If you browse around here for long, you'll find most of the posts are written by me, Melissa, the founder of Mommy Living the Life of Riley.  I started this blog back in February 2010 as a social and creative outlet for myself.  As a brand new stay-at-home mom, I found that I was watching way too much Maury Povich and my brain was rotting in the process.

I longed to do something which would challenge my computer skills and keep my writing skills sharp.  I also wanted to find a way to help supplement my family's income in order to ease the burden on my husband.  I couldn't be happier with the path I've taken and have been blessed to find something that I'm good at and that I thoroughly enjoy.  Who can call it work when you're doing something you love?

I'm a former Science teacher with a bachelor's degree in Genetics from Texas A&M University.  I'm married to my college sweetheart, Michael, and have a snappy, sweet and fiery little girl named Riley.  My best pal and dog of 12 years, Noel, rounds out our family and for once in my life, I feel like the white-picket fence girl I've always aspired to be.

I consider myself a jack of all trades and love knowing a little bit about everything.  I can shop like nobody's business and sniff out a bargain a mile away.  I'm an accomplished saxophone player, karaoke singer and rapper, pool player and bowler.  I love making things with my hands which is why I've dabbled in everything from wood working to scrapbooking, needlecrafts of all kinds and sewing.

Recently, I even became an inventor and both my husband and I have started our own small business together, called MCM Inventions.  Toothpaste 2 Go, the patent-pending invention currently available through Toothpaste2Go.com, allows you to convert your full-sized tube of toothpaste into as many travel-sized tubes as you need, saving both time and money.

I'm a self-taught "webmaster" and am proud to say that I designed this blog myself through painstaking research and plenty of experimentation.  I love learning and hope that I'm able to stay busy and active as long as I live, both physically and mentally.  I'm a firm believer that life is what you make it and that attitude and outlook are everything.

+Melissa Cleaver
+Mommy Living the Life of Riley!
[email protected]