Meet Connie
We’re thrilled to introduce you to Connie, local Katy mama and founder of the wildly popular blog Momma of Dos, as well as founder of Houston Latina Bloggers, a collaborative group created to help raise awareness of Houston-based Latina writers and bloggers within social media, marketing, and public relations
Through her platforms, Connie hopes to inspire others, especially other Latina writer, to share their voice. She started her blog as a creative outlet and a place to share her life with others and it’s now grown into an empowering place for women of all walks of life to come together. Calling it her true passion in life, her blog has developed into a Lifestyle/Parenting, cultural and female empowerment space that allows Connie to share her creativity, her experiences as a mama, offer suggestions and advice to working mothers, and to connect to people of all walks of life. We got to talk to this inspiring, talented mama about all things Katy, motherhood, and her goals for her growing online community!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Katy?
I was born in Brenham, and grew up between South Texas (also known as the RGV, Mission Texas to be exact) and Northside Houston, my parents still live there. And, back in 2005, my husband and I were engaged to be married and decided we needed a house, he purchased our house from his aunt and uncle who were leaving out of state, and we have been here ever since. We never leave our hub. We love the community and not sure where else we will live when we decided to buy a new home. Our house is old now.
How many kiddos and how old are they?
I have two kids, Santiago who is tough and rough but super sweet teddy bear and is 8 years old and Camila, who is a major Diva, loves to dance and runs everyone’s lives in our home and is 7.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I say it all the time. I am such a lazy momma. If you follow me on social media, you would say we are super active and always out. Which yes most weekdays and weekends we are! But, deep down inside I am dreaming of my couch and Netflix and I try to nap hard either Saturday or Sunday to recoup from all the sleepless nights. But, yes, I would rather be napping than out and about.
Favorite local things to do in Katy?
We love visiting all the area parks, exploring new hiking trails and of course eating. We go to the movies and the mall a lot too.
What’s your favorite thing about Katy and why did you choose to raise your family here?
I think the community is great and we love our area it’s perfectly diverse which is what we love about it. I think it kind of happened by default because it’s where we found our home, but I don’t think we would have had it any other way.
Do you have a favorite family friendly restaurant in the area?
We love tacos, so we have been to a few like Tacos Adrian and La Calle which is a food truck. We also love Vietnamese food and Pho Saigon is alway a great option. And, there are a lot of great Colombian restaurants as well.
What is your go-to activity for yourself for pampering or for fun?
I love getting my hair and nails done. I think those two have become my favorite self-care activities. And, I recently obtained a membership to massage envy, so that will soon become my favorite as well! I also love working out, and do Zumba as often as I can!
Funniest shortcut/routine for helping you through parenthood?
Funniest, I think is making sure I have plenty of liquor on hand. Because a good drink, makes a world of a difference. HA. That and just in general being able to laugh things off. Knowing that it’s not that serious and it will get better… I hope!
Best mom hack?
We are always on the go, so some of my favorite Mom hacks I find on Pinterest. Best and fastest dinners, or cute versatile mom outfits. As well as best organizational tips. Basically Pinterest, saves my life daily.
Tell us more about your online platform!
Aside from working in the non-profit sector from 8-5pm, M-F and working as a volunteer with various oil and gas organizations such as Pink Petro and Lean-In. I run my own blog called Momma of Dos which is a local lifestyle and parenting blog where I incorporate our culture and being a working momma, to help motivate other women to follow their passion and live a full-”balanced” life . I also run Houston Latina Bloggers, a local group of over 200+ influencers from all walks of life and niches. And, along with my Business partner, Jennifer Perez-Medina who lives in the Heights and runs the Socially Connected as well the Cage, we have created the Blogger Series 2018, which is a local workshop series that teaches new bloggers or business owners how to better use and effectively create conversions via social media and blogging. Our next workshop is Saturday, September 22, from 11-2pm at the Height Haven.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
The networking alone has helped me obtain good corporate jobs close to home, which in return allow me more time to be with my family, to do the things I love and to create other avenues of revenue for myself. I value working 15 minutes from my house and being close to my children’s school, it’s been the best and most flexible experience ever. I used to work in downtown and the commute was INSANE.
What is the best advice for juggling mommyhood and running a business (or volunteering, working, etc)?
Something will always have to be sacrificed, you just need to pick what your priorities are for the day, the week or even the month and year. Say No more than Yes, and be okay with it. Create a schedule but know that life happens and you don’t always have to stick to it. Know that while your family and kids are highly important, you and self-care are more important. Do the things you truly love and make you happy because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. And, even though you think you can’t or are tired, do it anyway! In the long run, it will be worth it. I can literally go on for days about this…
Who most influenced you to be the mom you are?
Of course my mom, who is the hardest working immigrant parent I know. She has sacrificed so much and given us so much. I hope everyday that I make her proud. I want her to know that coming to this country was worth it and that we are living out her American dream. I also admire SO many other local Momma’s in my circle. I have so many amazing Momma friends in Houston and around Texas I admire so many of them for all that they do.
What would you tell the old “You” before you had kids?
Girl take real naps, travel more, and take those extra tequila shots cause you don’t have to wake up at 7am to feed anyone cereal and watch Peppa Pig with!
Social Media Links:
www.mommaofdos.com
https://www.instagram.com/mommaofdos/
https://www.facebook.com/mommaofdos/
https://twitter.com/MommaofDosTX
Snapchat: @realmommaofdos
