Why We Started The Iowa City Moms Blog

sarakait2{Sara}

I’ll never forget the day that Kaitlyn moved into our neighborhood.  She didn’t live exactly behind me, but two doors down from that (close enough that we could talk to each other from our back yards!).  I’ll admit, my 9-year-old self played a bit of the “mean girls” role for a few months, as we “tested out” the new girl!  But, thankfully, we came to realize how awesome she was, and so began a lifetime of friendship, fun times, and eerily similar life patterns!  From 3rd grade to 12th grade, the two of us were in the same schools, and most days, spending time together before and after school, too.  During junior high, my mom coined the term “van girls” for the six of us that she drove to school each day.  (Kaitlyn and I often laugh as we realize now WE are the moms driving the kids around in the vans!)

sarakaitcollage We both ended up at the University of Iowa (best school ever) and we both fell in love with Iowa City (best city ever).  In 2007, we got married just three weeks apart, and just a few months later, we laughed as we called each other to share the same news:  we were pregnant!  Kaitlyn welcomed her first (Kaia) on August 13th and I welcomed my first (Sam) on August 22nd (2008).  Over the next six years, we would both go on to have two more littles (Kinley and Keaton for her, Cooper and Nora for me), bringing us both to “mom of three” status (which Kaitlyn will be leaving for “mom of four” status pretty soon!).  Throughout the years, we have both always either been in, around, or wishing we were in, Iowa City.  After about a year writing for the Quad City Moms Blog, I heard that Kaitlyn was moving back to the area, and I just knew that it was God telling us what we needed to do.  We needed to start the Iowa City Moms Blog!  After a long talk with my hubby Matt, one phone call to Kaitlyn (not surprisingly) confirmed that she and her husband Josh had also been talking about the same thing.  And so began our journey! 

{Kaitlyn}

In our very first blog posts, we expressed our desire to start Iowa City Moms Blog because as moms we crave community and believe that life is better shared.  Motherhood is an amazing journey, but it can also be lonely.  It helps to know that there is someone else out there who knows what you’re going through and who can say “we’re going to get through this together!”  With that in mind, it became our goal to connect Iowa City area moms to one another and to our amazing community through blog posts and events.  And we have been absolutely blown away by the response that Iowa City Moms Blog has gotten over the past 18 months!

icmbteamOne of the things we love most about Iowa City Moms Blog is our awesome Contributor Team.  We are so thankful for their willingness to share their hearts and the benefits of their experiences with all of us.  Whether it’s the latest recipe, a great kids’ activity, guides to local events, a parenting fail, or personal story, we hope you love reading their tips and encouragement as much as we do! It has been amazing to hear from so many moms that the first thing they do in the morning is head to the blog or their email to read the latest post.

It has also been incredible to see how many friendships have been started because of ICMB.  Not only have we made great new friends through this endeavor, but our readers have too! We love seeing so many women connecting at our events. And we are thrilled to see so many new friendships form through our neighborhood playgroups.  It is indescribable to know that the work we do on a daily basis is truly impacting the lives of women in our community.

Speaking of our community, you just absolutely cannot top Iowa City. Ok, so we are a little biased.  But having both gone to the University of Iowa, we know that Iowa City gets in your blood. The moment we each moved away we both started trying to figure out ways to get back here.  While it’s awesome to live here as a student, it’s even greater to be back as a mom.  And being able to share all the great things the Iowa City area has to offer with our readers is a bonus, especially with all the moms who routinely email us because they are moving into the area and are in need of advice or recommendations from local experts…aka our readers! We also love getting to know so many fantastic local business owners who are making their own stamp on Iowa City and partnering with them to bring YOU terrific events!

Best of all, we are so blessed that our work as Iowa City Moms Blog Co-Founders allows us to work from home.  It gives us the flexibility to spend time with our families and still do the work that we love…on our own schedules. We’re also thankful for the benefit of the encouragement and support from our numerous Sister Sites across the country as part of the City Moms Blog Network.  It is truly a dream come true for us to be able to do what we love and be on this journey with all of you!!

*Are you new to our Iowa City Moms Blog community? Be sure to connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest to stay up to date on all things parenting and Iowa City related!  Want to be the first to know about upcoming Iowa City Moms Blog events and playdates?  Or are you interested in how your business or organization can partner with ICMB? Send an email to info(at)iowacitymomsblog.com.

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We are having tons of fun making a difference in our local mom communities and would love to share this experience with more moms around the country! If you or someone you know might be interested in connecting moms in your community with us, jump at this opportunity to join CMBN with your own Sister Site by filling out our Start a Sister Site Information Form!

 

 

Iowa City Moms Blog
At Iowa City Moms Blog we’re a group of local moms who are passionate about connecting other moms to one another and to our community! Whether you’re an experienced mom, a newbie, expecting, or aspiring to be a mom someday, this blog is for you! Join us as we navigate this journey that is motherhood in the Iowa City area!

3 COMMENTS

  1. I love this!! I am so thankful for Iowa City Mom’s Blog… it has been a support for me personally, a great way to connect with local mom’s and helped me get my business name out there. Thanks for listening to your hearts… i have been blessed by it!

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