About Laura

Laura is a law school grad who has successfully avoided using her education for six years and counting. She's a wife and a mom through international adoption to a 4-year-old and a 5-year-old who make her world go 'round.

She's the SheKnows Parenting editor and she also writes on her personal blog A(n) (un)Common Family, which covers whatever random thoughts land in her overused, yet sadly slow, brain. She relies on pictures of her cute kids to distract you from the lack of intelligent thoughts more often than not.

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

What's your inspiration?
I'm inspired by my kids, my family and the world around me. Beyond those, I absolutely love the ocean -- listening to the waves crash and seeing the infinite water stretch into the horizon.

What's the one thing you can't live without?
I must have time to myself. Even if it's just 20 minutes in the middle of a crazy day, I need a little bit of time alone. I am a very independent person and motherhood was a change for me -- suddenly having another (and then another) person dependent on me 24 hours a day. I love every part of that, but I'm so much happier when I have a little time to recharge. A close second is the internet and my MacBook!

What's your favorite part of being a mom?
At this stage in the game, I love watching my kids' personalities develop. The nature vs. nurture thing is especially fascinating because we adopted our kids, so it's very cool to see the parts that my husband and I influence and the parts that are strictly them. Both of my kids are such interesting and dynamic people. I also love the hugs, kisses and cuddles. I'm certain I have the sweetest kids ever!

What's the single best piece of advice you can share with other moms?
Do what you've gotta do! No two people parent in the same way and I think that we each have to figure out what works best for us. It's great to look at our friends' and family members' parenting styles for inspiration when we admire them, but remember that nobody does it perfectly. Also, sometimes your best really is good enough, even when it doesn't seem that way.