About

What is UPKiQ?

UpKiQ is a lifestyle site that hopes to elevate you and the collective conversation about modern life, health, and parenthood (starting with pregnancy and baby, which is where the passion behind UPKiQ’s content was born.)

As a resource for research and helpful tips and tricks, UPKiQ wants to be more than just pretty pictures, exchanging ideas for a better life. We want to pick topics that you care about, research them, and then discuss. We don’t need a PhD, and we don’t have to be experts. The hope is simply that UPKiQ can help take you from a level 2 or 3 of understanding of something you care about… to a 5 or 6. There are so many things that I know we are curious about together!

Why does it matter?

We are what we read, and the media that we choose to immerse ourselves in matters. The same applies to our children. If we spend hours each day watching junk and reading junk, our minds and values systems get influenced by junk. Imagine if our world is filled with media that makes us smarter, encourages us, and lifts us up?

What kinds of things will UpKiQ discuss?

We are passionate and curious about all the things that make life better—education, travel, stretching our dollars, relationships, and taking care of ourselves and others. We’re not showcasing perfection. We all have challenges and insecurities. So let’s share ideas, support one another, and talk about how to thrive.

Topics include: how to eat healthier food (what’s in our food?), how to prioritize family dinners (and what to make), how to get your kids and everyone to eat more veggies, how to get moving, how to be more resilient after setbacks (when life doesn’t turn out as planned), how to deal with hectic schedules (balancing work and life), how to plan for your future financially, how to save money, how to minimize and optimize screen time, how to get kids reading, how to supplement learning at home, how to prioritize experiences and travel over things, connecting with our family and friends, how to slow down and enjoy smaller moments, and more—these are all the things that we both cherish and struggle with collectively. So enjoy! And let’s discuss for a better us!

My children are now older. However, I also spent six years reading, researching, and writing another blog and two books to help parents navigate efficiently through pregnancy and baby. Hundreds of parents contributed “Practical Tips” to these books through interviews and surveys. This content has been updated to share with you.

What does UpKiQ mean?

The UPKiQ name was derived as a combination of Up (positive) and my name (Kim), with kick, or KiQ, representing balance. Sometimes you’re doing high kicks, and sometimes you’re not (sometimes you’re the dog, and sometimes you’re the bone.) 

Life is not a highlight reel of perfect Instagram photos. It’s both wonderful and challenging—for all of us. So how can we be loving, caring, and resilient knowing this? How can we remain curious about our world without becoming overwhelmed by too much information? People also use this terminology to imply bettering themselves, such as we’re on a health KiQ, or an exercise KiQ. We’re on an UpKiQ!