Whitney as a rookie mom with Heather as a mom-to-be; Whitney super pregnant with Heather secretly pregnant
Happy Blogiversary to us! I’m so excited to wish this blog a very happy birth day and celebrate a few sentimental moments along the way. Whitney knew I wanted to say, “Yay! This is a big blogging deal” but she didn’t know what I had planned.
Here I present a few well wishes from ten of our bloggy good friends over the years… and invite you, dear reader, to PLEASE share any memories in the comments! Thanks for joining us on our journey.
First, Asha Dornfest from ParentHacks.com and Minimalist Parenting:
Me, at BlogHer 2006, uncharacteristically holding a drink which I probably took two sips of. Photo credit: Liz Gumbinner, another dear friend I met there.
We first met online, when I found Rookie Moms. I’m not sure if it was because of a link (remember, that’s how we always used to find each other? Back links were the @ mentions/tags of 2005) or because one of us reached out via a blog comment or email. All I know was that I immediately felt like I found my people. Not only were you in Berkeley (I had recently moved from there to Portland), I deeply identified with the title “rookie mom.”
When we later met in person, it was that effortless, inevitable sort of friendship. When you meet someone and you’re already friends. It’s more a matter of recognition than anything else.
I am so very lucky to know you and Heather, and to have shared the laughs and conversations we have. Congratulations on an amazing anniversary…a monument to hard work, smarts, friendship, and chutzpah. You are loved!
Jyl Johnson Pattee from Mom It Forward:
Jyl, Whitney, me as seen by jerk pedicab driver
I fell in love with RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney on a way-too-expensive rickshaw ride in New York City back in 2010. From that time, I’ve been a huge fan of hers and the brand. We love to recommend RookieMoms.com as a trusted parenting website and can count on 100% reliability and professionalism in any campaign we partner on. Furthermore, I love the friendship I have formed with Whitney and will always associate Berkeley with more than the Bravermans because of the time she took to show me around. Congrats on 10 years!
Alma Klein from MarketingMommy:
I started reading Rookie Moms way back in the day and considered Whitney Moss my West Coast soul sister–admittedly one I only met in person a couple of times. We both had backgrounds in marketing, we were half-Jewish, and our children were born at the same time. First our precocious Julian and Zoe, then our mischievous second babies, Scarlett and Ada.
One of my favorite memories is the time Whitney connected me with a toy manufacturer–a maker of doll houses. They sent me two doll houses–one for Zoe’s 4th birthday and one for us to give to a worthy cause. Zoe still remembers the day we brought the second doll house to a little girl at Hephzibah House, a group home for neglected and abused children headed into foster care.
Christine Koh from BostonMamas.com and Minimalist Parenting:
Photo by Christine’s daughter of a Berkeley visit
I first met Heather and Whitney at BlogHer 2009 — they were just as adorable in person as online, and equally so with or without paper bags on their heads. Over the years, it’s been a joy to watch the Rookie Moms empire to continue to grow and also expand to 510 Families, and to experience awesome things with these ladies, whether it’s running 200 miles across California in the dark, channeling Bon Jovi during karaoke, or convening our families in Berkeley. I love you, Whitney and Heather. Thank you for making the world more awesome.
Livin on a Prayer at Blissdom 2013
Heather Spohr from The Spohrs Are Multiplying:
I found Rookie Moms when I was, myself, a rookie mom. I was the first of my local friends to have a baby, and I was desperate to find women like me who found the humor and awe in motherhood. I’d read Rookie Moms in the middle of the night and laugh and cry and feel less alone in those crazy early months!
Wendy Copley from Wendolonia.com:
Photo of Wyatt and me, circa Rookiemoms.com discovery
I went back to work shortly after the birth of my first child, and though I tried to build up a network of mom friends on my maternity leave, I didn’t have much success. A co-worker recommended that I check out her friend’s new blog — RookieMoms.com — and I was thrilled to see that Whitney and Heather both had kids right around my son’s age. I loved following their adventures and trying a lot of the activities they tried with their babies myself. Even better ”“ we eventually met in person and I became real-life friends with two of the best people I know. Thanks for being there in those early days and beyond, Rookie Moms!
Morgan Shanahan from the818 and BuzzFeed Parents:
Morgan, Whitney, and Heather at the first ever Iris Awards
Heather and Whitney have this incredible talent for sharing the human side of parenting. Rookie Moms caught my eye before I became a mom, and it helped me realize that I could maybe hack this kid thing after all.
Meagan Francis Writer, Podcast Host, Speaker of MeaganFrancis.com:
What do you think? Could we pass for sisters?
Whitney and Heather were some of my first blogging friends, and I’ve always loved the practical yet reassuring advice they give at RookieMoms! Happy anniversary ladies 🙂
Anna Fader from MommyPoppins.com:
With some friends {How to be a Dad, Rookie Moms, Parent Hacks, Mommy Poppins, Daddy Complex} at Mom 2.0 Summit
I found RookieMoms through one of Whitney’s craft posts and was immediately drawn to the charm and fun attitude toward parenting. The chemistry of you both, your strong friendship and great energy is infectious. Being a new mom seems a lot more fun with RookieMoms.
Victoria Haller from the blog formerly known as VDog + Little Man:
I started reading Rookie Moms while I was pumping milk for my son, who was in the NICU. I continued reading after my son came home from our shared local hospital. I got somewhat star struck as I met both Whitney & Heather on local mom outings (baby massage class & park outing, respectively). From their advice, wisdom, and community, I was able to navigate my own rookie year like a champ.
Happy Anniversary, RookieMoms! Ten years looks good on you.
XOXO,
VDog
Dear Readers, If you’re still with me. Will you please join in the fun and share a memory or comment to celebrate our tin blogiversary?
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