The mission of Milwaukee Mom is to share the real stories of real parents and these are those incredible parents whose voices and perspectives we have the honor to present to you.
Your Milwaukee Mom Writing Team
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Abbey is a wife and mother of three still finding new places and adventures with her husband after moving from Ohio to Wisconsin. A former Executive Assistant turned Stay-At-Home Mom, Abbey juggles raising two teens and a toddler simultaneously, while trying to maintain a sense of humor and drinking lots of coffee. Her husband brings to the table huge helping hands and a giant heart full of one-liners and encouraging words. Abbey enjoys painting, reading and she studied classical voice for many years. Abbey enjoys singing whenever she can, even if it is only on the short rides to school drop offs. Abbey is thrilled to share a unique parenting perspective to connect with other Moms and lift one another up on our journey of parenting.
A native of Southern California, Abby moved to Wisconsin in 2002 to attend college. Abby married her wife Beth twice; first in 2006 and then again when marriage equality passed in 2013 and she tries to celebrate both anniversaries to have twice the presents and cake. Together, Beth and Abby have three boys who have an incredible amount of energy and an uncanny ability to destroy anything nice within moments. Abby is a step and adoptive mom. Abby works fulltime in public health where she mixes working from home and traveling nationally. You can usually find Abby repairing whatever damage her children have done, sitting an airport waiting for a delayed plane or knitting on the couch.
Just a mujer trying to figure out how to juggle my responsibilities, dreams, and self care needs - working mom, wife, social entrepreneur, builder, seeker of justice.
Ammu is an Indian who has lived in Oman, multiple cities across south of India and now in Wisconsin, USA. She has a creative and entrepreneurship bug in her, because of which she started and runs her own hand block printed home décor line. Traveling, baking and being fidgety with her hands keep her sane. She lives with her husband and 1.5 year old daughter who is fiercely independent and has no sense of fear (mom blames her own genetics for it). Raising a daughter while living half way across the world from family has its challenges and sometimes we aren’t far enough.
As a Wisconsin native who grew up in Green Bay, WI (Not a Packer fan, oops). I now call Milwaukee home for the last 17 years. After traveling the world, completing enough school that I should have been a doctor and working in the fashion and retail industry since I was a teenager. I am a mother to a 7 year-old unicorn-cat obsessed vibrant girl named Emry. Working full-time in the corporate world of retail and utilizing all my creative outlets as possible. Between art, goofy dances, humorous content, home DIY, a foodie at heart and renovating anything I can get my hands on. I still needed more to fill her bucket. I love motherhood like nothing else and was thrilled at the opportunity to join a new extension of a mom tribe. When I'm not busy and get some me time, I enjoy my GNOs (Girls Night Out), organizing any cabinet or drawer and 90 Day Fiance (guilty!)
My name is Bridget Robinson. I am proud to say that I was born and raised in Milwaukee. I am a product of Milwaukee Public Schools where I first began to see words as art. My studies in sociology have allowed me to regard life as an intricate layer of experiences that influence the transfer of energy amongst people. My professional work in human resources provide me a platform to connect the dots between people and vision. My life, in essence, becomes the muse for everything that I create. I have learned to value of character, integrity, loyalty and love (the action word) above all else. My hope has always been that my work will find a way to touch others. After years of blogging and ghost writing - I'm exited to join the MkeMom contributor team. I consider myself a poet, a writer and an entrepreneur. But first and foremost, I am a mother to amazing children who inspire me daily.
Cara is a Chicago transplant who fell in love twice during her time at Marquette once with her college sweetheart, TJ, and the other with the city of Milwaukee. After a brief stint in Madison, Cara and Tj returned to the greater Milwaukee area to build their home in Waukesha with their 4 young children, Rayce, Griffin, Francesca and Luna. During the day, Cara works as a staffing specialist for a technology consulting firm. At night, you can find her on the ground in her living room surrounded by her kids and probably Star Wars toys. When she's not working or covered in children, Cara enjoys cooking, running, listening to true-crime podcasts, and participating in a good Netflix binge with her hubby.
Mom of 2.5 [Kyliegh[7yrs, 2nd grade] is my boyfriend, Sean's, daughter 🙂 Amelia is 11yrs old, 6th grade. Philip aka "Trip" is 9yrs old, 4th grade. Bambi - Chihuahua Shiba mix, Scout - grey cat. ♡ 40+hrs a week I'm a residential electrician working on new home wiring all over the state. This is a dream I only partially realized until I made it come true. It's way better than I imagined!! #LadyTradie. I love all the seasons, winter has it's obvious setbacks living in Wisco, but we make it work. In the summer months I love to play sand league volleyball, relax at home as much as possible, and when we can we go hiking. I have many places to recommend & am always open to suggestions!! I'm a serious overthinker, sometimes to my demise. But I'm getting better. Life is chaos, but spontaneity has its perks. Laughter is key, momma bear when I need to be. Lead with kindness, honesty, openness. Family first & always aim to have fun!!
Courtney is most often found laughing at the latest thing her daughters did to the kitchen, or taking a photo of the newest milestone they've hit. As a SAHM, she spends her days in the fullness of parenting, but loves to create space to be intentional about having a vibrant marriage and creative outlets too! You'll most often find her planning their next family adventure, writing about adoption (she's both an adoptee & adoptive mom!) or sharing dessert with a friend as they talk about her favorite subject of all: faith. Courtney & her husband love cultivating a home of grace, with lots of apologizing and tons of permission to come as you are. You can read more about her + her heart via her instagram at www.instagram.com/courtymclean
Emily is a lifelong Milwaukee resident and the proud mom of 1 beautiful boy here on earth and her triplets who have left earth. She has two places on the adoption triad as both an adopted person and an adoptive mother. Emily has been married to her husband, a sergeant in MPD, since 2009. She and her family love to travel both domestically and internationally. Outside of her life as a mom and wife she has been working in the field of education and disability access for as long as she can remember. Currently she is the director of a college success program for college students on the autism spectrum. Emily has taught high school special education, worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, and coordinated a college success program for students with disabilities. She is an expert in program creation and development, as well as a disability advocate and professional. She is also a licensed professional counselor and maintains a small practice specializing in working with adoptive families.
Jaclynn knows a good thing when she sees it, that’s why she and her husband, Dave, decided to raise their son and daughter in Brookfield, the same Milwaukee suburb where they grew up. After earning her English degree from UW-Madison, Jaclynn attended Marquette University Law School and worked for several years at a small Milwaukee firm practicing estate planning and elder law. When her son was born, she followed her heart and became a SAHM. She is now the mother of two, having welcomed a daughter last June. When she's not managing her family circus, you can find Jaclynn instructing or taking classes at the Barre Code. She gets major satisfaction creating and crossing things off checklists, finding treasures at Goodwill and sipping wine with friends. Jaclynn would be lost without her family, dessert, local breweries, books, comfy pants and the moms who have helped her navigate the labyrinth that is ‘momming’.
Jacqueline grew up in the northern suburbs of Milwaukee before going to college and playing collegiate tennis at the University of Minnesota. Before having two girls she taught 1st and 2nd grades in Milwaukee. Now she proudly fills her days entertaining and nourishing two little people's hearts and minds.
Jess is a loud laughing, extroverted, homeschooling mama to five boys, who all managed to get her flair for the dramatic. She’s passionate about slow, natural living and believes that calendars were made to be cleared and the woods were made for exploring. She’s one of those crunchy hippie mama types, sewing her own clothes and drinking green juice. But she probably also has a double shot mocha in the other hand… because five boys. Jess and her husband of 15 years live in an old Franklin farmhouse, where she also runs a business helping families find freedom in natural wellness solutions. She’s an Instagram junkie and blogs about all the things at siloandsage.com
Jess grew up near Madison and has lived in the Milwaukee area since 2013. She's a mom to four small children, who love to make crafts out of garbage, draw on walls, and make creepy, creepy masks. She also has two teenagers who live with their dad in Madison. She loves to watch them all grow to be amazing, unique humans. She spends her time outdoors with her feral little family, hiking at State Parks, camping, or visiting new parks. She also loves helping them make messes and create art... but hates the clean-up. She is a freelance writer, editor, and marketer for a living, and spends the free time she has left working on personal writing and art projects. She's involved in social justice and advocacy work and is particularly interested in LGBTQIA+ issues. She stays involved in politics and her community and is always looking for ways she can help to make a positive difference and spread awareness to inspire change. When she isn't busy with those things, she can be found binge watching Netflix, reading, listening to new music, and wasting her life on Facebook.
Kammi is a wife and a brand new mother! She welcomed her daughter, Olive, into the world 3 weeks before the pandemic shut down happened. During her quarantine, she learned the importance of a mommy tribe and finding support from other moms. Kammi was adopted from South Korea, grew up in Eau Claire, WI and moved to Milwaukee for college and has lived here ever since with her husband, Al. Outside from mommy and work duties, she loves spending her time exploring Milwaukee, trying our new restaurants, traveling, reorganizing her home for the 1,000 time and binge watching reality tv.
Kristal grew up in a small town and, as a teenager, vowed never to raise her own kids in a small town. She now lives in the North Shore and absolutely loves the small town feel. Never say never. She and her husband Dave are raising two adolescent girls, eight year old boy/girls twins, and two dogs competing for the title of “most naughty.” She taught elementary school in Milwaukee Public Schools for seven years until her first child was born. She is now a parent educator, teaching Love and Logic classes and seminars, as well as doing individual in-home Parent Coaching. Her goal is to help adults build strong relationships with the children in their lives to help the children grow into successful adults. When she’s not teaching, coaching, or volunteering, she sneaks in time for yoga and writing. Her family loves to spend their vacations hiking in the National Parks.
Kristen is a coffee loving mother of two. During the week, you can find her finding fun new places to explore throughout the city and spending time outside, no matter the season. Kristen is open about her past struggles with mental health and her journey through therapy. She advocates that all people should seek help when they need it. Kristen struggled with postpartum anxiety after the birth of her first daughter, but reached out and received excellent care. Outside of being a mom, Kristen enjoys watching The Office, thrift shopping, organizing and spending time with friends and family.
Virginia born, Milwaukee raised mama, wife and HR professional. Loves music, travel, trying new restaurants and drinking coffee until wine is socially acceptable.
Born and raised in a small town in central Wisconsin, it was always Lee Ann’s dreams to get out and explore a bigger city. After 4 years in Madison, she landed in Milwaukee where she met her now husband, Kevin. Together they have 3 small children, 5 and under. Lee Ann is strong, passionate, super sassy, kind of sarcastic, a little nerdy and loves wholeheartedly. She works as a marketing coordinator during the day and by night she’s a fun-loving mama who also enjoys playing volleyball and bowling and hanging out with her friends.
When Elizabeth moved to Milwaukee from rural Wisconsin to go to school, she didn’t plan to stay. Ten years later, she's still here, raising her young son, and she considers herself a proper city girl with a real love for Milwaukee and the people who shape it. Elizabeth is a single mom and a content developer/instructional designer, and she is upfront about the challenges and rewards of single parenthood. Elizabeth is also passionate about social justice and diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace, schools, city, and beyond. She believes that, in sharing our experiences as mothers, we create spaces to build bonds and communities that drive change and ensure a better future for all our children.
I’m a mom to a teen(14) pre-teen (12) and toddler (2) and fur mommy to our kitty, Blue. I’m married to the love of my life. I was born and raised in Milwaukee, I bought our first home, also in Milwaukee. I live off of coffee, Pepsi and Tacos. I work with kids in childcare for the last 16 years. I am also the Assistant Director at the daycare for the last 4 years. When I’m not with kids (which is close to never) I enjoy going out to the movies and dinner and reading.
Maggie has three babies – two humans she calls Eggroll and Crab Rangoon and one business called The Real Good Life. When not dividing her attention between the three, you can find her with her nose in a book, a brownie in her mouth, and a daydream in her head. She loves playing the “I went to high school with that guy” while out and about in the biggest small town there is, our Milwaukee! By physical description, Maggie is kind of middle of the pack, but watch out world when she decides to spew pontifications on life itself. Maggie considers writing her therapy and her connection to the world. She has a life goal of spending her summers in a small town in France and/or becoming the next Ina Garten, but for now her real good life is wrapped up right here in Shorewood, Wisconsin with a sprinkling of travel now and then. Got a new recipe, book suggestion, or travel recommendation for Maggie? She is Here. For. It.
Born, raised and raising in Milwaukee, Mandy is a full-time working mom that runs on faith, Diet Coke and to-do lists - not necessarily in that order. She and her Jersey boy of 14 years, Blake, are parents to the handsomest of handfuls (Cristian, 11). Armed with her Sicilian mother's sarcasm and Mexican father's temper, her Type A(-) personality is always trying to make the pieces of her puzzle fit. Always in need a margarita and a nap, Mandy is constantly trying to figure out how to make the two happen simultaneously. She is passionate about body positivity and special needs. Mandy hand-stamps jewelry to appease her crafty side, release aggression and raise money for charity. Mandy is beyond thankful to have found a community where she can share her insight, creativity and fierceness with other like-minded women on the same journey through motherhood.
Megz is a Midwest transplant from the Central Coast of CA. She lives in Muskego with her husband and their 4 young girls. Prior to being a SAHM, she was a nurse for 6 years. She’s a black-coffee drinker, shampoo-dealer, introvert, homebody, and green/ healthy living enthusiast, but above all things, she’s a true believer in faith. Her days are filled with gardening (all year long), caring for her family, managing her businesses, and loving on all her people. Radiate positivity and make her laugh… she’ll be your friend forever. The 2 things she loves most about living in WI is experiencing all 4 seasons and being around the friendliest people. The hardest thing? Probably being lactose intolerant and living in dairy land.
Nicole is a thirty-something-year-old, born and raised in Milwaukee. She has a BA in Journalism and worked in advertising for 7 years before deciding to go back to school to become a high school English teacher. She taught for another 7 years, completed her Masters degree in English Education, and became a National Board Certified teacher before starting a family. When her first was born, she decided to put teaching on hold to be a stay at home mama. She now has two little ones, a boy and a girl, Soren (born February 2018) and Stella (born September 2019), who keep her smiling and feeling young. She lives in Tosa with her family of 4 plus 2 dogs. Things she can’t live without: her hubby, good beer, coffee, books, her camera, to-do lists, travel, Netflix, and leggings. She admits to being addicted to instagram and also occasionally blogs at: www.nicoleseiler.wordpress.com
It is as a wife and mom that this relational introvert is finding the fullest of humility and confidence in challenging what she knows, embracing truth, and bringing people together in their journeys. When her path crossed with her best friend, she married him. Exploring is at the heart of the family Samantha and Kyle are raising, in emotions and potential, nature and wild life, the bustling city in all of its culture and good food, and all things magical and fey too of course. Delighted as they are when travels takes them far, Samantha and her family, born and raised in the Milwaukee area, are thankful God thought to make this great city the center of all of their adventures.
Sarah is a Black and Indigenous woman who believes that community is everything. This belief has lead her to spend the last seven years serving the public as a firefighter and EMT. As of 2020, she puts out different fires in the realms of public health, and child welfare. Oh, and of course the 'fires' that occasionally pop up at home. Her house is nestled within Milwaukee's beautiful south side and is full of kids, giggles, house plants, a dog, and four chickens. Sarah loves the outdoors, snail mail, and thinks that lemon bars are a food group.
Shann grew up in New Berlin, but moved to LA, where she did everything from being a tour guide at Universal Studios to being an extra on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Missing her family, she returned to Milwaukee to pursue her Master's Degree in Business from Marquette. After meeting her husband and starting a family, Shann decided to stay home to raise their kids. She is now mom to 6-year-old twins and an 8-year-old. When she's not buried under a pile of laundry, Shann works as a Ballet teacher. Shann also has found a passion for fundraising and premature birth awareness, after her twins were born at just 25 weeks, 5 days. She writes about her experiences as a twin and NICU mom on her blog Shann Eva's Blog.
An extroverted introvert and creative left-brainer, Shawnta is no stranger to paradoxes. A lifelong Wisconsinite, she was born in The City, bussed to The Suburbs, and raised very much in both. Shawnta and her husband met in their teens, married in their 20s, and became parents in their 30s, and built a basement Nerd Cave in their 40s. After over a decade of collecting experience and credentials in human resources and professional development, Shawnta switched gears to spend the newborn to preschool years at home with their son. During this time, she started blogging, and eventually began writing, illustrating, and publishing a series of inclusive children’s picture books. When Shawnta did reenter the workforce, she chose to work with kids rather than return to her corporate roots. Though she may be Mom to an “Only,” her early childhood and school support work gifted her with worlds of backgrounds, lifestyles, challenges, and triumphs throughout countless communities, providing further inspiration for her work as an author. On the home front, when it’s Family Time for the Sayners, their greatest hits involve outdoor cooking, road tripping, watching and playing games of all sorts, and making their way through one epic movie franchise after another.
Symphony holds a BFA and Master’s in Educational Leadership. She is passionate about art, social emotional learning and conscious parenting. She uses all of her experience of running an arts collective and time as a school principal to create meaningful experiences for her children. Recently married, she is most proud of her ability to show the intricacies of raising children within a (healthy) blended family while hosting a career driven lifestyle. In her free time she works on her visual art, reading and vlogging. MelanatedMama is a brand which takes up both digital and physical space to chronicle and highlight the everyday experiences of Melanated parents raising carefree children who will know and experience joy despite it all. She uses her blog to share with complete vulnerability and transparency with the hopes of helping to inspire other moms out there.
From an early age growing up in Milwaukee, Tif took an intense interest in the arts. Dance, writing, photography, music, theater; it all makes her heart beat a little faster. Her alma maters include Milwaukee High School of the Arts for Creative Writing and the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC for photography. Tif moved to Las Vegas after NYC where she managed a major brand store on the strip and freelanced editorial photography. She reconnected with a friend from her late teens from Milwaukee, moved back to the Midwest, and married him. Their family is complete (for now) with a passionate son, a bold daughter, a fat cat, and a smush-faced dog. Tif owns and operates two photography businesses, is working on a manuscript, and manages her household fulltime. Her versions of self care involve some sort of Mexican food and drink, the arts, fresh air, and a good friend.
Graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee left me lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do until I met the love of my life, my awe-inspiring husband, Sam. Shortly after seeing his passion for education, I knew I wanted to become a teacher and went back to school of my Masters in Education from Wisconsin Lutheran College. But wait, there's more... my passion for health and wellness quickly turned into my push to help and inspire as many women as possible. My joy in life includes moving my body, testing new recipes and including my family in as many of those activities as possible. Currently I stay home with my 6 month old son, Carter and finding new activities to enjoy with him has been quite the task. However, I am enjoying every second of time I have with him, as I know they are only small once. All in all, I'm a baking, fitness junky, green-smoothie maker but my favorite titles include, coach, wife and mom.
Tori (she/they) is a queer, nonbinary woman, intersectional feminist, dog mom, and full spectrum doula who wears her heart on her sleeve. She is also a loss mama, and hopes that one day (soon) she gets to meet her rainbow babe. Tori and her husband moved to Milwaukee in 2015 so she could finish her degree in Women's and Gender studies at UWM. They have since put down roots and started building a life and family they love.
Dedicated to bettering her community, Veraunica majored in Family, Community, and Consumer Education at UW-Madison. She is an early childhood education professional and spends time volunteering with high school students preparing them for life beyond high school. She is the mother of 1-year-old Linelle and loves every minute of being a mom. A mother, daughter, sister, friend and significant other, Veraunica wears many hats and enjoys spending time with family and friends. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” Veraunica loves watching the Food Network and looking up recipes on Pinterest.Milwaukee Mom Event Team
We couldn’t pull of the fun events we create throughout the year without our amazing Events Team! From setting up to tearing down, stuffing programs, to running raffles and everything in between…..these gals GET IT DONE.
Milwaukee Mom would like to thank Maggie of Hefferilt Photography for the fabulous headshots and team photos! Maggie specializes in Birth Photography and you will be amazed by the gorgeousness of her talent!
Past Contributor Teams
