Who Am I???

As the Great Zoolander put it, “Who am I?” This is a question that has circled in my head quite a bit lately as I look to improve my business. Who am I? Why do I blog? How do I grow it into my vision? Then I realized, I never gave my readers a reason why they should read or follow me. So here goes nothing.

To be fair I am not that skilled in writing, nor have I ever claimed to be a proclaimed writer… that aside I know the motivation behind this whole idea is much more important than the risk of my complete and utter embarrassment.

When I first decided to start a blog, I tossed the idea in my head for weeks. We were at the beginning of the pandemic and life was hard. Really really hard. I began to wonder, “How can I help my community? How can I help moms like me? How can I reach out to people to remind them that even though the future is unknown and scary, there is still so much beauty in this world, and in our city?”

Sooooo… Now I’m in the blogger club.

Who Am I?

I grew up in St. Louis County, and I come from a long line of St. Louisans. My great great great grandfather was the founder of O’Fallon, MO, that’s how far back my family line goes.

I am a North County native, born and raised in the house my father and his 8 siblings were raised in. That house was built by his mother and father (my grandparents). The land they built on was given to them by my great grandfather. They divided their farmland between all 10 children, and that land became their homes to raise their families. So you can see my family roots and my love for this community run deep.

My Great Grandparents and their 10 kids in 1946

My Grandmother was a founder of the North County TEAM Pantry and I often went with her and my grandpa to volunteer. It was always a part of my life to give back to the community.

Not only was I raised to give back, but I also saw the generosity of our community support firsthand. I lost my father to cancer at a young age. The community rallied behind our family in many ways to help us, before and after his passing. My dedication to giving back is something that makes me who I am.

Now, I am a mother to two beautifully challenging kids. They keep me on my toes every second of every day. They also inspire me to pass on the love I have for the community. My handsome husband is often referred to as my third child, but that is because of his pure heart. He is extremely supportive, even though I’m sure to make fun of him in future posts.

More than anything I am from a long line of strong mothers that focus on family, and I hope I am able to demonstrate that through my business.

Why do I Blog?

After graduating high school, I left St. Louis for over 10 years. I traveled the country and was fortunate enough to spend some of that time traveling the world. Time away showed me what St. Louis had to offer. I was blind to how unique this city was when I left that summer. Now, I know I am blessed to be here to raise my family.

Me Exploring Dublin, Ireland between runs in 2016.

I’ve realized the world is not just the places we go, it’s the people in those places that make the biggest impression. St. Louisans are genuine, caring, and devoted to family. We are so caring we’ll give you a good kick to the crotch if you need to straighten up, or give you the shirt off our back in times of need. We are positive when we need to be positive and honest when the time calls for it. That is a trait unique to the midwest, and something we should hold dear.

So back to how I came to write this blog, and if you made it this long you share the same sentiment I have for this city. When we were in lockdown I said to my husband… I am going to start a blog. I am going to write about being a mom and how I appreciate our region. I want to remind people in St. Louis, and around the world, why so many people love this city and want to raise their families here.

The reality of a family photo shoot with two under two… a lot of tears. And most of them are from the parents.

-Pictured at the beautiful Jewel Box, Forest Park St. Louis

I began looking into websites and all the “stuff” that comes with being a blogger. There were many times I wanted to quit, I didn’t write for a month or so, or lost confidence in my lack of knowing what the hell I was doing, but I know I am doing something good (even if it’s not grammatically correct).

So my point in explaining this rollercoaster of an idea is to remind you to love your neighbor. Even if we don’t have the same ideas or beliefs. Send out positive energy and eventually, it will come back. If not, I can point you in the direction of a few good “watering holes” that can provide you with some short-term relief.

What’s Next???

2021 is a new chapter for Love Local STL, and I hope WE are able to give back as much as I am planning for this year. That’s right… WE. To expand on all the accomplishments of last year, I am calling in some reinforcements.

I brought on a partner in crime, Michelle, to help me develop a stronger and more successful business. She is a mother to a beautiful little girl, and she amazes me with her ability to make everything she touches beautiful.

Together we want to inspire the love for our community and inspire everyone, especially moms, to support the small businesses that make our city unique. I can’t give too many details, as it’s in the works, but we will be running more fundraisers and starting our own St. Louis inspired merchandise line.

Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement coming soon!!!

If you have any small businesses that need some help please comment on this post. We are always looking to help, even behind the scenes.