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I’m Renee Sand—a first-time mom, small business owner, and the writer behind Sand & Co. I grew up in San Diego, met my husband in San Francisco, and now live in Denver (most of the time). We are mountain people at heart, and spend as much time as we can at our tiny cabin in the Lake Tahoe area. I’ve loved writing and graphic design for as long as I can remember, and I’m proud to have built a successful marketing business around those skills. But absolutely nothing compares to how proud I am of being a mom. 

My journey to motherhood wasn’t easy.

When my husband and I decided it was time to grow our family, we expected it to happen quickly. Instead, we received a devastating diagnosis that meant we may never be able to have biological children. With the odds stacked against us, we found ourselves navigating fertility treatments, IVF, and an early miscarriage. 

This journey eventually brought us our son, and becoming his mom changed me more deeply than I can explain. After fighting so long to get here, I’ve realized motherhood is even more fulfilling than I imagined. At the same time, becoming a mom has motivated me to pursue my other goals even harder. I always want to be the best version of myself, for him:

• I adore being silly with my baby, but still want to grow my business. 
• I cherish quiet contact naps, but still want to feel fit and strong. 
• I love our slower life as a family, but still want to travel and explore. 

As a new mom, I started thinking more intentionally about how all of these pieces could coexist. 

Why I Created Sand&Co.

During maternity leave, I started writing a lot (while breastfeeding, in the dark, on my phone). At first, I was just trying to document the lessons I didn’t want to forget: what IVF taught me, the baby products we actually used, how we managed our first family trips, and the little systems that were slowly making me feel more confident as a mom. 

The more I wrote, the more I realized these seemingly unrelated topics were actually connected: I was learning how to build a life centered around motherhood without erasing my old self from it. Sand & Co. became the place to explore that. I’m figuring this out in real time while running a small marketing agency, staying active, and prioritizing my family. I certainly don’t have a secret formula for balancing it all, but I’m excited to share my personal experiences, routines, and mindset shifts that are helping me create the life I always dreamed of. 

If You’re Trying to Become a Mom

I was diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) at age 29, which led us to pursue IVF to start our family. I went into fertility treatment with a vague understanding of the basics: injections, monitoring appointments, egg retrievals, and embryo transfers. However, I wasn’t prepared for was everything that happened between those milestones…the waiting, the hope, the attachment to embryos I had never met, and the grief when our first pregnancy ended almost as quickly as it began.

IVF changed me long before motherhood did. And even now that our son is here, that experience continues to shape the way I think about pregnancy, motherhood, gratitude, and the family we’re building.

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Everything I Wish I Knew Before Starting IVF
The practical and emotional realities I wish someone had told me before our first IVF cycle.

7 Things Not to Say to Someone Going Through IVF (And How to Help Instead)
A few well-intentioned comments that made me feel more alone—and the words and gestures that actually helped.

This Is How It Felt to Lose Our First IVF Pregnancy
The story of our first embryo transfer, the happiest week, and grieving a baby we never got to meet.

8 Ways IVF Changed the Way I Think About Motherhood
How infertility, loss, and eventually becoming a mom changed the way I experience motherhood now.

My (Positive) Induction and Unplanned C-Section Birth Story
How a routine 37-week appointment turned into an unexpected induction, unplanned C-section, and a positive birth experience I never could have planned.

If You’re Researching What to Buy for Your Baby

I’m a minimalist at heart, which made creating a baby registry surprisingly difficult. Every list seemed to insist we needed hundreds of things before bringing home a person who would mostly eat, sleep, poop, and want to be held.

So I questioned almost everything. Some things I skipped and never missed. Some things I confidently decided were unnecessary…and ordered a few months later. And some products earned their place in our home because they genuinely made everyday life easier. My approach to baby gear is pretty simple: start with less, pay attention to what your actual family needs, and add things when real life gives you a reason to.

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12 Things I Wish I Put On My Baby Registry (And 5 Items I Regret)
The products that unexpectedly became everyday essentials…and the ones I probably wouldn’t buy again.

8 More Baby Registry Items I Was Wrong About
Proof that motherhood has a sense of humor: eight more things I was convinced we didn’t need until we did.

These 4 Baby Products Gave Me Some Freedom Back as a New Mom
Four products that earned their place not because they were trendy, but because they gave me little pieces of independence back.

10 Baby Registry Products I Skipped Without Regret
Ten popular products we decided not to buy, plus what we used instead.

Is the Wildbird Aerial Baby Carrier Worth It? My Honest Review
My honest review of the baby carrier I reach for most often.

If You Want to Keep Traveling As a Family

Travel was a big part of our life before becoming parents, and I didn’t want having a baby to automatically mean giving it up. What I didn’t know was what traveling with a baby would actually look like. Our first tiny trip was a weekend in Breckenridge when our son was six weeks old. Since then, we’ve flown, taken long road trips, gone camping, and spent weeks away from home.

Everything takes longer now; we bring more stuff, and plans change more often. And somehow, we love our trips even more than before. Traveling with our son has required us to become more flexible, but it has also made us more confident as parents, and given us the chance to start sharing the places and experiences we love with him.

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How to Survive Flying With a Baby For the First Time
What I packed, how I navigated the airport and plane, and what made my first solo flight with our 10-week-old easier.

Camping With a Baby: How We Shared Our Love of the Outdoors With Our Son
Everything we learned from taking our three-month-old camping for the first time.

6 Ways to Enjoy Road Trips As New Parents
Why we’ve embraced slower drives, more stops, flexible expectations, and a very different definition of a successful road trip.

Our First Family Vacation: A Baby-Friendly Weekend in Breckenridge
The low-key weekend that gave us the confidence to keep traveling as a family.

15 Baby-Friendly Activities For a Summer Weekend in Lake Tahoe
Our favorite places to eat, explore, shop, and spend time with a baby in one of our favorite mountain towns.

If You’re Trying to Feel Like Yourself Again

I love being my son’s mom more than anything, but I don’t think loving motherhood means I should stop caring about the person I was before he arrived. Early motherhood has actually made me rethink what it means to “feel like myself.”

Sometimes it means putting my baby in a carrier so I can make myself something to eat with two hands. Sometimes it’s accepting that breastfeeding is the productive thing I’m doing. Sometimes it’s adapting my exercise routine, reading a book during a contact nap, or romanticizing a slower version of my old life. I’m not trying to get my old life back; I’m figuring out how to bring the best parts of it into this new one.

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Babywearing Is How I Get Things Done With a Velcro Baby
How keeping my baby close while getting little pieces of independence back changed my early postpartum experience.

6 Mindset Shifts That Helped Me Enjoy Being a First-Time Mom Even More
The perspective changes that helped me slow down, trust myself, and enjoy the newborn stage.

This Is Why I Stopped Trying to Be Productive While Breastfeeding
How I stopped viewing hours spent nursing as time I wasn’t being productive.

6 Gentle Tips For a Fit Pregnancy and Postpartum
How becoming a mom changed what being “fit” means to me.

Contact Nap Reading List: 4 Book Recommendations for New Moms
Four fiction and nonfiction books that unexpectedly changed the way I think about motherhood, contentment, courage, grace, and letting go.

6 Diaper Bag Packing Tips for New Moms: How to Make Outings With Baby Feel Less Scary
The simple diaper bag system that helped me feel more prepared, confident, and ready to leave the house with my baby.

This 25-Item Postpartum Capsule Wardrobe Made Me Stop Shopping
How packing just 25 pieces for two months postpartum made getting dressed easier—and completely changed the way I think about my closet.

If You’re a Working Mom

Going back to work after having my son was one of the toughest transitions of early motherhood. I was excited to return to a business and career I genuinely love, but I was also sad to leave my baby, nervous about childcare, and surprised by how much guilt could coexist with actually enjoying being back at work.

I’m fortunate to have a flexible schedule and work primarily from home, but I’ve learned that flexibility doesn’t magically create more hours in the day: work still requires focused time, and my baby still needs me. I’m not trying to find the perfect work-life balance anymore, but I am to build a working mom life that makes room for what matters.

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8 Things I Remind Myself When Working Mom Guilt Creeps In
The reminders I come back to when I miss my son, question daycare, or feel pulled between motherhood and a career I genuinely love.

These 10 Simple Working Mom Habits Save Me So Much Time
Simple tips that help me spend less time on laundry, cleaning, errands, getting ready, and other everyday tasks so I have more time for my family and the things I actually care about.

My Real Schedule as a First-Time Working Mom
What work, daycare, pumping, exercise, family time, and running a business actually look like in the same day.