Our Mission
To empower parents with honest, practical, and safety-focused insights into raising healthy children, sharing the real-life journey of Jess and Dash to foster a supportive community where informed choices and authentic experiences thrive.
Welcome to Jess and Dash
A real-life journal of one mom, one very curious 1-year-old, and the beautiful chaos in between.
Jess is a hands-on mom who believes in practical love: safe sleep, tiny adventures, good food, big hugs, and products that actually earn their place in the diaper bag. Dash—her son with Dan—is one year old and already testing limits, snatching hearts, and teaching the adults what patience and perspective really mean. This site is their nest: equal parts notes-to-self, research-backed guides, day-in-the-life snapshots, and honest product talk for raising a child safely and with good health.
Why we're here
- To be helpful: Parenting isn’t a straight line. We share what worked for us (and what didn’t) so you can skip a few potholes.
- To be honest: Real routines, real messes, real wins. No perfection filters.
- To be safe: Health-first choices guided by evidence, pediatric recommendations, and lived experience.
- To be kind to ourselves: Care for the caregiver matters. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
What you'll find
- The Dash Diary: Month-by-month milestones, what surprised us, and how we adapted our routines for sleep, feeding, play, and travel.
- Safety First: Car seat checklists, safe sleep setup, babyproofing wins, and how we choose products (materials, certifications, ease of cleaning, longevity).
- Eat, Play, Grow: Gentle nutrition with a focus on variety and fun; sensory play ideas; outside time; simple activities that build skills without overcomplicating life.
- The Bag We Actually Carry: The rotating roster of gear that earns its keep—strollers, carriers, monitors, bottles, bath and skincare basics, and the tiny things that save big days.
- Health & Home: Building a calm, healthy home environment—air quality, cleaning routines, nap-friendly spaces, and realistic organization with a toddler tornado.
- Parents’ Corner: Mental health check-ins, relationship stuff, sleep-debt triage, and how we divide and conquer without losing ourselves.
Our product Philosophy
- Safety and standards first: Prioritize products that meet or exceed recognized safety standards and have transparent testing.
- Fewer, better things: Multi-use, durable, easy to clean, and comfortable for baby and caregiver.
- Fit for your family: Budget, lifestyle, climate, and storage space matter. The “best” product is the one you’ll actually use.
- Honest reviews: What we love, what we’d change, and who it’s right for.
The heart of it all
Dash is one—curious fingers, wobbly steps, belly laughs, and big feelings. Jess is learning that the best days are rarely the “perfect” ones—they’re the ones where everyone ends up on the floor, messy and smiling. This space is a reminder that doing your best is enough, that safety and health can be simple, and that childhood (and parenthood) is worth savoring.
Come for the checklists, stay for the camaraderie. Welcome to the journey.
Our Dash of Sunshine: A Childhood Unfolding
Join Our Mailing List
Get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up for our newsletter!
Jessica Paulin
Copyright © 2024 Jessica Paulin - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Dash's Daddy
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.