Hello! My name is Brandy, and I am the owner/author behind Newly Crunchy! I am 35 years old (Shh! Don't tell anyone!) and I have a wide variety of interests. I love to read and write, and I also LOVE music of all kinds. I am a whiz in the kitchen and love creating yummy dishes for my family. (Check out my recipes page for some great weeknight ideas!)
I am a NE Ohio native, and was thrilled to be able to leave Virginia behind after 20 years of being "displaced" a few years ago. We found a gorgeous old house in the town I grew up in, so look for tons of home improvement and decor features as we fix up our "new" home. Also, be sure to watch for reviews of local events, attractions, and businesses. The Akron/Cleveland area is a treasure trove of fun and wonderful for families.
I am happily married to a man I have known since I was only 13 years old. As a matter of fact, he was actually my first ever "real" boyfriend! We dated for several months, but ended up parting ways. After all, we were incredibly young. We both ended up marrying and subsequently divorcing horrible people, and we somehow wound up back together years and years later!
Somehow meaning he found me on MySpace when people still actually used that site! We became friends, got to know each other again, and realized that if there is such as thing as soul mates, we'd definitely found ours in each other. We have an awesome relationship and balance each other out perfectly. We can read each other's thoughts and finish each other's sentences, and we're the best of friends. He's even a fantastic Step-Dad to my 14 year old son, Kyle. He never refers to him as that, though...To him, Kyle is simply his son. Yep, he's a pretty great guy, if you ask me. Of course, I may be biased!
We've been married for over 9 years now, and we have added 2 more beautiful children to our family. We tried to conceive for awhile, and it was definitely a struggle. We found out I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) so we made a ton of lifestyle changes in hopes of expanding our family. The journey was hard, but it paid off in the end. We suffered through 4 miscarriages in 3 years, and were finally blessed with our little princess Sophia on New Year's Eve, 2009.
Shortly after we had her, we were given the shock of a lifetime when we discovered we were expecting AGAIN. This surprise pregnancy after infertility issues was the inspiration for my first blog, (RIP) Oops, I'm Pregnant Again! This is when I caught the Blog-Fever, and I have been going strong ever since!
Our son, Xander was born in January of 2011. So as you can imagine, with little ones under the age of 5 and a teen, my hands are pretty full! There is never a dull moment in my home, and we have had some fun experiences as well as some that are not-so-fun. Despite the insanity and chaos that surrounds me every day, I am so incredibly grateful for the life I have, and I wouldn't change a single thing.
Here on Newly Crunchy Mama Of 3, I talk about my life. Whether it be rants, the joys of parenthood, recipes, or product reviews and giveaways, I always have SOMETHING to share with you all! I hope you enjoy this blog and find something you can relate to. Being a Mom is the most important job in the world, even if it does mean having odd, sticky substances flung at you, total sleep deprivation, and forgetting to thaw something out for dinner because you were too busy kissing boo-boo's and saving the day from Monsters in the Closet or perhaps the Zombie Apocolypse!
Companies and PR Reps: I would love to work with you! I enjoy providing honest reviews of products and services, and I take pride in the amount of effort I put into my posts. Please contact me using the form at the bottom of this page, or e-mail me at newlycrunchymamaof3@gmail.com . I look forward to working with you and building an ongoing relationship with your brand! RECENTLY FEATURED ON THE DOCTORS TV SHOW. Thank you, CBS, for changing my life!
My Favorite Blogging Moments....So Far : Over the past 6 years, I have had some amazing experiences. Here are just a few of my blogging highlights, captured in photos and video
Enjoying drinks with some of my favorite bloggers Hilton Gardens Inn Hollywood, CA May 2014
Star Wars Rebels dinner with Vanessa Marshall, R2D2, Chopper, and some scary Storm Troopers Loew's Hollywood Hotel May 4th, 2014
With Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Hera on Star Wars Rebels Hollywood, CA May 4, 2014
At Walt Disney Studios Burbank, CA May 2014
On the set of Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! with the man, himself! Hollywood, CA May 5, 2014
With Jon Hamm Million Dollar Arm World Premiere Hollywood, CA May 2014
With the hilarious Aasif Mandvi Million Dollar Arm Premiere Hollywood, CA May 2014
With Madhur Mittal and Suraj Sharma Million Dollar Arm Premiere Hollywood, CA May 2014
With the REAL J.B. Bernstein, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel Million Dollar Arm Premiere Hollywood,CA May 2014
"Green Carpet" Selfie with J.B. Bernstein Million Dollar Arm Premiere Hollywood,CA May 2014
Having a blast with Ashley and Sara at the Million Dollar Arm Premiere Hollywood, CA May 2014
On the Green Carpet Million Dollar Arm Premiere Hollywood, CA May 2014
On the Oscar Stairs in Hollywood, CA May 2014
Selfie with Justin Hartley ABC on location Culver City, CA May 2014
With THE Jason George ABC Studios May 2014
With Gwyneth Paltrow Universal City, CA Iron Man 3 Event April 2013
With the super-cute and talented Ty Simpkins Iron Man 3 Event Universal City, CA April 2013
On the red carpet at the Iron Man 3 Hollywood Premiere April 2013
With Becky and Myrah at The Saddle Ranch Universal Studios California April 2013
With Chris Evans on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Holding THE Captain America Shield on the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier
First visit to the Hollywood Walk of Fame April 2013
Having a chat with "Hollywood Mickey" outside of the El Capitan Theatre Hollywood, CA April, 2013
Step2 Brand Ambassador Event April 2013
With Jordin Sparks NYC November, 2012
With the other Maytag Kitchen Moms in St. Joseph, Michigan November 2012