Molly Mesnick
Molly Mesnick is best known for her time on the ABC hit television show, The Bachelor.  In 2009, she appeared on season 13 and won the heart of bachelor Jason Mesnick.  A year later, Molly and Jason were married on a televised ABC special, The Bachelor: Jason and Molly‘s Wedding.

Molly and Jason reside just outside of Seattle, WA with their two kids – Riley and Ty.  From TV to radio, Molly is now the co-host of the morning show on 106.1 KISS FM – Bender and Molly in the morning.

Also, before we get started, I just had to take a minute to gush about her daughter Riley’s 2nd birthday party! It was Minnie Mouse themed, and it was absolute perfection! Not one detail was overlooked, it was simply magical. I highly suggest you take a glimpse into this special day, take a look right here

How many children do you have? What inspired their names?
I have a step-son Ty, who is 10 and a daughter Riley, who just turned 2! I’ve always loved the idea of a multi-gender name, and Riley was always my #1 for a girl…so when she was born, there was no question that this would be her name! I wish I had a better story than that, but it was purely out of love for the name.  Her middle name is Anne, after both mine and Jason’s grandmothers.

What’s your favorite way to spend time with your family?We love taking the kids to the pool! We belong to a health club that has both an indoor and outdoor pool, so it gives us a great excuse to get out, get active and get away from the TV and video games!

Are there any children’s brands you find yourself buying over and over again?
For children’s apparel, I cannot get enough of Zara!  I love the idea of taking women’s styles and simply shrinking them down, which is what Zara does.  As far as baby “gear” is concerned, I tell every expectant mom to look into the Orbit G2 travel system.  It was, hands down, the greatest piece of gear we had for Riley.  The ease of snapping her from the carseat base, straight to the stroller is unbeatable, and I love the modern design.

How has motherhood affected your personal style?
I made a promise to myself, when I got pregnant, that I wouldn’t sacrifice style just because I was a mom.  Yes, I have plenty of days where you’ll find me in yoga pants, but honestly, I feel my best when I’m all dolled up.  It makes me feel more alive, which in turn, makes me a better parent.  Sure, I try not to wear anything too complicated since I’m hauling a toddler around, but you’ll still see my rocking some heels and leather pants.

What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
I know it is so cliche, but there is nothing better than watching your little one grow and change.  Riley and Ty bring a joy to my life that I never thought was possible.  It’s unconditional love and seeing them happy makes me happy.  It’s as simple as that.

What’s the hardest thing about being a mom?
My kids are my #1 priority, and that was the biggest change for me.  I can’t be selfish anymore.  I can’t always do the things I want to do, when I want to do them because my kids’ needs come first.  Sometimes I think, wouldn’t it be nice to watch my trashy TV shows uninterrupted or how about meeting a friend for happy hour on a sunny day?
That’s how life was before kids,  but all of this said, waking up to a giggling baby girl every day and seeing Ty run around playing basketball with his friends beats that old life 10 fold.  I wouldn’t change my life for a minute.

Has your beauty routine changed at all since you’ve had kids?
I definitely have my moments where the best I can do is throw my hair up in a bun (luckily that’s kind of in style these days), but the best thing I did, as of late, was buy Riley some pretend make-up!  She’ll sit in the bathroom with me and copy everything I’m doing.  It buys me a ton of time to get myself together!  Mommies…trust me…this was a life saver!

What have you learned from your kids?
I have learned so much from my kids, but the most important thing is to be present.  These kiddos live in the moment and enjoy every ounce of what they are doing.  As adults, we take so much for granted and, many times, we are glued to our phones and computers.  I have forced myself to put the phone down and simply enjoy the little moments with the kids.  This is what will make me a good mom…being present.

What is your favorite, easy, go-to recipe that your kid(s) love?
I’ve been making the kids homemade pancakes on the weekends.  To spice it up, I’ve been adding food coloring to them!  The kids get so excited to see which color they’ll get!

Follow Molly’s Adventures: 
Twitter: @MollyMesnick
Facebook: Molly Mesnick
Instagram: MMesnick