Kalahari Resort - America's Largest Indoor Waterpark

Last month, we traveled a few hours to stay at Kalahari Resorts in the Pocono Mountains to celebrate National Waterpark Day! This summer has been a busy one for us, so taking a vacation at America's Largest Indoor Waterpark was EXACTLY what we needed. Being a single mom, I don't get a lot of time to give Aimery my undivided attention, so taking him to this family friendly resort was something I will cherish forever. Our entire experience at Kalahari Resorts was a total dream and we had the time of our lives!

TravelBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 28, 2018pennsylvania, travel with kids Comments

5 Ways to Create a Great Relationship with your Dog

Being a single mom, it's no surprise that I don't have a lot of time to give Macy much needed attention. Even though I work from home, it's hard to make time for a pet! Over this last month, I've really been making an effort to spend more time with the people in my life, including this little fur baby! Keep reading for 5 ways to create a great relationship with your dog.

Being Summer Shores LLCAugust 27, 2018health, familyComment

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

Lemonade Ice Cream

I have always wanted to try making my own ice cream at home, so I finally gave in and ordered this ice cream maker! I LOVE making my own ice cream - it's so easy to make and I get to try out as many flavors as I want! During the summer, Aimery and I have been loving lemonade ice cream... so today I wanted to share a recipe just for fun!

Recipes, FoodBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 11, 2018recipes, food, wellnessComment

Home Office on a Budget

If you've been keeping up our crazy life over the last year, then you'll know that Aims and I moved back in with my parents last October to small town York, PA. I was in the middle of a custody battle and a divorce, so it just seemed like the best thing for us to do. Like I wrote about in Aimery's nursery post, I definitely was not planning on staying with my parents this long. But I am so thankful my family has allowed us to live with them during this stage of life.

HomeBeing Summer Shores LLCAugust 10, 2018home, officeComment

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

Dating after Divorce... 7 Signs you Might be Ready

Did you recently go through a divorce? If so, the question on your mind (and everyone else's!) is when you'll be ready to start dating. Whether it's been six months or six years since your divorce, only you know when you are ready to jump back into the dating game.

DatingBeing Summer Shores LLCJuly 11, 2018Divorce, Relationships, DatingComment

No Child Support? No Problem! 5 Ways to Cut Costs as a Single Parent

Being a single parent is hard for both moms and dads who are providing for everything alone. And making ends meet without child support? Talk about overwhelming! Although it may seem impossible to pay bills every month while being the sole provider for your children, it IS possible! Over this past year, I have learned a few tricks to save extra money every month. Keep reading!

4th of July Party Tips

It’s officially fourth of July weekend, which means it’s time for backyard BBQs! Growing up, my family never really had a fourth of July tradition. Every year, we always did something different! Some years we would travel to Maryland and hang out with my cousins, and other years we stayed local and did fireworks with friends. When I left to travel and then go to college, I was never really home for the 4th of July - until this year when I moved back! Since I’m starting my own traditions with Aimery this year, I decided to celebrate the holiday by hosting a 4th of July BBQ at my home!

Mindful Parenting Tips

Things in my life have been really stressful over this past year. Between moving to another state, becoming a single mom, and running my own business... well, you could say I'm always stressed. SO stressed actually, that when Momtrends asked me to attend an event in NYC to discuss topics like meditating and mindful parenting, I didn't know how I would ever make time to go to the city for the afternoon! Also, the idea of meditating made me nervous because although I've practiced prayer and yoga, I didn't know how to meditate. I decided to push my fears aside and make some time for me to go into the city to attend the luncheon with Headspace and learn about mindful parenting.

ParentingBeing Summer Shores LLCJune 14, 2018new york Comments

What to Pack for a Lake Trip with Kids

Some of my favorite childhood moments were those spent at the lake. Growing up, my family always went to Deep Creek Lake with our family and friends for a week out of the summer. It was always a lazy, lots of jet skiing week filled with fun memories. When all the kids grew up and life got in the way, trips to the lake every summer weren't a priority with everything else going on. We actually haven't been to that lake in years! I'm SO excited though, because my parents decided to book a lake house for a week this August. Aimery will finally be able to have the same experiences that I did when I was younger, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing Deep Creek Lake with him.

10 Reasons Why Being a Single Parent is Awesome

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how hard it is to be a single parent. Between all the stress and struggle, it can seem like single parenting is downright impossible some days. But even though parenting solo is difficult, there are actually a lot of positives too! If you are a newly single mom, then I hope this post encourages you to know that single parenting really is awesome!