I’ll just say it: I never thought I’d have kids. My Mother was a single working Mom & I grew up fast as her side-kick in life, & we just never had any kids around. Having kids of my own wasn’t a childhood dream of mine. I didn’t plan my perfect wedding in my head when I daydreamed. I was an only child who pretty much thought babies were just drool machines which were totally gross, & cramped my style.

With that in mind, you can imagine how I didn’t even realize that I was dragging my feet a little as I stepped into Motherhood a decade ago, even though I wanted to have children with the man of my dreams & make a family. That lead to an internal struggle. I struggled with identifying what kind of parent I was going to be when my kids were born, & I had no idea how to switch gears on a dime. Years later, it can still be a challenge because it just doesn’t come naturally to be all “motherly” or enjoy kid stuff. Growing up I didn’t have that kind of role-model, & also maybe it’s just not how I’m wired. Whatever the case, I have learned so much about how to not only step into my role as a fun & loving Mom, but to also stand tall & fill these shoes, because they are a style all my own.

If you can relate on any level then trust me when I say I had to do the Mommy Bootcamp to learn the basics. And I found all the essentials & acceptance in a wonderful place called: THe Mommy Blog. Thanks to Mommy Bloggers I read, connected, reached out & then I actually found myself enjoying Motherhood with a strangely natural zest for parenting! It took a minute, but it was pretty cool. I then started my own blog & the rest is Herstory as we say ;)

Here are some of my favorite Mommy Bloggers & what they’ve been up to lately. These resources will be invaluable for you. You can relate, laugh & be inspired. On a practical level, you can just straight up take ideas from them for what to do, what to watch & what to make. They are free tips ‘n’ tricks that other mamas want you to know about! It’s the best kind of village & it’s all virtual! So you can collect the ones that work best for you & move along if they don’t.

I’ve been doing this for a while so I’ve met a lot of these ladies & I can tell you I’d only recommend really honest moms. Here’s my current list of just a few who have been posting really FUN SUMMER CONTENT this season which has caught my eye:

Jessica Hall of SleeplessMom.com is a Momprenuer & voice on the radio waves (just like me!) & I think she’s a kindred spirit in many ways. I love her travel posts on social & her vegan taco shop on Melrose. After the kids are asleep & you have some me-time you should check out her podcast too. She’s super cool.

Tiffany of OC Boys LIfe gets me excited to have fun with my little boy no matter how messy, silly or outside my comfort zone it might be. As a Mom of 4 boys I don’t know how she has so much energy & so many great ideas! Definitely find her latest stories & adorable pics on IG, but here’s her You Tube Channel too which I just recently discovered.

Christina Patricio is one of my go-to Disney Moms! Her blog is filled with up-to-the-minute news on the parks, nearby hotels & all the action along Downtown Disney. She’s super active & usually posts a new piece every day! (How does she do it all?!) And just stop by her accounts on social for the ADORABLE outfits she puts together for her kids. Her super helpful latest posts include Halloween planning at the Anaheim amusement park & her review of a new show on Disney Junior called Mickey Mouse Funhouse!

My trend-watch for toys comes from AEExtreme on Instagram. If you want to keep up with what’s cool with the kids & are looking for the right birthday gift (you will be going to a gazillion kid parties as a Mom), then I’d recommend you see what Ella & Addison are doing on their Instagram page. Their Mom Kristin (amazing name) produces shoots where the family reviews toys & crafts as well as family experiences. Not only are they just incredibly adorbs to watch but they’re so in-tune with toy trends that they’ll sometimes demonstrate children's toys that haven't even come to market yet!

So start with these Mommies & maybe think about joining an organization of like-minded women like Hey Mama or The Mommy Blogger Tribe that throws fun events, or a local group that has a handy monthly newsletters like one of my faves South Bay Mommies, & connect with me of course!