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.
