I’m Melissa McCartney. I often tell people that even though I’m not originally from Austin, I was always meant to be here. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, but have called Austin my home now for over 2 years. My husband and I made what felt like our life’s biggest decision to sell our house, pack up our whole life, and head to Austin with no family or friends nearby. I think a lot of people can relate to this situation, as we keep hearing about the tech boom transplants and California’s mass exodus. What felt scary and unknown but equally exciting for us turned out to be one of the best decisions for our family! 

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Austin truly embodies so many things I love in life for my family and me. Endless options for tacos and bbq, great schools, outdoor activities, tons of sunshine, breweries with playscapes–and best of all, the kindest people! 

But, enough about my love for Austin. A little more about me….

I am a mom to three spunky kids. My oldest two are girls with fiery red hair that perfectly matches their personalities (ages 7 and 4). Our grand finale baby just turned 1 and he broke the mold on red hair (and our girl streak)! Most weekends you can find us anywhere that has a great patio vibe with good food and drinks. We’re social people who love to get out and explore all the amazing things Austin has to offer! 

If you ever see me out in the wild there’s a 99% chance I have an iced coffee in hand–yes, even in the winter–I dare say it’s a personality trait at this point. I am a self-proclaimed foodie and will try just about anything once. My true love language though will forever be tacos and margaritas. I am incredibly sarcastic in nature and try not to take life too seriously. My approach to parenting is right in line with the previous statement…my 7 year old may or may not be VERY good at sarcastic comebacks already. 

Austin-moms-2022-contributor-melissa-mccartneyIn my professional life I work in marketing and E-commerce, and I have worked for companies like Guess, Munchkin, and Sony Pictures. I currently work for a CPG company in the snack space (very helpful when you’ve got a lot of hungry kids, LOL). 

While you could technically classify me as a “veteran mom” I am very much just figuring it out as I go with the rest of you. Life with three kids is forever chaotic and I try to roll with the punches. I survive daily motherhood with way too many cups of coffee, H-E-B delivery, Target runs, pedicure dates, and girls’ nights! 

Keep up with me and my family @Raising_Reds and @Melissa_McCartney

Melissa McCartney
Melissa has lived in Austin for a little over 2 years now and continues to fall in love with this city every day. She is fueled almost entirely by iced coffee to keep up as a working mom to three kids ranging in age from one to seven. Her current gig is working in marketing for a snack food brand, but has worked for companies like Munchkin, Guess and Sony. On weekends you can usually find her on a patio somewhere hanging with her not-so-little fam soaking in the Texas sunshine. She has a laid-back approach to parenting, mostly because as a veteran mom she’s learned to roll with punches. She deals with the chaos of motherhood with a healthy dose of sarcasm, girls’ nights, and pedicures. Last, but certainly not least, she can never say no to any opportunity that involves tacos and margaritas.

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