Hello there! I’m Laura Spead, the author of this blog. So glad you’ve come by for a visit!

I live with my husband Mike and our three children–Caroline (5), Vivienne (3), and Harrison (2), in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. I  grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, then moved to Washington, DC for college. I lived in the DC area until COVID arrived on the scene in 2020, at which point we packed up our entire household and moved closer to family in the Sunshine State. I love the seasons, the city, and my friends in the DC area. But being in Florida, especially with my big crazy wonderful family, the gorgeous beaches, and sipping cocktails while lounging on boats or in pools–well, it’s hard to beat. And it’s delightful 🙂

About Our Family:

Mike and I got married on Amelia Island in April 2015.

We welcomed Caroline Isabella into our lives on March 14, 2017 (Pi Day!) and are thoroughly enjoying being parents to this charming little lady. We call her Sugar Bear.

Twenty short months later, on November 22, 2018 (Thanksgiving Day!), we welcomed Vivienne Kathleen into our lives. We are loving having this adorable, happy, smiley little one and are so glad she made us a family of four. We call her Vivi Kate.

And then 18 months VERY SHORT months later, on May 21, 2020, we welcomed this tiny gentleman: Harrison Matthew. He is smiley, charming, adored by his big sisters, and is the perfect grand finale to our family. We call him The Wee One and love him so!

About Mike & Laura:

Here is a little nutshell description of Mike and me (pulled from our 2015 wedding website, because I am classy like that):

A Little About Mike

(This picture is of Mike on a sailboat off the coast of Capri. Doesn’t he look deep in thought? He is in his happy place.) 

Mike hails from Lowell, Massachusetts (this is why he says “draw” instead of “drawer”). At 17, he moved to Washington, DC to attend George Washington University and has lived in the DC area ever since. Mike has attended every university in the DC area and has a collection of diplomas and alumni magazines to prove it. He now works as a Program Director for a consulting firm.

Mike’s interests include travel, cooking delicious meals for Laura to eat, hanging out with friends, and dreaming up new DIY home projects to drive Laura crazy.

Mike is good-natured, easy-going, and is usually the first to find the humor in a situation. He also takes his coffee “kid temp” and consistently loses a pair of sunglasses on every vacation.

Laura’s favorite things about Mike? He is charming, gentle, adored by children, and has a great big heart.

A Little About Laura

(This picture is of me on the Greek island Mykonos. I am looking relaxed because after hours of riding around on that thing, I’d finally found an open restroom. A fun fact about me is that I always always always have to go to the bathroom. ) 

Laura grew up in Jacksonville, Florida (which is why she talks to everyone she encounters). At 18, she moved to Washington, DC to attend American University and has lived in the DC area ever since. She has only attended one other university in the region, so she receives drastically fewer alumni magazines than Mike. She now works in communications at a non-profit.

Laura’s interests include eating delicious meals prepared by Mike, playing outside with their dog Finnegan, and visiting as many new adventurous places as her vacation days and paychecks will allow.

Laura is the Keeper of the Calendar, the Outdoors Enthusiast, and the second half of “you cook, I’ll clean.” She takes her coffee piping hot and consistently gets seasick on every vacation.

Mike’s favorite thing about Laura? She makes every day a little bit brighter for everyone around her.

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Pour a glass of wine and stay awhile. Hope you enjoy Life At Full Spead!