If you’ve been following Molly Sims’ decades-long career evolution, well, color us impressed because there’s a lot to keep track of: Her early modeling days walking high-fashion runways and posing for the cover of Vogue Paris quickly snowballed into a multi-year CoverGirl contract, a highly coveted spot in Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issue four times over, a memorable speaking role in a slate of Old Navy commercials, a five-season run on the TV show Las Vegas, hosting gigs on House of Style and Project Accessory, several movie roles and a New York Times bestseller (she’s currently working on her third book). Yeah, we’re out of breath too, and that’s only the highlight reel.
In more recent years, Sims has focused her boundless energy on her eponymous lifestyle site and YouTube channel, as well as raising the three kids — sons Brooks Alan, 7, and Grey Douglas, 2; and daughter Scarlett May, 4 — she shares with film producer husband Scott Stuber. “I have three small children so I can’t just sit in a trailer and be on set in Toronto or Vancouver,” she recently told a crowd of 250 entrepreneurs during her keynote panel at #BlogHer Biz in LA. “I have to be home for my children, so how can I make that happen? Well, maybe I can write a book. Maybe I can start a YouTube channel. It’s the ‘maybe I could’ that made the empire now.”
In other words, no, motherhood has not slowed her down one bit — it’s only opened her orbit up to new pathways and possibilities (she recently wrapped filming a TV movie called Ride or Die, and served as an executive producer for reality TV series Master the Mess). Throughout it all, she’s embodied the kind of accessible aspiration most modern-day influencers can only dream of. “Authenticity is everything to me,” she admitted at #BlogHer Biz.
With that in mind, we asked Sims for her best parenting recommendations, and after hearing about the snacks she keeps stocked in her pantry, we just have one last question: When can we come over for a playdate?
The podcasts I’m listening to right now
“I am obsessed with ‘Raising Good Humans‘ by Aliza Pressman. Aliza and Bronwyn [Becker Charlton] have a company called the SeedlingsGroup in New York and soon LA. They give great advice to parents when you don’t have an answer for the tricky questions. I also recently got into ‘Group Chat.’ It’s these three guys who talk about current events, business, the stock market, etc. It’s a quick way for me to catch up on everything going on in the world — including my pop culture vice.”
The children’s books our family reads on repeat
“All three kids love The Giving Tree. Scar and Brooks always have me read Owl Babies to them, and Scarlett loves I Had A Favorite Dress.”
The books I’m currently reading myself
“I just read The Better Sister by Alafair Burke and I loved The Death of Mrs. Westaway. I’m not reading anything at the moment because I’ve been so busy but I’m saving Where the Crawdads Sing for when I head to Kentucky for Thanksgiving break. I’m addicted to murder mysteries so much that my husband thinks I’m going to murder him in his sleep. Not really, but kind of.”
The snacks I always have on hand for the kids
“We love Cerebelly pouches in our family. It’s this new organic baby food line with specific nutrients that help [support] brain development. Our favorite flavors are the Butternut Squash White Bean and Carrot Pumpkin. Sometimes we eat them plain but then other times we’ll put them in our smoothies. Siete tortilla chips are a staple in our household. I try to stay away from products that have tons of ingredients and these chips only have about three or four, which is a huge plus in my eyes.
We’re also huge fans of Made Good Chocolate Banana Granola Bars. Someone at soccer passed them out and they were a hit with my family so we’re constantly stocked. Chriselle Lim sent me a big bag of gr8nola a little while ago and I hate her for it! I have it in my office and I snack on it all day long. Lastly, we are obsessed with Cappello’s cookie dough. Huge bakers in this family.”
The beauty product I always keep in my bag
“I never leave the house without my Westman Atelier Eye Love You non-toxic mascara. I feel at my most confident when my lashes look great. I feel like some mascaras ruin your lashes but this one hydrates and conditions them.”
The app that makes my life as a parent easier
“Honestly the calendar app makes my life run. Each of my kiddos are color coded so I know who goes where, and I have my own color for work. Everything goes in the calendar like time, location and parking info. It makes my life run smooth.”
My favorite parenting-related Instagram accounts to follow
“I follow the SeedlingsGroup — it’s the Instagram account for the podcast that I mentioned earlier. I follow Playful Learning, a company that teaches education through art, to get ideas for projects to do with my kids because I am not artistic whatsoever. Lastly, I follow Motherly — I love how candid they are about the struggles of parenting. It makes us moms feel less alone and have a community to rely on.”
The toys that keep my kids occupied for hours
“Ahh we are obsessed with toys in this house. They love Alphabet Island, any type of puzzle, coloring books and they could play with Legos for hours. We also have a toy ice cream truck and toy kitchen that they’ll never get over. Then outside we have a teepee that they hang out in all of the time.”
The underrated children’s brands I’ve recently discovered
“There’s a store by my house in LA called Poppy that has the best kid’s clothes ever. But for brands, I am obsessed with Rylie and Cru, The Gray Label and Bonheur Du Jour.”
The clothing brands that help make up my mom uniform
“I am all about comfortable fashion. As much as I want to be that woman who’s all dolled up all the time, half the time I’m in workout clothes or sweats for carpool — but then I also love to throw on a great dress and heels. My favorites are from Doen and Apiece Apart. Then for shoes, I am a huge fan of Loeffler Randall because of my height. They’re the perfect heel and so comfortable.
For everyday wear, I love Naked Cashmere clothes; they have the best basics and they’re beyond comfortable. I mean it’s cashmere, c’mon! My favorite denim brand is Moussy — it’s a Japanese brand that really knows how to fit a jean. Lastly, to make it all come together, I am obsessed with The KiT Undergarments. They just launched recently and really figured out the science to master flattering undergarments.”
To get even more parenting recommendations, click here to read about the other stylish moms featured in our Momsessed series.
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