Mama & Maple – Twins, toddlers, tiny budgets and big hearts

Back-to-Routine Weeknight Pasta Dinners

September 22, 2026/By Allison/4 min read

Five easy weeknight pasta dinners on repeat now that fall routines are back, each ready in about 25 minutes and loved by our toddlers.

September 18, 2026/By Allison/4 min read

Some friendships faded after the twins, some got stronger, and a few new ones showed up. An honest look at friendship as a tired mom.

September 10, 2026/By Allison/3 min read

Theo and June are 29 months old and on one nap. Here is the schedule that finally works for our twins, what keeps breaking it and how we recover.

September 2, 2026/By Allison/3 min read

Our twins outgrew the baby stage and our duplex was drowning in gear. Here's exactly what we kept, what we sold, and what we gave away.

August 26, 2026/By Allison/4 min read

We had big plans for zero screens. Then we had twins. These are the few screen time rules we actually stick to with our 2-year-olds.

August 19, 2026/By Allison/4 min read

We rent an old, leaky duplex, so no solar panels or new windows. Here are the small, renter-friendly changes that cut our PG&E bill by $61.