Pensacola Moms to Know: Meet Amber Southard

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Pensacola “Moms to Know”

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Meet Amber Southard

How many kids do you have? What are their ages?

I have one daughter, Mila Aspen. She will be turning two this week!

Amber Southard

What do you do for a living?

I am the Chief Public Information Officer for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

What do you do to reset and recharge, especially with the craziness of life right now?

About once every two months my girlfriends and I pick a local place to go eat and talk about the stresses of everyday life. Last time we chose Angelena’s in downtown Pensacola. We sat there for a few hours eating all of the pasta and pizza we could handle while offering advice on being working moms with toddlers. Thanks to our husbands for running daddy daycare together, so we could enjoy a night out.

What do you like about raising a family here?

I’m from this area and absolutely loved the way I grew up. I love the outdoors and so does Mila. Pensacola has so much to offer for us to do together as a family. Seeing her in some of the places my parents use to take me on our weekend adventures brings a smile to my face.

Amber Southard

What is challenging about raising a family here?

I think Pensacola is a wonderful place to raise a family. So far, we haven’t met a challenge we couldn’t conquer together. I would say I’m close to where I grew up, but not close enough. It’s hard sometimes not to have my parents and grandparents right around the corner.

What is your favorite local thing to do/place to go?

There are so many! I love all the festivals Pensacola offers, like really, we have a festival for everything and it’s awesome! I love roaming downtown because you never know what festivity you may stumble across or a restaurant you may want to try. I of course love our beautiful white sand beaches. They are truly like no other.

Is there a hidden gem in Pensacola you love?

I can’t think of any hidden gems. I guess that’s what makes them great is that they are hidden. We do frequent a lot of places together as a family. Wahoo’s games are probably our favorite.

How can Pensacola better serve you as a mom?

I try to find “mommy and me” type classes, but the ones I come across aren’t scheduled for times conducive to working mom schedules. It’s hard for me to take off in the middle of the day to participate. I wish I could find a program built around mother-child bonding time that was for working moms. If it is out there, you guys please message me on social media!

What piece of advice would you give to mothers right now?

You are doing great! Take a deep breath and keep moving. You are a mom and that makes you a superhero. It’s okay to find time for you. You can’t be the best mom you can be if you are mentally or physically burnt out. We are all human and need to recharge. Give yourself grace and then get back in there and kick butt at being a fabulous mom and person.

Tell us about your favorite thing to do in your downtime?

I consider myself an extrovert/introvert. Therefore, my downtime is needed. Once Mila is down for a nap I’m all about curling up and watching reality TV. Bring on the Bravo and TLC. It’s my guilty pleasure.

Anything else you would like us to know about yourself that makes you uniquely you?

I have an amazing husband (Alex) who is the best partner I could’ve prayed for. Not only are we raising our daughter, Mila, together we have a Saint Bernard (Jagger) and a Pomadoodle (McKinley). We love being a part of this community and look forward to maybe adding to our family soon (with both another baby and puppy).

Amber Southard

Pensacola Moms to Know

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Jen Kinsella
The Navy brought Jen and her family to Pensacola in 2018 following a 3-year tour in Belgium. Born and raised in the Midwest, Jen’s career path took her to Washington, D.C., after college, where she lived until she married her husband, Tim, in 2007. Balancing family and career against the backdrop of military life has made her appreciate the importance of friendships, connections, and finding your “mom tribe” wherever “home” may be. While living in Belgium, Jen took on her most challenging role to date, that of a stay-at-home-mom to her two sons, Timothy and Charlie. In this position, she has been forced to face her fear of cooking, has learned that you never “catch up” on laundry and that she continuously works longer hours for less pay! Fueled by coffee, Pure Barre, and dry shampoo, she feels like she’s “winging it” when it comes to motherhood most of the time, but couldn’t imagine a more rewarding journey. She continues to learn from her kids every day.

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