Charleston Moms

Allison escaped the frozen tundra of Minnesota for the sunshine and beaches of Charleston a little over two years ago . She now lives with her husband, toddler, and American Bulldog on James Island and is expecting her second boy in October (she’s totally outnumbered with a house full of boys)! Balancing working from home for the business she owns with her husband and raising two boys under 2 will be Allison’s newest challenge! She loves exploring Charleston with her little family and writes about their day-to-day adventures on her blog, Happy Little Honey.

Amanda is an upstate NY girl who married a TN guy in 2011, moved to Charleston the next day, and after a 3-year pursuit, adopted their 2-year-old son from South Korea in 2017. She loves to share her heart ponderings and humor lent by beginning motherhood with her toddler who spoke another language. She has a background in non-profit work, but currently stays home to catch up on missed time and new milestones with her growing baby boy. She enjoys her awkward floppy hound, aggressively cuddly cat, but can't keep plants alive. In her "spare time," she is creating, dancing, or providing harmonies/drums for her sister's music.

Amanda was born and raised in the Lowcountry. She is a wife and mom of five. She has a 6 year old bonus son, 4 year old daughter, 1 year old rainbow baby boy, twin angel boys and a 9 year old fur baby. She graduated from Clemson in 2012, and then attended MUSC to get her M.S. degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2017. After graduating, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom. Her passions include writing, cooking and connecting with other moms. She created Happily Clean to share her clean eating creations. She also loves sharing real life, inspirational posts on her social media. She has a passion for helping other women regain their physical and emotional health after having children.

Amber is a native Texan who moved to Summerville with her family in June 2015. The transition from career banker of fifteen years to a stay at home mom and moving halfway across the country where they knew no one was a challenge, but totally worth it.  Now settled, Amber has become a paint brush wielding interior decorator who loves to build new things through her business, Chandler by Design. But her most important job is to be an example to her kiddos, Lily (8) and Luke (5). Amber’s newest hobby is running and now that she has completed her first individual 5k she is headed towards a half marathon.

Amy Jackson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is the owner of Sweetgrass Counseling. Amy works with moms and moms to be to realize that while being a mom is hard, it doesn’t have to suck. She provides a safe space to talk about mom guilt, how to manage expectations of being mom, and provides practical tips that you can use when you are awake at 2:47am scrolling through social media imagining how you are going to screw up your kiddos. Amy and her husband Mike have four kids ranging from 7-18. She enjoys all things Bravo with a glass of wine while half-heartedly listening to the youngest chatter about Minecraft and Fortnight.

Amy grew up in Kansas City and graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Environmental Studies. Her dream was to make the world a better place by improving the environment. After getting her dream job in Texas, she met the love her of her life, Evan; they had a beautiful daughter Maggie, in 2012 and moved to Mount Pleasant in 2013. Amy intended on continuing to work in the field of Sustainability (all things green and ecofriendly) but ended up being a SAHM. In 2014, her family expanded with a son, Maxx. She turned her love of family and the environment into a business that allows her to keep her family first while helping others. Amy also loves being at the beach, having an adventure, connecting with new people and is always looking to learn something new.

Ashley is originally from the Boston area and has lived here in the Lowcountry for four years. She and her husband have two little boys (ages 2 and 7 months) who keep things fun and exciting. She’s a preschool teacher turned stay-at-home mom since 2017. Most days, you can find her at a park, Chick-fil-A, the children’s museum, or at one of the many indoor play centers here in CHS. She enjoys writing on her blog All the Mom Things, co-hosting group play dates and trying to keep up with the latest fashion trends. She has a positive outlook on life and believes that that best things in life can’t be bought.

Barbara moved to Goose Creek from Chicago, however she's no Yankee! Barbara spent almost every summer in the Lowcountry visiting her very large family and felt it was time to come home. In her previous career life she managed YMCA's as an Executive Director. Currently she's focused on her role as a stay-at-home mom to a talkative 5-year-old boy Brock and an effervescent 1-year-old girl Hope. Her husband Randy, a disabled veteran, suffers from PTSD and Barbara has Epilepsy and Lyme disease. Her chronic illness and family challenges effect her life daily. Her goal is to help her family live their best lives despite obstacles and seek out fun local events where they can grow and learn. Barbara enjoys sci-fi, murder mysteries, photography and started a woodworking business two yeas ago. Ask her about her favorite power tools.  

Brittanee is originally from the Midwest and is a Navy wife married to her high school sweetheart. They have two beautiful girls, a Golden Retriever, and an English Bulldog. She earned her Bachelor of Sciences in Family Studies and has a heart and passion for working with kids. Brittanee minored in art and gets crafty whenever she has the time, whether it be through painting or DIY projects or with her new found joy in baking. She loves the outdoors but can crush a show on Netflix. Working out is part of her daily life, but nothing beats the love she has for spending time with her family.

Brittany was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, before moving south to attend the College of Charleston in 2007. She swam for The College for two years, which is where she met her now-husband Greg. Brittany and her family live in Mt. Pleasant where she stays home with her two young daughters Adeline and Parry. She loves coffee, wine, and rarely goes a day without indulging in dessert. She is active in her church and prioritizes her relationship with God to guide her every day life, most importantly in her roles as wife and mother.

Cameron was born and raised in rural Ravenel, just outside of Charleston. Her hardworking family owns a blueberry farm in Ravenel, which helped put her through rigorous nursing school at Clemson University. She has been a registered nurse for 10 years, working almost 8 years fueling her passion caring for sick babies in the Neonatal Nurseries at MUSC. She recently changed nursing jobs, still exhibiting her passion for the tiniest patients but now providing care for their pregnant mothers in MUSC's Advanced Fetal Care Center. Cameron is happily married to Andy, her handsome high school sweetheart, and together they have one beautiful daughter, who is in 2nd grade, and one rambunctious son, who is in kindergarten.  They LOVE the outdoors, especially in the Lowcountry, and their favorite hobbies are boating in the picturesque waters around Charleston, riding their ATVs, and camping with their friends. She has five dogs, two of which are dachshunds, which she is obsessed with! Cameron loves living in the Lowcountry - he roots run deep in this land, and she couldn't imagine living anywhere else!

Chelsea is a Maryland native, currently enjoying her role as a stay-at-home mom. She was a hairstylist for 10 years until she moved to Charleston. Her husband, whom was one of her clients, was born in Mississippi but lived all over the USA as the son of a Navy father. Shortly after meeting, they got married and had their daughter. Three years later they moved to Charleston while she was eight months pregnant with her second child. After having their son, he was diagnosed with a kidney disorder. She also is a cult survivor. Despite all the bumps they look towards the brighter side in life. You can find her doing crafts, yoga, fashion and blogging on Mascara Pearls Spitup. As a family they enjoy the beach, fishing, swimming, dancing, walks, antiquing and food.

Courtney is a Charleston native who, after graduating Clemson, moved to Chicago to compete a one-year dietetics internship. That one-year program turned into a decade long stint in the Windy City where Courtney worked for a variety of health businesses. While in Chicago, Courtney met her husband and had three kids, living an adventure of having kids in the city. At the end of 2015, she returned home and launched her own private nutrition practice on Daniel Island. Courtney loves to help people find simple ways to heal and thrive through the food they eat. She is a thankful for the beauty – and the food – that the Lowcountry has to offer!

Dede Kennedy is part of a dying breed ... a native of Mt. Pleasant. She is happily married to her husband Sean and the mother of two gorgeous sons ages 8 and 11. When not trying to keep her boys out of harm's way, Dede works at a popular restaurant on Sullivans Island. She is a Christian and an active member of her church.  Dede can be found making corndogs and serving up Kool-Aid for the neighborhood kids who hang out at her home (the one with all the bicycles in the yard). Dede is a blogger and a two-time cast member of the national "Listen to Your Mother" show. Dede has dabbled in stand-up comedy and is writing a fiction book.

Elizabeth O’Conor lives on James Island with her husband, 2 year old daughter and baby girl. A native of South Carolina, (from Hilton Head Island) Elizabeth moved to Charleston about five years ago. She loves to travel (especially with the family) as well as stay as healthy as can be. She is currently in school for Holistic Nutrition and cannot wait to help our community with any health and nutrition needs! Her family is very natural minded family and she loves showing her daughter how to grow her own food in the garden and take care of their chickens.

Elizabeth Wagner is a 5th generation Charlestonian and a 3rd generation James Islander.  She and her husband maintained a long distance relationship throughout her nursing school and his Marine Corps deployments. They married in 2010. After working as a neurosurgical nurse for ten years, she became a stay-at-home mom of their now four kids. From her natural passion to help others and through caring for her own children, Elizabeth became interested in herbal remedies, the benefits of plant medicine, and natural ways to treat her kids illnesses. In 2016, after the birth of her third child, she started Island Bloom Herbals. She makes homemade elderberry syrup, cough syrup, and herbal teas. She and her husband are beekeepers and have three hives in their backyard.

Emily Guerrero is a happiness-chasing, Lowcountry-loving wife and mom to two wild and wonderful kids. She works as an attorney and director of a bustling non-profit immigration legal services office. Her true joy is writing and musing on life, love, family, and personal growth at www.emily-guerrero.com and www.hellobliss.net. She also enjoys cooking up a storm, reading, and sitting very, very quietly on her porch.  

A South Carolina native, Erica is originally from the Upstate and has moved back to Charleston with her family after a 10 year, traffic-filled hiatus in Atlanta, GA. Having lived in only two states she likes to explore different cultures through travel and food.  Of all the hats Erica wears her most important roles are as a wife, mother, daughter. She has been married to her college sweetheart for 13 years and together they have a six year old daughter and a three year old son.  She prides herself on being honest about motherhood and enjoys learning from other moms who don't sugarcoat reality. When life offers a little down time Erica enjoys wave jumping at the beach, unapologetically watching bad TV and organizing and re-organizing everything from the dishwasher to the sock drawers to help calm her inner OCD. 

Erin is the mom of a 4 year old boy and 1 and half year old girl. She moved to Charleston a year ago and has been loving every minute. She is originally from the Midwest and grew up in Wisconsin, but has also lived in Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas before settling in South Carolina. She has enjoyed being in warmer weather! Her family loves the beach and being by the water! She also has a passion for the special needs community, and worked for several years in various capacities. Erin loves spending time with her family and running her photography business, Erin Marie Photographie, in her spare time.

Erin and her active duty Army husband have a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old, and are expecting twins in September! Erin is also the proud owner of Fit4Mom Charleston, part of the nation’s leading pre-and postnatal fitness program. A former US diplomat, Erin has lived and worked all over the world. She is a former nationally ranked 100m and 300m hurdler, a certified yoga and prenatal yoga instructor, and holds additional certifications in Barre, TRX Barre, and as an ACE group fitness trainer. On a daily basis, she aims to show her babies that women can be both soft and strong, and that one must never give up, no matter what! 

Holly Simpson is a Hoosier by birth and a Southern Girl by Heart - loving everything Charleston. Growing up in West Ashley, she spent countless hours on the water with her family and friends. Holly is a proud single mother of two daughters, Katie and Becky, and refers to them as her “mini-mes.”   She has been an active leader within the PTA and is now a room parent for her daughter’s class. Holly is a Lowcountry Real Estate Professional with Local Homes and Land. She believes that you can have it all - you just have to work at it, believe in yourself, always have coffee and/or wine readily available, and forget about sleep.

Jen Iamele Savage is a secondary Montessori educator, Transformational Empowerment coach, and newly self published author. She runs a mastermind program for busy mamas and writes regularly for local and international publications. She also leads virtual and live women’s circles to help her clients work through blocks and connect with their light and their purpose. Check out Inspiration & Bliss Coaching to find out more. 

Jen Robinson is the creative force behind the wellness brand Peaceful Living Wellness which is dedicated to providing a wide-variety of high-quality wellness information. Jen is also the creator of the PLW life coaching division Empowered Through Peace and offers workshops, group coaching and retreats where she guides women in using Mindfulness and Mindset to build their inner strength on a foundation of inner peace. The most important part of Jen’s life are her two very active teenagers, AJ & Layna! Jen’s Mindfulness and Mindset techniques not only inform her parenting, but give her peace-of-mind in facing the challenges of parenting teens!

Originally from Virginia, Jessie moved back to South Carolina after living in Washington State with her husband of five years. She's a momma of two young boys and expecting her first girl at the end of January. Mothering a boy with Autism created a new path for her in 2018 and she now uses her blog, Momma Lips, Herself, as an educational site to demystify the stigma and spread Autism Awareness. She's also been a Media Consultant for a Medical Supply Company in DC for the past three years and loves going on runs with her kids!

Jill grew up in the Washington, DC area and migrated south for college. She has a degree in Religious Education from Gardner-Webb University, where she also got her MRS. degree. She and her husband, Heath, have three kids: Will, Micah, and Lydia. Traveler. Homemaker(ish). TV watcher. Crafter. Natural birth advocate. Spanish speaking wannabe. Minivan driver. Organic shopper. Beach lover. Mosquito hater. Jill's resume is littered with randomness. She recently hung up her hat in the preschool world to write and speak, and greet her kids with fresh gluten free cookies and almond milk, as they joyfully skip through the door after school. (Mom of the Year!) Check out her Interrupted Life at jillforbes.com.

Kat traded in the New England winters for the southern sunshine when her husband received military orders to South Carolina. She currently resides in Ladson, with her three daughters ages 12, 5, and 3. Kat is no stranger to the chaos of having kids and being a working mom. She is a certified makeup artist, writes a part time fashion blog at Pretty and Practical and works as a social media specialist at Style Encore.

LeeAnn moved to vacationland (a.k.a. Charleston) on somewhat of a whim after braving Minnesota winters for 10 years. She and her husband, Marshall, are parents of two rambunctious boys, Alan and Jack, two rambunctious Dalmatians, and are humans of Marlee cat – the household boss. LeeAnn is the owner and photographer behind Chucktown Art, a local business offering photography, graphic design, and social media consulting. She is a strong supporter of lifelong continuing education for the constant development and overall improvement of any craft.

Marie Shaurette relocated from Boston 10 years ago and is a homeschooling mother of four. A self-described foodie, she and her husband, Mark, enjoy travel and of course taking in all of the deliciousness the city has to offer. Constantly on the lookout for educational, culturally-rich things to do in Charleston, she enjoys exploring the city every chance she gets. Marie chronicles all of it on her homeschool blog, Learning in the Lowcountry and her YouTube channel.

Megan is originally from Michigan, and still misses the snow and cold weather of the Midwest but loves the charm and family friendliness of Charleston. She has lived in Charleston for a little over five years with her husband, Caleb, two children, Alice and Atticus, and their rescue husky, Zoey. They can usually be found downtown exploring all of its nooks and crannies or at the beach any time of year. Megan writes about her day-to-day adventures, and challenges of motherhood on her blog, The Mom in Progress.

Melissa recently resigned from her career in higher education and was promoted to her new title as Dr. Mom to two-under-two. Her quest to have a family involved a long road of infertility struggles. She has a son named Rowan who is 21 months old and a girl named Ildi who is 6 months old.

A native of New Orleans, who was raised in New Jersey, Pamela has lived in the Lowcountry for the past 15 years. She graduated with a journalism degree from Penn State, and met her husband, Daniel, while working at a newspaper in Beaufort, SC. The two left-handed parents have two adorable right-handed children — Wolfe, 5, and Selah, 4 — and one unruly black Lab, named Lefty. They live in Mount Pleasant and Pamela works from home as a freelance graphic designer, writer and editor while also taking care of aforementioned children. She loves champagne, Bluegrass music and South Park.

Rachel is a new mom and freelance writer who lives with her husband, daughter, and rescue pup in Mt. Pleasant. Rachel is passionate about eating wholesome foods, planning healthy meals, and staying active – although it is extra challenging as a mom! She writes about her journey juggling wellness and motherhood on her blog, Rachel’s Full Plate. Rachel also loves chocolate, coffee, and playing peek-a-boo with her baby girl.

Rhonda James was born and raised here in Charleston. She received her Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Claflin University where she also met her husband, Leo. Rhonda is a first time mom to a bouncing baby boy. She works full-time as a Museum Program Coordinator and also managers her personal lifestyle blog, Walks of Motherhood. Spending time with her family is her greatest moments. She is also a sucker for Game of Thrones, Grey's Anatomy, Starbucks Tevana Tea, and french fries. 

Stephanie is an only child, married to an only child, raising an only child! Stephanie and her husband (Brian) are Pittsburghers at heart, but made the move to Charleston in ’08 after moving around the country. Stephanie has a background in television, and has a (not so secret) dream to start a talk show and to publish books. She’s currently working on her first book and recently started a blog, called Speaking of Today, with her friend and fellow mom Dawn. Stephanie loves to spend every spare second with her daughter Kennedy. Kennedy was born 12 weeks early and spent the full 12 weeks in the hospital. Thankfully Kennedy is totally healthy, but the experience of being a preemie mom certainly changed Stephanie’s life! She looks forward to sharing stories of mommyhood with the Charleston Moms Blog readers.

Susannah Dellinger is a corporate executive escapee. After over a decade of non-stop travel, never-ending stress and 70-80 work weeks, she quit her job and did nothing but take care of herself for 4 weeks and downsized to a smaller apartment. Surprise, surprise, that is exactly when she found herself knocked up after being married for 15 years and is expecting her first child in December! These days she can be found under a pile of never-ending laundry, cringing at the term “geriatric ob” on her chart, obsessively googling safety ratings for baby gear, and starting her indie beauty brand consulting firm. 

Born in Boston, but raised in Mount Pleasant, Sydney left South Carolina to go to Lenior-Rhyne College (now University) where she met her husband and graduated with a degree in Political Science. She and her husband moved back to Mount Pleasant in 2012 and are currently living in the family house (zoo) with Audrey who is two, two dogs and two cats. Sydney loves re-familiarizing herself with the city through the eyes of a toddler, traveling, and listening to audiobooks.

Tanya is a working mom, wife, and business owner trying to balance it all without losing her mind. She is the owner, writer, and photographer behind Yummy Lil' Things - a food and lifestyle blog that helps busy women simplify their lives by providing delicious recipes that are easy to make, tips and tricks on how to incorporate essential oils into everyday life, and Charleston restaurant and business reviews. She, her husband Mike and son Brendan moved to Charleston in 2015, leaving the brutal winters of Philadelphia behind. She quickly fell in love with the Lowcountry lifestyle and tries to explore everything the Holy City has to offer in her spare time.

The military brought Tori and her husband from the upstate of SC down to the Lowcountry back in 2013. She is a stay-at-home mom to a nine month old baby girl who steals her heart every day! She loves being married to her high school sweetheart, her two sweet Australian Shepherd pups, everything outdoors, knitting, and writing on her blog, Simple Life at Home.

Charleston native Whitney Williams McDuff has devoted her life to being the best daughter, sister, friend, wife, coworker, leader, and now mother she can be. She graduated from USC with a double degree in Public Relations and Psychology, partially because she’s fascinated by the nature of people, and partially because it set her free from the claws of a monstrous statistics course that she was eager to avoid. (Hey, sometimes the truth isn’t always pretty). Her career spans across the world of sales, marketing, and public relations, thriving in a realm where building relationships was the key to the contentment kingdom. Her passions include writing, reading, painting, her piano and guitar, interesting conversation, film, her pug Bee, and a great glass wine. Ok, glasses. She and her husband Jimmy are expecting their first child, Baby Holbrook, this summer, so wine bottles have been left on the shelf for now. Her blog, No Wine for Nine, began when Whitney became fed up with the pressure to be flawless and knew that laughter and sharing her stories with her girlfriends was essential to making it through this thing called Motherhood.  Her hope is that her blog is a cherished place for any woman who longs for an escape from the stress of perfection, because she believes that true magic lies in the imperfections and hilarity of everyday life. Still trying to navigate Babies R’ Us. Biggest fears include spiders and mis-posting on a mom-swap site.

A born and raised southerner, Windy moved away to pursue a career in technology returning to the Lowcountry to raise a family. She currently lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband, bonus son (9), strong-willed wild man (3), and sassy princess (2). Last July, after 15 years in the corporate world, she decided to leave the role of executive behind and become the CEO of her household. She records her daily adventures on Instagram, while exploring what it means to go from executive to SAHM on her personal blog – Windy in Carolina. You can also find her on Facebook sharing her passion, advocacy, and education for cleaner living.