Marisa LaScala: Writer, Editor, and Good Addition to Your Bar Trivia Team

Big news! I've moved over to GoodHousekeeping.com as the website's new Parenting & Relationships Editor. I'm still on the same beat, doing my best to support all the moms out there, but at a new publication.

I've done a lot of editing and updating of the parenting content there so far, but I've also managed to write some of my own stories. 

I started off with my own opinion about Bert and Ernie (having done hours and hours of "research" with my daughter).

As the Mom of a Toddler, I Don't Need Bert and Ernie to Be Gay, but Kids Should See More Loving, Same-Sex Relationships on TV.
This headline is a hard one, and possibly misleading. I wrote about what it's like to watch the show now, in its half-hour format (it's very different from what it was like when we were kids!), and what I found so beautiful about the male friendship of Bert and Ernie in an era of toxic masculinity.

Then I went back to my pop-culture roots for some movie recommendations.

20 Best Kids Movies of All Time

20 Animated Movies You Need to Watch With Your Kids Before They Grow Up

30 Christmas Movies for Kids to Get the Whole Family in the Holiday Spirit

20 Best Kids Movies on Netflix Right Now

And then a few other fun round-ups.

The Cutest Outfits for Baby's First Thanksgiving
(This includes the Carter's turkey dress my daughter's worn for three years in a row—the same one she peed on three times her first Thanksgiving.) 

16 Best Pregnancy and Baby Books for Those First 40 Weeks (and Beyond)

The 10 Best Halloween Horror Nights of 2018

Can you spot my quick quote in this video about what moms really want for Mother's Day? (I mean it: Keep the breakfast, just give me the bed!)

As 2017 comes to a close, here's a look back at some of the stories I've written in the last stretch of the year.

Just wanted to pop in to urge everyone to check out the September issue of Parents magazine, which features a beautiful new redesign including a brand-new font! Just look at that lowercase "a!"

It's been an honor going through the redesign process for the front-of-book, and really rethinking what we want moms to experience when they open the magazine—finding that right mix of humor, service, and heart. Take a look at the September FOB and see what you think.

Before we launched our big redesign, I got to do a couple of super fun pieces for August that I'm particularly proud of, too.

Disney World is on of my favorite places on Earth, so I was extremely excited to be one of the first to visit Pandora: The World of Avatar in Disney's Animal Kingdom for Parents. I had some tips on traveling there with the kiddos. 

"1. Carve out some time to just explore the land. You may think that, with only two rides, it'll be easy to breeze through Pandora, but there's a lot to be seen just by walking around the paths. One Disney expert I spoke with suggested that you plan on spending 45 minutes there in addition to the time you'll spend waiting on line for the attractions. Look for interactive elements, like playable Na'vi drums and exotic plants that steam and squirt water at guests.

2. Pandora looks completely different in the daytime, when you can see all the details of the extra-terrestrial flora, and at night, when the bioluminescence of the land gives everything a blacklit glow. It's worth it to see it in both lights. Animal Kingdom is looking to beef up its other nighttime offerings, like adding the new Rivers of Light show (which was sadly rained out for my visit). If the kiddos can't stay up that late, though, you can get a good idea of the bioluminescence in the Na'vi River Journey.

3. Talk with the cast members. Everybody has a tale of how they ended up on Pandora—you can start by asking them if they were born on Pandora or Earth. The "Field Guides" walking around can give you even more background about the world's creatures, teach you some of the Na'vi language, and offer hints about what you may see, like how to tell the difference between a true Na'vi and a lab-created avatar. (Hint: Count the fingers.)"

I can't believe how fast this year is going. Here's a couple of the things I've been up to as I've been ignoring this site. All of them are from Parents magazine.

Still got my hands full with the little one, who is now so, so much bigger than she was when this photo was taken by Ulysees Photography. But I'm resurfacing for a second to say that I've got a new gig as the News Editor at Parents. (The baby now counts as research.) Keep an out for my byline there, or follow the just-for-fun pop-culture blog/podcast I contribute to at SportsAlcohol.com.

I'm thrilled that the website of Working Mother has recently had a makeover—and that I have plenty of articles on the good-looking new site. In August, I...

...interviewed Jenae Heitkamp, co-founder of iBesties, a doll line that tries to make business and technology as cool as fashion and pop stardom. 

...spoke with Stacey Boyd, founder of Schoola, a site that accepts old kids' clothes, sells them online at a discount, and gives the profits to schools. 

...asked a fashion maven for easy ways to transition a summer work wardrobe into fall. 

...rounded up items that make it easier for returning mothers to breastfeed in the office. 

...got expert advice for how to shake up Date Night. 

This month, on Working Mother's website, I...

...interviewed Chris Nee, the creator/showrunner of Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins (and she was the best). 

...asked fathers for important things they learned during their paternity leaves. It made it clear that dads should definitely stay home, too, if they can.

...rounded up the most extreme donuts in the country for National Donut Day, then found options for 11 healthy desk-drawer snacks to keep on-hand instead. 

...created a head-to-toe guide for staying comfortable at work while pregnant. 

...shopped for the best work life accessories for spring. 

...lamented that Mothers' Equal Pay Day comes even later in the year than Women's Equal Pay Day. 

...asked doctors for posture tips for working, even if you have a newfangled standing desk. 

...recapped Working Mother Media's amazing 2015 Multicultural Women National Conference.