About Leyla | Second City Mom

Hello and thanks for visiting my blog!

My name is Leyla – a Chicago mom and lifestyle blogger living in the Second City with my husband and three kids. You can find more of our adventures Instagram – @secondcitymom.  Through this blog, I hope to inspire other families to get out there and explore their cities and the world with my Chicago guides and travel adventures.

I am a working mom, a coffee addict, architecture and public art lover, and a huge Francophile. This blog has been a very fun creative outlet and hobby for me since becoming a mom. I believe motherhood is different for everyone. On the blog, I share some of thoughts on my honest motherhood moments and experiences.

I enjoy exploring the Second City (and sometimes the world – see our travels) and sharing our experiences along the way. I especially like finding the hidden gems in Chicago – public art murals/walls, architecture, and things for kids to do. This blog includes some of guides to Chicago, not only for families or moms, but for anyone living in Chicago or planning to visit. See my local’s guide to Chicago and photogenic places in Chicago.

Although I love living in Chicago, I also love traveling and exploring the world with my family.

A little background about our family

I met my husband,Charlie, in 2007 on a blind date.  We fell in love and got married in May 2011 and in March 2012 (yes, 10 months after we got married), we welcomed sweet baby Luke to the world! I am loving my roles and titles as a “mama” and wife. I never knew I had so much love to give!!!

After over three years of struggling to conceive a second child, we went from a family of three to a family of five in 2018. Yes, five!! We welcomed identical twin boys, Cruz and Levi (surprise!) in July 2018, which makes me officially a #boymom.  I thank God each day for all my boys. Life since the twins’ arrival has been chaotic, sleepless, and beautiful all at the same time. We are loving our new additions and looking forward to adventures as a family of five and and navigating life with twins.

Why I started my mom blog

I started my blog as a place to share all my photos of Luke, our adventures and our family. As a working mom in the corporate world, I wanted a place to share my creativity, photography and struggles on motherhood and “having it all”. The blog has organically grown as a resource for friends (and others) for things to do and places to see in Chicago.

Thanks for stopping by! ~ Leyla