On March 14, 2018, we were fortunate to be involved with the National Capital Mom Conference in Springfield, VA. The conference was designed by Rebecca Link of NOVA Family First, whose motto is “bringing families together”, to develop and enhance a sense of community among mothers in the Northern Virginia area by providing resources and connecting them to an array of amazing local businesses. All proceeds from the event were donated to amazing charities in Northern Virginia: $400 and non-perishables were collected and donated to Food for Others (www.foodforothers.org) and a generous $600 contribution was made to HOPE in NOVA (hopehousenova.org). Guest speakers came to offer valuable information to our area Moms, vendors were on hand to showcase their products and services and provide a sample or two, and the swag bags provided to attendees were overflowing with goodies. It was a wonderful event that I am so happy to have been able to take part in.
Rebecca Link, Director NOVA Family First
We helped document the day during our time there and had a small chiffon and floral portrait station set up for moms to sit down and have a portrait taken of themselves free of charge. During those few hours we met some truly amazing women, young and old from all walks of life, and they all photographed beautifully. It is our hope that women find themselves in front of the camera more often, and being Moms we are usually far too busy or self-critical to be comfortable getting our photo taken. (This is a HUGE obstacle for most women, and something we will discuss in another blog later this week). So for us it was extremely important to help the attendees get a photo of themselves for their families to cherish. We hope to see some of these amazing Moms back for some family, maternity, newborn, or children’s portraits!
We were in great company with some of the most friendly and fun vendors and sponsors I’ve had the pleasure of working with. For more information on each, please visit them:
Kristy Rodriguez, Certified Holistic Health Coach and Registered Yoga Instructor: www.purenurture.com
Nicole Buccio, Trained Birth and Postpartum Doula and Infant Sleep Educator www.nicolebuccio.com/aboutme
Eleanor Duelley Online Certified Holistic Health Coach www.besimplehealthywell.com
Kim Criegh, Owner of Creative Reading Adventures – aimed at helping busy moms spend more quality time with their kids www.creativereadingadventures.com
Fit4Mom, Fitness Programs and classes for Moms from pregnancy and beyond: www,lortonspringfield.fit4mom.com
BB Birth Services, Doula Service, Placenta Encapsulation, and Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth Classes: www.bbbirth.com
NOVA Women’s Health Collective, Home Birth Midwifery: www.novawhc.org
Kimberly Brown, NP with Sleep Wise Consulting, Certification in Pediatric Sleep: www.sleepwiseconsulting.com
The Moonbounce Man, inflatable moonbounce rental: www.moonbounceman.com
Brandy Williams, Realtor: www.facebook.com/brandysellnova
JKLWELL Health Coaching: www.jklwell-healthcoaching.com
Little Oaks Montessori Academy: www.lomontessori.com
WorkAway Solutions: 571-336-2091
Personalized Parenting, Dr. Elizabeth Adams, Child Psychologist offering Skype and Phone-based parent coaching: www.personalizedparenting.org
Little Hands, Fun, educational music and movement for your family: www.littlehands.com
Cara Burke, Area director of AuPairCare: cburke@aupaircare.com
First Home Care in NOVA, looking for individuals interested in becoming therapeutic foster parents www.fosterhomecare.com/foster
Fit Kids Stage Summer Camps www.fitkidsstage.com
Pure Romance by Jennifer McDonough, specializing in a wide range of products to enhance romantic relationships, including parties! gals! https://www.pureromance.com/jennifermcdonough
Brandi Cook with WildTree: www.wildtree.com/brandicook
Lindsay Barry, author of “Journey to Constellation Station”: facebook.com/journeytoconstellationstation
Paint & Sip with Pinot’s Palette: www.pinotspalette.com/dulles
Rubie, owner of Hair Nirvana, LLC Mobile Hair Salon www.hairnirvana.net
You Are My Sunshine Bakery in Fort Belvoir, VA www.facebook.com/lemoine79
NOVA Health & Wellness: www.novahealthandwellness.com
Ellyn Fine from Breastfeeding USA Northern Virginia Chapter: www.facebook.com/breastfeedingusaNOVA
Laci Tang certified with the Center for Babywearing Studies, Offers Expert guidance and advice on everything babywearing: www.centerforbabywearingstudies.com/
Nina Wilson with the Lactation Room: www.thelactationroom.com
The Stork Shop of Northern Virginia, Stork Yard Signs: www.thestorkstopva.com
Deborah Keirnan with Juice Plus, Whole Food Based Nutrition: http://deborahkeirnan.juiceplus.com/us/en
Raquel Reyes with Paparazzi jewelry: https://paparazziaccessories.com/54262/
Paint Nite DC: www.paintnite.com/events/dc
Lindsay Andersen, CPST, for guidance on car seat installation and selection
The National Capital Mom Conference has set a date for their next event: Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the Waterford Reception Center in Springfield, VA. Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NOVAfamilyfirst or visit them on the web at www.NOVAFamilyFirst.com to follow their progress and join future events!
