Milwaukee Mom

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.

Amy is originally from Brookfield, but has found her home here in Milwaukee with her husband and her two boys. Amy is passionate about all things natural, and loves essential oils, growing her own food on her hobby farm, and making her own toxic-free products. Amy is both a mental health therapist specializing in trauma, and also a high school youth minister. Amy and her her husband are dedicated to making the world a more socially just and loving place to live, and are passionate about teaching their littles how to be kind human beings.

I am a lake country native and first time mama! I have worked in the Beauty industry for over 10 years; but I become a stay at home mom when my daughter, Hazel, was born! I am the first one of my friends to have children, so the Milwaukee Moms Blog has been an amazing resource for me! I’m a recovering perfectionist and professional over thinker, I try to approach everyday as a learning experience in this ever changing world of motherhood! I am married to the love of my life, Ian! Before we were parents, I swear we were super cool and knew all about the downtown bar scene! Now, you can usually find me at wondering the isles of Target, in the drive thru line at Starbucks, or strolling around the Zoo with my little sidekick! When I get an evening to myself, I love shopping at Sephora, attending hot yoga classes, and eating pasta and ice cream with my girlfriends! I am so excited to be on this journey of motherhood with you!

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.

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

Jessica is a mama, wife and licensed psychologist. Originally from Middleton, Jessica has called Milwaukee home for over a decade and loves exploring the city with her husband and two children (ages 4+7). She is trained as a dialectical behavior therapist and has over ten years of experience supporting families, children and teenagers (her favorite age). Jessica loves her morning coffee, spending quiet time in nature, watching live theatre and connecting with other people. After several years as a full-time working mother, Jessica became burnt out and developed several stress-related health concerns. By developing a strong and intentional self-care practice, her life began to shift in ways she never imagined. Through workshops and writing, Jessica blends the science of psychology with the experience of motherhood to support women in developing strong self-care practices. For more information, visit www.drjessicalarson.com or follow her on Facebook or Instagram, @mamabe.selfcare

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Raised in the Milwaukee area, Melania has always had a heart for humans. Once upon a time a teen mom, she wings her way through motherhood with chocolate, her mom tribe, and all the love. Melania believes that labels should be twisted into good, Pinterest is a form of self-care, and Instagram is the best of social media platforms. Her days are spent balancing her career at a local non-profit, drinking chai tea, reading good books, and adventuring with her daughter, Yara.

Melissa was born and raised in Wisconsin, and when she moved away to college she swore she was never coming back. After a 10-year "tour de Midwest" which took her to Minneapolis, Kansas City and Chicago, she met her now-husband at her sisters wedding. He quickly lured her back to her home state - and he didn't have to work as hard to convince her as she'd have thought. Turns out Wisconsin was always where she belonged (if for no other reason than that she could cheer on her Packers in peace!) They now live in Cedarburg with three kids under 5 plus a Great Dane. When she's not explaining to her kids (again) why trying to ride the dog isn't a good idea, she's probably baking -- she makes custom specialty cakes for any occasion. She also loves writing on her personal blog, Mom-edy, particularly while enjoying a craft beer or good Scotch. Any spare time she can find is filled with enjoying the outdoors as much as possible (during good weather) and Netflix binges (during bad weather.) 

Michaela is a Milwaukee newbie, moving here just over three years ago with her now husband and adding a baby boy to the mix last year. She finished her education degree in Nebraska and now spends her days teaching English to a group of spirited ELL refugee middle school students from Thailand. She has previously had opportunities to teach and travel all over the world and is excited to put down roots in the beautiful city of Milwaukee. She is passionate about empowering young women and fighting for social justice. In her free time, she enjoys going on adventures outdoors when the weather isn't freezing, spending time with her main men, and a nice hot yoga class.

Wife, work from home mommy and ENFJ born and raised right in Milwaukee. After many years spent in the field of Accounting, I walked away to finally pursue my first love, writing. I became a SAHM after the birth of our son Osiris November 2018. I used this time to hone my creative writing skills. Growing up writing became a way to escape from reality and later in life - a way to inform. In my spare time, I enjoy crafting short stories and poetry. I also volunteer with two local non-profit organizations in the Greater Milwaukee area.I studied classical music at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. In 2009 I received my B.A in Liberal Studies from Alverno College. A true hippie at heart with a strong love for my family and all things spiritual. 

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

Raisa is a former physical therapist turned photographer. As a belly birth mama, she brought her first baby, Lacey, into the world by C-section in January 2018. They have been hanging out at home everyday ever since. When Raisa gets some time to herself while Lacey naps, she is running her photography business that she started in 2012. After having a difficult birth and postpartum experience, Raisa started a podcast, “Happy, Sad, And Grateful” which breaks taboos by sharing vulnerable experiences to empower moms to stop feeling ashamed about being sad or scared.

Originally from sunny Southern California, Sally hopped between Boston, New York City and Chicago before finally settling in Cedarburg this past summer with her Green Bay-native husband and their two young daughters. Prior to being a SAHM, Sally earned her graduate degrees in social work and education, and worked as a special education teacher in Chicago Public Schools. Nowadays, she is passionate about all things cooking and baking (she makes a mean egg-free sugar cookie!) and tries to find time to write on her food blog Sweet Peas and ABCs. She is still a teacher at heart and enjoys sharing her family’s food allergy journey to support other allergy families and educate those that want to learn more about food allergies. Sally feels so lucky to be able to raise her family in their newly adopted small town, with the added bonus of having the city life nearby in Milwaukee.

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 has called Milwaukee home pretty much her entire life. She enjoys the bustle and cosmopolitan offerings of the city, without the price tag and traffic headache. She has her Bachelors degree in Journalism and her Masters degree in Montessori Education. For the last eight years she has taught in the public district as a Montessori guide for children aged three to six. She thought she knew almost everything about children, until she had her own! Sarah and her husband Ben welcomed their daughter Freya in October of 2018. Besides teaching yoga to children, adults, and kittens (yes kittens!), Sarah is a "stay at home" mom, but is never home! She is out walking and seeking interesting and free things to do with her daughter daily. She enjoys gardening, yoga-ing, reading, playing piano, and brewing a constant supply of kombucha for the household.

Shel is an introvert masquerading as an extrovert. After graduating from Marquette, she immediately left for the Peace Corps and then went to work for an airline, travelling the world. The real adventure began after she returned to the States and started a family with her husband, Jim. She is now a retired fire lieutenant/paramedic after 20 years in the fire service and consults with an international disaster response group. She leads humanitarian aid response teams to Haiti, Africa, & South America as well as spending time with programs for disadvantaged in Milwaukee & other areas of the US. She & Jim have three strong-willed and intelligent daughters who are each accomplished in their own right, having traveled & worked alongside their parents through the years. 

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.

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.