Julia Willhite
I'm Julia and I live in Olathe with my husband of 13 years, my 7 and 2.5 year old daughters, and a sweet old blind pug we call Boopers. I’m a
social worker turned SAHM (at least til my youngest starts school). I love Dr. Pepper, thunderstorms, and talking to other adults. I hate coffee, diet culture, and washing dishes. I'll talk your ear off about the best local parks and which restaurants have wronged me by changing their long-standing menu items. I try to walk the line between knowing a lot of stuff and not being a know-it-all. Some days I'm better than others.
Kansas City Donut Guide: A Dozen Favorites
There are lots of great places in the Kansas City metro where you can grab a donut, and I polled the contributors of the Kansas City Mom Collective to compile this list of a...
How to Get Mental Health Care from Home
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Now more than ever, mental health care accessibility is on my mind. This year, the National Alliance on Mental Health's theme is "You Are Not Alone," which seems...
Kansas City Berry-Picking Guide
Berry picking has been a fun family tradition for a few years for us, as well as the "uh, what do we do with 14 pounds of berries?!" freakout that comes next. Berry picking...
Dear Me: A Letter to my Teenage Self
About a year ago when my therapist kept encouraging me to journal, and I kept resisting this suggestion, I set out to figure out WHY I had such a strong aversion to journaling. After...
My View: What Am I Preparing For?
All the hand sanitizer is gone. I’d heard this, but hadn’t seen it until I was at Target this morning. When COVID-19 hit the Kansas City area over the weekend it made me wonder:...
The MVPs of Indoor Play Time
February feels like a LONG month, spent mostly indoors for us. Between the inevitable ice and snow days and the (too many) days off school for holidays and conferences, we spend a lot of...
The Best Family Pizza Spots in Kansas City
If your family is anything like mine, pizza is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at mealtime. Kansas City has a TON of options for pizza, including many locally-owned restaurants. I've rounded up some of our contributors'...
The Year I Became a Whole New Me
I used to fantasize about having a year where I would finally become a whole new me. No longer the "before," but the new and improved "after." What I believed (and what society told...
Best Neighborhood Light Displays in Kansas City
Looking at Christmas lights is a tradition that I know many of us enjoy with our families. I love a good walk around the Plaza to look at the lights or a visit to...
The 25 Books of Christmas Tradition
Six years ago, we started a holiday tradition with our kids that we've actually managed to maintain each year (unlike many others that fell by the wayside). I call it the 25 Books of...
7 Ways to Become a Money-Wise Mom
Being the detail-oriented and Type-A half of my marriage of thirteen years, it happened pretty naturally that I began managing our day-to-day finances. I know many other moms that manage the money in their...
Date Night Every Night: Board Games for Two!
With just a few exceptions, my husband and I have had a date every night for the last year and a half! No, we don't have a money tree to pay for babysitters, but...
Cornucopia: KC’s Ultimate Fall Festival – The Perfect Way to Welcome Fall
This post is sponsored by the Kansas City Power & Light District.
Last weekend my seven year old and I had the opportunity to go to the first annual Cornucopia: KC's Ultimate Fall Festival, presented by...
Your Guide to Music Classes in Kansas City
One of my favorite activities to do with my kids when they are little is to take them to a baby or preschool music class. They are so cute shaking their little egg shakers...
Tips for the First-Time Kindergarten Moms
If you or someone you know has recently sent their first child off to kindergarten you may have noticed that the (mostly) chill mothers of preschoolers often transform into a ball of worry when...