If Jamielyn Nye recalls anything from her early mom years, it is the clock. With a baby safely asleep, she had just one hour of peace before nap time was over. She could nap, fold laundry, or get in a few minutes of creative juice. Most often, she headed to the kitchen.
"I knew I only had an hour or so, so I attempted to get the most out of it," she laughs. "Sometimes that meant catching up on dishes, but most of the time I found myself baking or testing recipes."
Those nap hours launched something much bigger than Jamielyn ever could have imagined. Today, the valley resident is the creator of I Heart Naptime, a recipe blog and lifestyle brand with more than five million social media followers. From a small side venture when her husband was in medical school has grown to become a go-to destination for families looking for easy, reliable recipes and a place where the kitchen is celebrated as the home's heartbeat.
A native Arizona, Jamielyn is a homemaker who loves early morning strolls, antiquing, and collecting eggs from the backyard chickens. Her family's path for ten years led them thousands of miles from home, however, to Ohio, Oregon, and California, where her husband finished his medical training.
With each step, I Heart Naptime trailed behind her. What started as a way of sharing recipes with friends and other moms soon became a career that helped support her family during those wild years. "I never thought the blog I started when my oldest was one would grow to where it is today," she says.
Along the way, she wrote her first cookbook, during pregnancy with her third baby. Now once again back in Arizona, Jamielyn is preparing to start work on her second.
Her cooking is based on reality and prepared with baby perched on her hip, toddler at her toes, and a busy schedule demanding both speed and flavor. "That season taught me how to make meals that really count: real ingredients, smart shortcuts, and flavors everyone actually wants," she says.
Her followers know her for that and are always looking for recipes that look good in photos but work in real life. Everything from 30-minute dinners to holiday classics, all of the recipes are tested and retested with busy families in mind.
Some of the favorites at her own house are taco soup, sheet-pan chicken fajitas, and her top-rated meatball recipe. She enjoys baking as well with such items as homemade French bread, granola, and chocolate chip pumpkin cookies as some of her most-saved desserts.
To Jamielyn, food has never been merely about serving people, it has been about nourishing them. It's about gathering people together. "Family dinner is about more than just food," she explains. "It's the only time of day that I know for certain that I'll have all my children around the table where we can connect and talk about our day."
That connection to food is what fuels her brand. Her website offers free weekly meal plans, quick recipe ideas, and practical tips on getting dinner on the table even when life is busy. She also encourages families to have children assist in the kitchen, something she has done with her four children since they were small.
"Each of my kids have learned to cook dinner or bake a batch of cookies," she boasts. "Sunday evening is family night, and we all take turns making dessert each week. I always love seeing what they come up with."
While her blog goes for rich indulgences and pop-with-the-people comfort foods, Jamielyn's healthy eating philosophy is balanced and flexible. She follows the 80/20 rule, healthy meals most of the time, but one evening or weekend brunch out. When it comes to breakfast, it is straightforward, easy to make items like smoothies, scrambled eggs, or fresh fruit. And she keeps a fully equipped kitchen stocked with washed and cut produce at the ready to grab and go up at a moment's notice.
Her advice to families trying to eat healthily is simple. Meals that focus on balance. "On most plates, I'm striving for protein, colorful produce, intelligent carbs, and healthy fats," she says. "You don't have to overcomplicate it."
What makes Jamielyn so lovable to her readers is that she's honest. She's always reminding families that perfect is not the goal. "Grabbing a rotisserie chicken with a bagged salad and sliced apples totally constitutes a win," she shares.
Her approach has resonated with countless families who visit I Heart Naptime for recipes, but also for a reminder that family dinner does not have to be fancy to be meaningful.
At the end of the day, Jamielyn's story is about more than a blog. It's about a mom who managed to make it all work for a busy family schedule, one that is similar in homes across the valley. It's about a kitchen that is the center of a home and a career. And it's about the ability of the simplest thing of all, sitting around the table, to create connection, comfort, and joy.
"I Heart Naptime was never about impressing anyone, it was about helping real families," she explains. "Food is my love language, and I love that I get to share my recipes with families across the world. But ultimately, the most important table will always be the one at home."
"I knew I only had an hour or so, so I attempted to get the most out of it. Sometimes that meant catching up on dishes, but most of the time I found myself baking or testing recipes."