestyle here, being outdoors year-round, and we’ve never been happier.
What does a Saturday look like for your family now that you’re in Florida? We try to keep weekends really simple. Usually we’ll grab breakfast, head to the lake, go on a family bike ride, or let the boys burn off some energy at the park. My favorite Saturdays are the ones where nothing is planned. We’re just together, making memories as a family, and those are always the best days.
DWTS is a demanding season— long rehearsals, live shows, constant pressure. What does that actually look like at home when you’re in the thick of filming? How does your family hold it together? During the season, life definitely gets busy, but we’ve found a rhythm that works for our family. Carson is the most incredible dad and partner and we really do everything as a team.
You relocated your family from Utah to Florida— that’s a big move. What drove that decision and how has it changed your day-to-day life as a mom? We just felt like we were supposed to be here. It’s hard to explain other than feeling like God was guiding us in this direction and it’s turned out to be one of the best decisions. Our boys are thriving— they’re outside all the time, they love being around
Your boys are growing up watching their mom perform on national television. Have they started to understand what you do and what do they think of it?
The boys are actually very invested in Dancing with the Stars, especially after last season. I had to explain to them that Mommy was leaving every day because I was working so hard to try to win the Mirrorball. Now we ‘play’ Dancing with the Stars at home all the time. I’m usually myself
and both boys insist on being Robert. They even make sure their shirts are off because, according to them, ‘that’s what Robert would do.’ It’s become one of our favorite games and I love that they’ve embraced something that’s been such a big part of my life.
What kind of mom did you think you’d be before you had kids and who did you actually turn out to be?
I don’t know what I was expecting, but maybe I thought becoming a mom would make me more go-with-theflow… that definitely hasn’t happened! Motherhood has taught me so much. It’s given me a deeper compassion for others, a fierce protectiveness, and an incredible motivation to give my boys the best life possible. I always thought I’d be the one teaching them everything, and while I do try to, the truth is I’ve learned the most from them. They’ve taught me patience, perspective, joy, and what really matters. Becoming their mom has been the greatest gift of my life.
The last time we talked (before your second child was born!), you described yourself and Carson as parenting opposites— you’re the worrier, he’s the ‘let them be kids’ one. Does that dynamic still hold with two boys or has parenting changed either of you?
Oh, it definitely still holds! I’m still the worrier and Carson is still the ‘they’re fine, let them be boys’ parent. He’s so good at reminding me to loosen up and let them explore, climb the tree, get dirty, and take a few bumps. I think having two boys has actually balanced us both out a little. I’ve learned to relax more (even if it doesn’t come naturally!), and Carson has become a little more cautious too. We meet each other in the middle, which is probably exactly what our boys need. We both just want to raise kind, confident, adventurous boys. We always come back to the fundamental values we both agree on.
You just won your second Mirrorball with Robert Irwin! What made this win feel different from the first?
My first Mirrorball was incredibly special because it was something I’d dreamed about since I was a little girl, but this one felt different because it came at a completely different season of my life. I’m a wife, a mom of two, and I’ve
been on the show long enough to really appreciate how hard those moments are to come by. I also got to share that moment with my husband and two boys which made it all the more special! Robert made the experience unforgettable. He showed up every single day ready to work, completely trusted me, and reminded me why I fell in love with teaching in the first place. It wasn’t just about winning with our partnership, it was about the journey we had together.
Robert is such a unique partner given his world. How did you approach choreographing for someone whose whole life is about being in nature and not on a stage?
Robert’s charisma and heart are what people naturally gravitated toward. From day one, my job was simply to give him the tools to dance and he did the rest. Robert lives life with his whole heart and that’s exactly what he brought to the dance floor every single week. Through my choreography, I wanted people to connect with him and with us. I wanted to create dances that invited people into our journey and let them see the vulnerability, joy, and authenticity that made our partnership so special. I think that’s why so many people resonated with our season. It wasn’t just about the dancing; it was about telling a story together.
You’ve been a pro on DWTS for 11 seasons! How has your relationship with the show evolved and what does it mean to you now versus when you first started?
When I first joined, I was honestly just trying to prove I belonged. I was young— only 18—I was nervous and wanted everyone to know I deserved to be there. Now I see the show so differently. It’s
WHAT SHE SAID
Leo and Jet’s mom breaks it down.
COFFEE OR TEA
I’m more of a matcha girlie.
DANCE STYLE YOU SECRETLY WISH YOU WERE BETTER AT Argentine Tango!
SNACK YOU ALWAYS HAVE ON HAND Chomps and rice cakes.
SONG THAT MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE Justin Timberlake, “Rock Your Body.”
BEST THING ABOUT RAISING BOYS
There’s never a dull moment!
MY DREAM DAY OFF
Baking and cooking in the kitchen, reading books, playing in the backyard, evening boat ride on the lake, ordering in, and watching a movie.
TODDLER OR NEWBORN STAGE
Toddler! 18 months is my favorite age. Their little personalities come through and it’s so much fun!
become a second family and a place that’s shaped so much of my life— not just professionally, but personally. I’ve grown up on that ballroom floor. I’ve celebrated huge milestones there, learned through difficult seasons, and built friendships I’ll have forever. I have so much gratitude for everything the show has given me.
Your new app Finesse is such a natural extension of who you are. What was the gap you saw in the fitness app space that made you think, this needs to exist?
“What fulfills me most is coming home to my boys.
They’re my greatest purpose.”
I wanted something that felt joyful. So many workouts feel intimidating or like you’re just trying to survive them. As a dancer, movement has always been something I love and I wanted to bring that feeling to fitness. Finesse combines strength, Pilates/dance-inspired movement, and music in a way that feels fun instead of overwhelming.
There are so many fun features, like Mirror Me, where users can dance side by side with you. What do you want someone to feel the first time they use the app?
Mirror Me is one of my favorite features. Growing up, I would’ve given anything to dance alongside someone I looked up to. If I could’ve pulled out my iPhone and learned from my favorite dancers whenever I wanted, that would’ve been a dream. That’s exactly what I wanted to create with
Finesse. I wanted to make dance feel approachable and accessible for everyone, not just dancers. Whether you’ve never danced a day in your life or you’ve been dancing for years, I wanted people to feel like they could jump in, have fun, and actually do it. We have programs that teach the basics, help build your confidence, and then let you dance right alongside me. More than anything, I want people to finish a class thinking, ‘Wait, I actually did that!’ If they walk away smiling, feeling more confident, and excited to keep dancing, then we’ve done exactly what we set out to do.
You’re an Emmy-nominated choreographer, a two-time Mirrorball champion, and now a founder. Which hat feels the most like you? When I really think about it, it’s being a mom. Every other hat I wear—the dancer, the choreographer, the founder—allows me to provide for my children and create opportunities for our family. I genuinely love what I do, but those aren’t the things that define me the most. What fulfills me most is coming home to my boys. They’re my greatest purpose and my biggest motivation. I work hard because I love what I do, but even more because I know they’re watching me, counting on me, and I’m building a life for them. Being their mom will always be the role I’m most proud of.
You did parts of the DWTS Live tour this year. How do you think about which opportunities you say yes to right now and has that framework shift-
ed as your kids have gotten older?
Tour is just pure fun. You get to perform without the pressure of judges’ scores or worrying about teaching someone new every week. It’s really a celebration of dance. What makes it so special, though, is the audience. You get to visit cities all over the country and meet fans who have supported the show for years. There’s such an energy in those theaters that’s hard to describe. It reminds you how much joy this show has brought people and it’s such a privilege to be part of that. As the boys have gotten older, I’ve noticed that every career decision carries a little more weight. They’re starting school this fall, they have sports, friends, and a life of their own now. So every opportunity that comes my way isn’t just about me anymore— it’s about all of us. Carson and I make those decisions together as a family. We ask, ‘Is this the best thing for our family right now?’ If the answer is no, we say no. It’s really as simple as that. Those opportunities will always come and go, but these years with our kids are something we can never get back.
“When I was younger, fitness was almost entirely about performance. Motherhood completely shifted that perspective.”
way, and pushing myself as hard as I could. Motherhood completely shifted that perspective. Now I work out because I want to feel strong, have energy, and keep up with my boys. I still love feeling confident in my body, but it’s much more about what my body can do than what it looks like. I’ve also learned to give myself more grace. My body has created two beautiful babies and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of. I still have goals and love challenging myself, but I’ve stopped chasing perfection. I just want to feel healthy, strong, and like the best version of myself.
What are the wellness habits or rituals that are purely for you— not about performing better, just about feeling like yourself?
Dance has always been your workout, but how has your approach to your own fitness and body changed since becoming a mom?
When I was younger, fitness was almost entirely about performance. It was about becoming a better dancer, looking a certain
Movement is definitely number one. Whether it’s a workout, going for a walk outside, or even just dancing around the kitchen with my boys, moving always helps me feel like myself. I’m also a big believer in getting outside. Sunshine, fresh air, and a good walk can completely reset my mood. Those simple moments are so grounding for me. And honestly, spending uninterrupted time with my family fills my cup more than anything. We live in a world where everyone is constantly connected, so putting my phone down, being present with Carson and the boys, and just enjoying those little everyday moments is probably my favorite form of wellness. ■
Beekeeper’s Naturals founder Carly Kremer has one daughter and is pregnant with her second, a boy.
QUEEN BEE
Carly Kremer built Beekeeper’s Naturals on a bee product most people had never heard of and nearly a decade later, it’s become one of wellness’s most trusted names. Now, as a soon-to-be mom of two, she’s applying the same instinct that started it all—find what works, skip what doesn’t—to her own family, her health, and the next chapter of her company.
You spent years battling recurring tonsillitis and eventually found relief in propolis, a bee-made ingredient most people have never heard of. Take us back to that moment. What made you go looking outside conventional medicine?
Propolis is actually very widely used in Europe. It wasn’t until I was vacationing there and had a particularly debilitating case of tonsillitis that an Italian pharmacist recommended bee propolis, which is what the bees make to protect their hive from viruses and bacteria. I bought some at the local farmer’s market and it completely transformed my health. In North America, we’re good at band-aid solutions that throw chemicals at the problem, but we don’t have a tradition of thinking proactively about supporting our immune systems to prevent illness in the first place. It took the experience in Europe and finding a natural solution that people in other parts of the world have relied on for hundreds of years, for me to realize that maybe there’s a better way to approach our health.
How did discovering propolis lead to actually starting a company? What was the leap from ‘this worked for me’ to ‘I’m going to build this?’
It took a while. I started using propolis in 2012 and it wasn’t until 2017 that I started Beekeeper’s Naturals. When I first discovered propolis, I went down a major research rabbit hole on all the different benefits of bee products. I learned how to beekeep because propolis was so hard to get in North America at the time. I gave the extra bottles I made to my friends and family and they all raved about how it helped them avoid getting sick. I did a little detour on Wall Street (which I hated) and, on the side, I worked on what would become Beekeeper’s Naturals before it got stable enough that I could start a real company and make the leap full time.
What parts of your life or routine feel sacred to you right now as you prepare for this next chapter?
Spending time with family and friends. Everything will look so different in just a few months, so I’m really cherishing that time right now.
The wellness space is incredibly crowded and notoriously full of products that overpromise. How did you approach building something rooted in
real efficacy rather than just good marketing? First, we have the benefit of using ingredients that have been around for centuries. These aren’t peptides or even GLP-1s (not to knock either). People have been using propolis, royal jelly, and pollen safely and effectively for a long time. Also, Beekeeper’s Naturals, as a company, has been around for almost a decade now. We have customers that have been using our products for that whole time. People are smart, particularly when it comes to their own bodies. Shiny marketing might get people to try a product once or twice, but they won’t keep spending money on it if they don’t see results. I think another piece of it is our product R&D process. Whenever we develop a product, it always starts from me wanting something for myself or my family. Every product we have has started that way. Our Gut Health product, for instance, we developed because I was having stomach issues and didn’t think there was a high quality complete pre, pro, and post-biotic supplement out there and I wanted one for myself. That process has helped us develop products that work.
You’ve built a kids’ line alongside your adult products. Was that always part of the vision or did becoming a mom reshape what you wanted the brand to be?
Kids have been using propolis in Europe and Asia forever, so we’d always planned to eventually make a kids formulation. But becoming a mom has given me that firsthand experience that is the origin story for all our other products, so that just naturally extended to the kids products. For example, our Kids Immunity Pops came from my daughter going to her first Halloween and coming back with all
From top: Royal Jelly Brain Health Liposomal ($24.99, beekeepersnaturals.com); Saline Nasal Spray Max ($13.99); Propolis Immune Support Throat Spray ($13.99); 3-in-1 Complete Gut Health ($44.99); Superfood Honey ($39.99)
