Health & Beauty
Meet Curt
If Progressive Diagnostics (a highly coveted same day PCR-testing option) rings a bell, keep reading! In 2014, passionate about helping others, Curt Kuliga (and his wife Anna-Karin- whom he calls A-K!) founded Progressive Diagnostics, a medical technology company focused on the mental health, addiction and diagnostic testing markets. Dad of two in Westport, Curt and his wife were compelled- despite the many risks – to pivot their business to provide same-day PCR Covid-tests, and became the only mental health and addiction provider willing to treat individuals in person (and via telehealth). Curt loves to innovate – and seeing things that others may not – when It means he can help. Because of their COVID-19 testing, they have been able to contribute over $50,000 to local mental health and addiction treatment programs this year. In his spare time, Curt loves his annual trips to Sweden with his family sushi at Compo Beach, and playing sports with his kids! Thank you Curt for changing so many lives!
Have a Parents Night Out at The Lloyd Hotel!
Get away for the night with a parents night out at the Lloyd Hotel! Learn more about the hotel and why it’s the perfect getaway that isn’t too far away.
Meet the Female Executives Behind Flow Alkaline Spring Water!
Meet the Female Executives Behind Flow Alkaline Spring Water! If you’re working to drink more water this summer, you should definitely try our newest obsession, Flow. Check out our interview with co-founder and SVP of Brand Creative Tammy Eckenswiller and Chief Marketing Officer Krissie Millan. These two dynamic women (and toddler moms!) share their story and all the details of this game-changing H20, from their classic alkaline options to the new collagen-infused varieties. Plus, all about their sustainable and stylish packaging (which is also resealable, making it perfect for a diaper bag or beach tote). Go to flowhydration.com and use code MOMSNETWORK20 for 20% off your order and to find out why us moms (as well as stars like Halle Berry and Shawn Mendes!) are raving about Flow!
Meet Courtney (get ready to laugh)!
If you want to laugh, read this, and then start following @thecourtneydavis immediately! Mom to a two year old boy with a little girl on the way, Courtney is a mom by day, and comedian by night (or whenever time allows!). She wanted to be a clown as a kid, but her mom wasn’t sure that was the best career path, so she started acting, and the rest is history. Courtney is thrilled to be joining Homes for Home for their Comedy Show fundraiser on Saturday, June 12th! Courtney lives for bean and cheese burritos, loves how people know how to party in Westport, and is currently addicted to MTV’s show “Are you the One?” (which she highly recommends)! Courtney has an amazing way of making you feel like her best friend immediately, while making you laugh incessantly; we are so glad she chose Westport as her home!
Taco Tuesday! Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Crema!
Thank you to our food contributor CatwithaK Cooks for sharing this delicious plant-based taco recipe with us. Introducing new vegetables (like cauliflower) to kids can be tricky. Experts recommend serving it in a form they are familiar with (in this case, tacos). Try it for Taco Tuesday, or anytime you need a quick, nutritious meal.
Chocolate Cherry Smoothies to Start the Day!
This refreshing smoothie from Elizabeth Lim, the talented mom behind Beach Cities Moms, is an antioxidant and inflammatory powerhouse. Filled with superfoods like cherries and cacao, it can be made with any kind of milk and different types of nut butter. The best part? It tastes like chocolate covered cherries!
FIRST WAX FREE with European Wax!
Meet European Wax!! They began as a family-owned business. Since 2004, they've provided their guests with a first-class waxing experience centering around: Their proprietary Comfort Wax® Private waxing suites A crisp, clean environment And the most professionally...
Meet 21 Seeds!
Meet Kat, Nicole and Sarika – the founders of the newest female-founded tequila brand, 21Seeds. Led by three amazing moms, it’s an all-natural line of fruit and botanical-infused tequila. The first thing you need to know about 21Seeds is it’s as far from the harsh tequila shots of college bars as you can get. In fact, the company was born when filmmaker Kat Hantas started to infuse her own high-quality tequila with fresh fruits as an alternative to wine. About 10 years ago, when she found that she could no longer tolerate her nightly glass of rose or white wine, her doctor (seriously!) suggested she swap in a clear distilled spirit which would have less inflammatory organic matter. The rest is history….
Summer 2021 Re-Entry with Robin! *(and a BBQ Chicken Recipe!)
The summer is almost here! Many of us are getting out more with the rising temperatures. Allow local mom and nutritionist, Robin, to help you look and FEELyour best as you “re-enter” the world! Oh- and check out Robin’s latest BBQ Chicken Recipe for spring and summer- YUM!!!!
Sleep, Motherhood & CBD
For many moms, sleep and motherhood can feel pretty incompatible. To help moms (including herself) get better sleep, Dawn Fable, cofounder of clean CBD brand Press Pause, started to research how different cannabinoids played a part in sleep patterns. They found that CBN, a sister to CBD, can induce a sedative effect and prolong sleep times without you feeling groggy. Their research also showed that both contribute to pain relief, reducing inflammation and helping with anxiety (which also contributes to a more restful night sleep).
Introducing Terrain Health – and why It just may change (and extend!) your life!
Tired of feeling worse than you should? Bloated, lethargic, sleep-deprived, anxious? The gastroenterologist Dr. Robin Rose left a thriving practice in Wilton to found Terrain Health because she was discouraged by a broken American healthcare system that practices McMedicine — medicine that emphasizes speed and price over quality and excellence. Terrain Health focuses on treating and preventing disease by integrating advanced testing and medical technology to reveal your unique biochemical individuality.
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas not to Miss!
This Mother’s Day, we’re sharing some gift picks for all the amazing moms we know. Purchase them for any deserving mom in your life—yourself included. Happy Mother’s Day from all the moms at The Local Moms Network!
Keeping your Kids Safe from Ticks and Lyme disease
We love Spring for so many reasons, but as the warmer weather comes out, we also start thinking about ticks and Lyme disease. We spoke to a pediatric infectious disease specialist from Yale Medicine, who explains some easy ways to keep your family safe. Plus, we share one of our favorite ways to keep ticks out of our lawn—the pros at Mosquito Squad, who offer all-natural spray options as well as tick tube services. Go to www.mosquitosquad.com and use code LOCALMOMS for $75 off a season of protection!
An Autism Spotlight…from Gena Mann
April is World Autism Awareness Month, a time to listen and share and learn to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, particularly within our own communities. We had the incredible opportunity to connect with Gena Mann, a local mom of four and co-founder of Wolf and Friends, a community for special needs parents to find connection, inspiration and expert recommendations. Gena has two children with Autism (a 17 and 18 year old boy – Jasper and Felix), and in addition to being a rockstar mom, human, and educator, she is helping people every day better understand the world around us and providing a lens into a world we all will be kinder and more inclusive for having known. Thank you Gena; we are eternally grateful.
Is Your Child an Athlete? This Common Injury Is Important to Catch Early
After a long winter and a year with more limited activity, many of us are eager to see our kids get back out there, playing sports and getting much needed physical activity!! That said, if your child is an athlete, you’re probably cheering them on one minute – and the next, holding your breath that they don’t get hurt.
Have you heard of sports overuse injuries? These injuries aren’t something you can see from the stands, like a collision or a fall. They start small, and are easy for athletes to ignore at first. If you catch this type of injury early enough, they’re no big deal. But if you wait, an overuse injury can turn into something serious – in the worst case, even impacting your child’s bone growth. So if you have an athlete in your life, what should they – and you – look for?
Meet Chloe
A lifelong venture capital investor turned a recent love for working with her hands into a cookie baking company, selling her gluten-free cookie dough on Instagram (@cookiesandsteak). Having left NYC officially when the pandemic hit, Chloe (mom to eight month old Beau!) has never looked back, believing Westport to be a little slice of heaven she feels so fortunate to have found. In her free time (while not baking!), Chloe loves a good beach run, a glass of red wine, and laughing with family and friends. She was a lacrosse player in college, and now spends her days having coffee with some of the top tech entrepreneurs in the world, and her nights with her family and the cookie Dough! Nothing could be better! Welcome to Westport Chloe; we’re so thrilled to have you – and your cookie dough!
Carrot Spice Cake…you’re welcome!
Fall may have Pumpkin Spice, but this Spring, we’re all about this Carrot Spice Snacking Cake. Thank you to our contributor, CatwithaK Cooks, for sharing this gluten, butter and oil-free healthy treat!
Save the Date: Join Terrain Health on April 6th at 7pm to learn about The Gut-Brain Connection!
Join Terrain Health on Tuesday, April 6th at 7 pm EST for our Gut-Brain Connection Webinar! You don’t want to miss this fascinating discussion with Q&A on the gut-brain connection and its impact on emotions, mood, and even how we perform (on the field, in the office, or classroom)!
Meet Fabalish, a plant-based line of falafels and sauce, and their amazing founder!
Deciding what to make every night for dinner is one of the never-ending tasks of parenthood. Then, finding the time to cook whatever we decide to cook can also be a struggle. Finally, getting our kids to eat what we’ve made is hit or miss…That’s why we love Fabalish, a plant-based line of falafels and sauces! They’re premade and ready to heat, making them an instant meal-starter and time saver. They’re also super kid-friendly! We spoke to Jessica Gebel, founder of Fabalish, about her growing brand.
Gardening with Kids – Fun for All Ages!
Spring is finally here, and we couldn’t be happier to be shaking off the winter doldrums and getting outside again. Since we’re planning on still spending more time at home this spring and summer, gardening is at the top of our list. We found a fantastic new book, Gardening for Kids: Learn, Grown and Get Messy with Fun STEAM Projects, which has a ton of ways to get your kids into the dirt this season. We spoke with Washington-based author (and mom) Brandy Stone, about her book, background and her favorite tips for turning your kids into green thumbs!