How She Gets to Bed: Mandy Roberson, Co-Founder of Magic Playbook

How She Gets to Bed is a deep dive into how people who kick ass during the day spend their night. Tonight, we’re amped to feature Mandy Roberson, co-founder of Magic Playbook, a monthly digital subscription for kids ages 2–6 that provides seasonal activities that inspire imaginative play. As a serial entrepreneur, she is also a Certified Childbirth Educator and the Creator of Birth Prep, an online birth class for modern moms; and the Founder of Momma Society, a community for modern moms, where she shares motherhood tips and activities for kids. Without further ado, here is how she gets to bed. 💤

About Magic Playbook

I’m the co-founder of Magic Playbook. My co-founder, Caitlin Kruse, and I are moms to six kids under age six between us, and Magic Playbook was created out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, we found ourselves trying to keep our young kids entertained — especially without consistently turning on a mindless screen during attempts to squeeze in work while being full-time parents. To encourage independent play and educational growth, we began scouring digital resources — from numerous blogs to Pinterest and Instagram — for kid-friendly activities that could be created in our own homes; what we found was that a go-to digital destination for creative, beautifully-designed content didn’t exist. We started to conceptualize the idea for Magic Playbook together. With first-hand knowledge that other moms in their online communities were facing the same struggles and could use their help, we launched Magic Playbook in September 2020 to serve as a one-stop resource to help make parents’ lives easier by providing kid-friendly print-and-play activities.

Designed for ages 2–6, Magic Playbook is an easy resource for parents to put together fun and seasonally-appropriate activities for their kids and make everyday moments extraordinary. Each Magic Playbook is designed to spark a child’s imagination, while cultivating an expansion of their learning during their formative years. With simple instructions and an easy-to-shop supply list, each monthly collection of themed printable activities features kid-friendly crafts, sensory play, games, recipes and more. To complement each month’s theme, a library reading list and curated screen time ideas are provided to further enhance each family’s experience with Magic Playbook’s digital membership.

Mandy’s Background

Industry: Digital Media
Occupation: Co-founder of Magic Playbook
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Awake by: 6:30 AM
Asleep by: 10:00 PM

On the Day-to-Day

My days are ever changing juggling working from home, 3 kids and homeschool. While my kids eat breakfast, I am usually checking emails, numbers and touching base with my business partner, Caitlin. After breakfast we go for a quick walk and come back to do homeschool with my Kindergartener. When we are finished, it’s a quick lunch then nap time/my work time! From noon until 2:00pm, my 1 year and 3 year old nap, while my 6 year old plays with LEGOS and has quiet time in his room. This is my chunk of time to shoot content for Magic Playbook, work on new concepts for upcoming months and schedule meetings with our team. When 2:00pm rolls around my kids are running down the stairs and ready to play outside until dad gets home. By 3:30ish my husband is in the driveway and we swap; he hangs outside with the kids and I head inside to work for another hour or so until our evening routine starts.

Products to Get Unready

I take a nightly bath to relax before I get into bed. I love adding a scoop of Dr. Teal’s lavender bath salts to the bath. If I don’t take a bath before bed, I find it really hard to turn my mind off of work mode.

Late Night Snacks

My late night snacks are usually sweets I’ve hidden from my kiddos! Sour gummy worms are my weakness when I’m working in the evening.

Nighttime Routine

5:00 PM — We’re getting dinner ready and eating — usually something quick like tacos or a sheet pan meal.

Around 6:00 PM — It’s bath time for the kids we read a story and tuck them in around 6:30 PM.

Then it’s off to a yoga class for me! My husband and I usually hangout on the couch with travel vlogs in the background while we work on our computers. For the next hour or two, my business partner, Caitlin, and I Marco Polo back and forth as we work on content and plans for Magic Playbook.

Around 9:30 PM — I shut down the computer and head up for a bath and bed.

Follow Magic Playbook on Instagram (@themagicplaybook) and check out their website here!

The Snoozeletter makes it easy to squeeze some “me time” into your busy schedule. We send only the good stuff: picks of tried-and-true products, tips to relax, and interesting reads to get cozy with right before bedtime. Subscribe here or at https://thesnoozeletter.com. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.