We were thrilled to sell out in our very first ever mommy+me meet-up at Press Coffee in Gilbert last week.
If you’ve been following us here for a while, it’s no surprise that East Valley Moms believes the secret to surviving mom life are mom friends, and our mom meet-ups are created with that end goal in mind. (Here’s Amy C’s five ways to cultivate rich friendships with other moms, and Lindsay’s heartfelt post about the different types of mom friends that have made her life richer.)
And while sometimes a Moms Night Out is just what mama needed, there’s something even sweeter for mommy+me meetups during that first year or two, to go on a little meet up date with your littlest one in a safe space that welcomes you in your five-day-dirty-hair- messy-bun-and-black-leggings, because we’re all dressed exactly the same, too.
We had babes as little as eight weeks old, and as big as two-years-old at our meet-up and it was incredible to see moms supporting moms by sharing stories, listening to each other’s challenges and being honest about how they were really doing that day.
We often get DMs from moms who want to come to an event, but don’t know anyone—that’s the point!! We keep all our events intimate so that it’s not intimidating to come solo—we promise, you’ll leave with at least a few new Instagram friends who now you know IRL.
A heartfelt thank you to our host, Press Coffee, who ensured these 20 moms actually got a cup of coffee and could drink it while it was still hot!
The Gilbert location of Press is on the edge of Chandler and Gilbert, and is a dream space for remote workers, too. It’s huge, airy and has a work/life balance vibe that for working moms like us, really crave, and there’s ample parking.
One of our favorite parts about live meet-up events are the swag bags for our mamas to meet new-to-them local brands, resources and services that make life a little easier and connected. Here’s a cheat sheet of who was in the swag bags:
- Jigsaw Health: We all need to be aware of electrolytes in the Arizona summers—their supplements are tasty and help us keep on top of these essentials for our bodies
- Locally written children’s book Benny Lost His Blurgle by Patrick and Ariel Kaiser
- Spencer Wilson (the pros for teens needing wisdom teeth extractions, among other dental services!)
- Learning Rx: A Chandler-based brain training center for both kids and adults!
- WHI Arizona: Providing maternal & family mental healthcare team specializing in therapy & counseling from prenatal through parenthood.
- Feeding Matters: You may remember them from a recent Medical Monday interview on IG. This Arizona-based nonprofit is the first organization in the world uniting families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community to improve the system of care for children with pediatric feeding disorder through advocacy, education, support, and research.
- Blissful Organizing: A new personal organization service based in Chandler, Arizona
