If you are going through a rough season of life, know that it isn’t permanent. I also wrote this post on Instagram, and since it got so much engagement I figured my blog readers could use to read it as well.

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCDecember 3, 2018parenting, single parentComment

5 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR TODDLER LOVE TOOTHBRUSHING

Ever since Aimery’s first tooth came in, I’ve been dedicated about brushing his teeth every day. He almost has all of his teeth, we just have his upper second molars to go and then he’ll be all done teething! Im about to schedule Aimery’s first dentist appointment and have been working with him every day to teach him how to properly brush his teeth - and to have fun while doing it. Keep reading for tips on how to make your toddler love to brush his teeth!

Parenting, Health & Beauty, HealthBeing Summer Shores LLCNovember 20, 2018health, kids, single motherComment

8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE DATING A SINGLE MOM

Dating a single mom is hard. It takes a special kind of man to make room in his heart for her AND her children. For making the choice to step up when you didn’t have too. 💖

Parenting, DatingBeing Summer Shores LLCNovember 5, 2018dating, divorce, single parent Comments

LAST MINUTE HALLOWEEN PARTY IDEAS - FOR KIDS

I’m all for throwing together parties at the last minute! This past week, we had a last-minute Halloween pajama party. It was such an easy party to set up and the kids absolutely loved it! All the food was from items that I already had in my pantry. The best kinds of parties are those where no extra shopping is involved!

Recipes, Parenting, Home, FoodBeing Summer Shores LLCOctober 30, 2018kids, party, recipes, food Comments

MY DAD PUTS HIS WHOLE SELF INTO EACH DAY

My dad has always been the hardest working person I know. He is a retired police officer and he raised me (and my siblings) to be courageous and compassionate.

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCOctober 26, 2018parenting, single mother

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SINGLE MOM AND BUSINESS OWNER + MY SKINCARE ROUTINE

I have gotten so many requests for a blog post that talks about what my days look like being a single mom and business owner! Now that Aimery and I are officially in our fall routine, I figured now was the best time to let you see a glimpse of my life. In this post, I’ll be sharing what a normal day looks for us (when we aren’t traveling), and how I make time to be with Aimery, run my business, stay fit, and keep up a great skincare routine every day.

Health & Beauty, ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCOctober 24, 2018osea, beauty, skincare, parentingComment

5 TIPS FOR PREVENTING HOUSE FIRES

In honor of Fire Prevention Month, I wanted to raise awareness to practicing fire safety so your family is also prepared in case of an emergency. Over the last week, I have been getting our home super prepared in case a fire would happen. Although Aimery is too young to fully comprehend, we are still practicing safety in numbers by talking to him about home safety. Keep reading for 5 tips to prevent a fire in your home and how to keep your family safe!

Home, ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCOctober 19, 2018single mother, single parent, kids, home Comment

SNACK IDEAS FOR PICKY TODDLERS AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET

Aimery started to become a picky eater around his second birthday. It came as such a surprise to me since he never fought me about food before! When he first started eating solids, he would eat anything that I made for him. Well, not anymore. Aimery recently went through a phase of only wanting to eat yogurt and chicken nuggets for every single meal. After a week of that, I decided it was time to find some healthier options that he would enjoy eating. And most importantly, options that I would enjoy him eating!

Parenting, HealthBeing Summer Shores LLCOctober 13, 2018parenting, single mother, health, kids Comment

FALL PUMPKIN PATCH OUTFIT IDEAS

If you are planning on taking a trip to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard this fall, you are going to need an outfit with layers! When choosing your outfit to style for photos, you’ll want to choose something stylish yet comfortable for the changing weather.

Fashion, ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCSeptember 25, 2018style, fashion, parenting Comment

5 WAYS TO END BEDTIME BATTLES WITH YOUR TODDLER

Aimery was a super easy infant. He never cried, never fussed about going to bed, and was all together a pretty happy baby. Because of this, I never imagined that I would have so many problems with bedtime when he was a toddler. I sleep trained Aimery when he was 14 months old, and haven't had too many sleep problems besides the occasional bad night while teething or going through the normal sleep regressions. This all changed in April. It's been a hard six months, but I feel like I finally have figured out how to end bedtime battles with Aimery. Keep reading to find out the five ways that helped me end bedtime battles!

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCSeptember 10, 2018kidsComment

An Open Letter to Aimery on His Birthday

Over this past year, I've been waiting anxiously for Aimery to grow up and become more independent, and at the same time I also find myself grieving every time I think about him no longer being a newborn. I long for Aimery to stay small and innocent, but also watch in wonder of which new personality traits, development, and interests that Aimery will wake up with every day. Time flies by WAY to quickly when you are a parent. I feel as though I have to mentally take time every day to process the little moments or else time just slips away from me.

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 19, 2018kids, open letter, aimeryComment

Postpartum Basket for New Moms

All new moms tend to always make sure their nursery is ready, car seat is installed, and the baby has everything he needs. But what about what the mom needs post delivery? Keep reading for after birth must-haves for yourself or another expecting mom in your life.

Parenting, HealthBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 4, 2018kids, postpartum, new momComment

Fun Back to School Lunchbox Ideas

Aimery is starting preschool this year and I can not BELIEVE he's starting school already! I found an amazing preschool in the area that allows children at his age to start early, and I was lucky to grab the last spot for him this fall! Although I'm going to miss spending summer days with him, I really am looking forward to getting on a set routine of knowing when he's going to school so I can plan work accordingly. I also signed him up for soccer practice on Saturday mornings, so our life is about to get real busy!

Food, Parenting, RecipesBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 3, 2018food, recipes, parenting, kids Comment

Developmental Milestones for Two Year Olds

Aimery's second birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and all I can think is "Wow, I made it." Although I'm officially in the terrible twos (well, we've been here a while!), I have finally made it through the hardest years of his life. Don't get me wrong, I have baby fever like crazy and miss the middle of night feedings and the days where he wouldn't run circles around me and yell "NO!". But I also love the little boy that he has become and I'm looking forward to this next stage of life with Aimery.

Parenting, HealthBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 2, 2018kids, parenting, development, health Comment

7 Things Moms Should Pack in Their Beach Bag

My favorite part of the summer is heading to the beach. Some days, I really do miss living in Antigua and Florida because I had the opportunity to hit the beach every single day! Although we aren't living anywhere close to the ocean now, my goal was to take Aimery to the beach at least two times! Last month we went to Atlantic City and had a total blast! When I pack for our beach trips, I really try to pack minimally so I'm not lugging around 1000 things while keeping up with a toddler. I've talked before about what to pack for trips to the water with kids, but what about essentials for us moms? Keep reading for 7 things you MUST pack in your beach bag!

Parenting, TravelBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 1, 2018single parent, single mother, beach, travel, pennsylvaniaComment

5 Reasons "Me Time" Makes You a Better Mom

Hey mama! YOU deserve a break today.

Actually, you deserve a break every freaking day. You deserve time alone. Time without your kids or partner or anyone else on the planet. You need "me time" at least once a day. When you take time for yourself, you become a better parent, and it does NOT make you selfish at all. A few minutes away from your family does not make you a bad mom and is not going to break your family. If anything, having "me time" might make your family stronger.

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCJuly 26, 2018parenting, health, wellnessComment

3 Tips for Parents Wanting to Live a Healthier Lifestyle

Over the past six months, I have been on a journey to live a healthier lifestyle. Last year, my life was spinning out of control with our move and custody battle! I was completely burned out not taking care of myself. So when 2018 came around, I decided this year was going to be different. I decided to find time that I "didn't have" and go to the gym at least three times a week. I decided to make myself an actual breakfast instead of eating a half-eaten piece of Aimery's leftover toast while running off to work. I started drinking my coffee while it was hot, instead of after it's been microwaved three times and still finishing it cold. Does this sound familiar to you?

Parenting, Health, FitnessBeing Summer Shores LLCJuly 23, 2018single parent, fitness, health Comment

Aimery's Nursery

I moved back into my parents home with Aimery nine months ago. I made an overnight decision to leave our home in Florida and fly up to PA. The decision was not easy to make because I had to give up my dream of living near Miami. But it was an easy decision at the same time, because this was the safest place for Aimery and I while filing for custody. It has been a very humbling experience moving back to a city that I always said I would NEVER come back too, along with living with my parents again. And then another humbling experience accepting the fact that getting back on my feet was going to take a lot longer than I thought, and I'm still here nine months later. But over the last few months, I have really started to appreciate living here, and decided that it would be fun to finally show off the space that Aimery has been living in over the last year!

Parenting, HomeBeing Summer Shores LLCJuly 19, 2018kids, homeComment

Amazon Prime Day Sales for Parents

Although I have been an Amazon Prime member for years, this is the first year I will be shopping Amazon Prime Day! This year seemed like the best time to start since I'm now living the single mom life and looking to save money. Amazon started hosting the Prime Day back in 2015, and every year it becomes a bigger sale! Last year, there was apparently a TON of deals for parents to stock up on everything they need. The deals are BETTER then Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it's like Christmas in July! Here are some things to keep an eye on when the sale goes live at 3pm ET today!

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCJuly 16, 2018single parentComment

How to Survive a Road Trip with a Toddler and NOT Go Insane

I'm pretty sure there should be a rule that road trips with toddlers should never happen, ever. It's almost as bad as flying with them alone. But it is inevitable that we as parents will be locked in a car for over three hours with a toddler at some point of our lives. Aimery and I tend to do these often because we live what seems to be in-the-middle-of-no-where Pennsylvania where to get to any large city or beach takes at least two hours of driving. It seems like we are going on a long drive at least once every other week - whether we are heading to the airport or going to the beach. But through it all, I think I have finally mastered how to survive on a road trip with Aimery.

Parenting, TravelBeing Summer Shores LLCJuly 16, 2018travel with kidsComment