Meet A Mom

Psychologist Dr. Tracy Brenner, “The Camp Counselor,” is working with Maine Camp Experience on the topic of mental health in a camp-related context. She is incredibly excited to support camps, campers, camp staff, and parents to promote social emotional development, resilience, and growth for all.  We are grateful to Laurie Kaidan from Maine Camp Experience for introducing us to Dr. Tracy and allowing us to share her very helpful tips.

Dr. Alina believes that healing is multilayered and multifaceted. There isn’t a one-size fits all cure or treatment. At Whole Child Texas, our approach is slightly different from traditional medicine. We are not focused on just treating disease and symptoms; we treat the whole child by addressing all aspects of a child’s health—mind, body, emotions, spirit, family and parenting.

We could not be more excited to have our good friend, Hayley Villa as our Meet-a-Mom feature this month! Make sure you read till the end to learn more about her son Max’s condition EOE, Max is truly a hero and they are doing amazing things to help find a cure. If you want to learn more and get involved, please visit CURED Foundation.

Tracy Shevell, MD, is founder of Blue Moon Perinatal and has been a High Risk OB-GYN for 16 years. “I chose to do High Risk OBGYN because I was always drawn to the most complex cases, encompassing needs of both mother and baby,” says Dr. Shevell. But over the last five years, she’s noticed  it’s become harder to give moms-to-be and new moms all the attention and support they need and deserve. To fill the gap in care, Dr. Shevell recently launched Blue Moon Perinatal, where she can offer one-on-one sessions to clients as a “bonus doctor” to support them in conjunction with their primary OB-GYN. Her goal is to educate and empower women to advocate for themselves while increasing accessibility and support. We spoke this Dr. Shevell about this amazing new venture:

If there’s ever a time to look for new tools to center yourself, it’s January 2022. Meditation is one of the best tools out there, and not only is it naturally free, but you can do it virtually anywhere. It can even help you be a better, more patient parent. We chatted with our newest contributor Kimberly Snyder, who is a spiritual guide and meditation teacher, founder of the Solluna holistic lifestyle brand and mom of two (Emerson, 5, and Moses, 18 months), about her journey in meditation–and how you can start your own practice.

Meet, Pamela Culley, the wonderful mom behind Modishly Balloons. A local balloon design business, creating beautifully unique and fun designs for any and all your events!

Working out at home has always had some advantages—the most obvious being you don’t have to waste any time driving to a gym…or combing your hair. However, motivation can be pretty tough. “What I am hearing from clients is the lack of results, accountability, and personalization that comes with most at-home workouts causes a quick burnout and a habit of hopping from one platform to another,” shares celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser, who founded the Anna Kaiser Studios and has trained Kelly Ripa, Shakira, Alicia Keys, and Sarah Jessica Parker.  “No one is there to hold you accountable for that time so it’s easy not to show up. And we are human! People need people,” adds Anna. We asked this fitness guru  for her best tips for staying motivated while working out at home, including the essentials for a home gym and importance of finding an online community.

Skipping the booze at Thanksgiving and the parties and family gatherings that follow isn’t always easy—but always worth it if that’s your priority. Whatever your reason—from pregnancy to alcohol dependence to simple preference—for wanting to stay sober, some smart tips can help you be successful. We asked our newest contributor, Melissa Urban, Founder and CEO of Whole30 (and a mom of one!), for the advice she gives to anyone weathering the holidays sans alcohol. Plus, she shares her favorite festive mocktail, below.

Anyone else get a bit overwhelmed or maybe just skip back-to-school shopping altogether this year? We’re right there with you, and that’s why we’re partnering with Rockets of Awesome, a mom-founded kids brand that allows you to shop through a subscription service (customized to your child) or simply make a la carte purchases online. All of the clothes are super fun, as unique as our kids, and not cheesy at all. Between the convenience factor and the quality and selection, we love it, and think you will, too. We spoke to Rockets of Awesome Founder and CEO Rachael Blumenthal about her amazing brand, back-to-school picks, being a dual-entrepreneur family (her husband founded Warby Parker) and more.

Anyone else feel like staying hydrated is a constant battle? Especially as we head into summer, increasing your water intake is so crucial to your health. But if you’re not great about drinking water (hello, coffee and wine!) you should definitely try our newest obsession—Flow Alkaline Spring Water. Launched in 2015 by Tammy Eckenswiller and her husband Nicholas Reichenbach, this game-changing H20 takes hydration to the next level.