Admit it. Even though becoming a mom is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to you, from time to time that teensy voice in your head wonders: will I ever have a life again?

We’ve been there. We’ve ALL been there. You think: I can’t possibly get out that door. Well, we’re here to tell you that’s nonsense. All you need to get out and exploring with your wee one(s) is a little momsense, and the Out and About Moms are ready to help!

We’re two friends living in Connecticut who are starting to explore our state from a new perspective: a mommy perspective. We know it can be stressful to go somewhere unfamiliar when you’ve got little ones in tow. So let us do the scouting for your next outing.

Wondering where to park? We’ll tell you. Not sure if there’s a place to change baby? We’ve got you covered. Don’t know if you can bring your stroller? We do!  We’ve got all the inside info from parking to restrooms, from strollers to snacks, from what’s not to miss to the stuff you can skip. And since a picture really is worth a thousand words, we’ll give you plenty of those too. In short, think of us as your own personal tour guides on this great adventure we call parenthood.

So check in here first for the info you need, and then get out there!

Happy trails,

Mandy & Shawna
The Out and About Moms

If you want to know a little more about us, read below . . . 

Mandy Pike

Lives in:  West Hartford, CT

Kids:  Boy/girl twins born in 2011 and a little girl born in 2012.  We’ll call them by their nick-names for fun:  Bruiser, Sparkles, and Sweetheart.

Who am I?:  I am a southern girl at heart.  I grew up in South Carolina and often crave sweet tea and mac n’ cheese. Yum!

After spending my early years in South Carolina, I moved to Athens, Georgia where I studied Finance and football at the University of Georgia.

Following college, it was off to Atlanta for my big time career.  It was there that I met my husband and we got married.  Not long after I said “I Do”, we moved from Atlanta to West Hartford, CT where we now reside.  I continued to work in the world of Finance until I had my two precious babies in 2011.  After that, I decided to take some time away from the traditional working world and stay at home with Bruiser and Sparkles.  Then, in 2012, we decided to grow our family once again and welcomed our little girl, Sweetheart in August.

For me, being at home got a little boring at times and I struggled to get out of the house with the twins.  But after a few attempts, I started to get the swing of things.  I quickly learned that there are sooo many fun things to do in our state even with multiple little ones in tow.  I came up with the idea of documenting these adventures via this blog and recruited my former Atlanta friend, now Connecticut friend, Shawna, to document her adventures as well.

We have been having a blast checking out new places and sharing what we learn. I hope we have given you the information you need to get “Out and About”!

Check out my Blogroll to see what I’m into these days. 

 

Shawna Gale

Lives in: Glastonbury, CT

Wee ones:  My older son was born in 2010. I call him Boo, as in peek-a-boo, because that was his very favorite baby game. Now I have a new little guy, born in 2013. I’m still working on his blog name though 🙂

Who am I?: I’m a New England girl, born and raised. I hail from the smallest state with the longest name where we like our cabinets cold and our grinders hot.

After a collegiate stopover in the nutmeg state, I spent five years enjoying southern living in Atlanta, GA. Then, in 2005 I married my high school sweetheart and we moved back north to Glastonbury, CT where we’ve been ever since.

I’ve worked in PR, advertising, as a professional freelance writer, and as a middle school language arts teacher. Now, I’m just trying out the role of mom for a while.

When I can find the time I enjoy reading, cooking, learning to sew, and pretty much any craft project that requires a hot glue gun. I also confess to an incurable weakness for magazine subscriptions, shoes, and just about every reality TV series that involves a wedding.

As a new mom, I was seriously terrified to leave the house with my baby. Where would I go? What would I bring? Even worse, what would I forget to bring? And, horror of horrors, what if after all that tedious prep work, the outing was still an unmitigated disaster? No thanks. Fortunately, I had a lot of mommy friends who encouraged me to get active and gave me tips that made even lengthy outings much less daunting. The more I ventured out with my baby, the easier it became. Practice makes perfect, right? Well, practice and some really great advice. My hope is that this blog will encourage other new moms like me to just take a deep breath and get out there. Because the world is even more amazing when you see it through the eyes of your little one.

Check out my Blogroll to see what I’m into these days.