Melissa Benator
Melissa Benator is a basketball wife, English teacher, and freelance writer, who spends most of her time getting her cardio in by chasing around her energetic two-year-old son and seventy-five-pound rescue lapdog. She is a Virginia girl who gradually kept migrating further south after graduating from The University of Georgia, where she met her husband. They moved to Pensacola as newlyweds five years ago and fell in love with the turquoise water and white sand. When not at the beach or eating her way down Palafox Street, Melissa can be found improvising in the kitchen, pretending to be Joana Gaines, or splashing in the baby pool with her son. She believes that life is a perpetual learning curve, and motherhood is no exception. Melissa looks forward to connecting with our readers and sharing her joys and challenges as a new(ish) mother.
Circling Back After Baby
This post is already five days past its due date. Three baskets of unfolded laundry sit in the mudroom (Husband will do it.) I cannot button my pre-pregnancy jeans (Although at least I can...
My Favorite Breed is Rescue
It was five years or so ago, in the pre-children carefree days of marriage. The husband and I were out and about on a Sunday Funday running errands before lunch and a midday cocktail.
"Turn...
Summer Reads for Tweens
After spending the bulk of my career teaching younger kids how to read, I spent the past couple of years teaching young teens about story development and themes in literature. At their age, I always...
Drown Out The Noise- Five Valuable Instagram Accounts for Moms
Instagram can be a loud place. Three years ago, as a brand new mom, I followed countless handles in search of tips and advice. Over time, it became clear my feed was a stressful...
Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance Day
Eleven years ago, I silently wandered the halls of Yad Vashem, which is one of the world’s most renowned Holocaust museums.
Located in Israel, this memorial holds a record of the atrocities that occurred throughout...
Paralyzed by Postpartum Anxiety
Sometimes I see a woman in passing and do a double-take because, for a split second, I thought it was her. I turn my head to look again and then snap back to reality.
Lately,...
Pregnancy in a Pandemic
There is so much to learn during pregnancy. A wealth of resources exist to educate expectant parents. But where does a new mother turn when figuring out what to expect when expecting during a...
Bowls That Beat The Lunch Rut
As a teacher, sometimes I feel a small pang of envy when I see pictures of friends sitting on a restaurant patio during their hour-long lunch breaks. Even a trip to the Chick-Fil-A drive-through...
Six Sneaky Green Food Solutions: Picky Toddler Approved
Meal time used to be a walk in the park in our house. I mean, my child even enjoyed broccoli.
Then he turned two. For the past sixth months, he has not even picked up...
Postpartum: No One Said It Would Be Glamorous
When I was pregnant with my son, I spent countless hours researching baby gear. I poured over reviews and sought opinions from friends, methodically comparing them in true type A form.
I constructed the perfect...