I'm old-school. I want to be there to drop off my daughter at school and pick her up.

The song "No Fairy Tale" tells my story. Going through the hard things leads to a richer life than just trying to make everything perfect, or worse, pretending things are good when they don't feel right. I've done that more than enough times.

The smell of roses, my children's bright eyes and smiles, laughing with my husband, walking on the beach, using my hands to do crafts or play guitar, brainstorming, and drinking coffee, really good coffee.

There's a variety and depth to the song topics I get to write about in children's music and books: being able to write about things I wouldn't normally write about, like a disappointing pancake, or monsters or opposite day is really different than writing about heartbreak and relationships.

I love when people in culture show up on fictional TV shows. I don't mind at all being a name from the '90s.

In order to handle my emotional pain I talk to friends about it, I write, I breathe, and most of all, I put it in perspective.

I learn so much from writing with other musicians, asking questions about their playing style and gear, and hanging out, too.