We’re AnnMarie and Anne, neighbors who became framily, the family you get to choose.
We’ve lived across the street from each other for seventeen years, and with no relatives nearby, we naturally became each other’s support system through every season of raising our kids.
Over the years, we’ve shared so much life together. Mountain and beach trips. Holiday dinners and Secret Santas. Birthday parties, middle school PTSO chaos, confirmations, graduations, and all the ordinary days in between.
We’ve leaned on each other through the harder moments, like caring for aging parents, navigating our own health challenges, and sending our kids out into the world. Like so many Gen X women, we’ve found ourselves in the sandwich generation, needed by both our kids and our parents. We’re just figuring it out as we go.
Hey there, friend.
Through all these years, our friendship has stayed steady and rooted. It’s the heart behind Simply2Moms and the reason this space feels so personal to us.
And we practically share the same name.
Love for simple, meaningful living.
Three kids each.
Married in the same year.
We share some fun similarities!
The idea for Simply2Moms began in 2017. AnnMarie’s oldest was already in college, and Anne’s oldest was a high school senior. We were both staring down the reality that our kids were growing up fast, and life at home was about to look very different.
Back then, Anne ran a small family photography business, and AnnMarie had an Etsy shop for custom paper crafts. Anne’s husband liked to tease that once the kids left home, she couldn’t keep calling herself a stay at home mom. It made us laugh, but it also nudged us to think about our next chapter and what kind of creative outlet we wanted.
AnnMarie loved decorating and entertaining. She was the Pinterest queen. Anne loved cooking and creating recipes. Working together felt like a natural fit, and it gave us the accountability we needed to actually bring an idea to life.
It took almost a year to launch our website because we worked on it whenever we had extra time. We didn’t know much about blogging or social media, so we learned everything from scratch. Building a website. Growing traffic. Figuring out SEO. Starting an email list. Learning how to create content people would come back for. It was a lot, but we made a great team. AnnMarie has an incredible eye for detail and design, and Anne loves tackling the behind the scenes work.
From the beginning, we built Simply2Moms around the idea that moms don’t wear just one hat. They do all the things that make a house a home. So we shared a little of everything, from recipes to seasonal decor to three full years of monthly entertaining ideas.
But over time, we noticed something. The posts that really took off were the ones about raising older teens and getting them ready for college. That’s when we realized we were stepping into a space moms truly needed, and it eventually shaped the direction of Simply2Moms today.
How Simply2Moms Began
Today, our content reflects the season we’re in and the community we serve. We strive to keep things practical, real, and encouraging. And grounded in the experiences we’re living right alongside you.
What started as a space for us to share recipes, parties, and home inspiration slowly grew into a resource for moms navigating one of the biggest transitions of their lives.
As Simply2Moms grew, so did our families, and that naturally shaped what we shared online. We were sending teens to college, moving them into dorms and apartments, and helping them navigate those first big steps into adulthood. Other moms were right there with us, looking for the same answers, and those posts quickly became our most popular ones.
Over time, our kids took all kinds of paths. Some graduated, some chose different directions, some got married, and others moved on to grad school and new careers. Each stage has brought new questions and given us new things to talk about.
Our content shifted to where Gen X moms needed the most support. College prep. Dorm essentials. Life with young adults. Empty nest changes. Simple decorating ideas that make a home feel not so empty.
As Our Kids Grew Up, So Did Simply2Moms
Simply2Moms is a place for moms who want real advice from women who’ve already lived this season and want to make it easier for you. Think of us as the big sisters who’ve walked through college prep, young adult life, and the early empty nest years, and are here to share what actually works.
We talk about the things we’ve tried with our own kids. The lessons we’ve learned the hard way.
We share the dorm essentials that made college move-in smoother. The conversations, decisions, and little moments that happen when your kids start building their own lives. And because we believe that home still matters just as much as ever, we still share simple decorating ideas and easy updates that help your space feel calm, cozy, and welcoming.
Our goal is to help you feel more prepared, more supported, and a lot less overwhelmed. If we’ve lived it or learned it the hard way, we’ll share it with you so your path feels lighter. We’re here to cheer you on, offer the shortcuts, and help you feel confident in this stage of motherhood.
The Help We Wish We Had
Hey, I’m AnnMarie.
I’m a Jersey girl who headed south years ago and found my home in North Carolina. My husband and I met in college, married soon after, and built a life centered around family and creating a home we love.
I’ve always loved decorating, entertaining, and finding great deals at my favorite home stores. Give me a room to style or a party to plan, and I’m in my happy place. I’m the one who fusses over the little details, takes a million photos, and can’t resist making things just a little extra.
Over the years, I’ve been the mom who says yes to everything at my kids’ schools. Yearbook editor, PTO board member, volunteer, event helper. Staying connected to their world has always mattered to me.
These past few years have brought some of our biggest changes. All three of our kids finished college and are stepping into adulthood. My oldest son is married and made me a Mimi, which has been the sweetest blessing. My other son moved back home to save money for a bit, and my daughter moved home after undergrad and is now in grad school becoming a school counselor. So my nest isn’t fully empty, and honestly, I love the extra time together.
Like many Gen X women, we’ve also been caring for aging parents. Supporting them through major transitions, dealing with health issues, and grieving losses has changed me and deepened my compassion for the women in this community.
Working with Anne through all of it has been such a gift. We balance each other, laugh daily, and share the same heart for helping other moms feel supported in the years when everything seems to shift at once.
I’m so happy you’re here. I hope our stories and tips make this season feel a little easier and more understood.
Meet AnnMarie
Hey y’all, I’m Anne.
I grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line in Maryland, and keep moving a little further south. My family and I have lived in North Carolina for 19 years now, and it feels like home. My husband and I met in 1992, married in 1995, and have three kids (including a set of fraternal twin girls) who’ve all grown into amazing young adults.
In the past few years, our family has moved through just about every stage of young adulthood. Our son graduated from NC State, started his career, moved out, and got married to an amazing bonus daughter. One of our daughters chose a different path outside of college, stepped into the workforce, moved into a little house we renovated, and got married too and I got a wonderful bonus son. Our other daughter finished college and has moved back home while applying to medical school. Watching them build their own lives has been the best kind of bittersweet.
Like most of Gen X, my husband and I are in the thick of the sandwich generation. We’ve helped his aging parents relocate, move into memory care, and walked through the realities of dementia and Alzheimer’s. My parents have faced some health challenges too and it’s hard to support them as much as I’d like while not living close. These years are hard, but they’ve given me a deeper understanding of what so many women our age are navigating.
Before Simply2Moms, I spent years raising kids, volunteering at their schools as a room mom, book fair chair, and PTSO board member, while also running my small portrait photography business. I’ve always loved learning new things, creating solutions, and finding practical ways to make life easier. Working with AnnMarie has been the happiest extension of that. We’re different in all the right ways and make a great team.
I’m so glad you’re here and hope you find something that makes this season of motherhood feel a little lighter.
Meet Anne
Simply2Moms has grown and changed right alongside our families, and it means so much that you’re here with us. Everything we share comes from real life. The wins, the mistakes, the shortcuts, and the lessons we’ve learned while raising teens, launching young adults, caring for aging parents, and creating homes we love.
Our hope is that this space helps you feel supported and a little more confident in whatever season you’re walking through. If we’ve lived it and found something that makes life simpler or more joyful, you can bet we’ll share it with you.
We’d love for you to stay connected.
Join us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or sign up for our email list to get weekly tips, links, and ideas. And if you ever want to reach out, you can always email us directly! Hearing from you truly means the world.
We’re cheering for you, mom to mom.
We’re So Glad You’re Here