Main Street Moms on the Move ~ January 2016
By Katie Moosbrugger
We’re back with another great Moms on the Move feature, and today we spotlight three pretty fabulous ladies. Meet Korie, Sandy and Sarah. I’m sure you’ll find something in their profiles that you can relate to, as well as something that will inspire you.
If you know a local mom who should be profiled as a Moms on the Move, email me HERE. We’d love to get to know them!
Korie B. Beck
Sometimes you meet someone who makes you feel like you’ve know them for ages. That’s the best way to describe Korie, who I met years ago when our sons were in preschool together. Our paths have taken us in different directions, but when they cross every so often, it’s so easy to fall back in step. She’s the kind of person who is true to herself, to her friends and to her acquaintances – and most importantly – to her sons.
A mom of two (Ashe, 9, and Dax, 7), Korie has lived in the Triad for five years after moving here from Raleigh. “I feel like I have lived in the Triad forever, and I love how welcoming and warm everyone is – even if you were not born here,” she adds.
A fitness aficionado, Korie is often spotted around town at various health facilities or running and exercising around town. She started teaching fitness classes 15 years ago and fell in love with the Les Mills brand of classes. Today, she teaches at both Wake Forest University and Golds Gym.
Additionally, Korie works part time as a student recruitment specialist with National Heritage Academies, specifically Forsyth Charter Academy and Summerfield Charter Academy). And when she is not working or exercising, Korie enjoys volunteering at her sons’ school, cooking, playing with her boys (especially skateboarding), or meeting friends at River Birch Lodge – her favorite go-to-place!
Korie was adopted when she was seven months old, and had the chance to meet her biological parents when she was 19. She says growing up with such supportive parents has helped her recognize the value of family. “My greatest accomplishments are my two children. They have truly made my life complete!”
Sandy Harper
I’m excited to feature someone whose name is probably recognizable to all of you who read TMoM regularly. Sandy is a frequent guest blogger on our site and you can find all her past blogs HERE. She is married to her “amazingly supportive husband” Jack, and together they are raising Noah (2 ½) and are expecting a daughter next month!
Writing for TMoM is just one of a million things Sandy does on a day-to-day basis. She is VP of Across the Horizons, a communications and marketing company that she and her sister, Suzy (also a frequent TMoM guest blogger) started. Additionally, Sandy maintains a Mary Kay business she started soon after Noah was born. She blogs for Across the Horizon as well as her own personal blog Plaid, Pearls & Toddler Stains, where she shares advice and anecdotes on everything from motherhood to fashion and recipes and kid topics. And this year, Sandy is focusing on getting her freelance articles published in magazines.
On top of writing and running two businesses – and taking care of her family – Sandy is an avid runner who also enjoys drawing and experimenting with crafts that she sees on Pinterest. “I especially love doing things that I can involve my son in, like baking, educational activities, and learning healthy eating habits and the importance of exercise.”
When asked what type of advice she can offer other moms who are juggling a busy schedule along with a busy home life, Sandy said, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. When young kids are involved, the best made plans often will have to be changed last minute. Take your ‘me time’ whenever you can get it. I try to do what I can during nap time and bedtime, but I find some of my best work time come in short spurts throughout the day, when my son’s attention is actually off of me.”
Sarah Blackwell
It’s time to feature another TMoM team member, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Blackwell! Sarah, and her husband Drew have two children (Caroline, 6, and James who is 4). She and her husband spent a brief time in Atlanta before they had children, and then moved back to NC to raise their family in their hometown of Winston-Salem.
“My kids are now walking on a lot of the same ground that my husband and I did as kids and I think that is really cool,” says Sarah. “And I love that all of our family is here with us. My kids spend a lot of time with their great grandmothers, not to mention their own grandparents, and I think that is so special.”
A stay-at-home mom, Sarah also volunteers with The Junior League of Winston-Salem and works part time in sales for TMoM. She credits The Junior League for helping to polish her professional skills after being out of the workforce for several years, and says her new role in sales (something she has never done before) has been gratifying to learn and experience despite once considering it a daunting job. (And she excels!)
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys reading, staying active in her church, spending time with friends and family, and volunteering at her children’s school. Her favorite place to explore in the Triad? Black Walnut Bottom Trail in Bethania. “I grew up right outside of Bethania on a small farm so I’m familiar with the area, but within the past few years, the town of Bethania has cleared walking trails that are great with kids. The Black Walnut Bottom Trail is about 1.5 miles, the perfect length for little legs, and it winds through woods and next to a creek and past farm land. It’s beautiful.”
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