Alexandra is an LA native who founded the popular New Mom School (formerly OC Mommy and Me) in Newport Beach. She is a Certified Parent Educator, Infant Care Specialist, Happiest Baby Educator, and Positive Discipline Parent Educator, but more importantly, she is mom to two boys!
Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised in Santa Monica, CA.
How long have you lived in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach? How many kids and their age(s)?
We have lived here since June of 2012. We have two boys, ages 4 and 7.
Favorite things to do with your kids in general or in town?
Our favorite things to do with kids involves basically anything at the park. We love going to Irvine Park for the train, horses and zoo. We also love the Model Engineer trains in Costa Mesa on their public ride weekends. Can you see a theme here? My boys love their trains!
What’s your favorite restaurant in town for a family date? A night out with friends? Why?
To be completely honest, my boys are terrible at restaurants so we rarely go out together. We can usually manage an outing at CPK where they can play with pizza dough and color, but that’s about the extent of it for us! We’ve had some success at Lampost Pizza where there are some video games they can play. My hubby and I go out every Saturday night so we love trying new restaurants all over Orange County. For instance, this last weekend we went to a delicious Argentinian place in Laguna Hills…who would have thought?? We love getting together with our friends on Saturday nights too.
What is your favorite kid-friendly recipe?
My kids are simpletons. Pasta with meat sauce.
What is your local go-to store for children’s clothes? Furniture?
I am a big fan of Cotton On, Zara Kids and Gap Kids. For furniture, we love Urbanism, and Ikea has been coming up with some great stuff lately!
What are your favorite events in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach? We love the holidays at Fashion Island! We spend a lot of time there riding the trolley, watching the fish at the koi pond, and admiring all of the decorations.
What has been the most difficult age with your children to date?
I would say that my oldest was really difficult between 3.5 and 6. My younger one was a tough baby but turned into a dream of a toddler, and we have so much fun with him.
How do you relax and unwind?
I am a HUGE fan of self-care daily. I do something for myself every single day. It took me a while to get here, and I had to put in processes to be able to have the freedom, but it was a goal of mine and I couldn’t be happier or recommend it enough. Things I do for myself are either pampering, exercising, sitting at a nice restaurant by myself, doing a little shopping, or meeting a friend. I love having my hair blow-dried, getting massages, and getting my nails done. These are all things that make me feel my best, and it helps me tackle the chaos of each evening with my loud boys!
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to other moms?
DO YOU! Focus on your own family, do what feels right to you, and stop comparing to others! It’s impossible not to compare, trust me, I do it too. But, when you notice you are comparing, acknowledge it, and then remind yourself to come back to the present moment and be there for your kids.
What do you most value in your friends?
A comfort in knowing that they can relate to me as a mom. It wasn’t until I had kids that I realized the importance of women in your life. They really are the support you need to get through your days. My husband is an amazing man, father and team member, but he will never be able to give me the emotional support I need and can get from friends.
What was your career before having children? If it’s the same, how do you balance career & motherhood?
I was the Director of Operations for a real estate development company in Los Angeles for over 12 years prior to having children. Once we moved to Orange County, I noticed the void in support for new moms so I started The New Mom School. We just celebrated our five-year anniversary and it has taken me a long time to find the balance! I compartmentalize my days so that I can be completely present for my classes during the day, and present for my kids when I pick them up from school until bedtime. I will usually work for a couple of hours after they go to sleep at night as well.
Thank you Alex!
The New Mom School is located in Newport Beach and features 10-week classes organized by the baby’s birth month so that all the moms are experiencing the same phase of motherhood at the same time. Click HERE to find out more about The New Mom School.