Although it was dreary outside, we had a warm, wonderful morning with all of you at Bloom: Our 3rd annual Moms Morning out! This year’s event was extra-special, as we celebrated with moms around the country from over 30 of our City Moms Blog Network sister sites. So fun!
Our Sponsors
First and foremost, we’d love to thank our co-host for the event, The Family Dental Center. As always, they are so supportive of ICMB and our mission to connect moms and families in the Corridor. And we were so lucky to have TWO of their staff members on our expert panel this year! So much knowledge to share with all of us mamas!
Another huge thanks to our title sponsors, the Corridor Vein Center. Located in Coralville, the staff at Corridor Vein specialize in varicose and abnormal veins, common both during and after pregnancy. If you or someone you know could benefit from their specialized services, make sure to check out their website or give them a call to set up a consultation.
The Venue
This year’s event was held at the beautiful University Club on Melrose Ave. in Iowa City. Although the weather didn’t allow for us to venture out on the back deck, we sure did love the indoor space! If you are interested in hosting an event at the University Club, or if you’d like to hear more about their membership programs, visit their website or call today!
The Expert Panel
Once again, the highlight of this event is our amazing expert panel, who graciously spend their Saturday morning answering all of our questions! This year’s panel did not disappoint, with some new fields of expertise and even more great questions from the audience. Thank you SO MUCH to all of the panelists who joined us; to read more about all of them and the work they are doing in our community, click here.
Maternal Fetal Medicine: Heather Anaya, DO, FACOG
Obstetrics and Gynecology: Sarina Martini, MD
Midwifery: Christina Shutters, ARNP, CNM
Pediatrics: Joseph Boysen, MD, FAAP
Dentistry: Greg Gilbaugh, DDS
Orthodontics: Dawn Stultz, DDS, MS
Pediatric Psychology: Matthew O’Brien, PhD, BCBA-D
Physical Therapy: Beth A. Dessner, PT, DPT, OCS
Safety and Injury Prevention: Pam Hoogerwerf, BS
Financial Planning: Jeff Rudolph, AAMS
The Vendor & Informational Booths
The Family Dental Center: Again, we are so grateful for the support of the Family Dental Center. Their staff is so kind and inviting, and they truly care about the moms and families in this community. If you are looking for a dentist for your little ones (or for the whole family!), check out their website or stop by for a visit!
Corridor Vein Center: We loved seeing the brave moms stop at this booth and talk to the experts about their problems with varicose veins. It is so nice to have an open, friendly atmosphere to talk about these things, without feeling rushed or embarrassed. Once again, be sure to visit their website for more information on who they are and what they can do to help you.
UI Safety Store: Always a popular booth, Pam and her staff have all of the information you could ever need about car seat safety, sleep safety, furniture safety, and more. We are SO lucky to have this organization in our community, and we hope that you take time to visit them and their store to check out all of the amazing products they have to help you keep your family safe.
UI Women’s Health: Thanks so much to UI Women’s Health for providing THREE of our amazing panelists this year. If you are looking for an OB or a midwife, they have the BEST of the best, so look no further! Check out their website for contact information and more details about their providers.
Pediatric Associates of UI Children’s Hospital: How lucky are we to live in the same town as one of the leading children’s hospitals in the nation? Special thanks to their very own Dr. Boysen for joining our panel this year, too. Pediatric Associates has a wonderful staff of doctors just waiting to meet your little ones! Check out their website here.
Edward Jones: Jeff was definitely busy at his booth, with all of the mamas asking questions about retirement, college savings, and more. What a great addition to the Moms Morning Out, as we know that this is an issue we are all thinking about! If you are interested in learning more about making plans for retirement and college savings, or any other financial questions you might have, be sure to check out their website and ask for Jeff!
Dr. Smith’s: Special thanks to our national sponsor, Dr. Smith’s, for coming to the event and sharing their amazing diaper rash products. From their tried and true cream to their new (awesome) diaper rash spray, Dr. Smith’s is a brand you can rely on for those diaper-rash days of new motherhood. Check out their website for their full list of products and details.
Massage Heights: With a room full of tired mamas, there was bound to be a long line for the complimentary chair massages! We are always grateful for the patient staff members at Massage Heights, who are there to not only help the moms feel better but also to inform them of how to maintain that pain-free living. Check out Massage Heights at the Iowa River Landing, or their brand new location in Cedar Rapids!
DoTerra: Special thanks to Shandee, who is actually a new mom to Iowa City herself! Shandee and her daughter spent the morning informing the moms about the benefits of essential oils. If you haven’t looked into these yet, take a moment to do so by clicking here. They can have wonderful calming effects on those rambunctious little ones in your house!
Haiti Mama: If you didn’t get a chance to stop by this booth (where they were serving delicious Haitian coffee!), be SURE to check out their website and read about the AMAZING work they are doing to help moms and families in Haiti. You can follow them on Facebook, too.
Your Tanning Bar: Located in Coralville (and also in Cedar Rapids), Your Tanning Bar offers an alternative to the traditional tanning beds with their airbrush services. They offer monthly memberships, as well as one-time tanning for special events. They also have accessories for sale, so there’s an added bonus when you stop in for a visit! Be sure to follow their Facebook page for updates!
Enrichment Therapies: We are always happy to see the smiling faces of the Enrichment Therapies team! This is such an excellent organization in our community, offering enrichment programs beginning in preschool as well as specialized programs for those on the autism spectrum, downs syndrome, etc. Enrichment Therapies also has some summer camps planned, so be sure to check out their website!
It Works: Have you heard of that crazy wrap thing?? If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out one of your local It Works representatives to hear more. With body and face wraps, supplement products, skin care products, and more, It Works is definitely worth checking out!
Theresa Lucin Photography: Theresa specializes in custom newborn, child, family and maternity photography in the Coralville/North Liberty area. Theresa is a mother of one who loves to run, read, and do anything crafty. Contact her via her website if you are looking for someone to take those precious family photos for you! (And be sure to tell her that ICMB sent you!)
Intact QC: Visiting from the Quad Cities, Intact QC is a non profit organization which shares research-based information on intact care and circumcision. If you are a mom of boys, or a soon-to-be mom of a boy, it’s definitely worth the read. It’s always great to be informed about all of your options in motherhood!
Noon to Midnight: Another super popular booth at the event, North Liberty-based Noon to Midnight Style Co. has adorable boutique-style women’s clothing with versatile fashion for work, play and everyday. Super soft t-shirts were definitely the hit at the Moms Morning Out, for sure! Follow Noon to Midnight on Facebook to see all of their new arrivals!
Mary Kay: We always love to see Mary Kay at the events, with their tried and true beauty products that never fail us moms! Special thanks to Laura and Lori, the beautiful smiling MK reps who joined us for the Moms Morning Out to share their favorite products with the moms. You can find more information, and order products, by clicking here.
The Photos (And Video!)
Special, special thanks to our photographer for the Moms Morning Out, Emily Jia. She does amazing work, and the video she made of the event turned out amazing! (If you haven’t watched it yet, click below!) To see more of Emily’s work and to contact her about family photo sessions, visit her website and be sure to tell her that ICMB sent you!
ICMB’s 3rd Annual Moms Morning Out from Emily Jia Photography on Vimeo.
The Flowers
The GORGEOUS tulips Heaven Scent provided for the event sure brightened up the dreary day!! And made our event smell fabulous!! Be sure to visit their floral shop for your next occasion, or just to brighten someone’s day!! Check out the arrangements they provide here.
The Swag & The Prizes!
What would any moms event be without FREE stuff?! A huge shout out to all of our swag sponsors, who sent tons of goodies and samples home with the moms, all bundled together in the adorable “Full Hands, Full Heart” tote (courtesy of the City Moms Blog Network). Check out all of our amazing swag and raffle sponsors here:
Mary Kay
Enrichment Therapies
Edward Jones
Your Tanning Bar
Massage Heights
Pediatric Associates
UI Safety Store
Theresa Lucin Photography
It Works!
Our team
A huge thanks goes out to our amazing Iowa City Moms Blog team. They are such a wonderful, supportive group of women and are an integral part of all that we do!! Special thanks to Lianna, Melissa, Becky, Nikki, and Kellie for all of their help before, after, and during the event!! XOXO!!
And THANK YOU to all of you lovely ICMB followers for braving the wind and rain to spend the morning with us! We are so grateful for each and every one of you, and we hope to see you at upcoming events as well. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for more photos from the event!
If you are interested in joining our VIP email list to be one of the first to find out about upcoming ICMB events and/or being added to one of our neighborhood playgroups, please email us at [email protected]. We can’t wait to connect with you soon!!