Founder, Family Friendly Tampa Bay
After working as a high school teacher for several years. My husband and I decided to start a family. After our first child was born, I pulled back from teaching full time to part time. Trying to balance work and parenthood was a real struggle and I found myself falling behind daily in our home responsibilities. I often felt overwhelmed and stressed.
Motherhood brought a whole new perspective to life and I began to constantly think of ways to spend more quality time with my family. I was new to Tampa as well and wanted to explore the city. One thing I noticed was that events geared towards families were not readily accessible. I would spend hours some days researching things to do with my kids that would give our family a quality experience together. I often had a tough time finding things that were appropriate for a variety of different ages and balancing this with experiences that would hold their interest. Another challenge I faced was that many of the events I had interest in required travel or were outside of my budget.
I wondered if I was having this difficulty finding quality and affordable experiences to have with my family other parents probably were as well. I started the website Family Friendly Tampa Bay as a resource for myself, friends and other families to easily access free or affordable events in the Tampa Bay area that would give families an opportunity to spend quality time together.
Eventually, Family Friendly Tampa Bay expanded to also provide events that gave exposure to resources such as summer camps, weekend events, and summer programs. We continue to put on the largest Summer Camp Expo in Pasco County and the only Tampa Bay Summer Jump Fest to kickoff the summer.
I also work with vendors, small businesses and nonprofits to help promote events, products and services that reach families and capture the essence of their mission. In addition, I offer services to startup and established businesses to promote products and services through my website and on social media. If you want to create big events with limited stress, I am a knowledgeable and connected resource.