Owner of Cedar Rapids Moms, Alyssa, grew up near Backbone State Park, and moved to Cedar Rapids over 10 years ago. Married to her best friend, Kevin;  mom to Jack, Liv, and Theo; and dog mama to Stella and Milo, life is full of chaos, busy schedules, and lots of traveling. Her Type A personality is evident through her color-coded Google Calendar and her never-ending lists. When she's not stepping on Legos, hair barrettes, or chasing the kids, you can find her cheering on the Steelers or Hawkeyes, hosting friends and family, spending time in the kitchen, or planning her next vacation. 

I’m Emily and I was previously a part of CR Moms before taking an “extended vacation” to Arizona for 3 years. Now, we are back where our hearts truly belong, in the best place to raise our family. I’m still doing mama life on coffee and donuts. But really, I need ALL the coffee since our second girl arrived. We have two daughters; an almost 5 year old and a just turned 2 year old and my husband and I have been married for 6 years. While being gone from the Midwest, and specifically Cedar Rapids, I came to realize the true gem our community is and how I wouldn’t do family life anywhere else.

Jessica is a mom of four (3 energetic boys and 1 little girl) who moved back to Iowa after living eleven years in Phoenix, Arizona. Jessica is a former teacher and former co-owner of Scottsdale Moms who has spent time as a working mom, a work-from-home mom, and now a stay at home mom. Her favorite things are crocheting gifts for loved ones, spending mornings at local coffee shops with friends, getting outside for a family bike ride or run, and enjoying a good book.

Shannon was raised in a very small town here in Iowa, but has long felt like a native to the Cedar Rapids area since establishing roots locally in 2005. She lives with her husband, Ben, whom she can’t live without, and three babies (yes, they are still her babies), Olivia (12), Henry (10), and Arlo (7) in Marion. The newest Wilson, Sunny the mini goldendoodle, joined the family in February 2022, joining her mini goldendoodle brother, Otis. Shannon is passionate about relationships, meaningful human connection, and motherhood, and is incredibly lucky to get to nurture all of these interests plus some in her professional life. Depending on the season, you can find Shannon gathering with friends, watching her kid’s in sporting events (new sports mom here!), hibernating and binging Netflix, hanging with her kids (board games, anyone?!) or tending to her summer garden. Shannon is a creature of habit which includes eating eggs every morning, daily coffee and going to bed early. As a cold person, she loves sherpas and scarf-blankets as shirts.

Elise has lived in the Cedar Rapids area since she was 6. She lives in Marion with her husband, Chris, and two kids, Avery and Maddux. An engineer from Iowa State by education, she currently works from home in logistics for General Mills, and she loves not having to commute which leads to more time with her family! She stays active by running daily (which allows for her daily audiobook/podcast fix!) and she teaches taproom yoga weekly at a local brewery. She loves coffee, wine, leggings, gardening, decorating/crafting/diy projects, Target, cooking, and is an avid bargain hunter!

Samantha was born and raised in Cedar Rapids. She grew up around a large, crazy, loving extended family that has been getting together every Sunday for over 40 years. She spent six years working for The Walt Disney Company - where she met her husband directly in front of Cinderella Castle. They moved back to Iowa in 2016 to be near family and have three kids- a boy and two girls . Autism awareness & understanding is a close cause to her heart as two of her kids have autism. When not working or spending time with family, Samantha enjoys reading, listening to music or a podcast, cooking, baking, and binge-watching shows with her husband.

I was born and raised around the Cedar Rapids area. Engaged to my best friend, Thomas, and together we have a son, Tucker (almost 3). My best buddy, Tuck, is always on my hip. I am a stay at home mama and social media marketing manager for a local real estate team! I’m also a cosmetologist of 10 years and love doing wedding hair on the weekends. Comfy clothes are my jam. I am a big homebody. You’ll usually find me in my garden, up to some sort of project or hangin with our chickens! Our family is always up for an adventure. I’m super excited to connect with other local mamas!

Kelli is the mama to an adorable 3 year old Marcel. The duo love to spend their time together in nature climbing trees and boulders, reading books, playing French Cafe, dancing, and singing Top 40 hits such as The Wheels on the Bus and Happy Birthday. By day, Ms. Michel has worn multiple hats that range from former interior designer to AMI Montessori educator, to freelance voiceover artist and story seller. Kelli's moonlighting experiences includes performances in the Twin Cities either writing, acting, improvising or singing. She's supremely grateful for the opportunity to connect with others and in her spare time hopes to bring world peace.

Amanda is a lifelong resident of the Cedar Rapids area. She lives alongside her husband, Chad, and their seven daughters. She has been blessed with children at the ages of 21, 24, 32, 34, and again at 42. The oldest two girls are now adults living their own lives, the middle girls are in their early teens, and then identical twin toddlers. The household rounds out with five dogs, and a house that is never empty.

Olivia grew up just outside of Cedar Rapids in Mount Vernon, IA. She moved to Pella, IA for undergrad and loved working in the library, so she continued her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned her Masters of Library and Information Science. She originally intended to be a higher ed librarian, but an internship at a public library working with kids convinced her to change her plans. After 9 years working as a full time children’s librarian, Olivia is now embarking on an exciting new chapter as a full time mama.

Kristin is a single, working mother to two (9,4). She has lived in the Cedar Rapids area her entire life, though just outside Cedar Rapids in Atkins. She enjoys the small-town life and the relationships that come with it but enjoys being close to Cedar Rapids for recreation. She is currently working towards a degree from Mount Mercy University. When she is not working or doing homework, she enjoys watching her children play sports, watching Hawkeye Football, reading, writing, and binging Netflix.

Alicia is a stay-at-home mom to Claire (6), Drake (5), and Kate (3), and wife of 7 years to Tyler. She also works from home as the Operations Manager for Prairie School Foundation, and Bookkeeper for T&K Development. After growing up in western Iowa, Alicia ventured east to attend the University of Iowa and graduated in 2014 with a Political Science degree, and a minor in English. When she isn’t chasing kids or answering emails, she loves finding time for scrapbooking, going on walks around the neighborhood, and watching any and every home renovation show! Alicia loves staying involved in her community, mainly through spending time in her church and volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. After having three kids in a 3.5 year span, her advice to moms with young ones is: “prayer, coffee, and then a little more of each!”

Amy is a North Dakota girl who fell in love with Iowa when she moved to Cedar Rapids as a newlywed in 2006. She's an elementary teacher turned homeschooling mom of twin girls (2011) and a little sister (2014). Her ongoing struggle, is keeping faith at the heart of family life, while still encouraging each of her girls to follow their passions and find their unique gifts. Amy is a lover of words, winter sports, theater, and chocolate. She hopes you find love and encouragement through the posts on CRMoms because mom-ing is always better together.

My name is Gina, and I am a wife to Mike and a mama to Sam and my angel girls, Olive and Sophie. Our two dogs, Callie and Patton, and cat, Pumpkin, add to our crazy. I am type A to the core, and take great joy in scheduling, organizing, cleaning, and purging. Outside of my career as a middle school instructional coach, I direct a local church choir and enjoy all things music. I also love hosting events for family and friends, hiking, and exploring the newest restaurants the Corridor has to offer. If I’m not Sunday cruising on an Iowa gravel road, you’ll find me binging a show on Netflix.

Jess is a first-time mama to her son, Benson. After welcoming their new baby, she and her husband Kevin moved to Cedar Rapids to be closer to family. She has a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Missouri State University and is a full-time work-from-home mom. In her free time, she can be found online shopping, listening to true crime podcasts, or reading on her kindle. Her family loves being outside, playing board games, and their golden retriever Leo.

Kailee hails from Cedar Rapids – born and raised. She and her 3 kiddos (ages 6,4, and 7 months) along with her husband of 10 years and faithful pup love to adventure outside, travel to the beach and eat copious amounts of ice cream from The Freeze in Marion. She went to school in Waverly, majoring in Communications and Spanish. By day, she’s a marketer for Eco Lips & Bug Soother, fueled by coffee and protein bars. In her downtime (what is that?), she likes to consignment shop, relax with a seltzer, and spend too much money on flowers for the yard.

Hannah grew up in Cedar Rapids and is a photographer, designer, and marketing contractor. She is a lover of canceled plans, soft blankets, and her 5-year-old sour patch kid, Oliver. Between soccer games and photo shoots, she enjoys traveling with her family, aspiring to be a flower farmer, and finding ways to live more and work less. Depending on the day, she’s starting a new Instagram account or redecorating her porch, but always with a large mug of coffee fueling her ever changing dreams. She is in love with the Midwest and all of its beautiful, kind, and creative people. She hopes to always call Iowa home.

Zadie grew up primarily in the Vinton-Shellburg area. She spent most of her early career in healthcare then later switched to a daycare director. Focusing more on a relative placement and having 6 kids in the home she is now currently working as a special education associate at the middle school she attended. When not working or spending time with her family Zadie enjoys fishing, hiking and writing.

Kimberly was born and raised in Northern Illinois and is new to Cedar Rapids after living in North Carolina for the past 6 years. She lives in Marion with her Husband (Derrick) and Three kids Logan (7) Naomi (4) and Penny (1). She is a former middle and high school English teacher turned stay-at-home mom. Her kids keep her very busy, but in her free time, she loves to read, dance, be outside, and most importantly drink coffee! Kimberly is excited to be back in the midwest and has missed having four seasons! She looks forward to exploring all Cedar Rapids has to offer.

Hi, my name is Jessi Mart. I am a wife to Al, mother to Bailey, designer, business owner, plant hoarder, and most importantly-chaos coordinator. I love my crazy busy life and wouldn't change it for the world. I wouldn't know what to do if things went smoothly. I have been described as a supportive wife, Pinterest dominating, baking challenger, rockstar mom, and bomb designer. "Tomorrow is not guaranteed so love like there is no tomorrow. Never wait until it's too late."

Elizabeth is a first time mom to WIlliam and fur mama to Honey. She moved to Iowa with her husband and high school sweetheart, Nick, from Wisconsin (and will forever be a Packer and Badger fan)! Elizabeth is a wellness coach with Mercy Medical and has a passion for helping people become their best selves. In her free time, Elizabeth loves to go for walks with her family, spend time in her garden, and always enjoys a good romcom. Elizabeth's favorite thing about becoming a mom has been watching her son discover the world around him.

Jordan is a stay-at-home mom to her sweet 19-month-old daughter, Willow, and a wife to her loving husband, Daniel. Jordan is fueled by expressing her creative and adventurous spirit through photography, writing, gardening, designing, and cooking. 6 months ago their family moved to Cedar Rapids from St. Louis, Missouri, and have spent the summer traveling and exploring what the Cedar Valley has to offer. Jordan is excited to contribute to CR Moms by pulling from her experiences moving with a toddler, settling into a new city as a stay-at-home mom, establishing and creating “home” in challenging seasons, and balancing it all while trying to keep a sense of “self." Jordan promises to always be honest, vulnerable, and authentic in her writing and hopes that through this she can uplift other moms in similar seasons of life.

Jamie Grimes is mom to ten-year-old, Avery, and wife to Jake. She's lived nearly her entire life in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area and would have a really hard time leaving. She graduated from Marion High School, went to Cornell College to be a teacher, and earned her Master of Business Administration in 2009. Today, she works for a cutting edge software company headquartered out of NYC and works from home full-time. Jamie also has a lovable and obsessed-with-her 13 year-old Chocolate Lab named, Hayden. The family bounces between dance two nights a week, piano lessons, and either basketball or swimming depending on the time of the year, with Avery. Even with only one kid, she keeps Jamie and her husband very busy! Jamie is learning to be good at gardening (flowers and plants), loves solar-powered anything…but preferably garden gnomes and bird feeders, baking with her daughter, and she really wants to start quilting one day soon. She's definitely an old soul at heart!

Emily moved to Cedar Rapids to attend Mount Mercy University in 2008 and never left! She’s been married 9 years, but is new to motherhood and enjoys staying at home raising her daughter Adalyn (8mon). In addition to being a SAHM, she also works from home running her business, EmDesign Invitations & Stationery, where she designs wedding invitations, holiday cards, baby announcements, and more! In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family, going to the dog park with her pup Minnie, camping, and reading historical fiction books.

Hi, my name is Haley Boone. Full time registered nurse at Mercy Pediatric Clinic, full time mama to Kane and Blake, and full time wife to Derek. I have a stepdaughter, Addison, and a chihuahua named Willie. I am born and raised in Cedar Rapids and graduated from Kennedy High School. I'm the oldest of three girls, the other two being twins. I love iced lattes, TLC tv shows, riding motorcycles, snuggling my babies to sleep, and steak dinners.

Jill is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. She planted her roots alongside her husband, Kurt, for the last 20-plus years in Cedar Falls until they moved their family to Marion a year ago to follow Kurt's career. At 46, Jill has held many roles, from Branch Manager, Landlord, Volunteer, Office Assistant, Substitute Teacher, to Business Owner, but Mom is her most notable role. Jill's daughters, Allie (15) and Maddie (11), are enjoying their mom's current freedom as a full-time SAHM. Jill is a self-described expert in worry, a lover of personal development, a decaf coffee drinker, and is always waiting for the next episode of Chesapeake Shores to drop. Her big dream and passion project is to create a daily journal for young girls to live happier and healthier so their mommas can worry less.

Marie is a European transplant to Iowa. Growing up in Germany she has always been fascinated by US culture. After getting her Master’s in American studies, she moved to the USA to attend the University of Iowa and is currently working toward her PhD in History. Marie started "Colony Cottage Bakery" in the fall of 2022 to bring her love for German pastries to Iowa. Marie is married to her best friend John, with whom she has an almost two-year-old daughter and a five-year-old cat. When she is not writing or playing with her daughter and kitten, you can find her in the kitchen trying out new recipes and making baked goods for her family and friends. On weekends Marie, her husband and daughter like to take road trips exploring towns big and small across the Midwest. They also enjoy international travel and cannot wait to spend summers in Germany visiting family.

Crystal has lived in the Cedar Rapids area since 2006. She lives in Hiawatha with her husband, Joey, and their kids Parker (14) and Camdyn (11) and their mini goldendoodle, Kona. Crystal holds degrees from both UNI (Bachelor’s in Organizational Communication) and Mount Mercy University (Masters in Strategic Leadership). She has worked for Collins Aerospace since 2008, currently as a Human Resource Business Partner. Crystal spends the majority of her time either driving her kids to activities or waiting in a parking lot for their activities to finish. She also enjoys working out, filling up on coffee and / or energy drinks and binge watching Bravo. Lovers of travel, Crystal and her family are constantly filling their schedules up with trips (their pup Kona is named after their favorite vacation spot, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)!

Kaitlyn was born in Iowa, grew up all over, and has been living in Hiawatha since 2008. Wife to Charlie, and mother to four great kids (13, 7, 3, 1). She spent 8 years in the Iowa Army National Guard, graduated from the University of Iowa, and later earned a Masters Degree in Special Education. After teaching for 8 years, she decided to stay home full-time, substitute teaching whenever possible. She loves her family, her village, and her faith. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her mom-friends, gardening, and walks with the family dog, Chips. Find her on Instagram!

Alyssa is an Iowa native but fairly new to the Cedar Rapids area. Wife to Carter, and mom to her little man, Ronan as well as two fur babies, Jaxon & Minerva. She has a Psychology & Sociology degree from Loras College and Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University. In her free time, Alyssa loves to be outdoors; camping, fishing, sitting around a bonfire, or baking for her family and friends. Alyssa loves iced coffee, no matter how cold it is outside, binging Gilmore Girls or Parks n Rec and spending time with her family. Alyssa is so excited to bring moms together and explore the wonderful Cedar Rapids community!

Originally from Puerto Rico and an Iowa State graduate, Paola lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband Ryan, their two kids Olivia (6) and Lucas (3), and their adopted dog Connor. She's a landscape designer by trade while also running Pikosa Jewelry, where she gets to harness her creativity by making demi-fine jewelry. She loves spending time with family, staying active and anything arts and crafts related. She recently opened Pikosa Creations to share her creativity with the world. Her passions include family, kindness, desserts and vacations to the beach.

Sara is a born and raised lowan has lived in Marion since she was 6 years old. She and her husband Nathan are raising their two children, Finley (8) and Baker (4). Sara is a full-time barber in downtown lowa City, but in her free time she loves spending time with her family and friends, hanging out outdoors, and watching tons of sporting events - especially the Hawkeyes!! She's super excited to connect with all the wonderful moms in the Cedar Rapids area!

Audrey was born and raised in West side Cedar Rapids. She is married to her best friend, Reese. They are raising their tiny girl gang, Larkin (3) and Logyn (1) and their furry big sis yellow lab, Oakley. Audrey is a first and second grade teacher for the Cedar Rapids School District where she absolutely loves spending her days with her little besties. In her free time, she loves to read, have mini photo shoots with her girls, indulge in chips and queso, and cheer on the Hawkeyes.