Lifestyle
Meet the Moms behind The Granola Bar!!
Meet Dana and Julie, the dynamic duo behind The Granola Bar franchise (TGB), which began in Westport in 2013, and is now a staple across much of Fairfield County! After meeting at a birthday party their daughters were at back in 2010, they launched a Granola company (O.A.T.S.), which led them ultimately to open a cafe of their dreams in their hometown! A mainstay for coffee, breakfast, lunch and now delicious CHALLAH and bakery items), it’s hard to imagine Westport without TGB! Mom (and Step-Mom) to nine kids collectively, they are inspired by their children and families, and thrive on multi-tasking and welcoming their customers on a daily basis. Fun Fact- Julie is a Nutrition Health Coach, and Dana has a degree in Nutrition! They RAVE about the show SHTISEL, love avocado, and are in bed by 10pm nightly! As regulars at TGB ourselves, we couldn’t imagine this community without It – or them!
Cobb Salad Board – YUMMMM!
Two things we’re loving right now—food boards and salads. We’ve been sort of obsessed with the gorgeous boards created by The BakerMama for awhile now. And with warmer weather, it feels nice to be turning off the oven for dinner more often, and loading up on hearty salads. This Cobb Salad Board from Maegan, the talented mom behind The BakerMama, is a great way to introduce kids to veggies they might not normally try.
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!
Spring is in Full Bloom at Easton Country Day School
Students have been working together on this transformative garden project
East Coast Nanny Agency shares Mother’s Day Poems…for Moms…from their Kids!
East Coast Nanny Agency did something pretty innovative for this Mother’s Day! Over the last month, they reached out to some nannies whom they had placed over this year. They had them work with the kids to write rhyming poems for their mom’s for Mother’s Day and asked them to send them in. They combined some of the poems here for all Moms today! Use promo code MOTHERSDAY to receive $150 off of Full Time Placements and $50 off of Part Time or Temp placements! Happy Mother’s Day!
Calling all Golfers – Don’t Miss Sip and Swing Event on May 7th!!
Want to do something different for Mother’s Day weekend or a Girls Night out? Join us for the Sip and Swing Ladies Night. It’s time to celebrate again!!
Meet Carole
Both a Westport mom AND a Westport grandmother, Carole’s interest in the law began at an early age given her large personality and willingness to express her opinions on a variety of topics! After time spent in Boston as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting serious felony cases, Carole moved into Family Law, and for 16 years has been the Co-Founder and a Partner at Broder, Orland, Murray & Demattie LLC here in Westport! Carole’s passion for what she does is her greatest strength, but also means she rarely sleeps, despite never having a cup of coffee in her life! She loves summers in Nantucket with her family, really good ice cream, cheering her grandchildren on at soccer games at Wakeman, and in another life may have been a political journalist or interior decorator! Carole understands people and the law as well as anyone, which make her a force in the field. Westport is lucky to have her!
Fitness + Health Day in Westport – Saturday, May 1st!
Join many local fitness studios for fun and rigorous outdoor exercise – held on Main Street! Other health and wellness exhibits will be there too, to help you be proactive about your wellness in 2021.
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.
Kitchen Fun with Ring’s End!
Raise your hand if you spent more time in your kitchen during the past year than ever before! The meal and snack prep is never ending and our kitchens have been challenged to keep up with the excessive use and extra traffic. If you are finding your kitchen is in need of renovation or replacement, Ring’s End can help. With 8 kitchen showrooms designed to inspire and help guide you in making decisions for your kitchen project, plus the talent and expertise of their Kitchen designers, you can feel confident you’re doing the best for your family.
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?
Expert Tips for Managing Toddler Tantrums!
Anyone else feel like their toddler’s tantrums have gotten more frequent, and more intense during the pandemic? We’re not sure if it’s all the extra time at home, less time at preschool or Mom’s fuse being shorter these days, but we’re hearing from a lot of friends that tantrums are getting real. So we turned to the toddler expert—Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Toddler on the Block—and asked him why they’re happening and how to stop them!
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)!
Passover Recipe Roundup!
Need some inspiration for your Passover menu? We’ve rounded up a few recipes from some of our favorites. Below, find traditional dishes (brisket, matzo ball soup) and some new twists on classic flavors (vegetarian matzo lasagna…and Manischewitz Jello Shots?!).
Why we Love Fox Pest Control
This past year more than ever, we’ve been looking for ways to simplify life and save time. One of those ways is by hiring people we trust and who care about their clients. One company we have used that meets these important criteria is Fox Pest Control—they proactively keep critters away from our home and quickly fix any problems that pop up. Use code LOCALMOMS for $75 off!