rebuilding my life after the Palisades Fire

blog

Not Ozempic, Just Trauma: Notes from the Rebuild

Life lately has been a mix of grief, dark humor, motherhood, and figuring out how to feel joy again without guilt. A few thoughts from the rebuild—and why we’re bringing Sip, Swap & Shop back.

Guest Series: Posttraumatic Growth After the Fire (Written With a Friend Who’s Actually Qualified to Explain It)

We lost our houses. We gained perspective, group trauma, and a surprising amount of wisdom. Here’s what posttraumatic growth actually looks like—with an actual psychologist, not just my therapist-adjacent group chat.

Displaced, But Make It Hot Mom Summer

I may be between homes (and emotions), but you better believe I still packed the matching swimsuits and my denial.

The Final Rose 🌹: How I Picked My Architect

Choosing an architect felt less like hiring a professional and more like starring in my own season of The Bachelorette—but with fewer hot tubs and way more Google Sheets.

Life Updates, Memorial Day Reflections, and What's Next

After months of survival mode, something shifted. This update is about finding my footing, saying yes to a new chapter, and finally feeling like we’re headed home—for real.

Guest Writer Series: The House That Lived (But Barely)

Today, I’m sharing the story of one of my friends and fellow Palisades Mom—someone who is walking through the very specific, deeply misunderstood hell of surviving the fire… and still losing her home. For insurance reasons, she has to publish this under a pen name. So for now, we’ll call her Ashlee Ember (because if we can’t laugh at the darkness, we’ll drown in it).

Her story is honest, funny, enraging, and important. And it’s exactly why I created The Palisades Mom in the first place.

Matriarch Energy Only: What It’s Actually Like Being a SAHM After the Fire

I’m out of office, but never off duty. Whoever said being a SAHM is easy—HA. Temporarily stepping away from real estate while displaced is a different job, same full-time energy.

This One’s for the Outsiders: Before You Judge the Free Stuff

If you’re watching from the outside—maybe you didn’t lose your home, but you care, you’re curious, or even a little skeptical—this one’s for you.

5 Random Things I Purchased Since the Fire (and Why I’m Obsessed With Them)

When you’re suddenly starting from zero, even the most random purchases start to feel deeply personal. So here are five things I bought post-fire—some practical, some nostalgic, all of which I’m now completely obsessed with.

Sweaters, Shoes & Skincare—How Jenni Kayne Won Over Every Palisades Mom

Jenni Kayne raised the bar on care packages—other brands, please take note. If there’s one thing I could tell you, directly donating to Palisades Moms might be the best investment you can make—we are your target market, and we will be loyal to the brands that stood by us.

hello

What is this, 2014? I know.

Are blogs even still a thing? This whole setup screams Millennial Mom Who Still Uses Pinterest. (Guilty. And honestly, I’ve recently rediscovered how useful it is when interviewing architects and builders to show them what I like.) I needed more than a disappearing Instagram story and a group chat to process everything—so welcome to my corner of the internet.

This community started organically—through playdates, wine nights, group chats, and everyday moments of mom life in the Palisades. But after losing everything in the Palisades Fire, we’ve all been scattered, displaced, and forced to rebuild—not just our homes, but our routines, our friendships, and our sense of normal.

This blog is my way of keeping us connected, sharing what I’ve learned, and (hopefully) making this whole process a little easier, a little funnier, and a little less overwhelming. If even one other mom feels seen, supported, or just entertained by my oversharing, then it’s all worth it.

So whether you're here to laugh, cry, vent, or just feel a little less alone—I’m so glad you’re here.

editor’s pick

blog

Jun 5, 2025

The Final Rose 🌹: How I Picked My Architect

Jun 5, 2025

Choosing an architect felt less like hiring a professional and more like starring in my own season of The Bachelorette—but with fewer hot tubs and way more Google Sheets.

Jun 5, 2025