Mom's Guide to 'Sur-thriving' Los Angeles

Sur-thriving (verb):

A blend of surviving and thriving — it means getting through the hard days without losing your joy, finding beauty in the chaos, and building a life that feels meaningful even when resources are tight. To sur-thrive is to live with grit, grace, and a little bit of magic, especially when the odds aren’t in your favor.

Welcome to Mom’s Guide to Sur-thriving LA

Life was never meant to be just survived.

Especially not for us moms — the ones balancing city life, work, relationships, finances, and still showing up every single day for our kids.

I decided to launch this blog on Mother’s Day because, honestly, moms, you are the heartbeat of your families — and I know firsthand how challenging it is to keep that beat steady when you’re stretched thin.

Here’s the truth: being a mom is hard. Being a mom in a massive, expensive, overwhelming city like Los Angeles? Even harder. And being a single mom in LA? That’s a level of survival mode I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But here’s the twist: I’m not here to glorify struggle — I’m here to show you how I’ve found ways to sur-thrive.

What does that mean?

It means finding joy on a budget.

It means turning little moments into magic.

It means raising legends while building empires — even if that “empire” is just holding your household together today.

On this blog, I’ll be sharing:

• Honest reviews of places to take your kids without draining your wallet

• Transparent stories from my first 10 years surviving (and finally thriving) in LA

• Tips on where to save, where to splurge, and how to carve out time for you

This isn’t a glossy influencer feed pretending everything is perfect. It’s a real space — for real moms — to build community, share wisdom, and lift each other up.

So, dear moms: you are not alone. I see you, I salute you, and I invite you to join me on this journey.

Let’s sur-thrive together.

Love Always and Forever, Grace