Warning

JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 758

Print this page

Behind the Scenes of SaratogaMama Magazine

Written by
Rate this item
(0 votes)

As I hold a copy of the brand new SaratogaMama magazine in my hand, I still almost can’t believe it’s actually real.  When we made our announcement about both the magazine and our partnership with Saratoga TODAY about a month ago, it started to sink in.  From conceptual to actual, it’s been a wonderful journey.

I wanted to share a little more about the process and also give a shout out and thank you to the many people who helped make this project come together.

The Creative Process

SaratogaMama editor Jen and I spent hours looking at all types of magazines.  We researched, talked, asked questions, got opinions, and compiled a list of our most favorite features and elements of the magazines WE loved. That’s how we started our creative process. What followed was a whirlwind month of pulling pieces together from many sources and inspirations. We chose the theme for our first issue, Cabin Fever and came up with a huge list of story ideas. Our contributors helped bring our ideas to life.

The Cover

Every home with kids has a place to prepare for an outing, a place to store seasonal items, a place to welcome you home each and every day.

We featured this absolutely gorgeous Witt Construction home and mudroom on our first cover and it’s just the beginning of ALL the rooms we want to feature on our covers… the rooms that we live in with our families.

Shooting the cover was just plain fun! G. Willikers provided us with oodles of props and gear (all of which I wanted to take home!) to decorate the stunning home of Joanne Tarantino & Carl Luciano.  Thanks to Randall Perry Photography, G. Willikers, and of course Joanne and Carl for allowing us to use their home.

The Contributors

We selected the finest writers and creative types we knew and everyone exceeded our expectations!  We worked with the incredibly talented Mark Bolles for the majority of our features.  His work can be seen on just about every page of the magazine. THANK YOU Mark!

Talking all about the hot products their families are loving:

• Ilissa Goman from Binx

• Sheree Adams from Smart & Sassy Mom

• Beth Payer from Olliebop

 

Giving us the scoop on the Saratoga Baby and Toddler Expo:

• Ayshea Wild

 

The gorgeous spring design feature with ideas on how to add more color to your house:

•Jenna Burger from SAS Interiors

 

Ideas on the five best day trips to beat Cabin Fever:

• Sandra Foyt from Albany Kid

 

A helpful roundup of the top ten family fun outdoor activities:

• Julie Nolan

 

Our fabulous food feature with kid-friendly recipes:

• Jodie Fitzgerald from JodieFitz.com

 

Spring Cleaning for Home and Body:

• Angela Thomas R.N.

 

Northshire Bookstore for the Top Picks for Spring

Our amazing experts fielding challenging reader questions:

• Dr. Phillip Drum

• Dr. Shelley Justa

• Nichole Kristen Rigolosi of Styled by Nichole Kristen

 

Crafternoon

• Crafts completed with the help and guidance of my good friend Christine Rudnick

• Thanks to editor Jen for being the “hands” in the photos  

 

Our trip to the World Awareness Children’s Museum:

Thanks to Mille Goble and Sheileen Landry who graciously showed us around and gave us the scoop.  Special thanks to Angela Thomas our photographer.

One Last Story, a very funny look at life with five boys:

•Kate Towne Sherwin

 

The AMAZING team at Saratoga TODAY

(seriously some of the best people I've ever worked with) Chad Beatty, Robin Mitchell, Jessica Kane (graphic design goddess!!!), Rich Hale, Eric Havens, Chris Bushee, Andrew Marshall, Cindy, Jim, Kim, Carrie, and everyone else that I’m probably forgetting.

Our Kids Section!

We thought about what kind of activities we enjoyed as kids, and a photo hunt was an obvious choice!  Bloom and Bee Portrait Studio provided an awesome image that we “hid” some items in.  Jen did the crossword herself, and we used with permission the cool Spring Word Search from Club Chica Circle

If you have ideas you’d like to share for future editions of SaratogaMama Magazine, feel free to share them with us!  If you have any feedback on our current issue, what you love, things you wish were included, etc., leave us a comment!  We’re always happy to hear from readers.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

My name is Colleen Pierre and I am a local gal; born and raised in Ballston Spa, NY. While I have lived many other places, I found myself back in this area to raise my children, Robby and Angeline. I truly love this area and despite being a ‘local’, I find new and interesting things all the time!

 

I launched MaltaMama.com back in January of 2010. For two years, I maintained MaltaMama as a daily blog about family life in Saratoga County. I was blown away by the positive response I was getting from that site. Seemed that I was not the only mama looking for things to do! SaratogaMama was launched in 2008 by Lizzie Sorensen and I acquired it in early 2011.

 

I took all of what I loved about MaltaMama and made SaratogaMama better- easier to navigate, more fun to view, easier to share. I also added a unique and exciting component, the ability to ADD! Have you ever wanted to start a group or meet other mama’s in the area? Host a meetup! Find an event that you think we should all know about? Add it! The possibilities are endless.

www.saratogamama.com

Latest from