#MustFollow: 24 most awesome parents on social media

1. /thediymommy

Where: Stony Plain, Alta.

What she posts: Pretty much everything, from food to DIYs to fashion and beauty

Why we love her: Christina Dennis of thediymommy.com has very specific Pinterest boards, making it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. She’s got boards dedicated to Frozen-themed parties, laundry room decor, DIY baby clothes and crochet projects. Get ready to “Pin it!”

2. @HonestToddler

Where: Montreal

What she posts: Tweets from the perspective of a brutally honest (and devious) toddler

Why we love her: Bunmi Laditan nails the voice of a kid in the throes of the terrible twos every damn time. Whether it’s boasting about throwing sand at other tots at the park or dreaming up strategies to avoid bedtime, this is one devilishly good parody account that you’ll definitely want to follow.

3. @foodessdotcom

Where: Vancouver

What she posts: All things food, plus her travel adventures

Why we love her: Jennifer Pallian is a recipe developer, food photographer, dietitian and mom, and her food is influenced by all of these roles. She posts her beautiful, doable and often healthy recipes on Twitter along with other bits and bites of info. (You’ve got to try her salted chocolate-chip cookies!)

4. @BPMbadassmama

Where: Brattleboro, Vermont

What she posts: All the bad parenting things you’re thinking and doing in pithy, 140-character statements

Why we love her: Bethany Thies is that super-sassy mama you wish you knew IRL. Her tweets span the range of things parents deal with, and include gems like, “Everyone knows that delivery pizza tastes better after you spend $300 on groceries” and “A kid at school just asked me if there were cars when I was born. Whatever. Me and my horse-drawn carriage are outta here.” We guarantee laughs.

5. @TheDiPedeFamily

Where: Toronto

What they post: Cheeky videos on the less joyful moments of parenting

Why we love them: The DiPedes don’t shy away from sharing all the unglamorous aspects of parenthood—like catching a kid licking the railing, sibling battles or an ear-splitting school concert. These six-second videos are sure to take you back to your childhood, and remind you of your own kids’ antics—or offer a glimpse into your future.

6. @livesweetphotography

Where: Montrose, Pennsylvania

What she posts: Photos and videos of her adorable daughter and pet pig, plus pretty vignettes in dreamy pastel shades

Why we love her: Mom and photographer Lindsey Bonnice posts the prettiest photos of playtime, tea parties and candid moments shared by her adopted daughter, Libby, and her mini pig, Pearl. You’ll also see the family’s other pets and farm animals in this cotton-candy-coloured world. It’s squeal-worthy cuteness!

7. @BatDad 

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

What he posts: Snippets of daily life, with a twist: He’s always in character as BatDad

Why we love him: Wearing a Batman mask and talking in the superhero’s deep, raspy voice, dad Blake Wilson takes filming snippets of family life to the next level. Watch him goof around with the kids, help with homework (oh, the worksheets!) and come to the rescue of other dads who are at their wits’ end. It’s no wonder he’s amassed a huge following.

8. @scoutfashion

Where: New York City (by way of Montreal)

What she posts: Photos of London Scout, the most well-dressed little girl you’ve ever seen

Why we love her: Maybe it’s her wild curls, or her ballerina-meets-rock-star vibe, but we’re more than a wee bit envious of this super-cute kid’s extensive wardrobe and joie de vivre (not to mention the fact she has her own hashtag, #scoutstyle). Honestly, don’t we all want to traipse about New York City looking this amazing?

9. @aprettylife

Where: Calgary

What she posts: The best tips and tricks to make life easier, plus drool-worthy recipes

Why we love her: Jo-Anna Rooney is one practical mom, with the best collection of organization ideas, including how-tos on putting your fridge, freezer and pantry in order, plus downloadable checklists so you won’t forget a thing. And once everything is in its place, you can whip up one of her sweet recipes (they’re seriously delish).

10. /LunchboxDad 

Where: Fremont, California

What he posts: All sorts of fabulous lunch ideas

Why we love him: For those times you want to pack something extra-special in your kids’ lunches, Lunchbox Dad is your go-to. Beau Coffron’s lunches feature a wide variety of foods, including lots of healthy fruit and veggies, made super fun with bento-box themes that kids will love. But the deliciousness doesn’t end there—he also pins all manner of great kid-friendly snacks, dishes and sweets. Yum!

11. /janespeed

Where: Whitby, Ont.

What she posts: A lovely collection of kid things, decor, art and design

Why we love her: Jane Speed-Knox pins the sorts of spaces and things we dream of having one day, alongside pretty packaging and inspiring quotes. Whether you’re looking for decor ideas or ways to occupy the kids on rainy days, there’s a little something for everyone in her delightful mix of baby’s and kids’ fashions, nurseries and bedrooms, and fun crafts.

12. @noraborealis

Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota

What she posts: The sharpest, darkly funny observations on being a widow, single mom, tall girl and consumer of pop culture

Why we love her: Nora McInerny Purmort shares what it’s like to mourn her husband (who recently died of a brain tumour) and raise her toddler son with such sweetness, grace and hilarity. And because tweets like “Pulling on a Push Door: One woman’s struggle with basic reading comprehension” are the kind of concise, pithy observations that landed her a book deal. (We can hardly wait to read it!)

13. @happysoulproject

Where: Kingston, Ont.

What she posts: Your daily dose of cuteness, courtesy of Noal and Pip

Why we love her: You may remember Pip and Noal from our August 2014 cover. Their mom, Tara McCallan, is behind “Happy Soul Project,” which celebrates the beauty in difference, a mantra that radiates from full-of-personality Pip, who has Down syndrome. Get inspired by Tara’s photos, showcasing her hectic but wonderful life.

14. @shades_of_violet

Where: Toronto

What she posts: Snapshots of everyday life with her daughter, Violet

Why we love her: Mom Jessica Densmore posts gorgeous images of her adorable and spirited daughter whose personality shines through in every shot. Whether Violet’s jumping on the bed, getting creative with paint and chalk or just spending quality time with her toys, these photos capture one seriously fun childhood.

15. @Bottlerocket

Where: Boston, Massachusetts

What he posts: Silly, funny and absurd videos of family life

Why we love him: Teacher by day, dad Viner by night, Tony Serafini explores daily life and riffs on dad stereotypes. Expect to see him belting out “Let it Go” with his daughter, describing in detail his kid’s dance recital to friends who really aren’t interested (what parent isn’t guilty of that?) and making music video spoofs with the littles—all in the name of fun.

16. @marc_saltzman

Where: Toronto

What he posts: All things tech, gaming and Internet security

Why we love him: Tech guru and dad Marc Saltzman tweets his favourite kids’ apps and gaming news and reviews, plus he’s big on sharing what you need to know about securing and protecting your privacy online—something that can stump even the most on-top-of-things parents. He’s also in the know when it comes to the coolest new smartphones, wearable tech, computers, TVs, audio equipment and gadgets.

17. @TheBloggess

Where: Texas

What she posts: Hilarious musings on daily life mixed with plenty of serious posts about living with depression

Why we love her: Have you read Jenny Lawson’s post about Canadian money being like bacon? Or the one about the big metal chicken (which spawned endless hashtags and memes)? Not only is she outrageously funny and endearingly weird, she’s also brutally honest about her struggles with depression. Oh, and she’s really into taxidermy. Her posts are often NSFW, but you’ll laugh so hard you’ll cry.

18. @spchronicles

Where: Toronto

What she posts: Healthy and scrumptious family food and daily life

Why we love her: Ceri Marsh—who along with Laura Keogh explores all things family food at sweetpotatochronicles.com—shares creative recipes your kids will love, plus some food prep tips that’ll make your life easier (a win-win). But it’s not all food all the time—Ceri also tweets about parenting, fashion, celebs and everyday life , plus some great behind-the-scenes pics from SPC’s photo and TV shoots (who doesn’t love a sneak peek?).

19. @140JustinC

Where: Fredericton

What he posts: Eye-catching images of daily family life and travel

Why we love him: East coast photographer Justin Connors documents life with an eye for striking details. From dramatic kid portraits to snapshots from his kitchen (like the mouth-watering waffles he made on a snow day), there’s lots to love about this dad’s artful Instagram photos.

20. @ModernHouseDad

Where: Toronto

What he posts: Kid stories, cartoons and videos about modern fatherhood

Why we love him: Funny and quirky dad Mark Fogel embraces the absurdity that is life with a young kid. His tweets are guaranteed to make you laugh in recognition—think: “Tom is allergic to tuna...that’s why he drinks almond milk. #StuffKidsSay.” And every parent will relate to his reaction to his kid’s art.

21. /ImaginationTree

Where: London, UK

What she posts: Fantastic, creative ways to make learning fun

Why we love her: Teacher and mom Anna Ranson is a great source for engaging and educational activities kids will love. She pins everything from math play to sensory games to crafts and cool science projects, plus she’s big on playtime in nature—perfect for getting kids outside and burning off some of that energy!

22. /ColleenPastoor

Where: Kamloops, BC

What she posts: This DIYer pins a variety of projects, plus lots of lifestyle inspiration

Why we love her: While we adore Colleen Pastoor’s mix of fun and pretty images, it’s the DIY project pins that we just can’t get enough of. This mom of twins and blogger (you may know her from lemonthistle.com) has super organized boards that make it easy to find inspiration and how-tos for easy home decor projects, awesome party crafts, free printables, delicious food and more.

23. @phdinparenting

Where: Ottawa

What she posts: All things parenting, feminism, social change and daily life

Why we love her: Not only does feminist mom Annie tweet everything from the history of sleep training to her take on political issues, she’s delightfully audacious when it comes to talking about kids. You can expect snappy thoughts like “‘Would you like to sign up for the tooth fairy’s direct deposit program?’—things I may say shortly to my child...” mixed in with the latest parenting news and plenty of tweets about family meals.

24. @howtobeadad

Where: Los Angeles

What they post: The good, the bad, the ugly and the funny moments of parenting, from the perspective of two dads

Why we love them: Charlie Capen and Andy Herald tackle parenthood with a sense of humour—and a helmet. They take on a variety of real-life (and at times, real cringe-worthy) topics that just about every dad can relate to (think soiled-diaper diagrams) with small doses of adorable sprinkled in.

A version of this article appeared in our April 2015 issue with the headline, “The 24 most awesome parents on social media,” p.76.

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