Mommy Blogging Is Not Just an Instagram Aesthetic. It Is the Adventure of Motherhood and Journey to Self-Love.

At the front of the Gelin family is full-time content creator, mother, and wife, Kimberly, her husband Anthony, who brings the smiles, support and silliness, firstborn Alyssa, middle child and “sassy sour patch” Aaliyah, and the newest edition to the family and their first son, Udonis.

For Kimberly, she makes it look easy on Instagram. Just scroll through and you’ll find well-curated content around Target Tuesdays, meal prep, or an expertly done rendition of Little Mermaid for her kids’ Halloween this year – the perfect family Instagram portrait. 

But you’d be wrong.

“It’s not a business that happens overnight, there is more to it than just a pretty picture or a nicely edited video. It is never-ending hours with loads of things to do. You miss out on time with family, because when work is your life, everything becomes ‘work,’ so you can miss out on being in the moment,” described Gelin.

Gelin started her blog three years ago in the crossroads following the birth of her second child.

It started like this. After learning of her pregnancy with firstborn Alyssa at the onset of her junior year of college at Florida State University, Gelin powered through for her degree proving the resilience of them both. However, the postpartum depression and anxiety that ensued left her at a standstill when she learned of daughter Aaliyah's arrival a few years later.

“When I got pregnant with Aaliyah (second born), I decided I would do what my heart had been wanting and start a blogging journey where one person could relate to me, and they would feel less alone,” she reflected.

Now, a 31,000-strong community on Instagram is the beneficiary of Gelin’s inspiring journey over the years. Through this platform, she maintains it’s not so easy doing it all and revealing every aspect of your life–not just the highs but also the lows.

By the nature of her work, Gelin documented the “rollercoaster,” in her words, that was 2020. Marriage was followed by miscarriage then a new home and news of expecting her son, and third child, Udonis.

“I don’t think I have had a chance to sit and process everything and the excitement behind the good moments,” said Gelin.“However, I wake up every day grateful. Grateful, that in the middle of a pandemic my husband and I were able to purchase our first home. Grateful, that after a miscarriage, we were able to conceive again and welcome the sweetest baby boy I have ever met. Every day, I am reminded how blessed we are and try my hardest to create the memories in this home with our family of five that we will remember for a lifetime.”

Giving Back to Self

Full-time content creation, however, has its drawbacks. “It’s a very vulnerable business because you open your life to people you’ve never met,” said Gelin, adding it's a business “you need to set very strong boundaries for.”

Kimberly’s vices for when she needs a little bit of her time? An ice-cold Coca-Cola, Law & Order SVU, and a bag of self-care rituals.

“Sometimes I forget to give back to myself. One thing I try not to miss are my bi-weekly manicures/pedicures where I enjoy two hours to myself doing something that makes me feel good,” she said.

This caretaking naturally extends to her family’s health, both inside and out. “I want them to always feel their best whether that is what we apply on their skin or what they are consuming. I want the best products when it comes to our skin because our body is our temple. It’s made to protect us, so we must protect it,” she shared. This is where Evereden comes into play for the Gelin family–bringing high standards for skin she expects of brands.

Given Gelin’s sensitive skin, products like Evereden’s Golden Belly Serum (formulated for pregnant and postpartum skincare) strike the balance between safe and natural but also effective and science-backed.

“It helped me care for and lighten the appearance of my very strong stretch marks, as well as nourish my stretched skin that has protected three babies and gone through three C-sections,” Gelin shared candidly, saying she’s learned to embrace her stretch marks while admiring them “as a reminder of how much my body has given me.” She added, “My body has given me the only three people I will ever need. However, I have realized that my stomach area has to be nourished like any other part of my body, and I wasn't doing that. The serum has allowed me to nourish my fragile skin.”

If there’s one piece of advice Gelin has for all of her mom followers about self-love and confidence, it would be to “just do something for yourself – consistently.”