Hi! My name is Lelia Jimenez-McCracken (I know…one tongue twister after another!).
I was born and raised in Queens, NY. At the age of 16, I was uprooted and dragged to White Plains, NY. Well that’s what it felt like as a junior in high school; but eventually I grew to love Westchester County and all that it has to offer. I currently reside in Fleetwood and am looking forward to moving back to White Plains this summer. I am a mama to three biological children Samira (age 11), Mila (age 2) and Mason (8 months old), and two step children which I prefer to refer to as my “bonus children,” Nahkeem (age 17) and Nalah (age 11). I have been married to my husband Eugene for four years now and we have been together almost eight.
So, based on my math skills that means that I braved the single mother waters for four years. Then I navigated transitioning from just my little girl and I to our family of three. Somehow six years flew by and in the blink of an eye baby girl was here; putting a pin in the journey of being a career mom climbing the ladder of success and rerouting me to join the stay at home mom warriors! One year later, as I was just getting my bearings, figuring out how to spread all this loving equally among my husband and now two children, I blinked again and we were welcoming a baby boy! 
I gained a lot of weight on this journey called motherhood and I was determined to drop what is commonly referred to as baby fat. Some of which I had still been carrying from my first pregnancy (I’m not sure if I should refer to it as preteen fat instead). However, I worked hard, and I accomplished what I set out to do! In doing so I learned new healthy habits which transformed my lifestyle. Now I enjoy finding quick, crafty ways to meal prep and I love to get out with my babes and get moving!
I have walked a few different paths; one as a single mom, another as a mom hitting the reset button after raising a child to the point of independence, and then starting over with two under two. However, the bumpiest road has been trying to figure out the best approach towards caring for my bonus children and learning how to be a mother to them as well.
At this point in my life I have grown to enjoy the challenges we face with the daily struggle to juggle it all. I woke up one day a couple of months ago wanting to share my fresh new positive outlook on the multitude of hats that we switch on and off as mothers. I created How Many Hatz Coaching. Designed to promote overall health and wellness; encouraging women to continue focusing on self care, personal development and growth through transformational thinking. This is an initiative near and dear to my heart which features events and meet ups geared towards carving out “me time” and making mama a priority again!
We are superwomen and I do believe that we can do anything we set our minds to! Becoming a mother has not made me lose my identity. It has given me the motivation to dig deeper and create the best version of myself. This is not just for my children who are watching my every move, but for the women who I aspire to inspire as well.
