{Re-Cap} 4th Annual Bloom: Moms’ Morning Out

Although it was EXTRA dreary outside, we had a warm, wonderful morning with all of you at Bloom: Our 4th annual Moms’ Morning out! This year’s event was extra-special, as we celebrated with moms around the country from over 50 of our City Moms Blog Network sister sites.  So fun!

Our Sponsors

First and foremost, we’d love to thank our sponsor 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 the amazing Dr. Gilbaugh on our expert panel this year!  He has so much knowledge to share with all of us mamas!

bloom moms' morning outThe Venue

This year’s event was held at Celebration Farms in the gorgeous Timber Frame Barn. Although the weather didn’t allow for us to venture out on the back deck, we sure did love the indoor space. The staff was fantastic to work with and the space was absolutely beautiful! If you are interested in hosting an event at Celebration Farms please visit their website or call 319-631-8116 today!

Of course, it’s not a moms’ morning out without snacks and coffee! We enjoyed pastries, fruit, and a gorgeous display of delicious mini cupcakes from a local favorite, Molly’s Cupcakes

bloom moms' morning out

The Expert Panel

Once again, the highlight of this event was our amazing expert panel, who graciously spent 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 each of them and the work they are doing in our community, click here.

Obstetrics and Gynecology:  Sarah Shaffer, DO
Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Andrea Greiner, MD
Speech-Language Pathology: Sonia Culver, MA, CCC-SLP
Midwifery: Jaci Roman, CNM
Pediatrics: Meredith Fishbane-Gordon, MD
Dentistry: Greg Gilbaugh, DDS
Children’s Therapy: Jennifer Luria, MSW, LISW
Safety and Injury Prevention: Pam Hoogerwerf, BS
Financial Planning: Jeff Rudolph, AAMS
Chiropractic: Mohamed Karim, DC, BA

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 Stead Family Children’s Hospital Safety Store: Always a popular booth, Pam and her upbeat 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 resource in our community, and we hope that you take time to visit the new Kaleidoscope Gift Shop and Safety Store within the newly constructed UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital to check out all of the amazing products they have to help you keep your family safe, healthy and happy.

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 individual providers.

Center for Disabilities and Development at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital: This is a wonderful resource available to local families and dedicated to improving the health and independence of people with disabilities and creating a life with opportunities for everyone. We were thrilled to have Jennifer Luria join us as a panelist this year! To learn more about the Center for Disabilities visit their website

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!

Enrichment Therapies: This is such an excellent organization in our community, offering enrichment programs beginning in preschool as well as specialized programs and individual therapy. Their goal is to help children achieve effective communication skills and academic success! Enrichment Therapies is moving from Coralville to North Liberty to continue serving local families; learn more here

Family & Sport Chiropractic: Our guests enjoyed chair massages courtesy of Family and Sport Chiropractic, a true treat for all mothers!  Family and Sport Chiropractic is located in North Liberty and offers a wide array of chiropractic health services, massage services, and laser treatments. The staff is friendly and attentive; check them out here

La Montessori Nurtury:  As always, we loved having La Montessori Nutury with us as their staff gave us a glimpse at an authentic Montessori environment in which our children can explore, learn, and grow. We are SO excited to celebrate their big move and expansion this summer, too! LMN will be proudly serving families with children ages 6 weeks to 5 in their new North Liberty location! Learn more on their website.

Young Living:  Special thanks to Amber, for spending the morning informing the moms about the benefits of essential oils.  If you haven’t looked into these yet, take a moment join Amber’s awesome Facebook group. She is very knowledgeable and great at helping others get started with the many uses of oils! 

It Works Global: We enjoyed many samples of the natural, plant-based health, fitness and beauty products available through It Works Global! If you thought It Works was all about that “crazy wrap thing” you’re missing out on much, much more (although that wrap really does work, too!). They truly have something for everyone and the discounts available through this local team of distributors make it easy and affordable to achieve your health and beauty goals. 

Lu La Roe: It’s always fun to browse through the newest styles available from our local LuLaRoe representative! Join this group to shop Jenny’s ever-changing inventory, get ideas on how to style your LuLaRoe pieces and keep updated on local events & happenings.

Caty + Rose Market: We may be a little obsessed with this fresh new boutique, and the two fresh newborns that they owners had in toe at our event! We love that two work-from-home moms in the area started this clothing line! The pieces exude comfort and style, can be dressed up or dressed down to make any woman feel put together, while able to tackle the day ahead. All designs are original and brought to you by area mothers, Mary & Jenny! Shop here and follow them on Facebook here.

Emily Jia Photography:  Emily specializes in newborn, child, family, high school seniors, and maternity photography in Iowa City, Coralville, and surrounding areas.  Emily is a mother herself and has a talent for capturing stunning natural moments. 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!)

Kay Family Chiropractic: Dr. Kayla Davis and Dr. Sadie Arens are chiropractors serving North Liberty and the surrounding communities. Family is the focus at Kay Family Chiropractic, PLLC. They frequently welcome entire families–in fact, their youngest patient was a new born baby that was less than one week old! If you need a pediatric chiropractor or just need to target your unique needs, check this out here

Jamberry: We were graced by the wonderful #DawnoftheJams this year. She shared her favorite nail wraps and offered a quick and easy tutorial on how to properly apply them!  Dawn is full of great tips for how make sure your nails and toes are looking their very best! Learn more and shop here

Mary Kay: Local mother and Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay, Aleasha treated us to samples and endless advice on how to take care our skin and embrace our natural beauty! This company has so much to offer and Aleasha is fabulous at helping you find the perfect items to keep your skin looking healthy and gorgeous! Contact her for a custom facial or shop here

Paparazzi: Who doesn’t love fabulous, fun, and inexpensive jewelry? We were blown away by the awesome jewelry that Holly had for us! Every item she carries is just $5… and kids items are only $1! It’s the perfect way to find affordable accessories or gifts. Find her on Facebook here and snag some for yourself.

Lil Mis Chic’s Children’s Boutique: It was a real treat to have Michelle set up a pop-up boutique at Bloom! She came all the way from Grinnell, Iowa, with loads of ADORABLE girls’ boutique clothing. The styles were on point and so were the prices. Total mom win! Check them out here

Younique: Whether you need a liquid or powder foundation, longer lashes, or a personalized skincare regimen, we know you’ll fall in love with something from Younique!  Sara and Tristan had a wonderful array of items to try or buy, and they are ready and willing to help you find the perfect products to help you feel beautiful and be YOUnique. See what we’re raving about here

Willowwind School: We loved learning about how Willowwind School strives to accomplish learning through membership in a community. This private school features classes that are multi-age and students and teachers that work together to form cross-grade partnerships in a caring, purposeful community of learners. Learn more here

Your Tanning Bar: Located in Coralville (and also in Cedar Rapids), Your Tanning Bar offers an alternative to the traditional tanning beds with their custom organic 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! Book appointments online and be sure to follow their Facebook page for updates!

Prairie Green School: This is wonderful and unique non-profit school that provides the Iowa City area with a year-round holistic schooling option for children ages 3-12.  Prairie Green School aims to graduate happy, independent, creative individuals who work well with others. Learn more here

The Photos

Special, special thanks to our photographer for the Moms’ Morning Out, Emily Jia.  She does amazing work and captured the action and all the fun! 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!

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 “Mama” tote (courtesy of the City Moms Blog Network). 

bloom moms' morning out event recap

Check out all of our amazing swag and raffle sponsors here:

The Family Dental Center

Mila Christina Cashmere for Babies

Snuggle Me

Massage Heights

E-cloth

GoGo Squeeze

Milkies by Fairhaven Health

Lille Baby

Adeva Salon

Iowa Children’s Museum

Downward Dog Yoga

Your Tanning Bar

La Montessori Nurtury

UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital

Riverside Casino and Resort

Christ the King Preschool

9Round

Mary Kay

Order Up

Enrichment Therapies

It Works!

Younique

Valentus

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 our Executive Team for all of their help before, after, and during the event! 

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!


 

Sara
Sara and her husband Matt (sweethearts since they were just 16) got married in 2007, and since then have welcomed four beautiful children (Sam in 2008, Cooper in 2010, Nora in 2012, and Adam James in December 2015). A born-and-raised Iowan, Sara received both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees (in Spanish Literature) from the University of Iowa. She's still teaching Spanish wherever and whenever she can, but her true passion is owning Iowa City Moms and building this community alongside her amazing team. Sara is also the Community Engagement Coordinator for City Mom Collective, and the owner of Cowork Collective downtown Iowa City. Common denominator in all of these jobs: community, community, community.

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