Amelia Woods

Contributor

Amelia is a Pensacola native, born and raised, and a UWF alum. She is a wife and mom of two boys and works as a paralegal for a local law firm. In her free time, Amelia enjoys creating in many different forms: through writing, embroidery, decorating her home, and sharing relatable mom-life content on social media. Close to Amelia’s heart is her mission to raise awareness for congenital heart disease/defects (CHD); Amelia’s oldest son was born with a critical CHD and underwent heart surgery as a newborn. From that experience came a passion to help other families by advocating for the CHD community, CHD research, and connecting with other parents who’ve walked similar paths.

Anne Frances MacDonald

Contributor

Anne Frances MacDonald is the Acquisition Director for Indigo River Publishing and an author. Anne enjoys being able to support other authors through her position, bringing people's words to the world. Prior to working in publishing, Anne was a Special Education Teacher for the Escambia County School District for thirteen years. Working with kids allowed her to support her children and the community through education. She has been married for fourteen years and has two boys, ages eight and ten, both of whom keep her busy. As a working mother, she has many roles. Three years ago, she added published author to her list, publishing her first novel, A Lost Woman. Since then, she has published her second novel, The Blood Inside Me and is currently working on the next installment in the series. Throughout her many careers, she has always been dedicated to supporting others and her community.

Cori Lojo

Contributor

Cori was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, met her Pensacola native husband during college in Gainesville, and also called Tallahassee and D.C. home before moving to Pensacola in 2015. With a passion for public service, she recently started a non-profit law firm which focuses on bringing more affordable legal services to those with modest means. She and her husband circle around three, toddler-aged, incredible daughters. While sleep and free-time are limited, they are enjoying this busy season of life with littles. Cori enjoys making to-do lists that never get completed, happy hour, reading, and spending time with her family, preferably with coffee.

Cristin Peterson

Contributor

Cristin is a mompreneur who is passionate about trying to find the elusive balance between all the hats moms wear within a day. She is living her dream come true (not to be confused with perfect!) life. This includes operating the family business with her husband, taking full advantage of all the wonder and craziness that comes with parenting two daughters under 5, and enjoying a home life that is enriched with live-in grandparents! Beyond the daily hustle, beach days, family movie nights, and Disney trips are her cherished retreats. Cristin is a servant leader at heart who has a desire to be successful and use that success to build connections with her community and create a legacy for her family. But ultimately, being a mom will always be her greatest accomplishment.

Hannah Domoslay-Paul

Contributor

Hannah was born and raised in West Michigan and moved to Pensacola in 2015 with her oldest four boys after being widowed. Now remarried and with two more lovely children added to the family, a girl and a boy, she spends her days trying to keep it together, usually with duct tape and ingenuity. During her daily hours spent serving as a taxi driver she often muses about how lost the world would be without moms and wonders if she’ll ever go a week without playing a game of “What’s That Smell” around her house and car. Hannah is an adult with ADHD, the daughter of an alcoholic, and the survivor of child abuse who doesn’t have too many off-limits topics. She is a lover of books, sarcastic humor, and old houses, and all three come in handy as she constantly works on projects in and around her 1866 Folk Victorian.

Heather Shearer

Contributor

Heather has called Pensacola home since 2004 (or as locals say, before Hurricane Ivan). She is a realtor with Levin Rinke Realty and enjoys sharing her love of the area with her clients. However, her favorite job is being mom to four kids: Kaitlyn (24), Greyson (21), Willa (12) and Kai (2). After the adoption of ther son from foster care, Heather developed a passion for advocating for foster children. She is a foster mom, Guardian Ad Litem, and serves on the NWFL Guardian Ad Litem Foundation Board. Heather and her husband, Bill, live on their "slice of paradise" on Pensacola Beach. Heather loves Jesus, tacos and The Dave Matthews Band. In her spare time, you might find her volunteering, boating or antiquing.

Honey Harris

Contributor

Born and raised in Pensacola, Honey lived away for 19 years before moving back in 2018. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, she moved to DC where she spent over a decade working on campaigns and consulting for Members of Congress. She and her husband, Chuck, made the decision to come back to Pensacola with their son, Charlie, in 2018. Since then, she has opened her own political and nonprofit consulting firm, welcomed their baby girl Godwin, and is loving every second of being back home with her family.

Jennie Barrow

Contributor

As an Army brat, Jennie grew up traveling the globe. She landed in Pensacola in 1987 and never left. As a result, she feels like this is her hometown. She is a graduate of UWF with a BA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She spent almost ten years in the classroom but left to run her family's tennis business. She is an avid reader, loves to cook and watch movies, travel is in her DNA, laughter is her middle name, and she has a knack for style. Jennie and her husband, Scott, and have been married for almost 30 years and have two children. Ben is married (Callie) and lives in Birmingham, and Lucy lives in New York City. They are now living the empty nester life, filling their time traveling - going wherever the wind takes them.

Jenny Roney

Contributor

Jenny moved to the Pensacola area from Arkansas in 1994 and currently resides in Gulf Breeze. She is wife to Chris, a busy entrepreneur, and mother to three boys: Hogan, 25, Tyne, 14, and Evan, 12. Some of her favorite things, in no particular order, are Disney, dogs (Gidget, Oliver, and Lady all doodles), music, and poker. Jenny believes in giving back to the community that has given her family so much. Volunteering is an example that she sets every day in one form or another. Donating her time, talents, and resources has become a part of who she is. Jenny calls Gulf Breeze/Pensacola home and works to make it a better community for anyone lucky enough to live here.

Kairym Lisch

Contributor and Event Coordinator

Kairym was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has spent her entire life immersed in different cultures. She is multilingual (Spanish, English, German, basic French) and has lived in 10 different states and countries. After her husband's active duty service in the Air Force was completed (2015), they decided to set roots in Pensacola with their two children, Juliana (12) and Marco (9). Kairym loves to travel abroad, go to the beach, dance, paddleboard, brunch, cook, and entertain. But what she loves most is dedicating her time and energy to her husband and kids. She is the CEO of her family, and no matter how crazy mom life gets, she always finds time to whip up nice dinners from scratch. You can follow her culinary adventures @frommykitchentotheworld on Facebook or Instagram at Frommykitchentotheworldllc.

Kara James

Contributor

Kara James moved to the Pensacola area when she was ten years old. She considers herself from here. She married her high school sweetheart in 2008, and they have four wonderful children together (all boys): Kohlton (13), Kason (12), Korbin (5), and Kallen (3). She works one day a week as a hairstylist. She loves her job and believes its more fun than work. In her free time, she enjoys river days with her family, movie nights, and of course, jamming out to New Kids on the Block. She tries to make the best of everything and enjoys being around friends and family.

Karyn Scarbrough

Contributor

Karyn Scarbrough is a Sagitarrius, Enneagram 7, and Florida native. Originally from Panama City she headed to Pensacola for university. After spending some time living and teaching abroad she came back to Pensacola in 2015 to put down roots. In the scary but wonderful world of online dating she met the most patient man, Robert, married him, and they welcomed their son Simon to the world in August of 2022. Karyn spent a decade in the classroom before opening her tutoring business, Rising Minds Learning, in downtown Pensacola. She has a passion for equitable education, civic duty and engagement, and loves being involved in her community. When she’s not figuring out how to run a business, take care of her new kiddo, and constantly figuring out what to eat for dinner, you can find her at CivicCon events, doing yoga, and planning her next international trip with her best friend. Just like every other mom she’s trying to figure out how to juggle it all and doing her best to stay present.

Katie Brand

Contributor

Katie was born in Pensacola and lived there for 36 years with a brief pause in England for two. She now calls Milton home. After earning her degree in English at the University of West Florida, she spent countless sleepless nights deciding between law school or education, but followed her heart and pursued a career teaching high school English and has not looked back since. She and Dan married in 2014, where she was fortunate also to gain a son through marriage. She is now a mom to two big-hearted boys. They spend their free-time enjoying life on the water. Additionally, Katie enjoys trying new recipes and reading all genres-especially cheesy thrillers. She is a wannabe DIYer, who much to her husband’s chagrin houses a sewing machine and Cricut that collect dust while her Pinterest inspiration boards collect numerous amounts of pins for “one day.”

Kaycee Simpson

Contributor

Kaycee is practically a Pensacola native and is also a proud first-born generation Filipino American. In 2012, Kaycee married her college sweetheart, Daniel. They now have two girls, ages 6 and 8, and an 10-year-old boxer named Carl. As a family, they enjoy trips to the pool, eating Chick-fil-A and Chipotle, and all things Christmas. In her spare time, Kaycee enjoys playing the piano, creative projects, watching Hallmark movies, nerding about the enneagram, or podcasting on Deliver Me a Podcast. Occasionally, you may also catch her writing for her blog: www.kayceesimpson.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter: @kaycee__simpson.

Kelsei Frazier

Contributor

Kelsei is a mom, wife, photographer & self-proclaimed chaos coordinator. Growing up in Pensacola, Fl, she has lived the best of both worlds with white sandy beaches to the small town “country” life on the outskirts of this ever growing town. Kelsei is a mom to two boys (12 and 5) and two girls (10 and 8) and stays busy with the ever changing schedules, running a small business of twelve years, and sharing her real and raw honest moments to all the moms out there to help them feel a little less alone and a whole lot more understood.

Kirsten Burton

Contributor

Kirsten was born and raised in Florida. She lives in Milton with her husband of 22 years, Mike, and their four children Dani (14), Declan (13), Duke (8), and Dilly Jo (4). In addition to her responsibilities as a parent, Kirsten is a CPA with Maddox-Burton, PA, a well-established firm on the Gulf Coast. She earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of West Florida and a Master’s in Taxation from Florida State University. When not dedicated to her career and family, she devotes time to writing and operates two businesses. Interested individuals can stay updated on her family, lifestyle, and DIY pursuits through her blog at www.tribeofburton.com, as well as her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Mallory Coats

Contributor and Brand Manager

Mallory can come across a tad soft-spoken, but she quickly warms up, and you’ll learn she’s an open book. She grew up in Pensacola and finally returned four years ago with her husband, Jake (many thanks to the Navy.) They now have two kids ages 3 and 1 (plus an 8-year-old cockapoo pup!) Mallory values connection, deep conversations, and the right to change her mind. She owns her own design business, MALWEST design, where she does visual branding for small businesses as well as designs + illustrates invitations, stationery, home decor, gifts, and more. When she’s not chasing babies, painting, or designing, she can be found boating on the bayou, strolling through East Hill, or dreaming up home improvement projects for the family (mainly for Jake!).

Mary Alex Doyle

Contributor

Mary Alex is a Mississippi native who met her husband, Harrison, during their senior year of college at Ole Miss. Hotty Toddy! They moved to Pensacola in 2015 to start their family and get married. She has three beautiful children, ages 8, 5, and 3, that keep her on her toes. Mary Alex is a social media manager and absolutely loves her job. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, trying new restaurants, traveling, exploring new places in Pensacola, and being on the water.

Megan Rice

Content Manager

Megan spent her childhood moving around the United States as a navy brat until her family found "home" in Florida. She met her husband, David, in college at the University of South Florida in the Tampa Bay area. Finally, in 2018, they moved to the Pensacola to be closer to family. Megan spends most of her days as an elementary school teacher. Teaching has cultivated a passion for education, literacy, and her community. Sharing her love for learning with her first grade students fosters so much joy in her life! Since becoming a mom in 2022, life has truly taken on a brand new light. In her free time, you will find Megan chasing her toddler around the park, enjoying a sunset on the beach, or curled up on the couch with a good book. Megan truly values her close-knit family, faithful group of friends, and a nice cup of hot coffee in the morning!

Monique Cossich

Contributor

Originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, Monique and her family moved to Pace from Nacogdoches, Texas, in 2018. She is wife to Marc and forever mom to Laine (9) and Wyatt (5). Her mom, Rosie, moved in with the Cossich Krewe in June 2020. Monique is passionate about learning and is currently on the Admissions team at the University of West Florida. When her journey to “mommy-hood” became difficult, she and Marc pursued adoption through foster care. Since 2011 the Cossich Krewe has been blessed with 18 foster children. Her pom-poms shake for the New Orleans Saints and the New York Yankees. You will probably find Monique at the ballpark or the football field, depending on the time of year, handing out her special PBJs and snacks. She loves being a sports mom and every exhausting thing that comes with that title! Monique is a “what you see is what you get” girl - she is all about being raw and honest!

Rebecca Austin

Contributor

Rebecca grew up in Michigan but after college decided the Sunshine State was the place to be. She is an elementary music teacher and runs her own yoga business, but being a mom is the most challenging experience on her resume. Rebecca has a spunky 4 year old girl and two step-sons who teach her everything she never wanted to know about video games. She tries to wake up before the sun to get in her daily yoga practice and she loves to blame the kids for going to get ice cream at Wild Honey. Rebecca loves writing AND being a mom so this online community is a dream come true. Rebecca is inspired to share about the mind-body-spirit connection, benefits of biking with littles, the challenges of blended family life, baking, and tips for being an entrepreneur mama.

Robena Griffin

Contributor

Robena was born in Liberia, West Africa, and came to America as a refugee in 1992 during the Liberian Civil War. She spent her childhood in Northeast Tennessee, and then moved to Pensacola for college in 2005. She met her husband, Dr. Rafael Griffin, while attending graduate school in 2010. Robena and Dr. Griffin have five children: four living and one in Heaven. She currently works part-time as a medical clinic coordinator; but when she isn't working, she enjoys family life and Pensacola's array of family-friendly activities. For more content from Robena, follow her on YouTube and Facebook at Sincerely, Mrs. Griffin and Instagram at smg_robenadee.

Rocky Parra

Contributor

Wife to Brett, mom to BethAnne, Peyton, Walker and Matthew, retired CPA, career volunteer, avid sports fan, and adorer of old Catholic Churches. Rocky passionately advocates for her son, Matthew, and autism acceptance. In 2015, she began writing about her family’s experience with autism on Facebook. In 2020, she published her first book, "Embracing Mrs. Mommy – Learning from, Living with and Loving Someone with Autism." Always in the back of my mind is Luke 12:48, “to whom much is given, much is expected… ” You can find her on Instagram as @mrs__mommy.

Sarah Walton

Contributor

Sarah is a Coastguard wife and moved to Pensacola from Charleston, SC in the summer of 2022. She's a mother to 4 little ones - 5 year old twin boys, 3 year old daughter, and their new Frenchie puppy, Lucy. She is a certified child sleep consultant with Bella Luna Family and is currently in school to become a certified child behavior consultant. Sarah's sleep journey began 5 years ago, when her boys were 5 months old and only sleeping one hour at a time. She reached out to a twin mom sleep consultant and it changed her life, setting her on the path to help others in the same way. She works with families all over world to help them to be happy, healthy and well-rested. When she is not working with families to be well rested, she enjoys quality time at home with her family, losing herself in a good book, baking, Peloton and trying to keep her plants alive.

Tara Spencer

Contributor

Tara was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. She married her husband, Gamal, in 2002 and they have three wonderful children (Raiden, Christian, and Zara). Tara is a graduate of Pensacola State College and Troy University with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Business. She is the Victim’s Advocate with the Pensacola Police Department that puts to use her natural ability and desire to help others. Tara is an active member of the finer women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Gamma Tau Zeta Chapter in Pensacola which keeps her active in the community along with her amazing Sorority Sisters. She enjoys traveling with her family and also enjoys a good girls trip. She and her family also enjoy playing games. Nothing is more serious at the Spencer house than a deck of UNO cards!

Tristan Brooks

Contributor

Family and Lifestyle Medicine Physician. Pensacola born and raised. Wife to a die-hard Seminole. Mom to 2 kids under 4! Lover of food and travel. Sucker for live music. Special interests in taking care, wellness/making lifestyle changes to be healthier, playing guitar (poorly) around a campfire, normalizing breastfeeding, striving for authenticity and writing it all down. Follow the instagram @LadderToTheStars and blog LadderToTheStars.blog for our Maternal Health and Wellness Initiative.

Victoria Jackson

Contributor

Victoria Jackson, a dynamic professional and dedicated mother, is thriving as a social media manager and an assistant to the Movement Mortgage Pensacola branch. Raised in South Alabama, she has called the Pensacola area home for 20 years. Married to Chris for nearly 15 years, her family life is enriched by their teenage daughter, two cats, and a dog. Victoria finds motherhood profoundly rewarding, drawing inspiration and learning from her daughter's unique outlook on life and love for animals. This relationship has fostered in her a deeper understanding of herself, patience, and the importance of perspective. Having overcome significant personal losses, including early widowhood and the recent loss of her father, Victoria’s resilience in the face of adversity is a testament to her strength. Her experiences of loss and grief, including years past of chronic and debilitating migraines and depression have deepened her appreciation of life. She understands the complex experience of being human- balancing sorrow and joy at the same time.