Main Street Moms on the Move ~ 3/10/11
We’re back with more terrific features of Triad moms! We love to profile moms who are not only movers and shakers in the community, but also moms who are making a difference in their own families. If you know a mom like this, let us know! Please email me at Katie@TriadMomsonMain.com to nominate a mom on the move.
Today we are featuring a stay-at-home mom who discovered a life-changing opportunity, an enterprising and entertaining mom blogger, and a mompreneur whose inspiration not only makes her family healthier – but yours too. Intrigued? Keep reading…
Robn Sorrells
Robn is a full-time stay-at-home mom to two children (Meghan, 5, and Brandon, 3), and has lived in Greensboro for nearly 14 years. She had her daughter at age 32, so switching gears from being a full-time career woman to a full-time mommy was a big adjustment for her. After spending her first summer home with a colicky baby, she sought out other moms for social interaction and a way to stay sane! At church one Sunday she saw a flyer for a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group near her. One thing that caught her eye was the fact that they offered free childcare while the moms got together. Her first thought was, “Sign me up,” thinking what more could she want than free day care and good conversation. Little did she know her involvement with MOPS would be life-changing and her new life-line. She is now in her sixth year at MOPS and in her second year as coordinator for her group. As coordinator, she makes sure women are cared for and their children are loved while they meet. They meet twice a month from September to May, and also hold playgroups, Moms’ Night Outs, and other activities. (I actually met Robn at a GSO Grasshopper game event she coordinated for her MOPS group last spring, and she did a fantastic job!) She has a team of nine women who make it all possible for 80 moms, and says the group couldn’t function without them. “MOPS has helped me become a better woman, mother, and wife,” she adds. In addition to MOPS, Robn loves to cook, read, and volunteer at her church and daughter’s elementary school. If you are seeking the same kind of interaction with other moms, Robn encourages you to check out your local MOPS group. You never know what you’ll discover!
Rebecca Subbiah
Lots of bloggers can claim social media success, but can they say they’ve developed an app for that? Triad mom and blogger Rebecca Subbiah certainly can! For over two years, Rebecca has been writing about food and recipes through herChow and Chatter blog, and is gaining quite a following. But when most food writers would think about developing a cookbook, Rebecca thought it would be more fun to develop an app for her blog to share her recipes on the iPhone, iPad or iTouch. Her app, which is available at the iTunes store online, costs 99 cents to download. Users can search recipes by dish, ingredient or cuisine, and email recipes from the app to family and friends. Rebecca is originally from Great Britain and is mom to 2 ½ year-old daughter Jasmine, with one on the way this August. For years, Rebecca worked full time as a registered dietician, but when Jasmine was born, she decided to quit the nine-to-five grind – and that’s how she discovered blogging. “Looking after Jasmine gave me more time to think creatively,” she said in an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal. “When you go to work full time and you’re busy, busy, busy, you don’t get the down time when you can think outside the box. This has been a gift for me.” Rebecca is still a registered dietician, and in addition to blogging she’s also a blog talk radio host. On top of all this, Rebecca recently launched a social media coaching business too. Food and travel are her passions, and through traveling she hopes to inspire others to try new recipes from other countries that are healthy and easy to make. Be sure to check out her blog – and app! – for new healthy recipe inspirations!
Jessica Sheedy
When Jessica learned her 32-year-old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago, she began researching causes and treatments for her sister. And while doing so, she learned a lot of the products we use everyday – from soaps, shampoos and lotions to cleaning products and even baby products – contain environmental toxins that may contribute to different types of cancers. Determined to reduce the amount of potential toxins her family was exposed to, Jessica decided to become a Chartreuse consultant, and fell in love with the company and its products. Today, Jessica, a mother of two boys (ages 7 and 5) operates www.ecosmartgirl.com – a site that shares green info and sells Chartreuse and other eco-friendly products. She also has a Facebook page called“EcoSmart Girl” where she started to share tips and links for going green and living a healthier lifestyle. Sign up for her monthly newsletter on her site and receive green tips and specials from Chartreuse! Jessica also conducts informative eco-workshops, traditional home parties, and consults with others learning to start a new business. “It’s really been an eye-opening experience and has made me realize just how unregulated ingredients in our products are. Just because it’s on the shelf at your favorite store does not mean it is safe for you and your family,” she adds. When not consulting for Chartreuse, you can find Jessica at the YMCA (Robinhood branch in W-S) most mornings where she’s busy as a personal trainer (she’s worked at the Y for nearly 11 years in various positions). And stay tuned…you’ll be hearing more from Jessica on Triad Moms on Main – including an upcoming giveaway with Chartreuse products!
Do you know a Mom on the Move? Nominate her by emailing Katie@TriadMomsonMain.com.