Kansas City Mom Collective

Hi there! I’m Britni and I am a mama to three feisty daughters ages 10, 7 and 3 and wife to my high school sweetheart and king of dad jokes.  I live in northwest Olathe where I start my days with coffee and end them with wine after teaching part-time and chauffeuring around our daughters to approximately 1 million activities.  Three years ago my husband and I started a small business “on the side” and it has quickly morphed into more of full time gig than we originally thought, but it’s oh so fun! Writing for Kansas City Collective has been such a joy and a fun creative outlet for me.  I also enjoy running and wine club dinners.   

Hi, I’m Brittany! I have been married to my husband, Nick, for three years and we welcomed our first child, a baby boy named Brody, in early December 2019. I grew up in British Columbia, Canada and moved to Southern California in 2011. My husband and I just relocated our family from Southern California to Overland Park in February 2020 to be closer to his family and raise our son in the Midwest! Navigating my way through being a brand new mom and moving to a new city has been full of excitement, panic, sleep deprivation and plenty of late-night Googling. In my pre baby life I enjoyed all things Real Estate, yoga and fitness, and traveling to new places. Currently, taking an uninterrupted shower and putting on clothes that are not covered in spit up is my version of bliss. Craziness aside, I am so excited for this next chapter and making deep connections (especially with other moms!) in my new hometown.

Claire made her way to Kansas City after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She met her husband Scott (a KC native and Mizzou grad) her second year here. Both are high school educators; she teaches English while he often schools her in history. After living in Waldo and then Overland Park, they decided to move south to Olathe with their two small children -- Evan 4 & Abbie 2. Claire regularly spends time advocating for early childhood education/intervention and is always looking for ways to become more civically engaged. She loves cheering on the Huskers and the Royals, date nights, reading five books at once, writing, contemplating the deeper issues of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and listening to her kids giggle together. Catch some of those giggles on Instagram @clairebear_kc.

My name is Darin Wisner. No, my parents did not think they were having a boy, they just love unique gender-neutral names. I have been happily married to my Husband Greg for two years now, and we have a smiley, cuddly, and loving seven-month old girl. We also have two doggie daughters, Caroline and Shasta. My sisters and I are also the primary caretaker for our Dad. I am a born and raised Kansas City Metro girl, moved to Lawrence, KS for my first-ever teaching job, and moved back to the Lee’s Summit area once I got married. I am a proud high school teacher coming from a family of educators, as well as a high school softball coach. I love everything Kansas City has to offer!

Hi! I’m Denise; wife to Doug for 36 years, mom to Kate who lives in DC and works at NASA, Caroline who became our angel at four months old and Ryan who is a junior at KState majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Physics and two fantastic felines, Walter and Arthur. I love to take pictures, cook and bake, watch sports, dabble in most any type of crafting and hang out with my family. Mostly out of necessity, I have become fascinated with social media and have a false sense of pride that I am better at it than most people my age. I have a constantly changing bucket list, mostly revolving around things I can do with friends or family and that doesn’t require me to address my solid fear of heights!

Hannah Fox, a Michigan native, has lived in Kansas City for 12 years. She loves to connect and learn with others through Building Better Moms. When not connecting with other parents on Instagram or IRL, she can be found at La Bodega with her husband, a kid-friendly coffee shop with other Moms or watching Disney+ with her kids. Before becoming a SAHM, Hannah spent her time as a middle school science teacher focusing on education reform through curriculum writing and instructional coaching. After her first son was born, she made a difficult decision to stay at home full time. Hannah and her husband have 3 children ages 6 and under. Having a son with food allergies and a daughter with just one hand AKA “limb different,” Hannah is deeply committed to meeting and sharing experiences with parents and kids in the allergy and limb different communities.

Jen was born and raised in Overland Park. After going to Indiana University for college, then living in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, she grew exhausted of circling for a parking spot and headed back home to be near family. She and her husband Matt are parents to a 10 year-old boy and a 8 year-old girl. Jen teaches kindergarten and her husband teaches high school, so they wonder how they’ll relate to their kids during the middle school years. She spends her free time cheering on the Chiefs, Royals, and Hoosiers, hanging out with family, laughing with her teacher friends, and fostering a love/hate relationship with boxing. She also loves traveling, Target, coffee, wine, sunflowers and all things pop culture.

 

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.

Hey! My name is Julie and I use too many exclamation points! My husband Grady and I are attempting to raise two wild women, Mia and Reese. We live in Shawnee where our faux bulldog Marge rules the roost. My hobbies include driveway drinking, going to parks and desperately trying to have date nights. My likes include the Jayhawks, coffee, craft beer and ChapStick. My dislikes include samesiders (people who sit on the same side of the booth when no one is on the other side), jerks and grocery shopping.

Katie is a SAHM mom of three, a bad driver of a heavily dented minivan, a KC native, and an owner of a messy house in Overland Park (and not in a cute “Look at my kids playing in unfolded laundry!” way, but more in a “Don’t stick your hands under the couch until we’ve investigated that smell!” way). She loves long family road trips, dogs with people names, and using her rare kid-free time to go to concerts and movies. She hates speaking in third person and people with dog names. She is most proud of her children when they sing David Bowie songs in public and express independence in ways that cause strangers concern.

Kelly is a wife, teacher, and mom of three. She has a very active 5 year old son, Banks, and 3 year old twin girls, Kate and Hayden. Originally a Wichita, KS native, she moved to Kansas City in 2010. After marrying her husband, Shaun, in 2013, they wasted no time starting a family. Having three kids in 2 years takes quite the amount of patience and task mastering. In between picking up toys, chasing monsters, playing in the dirt, potty training, singing songs and fixing meals that her kids don't eat, she loves exercising, coffee dates, wine, and binge watching the latest TV drama series. The busy-ness of life is what keeps her going, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When life calms down and a date night ensues, Kelly and Shaun enjoy trying new restaurants in the KC area!

Kelsey was born and raised in Branson, Mo. It was there, in the town that boasts the “World’s Largest Banjo” that she met her husband, Samuel. It was his first day at a new high school and she was the only person to say “Hi” to him that day, so he married her! A decade later and now they take up residence in Raymore, Mo, but tell out-of-state people they are from “Kansas City” because it is way easier. Kelsey taught high school English for 6 years, but now she stays home to hang out with her adorable toddler, Theodore. Her passions include traveling (34 countries and counting!), playing board games, writing murder mystery parties, reading, and talking to as many people as possible.

Kristin is a Lee’s Summit suburb transplant, after living in the Brookside and Plaza areas for over eight years. Raising three young boys with her husband, Jake, has helped her to embrace the messy, wild side of life where love is expressed in bear hugs and body slams. Professionally, she can be found teaching classes as an adjunct professor in the areas of Business, Marketing and PR. She is able to provide her students with applicable, real-life knowledge as she draws from several years working in the corporate sector. “Free time” (ha!, what's that again?) is spent on an occasional date night to favorite local restaurants, reading blogs on everything from home design to politics, riding her sweet beach cruiser bike and thinking of ways to convince her husband to do yet another home improvement project.

A Michigan native, Lauren has lived in the Kansas City area since 2014. She is now settled in Overland Park with her husband Taylor, 2-year-old son Silas, and their three fur babies—and come October, a baby girl will join the madness! Professionally, Lauren is a writer/PR professional for a PR firm in NYC. Always struggling to balance work, life, and motherhood, Lauren’s survival strategy is to look for humor and joy amidst the chaos. Her best advice for relieving stress is to bake a batch of cookies (works every time).

Lindsey grew up in Lawrence and graduated from the University of Kansas. She lives in Eudora with her son Colby (10), daughter Payton (12), and her husband Jason (who is old). Her day job consists of editing scientific articles for a medical journal based out of Leawood. In her free time, she contemplates what it means to be 40 years old and wonders if she needs to stop wearing Old Navy rubber flip flops. She also loves taking long baths, watching trashy Netflix shows, and is passionate about working to improve her community.   

Hi, I’m Lizzie and you could say…I’m just a little wild at heart. I’ve tried on a lot of different lives before finding the one that fit. This meant many jobs, 9 different towns, 3 marriages-but now I’m home. I’ve been in Kansas City since my son was 6 weeks old and he’s now 7, so this is a record for me. I absolutely love KC. I’ve been in the nonprofit industry the majority of my career and this is a special sector of KC, unmatched in spirit and connections. I’ve just recently started my own business, Lizzie Scribbles LLC, where I offer a complete range of writing and editing services. My partner, Greg, and I live in North Kansas City with our 3 children – Grayson (8), Kase (7) and Adria (6). We love music more than most things and our kids are allowed to swear if it’s within solid music choices (sometimes the kids get too metal for me, but what can you do). We have family date night every Saturday, love road trips, but also find happiness just staying in the backyard while the kids use the slip n’ slide or having movie night snuggled up with popcorn and chocolates.

I’m Marsha, the devoted wife of a Nebraska Husker fan, mother to a sweet laid back 7-year-old boy named Kellen and a 5-year-old spunky know-it-all named Rowen. I am a Kansas City native, proud Northwest Bearcat Alumni, and enthusiastic 4th grade teacher! I enjoy stolen moments where I can read in peace, indulging in chocolate chip cookies whenever possible, tending to my vegetable garden and finding new ways to annoy my daughter! My goal in life is to be my authentic self, follow the motto of ‘She did what she could,’ and share that with other moms!

 

I’m Molly! I am a wife, mom, teacher, aspiring school principal, and wellness coach. I was born and raised in Lee’s Summit, MO, now raising my family in this great city. I am a wife to my wife, Kylie, married for 5 years this Fall, and mom to our 2 year old son, Oliver (insert terrible 2s here!). We are a suburban family raising our toddler along with three dogs, 2 Beagles and a Golden Retriever. When I’m not running the toddler to swim lessons, trying to figure out what he needs, or going to family events you can find me reading or watching Law and Order: SVU. I’ve recently found enjoyment in cooking and trying new recipes, even though my toddler refuses to eat. We enjoy new experiences as a family of three, including going to the Zoo, visiting the public library, watching Disney movies, and exploring Kansas City! Find me on Instagram at @FaithHopeLoveLife24.

I'm Sherita! I am married to my BFF Scott and we have 5 awesome kiddos. We are a blended family, and every day is an adventure in our home. I was born in Kansas City and raised in Colorado Springs for part of my childhood. After some moving around and life changes. I decided to come back home, best decision I have made! We call North Kansas City home and we absolutely love it. Its the small-town feel within the big city. When I am not taking my kids somewhere, or knee-deep in laundry I enjoy crafting, bible journaling, being involved in my kids' schools, and thrift store shopping! So basically I am busy crafting, momma who loves God and a good deal! Nice to meet y'all.

 

A firm believer that the Midwest is all that and a tator tot casserole, Valerie moved to KC after graduating from Mizzou in 2013. She’s been married to her husband Josh since 2015, and together they’re raising an adorable, tiny human firework named Finnian (1). Valerie spends her workdays making funny greeting cards while Josh wins at the stay-at-home-dad game by teaching Finn words like “yee-haw” and helping him style his Snapchat filters. When she isn’t tracking down a new place to drag her family to, you can find her blasting showtunes, sharing (very poorly) wine with friends, reading, listening to true crime podcasts, or near cheese. You can’t find her playing kickball, so don’t even try. Valerie, Josh, and Finn shoot for put-together, but settle for put-on-pants—and they love every second of their reasonably-chaotic life.

Victoria is a wife and mom of two. Her firstborn, Joshua passed away shortly after birth in 2013. Her rainbow daughter, Madeline just started kindergarten. Victoria and her husband, Patrick, were both born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and love spending time exploring the city with their daughter. Victoria is a full-time working mom, dance mom, soccer mom, t-ball mom, PTA mom, slightly over-scheduled mom. Victoria has a passion for creating and spends way too much time pinning new crafts, recipes, and party ideas on Pinterest. She sometimes blogs over at Life with Madeline.