Blue Moon Perinatal
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:
Board Games Your Family Will Love!
Having a few good board games on rotation is a great idea whether your kids are toddlers or teens. Too cold to spend much time outside? Kids home sick? Need to enforce a screen time break? Board games are a solution to all of these. Plus, they teach important life skills like taking turns, math, reasoning and reading! Of course, they’re just fun to do as a family, too. Below, we’re sharing some of the top picks from families from around The Local Moms Network!
Texas Sleepover Camp Guide
Summer camp is one of those childhood experiences that will stay with your child forever. It can be a hard decision to do a sleepover camp for the first time, so we wanted to provide you with a few of our favorites right here in Texas to check out! All of the camps listed in our Texas Sleepover Camp Guide will help your child gain valuable confidence, compile priceless memories and build lifelong friendships.
How to talk to kids about Black History Month!
February is Black History Month. If you’re looking for ways this month (and always) to celebrate Black History and have age appropriate discussions about race and racism, you’ll want to bookmark our latest interview with our psychology contributor, Reon Baird-Feldman, PhD. Below, find her smart ideas on how to use this month to get those conversations started, from her perspective not only as a psychologist but as a Black mom of two (her daughters are pictured in their Black History Month shirts!).
Frisco Area Moms Local Summer Camp Guide 2022
The Frisco Area Moms Summer Camp Guide is here to help make your process of finding the perfect camp(s) for your little ones quick and easy, with all the info you need in one place! Scroll down for a list of local day camps, sports camps, educational camps and more! You’ll find the age range for each camp, dates, sessions, special offers and how to register.
Valentine’s Day Books!
Valentine’s Day is almost here and I have the perfect read alouds focusing on love, kindness, and friendship that are packed with kid appeal! From an endearing robot searching for the meaning of love to a little girl determined to create a valentine for her entire town to a variety of tales celebrating sweet embraces, the following stories are guaranteed to give readers all the feels and stir up that excitement for Valentine’s Day.
Game Day Nachos
Take your Game Day eats up a notch with these crowd-pleasing nachos! “Everyone gets excited when you pull out a warm tray of cheesy nachos!” says Alston Calabrese, who, along with Leigh Hansen, creates recipes and shares entertaining tips on Habitual Hostess. The pineapple salsa pairs perfect with the BBQ flavors for a unique spin on nachos—which couldn’t be easier to make. “It’s really just an assembly project, so no real cooking skills are needed,” says Leigh.
Meet-A-Mom: Brooke Shields
We were thrilled to chat with Brooke about her amazing outlook on life, aging and motherhood. Plus, details of her new project, Beginning is Now, an online community of women with inspiring, informative content and a digital shop, where you can find chic and comfortable athleisure wear. Don’t miss her on January 27 on Talk Shop Live at 1:30 pm!
Discover the Benefits of iSTEAM Learning for Little Ones
The early education community is buzzing about STEAM learning and parents are eager to learn more about this educational approach. At Creative World School, we’ve been incorporating STEAM concepts in our curriculum for many years. As we explore STEAM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), we provide children with the tools and freedom they need to thrive. The Creative World School Frisco team believes in using our inquiry-based curriculum to invite children to ask questions about the world around them. This is the basis for our STEAM learning. Inquiry is the “i” in iSTEAM and encourages a student’s curiosity as he/she develops problem solving skills.
Meditation 101
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.
The Local Moms Network 2022 Sleepaway Camp Guide
Spending part of summer living independently from Mom and Dad is one of those amazing experiences that will stay with your child forever. Use our Camp & Program Guide to learn about some of the top sleepaway camp options throughout the United States as well as teen tours, educational programs and even community service opportunities. All of them will help your child gain valuable confidence, compile priceless memories and build lifelong friendships. We also have some great tips from the American Camp Association explaining 10 Things to Consider when Choosing a Summer Camp. Plus, don’t forget to order your customized labels for clothing (and everything else) to help make the summer experience easier (for both mom and kids!). Use code LOCALMOMS for 15% off your order at Mabel’s Labels!
Meet the Mom behind Modishly Balloons!
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!
Anna Kaiser’s Home Workout Motivation Tips!
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.
The Night before Christmas Cookie Sandwich
These festive ice cream sandwiches are perfect for a Christmas party—or as a new spin on milk & cookies for Santa. Thank you to Katie, the mom and recipe creator behind Witten Kitchen, for sharing!
Sober Holidays
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.
2021 Holiday Gift Guide
2021 Holiday Gift Guide So many online places to shop these days, but we wanted to share some of our favorite LOCAL holiday shopping ideas! Jump to a section:For Kids We all know we can get anything on Amazon, but let's support our local businesses this year and grab...
Elf on the Shelf Ideas!
This year, I’m helping to bring the magic of Christmas to your home with a pre-planned list of Elf on the Shelf ideas! You’ll spend under 5 minutes each evening setting up a daily surprise that will help create the best memories for your kids while keeping you sane at the same time. I’ve even taken into consideration weekends vs. weekdays and “Elf Fatigue” – this means you’ll find the easier ideas scheduled for weekdays and toward the end of the season (I’m usually over the excitement by then and you probably are too, so I’ve got you covered).
Organize Your Kid’s Toys in 5 Easy Steps
With the holidays coming up, that means more crafts, artwork, gifts….and clutter. In order to start 2022 as organized as possible, we’re taking some time over the next few weeks to organize play spaces in our homes. Whether you have babies, toddlers, or older kids, having some strategies in place can keep your home tidier, and help kids play more independently and stay engaged longer. Here are five smart tips to try:
Big Style for Babies from Rockets for Awesome!
Recently, we shared all about our favorite new kids’ fashion find, Rockets of Awesome. It is a mom-founded brand of adorable clothes that can be bought online and through their time-saving subscription model. We’re still stocking up on festive holiday looks and classic pieces from their Winter collection for kids, and were thrilled when we heard they were launching a Mini collection for babies! While we love shopping for our littlest littles, they seem to grow out of their clothes so quickly, and the subscription model is a perfect tool for keeping ahead of those size changes. We chatted with founder and mom Rachel Blumenthal about this super cute new collection:
My Green Mattress: Big Black Friday Savings and Even Bigger Health Benefits!
Recently, we shared the story of our favorite organic mattress brand, My Green Mattress, including an interview with cofounder Tim Masters. We just love how Tim and his wife Cindy launched the brand to help their young daughter (and other kids like her) who are suffering from allergies and eczema. So we were thrilled to hear that My Green Mattress is doing a *huge* Black Friday sale and offering special savings to followers of The Local Moms Network! See the exclusive offer below—and read on for four additional things to know about My Green Mattress, including the latest on their quality certified organic materials, their no-risk try-it-out policy and more about their family-owned brand.