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Posts in Guest Contributors

Meghan Higle

Meghan Higle

Meghan is a born and raised Montanan, mama to a rambunctious toddler and a bonus mom to two amazing preteens. She recently earned a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. Since then, she has been doing an odd mix of jobs; nannying, creating and selling travel play dough kits, making essential oil blends for kids, providing families with child guidance on Facebook and Instagram, and working weekends for the Health Department. She is passionate about helping families and looks forward to sharing new and helpful information directly related to Early Childhood Education as well as local events and programs.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorNovember 28, 2023Megan Higle, Meghan, Meghan Higle

Abby Riley

Abby Riley

Abby is happily married to her high school sweetheart, Cole. She has two daughters by birth, and as a foster parent, you will find her with anywhere from two to six kids at home depending on the day. Abby used to work as a nurse but “retired” when her first daughter was born. Now Abby homeschools her children, and loves spending her days with them on their property where they raise chickens and have a large garden. Abby loves reading, sourdough baking, and painting in her free time.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorJuly 5, 2023Abby, Riley, Abby Riley

Ellie Leonard

Ellie Leonard

Ellie lives south of Missoula and is the owner of Red Pencil Transcripts, a small company that works with podcasts, documentary films, popular shows, authors, PhD-level research projects, and journalists at several major newspapers including the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. She's also worked as an editor for over a decade, and had a small stint in publishing in Seattle. Some of her larger projects have included She Said with Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the film version of Becoming with Michelle Obama, The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV, Allen v. Farrow on HBO, Harry & Meghan on Netflix, and the film series version of I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara. Outside of her work-life she is a mom to four wild kids, a member of a railroad family, a classical history major, a bibliophile, and a closeted classically-trained pianist. She has goals of becoming multilingual and one day writing for the independent film industry.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorMay 22, 2023Ellie Leonard, Ellie, Leonard

Kara Zentgraf

Kara Zentgraf

Kara is a mother of two girls and is in her 10th year of teaching. Kara and her husband Jason love taking their daughters outside as much as possible, running, and enjoying all that Missoula has to offer. In her spare time, Kara enjoys reading and hanging out with her two dogs.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorJanuary 16, 2023kara, zentgraf, kara zentgraf

Mia Hedahl

Mia Hedahl

Mia and her husband Travis and two boys, Kye and Cohen, are learning to live without Squish after he lost his battle with a rare form of childhood cancer. Squish loved dinosaurs, and you will find their home decked out in dinosaur inflatables around the holidays. Mia volunteers for the Missoula Boxing Club.

Guest ContributorsTiffany WilliamsDecember 28, 2021Mia Hedahl, Mia, Hedahl

LIFTS

LIFTS

This article first appeared in LIFTS, a magazine created for Montana families who are expecting or raising young ones. LIFTS stands for Linking Infants & Families to Supports. LIFTS is an initiative of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, The Montana Coalition, a nonprofit working to improve the health and well-being of parents and children in Montana. Check them out online at hmhb-mt.org.

Guest ContributorsTiffany WilliamsNovember 16, 2021LIFTS

Rachel Hudson

Rachel Hudson

Rachel Hudson is a relationship coach with over eight years of experience. She has been supportive of many couples who needed to save their relationships and marriages that were on the edge. With many online publications for the desperate couple, you can be assured of help whenever you need it.

Guest ContributorsCharity StubbAugust 25, 2021Rachel Hudson

SafetyKid.Info Charlene Roth

Thank you to Charlene Roth with SafetyKid.Info for her guest contribution. Visit www.safetykid.info to learn more about Charlene and how ‘Every kid should be a Safety Kid!’

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorAugust 25, 2021Charlene Roth

Foo-Moo

Content Provided by FooMoo. FooMoo is a mobile app offering a safe sharing platform for parents. Parents can share information, photos or videos, and parenting tips, but they also can coordinate carpools, childcare or offer their skills, talents, and assistance to others in need. Find out more and download the free app at www.foo-moo.com

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorAugust 19, 2021foo-moo, foomoo

Anastasia Bakos

Anastasia Bakos

Anastasia likes to think she is in charge of a husband, two boys, a cat, and a dog. In her spare time she likes doing nothing, but she rarely has free time. She also likes books, being outside, and thinking about gardening.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorJune 21, 2021Anastasia Bakos, Anastasia, Bakos

Liz Cook

My name is Liz, I’m 33, a mom to 3 awesome kids Branden 13, Kelly 7, & Megan 5 plus two great bonus kids, Jade 14 and Gemma 13. I live in Corvallis Montana with my boyfriend James and our kids. I am an advertising director for a small group of a local Montana based companies. I love spending my free time traveling, running, working in my gardening reading, and going to the movies.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorJune 14, 2021Liz Cook

Michael Williams

Michael Williams

Lt Col Williams served more than 21 years in the Air Force, retiring at the end of 1999. From late 1992 through mid 1994, he was chief of plans for the 43d Air Refueling Wing at Malmstrom AFB (Great Falls), MT. Subsequent assignments were with an Assistant Secretary of Defense (Pentagon) and as ROTC commander at the University of Miami, before retiring to Texas at the end of 1999 to be near aging family. Nearly every person he knew in those three locations knew that he and his wife Carrie intended to eventually return/retire back in Montana. They purchased their ultimate Montana retirement home in mid 2016.

Guest ContributorsTiffany WilliamsMay 30, 2021Michael Williams, Michael, Williams

Meghan Higle

Meghan Higle

Meghan is a born and raised Montanan, mama to a rambunctious toddler and a bonus mom to two amazing preteens. She recently earned a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. Since then, she has been doing an odd mix of jobs; nannying, creating and selling travel play dough kits, making essential oil blends for kids, providing families with child guidance on Facebook and Instagram, and working weekends for the Health Department. She is passionate about helping families and looks forward to sharing new and helpful information directly related to Early Childhood Education as well as local events and programs.

Guest ContributorsTiffany WilliamsMay 28, 2021Meghan Higle, Meghan, Higle

UCCC Preschool

UCCC Preschool

Meagan Barkley, Annie Davis, Kelci Kuntz and Lisa Firehammer are teachers at UCCC Preschool. Nurturing the gift and promise of young children is the mission of UCCC Preschool. We honor the value and dignity of each individual, while educating the whole child through developmentally appropriate practice. We encourage children to become contributing members of their classroom community, strengthening values of cooperation, responsibility, and creativity. As a parent-cooperative, the preschool offers an environment where ideas about learning and positive parenting can be shared by all.

Guest ContributorsLaci RathbunMay 28, 2021uccc preschool

Derek Edwards

Derek Edwards is a budding outdoors enthusiast and adventurist. Some of his favorite activities out in nature are fishing, cooking, reading a book in his hammock, and most importantly, sharing his love for the outdoors with others. If you enjoyed this post you can follow along his adventure over on his website: dedwards.me

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorMay 28, 2021Derek Edwards, Derek, Edwards

Grace Decker

Grace Decker

Grace Decker coordinates Zero to Five Missoula County, an early childhood initiative based at United Way of Missoula County. Zero to Five is working to make sure all kids arrive at school ready to learn and thrive. Contact Zero to five to learn more! Zerotofive.org/ or grace@missoulaunitedway.org

Guest ContributorsLaci RathbunMay 27, 2021grace decker

Jacole Johnson

Jacole Johnson

Jacole Johnson is a 4th-generation Montanan living in Missoula with her husband Travis Cole and 2 young daughters. Jacole and Travis run Growing Up Green Missoula, a nature-based preschool in the Miller Creek area. The couple’s goal is to reconnect families to nature and provide experiences that elevate health, bring families together, promote bonding, and support a sustainable future.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorApril 20, 2021Jacole Johnson

Jennifer Barnard

Jennifer Barnard

Jennifer Barnard lives in Missoula with her husband Jared and three children Connor, Josephine, and Ian. Jennifer is a Realtor with ERA Lambros and a passionate gardener. In 2020 she started her flower farm Millay and Meadowlark.

Guest ContributorsTiffany WilliamsFebruary 28, 2021jennifer barnard, jennifer, barnard

Ashley McClammy Gilstrap

Ashley McClammy Gilstrap

Ashley is one of our favorite outdoorswomen, sharing her life with husband Chris and two preschoolers on her Instagram feed @ashley.rn.clc. Follow her for her musings about exercise, anti-diet culture, feminism, and midwifery.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorJanuary 10, 2021ashley mcclammy gilstrap, mcclammy, gilstrap

Chelsea Bellon

Chelsea Bellon

Chelsea made Missoula her home in 2010 with the idea of returning home to Washington a couple years later. She has since created a family focusing on co-parenting & diversity. When she’s not spending her time with her husband, Aj and their three young daughters, Chelsea works at the University of Montana in the Public Health Department. She loves camping, concerts, pajama days and traveling.

Guest Contributors406 Families: Guest ContributorNovember 24, 2020Chelsea Bellon