53 Weeks

Name: Nicole McGregor Children & Ages: Hudson – 5, Savannah – 9 Hometown/Current Location: San Clemente, CA/Scottsdale, AZ Quick Bio: After studying Communications and Journalism at Loyola Marymount University and Stanford, Nicole embarked on a career in Television News as a Reporter/Anchor for Markets in Washington, California and Arizona. She hung up her microphone after her struggle with fertility finally produced a second child. Being a working “Mom Journalist” for 4 years, taught her that the best...

Along I-10 in Southern California, you can find dinosaurs in the desert in between the palm trees. I heard about the spot in Cabazon from a friend when I mentioned I’d be driving from Ontario to Indio. I inquired if there were any good spots for kids and this “pit stop” was mentioned… Okay, so when I say pit stop, that’s literally what it is…an exit with a gas station, a Burger King and dinosaurs. Coming from Ontario it was just one exit past the Desert Hills Outlets (where I’ve heard there’s great...

A toddler can add that little something extra to just about any event. Perhaps it’s the instant enthusiasm, never ending energy or just that wide-eyed innocence and the unassuming personality, but whatever it is, when there’s a toddler around, nothing is certain. One event toddlers aren’t always welcome at is a wedding, many times these are “adult only” events, which is totally fine by me. However, my boys have had the opportunity to attend and be a part of two weddings already in their toddlerhood! Last...

Name: Kayla Carrie Children & Ages: Olivia (22 mos.) & Hudson (10 mos.) Hometown/Current Location: Idaho Quick Bio: Less than two years ago my first child came into this world!  I quickly realized that being a mother was everything to me, so I dropped all my other plans and made the decision to proudly accept the best job offer ever as “Stay at Home Mom”. I did so well on the job that I received a promotion! Two weeks after my daughter’s first birthday my sweet boy joined our party! I get plenty of comments and stares as...

Bad things happen to good people. What do you say when you find out a friend has been given a cancer diagnosis for her baby daughter? What can you do? How is it supposed to feel? These are questions that have been swirling in my head, ever since finding out my friend’s daughter is sick. I saw the Facebook post asking for prayers and I saw that they were (checked in) at a children’s hospital, and I knew something was very wrong. But, just the day before I saw the cute photo of her little girl playfully enjoying a sweet dessert,...

Money, money, money…glorious green cash…cha-ching! Money is a great gift for graduations, weddings and birthdays and other occasions too. If you want to present it in a different way and make your gift a little more memorable, I’ve got a few easy ideas to add visual value to those dollar bills – or whatever denomination you want to use. My brother got married recently and I knew they’d be doing a “money dance” at the reception, so I decided to get a little creative and make something of my money!...

I had a great opportunity to cover a partnership between two companies who are working together to get girls interested in pursuing a career in science. Green Works, you know the all-natural laundry and household cleaners, sponsored a new subscription service called StemBox. The “stem” standing for science, technology, engineering and math. While doing my interviews, as well as writing and editing the piece it made me think back to my days as a school-age girl and where my interests lay when it came to science… Personally,...

A guest post written for 53 Weeks. Your baby is turning 1!!! It’s time to enjoy and celebrate this major milestone! Here are 10 tips that helped this mama out! Pick a theme Picking a theme can be fun and it helps you stay focused and helps organize the direction of the party. We decided to go with an “Alice in Wonderland” theme. My daughter has an adventurous spirit and is full on wonder so it was a natural choice for us! Ready, set, shop! Now that you have your theme, it’s time to set a budget. Remembering that in the end...

Name: Brittany Kelley Child & Age: Connor, 17 Months Hometown/Current Location: Los Angeles, California Quick Bio: I’m a wife, mother, help desk technician, and Blogger. Born & raised in one of the most beautiful places, Southern California, has given me a multicultural outlook on life and an affinity for art, food, traveling & family (which I feature on my blog, www.livinglifekelley.com & Instagram @livinglifekelley). I have a B.S. degree in Information Systems Security but currently majoring in Motherhood! A sisterhood...

On our family’s recent trip to SoCal, I was the only family member who had ever been to Disneyland before. It was a first for our two boys and  first for Daddy too! And — it was then a FIRST for us as a family, I mean it felt all new to me since the last time I went was many moons ago for grad night when I was a senior in high school! LOL!! I think we lucked out with weather and picking a good day to be in the park. We beat the Spring Break rush and temperatures were in the mid 70’s! I downloaded the Disneyland app...