Pensacola Mom Collective

Amy is a native Pensacolian. Mom of 3, 15 yr old daughter and two 11 yr old boys, + 2 dogs. She owns Everyday Nutrition and loves supporting people to live healthy lifestyles. She can often be found acting like a tourist in her own hometown, eating local, park hopping, beaching, following her daughter on the golf course, or taking her boys to a book store.

Anne Frances MacDonald is a Special Education Teacher for the Escambia County School District. Prior to becoming a teacher ten years ago, she worked in the mental health field and foster care system. Working with kids is her passion that has allowed her to support the community through education, social work, and coaching her son’s soccer team. She has been married for twelve years and has two boys, ages seven and six, both who keep her busy. As a working mother, she has many roles. In the last year, she has added writer to her list, completing her first novel, A Lost Woman. Throughout her career, she has always been dedicated to supporting others and her community.

Bianca Bain Villegas arrived to Pensacola in 2015 and readily embraced the local culture and history. She and her husband feel genuinely grateful for the opportunity to raise their two young daughters here. Originally from Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, her Caribbean heritage and worldly ideology imparted to her by her parents and extended family, largely influence the outlook she has on parenting, life and the experiences that they afford. Having family and friends that live around the world and having completed her education in London and Madrid, only furthers her love of travel, different cultures and the need to have a deeper understanding of it all. Locally, you can find Bianca actively participating in historic preservation, neighborhood action, or service in the community through civic engagement. Her belief is that nurturing a community is as important as the families we choose to raise in our homes - we get back what we put out.

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. An attorney by trade, she carries a passion for public interest and non-profit work, but recently stepped away to be a full-time stay-at-home mama. She and her husband circle around two daughters aged one and three, and two troublesome terriers. She enjoys making to-do lists that never get completed, happy hour, reading, and spending time with her family, preferably with coffee.

Dana is a mother to high-schoolers Rowan and Arden, and Pierson (a first-grader). Although she is an Arkansas native, she has been a seasonal resident of the Gulf Coast, since age nine, when her mother moved to Destin; she’s been a Pensacola resident for the last 13 years.

Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, Elizabeth moved to Pace in 2016 when her husband Danny was appointed the pastor of a small local United Methodist church. They have four children (now 28, 22, 21, and 17). Elizabeth was a middle and high school teacher for 20+ years, but in 2017, their lives were turned upside down when Danny was struck with a catastrophic illness that left him a quadriplegic. Elizabeth stopped teaching and became his full-time caregiver. lizabeth has become a staunch advocate for disability rights and accessibility and she and Danny have made drastic changes to their health, losing 92 and 87 pounds, respectively. They now coach others to create healthy habits. Elizabeth loves all things sports (but is a terrible athlete), relishes in a good audiobook, can binge Netflix with the best of them, and cherishes every moment she gets with her now grown children. Being a writer is one of those things on her bucket list, and she is honored to be able to bring her experiences as a “seasoned” mom to the readers of Pensacola Mom Collective.

Emily is an import to Pensacola, hailing originally from the Mitten State. She is a lawyer, Army wife, and mom to two wild boys. Her favorite things include good coffee, children’s books, photography, rainy days, and playing in her kitchen. She reads cookbooks for fun and loves a good podcast. Her happy places are the library and the woods. Emily has lived in five countries, five states, and the District of Columbia. She has traveled around the world (literally), has crossed the U.S. while living out of an RV (twice!), and believes strongly in educating children through travel.

Hannah was born and raised in West Michigan and made the move 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 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 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.

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.

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 (9) and Marco (7). 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. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, she has cooked more than 500 decadent meals. You can follow her culinary adventures @frommykitchentotheworld on Facebook or on Instagram at Chateaucruzlischpensacola.

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 (10), Kason (9), Korbin (2), and Kallen (1). 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 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.

Originally from the New Orleans area, Kate moved to Pensacola via Los Angeles in 2007 with her husband, Nick, after they fell in love with downtown & the beautiful beaches. They currently reside in Gulf Breeze with their two sons, Walker & Blaine, and their Maltese, Jojo. Professionally, Kate works in healthcare consulting specializing as an advisor for software clients. Personally, she stays busy with the school PTO, supporting her oldest son at his golf tournaments, and chasing after her adventurous toddler. Kate’s love for New Orleans is celebrated as a member of two Pensacola Mardi Gras Krewes. On the weekends you will find her cooking out with friends, trying new wines, and enjoying pool time with her boys.

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 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 3 and (almost) 5, and an 8-year-old boxer named Carl. As a family, they enjoy trips to the beach, Christmas lights drive-thrus, Chick-fil-A, and finding new places to explore. In her spare time, Kaycee enjoys watching Hallmark movies, HGTV, or Friends. You can also find her nerding about the enneagram, podcasting about "When Calls the Heart" or "Signed Sealed Delivered," and writing for her blog: www.kayceesimpson.com.

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 (11 and 4) and two girls (9 and 8) and stays busy with the ever changing schedules, running a small business of nine 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 was born and raised in Florida. She lives in Milton with her husband of 19 years, Mike, and their four children Dani (12), Declan (11), Duke (5), and Dilly Jo (2). She earned a Bachelor’s in Accounting from the University of West Florida and a Master’s in Taxation from the Florida State University. She is a CPA who started her own practice in 2005. When she isn’t running two businesses and being a mother to four, she is working on her blog and her first novel. You can follow Kirsten at www.tribeofburton.com and on Facebook and Instagram for family, lifestyle, and DIY content.

Laura Soule Boyles spent an idyllic childhood around the brackish, grass-lined shores of Bayou Davenport in West Pensacola, surrounded by siblings, cousins, and neighborhood friends. Laura has lived abroad and loves to travel, but now resides spittin’ distance from her childhood home with her husband, three children (ages 8,11, and 13), chocolate labrador, daughter’s bunny, four hens, and someone else’s cat. The family enjoys home projects, boating, and time with the next generation of cousins. An educator for nearly twenty years, she is currently Lay Chaplain at Episcopal Day School in Downtown Pensacola. She loves sunrises, coffee, Alabama football, books, babies, and Jesus.

Lindsay is a born and raised Pensacola native. She is married and a Momma to a precious little girl, and is also a full-time attorney. She loves Pensacola and believes it is the best place to live. Taking full advantage of all that our city has to offer, Lindsay enjoys making memories with her family, especially her little one, because they are young only for a short time.

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!).

Mandy Fernandez has lived in Pensacola since 2009. She's originally from southeast Louisiana and has also lived in Ohio and Alabama before finding a home in this region. Mandy is the mom of two daughters (ages 15 and 10) and has been married for 20 years. Mandy is an award-winning essayist and short story writer. She is also the author of Kazoo Makes the Team, the beloved children's book about the Pensacola Blue Wahoos baseball team mascot, Kazoo. Learn more about her at www.writtenbymandy.com.

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 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 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.

Robin Zimmern is originally from Boston, MA arriving in Pensacola in 2008 via Nashville and Birmingham. Since moving to the south, Robin has embraced her inner "y’all," learned to wear pearls, eat grits, and knows the words to every Garth Brooks’ song. Robin is a proud girl mom to two precocious, creative and sassy girls: Emma (9) and Charlotte (6). They keep her on her toes in their never-ending desire to become YouTube stars, survive on a diet of pizza and chicken nuggets, and always trying to have the last word. Robin received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Vanderbilt University, her specialist degree from the University of West Florida, and is currently finishing her doctorate degree from the University of West Florida. Robin currently serves as the director of development at the University of West Florida. In Robin’s spare time (is that a thing?), she is a passionate community volunteer. Robin currently serves on several local boards, including the Pensacola Little Theatre, Manna, Junior League of Pensacola, Fiesta Pensacola, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

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 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 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!

Family Physician. Wife to a die-hard Seminole. Mom to 2 kids under 3! 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.

Victoria, like most women, is many things. She is/has been a Texan, an Aggie, a military spouse, a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, a creative, a photographer, a woman of faith, and always on the go. Her favorite things to be are wife, to husband Zach, and mom to Trey, Blakely, Lily and EJ.