Twin Cities Mom Collective

Korean-born. Minnesota-raised. Alison is a mom of two, who stays fueled by her faith, family, friends and a love for fitness. Her journey has meant juggling different spectrums of motherhood, with a son in high school and a daughter in elementary. Age gaps like that might not be deemed the standard way, but they actually generate a lot of fun and joy! Much of her time is spent shouting and cheering on the sports sidelines, but there’s nothing she enjoys more than watching her kids do things they love. Her love language is words in written form and she eventually turned that into a career with copywriting and content writing. When she’s not busy making her house a home, you can find her brunching with friends, getting lost in her Kindle or sweating it out with the Peloton® community. You can follow her on Instagram or Facebook

Amanda Wagner lives in Edina with her husband, Austin, three girls and German Shorthaired Pointer, Breeze. She is the owner of Beaujo’s Wine Bar & Bistro at 50th & France and writer of all the things at Greenhouse Content, plus freelancer for Edina Magazine. When she isn’t working on deadline, carting around small children or overseeing the wine bar experience, she loves to spend time with family and friends, read non-fiction, listen to podcasts, workout at Burn Boot Camp and wind down with a glass of red wine (obviously).

Amber has lived in Minnesota her whole life, with a 4-year stint in Iowa for college (Go Norse!). She and her husband met while both trying to kayak for the first time. The kayaking didn’t go well, but their relationship did! They’ve been married for over 10 years and welcomed a daughter into their family through International adoption and a son and daughter through birth. Fortunate to call raising children her full-time job, Amber also works part-time for encompass Church and has a small photography business. Whenever there’s free time to be had, she enjoys getting lost in a book, savoring a cup of coffee on the front porch, or walking to the neighborhood restaurant for dinner with her husband. Amber is a recovering perfectionist, unashamed introvert, and extremely empathetic.

Amber is a soap-making, book-loving, mac-n-cheese-avoidant single mom to Mason. Amber tells Mason they are a “dynamic duo” and he believes they can do just about anything if they’re in it together. The newest season of life has brought on becoming a football mom and she is loving it with every fiber of her being. Amber works full time in the administrative office for a local library system and loves going to work every day. Amber also manages the rigorous schedule of doctor appointments and procedures that come with having a rare genetic condition. Her mantra is “live in the moment” and she intends to do so with a good cup of coffee (or wine) in hand.

I spent my ‘growing-up’ years in India, and adulting years in America! Me and my husband moved from Nagpur, India to Eden Prairie, Minnesota 12 years ago; at once falling in love with the charm that every season brings to this warm, welcoming state. I am a mother to my feisty 6 year old daughter and my equally spirited 2 year old boy. When I am not participating in their hoodlum/shenanigans, you will find me obsessing over books of all sorts. A self-proclaimed children’s book enthusiast, with a slight problem of hoarding books. I am passionate about early childhood education and developing emotional intelligence at a young age. When I am able to, I volunteer with a Non-Profit called One Life to Love. I enjoy gardening, books, coffee, and soaking in the world through my kids’ eyes. You can find me sharing tidbits about my parenting journey on Instagram @ohmycuckoolala

Nice to meet everyone! I am thrilled to be a part of the TCMC writing team! My name is Ashley Saaranen, and I live in Rosemount with my husband and our 3 kids. We have loved spending the past few months together and really enjoy spending as much time outside as we can. We have our own little backyard zoo complete with 2 German Shepherds, a cat and 6 backyard chickens. I am a 2nd grade teacher and am also a breast cancer survivor. I help lead the Minnesota chapter of the non-profit, The Breasties, which is an amazing organization that helps support and connect women affected by breast and reproductive cancers. I love being able to connect with other women and moms and have been so lucky to have a great circle of women around me helping me through life!

Hi, I'm Cammi! Born and raised Minnesota mama to a beautiful 4.5 year-old (Ivy) and wife to my Iowa-raised husband of 8 years. We recently built our forever home in Rogers. I love to spend time with Ivy by going out on adventures and trying out new crafts. In my spare time, I write for my blog, Growing Haines and post a little behind the scenes of our life on Instagram Growing Haines. I also LOVE to read (mostly chick-lit), perusing Pinterest for projects and recipes I'll save for later but rarely ever do, and decorating and celebrating allll the holidays!

Claire is a new mama who aspires to dream, encourage, create and celebrate. She believes she was put on the earth to find and create beauty, is passionate about faith and connection, and has always longed for motherhood. Her life’s anthem is ‘open hands, open heart,’ and she is constantly in awe of the grace of Jesus. Claire is happily married to her best friend, Nate, mama to her newborn son, Liam, and a dog mama to her cockapoo pup, Winston. She is a lover of red wine, a home filled with gold accents and a neutral palette, the perfect charcuterie and gathering around the table. You can follow along with her on Instagram, and through her Lifestyle Photography and Lifestyle Blog.

Danielle Venticinque is a health and wellness guru, author, actress and momprenuer. During the 2020 pandemic she founded Thrive Betterments (ThriveBetterments.com) personal growth products. The betterments are a stylish, wearable progress report that cultivates accountability and self-management. Her jewelry line empowers women to establish up to 6 daily habits of prosperity and wellness focusing on positive mindset and goal attainment. Danielle thrives in Saint Paul, MN with her husband, 2 sons and 75lbs mutt. Follow @Thrive_Betterments on IG for more wellness tips and positive vibes.

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Debbie moved to St Paul to attend the College of St Catherine a ‘few’ years ago. After graduation, she remained in the Twin Cities and pursued a CPA license and an MBA. An accountant by day and mom and wife ALL the time. Debbie now lives in Woodbury with her amazing wife and two daughters. Hockey was Debbie’s first passion in life, until having her first daughter, now she focuses on her family, her wife, her job, her blog and she still plays hockey as much as possible. Debbie and her wife are extremely passionate about equality for all and strive to share their two mom family with all, in an effort to educate others that families come in all forms. You can find Debbie on her blog, Africa’s Blog, Facebook, and Instagram.

Liz is a new mom to a smiley baby born in a global pandemic in January 2021. While new to being a mom of her own, Liz has been a practicing mental health therapist since 2013 specializing in supporting children, teens and families in the Twin Cities Community. Currently, Liz serves on the leadership team and as an outpatient therapist with Wild Tree Psychotherapy . Liz is driven by making mental health education informative, accessible and even fun through writing, teaching and presenting! Liz lives in Apple Valley and is married to Corey, Mom to Eleanor (2021) and Dog Mom to a wild but cuddly 5 pound poodle named Coco.

Emmy is a full time work-from-home mom to three kids, Lucas (4), Jonas (2), and Freyja (9 months). She has three businesses in the wedding and event industries: Posies & Poise - A wedding planning company, Alta Events Co. - A conference, meeting, & non-profit event planning company, and Revel & Flourish - A decor, design, and floral company. She loves writing and being involved in the Mom Community, and hopes to bring some insights into balancing business ownership and family life, even though she hates the word "balance". When Emmy is not working she is spending time with her husband and three non-stop kids, playing volleyball, or cheering on the Badgers.

Erin is a stay at home mom during the day, but to get a break and talk to adults, works part-time retail at night. Her four boys- husband Jakin and three sons Miles (2010), Dylan (2011) and Ronin (2014), keep her very busy, but she still has time to volunteer for the Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota as a support group leader for the south of the river area and also is involved with many resources that pertain to special needs.  Her current goals in life are to write a book, travel to Vietnam; where her dad is from, and find ways to manage health and fitness while being a busy mom. She enjoys displaying her life in pictures on Instagram, and also updates her blog when she can.

Jacquelyn has a deep appreciation that life is most often NOT linear and there will, undoubtedly, be growth + beauty somewhere along the journey. She has had a less-than-normal life and yet full and redemptive in its' entirety. She's a creative at her core; writing, building accent walls in her home by herself, and photographing + documenting her 4 sweet babies bring her the greatest joy. She married her college sweetheart and has a huge heart for adoption, authentic motherhood, pursuing and daily choosing your spouse, miscarriage/infant loss, and valuing others' stories and the journeys they are on - because, aren't we all?! Follow along @jacquelynsenske.

Jamie and her husband, John, live in the north metro with their 3 boys (ages 6, 4 and 3), and dreams of the day when they will trade in their suburban zip code for dirt roads, fields and streams so that everyday is filled with adventure, nature and wonder. She actively supports autism acceptance through Spectrum Inspired, a non profit organization that seeks to celebrate the beautiful children who live on the spectrum. She is passionate about helping people tell their stories, inspiring mamas to take care of themselves, letting kids be kids and encouraging inclusion for kids with invisible disabilities. And it shows in her photography services she provides to families, couples and small businesses.  You can connect with her at www.jamiecramble.com or  Facebook.

Jamie was born and raised in Minnesota. Being a mother is one of her greatest accomplishments. She and her husband have two little ladies that keep her striving to be the best version of herself every day. She found out along the way of motherhood that you cannot pour from an empty cup. Her own health struggles had her set out on a mission to heal and find the root cause of her symptoms. A passion unfolded as she made her own path and changed her relationship with food. This led her to complete her certification from the Nutritional Therapy Association. Changing her life with functional nutrition and transforming her mindset, she lives life from a new lens. Now a Holistic Health Coach, she helps women take back their power when it comes to and food breaking diet traditions. She does this through gut healing, transforming their mindset, empowering them, and giving them permission to create their own path for their physical and mental health. Follow her on Instagram.

I am Janna Murphy mommy to 3 beautiful little humans! Wife to my best friend Hudson. We live in Lakeville. I am a people person and love to talk. The things that make me happy are a great cup of coffee, books, magazines, music, gardening, working out, crafting and my family. I have the pleasure of staying home with my kids. I run a small business on the side that gives back to local schools and shelters. I enjoy sharing parts of my crazy world with others.

Julianna is a widowed mom to Edward (2013) and Reginald (2016). She is redefining life and finding joy again to honor her late husband, Adam. While raising a newborn, toddler, and fighting colon cancer, they lived and loved with no regrets. Julianna tries to balance grieving, parenting, and dating. She returned to work part time for a financial advisor after being a stay at home mom for nearly four years. Julianna also helps lead a local cancer caregiver support group (Cocktails and Chemo - Minneapolis Chapter). Julianna’s favorite time of the day is drinking hot coffee and eating breakfast with her boys. Her sons are the greatest gift and keep her laughing! She finds peace in traveling with girlfriends, journaling, and reading. Find more of her writing at Adam’s Pack.

Kami moved to the US when she was 17 from Guyana, South America. She currently lives south of the river with her husband of 17 years and three kids; ages 15, 12, & 5. Kami is a work at home mom that loves all creative things; she enjoys photography, cooking, crafts, and shopping at Kirkland's and Target by herself. When Kami's not working on her Family & Lifestyle blog Life With Kami and homeschooling her 3 kids, her guilty pleasure includes binge-watching Netflix and doing at-home mani. You can see her creative side on her Instagram page @lifewithkami.

Karla is a self-described travel junkie who thrives on spontaneity and is always ready for an adventure. If she could live anywhere it would be on the beach in California. In her pre-kid days, she had a career as a pharmaceutical sales rep but once her first child was born she’s hung up her sample bag to be a SAHM. Karla lives in Blaine with her high school sweetheart turned hubby, Chad, and their 4 kids along with their fluffy Bichon Frise, Hero. Chad and Karla grew up in ND. They met when Chad was a high school wrestler and she was cheering him on the side of the mat as a wrestling cheerleader. She loves sharing her life in pictures on Instagram and Facebook.

Katie has always felt like a mama. First to the children of her friends, a lifestyle family photographer, and then as a nanny. Motherhood took her by surprise one December afternoon while sitting in a doctor’s office. As a way to curb the anxieties and fears, she took to documenting her growing belly with the basic letter board. Stories and words have always been her first and favorite medium of expression. She describes herself as a little bit radical and a lotta traditional. Katie and her husband, Seth, welcomed their daughter Priscilla Anne in August 2018. Since, life hasn’t been the same in the very best kind of way. You can follow along with her @KatherineLouiseHarris, @TheJadeiteShutter and http://katherinelouiseblog.squarespace.com/.

Kelly Jo lives her life just how she writes, with lots of exclamation marks! Her Saint Paul home is filled with noise from her fantastic husband, Jon, and their four spicy kids, Owen (2007), Evan (2008), Kierstin (2010), and Calvin (2014).  She loves her family, her faith, adventure, people, meaningful conversation, the world at large, laughing, and is always armed with a good hug for someone who needs it. She often drives a different way home, just because and has more embarrassing stories than two lifetimes put together! She loves coffee, honesty and any reason to celebrate! When she is not building forts or reading books aloud as a mostly stay-at-home-mom, she can be found working part-time at her church.

Lauren lives in North Minneapolis with her husband of 14 years, John, and is a stay at home mama to daughters, Luca and Jona who joined their family through transracial adoption. She could never forget their fur babies Australian Shepherd mix, Roo and brother orange tabby cats, Lucky and Coco. An enneagram 7w8 through and through, she's always up for an adventure. She is a lover of coffee and Mexican food. A Northern girl through and through she loves spending time outside no matter the season whether it's snowboarding, cross country skiing or snowshoeing. During her free time she loves traveling internationally, trying new restaurants and exploring all the beauty the North has to offer. Current life goal includes renovating a camper van and traveling the country as a family!

Hi ! I am Madhura 🙂. I live in Maple Grove with my husband and daughter. My daughter just turned 2 so I am relatively new to parenting. I believe I am learning something new everyday as my daughter grows older. I studied Computer engineering in India and worked in US for few years before becoming a stay at home mom which I love very much. Born and raised in India and now living in Minneapolis for almost 13 years I feel my life experiences are an amalgamation of East and west. I would describe myself as inquisitive and I am always on the lookout for artistic endeavors. Currently my favorite activities include jumping in rain water puddles and making funny faces with my kiddo.

I’m Mandy! Working mom, photographer, content creator and writer. Lover of all things cozy. I spent over a decade working as a professional photographer, now I just do it for myself on my Instagram @mama.mandyb. I have two spirited daughters and an incredibly patient, wonderful husband (Jeremy) who is an executive chef in St. Paul.

Maureen loves all things global and educational and has happily settled into a career that merges both as a teacher. With her husband, Andrew, their two sons and big dog, Marlow, Maureen loves exploring the world locally and abroad. With her family, she can be found seeking adventures outside, traveling, hunting down thrifty deals, finding the best parks, discovering new global flavors, and looking for ways to be involved in their community together. She enjoys writing about her experience as a former single mom, beating cancer and her passion to raise sons who care for the world around them. Maureen is eager to inspire and encourage women from all backgrounds by seeking ways to connect them through her writing. 

Melanie lives in South Minneapolis with her husband and two kids. Besides being a stay-at-home mom, she loves writing, poetry, minimalism, art and learning about personality types. When she and her husband get a date night, they enjoy going to ballet and modern dance performances and trying out new restaurants. She is passionate about counseling and believes that self-awareness is a key to personal growth. She writes about family life and faith on her blog and likes to hang out on Instagram.

Hi friends, it’s Melissa here! Wife to one pretty stinking great guy and mama to three kids that bring me more joy, love and caffeine cravings than I knew was humanly possible! I love a good workout, broken in clothes and Autumn. But being in the kitchen with my kiddos trumps it all; creating, exploring and getting messy. I believe there is an infinite amount of value in sharing a meal around the table with the people we love, and I hope I can keep that a constant in our home forever. Most of the time you can find me blogging over at Nourished Peach, and I’m thrilled to be back here connecting with all of you at TCMB!

I’m a wife, mom and lover of burgers and fries - seriously, take me anywhere, i’ll always order the burger. I spend my days homeschooling, playing, cooking, cleaning, and doing mountains of laundry! Life with three girls (6yrs, 3yrs, 1yr) is anything but dull. There’s glitter, bows and princess dresses everywhere. Oh, but we are expecting our first boy in December so things are sure to take a turn around here! I love to write and share my faith, inspiration, the things I love and my everyday life in the hopes that women like you will be empowered to live your best life, the one you were born for. I aim to see the good in the details of my everyday and want to share with you my experiences, struggles and wins! When I’m not chasing kids and changing diapers, you can find me on a date with my amazing husband, Ryan or volunteering at my church which is like a second home to me!

Rachel is one of those rare people who has never had a cup of coffee. She gets her energy from the loves of her life: her husband, two kids, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, the Thanksgiving holiday and the beauty of Minnesota. Rachel is a writer at heart and has built a career in corporate communications. The job closest to her heart is being a mom to her active, gregarious son and sweet baby girl. Rachel aims to give and receive grace every day.

Rachel and her college sweetheart met in Indiana, spent early married life in Chicago, and now parent three children born in three different states, but since landing in their south Minneapolis neighborhood in 2017, decided with the access to good ski trails, running paths and beach side picnics, this might just be their forever home. Rachel is the curator of family adventures, builder of epic train tracks, lover of all of the library books, mixer of fancy cocktails, and writer in the in-between. You can read more from Rachel over on her blog or Instagram page. 

Sarah came to the US to pursue her BS in Business Marketing in the small town of Superior, WI. She found herself and gained new experiences there. She now resides in Minnesota. Sarah has a son who is the perfect mixture of love and peace. Writing has always been her passion, and she hopes to inspire all immigrant mothers that they, too, can do it! You can find Sarah on Instagram @itssarahslyfe or over at Sarah’s Lyfe (www.sarahslyfe.com) where she shares everything from motherhood to fashion to lifestyle.

Shannon is a writer, reader, Minnesota native, and Enneagram 1. She and her husband have always been overachievers so they kicked off this whole parenting thing by having three kids in two years. She believes firmly in the power of iced coffee, books, and pedicures. You can find her scribbling her thoughts on motherhood and life at shannonscribbles.net and see her day-in-the-life chaos over on Instagram.

Tabitha is a DONA certified birth doula and owner of Bright Earth Doula: Birth Doula Services. Tabitha has a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management and holds a variety of Associates degrees which include psychology and education. She spent 10 years in the USAF Reserves, and now enjoys serving families and spending more time at home with her son. She has been married to her husband for 9 years, they have a 3 year old son and are expecting a little girl around the end of December. Tabitha enjoys a hot cup of coffee in the morning, yoga, all things birth, DIY home projects, and baking.

Born and raised in South Florida, Teralyn and her family recently moved to Saint Paul after spending six years in Boston. She is a mom to a one year old and two year old which she describes as beautiful chaos. When she's not changing diapers or potty training, Teralyn spends her days as a global HR manager and her weekends running her blog newmomvibes.com. Teralyn is passionate about uplifting women, especially new moms by helping them be their greatest self during the magical journey of motherhood.

My name is Trista Rakow! I'm a mother to a 3-year-old son named Everett and an angel baby named Audrina. During my 20 week ultrasound, my daughter was diagnosed with Thanophoric Dysplasia, a death bearing condition. She likely passed away during labor from a rare uterine tear that nearly took my life. I've been blogging about my experience to heal and help other mammas suffering from grief. I'm a fighter and convinced that I was born with a purpose. I believe life will be what you make of it regardless of the heartache you might endure. All I ever wanted in life was a daughter, and God gave me one. I live in honor of Audrina by living passionately with gratitude. Aside from my blogging, I enjoy painting large scale murals, scrapbooking and decorating.

Hi! My name is Val or I'm also known as "MinnesotaMrsMom" (Instagram). I grew up in Wisconsin (GoPackGo) but I have enjoyed living most of my life in Minnesota. I have a handsome Husband of over 12 years, a beautiful Teenage StepDaughter and two handsome young Sons. I enjoy going on new adventures and making happy memories with my family! I also love a good belly laugh, decorating my house with each new season, hot coffee and cooking/baking. I am also a Certified StepMom Coach (yes, that's a real thing). I became a Certified StepMom Coach because I wanted to become more educated on the Step Family Life. - www.stepfamilylifecoaching.com.