Lila Anna Sauls

Lila Anna Sauls
19 POSTS 2 COMMENTS
Lila Anna is the happily unbalanced mother of five boys. She is an advocate for homeless families, a recovering triathlete, and a sleep deprived 40-something who doesn’t see her yoga mat enough. She was blessed enough to have three wonderful boys (Michael, 14, Colin, 12 and Aidan, 10) … then, after a seven year break and just as she turned 40, got what she calls her “buy one, get one free babies,” Heath and Graeme (now 3). Once fiercely independent, Lila Anna now relies heavily on the help, kindness and understanding of a very loyal group of friends she calls her “village.” This village allows her to dedicate her heart and time to Trinity Housing and St. Lawrence Place – the non-profit for homeless and at-risk families she leads as President/CEO – all the while managing to run a house full of baseball and football schedules and four different carpools. Lila Anna is passionate about all children, especially those living at risk or in poverty. She treats her St. Lawrence Place children as her own, and advocates for them at the State House, at City Hall, or on any given street corner. Her position at Trinity Housing gives her the chance to give homeless families and their children a voice. She has been a guest lecturer at USC and Columbia College, and has presented nationally on the topics of child poverty, education and family homelessness. She is a native of Springfield in rural Orangeburg County, home of the Governor’s Frog Jump (thus her frog tattoo), and is a graduate of USC with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She got her Master’s from Columbia College in Organizational Change and Leadership, and graduated a few weeks before giving birth to her twins. Her five boys are just like their daddy, “Saint” Brad – fun-loving, even keeled, and incredibly helpful. She enjoys cooking with the help of at least one set of small hands, running (slowly) with friends, and daydreaming about her next trip to Edisto Beach or New York City. One day she hopes to compete in triathlons again in the Athena division (thus her owl tattoo). Most of all, she loves just hanging out with her boys…all six of them. Lila Anna and her boys live in Forest Acres, where they are two blocks from the ballfield and no more than 10 minutes away from everything else. She is happy to share how she embraces her unbalance … and all the fun and love that comes with it.

3 Ways to Make St. Patrick’s Day Magical

0
St. Patrick's Day has always been a part of my life. When I was young, I hunted leprechauns. My friends and I ran around the playground at school - brown grocery bags flying behind...
The Five Important Gifts I Give Myself | Columbia SC Moms Blog

The Five Important Gifts I Give Myself

1
During this wonderful time of year we give our time, love, and a few baked goods to others in our life. Sometimes we forget about ourselves. But we shouldn't. We are just as important...

I’m Done With Halloween DIY :: Boxed Costumes Are OK With Me

0
I'm Done with Halloween DIY. I remember two Halloween costumes from my childhood. The first was a witch, complete with a pointed hat made from a small megaphone. My mama made the black dress, and...

What I’d Love From My Boys This Mother’s Day

0
Dear Sauls Boys (and I’m counting ALL of you as boys right now, even those over the age of 40), As Mother’s Day approaches there’s a lot being written about sister-wives. Seems that many of us...
The Reality of the Working Mom | Columbia SC Moms Blog

The Reality of the Working Mom

2
We working mothers get too much credit. Yes, we juggle a lot. Sure, we raise well-adjusted children. And you better believe we keep our husbands happy and our houses clean. But it’s not necessarily because we...
True Life Confessions From an Imperfect Mom | Columbia SC Moms Blog

True Life Confessions From an Imperfect Mom

0
I have a confession to make. I’m not perfect. I’m an under-slept, over-worked mother of five boys who doesn’t see her yoga mat (or husband) enough. And I do it to myself. If I get...
My Dream for Today | Columbia SC Moms Blog

My Dream for Today

0
My blogs usually start with my children. So, it wasn’t unusual to talk about this post, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as we sat around our dinner table last night. I shared with the boys...
Dear Boys, There Is a Santa Claus | Columbia SC Moms Blog

Dear Boys, There Is a Santa Claus

0
Dear Boys, There is Santa Claus. When I was young, there were Christmas seasons our family had very little. My sister, brother, and I never knew, because our hearts were so full of the holiday magic...

Why More Women Don’t Run for Office {And Why I Did}

0
Very few women run for political office. In 2015, only 20% of Congress was female. In South Carolina, my home state, the number of women serving at the state level is even lower, with women representing...
What I REALLY Learned While Eating Together as a Family - Columbia SC Moms Blog

What I REALLY Learned While Eating Together as a Family

0
Our dining room table holds our family of seven, where we eat five nights a week. It’s the only 45 minutes in our day when there’s no television, cell phones or gadgets ... it’s...
Hey, Soul Sister - CSCMB

Hey, Soul Sister…

0
I almost hit my younger sister when I was 16. I didn't throw the punch because (frankly) I was afraid she’d hit me back. Decades later we had another fight, in the middle of Times...

The Courageous Conversation

0
I went to bed Thursday night with a weight on my chest, hearing the words of a child who was the same age as my twins, basically telling her mother not to worry, that...

Before You Were Their Father, You Were My Husband…

0
Dear Brad, Before you were their father you were my husband. I married you for many reasons, and as our family has grown, that number has grown. So I want you to know sixteen years and...

Dear Boys, I Want You to Respect Women…

2
Dear Boys, I have to write this letter. By not putting these thoughts on paper, and asking you to slowly read them, I’d be doing you, as well as all the young women you will...