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Owner & DirectorKathy Schommer is the Owner and Founder of Fargo Mom. She is a (nearly) lifelong North Dakotan, married to her college sweetheart, and has 3 rambunctious girls. Kathy is passionate about connecting moms, advocating for maternal mental health, and giving back to this wonderful community any way she can. She loves all things crafting, attempting to read books not related to parenting, and drinking hot coffee every chance she gets. When Kathy’s not attempting to work with her kids yelling in the background, you might find her at one of the local breweries or coffee bars in the area or attempting to find unique treasures at a local thrift store. To read more from Kathy's, check out her posts here.Editor + Content CreatorLeah is a true Midwesterner: born in Minnesota, educated at the University of North Dakota, and living in Fargo since 2009. She has a degree in English and spent years working as a paralegal. Leah is now a stay-at-home mom to two boys, Andrew and Sammy. She spends her free time reading, traveling, and getting a good workout in. She loves learning, music, art, coffee, the oxford comma, and is continually pursuing the elusive goal of having an organized home. To read more from Leah, check out her posts here.
FARGO MOM CONTRIBUTOR TEAM
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Alexis is happily married to her husband, Andrew, and together they share 5 sons. Born in Minnesota, Alexis followed her husband to Manhattan, NY, before returning to Fargo. A proud Latina, she believes in utilizing multi-cultural experiences to inspire other minority women to be active in their community. Alexis believes strongly in public service and living passionately through serving others. After her 3rd son, Max, passed away at 22 weeks (2014) life has never been the same, but sharing her story has helped cope with grief and honor his place in their family. Aside from writing, Alexis enjoys traveling, laughing, dancing and food. She will never turn down Starbucks, a trip to the nail salon, or the farmers market. Follow her in pictures through Instagram and connect with her online via Facebook. To read more from Alexis, check out her posts here.Amanda is a lifer of the Fargo area, growing up just across the river in Moorhead. She was a creative, chunky, little pistol of girl that got teased a lot, but she’s convinced it also made her the person she is today. She graduated from Moorhead High; then packed up her car and drove an hour away to attend college at the University of North Dakota. After 3.5 years of being a Psychology major, she decided to shake things up and try out the Communications program, which eventually brought her back home to attend Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she received her degree. Amanda worked st ad agencies and internally in marketing roles for 10 years, then decided to start her own business. Since 2012, she has been the Bodacious Brander & CEO of MSPIRE! She threw in a marriage, a divorce, lots of travel and volunteerism throughout those years too. Now, she’s with her other half Jon, who she originally met at UND (wow, life has a way of throwing you curveballs). He has two boys, David (14) and Marcus (11), so she proudly wears the title of bonus mom. Speaking of those curveballs, after battling fertility issues for decades, Amanda found out she was pregnant, with only 3% odds, and welcomed Evelyn just four days before her 39th birthday! Needless to say, life got a lot cuter and more chaotic really quick. Amanda and her significant other are both business owners, so they love spending time away from work chasing the kids to their activities, watching movies, traveling and being foodies. To read more from Amanda, check out her posts here.Anna is a Fargo native and currently practices family law. She lives in Fargo with her husband William, Goldendoodle Rory, and two children, Kensington and West. Anna is passionate about building connections in motherhood, because she didn't realize how much she needed other moms around her until she became one herself. In her free time, she enjoys cycling classes, yoga, reading, and the Green Bay Packers (even though they break her heart every year). Anna's guilty pleasures include Bravo reality TV and a good glass of Prosecco. To read more from Anna, check out her posts here.Annie is a North Dakota native and shares her life with her dreamboat husband, Tyler, and two spunky little girls, Ruby & Pippa, in Wimbledon, ND. Annie loves spending time outdoors with her family, dogs included. She is always the first one on the dance floor and often forgets she is not in college anymore. She enjoys running, playing soccer and volleyball, sipping on red wine, and bubble baths….lots and lots of bubble baths. Annie Schlecht is an occupational therapist, certified pediatric and adult sleep consultant, Reiki practitioner, and infant massage instructor. She started her own business, Zen Sleep Consulting, in 2016 after seeing a huge need in the state. Her mission is to help her clients (birth to adults) feel Zen and confident as they master the skill of sleep. Annie is serious about the work she does; yet, likes to do it with a splash (or wave) of sarcasm & humor. To read more from Annie, check out her posts here.Anthea is a Fargo native who graduated from NDSU in 2012 with degrees in Anthropology and Psychology. She loves the Fargo community and the opportunities available for her family here (but not so much the snow). Anthea is a self-described “Disney Nerd.” The movies, music, and theme parks – she loves it all! Anthea channels her love for Disney into her blog, Inspiring Magical Memories, where she shares Disney-themed recipes and crafts, Disney dinner parties, and trip planning articles for the Disney Parks. She and her husband have two daughters and a son: Aiden (2008), Gemma (2016), and Ezra (2021). With ages ranging from infant to teenager, Anthea keeps herself busy just trying to keep up with her kiddos! In the past 14 years, Anthea has seen the rules of parenting change and evolve, which just goes to show we are always learning and adapting. No parent is perfect! Which is why Anthea feels it is important for moms to have a network where they can support each other and learn from one another. Besides writing, Anthea enjoys cooking, crafting, working out, and attending community events with her family. To read more from Anthea, check out her posts here.Ashlee is a wife, mother, teacher, and infertility awareness advocate. Born and raised on a farm in south central North Dakota, Ashlee grew up learning about the true meaning of hard work, love of family, and the importance of faith. After graduating from high school, she moved to Moorhead where she would meet the love of her life and future husband, Jay. She attended MSUM where she earned her degree in English Education and began teaching in 2014. In 2018, Ashlee earned her Masters in Education from The University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. After struggling through infertility for five years, Ashlee and Jay welcomed miracle twins, Hannah and Leo, to their family in 2019. They currently reside in Horace, ND, building their dream home in 2021. Ashlee’s love of reading and writing is manifested in her work as a full-time language arts teacher at Kindred High School in Kindred, ND and as a part time online adjunct professor at the University of Mary. She also works part time as a receptionist at Scheels. Ashlee credits her ability to juggle the demands of full-time work with her part time jobs to her parents, who have always showed her the value of hard work. Ashlee is blessed to have a hands-on husband and in-laws always willing to lend a helping hand. Ashlee has a passion for sharing her infertility journey in the hopes of helping others who are experiencing it themselves. She shares about infertility and motherhood on her Instagram page. Ashlee’s personal hobbies include baking, decorating, and shopping. She and her family enjoy summer road trips, weekends at the lake, and traveling to her parent’s farm. Ashlee wishes to share with her readers the joys and challenges of life as a working mother and her experience battling infertility in the hopes of inspiring them in their own lives. To read more from Ashlee, check out her posts here.After meeting here during college, Caitlin and her husband, Tanner, settled in North Fargo and live a pretty upper-midwestern life full of trying to appreciate the small adventures. As a mom to a son born in 2017 and a daughter born in 2021, Caitlin tries to balance all of the mommy things with taking time for what makes her a human outside of being a wife and mother. Along with spending her days working as a program manager, she enjoys finding unique family experiences in the Fargo-Moorhead area, volunteering, reading, and simply being honest about the realities of motherhood in all its vehement glory. To read more from Caitlin, check out her posts here.Danielle grew up in a small, rural North Dakota town before attending university in Fargo. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and has an associate's degree in Sign Language Interpreting. She and her husband, Andrew, have been married for six years and have three beautiful kids together. Danielle decided before she had her second child to be a stay-at-home mom. While life gets insane at times, she's happy to have other stay-at-home mom friends she can share the ups and downs of parenting with. She loves to find a good deal, bake, and spend time with her family. To read more from Danielle, check out her posts here.Danielle is a born-and-raised native to Aurora, CO who recently moved from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Fargo for work and family. Extreme hot to an extremely cold climate makes for fun experiences. She has her bachelor's degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Recreation, Tourism & Hospitality and will always be there to support her Alma Mater, the University of Northern Colorado (Go Bears!), but also tries not to blend into the sea of Bison fans as a UND fan. She is married to her husband, who works in the medical field, and juggles a life of being a wife, momma to two girls and two terriers, and a full-time sales manager. Her house is never quiet, or clean with games, toys and crafting materials everywhere, but she wouldn't change it. Her goal in writing is to help keep your day light-hearted with humor about how things never go as they seem when outnumbered by children, while also sharing topics, tips, and tricks for odd and funky things. To read more from Danielle, check out her posts here.Emily is the most Norwegian Indian you will ever meet. Adopted from New Delhi, India then plunged into the frozen tundra she has called home for her entire life. She is happily married to her husband whom she met waitressing tables at their now event venue RiverHaven in Moorhead. Before becoming a mother to her two tiny humans, Taj (2015) and Revel (2017), she was a dog mom first and foremost. From as far back as she can remember, Emily had a hard time sitting still. She was constantly creating, dreaming, and living true to her little Gemini-free-spirit. Fast forward, and she never took her foot off the gas pedal. She carries a degree in Anthropology from NDSU, teaches as a sculpt fitness instructor at Mojo Fit Studios, and is a full-time Realtor at RE/MAX Legacy Realty in Fargo. Emily treats her clients like family from beginning to friend. She lives life with no regrets, and is willing to jump head-first into anything at least once. She is a family first, traveling, foodie, coffee, libation loving kind of woman who will talk your ear off, while wearing her heart on her sleeve. To read more from Emily, you can find her posts here.Erika has worked in the educational setting as a physical therapist for 17 years, after attending UND and NDSU. After recognizing difficult behaviors in her third child, she became an advanced trainer of the Nurtured Heart Approach®. Professionally, Erika is also a mentor, course-captain, and clinical instructor, and has served students in the Autism magnet program for 10 years. She recently served on the Pediatric Advisory Board for Curriculum Development at UND, and on a task force with the Department of Instruction to create the first school-based PT/OT guidelines in the state. She also is a mentor with BioGirls, leads a group of teenage boys at confirmation, leads a Girl Scout troop, and has coached baseball. For the past two Mother’s Days, Erika has hosted a Neighborhood Chalk Party, an event designed to further build relationships in neighborhoods on the principle of “it takes a village to raise a child.” She was born and raised in Hankinson, ND, and has lived in the Fargo area for over 25 years with her husband (who you may know as the radio DJ on Bob 95 FM: "Chris, John and Cori in the Morning"). Together they have four children: girl-boy-boy-girl, ages 10-16. Erika is passionate about empowering kids, preventative health, hiking, and national parks. To read more from Erika, check out her posts here.Gina is a semi-experienced parent of 15 years with her husband Andy. On any given day you can find Gina outside running with her giant lapdog, leading early morning yoga, or teaching piano. As a direct result of having teens, Gina is widely known for being super embarrassing and wildly uncool while also talking way too much. She is greatly appreciated by her family, mostly for her tasty cooking skills. At the end of every day, she feels fortunate for the good things and bad things and especially the funny things that happen when you're a parent. To read more from Gina, check out her posts here.Hannah lives in West Fargo with her husband, Tyler, and their daughter, Harper (October 2020). She was raised in East Grand Forks and spent most of her time growing up playing soccer, figure skating, and babysitting her cousins. She attended NDSU (Go Bison!) and earned her degree in Management Communication with a minor in Public Relations. After graduation, Hannah met her husband when he graciously offered to help her sweaty-self move a couch into her apartment in Bismarck. The rest was history! A few years later, after many trips across the Midwest to see each other, friends and family, Hannah and Tyler ended up in Fargo. Hannah currently serves as the Senior Marketing Specialist at a credit union in town and while she thoroughly loves her job, her favorite part of the day is picking up her daughter from daycare. When she’s not hanging out at home with Tyler and Harper, she enjoys reading, working out, golfing (when weather permits) and spending way too much time shopping. She’ll never turn down a margarita, fried pickles or a competitive card game with her large extended family. To read more from Hannah, check out her posts here.Hannah is a proud foster mom to the two most amazing kids she's ever met (ages 3 and 4) and is married to her loving husband Jordan. Originally from the Twin Cities, Hannah relocated to Fargo in 2018 and currently resides in Moorhead. Hannah works as a hospice RN and is passionate about promoting comfort, meaning, and joy across all stages of life. Her happy place is sitting next to any body of water with a hot cup of coffee and a great book. To read more from Hannah, check out her posts here.Mom, wife, sister, and aunt are Jenna's most cherished titles. She credits her hardworking, yet humorous nature to being born and raised in small town North Dakota. Jenna ventured to the Fargo/Moorhead community to pursue her degree, but loved the area so much, she never left. After many years working in the long term care field, Jenna traded her Housing Director role to become a stay-at-home mom. Nowadays you can find her alongside her husband Elliot, raising their three little girls (Beatrice, Hazel, and Charlie) in West Fargo. In her free time, Jenna enjoys playing volleyball, reading a great book, or trying a new recipe in the kitchen. Her perfect day would start with an amazing cup (or two) of coffee and be filled with as much laughter and delicious food as possible. To read more from Jenna, check out her posts here.Jessica is an American Muslim convert who became a first time mom in the middle of quarantine. She loves to spend her time reading, going out for walks and bike rides in the summer, and loves trying all the new restaurants within Fargo-Moorhead. She is currently working on her Islamic teacher certificate for Ribaat institute. She lives with her Ghanaian husband and daughter in Moorhead. To read more from Jessica, check out her posts here.Jessica has recently taken her Montana roots and re-planted them here in Fargo! She is a wife, mom (of course) to a 1 year old daughter, and a companion to her 2 dogs plus cat acquired by marriage. She spends her career time working in her passions of leadership development and connecting to others through written word. When she's not hunkered down in her basement office, you’ll find her out on her latest Fargo adventure with her daughter and dogs in tow! On her rest days, you’ll find her binging Law and Order SVU or getting tangled up in her latest knitting project! To read more from Jessica, check out her posts here.Julia was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and moved to North Dakota in December of 2007. She has been a North Fargo resident since 2015. Julia is a mother to Lara, Emma, and Tania. She is bilingual, with Spanish as her first language. Julia and her family love this community and she loves the opportunity to raise her girls here. To read more from Julia, check out her posts here.In 4th grade, Kallie sported two things: an awkward haircut and the title of “new kid.” Her family moved from Crookston to Moorhead, where she went on to graduate from Moorhead High. After graduating, she packed up and migrated south, to the Twin Cities area. There she lived with an amazing set of roommates… her grandparents! She still considers this one of the best decisions of her life. She attended one year at a community college before deciding she would venture back to Moorhead to earn a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Kallie then worked for SCHEELS at the Corporate Office where she planned photo and video shoots in the marketing department. She worked with local talent and also had the amazing opportunity to plan photoshoots for high profile athletes like Carson Wentz. She then went on to work for The Salvation Army in Fargo as the Public Relations Manager. She organized events, fundraisers, and worked closely with fantastic volunteers from the community. In 2016, Kallie made the huge decision to buy a house in Barnesville. She closed on her 25th birthday and moved in with her dog, Lily. In 2017, she began dating a long-time friend (not all love is love at first sight!) and got married in March of 2019. She and her husband, Jordan, enjoy traveling, the outdoors, live music, and finding treasures during garbage week. In March of 2020, Kallie gave birth to their oldest daughter, Olivia Jordan. Kallie is now a proud stay-at-home mom. She loves writing about thrifty living, party planning, and nurturing relationships on her blog. When Kallie bought her small, 980-square foot home she never imagined so much love would grow there. Her family eventually plans to build in the country but for now, enjoy the closeness of small living. To read more from Kallie, check out her posts here.Katina grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and played field hockey at the University of Connecticut, and has never been in as good of shape since. She met her husband, Justin, at a bar in Pittsburgh and, despite many romantic Skype dates, found a long-distance relationship to be a drag and moved to Fargo in 2010. She's a bonus mom to Justin's son, Owen (2005), and they have twins Augie and Delphi (2016) and two Great Danes, Rainy and Moose. She's a Speech-Language Pathologist, Certified Brain Injury Specialist, and ADHD Rehabilitation Services Provider who enjoys helping her patients improve their quality of life. She loves showing the world to her kids (but also seeing the world through their eyes), trying new foods, listening to live music and publicly mocking her little brother on Instagram. On most weekends, you can find her at one of her kids' many activities by day, and by night on the couch in sweats, eating a homemade charcuterie board and drinking cheap wine she bought at Costco. She still has Skype dates, but now they're with friends and family who live all over the place. To read more from Katina, check out her posts here.Laura was raised in a small town in Minnesota and moved to Grand Forks to attend UND. She received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, then moved to Fargo for her job as a process engineer. She loves the Fargo life! She is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Laura lives with her husband, Alex, and her son, Miles. She loves traveling with her family when she is not busy with her graduate studies, two dogs, and a cat. Laura loves reading, playing board games with her son, going on vacation, and spending time at the lake with her family. To read more from Laura, check out her posts here.You know the moms who bake delicious treats for school, throw Pinterest-worthy birthday parties, and have picture-perfect Christmas cards with the whole family in matching pjs? Lindsay is the exact opposite of that. What she lacks in skill and willingness to do ALL the things, she tries to replace by being present and positive. Her top priority is her family - her husband, Chris, two boys born in 2018 and 2020, and dogs, Burton and Gus. She also prioritizes herself, working as a Communications Manager for a healthcare company and staying well through exercise, gratitude, and mindfulness. Her first love is running and she has run marathons in several cities, including Boston, Chicago (which she ran pregnant with her first son), Duluth, and of course, Fargo. Her writing is often based on personal stories, with a touch of humor, and lots of honesty. She hopes all moms know how strong they are and encourages you to embrace who you are, rather than try to be who you think you should be. To read more from Lindsay, check out her posts here.Michaela, along with her husband Jarrod, raise their three young children just north of Fargo. Michaela runs Vision Events, a vision and goal planning company, is a yoga instructor, and works for Fargo Mom as the Advertising & Event Coordinator. She also loves being outside and is a pro at finding great outdoor hiking and nature spots for families around the area. Michaela hopes to inspire other moms to build businesses and be proud of their personal and professional lives. So often we as moms find ourselves being wrapped in guilt... guilt of working instead of being home with our kids, guilt of being home with our kids and not working, or guilt of being stressed and frazzled trying to do both. But, she believes there is no such thing as balance and if we love our kids and love our careers, both will turn out just fine. To read more from Michaela, check out her posts here.As a young girl, I couldn’t wait for adulthood. I imagined that it would be picnics-in-apple-orchards idyllic. The dream was that I would be the next Lucy Maud Montgomery or Louisa May Alcott, inspiring young girls with strong, female characters. I believed I’d renovate a historic home, fill it with antiques and love, and that it would always be brimming with the laughter of children and the scampering of my pets. Not all my dreams have come to fruition... yet. But I’m working on it. (I definitely have managed the laughter and scampering of pets part. I have three rather silly children and a Great Pyrenees named Clementine, a cat named Libby, and two goldfish-Sloth and Chunk.) Being a mother has been my main focus for the last two decades. Because of my husband’s demanding career, I have stayed home with my children for a good chunk of that time. My children - Parker (20), Aubrey (16), and Gracelynn (7), have now reached stages of life where they are less dependent on me, allowing me time to focus a little more on me again. In the last year, I started working in an elementary school as a tutor and Lunchroom Supervisor. I also started taking a tap class, an ASL class so that I can better communicate with my daughter (who is Hard of Hearing), and started writing for Fargo Mom. To read more from Monica, check out her posts here.Nikki is a mom to five (two living, three angels), wife, educator, library media specialist, high-school coach, writer, church go-er, and beer drinker. Born and raised in western North Dakota (where the buffaloes literally roam), she now lives just outside of Horace, ND. Nikki will always be a small-town girl at heart, but loves experiencing Fargo area events; including sporting events, bars, breweries + wineries, restaurants, and shops. To read more from Nikki, check out her posts here.Sara is a Minnesota native and currently lives in Moorhead with her handsome husband, Mike, and curious & silly son, Hudson (2016). She has worked in the fitness industry for over a decade, helping adults live healthier lives through movement. Sara travels to fitness conferences across the US providing continuing education to other fitness professionals and creating instructor training materials. Most recently, Sara has launched her own Life In Leggings virtual fitness studio where members have access to a variety of home workouts for all fitness levels. In addition to leading community members to a more active lifestyle, she serves her large direct sales team with Zyia Active. Sara lives by the motto “start messy” and believes everything is “figureoutable.” When she’s not working you can find Sara hiking with her family, traveling to Minnesota’s north shore, sipping her favorite green tea and eating peanut butter straight out of the jar. To read more from Sara, check out her posts here.Stephanie Drietz and her husband, Tom, have three boys and reside in Fargo, ND. When she is not busy chasing around three active boys, she is running her business from home, Drietz Designs, as a freelance graphic designer. Working with graphic design, she is able to produce marketing materials for a large variety of different businesses world-wide. She has been self-employed since 2011, when her first born was 6 months old. She has appreciated being able to experience the work-from-home-mom life. When she isn’t designing or learning how to raise 3 boys, she finds time to read, work-out and focus on her faith. To read more from Stephanie, check out her posts here.Traci is a mother of four kids and two pets and lives in West Fargo with her husband, Dave. She has 4 children : Nora – aged 6, as well as Harrison, Hendrik and Heath – 3 year old triplet boys. Throw in the cat Attila - age 12, and Bulldog/Lab Abe- age 11, and their house is pretty much the nonstop chaos you would imagine. To read more from Traci, check out her posts here.Trudy lives with her husband, Derek, and their three children; Oakley (2006), Jayla (2008) and Tenlee (2012), along with their golden retriever, Jax. She was born and raised in North Dakota, where small-town fun involved kick the can and playing sports. Whether watching her kids and nephews playing sports or watching on it on TV, she accredits her love of sports to her childhood. Her professional career has been providing occupational therapy services to children in the school setting, psychiatric inpatient setting and in an outpatient clinic setting. She loved building relationships with the children and families, celebrating goals and milestones. Recently Trudy changed her role at Beyond Boundaries from providing direct occupational therapy services to the Community Relations Coordinator. If you are looking for Trudy, you will find her at a sporting event, social get together, playing league volleyball, or at the lake with her family. You will not find her ice skating, rollerblading, spending hours in the kitchen or swimming in the ocean! To read more from Trudy, check out her posts here.Wasifa is a makeup-loving dentist and lifestyle blogger. She has been living in Fargo and calling it home with her husband and daughter for the last 6 years. She has been working as a blogger, chronic illness advocate and beauty consultant for a decade on her blog, Sifa's Corner. She writes on the beauty segment of Area Woman Magazine, provides consultation for North Dakota International Pageant winners and actively works with different brands to promote their business and reach out to more customers. Her purpose is to empower and encourage women to live their best lives with physical diversities and embrace their true natural selves. She is passionate about building a strong community of women where all the beauty professionals and enthusiasts in Fargo-Moorhead area can converge. When she is not working, you can find her watching baking shows on Netflix or trying a new recipe with her daughter. You can find her on Instagram and her blog, Sifa's Corner. To read more from Wasifa, check out her posts here.Whitney is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, mother of twins and Indigenous woman. She has lived in the F-M metro for the last 15 years but is originally from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Whitney is active in community efforts that promote advocacy for equity, social justice, destigmatization of mental health/substance use and establishing an inclusive community. Whitney enjoys gardening, reading, spending time outdoors and creating visual art in her spare time. To read more from Whitney, check out her posts here.
Photos courtesy of Bell's Photography by Jenna Sandman.