Parenting is no small feat, and it’s certainly not always sunshine and rainbows (unless “sunshine” is chaos and “rainbows” are stress). There’s the 4:30am wake-up calls, the relentless demands for a 3rd sippy cup of hot coco, and the “adult” slang that flies out of their mouths at the worst possible moment…and that’s on a good day.

Social media is no help at all. We try so hard to live the flawless and carefree lifestyle of the influencer parents we see on Instagram, but make no mistake: those very “perfect” moms that fill our feeds are actually no better off. The stunning picnic in the park was more likely a panic attack, and the picture-perfect “sibling outfit of the day” was probably achieved with the same bribery we use to get our own kids to dress/shower/eat (where kids are involved, the promise of chocolate is always effective). 

The truth is this: behind every perfect photo we see, there’s a parent who is knee-deep in the hoopla, and no matter how much you idealize that other family, they still function in the same wild and wonky ways as your own. 

Parents, it’s okay to be overwhelmed and under-dressed (in fact, we recommend buying a couple more pairs of your fav sweatpants and settling into that buttery-soft cotton/poly blend for good). It’s okay to lock yourself in the pantry and swallow that last “Secret Life of Pets” cupcake whole. It’s okay to sit in your car and lose yourself in the Tik-Tok microcosm for an extra 30 minutes before you relieve your babysitter. Because you’re a parent. And you need a break. And there’s nothing more “a parent” than that.

Mixtapes (in their physical—and most adorable—form) may be a thing of the past, but sometimes finding a great playlist with a few new songs feels like the online equivalent of a warm hug. And after a long day of wrangling kiddos (pets, coworkers, etc.), there’s little that beats some good music and a glass of whatever relaxes you. Below are a few boot scootin’ ditties we’ve had on repeat lately…

 Zach Bryan: Something In The Orange

Drive-By Truckers: My Sweet Annette

Kenny Chesney: She's Got It All

Nikki Lane: Big Mouth

Mason Ramsey: Twang

Kylie Morgan: Break Things

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: If We Were Vampires

Julia Cole: Hold My Hand

1. Coffee: the bigger the jug, the better (ideally, one of those Mountain Dew-sized troughs that construction workers often carry), but we’ll take what we can get.
2. Baby wipes: a life-saver in a handy-dandy resealable dispenser if ever there was one. Can be used for literally everything. Make-up mishaps? Yes. Kool-aid mouth? Sure. When the aforementioned 144oz. jug of coffee spills in your car on the way to pick up the kids? That too. 
3. Worth A Shot: It’s a song, and one we can’t get enough of just now. We’ve got it on repeat, and we think you should too. Thanks, Elle King, for seeing us in all our frazzled glory.
   
4. YouTube Kids: always downloaded on our phones, always at the ready. You never know when a full-blown meltdown will cause the train to derail and destroy an entire town. Best to be prepared.
5. Airpods: there COULD come a moment in your day when your attention isn’t demanded by anyone (say, the 3 minutes between when you arrive at school and when your kids come barreling toward the car, for example). And it’s in this small, heaven-sent window that a touch of Enya/Kate Bush/Trisha Yearwood—on full blast—could offer all the serenity you need to forge ahead. Godspeed, friend. Godspeed.

Welcome! The short and dirty is this: we're moms with full and chaotic lives who love our crazy kiddos fiercely. We believe wholeheartedly that we can "have it all," but we also believe that "all" looks vastly different for everyone. We created Dakota Ridge to fill a gap—we were tired of feeling guilty about spending money on adorable shoes that our kids grew out of in a matter of months. So we stopped hunting for footwear that's functional and cute at a reasonable price point...and we just started making it.

Welcome to Dakota Ridge. Let's get wild.