Hello & Bievenue! I am the Sunshine Mama, and here’s a little about myself in case we’re not already friends.
I moved to the Orlando area December of 2017. My husband and I drove from Los Angeles, to Oregon, to Florida with everything that we owned crammed into our truck and started our life here from scratch. Neither one of us grew up in America.
I grew up a U.S. citizen on an American military base in Okinawa, Japan. Although Korean American I didn’t live in the U.S. till I was 21yrs old. My husband is a French speaking hottie from Bastogne, Belgium. Pretty neat that we’re a pair if you’re a WWII history buff. We met doing humanitarian work back in 2011 and have traveled to 20 countries together within the first four years! It’s an understatement to say that we love to travel & experience all cultures. Realizing there was no adventure we wouldn’t love to do side by side, we decided to get married in 2013. Marriage itself is an adventure, but starting a family is a whole other level!
One year after we moved to Oviedo (in 2018) we found out that we were pregnant with our first baby girl. She was born on her due date September 2, 2019 which literally was Labor Day. Six months later the covid lockdowns began in March 2020, and then shortly after that we were surprised to be expecting our second baby! He came on a hot sunny Saturday in July 2021. And now he’s six month old! Having two babies 22m apart during a worldwide pandemic with both our families an ocean away was not exactly the plan- but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Ok, maybe not the pandemic part… or not having family around… but the only way to live life to the fullest is with an attitude of gratitude, and there are many reasons I am very grateful to be a mom in Orlando for such a time as this.
It’s been a wild transition from spontaneous extrovert bouncing from country to country on a mission to spreading love & feeding the hungry- to being a SAHM, breastfeeding every 3hrs, working nights serving food to the hangry & trying to make mom friends & set up playdates 6 feet apart. This blog is a way for me to process the dramatic transition of living one life and the birth of not only of my children, but of myself as a mom.
My hope is that this blog becomes a comfort to other moms who feel lost, anxious, exhausted, and stressed. I knew ZIP about babies before having one. Heck- I WAS a baby with a baby lookin around for the adult in charge. There was a LOT to learn, heal, process, research– and I’m hoping by sharing hacks, tips & tricks of what I’ve learned I can make it a little easier on your baby’s development and YOUR physical, emotional, mental & spiritual development as a mama.
Orlando is also such a family friendly area if you go to the right places. Now as a mama with a toddler & a baby I care about an entirely new criteria centered around safety, convenience, cleanliness, accessibility, & friendliness that I never noticed before kids. I’ll be sharing the best places to eat, play & rest around Greater Orlando with your kiddos. In addition, I’ll also be intentional to draw attention to small businesses, especially ones owned by moms.
Hopefully you feel more like a friend now and I look forward to growing our friendship through this blog- and maybe a coffee date sometime if you’re in the area! Find me on IG, FB & Pinterest and let’s keep in touch.
Comment below how we’re alike! Do you love travel? International marriage? Have you spent time doing humanitarian work? Did you become a mom during the pandemic? No family around? New to Orlando? Tell me below!