moomah the magazine
be inspired and know you are doing enough.
Before we were Moomah the Magazine, we were Moomah Cafe. We created a neighborhood spot with the goal of creating community. Our most enthusiastic customers were parents attempting to spend quality time with their kids, while at the same time enjoying great conversation, relaxation, inspiration, an art project or two and a great coffee in their home away from home. While that joy of providing such a place for our community was thrilling, we yearned for an even bigger community and a way to make more of a difference. And so Moomah the Magazine was born.
Moomah the Magazine is an online magazine bringing beauty, humor and advice to parents who are doing their best to live inspired lives on very little sleep. The basic intentions of Moomah Cafe, brought to a broader community online with realistic suggestions for activities that are as doable as they are enjoyable; parenting advice from experts and those of us in the trenches; art projects up the wazoo; and stories from contributors near and far.
Most importantly, our focus on non-profit organizations is an integral part of The Magazine, one that we hope will truly make the difference we are striving for. We do our best to spread the word about organizations that we care deeply about and bring awareness to all of those amazing groups working to make our world a better place. One non-profit that we work closely with is The Portrait Project. Connecting children across the world through the arts, The Portrait Project goes beyond our very dear relations with family, friends and neighbors to make connections to our global community.
{ Moomah the Magazine Correspondents }
Tracey Stewart
Editor-in-Chief
Tracey is the creator of Moomah the Magazine, as well as the Art Curriculum Director of The Portrait Project. She has been submerged in a pond full of manure while giving massage therapy to a downed cow and enjoys cleaning out dog ear gunk more than she should. Tracey was once arrested and jailed for driving with a suspended license. Her license wasn’t actually suspended and the police eventually apologized for the mistake, but she still likes to brag about it. Tracey has written for Huffington Post and Parenting Magazine. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
Lisel Ashlock
Creative Director
Lisel Ashlock is an accomplished illustrator and designer. We love to peer over her shoulder as she creates beauty for the site. Sure she has carpal tunnel syndrome…but dammit we love pretty things. As far as we know, she is not a mom yet, but that doesn’t keep us from harassing her daily about how she absolutely has to, and simultaneously should never become a mother. She lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend and sweet cat whose name we still can’t pronounce.
Rachel Filler
Managing Editor
Rachel is an Australian born educator. She moved to New York City to gain inspiration for her work and investigate new ways of making children's education fun, creative and engaging. We don’t know what she’s saying half the time with her exotic Australian accent, but it always sounds so good (...what the heck is Fairy Floss?). Besides managing the magazine, she also manages our collective A.D.D “Ladies, come back…I’m over here.”
{ Free-Agent Correspondents }
Dr. Anne Marie Albano
Dr. Anne Marie Albano is the Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD). I am thrilled to call Dr. Albano, Anne Marie, as she is now my very good friend and mentor. I would tell you more about her, but I don’t want diminish her street cred as a renowned and respected doctor. Oh, but I have stories! Learn more about CUCARD >>
Danielle Ash
Danielle is an Emmy-Award winning animator and educator. She’s adorable, sweet, patient and has an air of other worldliness about her. She received her MFA in experimental animation at CalArts and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She enjoys contemplating the universe while playing her saw. View Danielle's work >>
Monique Gibson
Right now Tracey Stewart is working very hard to be Monique Gibson's best friend (sadly for Tracey, Monique is working very hard to be Maggie Rose's best friend). She is an enchanting combination of height, auburn hair, exotic looks and an accent that originates from the Appalachian Mountains. Whether she's had one mojito or many, she’s a badass storyteller. She is an interior designer extraordinaire and the founder of The Portrait Project: a non-profit that connects children around the world through the arts. Learn more about The Portrait Project >>
Dr. Matthew Goldfine
Matthew Goldfine, Ph.D. is a faculty member and senior psychologist at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD). His clinical expertise lies in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety, mood, and disruptive behavior disorders. Dr. Goldfine also specializes in early childhood intervention, with extensive experience working with parents to address common issues in young children. In addition to Moomah, Dr.Goldfine has been featured in media pieces for Oprah.com, The Associated Press, and CJAD radio. Click Here for more information on Dr. Goldfine >>
Kimberly Graham
Moomah veteran, Kimberly Jason is the kind of woman that even powerful women want to be bossed around by. She loves to scoop up chaos, throw it over her shoulder and get the job done. She lives in Brooklyn Heights with her documentary filmmaker and photographer husband, Brock and their two fun and incredibly rambunctious kids (ages 6 and 3). She teaches natural childbirth and had her last baby in a bathtub at home. Ironically, she cries like a baby if she has to get a shot.
Kim Korson
Kim Korson is one of our favorite female writers. She’s funny as sh&t!!!! Before we start to read her submissions we tease each other that it’s time to don our adult diapers. She says she’s mortified that her bio pic is one of her wearing sunglasses but that's what happens when you are the family photographer; you have to wait for someone else to take a pic on a random vacation. She recently packed up her urban, briefly suburban family, and moved to Southern Vermont. She is mostly hard at work chronicling her experience.
Aida Naba Koski
Don't be fooled by her skinny bod. This girl loves food and loves to bring the joy of food to others. A master of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian and South American cuisines, for over 15 years Aida worked for some of New York’s top restaurants, including Le Bernardin, The Lobster Club, Gotham Bar & Grill and Laundry Restaurant. Mother of twins, she is an established private chef with a gift for variety, gourmet and home-style cooking. Aida says, “I love what I do and do what I love”. Amen sista!
Click here for Aida's Website >>
Doan Ly
Doan Ly is the lead floral designer for Sprout Home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with the sleep-weary eyes to prove it. Her obsession with flowers began in college in Northern California where she helped herself to all the amazing variety of flowers her campus grounds offered. Her room was always filled with foliage until it was rudely pointed out that she was breaking the law. She's happy to now be lawfully employed in flowers.
View Doan's Flower Arranging Toolbox >>
Rachel McGinn
Philadelphia raised, Rachel spent some time living in NYC, working as Fashion Editor for J.Crew, before returning to her hometown to raise her kids and develop her love of photography. A freelance lifestyle photographer and Creative Director of online magazine Grays Lane, we are thrilled to have Rachel as our expert on all things photography. View Rachel's website >>
Michelle Murré
Michelle is a travel curator extraordinaire. She and her husband, Roderick co-founded Azurine a luxury travel firm based in San Francisco with stints in Paris and the Napa Valley. They journey across the globe sourcing the most authentic experiences for their clientele because, well, somebody’s got to do it…
Click Here to learn more about Azurine Travel >>
Dr. Sandra Pimentel
Dr. Sandra Pimentel is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD). In addition to her expertise in anxiety and behavioral issues in children and adolescents, she specializes in talking about her love for her large Portuguese family and being from New Jersey.
Click Here to learn more about Dr. Sandra Pimentel >>
Dr. Aliza Pressman
Aliza is the co-founder of Seedlings Group. She is on the faculty at Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics. She teaches pediatric residents child-development and parent education and runs parenting groups for at-risk mothers... blah blah blah, she’s very impressive (you can read more about that on her website). Learn more about Seedlings Group >>
Maggie Rose
Maggie loves art, music and her dog Barkly. She is constantly coming up with new art projects that we find enchantingly creative and fun. Maggie is an endless resource for Moomah the Magazine. If we're being honest, she's our number one source for ideas, inspiration and project management! Did I mention she's got some mean dance moves?
Wendy Weiner
Having gardened at home while raising her children, Wendy gained the experience and knowledge she needed to take it on the road once her boys had grown. Noticing a niche in the gardening world for a garden mentor, Wendy started a vegetable gardening service called The Front Yard Farmer, which really did happen in her front yard. View The Front Yard Farmer >>
