About

Beyond Momma

I am excited to announce that The Jersey Momma is in a bit of a transitional phase. This blog has been alive and thriving since 2013 and it's time for a bit of reinvention. I'll slowly be transitioning to 'Beyond Momma,' so that readers know they are getting more than a 'momma' here. I'll always be a mom, of course, but this is not a 'mommy blog.' Nothing against mommy blogs, of course, but The Jersey Momma has a teenager at home now. My focus from here on in will be travel, attractions, restaurants, reviews, and so much more. I'll always be a kid at heart and an ambassador of play, so you'll still see my love of toys mixed in (I won't give up my popular gift guides). You can read a little bit more about my upcoming changes here.

Who is The Jersey Momma?

I was a school teacher for over fifteen years before becoming a stay-at-home mom, blogger and freelance writer. I spend my days searching for fun, creative, and affordable things to do. I love chronicling my family's fun experiences in and around The Garden State. Despite crossing over to 'the other side,' I will always be a teacher at heart, and I still love the world of elementary education. Outside of children and education, the other pieces of my heart belong to my family (lovingly nicknamed The Jersey Momma's Boy and Mr. Jersey Momma), my beloved dog, Milo, who passed away in July of 2013, and our rescue doggy Spot, who rescued us right back, in February of 2014. I am also proud Dog Auntie to my furry niece, Bean, and my furry nephew, Bugsy.

What is the Purpose of The Jersey Momma Blog?

I know time is precious, so I designed my blog for easy reading. You can skim to find the information you are looking for, and most posts are broken up into short paragraphs with bold headings so you can locate information quickly. I created this site because I think details are worth sharing: is it worth the money? Is it easy to get to? Are the bathrooms clean? Where do I park? What can I eat there? Should I buy that? Should I watch this? I hope my posts assist others with plans and decisions in every day life. Plus, I just love to share awesome stuff! I mean, if I find a cool, new local business, or a product I totally love, I'm going to tell the world!

And if you would like to read some of the more personal reasons about why (and how) I started this blog, you can read my post entitled, Why I Started The Jersey Momma Blog.

The Jersey Momma is not run by a team of writers- it's just me, with the occasional assistant! I am really just a mom who wants to share ideas and experiences with you. I am honest and will not try to sell something to my readers that I don't love myself. My followers on social media are real human beings, not faceless numbers purchased to boost my standing. I have a trusted collection of fellow moms who sometimes take photos and report for me at various events, including Sabrina H., Danielle H. and Selena H. (the Triple H's!) and my roving reporter, Stephani. I am very grateful for their support and contributions! I also work in conjunction with my fellow NYC blogger, Kid Congeniality.

I always appreciate comments and shares, so please feel free to add me to your Facebook page likes, Twitter feed, or Pinterest boards! You can also follow me on YouTube and Instagram.

Where Else Can I Find The Jersey Momma?

Besides The Jersey Momma website, I run a dog lovers site called The Jersey Doggy, (which covers pet loss and grief, too). You can also find my writing in The Mailbox Magazine, The Toy Insider and Thrive Global. Stay tuned for a brand new spin-off, The Pop Culture Portal!

Proud Partnerships

I am extremely proud of my work at The Toy Insider. I formerly served as the educational expert on their Toy Insider Parent Panel. You can find all of my work for The Toy Insider here.

Hershey, Pennsylvania is one of my favorite places in the world, so I was thrilled to serve on the Hershey Sweetest Families Panel . I was so honored to be a part of this panel and I will work hard to continue bringing my readers even more fabulous Hershey posts throughout the year!

And I was absolutely honored to have been chosen as a Beaches Mom for 2019. I had the great pleasure of attending Social Media on the Sand at Beaches Turks and Caicos because of this, and it was a life-changing experience for me! You can read more about being a Beaches Mom and my experience at Social Media on the Sand here.

Laura Dee, C Morris Photography and Catie McDade Photography

One Last Thing

And on a personal note, I truly believe that all of us are connected, even those silent people that you see every day at the bus stop, or that guy you smile and nod to each morning when you walk your dog. There is a reason why we meet each other, and why our paths cross, even if we don't know what that reason is. So I urge you to smile and say hello to the people that you meet, and share conversations with them instead of scrolling through your phone. And since I can't meet you all personally, I hope this blog can be my connection to you instead.