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Summer Vacation: HER PICKS

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CHECK OUT THESE LOCAL FINDS FOR SUMMER

"Hello Sunshine" Sun Hat$20.99Carrie's Hallmark
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The post Summer Vacation: HER PICKS appeared first on HER Magazine.


Making a Historic House a Home

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Historic and modernalthough they sound like opposites, those are a few ways to describe what Jim and Stephanie Biggs have created in their 1207 Moreau Drive home.

The couple purchased the property in the late ‘80s. They’ve savored the narrative the home brought with it, as well as added their own story along the way.

The white-washed, two-story brick home adorns dark green shutters and a wrought iron balcony. Built in 1938, the 3,800 square-foot dwelling was previously home to Missouri Governor John M. Dalton. After Dalton’s death, his wife, Geraldine, lived in the home until her passing.

This grand staircase is seen immediately upon entry through the front door.

The Biggs, who had their eyes on the home years before it was ever empty, became the next owners. They were able to snatch it up the day they — and upwards of 20 others — were scheduled to view it for the first time. The couple has enjoyed the unique quirks of owning a home with such a history. They lived in a motorhome in the driveway as they made a few changes before they first moved in so many years ago. They waited until after their twin boys were fully raised to make more; those updates were recently completed, but the Biggs stayed true to the history of the home.

As you enter the Biggs’ home, your eyes are immediately drawn to a grand spiral staircase. The spindles were covered with black paint when the couple first moved in but were immediately restored to show off their bronze details. A niche above the stairs includes glass blocking, a unique touch not often seen; the original light hangs above. Black and white-checkered tiles were replaced with marble flooring during the Biggs’ first renovation.

Jim and Stephanie Biggs’ living room features several pieces of re-upholstered chairs and couches.

A formal living room sits adjacent to the entryway, housing antiques paired with aubergine carpet and matching floor-to-ceiling curtains.

Winding around toward the back of the house is a bonus room, added on when the former governor took ownership of the home. They added the back room to better entertain their guests, as cocktails were not allowed in the governor’s mansion, Stephanie said. This room, perhaps more than any other, takes on the personality of its current owners. It’s vibrant, modern and comfortable. Large windows give it plenty of light, a view into the backyard and access to a newly added hot tub. The teak wood floors were refinished, bringing out its natural dark colors. An updated built-in bar area and modern bathroom can be found just to the right of the large living space.

Jim and Stephanie Biggs have remodeled several areas of their Moreau Drive home, including this sitting room. New windows let in plenty of natural light, and re-upholstered couches are comfortable to sit and read, or watch outside.

As visitors move from room to room, a sitting area is carved out with one large arched paneled window, nestled perfectly between two smaller windows.

“We added the half windows on the sides when we first moved in,” Stephanie said.

The couple also added the wood flooring in the sitting room to match the rest of the house. Loveseats truly make the small niche a sitting room. The historic pieces came from the governor’s mansion and were originally made with horse hair; they have since been reupholstered.

Continuing around the home, the kitchen includes an island and a breakfast nook, and is home to a unique brick fireplace, which the couple painted white. The kitchen connects to the formal dining room and then back to the foyer, coming full circle through the first floor of the home. Three bedrooms all with bathrooms can be found upstairs, along with a unique marble fireplace and built-in shuttered windows in the master.

The kitchen update features new countertops, flooring, sink and cabinet door hardware.

Anyone can see that the smallest of details highlight the age of this home – from the six-panel doors to the big brass door locks, large fireplaces commanding attention from passers-by and the wired maid’s button in the dining room floor. 

“We ring it, but no one comes, “ Jim joked.

There was an old clay tennis court grown over with grass behind the house – the stories are endless.

“As we tore down wallpaper we found signatures of the union workers on the walls,” Jim noted.

Although those details would be enough to make the home special, the Biggs’ have added their own details, such as crown molding, chair railings and door trim to make certain rooms more complete.

The formal dining room features a 12-top table with re-upholstered chairs a ceiling medallion and new windows.

The pieces placed throughout the home are in some cases just as unique as the walls that surround them. A collection of family heirlooms and antiques are proudly mixed in with modern fabrics, décor and furniture. A settee from the 1908 World’s Fair sits in the couple’s bedroom, a gift given to Stephanie from Jim when their twins were born. A piece painted by Stephanie’s great grandmother depicting Rebecca at the well covers most of a wall in the foyer. Other pieces were brought in last year after the passing of Stephanie’s father, Jack Steppelman. His 12-piece dining room set fits perfectly in the formal dining area. The chairs received upholstery updates to better match the colors and style of the Biggs home.

“It’s updated, modern, with family antiques and period pieces,” Stephanie said of her decorating choices.

A few practical updates were made this past year, including a new furnace, air conditioner, new windows and placing electrical underground.

“There’s always something to do, but it’s all worth it,” Jim said.

The brick home has more stories than could ever be put to paper. The east side neighborhood is where Stephanie grew up, and where her sister now lives just a few doors down. Although the structure had its own story years before the Biggs came along, it became their home the second they put their own stamp on it and watched their children grow up there.

“We could never move,” Stephanie said.

By Jessica Duren | Photos by Julie Smith

The post Making a Historic House a Home appeared first on HER Magazine.

Inexpensive Missouri Road Trips

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Don’t break the bank with these fun, family excursions.

Where Pigs Fly Farm and Pig Aloft Museum

Where: Linn | Distance from Jeff City: 30 minutes

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday

Cost: $3 donation (per person, includes food for animals)

Contact: www.wherepigsflyfarm.com

Where Pigs Fly Farm — a rescue shelter and petting zoo in the rolling knolls east of Linn, Mo. — is home to more than 400 animals people can visit on the 62.7 acres. The farm is also home to Pigs Aloft Museum, the only museum of pig-themed items in America and the second largest in the world.

(Photo by Julie Smith) Where Pigs Fly Farm and Pigs Aloft Museum, located east of Linn, is home to more than 400 barnyard animals and is open to the public.

Bennett Springs State Park

Where: Lebanon | Distance from Jeff City: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Hours: Trout Fishing hours – 6:30 a.m.-8:15 or 8:30 p.m., May-July

Cost: Varies (required fishing permit and daily trout tag); free on June 10-11

Contact: www.bennettspringsstatepark.com

Bennett Springs State Park is known as a trout fishing haven, and families can test their skills and even learn the art of fly fishing on site at the Missouri State Parks-owned grounds.  Families can also swim or float in the nearby Niangua River and watch the trout stocked daily in the hatchery onsite, with ample lodging in and just outside the park. It costs a small amount to trout fish with possession of a fishing permit and daily trout tag. However, from 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. June 10-11, everyone can fish for free in Missouri. 

Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park/Elephant Rocks State Park

Where: Lesterville/Belleview | Distance from Jeff City: 2 hours, 43 minutes

Cost: Free admission

Contact: https://mostateparks.com/park/johnsons-shut-ins-state-park or https://mostateparks.com/park/elephant-rocks-state-park

Both the Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park and Elephant Rocks State Park offer some of the most unique natural features in any of Missouri’s parks. Families can explore the natural water park and hydraulics of the Johnson’s Shut-Ins, where guests can view from an observation desk or swim is at their own risk. The park also offers many hiking and biking trails, fishing opportunities along the East Fork of the Black River, camping, cabins, horseback riding, birdwatching, a nature center and more.

Less than a half hour away, families can see the 1.5 billion year old giant granite boulders that make up the namesake for Elephant Rocks State Park. As much as they have amazed geologists and historians, they captivate children who utilize them as their own jungle gym. The park also offers a Braille Trail among its hiking activities, as well as fishing, picnicking, rock climbing and a playground.

By Samantha Pogue

The post Inexpensive Missouri Road Trips appeared first on HER Magazine.

Motivation Through Motherhood

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Being the best mom she can be is a continuous catalyst for Carrie Peter, who is HIV positive.

For Carrie Peter, being a foster parent was rewarding. However, she was hesitant in adopting a child of her own. One day she got a call about an 8-month-old baby, Katrina.

“I told them, ‘No, I’m really busy and I can’t take on a baby right now.’ My friend said, ‘You call them back and take that baby.’ I called them back and they said she had been placed,” she said. “But, then they called back later and said, ‘It fell through; do you still want her?’ and I said, ‘Uhhh, YES!’ They placed her in my arms and I just fell in love.

“She was sucking her thumb and was sound asleep. … I was just head over heels with her. I fostered her for about four years before I was finally able to adopt her. … I tell her this story all the time.”

As Carrie relayed this story once again, her now 14-year-old daughter, Katrina, smiled warmly and lovingly at her mother seated next to her at their kitchen table.

One of the hardest things for Carrie after she found out she had contracted HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) was giving up having her own children. Physically, she didn’t want to risk passing on the disease to a child or affecting her health even further. However, once she realized with the help of new medicine she would have a longer future, she decided to become a foster parent and then adopt.

Carrie has now devoted her life to her daughter as a full-time mom. Carrie’s unconditional love and respect for Katrina has helped mold her into the young lady she has become. Katrina’s eternal love for her mother motivates Carrie to live life to the fullest.

“Now, she is mine forever. We are pretty attached, which is another reason why I can’t die,” Carrie said, holding Katrina’s hand. “I know God would take care of her if something happened to me. But, she is pretty dependent on me and we are pretty close, so I am planning on not going anywhere.”

Being HIV positive

Carrie grew up in Jefferson City. After graduating in 1985 from Jefferson City High School, she headed off to college to pursue a degree in theater.

About a year into college, she came home at Christmas break and participated in an American Red Cross blood drive at her church. She then received a certified letter from the Red Cross saying she needed to contact them as soon as possible.

“They said you have tested positive for HIV, and we want you to come in to run another test and to bring your boyfriend. We both went in and got tested and we both tested positive,” she said. “Everything changed after that.”

Carrie said in the beginning, she started on AZT (azidothymidine or ziovudine) because of her extremely low T-cell count and to delay the development of AIDS. However, there weren’t many medications available at that time, and her doctors did not expect her to live past a year.

“I was in such a state of shock in the beginning. They say when you get that kind of news, you go through all the stages of grief. … And, I was also told early on to keep it a secret,” she said. “At that time, there were so many people out there who would take the information and potentially harm my family and be fearful to be around me. I wouldn’t do anything to put somebody else at risk and they couldn’t get it from casual contact, but other people didn’t know that. My whole family kept it secret for four years.”

From Carrie Peter's Scrapbook
Carrie and Katrina
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A Christian all her life, Carrie later prayed, asking what God wanted her to do with her remaining time. The answer she received was to tell others what had happened to her.

“I said, ‘No, no way.’ It took a lot of time and a lot of convincing for me to think that maybe I could make a difference,” she said. I just knew so little about HIV, and I didn’t think it could affect someone like me. This is really why I decided I needed to start talking about it, because I didn’t want others to make the same mistake I did.”

A calling fulfilled

In 1992, Carrie started sharing her story, first breaking the news to the congregation at her longtime place of worship, First Baptist Church. The pastor set up a time for her on a Sunday evening. Normally a few people showed for special events at that time, but the church was packed.

“They were so loving and lined up afterwards and hugged us. I never felt like an outcast at my church,” she said. “The church was the scariest because it was people I knew … and I cared about their reaction. When I started talking out in schools, it wasn’t fearful after that. When I got the love and support from my church, then I felt brave enough to tell other people and not have repercussions.”

Carrie spent the next eight years or so speaking to schools and at other engagements throughout the Midwest, including appearing on several nationally recognized talk shows. Despite encountering some negativity, she said she was largely greeted with positivity.

“For the most part, they would come up to me, hug me and say that they were so moved and they wanted to get tested. … They’d say, ‘I really heard what you had to say today, and it meant a lot to me.’ That has meant a lot to me,” she said.

Many of the students asked a lot of questions about contracting the disease, ways to protect themselves and about Carrie’s boyfriend, who unfortunately passed away in 1996 about five months before new, more progressive medications were available. 

While Carrie followed her calling to share her life story, she still dealt with the struggles of having HIV, an incurable illness. Over time, she had made peace and was prepared to go to heaven. Then in 1996 when the new medicine became available, Carrie was able to take it through her health insurance coverage. Her future changed once again.

“I never was angry at God. A lot of people have that instinctive reaction, which God can handle. I never really had that; I just became more dependent on our relationship. I was ready; I prepared myself, my family felt prepared. I was ready to go early,” she said. “(After taking the new medicine) I started getting these really good counts and started to become somewhat healthier. I still have health issues, but it looked like I was healthier and going to live longer. I had to retrain my brain and think, ‘I could live until I’m 80,’ and I’m not sure I want to do that… I had prepared myself and I was ready to go to heaven.”

Motivation through motherhood

It was difficult for Carrie to make that mental transition, even with continuous family, friend and spiritual support. Yet, Carrie pushed through, taking on entrepreneurial pursuits, achieving personal goals and living her life.

When Katrina came into her world, she knew there was even more to drive her forward.

“Katrina has been my motivation to be well and stay healthy, very much a motivation,” she said.

To protect her daughter, she did not tell Katrina or her niece, Tayler, about having HIV until about two years ago. Once seeing how a younger Katrina reacted as she had to rush her mother, Myra Craney, to the hospital after a nasty fall, Carrie knew she needed to wait until she could better understand her having HIV.

“Katrina was in the car and cried the entire way to the hospital for her Nana. With that type of reaction, I knew she would not be able to handle knowing about my health situation,” Carrie said.

Then, in 2011, Craney was diagnosed with leukemia and nearly died. Carrie said she was in the ICU for about three weeks and sedated. She was fearful her mother might not wake up.

“We really pulled together as a family. … But she pulled through and is doing great now,” she said.

Craney now lives with Carrie and Katrina, and the three generations truly enjoy spending time together.

“Most people my age say they couldn’t live with their mom, but she is so easy to live with. … If Katrina and I are having some issues, she stays out of it. I think she is just thrilled I got the opportunity to be a mother,” Carrie said.

Often with Nana in tow, the ladies love to travel, having gone to the Caribbean and twice to Disney World, in which Carrie and Katrina were able to see one of their favorites, Princess Tiana from the film “The Princess and the Frog.” The family also loves going for walks with their two dogs, Sugar and Wiggles, and Carrie and Katrina work out together at the YMCA and go to the movies.

Carrie enjoys scrapbooking, crafts and artsy activities, including having performed in multiple Capital City Players and The Little Theatre productions. Katrina’s creative side shines in her participation and competitions through 5-6-7-8 Dancenter in Jefferson City. As Katrina attends lots of practice and weekend competitions, Carrie is there, cheering her on at every event, helping to “stone” costumes and cleaning and helping out at the dance studio.

The two are also very involved at First Baptist Church. Katrina participates in the youth program and goes on mission trips. Carrie sits on the enlistment committee and continues to organize Mission JC, a project she helped start where church congregations throughout Jefferson City participate in community missions. In the past, the participants, made hundreds of cookies for local firefighters and visited nursing homes.

(Photo by Julie Smith)
Carrie Peter and daughter, Katrina, share a special bond, comprised of a series of special moments, as shown here.

Carrie’s dream is to have a therapy dog she can take to interact with seniors. The family’s passion for animals is evident with their dogs and two cats, and Carrie’s past involvement in assisting with dog obedience classes when she lived in Kansas City.

“To me, that seems like a perfect fit. … I can see myself doing that especially when Katrina is off to college,” she said.

For now, Carrie and Katrina are thankful for each other and the tight bond they have as mother and daughter.

“She is always there for me a lot – a lot, a lot,” Katrina said, as both laughed. “But, she is really kind and super caring. She always forgives me.”

“You forgive me, too. Because we both need forgiving,” Carrie added.

“She just loves me no matter what,” Katrina said, as the two smiled and held hands.

“I always thought I would like the little kids better, and every age that Katrina has been I have loved,” Carrie continued. “I usually don’t say I love being a mom; I love being her mom. … Life didn’t turn out the way I planned it, but I think it turned out even better than how I planned it.”

By Samantha Pogue | Photography by Julie Smith/ Submitted by Carrie Peter

The post Motivation Through Motherhood appeared first on HER Magazine.

Kids Summer Fun A to Z

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Burke Bauer steels himself as he is sprayed from two directions by Tristan Chenault, left, and Meghan Lindenbusch, in back. Several dozen students enjoyed “water day” at Sonrise Vacation Bible School.

It’s their summer break, a time to relax and have fun. Yet, inevitably, those precious little mouths will say two words, “I’m bored.” Learn the ABC’s of summer break in Mid-Missouri and consider these 26 ideas.

A is for getting ‘Artsy’

Stop by Capital Arts Imagination Station and put everyone’s imagination to artistic use, with recycled materials, paint and art supplies available. Take in a creative art classes at Unique Creations or inquire about themed summer art camps for kids ages six through high school at Village Art Studio.

B is for ‘Being like Belle’ … or the Beast

Capital City Productions invites audiences to be their guest for “Beauty and the Beast” Aug. 10-13, 17-20 and 24-26 at the Shikles Auditorium. Children can join in “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” summer camp from July 24-28 and July 31-Aug. 4. followed by a public performance of camp play at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4.

C is for ‘Camp MAGIC’

Kids experiencing the death of a loved one are invited to Camp MAGIC (Mending A Grief In Children), held rom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 3 at Binder Park Pavilion. The camp is a one-day grief retreat for children ages 6-18 where they find ways to identify and express their grief through making memory boxes, reading books, releasing butterflies and more. SSM Health Hospice & Home Health Foundation sponsors the free camp, which is staffed by professionals and trained volunteers.

D is ‘Disc Golf’

Jefferson City Parks and Recreation and Jefferson City Disc Golf Club teamed up to construct two 18-hole disc golf courses — the Joseph C. Miller Park and the north end of Binder Park. There is no cost to play, and they are open during daylight hours.

E is for the ‘Eclipse’

The Capital Eclipse Celebration is a weekend long festival with activities planned prior and during the total eclipse at about 1:15 p.m. Aug. 21. Held from Aug. 19-21, the celebration includes paid and free events including prison tours, a drum circle, concerts, the Scholastic education series, Katy Bike Ride, a lecture by a real-life astronaut, art-related activities, eclipse viewing and BBQ.

F is for ‘Farmers Markets’

Take the kids to a farmers market and learn about healthy eating. The Lincoln University Farmers Market includes art, learning and kids play activities, cooking demonstrations and a tasting table. Stop by from 9 a.m. to noon every Saturday through early October at the Dickinson Research Building parking lot.

G is ‘Gone Fishing’

Take the kids fishing at any local or nearby waterway, lake or public pond. Who knows you might just catch some dinner. Or visit the Reel Time Fishing With Kids event from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. June 10 at the Bass Pro Shops Lake in Columbia.

H is for ‘Helping Out’

Help out your community by cleaning up a local park or your neighborhood. Volunteer at a local animal shelter or inquire about reading stories or books to residents at a senior center or nursing home. Find out from the kids what they would be interested in doing, and make a plan to give back.

(Photo by Central Missouri Newspapers, Inc.) Participants in the 2015 Ice Cream Splash wait in line on High Street to purchase tickets, which will allow them to sample around 25 different flavors of ice cream. Proceeds from the event will be used to help build a splash park in Jefferson City. The second annual event is Friday.

I is for ‘Ice Cream Splash’

Taste lots of ice cream varieties at the Jefferson City Cultural Arts Foundation’s third annual Ice Cream Splash from 6-9 p.m. July 14 in front of Arris Pizza Palace. Live entertainment, unique arts and crafts, vendors and more is also included in the ticket price. Proceeds benefit funding a new Splash Park at the corner of Lafayette and Dunklin.

J is ‘JC Parks’ summer camps

In June and July, Jefferson City Parks and Recreation offers five main one-week camps for children in first through seventh grades. Camp activities could include archery, canoeing, fishing, confidence course, hiking, nature studies, recreational sports, swimming and more.Additional co-sponsored camps and sports clinics are also offered.

K is gaining ‘Knowledge’

Gain knowledge at area museums, including the Missouri State Museum at the Capitol, Jefferson City Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Missouri Military History, Cole County Historical Society Museum and Jefferson Landing Historic Site.

L is ‘Library Activities’

The Missouri River Regional Library offers multitude of free activities for children and teens, including monthly family movie nights, story times, anime clubs, card and board game sessions, guest speakers and educational programs.

M is ‘Movies under the Stars’

Spend an evening watching a free film at the Capitol south lawn during Stars Under the Stars. This year’s line-up is Disney’s animated classic, “Beauty and the Beast” June 9, “The LEGO Movie” July 14 and “Angels in the Outfield” Aug. 4. Each movie begins at dusk.

N is for a ‘National Holiday’ celebration

Have the kids search for national holidays and celebrate it in their own way. Don’t forget their most important day, National Children’s Day on June 12. If they choose to get a little wild on their holiday, just remind them it’s National Eat Your Vegetables Day on June 17.

O for ‘Out and About’ at kid-friendly events

Get out and about to some kid-themed events, such as KidsFest, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 3 in downtown Jefferson City. This area-wide event boasts lots of free activities including games, demonstrations, vendors, performances, food and giveaways.

P is for ‘Pow Wow’

Learn about Native American culture at the 10th annual “For the People” Pow Wow, from noon-10 p.m. May 27 and noon-5 p.m. May 28 at the Jefferson City Jaycees Fairgrounds. Watch the head staff perform many dances and songs to the drum circle. Guests can visit Native American vendors, taste native food, enter raffles and even join in the fun.

Q is for ‘Questing”

Scavenger hunts can become epic quests of adventure and some of the most popular games include geocaching and munzee. There are free geocaching and munzee quests around the globe, and Jefferson City, Parks and Recreation encourages them within in its many parks.

R is for the ‘Runge Conservation Nature Center’

Stop by the Runge Conservation Nature Center for bird watching, land cover demonstrations and live animal sightings and education, hiking, exploring 3,000 square feet of exhibits and displays, or attend one of its public educational and interactive programs.

S is for National ‘Skateboarding’ Day

Celebrate National Skateboarding Day (June 21) early during the 2017 Shred Fest from 4-7 p.m. June 3 at Columbia Skate Park in Columbia. Show off skills by entering the best trick contest, watch the action, and listen to music. The event includes helmet giveaways and food, and is free.

T is for ‘Time’ to read with animals

Kids of all ages will enjoy a new program, “Sally’s Buddy Books,” at the Jefferson City Animal Shelter, in honor of the late optometrist Sally Bodenhamer. Select a book, read to animals at the shelter and create more sociable animals for adoption.

U is for ‘Up-cycling’

Take some of worn out household items and “up-scale” them. Explore some ideas on Pinterest and visit some local businesses for inspiration. For example, grab some photos, pieces of fabric and paint, and create a shadow box for the family room or as a present for the grandparents.

V is for ‘Vacation Bible Schools/Camps’

Many Jefferson City area churches hold vacation bible schools and summer camps that offer the benefits of a summer camp, plus the bonus of spiritual enrichment. Check with your church or explore some others, with most churches in Jefferson City holding vacation bible schools.

W is for getting ‘Wet’

Jefferson City also has multiple pools for learning lessons such as the Jefferson City YMCA, or enjoying aquatic activities, dive-in movies or just splashing, such as Jefferson City Parks and Recreation’s Memorial Park Family Aquatic Center and Ellis-Porter Riverside Pool.

X is for moving beyond the toy ‘Xylophone’

The toy xylophone is often a toddler’s first introduction to making music. Kids can move on to real instruments, strengthen their vocals, learn dances and create visual art while studying culture at the Music, Art and Dance Camp in Jefferson City. With two weeklong sessions available for kids ages 4-12, this year’s camp has an Australian theme.

Y is camping through the ‘Y’

Join a summer camp at the Jefferson City YMCA. Summer camp opportunities for kids from kindergarten through sixth grade are held May 30-Aug. 1, with activities including field trips, camp assemblies, special guests and events, a climbing wall, swimming, arts and crafts, weekly themes, science, games and more. Youth summer sports camps are also available.

Z is for ‘Zoom’

The summer does go by so fast, so zoom into fun experiences. Take in some roller-skating by racing around and playing games at SK8 Zone. Or, fly across Missouri’s beautiful treetop canopies at the Eco Zipline Tours in New Florence, near historic Hermann, or Zippy’s Zipline in Eldon near Lake of the Ozarks.

By Samantha Pogue

The post Kids Summer Fun A to Z appeared first on HER Magazine.

Let’s Road Trip Missouri

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U.S. News & World Report travel readers recently voted the Grand Canyon, Disney World, Hawaii and Yellowstone National Park among its best family vacations.

It’s completely understandable. What kid, or parent, wouldn’t love to see one of the world’s most scenic wonders, interact with beloved characters, enjoy water activities in a top tropical destination or camp under the stars in a truly iconic park?

But what if a family could enjoy unique attractions, interact with historic characters, enjoy on-water play or camp in one of the newest parks in the country for one-third of the price? The answer is road trip in Missouri.

The Show-Me State is filled with some of the nation’s top family vacation hot spots, and for Jefferson City residents, the destinations within a few hours distance can make for inexpensive and memorable vacations.

Some of the best parts of a road trip are to see where that road takes you. To jumpstart the plans, HER has highlighted three weekend getaways that will certainly steer any family in the right direction.

Theme a road trip to: LAKE OF THE OZARKS

Google Maps

For locals, the nation’s “best recreational lake,” according to USA Today & 10Best readers, is more than likely a regular summer weekend getaway. However, a family can change up their routine to make each Lake road trip a vibrant and unique experience.

Try planning a road trip to Lake of the Ozarks around a theme. Up for an adventure? Explore brand new and popular Lake attractions. Act as spies attempting to gather information and get out of a hidden room within Bagnell Dam or alleged thieving pirates freeing themselves from their captain’s ship at the Lake’s newest family attraction, Lake Escape, located on Bagnell Dam Strip. Take a voyage with the Lake’s resident pirate, Captain Scalawag, aboard the Calypso at Jolly Rogers Grub & Grog in Rocky Mount.

Perhaps keeping cool during the sticky summer weather is a theme of choice. Outside of on-water activities, the aquatic haven also offers two water parks: Big Surf Water Park in Linn Creek and Timber Falls Indoor Water Park at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach.

(Photo by Samantha Pogue) Cool off at one of the Lake’s two water parks, with Big Surf in Linn Creek pictured here.

History is abound at Lake of the Ozarks, and families can enjoy artifacts and interactive displays about area history at four  museums. Learn about Native American culture and participate in traditional dances, food and arts and crafts during the Osage River Pow Wow June 16-18 at the Tuscumbia River Park. Fish, swim, camp or picnic while viewing one of the last standing and functional suspension bridges of its kind in the nation, the Swinging Bridges, in Brumley.

Make a Lake adventure a competitive one by testing each family member’s skills. Race at the go kart tracks, make hole-in-one shots at mini golf courses, reach new heights at Get Air indoor trampoline park and enter the battleground of Laser Force Laser Tag. See who can catch the biggest fish or cool off indoors at the Lake’s largest arcade haven, Miner Mike’s and Busters.

This summer is a great time to revisit Lake of the Ozarks with a brand new family experience. For more information, visit Lake of the Ozarks Convention & Visitor Bureau’s website at www.funlake.com.

Top Times to Road Trip

May

•  Hot Summer Nights: Summer-long cruise-in with loads of free family entertainment. Dates are May 12, June 9, July 14 and Aug. 11 on Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark. Visit  www.hotsummernightscruise.com or find them on Facebook.

June

•  Canine Cannonball: Free dog dock jumping competition from June 16-18 at Dog Days Bar & Grill in Osage Beach. Visit http://dockdogs.com/eventscal/dog-days-canine-cannonball-5/.

•  Osage River Pow Wow: Native American cultural festival from June 16-18 at Tuscumbia River Park. Visit www.osageriverpowwow.com.

July

Fireworks Fun Fest: Music, games, food and fireworks starting at 5 p.m. June 30 at The Lodge at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton. Visit www.oldkinderhook.com.

Featured Activity: Helping to bring families to the Strip 

(Photo by Samantha Pogue) Lake Escape co-owners and brothers, Drew and Evan Busen, utilized a lot of artifacts and barn wood from their grandfather’s Illinois farm to create puzzles and ambiance in their pirate themed escape room.

Recently opened on April 6, Lake Escape is the culmination of a longtime vision and months of planning from three escape room and game enthusiasts: brothers Drew and Evan Busen, and friend Thor Fox. Their mission was to deliver an original escape room attraction that drew on history and fun themes of the area, offered challenging puzzles and, most importantly, provided a family-friendly activity for the historic Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark.

The trio, along with the tireless efforts of their friends Craig Allen and Ozark Mountain Woodworks owner Shaun McDonnell, developed intricate puzzles, pieces, panels and parts of each original room that added ambiance and solution significance for its occupants.

Lots of wood and items in Lake Escape came from the Illinois farm of the Busen brothers’ grandparents, putting a personal stamp on a family-friendly business. Ameren also donated pictures and artifacts from Bagnell Dam to add to one escape room.

With plans for additional rooms and new themes in the future, the Lake Escape family encourages guests to visit their current escape rooms: a secret workshop within Bagnell Dam and a pirate-themed adventure in the belly of the captain’s ship.

Teams of three to eight people are suggested at Lake Escape, and entry is priced at $28 per person or $180 to rent the entire room for up to eight people. Due to the nature of the escape rooms, the recommended age is 12 and older.  Children 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information or to make reservations, call 573-693-9998 or www.lakeescapeloz.com.

EXPLORE THE NEW ECHO BLUFF STATE PARK

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For decades, visitors have been drawn to the scenic concave bluff that overlooks Sinking Creek, the pristine waterway that runs to the popular Current River.

On July 30, 2016, Missouri State Parks opened up their 88th state park, named after that historic bluff, expanding and preserving the longtime playground for nature enthusiasts.

Echo Bluff State Park is located about halfway between Salem and Eminence off Missouri 19 and is surrounded on three sides by nature havens: a hiker’s paradise in Roger Pyror Pioneer Backcountry, trout fishing hot spot Montauk State Park and the Ozark National Scenic Byways, which includes the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, Mark Twain National Forest and several state conservation areas.

(Photo by Missouri State Parks) Kids can cool off in the interactive water sprouts and splash pad at the park’s unique and natural Adventure Playground.

Both in its natural beauty and modern amenities, families have ample opportunity to enjoy this 476-acre, year-round outdoors playground. The crystal-clear Ozarks stream, Sinking Creek, is a main attraction and includes deep holes perfect for smallmouth bass fishing, according to Missouri State Parks. Families should also bring their water shoes, with ideal swimming, snorkeling and wading spots both near Echo Bluff and accessible by the creek’s gravel bars.

The park also has tours of historic buildings, two hiking trails and the Adventure Playground, with nature-themed features, water spouts and splash pad for the kids.

One of the main features for families visiting Echo Bluff State Park is its two-story lodge with 20 guest rooms, a restaurant, a general store and four meeting rooms for special events, like a family reunion.

The rooms in the lodge have gas fireplaces, outdoor decks, king beds and a sleeper sofa, with two-bedroom suites available. In addition, families can also call five detached cabins next to the lodge a temporary home on their road trip, with four cabins boasting two bedrooms and one with four bedrooms.

If camping is part of a family’s road trip experience, Echo Bluff State Park’s campground features 60 RV sites and 12 “walk-in” campsites where visitors hike a short distance into the woods to camping decks and fire rings.

Take advantage of this less than three-hour road trip from Jefferson City to one of the state’s newest parks, and experience “the gateway to the Ozarks.”

For more information or lodging reservations,call 573-751-5211 or 844-322-3246, or visit https://mostateparks.com/park/echo-bluff-state-park.

Featured Activity: Get wet at the Adventure Playground and nearby waterways

Even though there are lots of ways to enjoy the outdoors at Echo Bluff State Park, there are ample activities to cool off during the hot summer months.

Kids will enjoy the Adventure Playground, a uniquely designed nature-made haven. Rock formations, stairs and interactive equipment surround traditional playground necessities such as slides, swings and more to entertain kids of all ages for hours. Activity at the playground can redeem “cool” rewards when the family gets wet at the splash pad and water spouts built into the site, located near the park’s lodge.

Families can also stay cool by taking a swim, wading or tubing down Sinking Creek, or going on a float trip at nearby Current or Jacks Forks rivers, with waters averaging between 58 to 68 degrees year round.

Nearby Attractions

Tour a 100-year-old grist mill, Alley Spring, and explore Round Spring Cave by lantern. Picnic and hike near the impressive cascading waterfall of the Rocky Falls Shut-in nine miles southeast of Eminence on Route NN, view geological wonders in the Cave Spring along the Current River or Devil’s Well near Akers, or catch a glimpse of the wild horses that run through woodlands of Shannon County.

For more information, check out VisitEminence.com.

Join Tom Sawyer and Friends during a HANNIBAL Road Trip

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Walt Disney’s boyhood home is in Marceline, Missouri, and visitors can now glimpse into this icon’s life at the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. On the other side of the state, another American icon is hailed in his hometown, which offers an ideal family road trip for Mid-Missouri residents.

Nestled in the bluffs beside the mighty Mississippi River, the city of Hannibal even uses a picture of Samuel Clemens, better known as the world famous author Mark Twain, in its logo and understandably so. Clemens spent his formative years there, with its setting inspiring adventures for many of his most memorable characters, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher.

The town has preserved many of Twain’s most notable “haunts,” including his boyhood home and the Mark Twain Cave, which offers a one-hour guided tour where young Clemens explored and later laid ground for literary fantasy in this famous novel, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

(Photo by Missouri Division of Tourism) Contestants participate in the fence painting contest, a time honored tradition of the National Tom Sawyer Days, held June 30-July 4 this year in downtown Hannibal.

With Mark Twain, meaning a river deep enough for a steamboat to navigate, families can enjoy a ride down the Mississippi River on the historic Mark Twain riverboat. The 400-passenger boat offers one-hour sightseeing cruises and two-hour dinner cruises where guests can see Jackson’s Island, Lover’s Leap and other legendary sites.

Take a tour or stay in the Rockcliffe Mansion, a “turn of the century,” gilded-age masterpiece built between 1898 and 1900 and decorated with many original antique furnishings. Twain led a two-hour speech on the steps of this historic inn and site, and now the bed and breakfast is a popular destination for visitors.

Climb the steps up to the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse, which was built to mark the 100th year of Twain’s birth and sits on top of Cardiff Hill. Families can work together to solve four different free scavenger hunts at Hannibal’s parks and earn a free treat from a local business.

Many other activities provide family entertainment, including Sawyer’s Creek Fun Park, a pay-as-you go activity center offering bumper cars, a shooting gallery, fast pitch, arcades, train rides, mini golf and food and souvenir shops. Keep cool in the summer heat at Mark Twain Landing, a water park a half-hour drive outside of Hannibal in Monroe City. 

Take a walk around downtown Hannibal, which is filled with unique artist shops, businesses, eateries and other sites, or hop aboard the Hannibal Trolley Company sightseeing tours.

Plan a road trip around two big events celebrating Mark Twain. Held May 27-28 in the city’s historic downtown district, Twain on the Main offers strolling characters, games, food, arts and crafts and in celebration of three Mark Twain novels — the Wild West in “Roughing It,” antebellum Hannibal of the 1840s in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and the Renaissance period in “The Prince and the Pauper.” National Tom Sawyer Days, held from June 30-July 4, includes a variety of concerts, vendors, food, a carnival, fireworks, a Tom and Becky contest and a fence painting contest.

Through many of these activities and others, families are sure to create their own adventure on a road trip to Hannibal. For more information, visit www.visithannibal.com.

Featured Activity: Explore one of the most haunted towns in America 

History can also be haunting, and Hannibal offers a glimpse into its paranormal past through Haunted Hannibal Tours.

A child friendly excursion takes guests on a history-based guided driving tour around one of the most haunted towns in America, showing guests its most notoriously haunted sites.

According to VisitHannibal.com, participants can hear stories of murder and mischief during Mark Twain’s boyhood days in Hannibal, meet the present-day ghosts of the mansions on Millionaires’ Row and many other infamous tales.

The tour leads to a “paranormal investigation” of the Old Baptist Cemetery, where graves of slaves and Civil War soldiers were laid to rest.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children ages five to 10. Children ages 4 years old and younger are not permitted on the tour. For more information or make a reservation, call 573-248-1819 or visit www.hauntedhannibal.com.

Share your own Missouri road trip or weekend getaway ideas and pictures with HER online at HERMidMoMagazine.com or on our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram pages.

By Samantha Pogue

The post Let’s Road Trip Missouri appeared first on HER Magazine.

Promoting Healthy Women Veterans

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Sharon Grant stood in front of more than 75 people and did something many fellow Vietnam veterans often struggle to do: tell the story of her military service.

As the guest speaker at the Women Veterans Commemoration on March 24 at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (Truman VA) in Columbia, the Jefferson City resident spoke about joining the U.S. Army in January 1969 during her junior year at University of Northern Iowa and how she entered dental hygiene school while first stationed at Fort Rucker in Alabama.

Grant fought back tears talking about meeting and later becoming engaged to a helicopter pilot, and the deep anguish she felt when her fiancé died during a rescue mission in Vietnam. She discussed following the calling to support troops in Vietnam by enlisting in the regular army during the time the Women’s Army Corps was preparing to disband near the end of her enlistment in 1972.

She described her service in South Vietnam and her traveling in her “Tooth Fairy” jeep to clean teeth, assist in surgery and train soldiers and locals. Grant also relayed a horrible incident involving her near kidnapping and an assault on the last day of her service in Vietnam before being able to return home safely.

Vietnam War veteran Sharon Grant shares her experiences with female veterans and other attendees at the Womens Veterans Commemoration on March 24 at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia.

After getting out of U.S. Army in 1973, Grant used her GI bill to get a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in social work, with the latter leading her to conduct the first major research project on women veterans in Vietnam who was exposed to Agent Orange. She made social work her career and also became an artist and an author, publishing a nonfiction book about her own military service, “Dreams That Blister Sleep: A Nurse in Vietnam.”

After Grant ended her speech, the crowd gave her a well-deserved standing ovation. The applause did not only honor her as a Vietnam veteran. It was a salute to her ability to remember and respect her military service, an experience she had blocked out for 32 years due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“People did not want to talk about the war and even fewer people knew that women served in a war zone (during Vietnam). … I finally had to seek physical and mental help for PTSD and cancer. Because of these experiences, I learned the importance of loving one another in a deeper and more profound way,” she said. “For those who have served our country, I hope you would consider using the services of the Truman VA. The medical and behavioral help teams are among the finest in the nation. … I have always been treated with kindness, sensitivity and respect here. I could eventually … share what I had blocked out for 32 years.”

Even though such services are available to all veterans, the women veterans program through the Truman VA also serves as a liaison, connecting ladies to primary medical and behavioral care, community resources and camaraderie through events and activities. Keeping its pulse on evolving female veterans’ medical needs makes it one of the leading programs of its kind in the nation.     

THE EVOLUTION OF FEMALE VETERANS

The dynamics of female military service and the veteran population are changing. During World War II, just 4 percent of the military was made up of women, and that same percent held true for women making up the veteran population in 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. However, by 2040, women will be 18 percent of the veteran population, with about the same percent of military services done by women currently.

Many women veterans, particularly those serving during World War II, Korea and Vietnam, may not see themselves as a veteran.

“If you ask them if they are a veteran, they will probably say no. But if you ask them if they served in the military, they would say yes. Some veterans don’t feel like they are a veteran because they didn’t serve overseas or during wartime. But they are a veteran,” said Cindy Stivers, women veterans program manager through Truman VA. “Women also wear many different hats. Some of them might say they are not a veteran, even though they earned the title. They are wearing the mother hat, the caregiver hat, the student hat. Those things come first in their priorities.” 

(Courtesy of Cindy Stivers) Cindy Stivers understand those she serves as the women veterans program through the Truman VA as a veteran herself. The Macon, Missouri native served from 1990-1994 in the U.S. Marines, retiring as a corporal.

Stivers, a U.S. Marine from 1990-1994, is a proud veteran from Macon, Missouri. Stivers served as an aviation maintenance administration clerk and was stationed at bases in Arizona, California, Korea, Alaska and Japan. Despite being one of only 15 females among 220 Marines assigned to a squadron during her basic training, she felt she received great support throughout her service, retiring as a corporal.

She became a strong veteran advocate, dealing with aspects of each of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ three main umbrellas: cemetery and burials, benefits and health care. Prior to taking her current position six years ago, Stivers worked with the Jacksonville Veterans Cemetery in northeast Missouri and the Missouri Veterans Commission as a veteran benefits service officer and the statewide coordinator for female veterans.

However, Stivers didn’t begin utilizing health care services through Truman VA for about 10 to 15 years after she left the Marines. When she returned to her rural Missouri community in 1994, she felt the guidance given to veterans transitioning into civilian life was different than it is today.

“I felt like it was ‘thank you for your service, here are your discharge papers, you figure out the rest of your life.’ The resources we have available now for veterans coming out of service and on the transitioning team on both sides … have greatly improved from my generation and even generations before that,” she said. “Before you step out of those doorways from being in the military to becoming a civilian, they are teaching them the importance of enrolling in the VA healthcare, enrolling into the GI bill and so much more. … Working with the Missouri Veterans Commission and the veteran service officers out there … I understood I could enroll in those programs. I think the knowledge is so vast and available now for newer veterans, and that is wonderful.”

A TEAM AT EACH VETERAN’S SIDE

The VA health system truly has expanded over the years, now including 144 hospitals, 1,221 outpatient community clinics and hundreds of vet centers throughout the United States. The Truman VA health system covers 43 counties and Pike County, Illinois, and the largest rural population of veterans in Missouri, according to Truman VA Public Affairs Officer Stephen Gaither.

Truman VA also offers eight community-based outpatient clinics, including Jefferson City and Osage Beach, to ensure primary health care and mental health care is available within about 30 miles of each veteran. With the majority of specialty health care based at the hospital, additional services were added in recent years at those clinics, including cardiology and dietary services in Jefferson City.

As the dynamics have changed for VA health care, so have the veterans utilizing those services. According to Gaither, the thousands of patients using Truman VA are on average male, Vietnam-era veterans and in their mid-60s. However, a larger number of younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are utilizing the hospital, and so are more women.

“The average age of a woman veteran using the VA is about 45. We have a 19-year-old to the oldest (in their 90s),” Stivers said.

Stivers tells women veterans that when they come to the VA, they will receive care for just about everything “from head to toe and from your soul out.”

A mannequin displaying a hat worn by women in the military sits at the Womens Veterans Commemoration event on March at Truman VA hospital in Columbia. Hats, uniforms, patches and other pieces of history were on display for attendees to see.

“(The women veterans) are caregivers and we have to put ourselves second to our families. But we need to be up on our own health care, so we can be a better caregiver ourselves,” she said.

The VA’s comprehensive primary care includes services for acute and chronic illnesses, preventative services and gender-specific care, as well as other medical expertise in areas such as mammography, gynecology, military sexual trauma-related care, counseling and military and environmental exposure.

“We have a lot of women veterans that come to the VA for their gynecological care, maternity care and infertility issues,” Stivers said, noting some of those providers are not currently on staff and community resources are used to help the veteran meet their needs, including partnerships with MU Health University and the Women & Children hospitals. ”The awareness of services that a woman veteran can get from us is (steering away) from being my grandfather’s hospital. … I have women veterans that come through the VA that request maternity care. It is a great service we can’t provide for them right here, but we’ll contract out through the community and pay for those services.”

As with many veterans, women typically come to the Truman VA for primary care or behavioral health, with depression, anxiety and PTSD being the most common behavioral health illnesses. However, the health system’s 47 providers are all trained in women’s health, according to Stivers. 

“We are integrated, and that is part of the philosophy of our chief of staff, who is a female veteran,” Gaither said.

“The continual medical education our providers go through is not just hypertension; it is hypertension and how it affects women, diabetes and how it affects women,” Stivers said. “You talk about an integrated health system, we truly are that. … The veteran can come in and know they have all these people working together as a team.”      

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

That team — including a primary care provider, nurse, clerk, dietitian and social worker — is assigned to each veteran, with women veterans utilizing Stivers as a liaison to connect them to benefit services, veteran civic organizations and other resources they may need.

“For example, we have the American Legion Post 202 Auxiliary (in Columbia) that brings in baby bags for new mothers. We also send diapers, baby bags and other items to give back to our women veterans, too,” Stivers said.

That wealth of resources continues to grow as Stivers connects with VA medical centers across her Veterans Integrated Service Network, which covers nearly six states. They share training sessions, ideas and methods to keep up with the best women’s health care for all veterans.

The program also hosts private and public activities where female veterans can have camaraderie, such as the March 24 event. Central Missouri female veterans and the public viewed artifacts, photos and historic uniforms worn by female soldiers, visited with veteran organizations, and shared their stories. For many in attendance, they feel more events like these need to be held.

“We need to band together more. That is what this event is about, getting together and talking to each other. We need to have more of our women getting more involved in our service organizations. Having power in numbers is very important in these organizations,” said Melissa Mizio, a U.S. Army veteran at the event.

Stivers said the women veterans program helps keep that network active for participants. During her six years at the program’s helm, Stivers most memorable moments are seeing how the women evolve and do tremendous things after serving their country.

“I know one that was in a very stressful pregnancy when I came here six years ago. … She was a young mother straight out of the military, had a lot of behavioral health issues and medical conditions. She is now working here at the hospital and we are sharing stories of what her children are doing now,” she said. “To see these women finish college graduation, work on master’s degrees and better their health is amazing.  … Even though we have served in different times, different units or branches of service, it is that connection we have as veterans.”

For more information about the women veterans program, call 573-814-6100 or visit     www.columbiamo.va.gov.

Vicki Buss, a Women’s Army Corps and U.S. Army veteran puts her uniforms on display for all to see at her table during the Womens Veterans Commemoration event. Buss is the current charter commander of Central Missouri Women Veterans, American Legion Post 1111,which is one of a handful of all female veteran American Legion posts in the state. Buss was one of its founding members and has held the position of commander a few times since its inception.

Get Help, Get Involved

Are you a female veteran looking for resources? Or perhaps you want to help fellow veterans in central Missouri? Here are just a few main contacts to get you started.

Organizations to know:

Central Missouri Women Veterans American Legion Post 1111 (all female veteran chapter) Contact Commander Vicki Buss, pictured above, at 573-808-0478 or visit their Facebook page. Additional area American Legion posts are: Herbert Williams American Legion Post 202 in Columbia (573-442-2950 or www.americanlegionpost202.org); and Roscoe Enloe Post 5 in Jefferson City (573-636-2311 or post5.com).

VFW Post 35 in St. Martins (just outside of Jefferson City): 573-893-7595

VFW Boone County Post 280 in Columbia: 573-442-8413 or vfw280.org

Combat Boots and High Heels: (nonprofit organization meeting the unique needs of female veterans and supporting all U.S. veterans) Contact at www.combatbootsandhighheels.org or visit their Facebook page.

Disabled American Veterans (DAV): (national nonprofit veteran and family support organization, with more than 20 Missouri chapters, including a Missouri Women Veteran Committee) Visit www.davmo.org.

Welcome Home, Inc.: (Columbia-based organization providing shelter for homeless veterans and working to provide a new Welcome Home campus) Visit www.welcomehomelessveterans.org.

Important Numbers:

Women Veterans Call Center: 855-VA-WOMEN

Center for Homeless Vets: 877-424-3838

Veteran Crisis Hotline: 800-273-8255, press 1

Caregiver Support Line: 855-260-3274

Jefferson City VA Clinic: (Located at 2707 W Edgewood Drive) 573-635-0233

By Samantha Pogue | Photos by Emil Lippe

The post Promoting Healthy Women Veterans appeared first on HER Magazine.

Sisters in Arms

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Soldiers often refer to their fellow servicemen as family. For Col. Grace Link and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michelle Struemph, their fellow Missouri National Guard members have certainly become a vital part of theirs.

Those bonds for Link strengthened even more through constructing needed buildings with her teams of airmen, and her proven leadership skills elevated her to director of staff for the Missouri Air National Guard.

Struemph’s ‘family ties’ with Guard members grew as she worked hard to become the first female command chief warrant officer of the Missouri Army National Guard and led the charge in establishing the Missouri National Guard’s Sister in Arms Council, which mentors female Guard members and promotes gender diversity.

Their strong work ethic and dedication has proved successful in their military careers. That sense of family — seen in their ambitions to mentor all soldiers — is what truly keeps them motivated.

Col. Grace Link

Col. Link describes herself as one of those “strange people” that totally enjoyed boot camp, reveling in the unifying atmosphere it created.

“I just really enjoyed the team concept, and the military really just became my family from way back when I was a young airman,” she said.

Link was born in Mexico and grew up in Chicago, wanting to join the military at a young age. At 18, she worked with a retired Air Force master sergeant who told her how great the Air Force was. Going active duty was her first choice, but then an Air Guard recruiter encouraged Link to pursue a different military path.

(Courtesy of Grace Link) Col. Grace Link poses with her airmen team and others who helped reconstruct an orphanage as part of a European Reassurance Initiative Humanitarian Civic Assistance project in Latvia.

She joined the Illinois Air National Guard in 1986 and later got her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree to become a civil engineer. While at technical school, she met her husband, Scott, who is now a retired Air Force technical sergeant, and the couple moved back to his native Missouri. 

While at the 139th Airlift Wing in St. Joseph, Link worked her way up the ranks, serving as an executive officer, communications officer, environmental engineer, assistant engineer and base engineer. Before moving into her current role in 2015, she was the deputy mission support commander and the 139th Civil Engineer Squadron commander at the wing. Link’s favorite times were spent with construction teams, building a variety of needed structures throughout the world.

She deployed with the 474th expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Commander in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Guantanamo, Cuba, where her team helped take care of the military tribunal court systems. Link also led multiple military construction projects including building a counseling center for the Wounded Warrior Project in Colorado and Operation New Horizon in El Salvador, the latter of which Link said was “quite the mission.”

“We landed and there was nothing there. … There was a train coming through with parts and lots of antiquated army equipment, and we were thinking, ‘How are we supposed to build a base out of this?’” she said. “From trying to get all these old parts to 21 days later … we had a fully operational base.”

Link and her team of about 50-60 airmen would start some projects from scratch. For others they would pick up where other military teams left off, much like a European Reassurance Initiative Humanitarian Civic Assistance orphanage reconstruction project in Latvia, in which Link was commander. Her team was the final unit on the project, finishing the orphanage for a ribbon cutting.

Link and her team worked alongside Latvian soldiers, contractors and others to complete the orphanage on time. Link said her job was “easy,” coordinating the tasks, getting crews what they needed, and making sure the project stayed on schedule so the airmen could complete the construction work against some strong obstacles.

“They are so innovative. … They really are impressive. … That is what motivates me to watch them; they can see the fruits of their labor,” she said.

(Courtesy of Grace Link) The Link family are all airmen. Col. Grace Link stands with, from left, Scott, her husband and a retired technical sergeant; Zoe, her daughter and a senior airmen; and Scott, and an airman first class.

Those airmen and Link were also motivated by the Latvian orphans temporarily housed in a facility across the street during the reconstruction.

“When we did the ribbon cutting and watched the kids go into their new home, it doesn’t get much more rewarding than that,” she said. “They see us in uniform as big heroes. I don’t think sometimes back home we see ourselves that way. … It keeps me reminded to always represent our country well no matter where we are. … We are ambassadors for the United States.” 

Link’s teams also left good impressions on her two children when they would visit them on state-side assignments. Her daughter, Zoe, is now a senior airman and her son, Scott, is an airman first class.

In December 2015, Maj. Gen. Steve Danner, the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, named Link the new director of staff for the Missouri Air National Guard. In that position, Link is a senior advisor to Danner, coordinates joint military functions and formulates long-term strategic plans in support of nearly 2,300 citizen airmen throughout the state, including the 139th Airlift Wing, the 131st Bomb Wing in Whitman and the 157th Operations Group at Jefferson Barracks.

“Whether it is a flying operation or promotion boards for airmen, I make sure they have good established policies for how they do business. I assist them in everything – getting them funds from the bureau or approvals from the adjutant general so they can do those great trips,” she said.

Moments of adversity are inevitable due to the society in which the world lives, according to Link. However, rising above it is how she made the most out of her more than 30-year Air Guard career.

“I have been able to overcome it by staying focused, taking care of the airmen and being the best I could be at what I do,” she said. “Balancing family life has been very important, not letting one take over the other. … There are a lot of great opportunities the military has for women. We really bring a lot to the entire military team.”

Chief Michelle Stuemph

Born at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Michelle Struemph became quite familiar with the military from an early age. Her father was in the U.S. Air Force and a Vietnam veteran. He was also part of the reason why Struemph joined the   National Guard.

“I graduated high school in 1984 at 17 and went through a year of college (at Boise State University),” she said, noting she had lived in Idaho since she was 8 years old. “My father joined back into the National Guard and convinced me to join with him, primarily for the educational benefits. … I will have served active duty in the Army National Guard for 31 years, 32 years total.”

(Courtesy of Michelle Struemph) Chief Warrant Officer (CW5) Michelle Struemph fires her rifle during the 2002 Chief National Guard Bureau Biathlon Championships at Camp Ripley, Minnesota as part of the biathlon team. Skiing and rifle marksmanship were the two activities of the biathlon.

Struemph joked her father didn’t stay too long during his second round of military service, but she fell in love with it. She enlisted in the Idaho Army National Guard in 1985 and was stationed in Fort Bragg in North Carolina as an administrative specialist at a regional training site. Soon after she came to serve the Missouri Army National Guard in 1990, she was introduced to the National Guard biathlon team.

Soldiers participating in the biathlon program developed levels of skiing and rifle marksmanship necessary to improve combat ability. For Struemph, these skills were enhanced and her self-confidence was raised.

“It instilled confidence and earned me respect, especially with the male soldiers. I did just as well as them, and they saw me as an equal, a teammate,” she said. “For me, the Guard helped raise me, that was my family. … (They) made me who I am.”

As a biathlon athlete, Struemph was able to compete in locations like France and Germany and win the South American International Biathlon Championships in Argentina and Chile in 2003. Her nights and weekends were spent training and competing, yet she worked equally as hard during the day for the Army National Guard. Struemph first worked as a SIDPERS (Standard Installation and Division Personnel Reporting System) data analyst, a reason why she was able to be active duty in Missouri. Struemph graduated from the Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, earning her appointment as warrant officer one.

After about an eight-year stint serving as an administrative officer over the headquarters detachment, she then became the SIDPERS branch chief for about 13 years before assisting the adjutant general’s staff for another three years.

In October 2012, she became the state command chief warrant officer, making her the first female in the Missouri National Guard to reach a chief warrant officer five rank. She supervises morale, welfare, training, administration, selection and management of the state’s warrant officers.

Her military devotion is also felt in her family, with Struemph’s son a graduate from University of Missouri in Columbia and a seven-year combat medic in the military. Her husband has served the Missouri National Guard for 34 years, is the data processing installation chief and also is a CW5.

Even though Struemph will be taking off her uniform after retiring from the Guard in July, she will still be highly involved in the Sisters in Arms Council, which leads a women’s mentorship program and initiative for the Missouri National Guard she helped establish in 2015. As she did throughout her military career, she will continue to help all soldiers achieve greatness.

(Courtesy of Michelle Struemph) Chief Warrant Officer (CW5) Michelle Struemph, center, stands with Shelby Shaffer, left, and Amanda (Kasa) Graham, during their Warrant Officer Candidate School graduation at F. McClellan, Alabama.

“I always felt like you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself. I am an overachiever personality, so I did pretty well. … I am going to help people out, no matter what the rank is,” she said. “The Guard truly has been my family, and I feel an incredible bond. … I love wearing the uniform; I’m very proud of that. … I think it was about finding my passion to what I would move into next.”

Sisters in Arms

A 2014 meeting in the Sedalia Armory initially fueled Struemph’s recent passion with the Sisters in Arms Council and women’s mentorship program.

“Basically we took a hard look at the demographics, comparing our diversity rates to the national diversity rates, with national at 16 and Missouri at 14 overall,” she said, noting they also looked at attrition rates. Those initial statistics showed that 8 percent of senior enlisted ranks were female, with a steady decrease of 7 percent in warrant officers and only 5 percent in CW4 or CW5 levels.

“Through the mid-grade ranks, we realized we are losing a lot of our female soldiers who would never reach leadership roles,” she said.

With the support of Danner, Struemph, Chief Master Sgt. Laura Clark and other key leaders created the Sisters in Arms Council to provide opportunities for mentorship that would empower the Guard, change the culture, increase diversity in senior ranks and develop junior soldiers and airmen into future leaders.

“Our base council is all females because I want women to feel free to openly discuss things without a male present. We have an executive council level that has a lot of male leaders because we are never going to create change if we don’t get more male involvement,” she said. “Then we go all the way to top with the joint council with Gen. Danner on that.”

The logo for the Sisters in Arms Council and women’s mentorship program has significance to women in the military. According to the program’s charter, the minuteman on the left is the symbolism of the Guard/military and is the military unit’s recognized symbol. The female on the right is Deborah Sampson Gannett, the first true female serving in the military. She disguised herself as a man under her deceased brother’s name and fought for the Light Infantry Company for the 4th Massachusetts Regiment where she was wounded in battle. She later was honorably discharged and her secret was never revealed. The year she enlisted, 1782, is to the left of the logo. To the right of the logo is the year 1917, when Loretta Walsh Walsh engaged in a four-year enlistment in the U.S. Naval Reserve, becoming the first active-duty Navy woman, first woman to enlist in the Navy and the first woman to serve in any of the armed forces in a non-nurse occupation.

Struemph said the council first looked at why many female soldiers didn’t make it to or past mid-grade ranks, finding that many factors came into play such as maternity leave.

Maternity leave is up to 12 weeks. It is a wonderful thing, but it brought about some new problems,” Struemph said. “This basically is three months, so how does the soldier stay engrained in her unit when she is gone for three months? Is she going to make a good year for retirement purposes? She would have to make up a drill, before giving birth or after, to make sure she could achieve that.”

She said airmen could apply for active duty jobs while pregnant, but Army Guard female soldiers could apply but would not be hired or start until after having their babies and completing maternity leave.

“A lot of times depending on when she applies, the Guard is not going to go nine months and three months to wait for someone to fill this position. They want somebody now,” she explained.

Struemph said the council developed a pregnancy counseling forum to make sure commanding officers advise pregnant women soldiers on family care plan requirements, breast-feeding, maternity leave, alerts for make-up drills and help with completing their forms so nothing falls through cracks.

Education is another big piece for the council, particularly in making some strides in the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program (SHARP) at the Guard. Struemph said a female is in that position, which was dominated by males previously.

More female recruiters were added, a female enlisted officer representative is at every senior command as a point of contact, and Struemph has brought up several new female warrant officers. Recently, Amanda (Kasa) Graham and Shelby Shaffer graduated at the top of their class. Out of 47 warrant officer candidates only 64 made it through the course successfully, with Graham ranking No. 1 as the distinguished honor graduate and Shaffer graduating in the top 10 percent.

“Both ladies overcame huge obstacles to meet the qualifications and make it through the course. … I’m super proud of these two,” she said. “Females need a role model and someone to look up to. … Having a female in a position sometimes is enough and provides the proper role model, inspiring them to become more.”

The Sisters in Arms Council and women mentorship program has future plans to address more gaps between gender differences. Struemph keeps all of the council’s past, present and future plans in her trusty binder, which she almost always has with her.

“I do have (my binder) with me all the time because the program always comes up. I will go to some leadership conferences and they ask if I can speak about the women’s mentorship program; it is really starting to hit people,” she said. “We all know what diversity brings to the table: thinking outside the box.”

By Samantha Pogue

The post Sisters in Arms appeared first on HER Magazine.


United in Uniform

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Honoring Mid-Missouri women’s military service, past and present

A Mid-Missouri U.S. Army veteran Becky Price recently said, “We are called soldiers and veterans, not male or female.”

Women who have served in the military in America’s history have proved their skills, intelligence and strength are as equally vital as their male counterparts.

Take Deborah Sampson, the first known woman to fight in an army for the United States. Even though she disguised herself as a man, she served for more than a year in the early 1780s. Many women followed Sampson’s lead to fight in U.S. battles, receive military pensions and even acquire land owed to them for their service.

Today, thousands of women proudly serve in all branches of the U.S. military. Some hold high-ranking positions and serve in military jobs once dominated by men. Others have continued their service in veteran assistance programs and civic organizations following retirement, helping veterans receive their benefits, shelter and proper medical care. These women are military personnel, veterans and advocates. They are united in uniform, not just as women but, more importantly, as American soldiers.

To showcase the dedication women play in the U.S. Armed Forces and in honor of Military Appreciation Month in May, HER has profiled two female leaders in the Missouri National Guard, as well as a newly enacted and growing women’s mentorship program through the Sisters in Arms Council.

Learn about the continuously expanding women veterans program at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Columbia, which is administered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Readers can also find out about some local organizations that assist soldiers, military families and veterans, including an all female American Legion post. Visit HER’s website to meet four area ladies who are serving or have served our country at varying times during the past five decades in a special online article.

HER just scratched the surface of the amazing veterans and enlisted women from Mid-Missouri. To all area soldiers and veterans, male or female, we thank you for your dedicated service to our country.  

BY Samantha Pogue

 

The post United in Uniform appeared first on HER Magazine.

Dreaming of More at Zesto Drive-In

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Enjoy extra fun facts about Zesto Drive-In in this special online article.

Check out additional photos from HER Magazine staff’s visit to Zesto for the July/August  2017 article “We All Scream for Ice Cream.”

Zesto Drive-In Fun Facts

•  Zesto Drive-In was originally named after the Zest-O-Matic soft serve machine. According to current Zesto Drive-In owner Chris Wrigley, the Zest-O-Matic inventor hired operators in 48 different stores across the United States, offering up its delectable soft serve and other food and treats to hungry patrons.

• “He found out he would make more money selling the machines than running the restaurants,” Wrigley said, noting most of the store operators ended up buying the Zesto stores to keep the restaurants open. “That is how Zesto started in the ice cream business, and it always had its soft serve.”

• Wrigley said the first Zesto in Jefferson City was opened in 1948 at the foot of St. Mary’s Hospital on Missouri Boulevard. The restaurant has seen different owners through the years, including longtime Zesto operator Harold Brown, whom the Brownie Supreme Sundae is aptly named. It also has had a couple of locations, with the current building on Jefferson Street opening in 1993.

• Zesto Drive-In restaurants still reside in Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Omaha, Indianapolis, California and Jefferson City, to name a handful. Wrigley said they are all licensees, locally owning and operating the restaurant.

•  Wrigley, and his wife, Cindy, bought Zesto in 2011 to carry on the same traditions they enjoyed — customers relishing in delicious, award-winning barbecue, sandwiches and delectable desserts they have enjoyed for years.

• Zesto Drive-In is well known for its barbecue, participating in numerous competitions and securing dozens of awards and trophies, including about four grand champion and about three Missouri champion titles.

• The Philly Cheese Brisket, specialty dogs (like the mac and cheese and pizza dog), Polish Reuben and tuna or chicken salad sandwiches are among the most popular food items at Zesto. “We don’t have any fried food. … We do what we do best,” Wrigley said.

• Zesto is also known for its ice cream favorites such as avalanches, milkshakes, sundaes and ice cream sodas, to name a few. Wrigley said cookie dough, strawberry shortcake, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and Oreo are some of the most popular avalanche flavors.

• Seeing a lot of local sports teams and families enjoying food or sweet treats inside or at its famous blue outside picnic tables is what makes Wrigley happy. “They bring their kids in, and they say they are the third generation to come here,” he said. “We have been known for always catering to the little kids and families, keeping our restaurant family-oriented.”

Zesto is located at 1730 Jefferson St. For more information, call 573-659-7117 or visit ZestoDriveInSouth.com.

Behind the Scenes: Zesto Drive-In
(Photo by Samantha Pogue) Zesto Drive-In Owner Chris Wrigley pumps velvety hot fudge onto the Brownie Supreme Sundae base, which includes a Ghirardelli brownie and Zesto's signature vanilla soft serve.
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HOW TO STYLE: Rachel Summers

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AFTER

Rachel Summers loves helping others, one aspect of her current nearly two-year position as a Jefferson Bank teller. However, the 20-year-old from Holts Summit has decided to go back to school in the near future.

Looking to first get her general education and then focus on an area of study in the medical field, Summers decided to pursue college to better herself.

“I love helping people and always had a particular interest in the medical field and how it’s operated. I’m excited to get my life started, be able to get out on my own, and see what life has in store for me,” she said.

In honor of this big step, Summers recently received a makeover through the help of Sydney Broderick Salon and Fine Mess Boutique. Summers described her personal style as laid back, often wearing jeans, leggings, T-shirts and hoodies. However, she was thrilled to receive the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone.

BEFORE

“Seeing myself dressed up, the side of me that doesn’t come out, is what I’m most excited about with the makeover,” she said prior to the experience.

After receiving a gorgeous new hair style and color with beautiful clothing and accessories, Summers found the makeover experience “amazing” with everyone making her feel “right at home.” Summers felt amazed about her new hair and loved the dress and turquoise accents in her outfit.

“The makeover was amazing! I had desired that hair for awhile and they nailed it,” Rachel said. “The salon and boutique taught me how to dress and feel beautiful while still being comfortable.”

Meet the Gurus

Alyssa Thoenen

Licensed cosmetologist/stylist

Sydney Broderick Salon & Spa

Alyssa Thoenen has worked in the industry for four years and is the newest member of the Sydney Broderick team. In addition to earning her cosmetology license in 2013 from Merrell University, she has also been educated in the Keratin Complex Smoothing System, Jane Iredale makeup, Hot Heads hair extensions and Jan Marini skincare. In Alyssa’s free time she enjoys playing volleyball, spending time with her family and watching movies. “Life isn’t perfect but your hair can be, so call today,” she said.

Victoria Langley 

Makeup specialist/cosmetologist

Sydney Broderick Salon & Spa

Victoria Langley graduated from Paul Mitchell the School in Columbia in 2015 and started at Sydney Broderick Salon & Spa the next day. Victoria loves doing full glam makeup sessions and playing with bold colors and eye shapes to get different looks. She is also a full-time hair stylist, so she can transform someone’s image in all aspects. “Nothing beats watching someone look in the mirror after I’ve done their makeup or done their hair, and they get to see themselves in a new light,” Victoria said. “It shows in their eyes.”

Nikki Payne 

Owner, Fine Mess Boutique 

Nikki Payne is the owner of Fine Mess Boutique and The Snob Shop Exchange. She dreamed of one day opening a boutique and fulfilled that dream in 2014. Nikki opened her first shop, The Snob Shop Exchange, in November 2011. Both stores are conveniently located right across the street from each other in downtown Jefferson City. Fine Mess Boutique is the source for contemporary ladies apparel and accessories. Nikki seeks out the latest fashion trends and offers them to customers at a friendly price for sizes small to 3x.

The Style

Hair – Alyssa used Paul Mitchell The Color XG to deepen Rachel’s base with a red violet, lightened her ends with Pravana Pure Light Balayage Lightener and mixed in Brazilian Bond Builder to help protect the integrity of her hair during her transformation. After she finished processing, Alyssa shampooed with Kevin Murphy Hair Repair, blow-dried and coated Rachel’s hair in a Demi peach glaze formula. While styling Rachel, Alyssa used Kevin Murphy Anti.Gravity (oil free volumizer) at her base and Body.Mass (leave-in plumping conditioning treatment) on her mids to ends. Using Hair.Resort Spray, she curled Rachel’s ends and finished her style with Kevin Murphy Doo.Over Spray to achieve a relaxed every day look.

Makeup – Victoria used Jane Iredale’s BB cream and concealer topped with their pressed powder to give a full coverage base and even out Rachel’s skin tone, prepping her face before the makeover. To really complement her cheek bones, Victoria used a shade of Jane Iredale’s pressed powder a few shades darker than her skin tone to define her face shape. She kept the look bronzy to compliment Rachel’s new hair and used a burnt peachy blush and soft peach highlighter to draw attention to the high points of her face. Victoria also used a coppery warm eyeshadow with a pop teal in the lower lash line to both emphasize Rachel’s green eyes and the flecks of blue in them. A smoky black liner using shadow and black mascara, fluttery strip lashes and a glossy warm pink lip finished off Rachel’s new look.

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HER Home: Tiny in Taos

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Kristy Lootens has found solace in a small sanctuary on her parents’ property

Bigger isn’t always better. In a culture that often screams materialism, there has been a push in the opposite direction lately. A push for enjoying a life that’s simpler, less stressful, less complicated and, in turn, comes   with less stuff.

For Kristy Lootens of Taos, the breaking point came last summer. She wanted to be closer to her parents and to downsize significantly. Originally she had thought to build a garage and place a small apartment on top. That’s when she came across a tiny house, or rather the shell of one, which sparked an idea that would change the way she lives.

Lootens checked out the 320 square-foot river house being sold by a family in Wardsville. She quickly made plans to purchase the structure and move it to her parents’ land.

“I still have my privacy, and they have theirs,” Lootens said. But she can be in her parents’ house in an instant to help out.

“I wanted to have a smaller house and be able to devote more time here,” she said. The current arrangement fits the plan perfectly.

The house really is tiny but lends itself well to a simpler lifestyle. It was moved and placed on a cinder block foundation, fitted for water and electrical.

“I had so many people help me,” she said.

The house has a white siding exterior, brown trim and a brown tin roof.  A small porch provides enough room for a rocking chair for a little outdoor living.

Upon entering the front door, the bathroom is to the left and the kitchen is to the right. A shower was added to the bathroom by taking away a portion of the front porch. A water heater finds its home under the stairwell, leading up to a loft-style bedroom.

The inside is decorated in Lootens’ favorite colors — black, lime green and brick red. A tin backsplash matches that of other tin touches throughout the space.

“I love the tin,” Lootens noted of the industrial material.

The kitchen includes a small stovetop and oven, a small microwave and apartment-sized refrigerator. The black sink matches that of the black cabinets.

A collector of antiques, Lootens made room for old bottles and antique knick-knacks on top of the cabinets.

“It’s really a lot of cabinet space for what I’ve got,” Lootens explained.

She downsized her stuff significantly in order to fit into the house. Some went to her daughter, some is being stored in her parents’ house and some went to the “get-rid of” pile.

Among the pieces Lootens insisted would be moved to the tiny house was her living room furniture. A full-size couch, rocker recliner, corner electric fireplace and television all fit in the small living space.

“Everyone kept saying there is no way all of this would fit,” she said. But Lootens was right.

She has worked in storage in every nook and cranny she can find. There is storage behind the TV, under the stairwell, behind the bathroom mirror and in the loft area. There is even room for Lootens’ beloved dogs, Bandi and Clancy, and an outside cat that comes in on occasion.

Lootens moved into the house just a few weeks before Christmas. She’s adjusted well to her space, but tiny living does come with a little sacrifice. If she could do it over again, Lootens said she would love to fit in a water softener. She also won’t be hosting any dinner parties anytime soon.

“I can’t entertain, but that’s not what this is for.”

Lootens uses TV trays to eat her dinners, something she said she had often used anyway.

After months of hard work to get the house ready for everyday living, it is now complete except from adding a little landscaping.

Putting aside some luxuries, the tiny house has allowed Lootens the freedom to focus her energy on her family.

“I had a big house for 20-something years. I got tired of cleaning it,” she joked.

Some may think her tiny living will only last a few years before she tires of the lack of space, but Lootens has long-term plans.

“I really am happy with the way it is,” she said.

Story by Jessica Duren • Photos by Mikala Compton

The post HER Home: Tiny in Taos appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER Health: Becoming a Mom

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Tips you need to know to keep you and your baby healthy

Sleeping until 9 on a lazy Saturday morning. Leaving the house quickly when a friend calls to invite you to an impromptu dinner party. Running a “quick errand” to Target. Catching up on your DVR list after a busy work week.

Remember these days, gals. It will be replaced with early Saturday mornings fueled by coffee, planning two months in advance for a night out, taking all day to prepare for a 30-minute run to Target, and crashing on your couch once baby finally falls asleep.

Sounds a bit rough and it is, but you also now have the greatest job title ever. You are a mom. You get to be on the receiving end of the unconditional love of a child. You will cherish those sleeping snuggles after that midnight feed and get to hear those sweet baby coos. Already forgot about those lazy Saturday mornings I bet, haven’t you?

I am a busy wife and mother to three children ages eight, five and one. Becoming a mom not only changes your daily schedules but also leads to some significant changes to your body and health. We spend significant time planning our registry, so it’s important to also learn about some normal changes medically after pregnancy.

I like to refer to the postpartum period as the fourth “trimester.” Hopefully your delivery went as planned and all are healthy. You have experienced a monumental transition to your body. Every organ system in your body is in a transitional state to your new normal.

Get Help With PPD

It is very common to have moments of rapid mood swings from elation to sadness, irritability and anxiety, decreased concentration, insomnia, tearfulness and crying spells. However, some women, about 10-15 percent, have a more severe form of these symptoms and actually have postpartum depression (PPD). These moms have a depressed mood or loss of interest on top of the other typical symptoms that are present most of the day, every day. You may be at increased risk if you have a history of depression, depression during pregnancy or a family history of depression.

What are some possible treatments? First don’t try and be a hero; accept help. Nap when baby naps. We all hear this recommendation and just ignore it. I ignored it until my third baby, but this really is important. Multiple studies have shown that regular sleep can be just as effective as medical therapy in mild cases of PPD. Shower daily. Wash off the grime and stress of the last 24 hours. Get out of the house. This can be a simple stroll around the neighborhood or a short outing with baby. If your symptoms are severe or persistent tell your doctor immediately. Some women will require counseling or medical therapy to improve and that is OK. I have many patients who struggle with this, so never feel like you have done anything wrong. Ask for help.

Down to the Breasts & the Bladder

How you decide to nourish your baby is a decision only you can make.  Your physicians will provide you with education no matter what your decision is. Whether you choose to breastfeed or not, you will experience breast engorgement. Engorgement is full, heavy, red, painful breasts three to five days after delivery, sometimes associated with a low-grade temperature that occurs when your milk comes in. If you choose not to breastfeed discuss with your doctor how to treat engorgement.

If you choose to breastfeed I have a few tips. First, RELAX. It’s not like the movies. You have breasts and babies know how to suck, but that does not equal breastfeeding. It takes practice and patience, which you may be a little short on when you are sleep deprived. Second, experiment with different feeding positions to find a few that work for you and your baby. Third, feed often and stay well hydrated. Your hospital gives you that giant water cup for a good reason. Jefferson City is blessed with multiple options for assistance with breast feeding, both inpatient and outpatient, so please visit with the lactation consultant early and often.

If you thought your loss of bladder control during pregnancy would end with delivery, this isn’t usually the case. Urinary leakage is very common after delivery. The good news is it does improve over time, and your doctor can talk to you about pelvic floor exercises that can be helpful.

At the same time, you may be wondering when you can finally ditch that pad. Vaginal bleeding after delivery is called lochia. It can last up to six weeks, and it transitions from bright red and heavy flow to dark brown and then yellow-like discharge. Once your lochia ends and your doctor clears you for intercourse, you can transition back to tampons if you prefer.

Let’s Talk About Sex

It is normal to have decreased libido (sex drive) after delivery. Up to 60 percent of women will have decreased interest up to three months following delivery.

Why, your partner may ask?  Usually, it is due to concerns over pain, fatigue or worrying about hurting yourself. Our breastfeeding moms may have more of these symptoms because of the lack of estrogen. The lack of estrogen can also lead to vaginal dryness. Rest assured, unless you had major complications, resuming intercourse by six weeks is perfectly safe.

Getting Your Body Back

The media is saturated with celebrities walking the red carpet days after having a baby and looking fantastic. Let’s remember they have teams making them look this good.  Most women lose half of their pregnancy weight in the first six weeks. Remember, it took 40 weeks to gain the weight and can take 40 weeks to lose it.

If you want to get back to exercising or start a new exercise program it is OK to resume a few weeks after delivery. Watch out with heavy lifting or heavy core work as it isn’t the best for your bladder health. Increasing your activity level and modestly reducing your caloric intake will lead to steady weight loss.

I hope the information I shared with you helps prepare you for your new job: motherhood. Good luck and congratulations!

By Dr. Amanda Rodemann,
obstetrician/gynecologist
at Women’s Clinic of JCMG

The post HER Health: Becoming a Mom appeared first on HER Magazine.

Little HER: Mid-Missouri’s Voice

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Graci Diggs, 12, has become a national advocate for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

“Don’t run away from challenges, run over them.”

This 2017 T-shirt slogan for Graci Diggs’ fundraising efforts toward the Arthritis Foundation perfectly exemplifies her.

“That is kind of how Graci has lived her life,” said her mother, Anna. “It is a challenge, not a struggle.”

Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) at age four, Graci faces challenges every day. Many mornings it’s hard to get out of bed on her own, as her joints cause her severe pain and her immune system often is compromised. However, Graci doesn’t look at her ailments as a struggle. She keeps active by playing on a traveling softball team, the Lady Cardinals, fishing at a family friend’s pond and riding with her “bicycle posse” around the streets of Tipton.

Her spirited ambition in facing challenges has persuaded legislators to alter step therapy medicine programs and raised thousands of dollars for the Arthritis Foundation, earning her the 2016 Emerging Leader in Advocacy Award. Graci does not run away from challenges. She runs right over them.

(Courtesy of Anna Diggs) Graci Diggs stands with her extremely supportive parents, Aaron and Anna.

Challenges, not struggles

Graci was diagnosed with JRA in 2009, but she experienced signs and symptoms unknown to Anna and her husband, Aaron, since she was 2 years old.

“She had fevers that would spike and then go away. She had rashes. … We didn’t think anything of it,” Anna said.

Anna recalled the day she knew something more was wrong with Graci. The morning of Aug. 2, 2009, Graci cried, complaining she couldn’t put her shorts on.

“I said, ‘Oh come on, hurry up, let’s go.’ Then her cry changed, and I knew something was wrong. Her knee was almost the size of a volleyball,” Anna recalled. After physicians sent her to an orthopedist, they knew seeing a pediatric rheumatologist was in order. Going to St. Louis or Kansas City was not attainable for the family since Aaron out of work and the family without health insurance at the time due to the recession. “We were begging them if we could go somewhere closer.”

Their wish was granted when Dr. Darcy Fozenlogan, an adult rheumatologist in Columbia, agreed to treat Graci. After Fozenlogan retired, Graci started to see a new pediatric rheumatologist, Dr. Anjali Patwardhan, at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in 2012. In treating her JRA more aggressively, Patwardhan advised Graci to start taking medication that helped her go into remission for two years.

“It was her miracle drug, however, when her body changed during puberty … she came out of remission,” Anna said. “She is now taking the biologic, Humira, and is doing OK.”

Graci still fights complications with the disease, such as having inflammation in her knees and ankles, back pain and occasional stiffness in her hands. Graci also has eye screenings every three months to watch for uveitis, an illness that can cause blindness if not treated.

When the family knew JRA was not going away, they learned about ways they could get involved and first began raising awareness for the Jingle Bell Run in Columbia. In October 2012, Graci became involved with the event, raising almost $3,000 for the Arthritis Foundation the first year.

“Graci showed so much enthusiasm with it, she was asked to be the youth honoree the next year,” Anna said. “She has just exploded into advocacy from there.”

Awareness and advocacy

Since then, advocacy and awareness for JRA has been two huge things for the Diggs family. In 2013, they sold 750 tickets for Arthritis Day at the Park at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and Graci has been able to throw out the first pitch twice during her involvement with that annual project.

For the last three years, Graci and her family have encouraged doctors’ offices to provide applications for families with kids first diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, in turn receiving a free care package with information, a journal, teddy bear and other resources.

She has held awareness campaigns at her school, hosted trivia nights and started her own fundraiser, Cans for a Cure, in 2014, where contributors throw their cans in the Diggs’ front yard.

“We had a Facebook event, had 2,000 invites and had 940 pounds of cans donated that first year,” Anna said, noting St. Louis and Mid-Missouri news coverage inspired an area recycling company owner to price the aluminum cans at cost. “Instead of 38 cents we got 75 cents a pound. He logged everything we brought in, and at the end of the year, he wrote her a check for $1,500.”

Again, raising cans this year and hoping to reach a 1,000 goal, Cans for a Cure gave Graci her initial fame in Mid-Missouri and beyond. More notoriety came when Graci’s advocacy helped influence important legislation and landed her big awards.

Former State Rep. Denny Hoskins, now a Missouri senator, sponsored House Bill 2029 a few years ago, which discussed step therapy medication. Anna said the bill basically “cut out the middle man,” allowing doctors to prescribe medicines to their patients without trying other medications pushed by insurance companies first. This happened to Graci.

Graci testified to legislators about step therapy twice, the first time without Humira and in a wheelchair, and the second time on Humira and showing signs of improvement. Her healthier state impressed legislators, who unanimously passed the bill and it was ultimately signed into law by Gov. Jay Nixon.

(Courtesy of Anna Diggs) Graci Diggs stands next to nearly 500 pounds of cans the community has donated during the last few months for her ongoing Cans for a Cure fundraiser, with all proceeds benefitting the Arthritis Foundation.

In 2016, Graci received Youth Service America’s Every Day Young Hero award, which gave her a three-year scholarship to help with her charitable efforts, she advocated for arthritis research in Washington D.C. and spoke about medicine expense on CBS Sunday Morning News. This year, Graci accepted the 2016 Emerging Leader in Advocacy Award for the Arthritis Foundation, the highest honor a person under 21 can receive from the organization.

“We spent a few years in anger and questioning, but now we know why. Whatever God’s will is, we are willing to fulfill it,” Anna said. “I think staying focused on the Arthritis Foundation and what we can do to advocate and help others has helped us concentrate on the bright spots and not dwell on the negative aspects of having arthritis.”

Teaching others to run over challenges

Graci and her parents’ openness about JRA has garnered a lot of support. Graci’s best friends bring popcorn and a movie over when she has been sick. Graci’s teachers work with her to help her succeed. Graci’s family, including cousin 15-year-old Trenton and older sister, Logan, stand beside Graci in her trials and tribulations. Graci and her “JA BFF’s” attend each other’s fundraising events, face time during injections or meet up at conferences.

Markie Bullington and Meghan Anselm may understand Graci better than anyone, living through it themselves. Graci cherishes her mentors, assisting them with the Silver Ball fundraiser, listening to their advice at events they help lead and walking beside them at their fundraising efforts, such as the Arthritis Walk in St. Louis.

The 12 year old now pays that forward to younger kids who have JRA, such as taking a fake injection with a pen to let them know it doesn’t hurt.

“I tell them keep fighting through no matter what, and stay active. Just keep going,” Graci said.

With all Graci has accomplished in her young life, her parents are encouraged she will continue to face her challenges with grace, responsibility and determination into adulthood.

“I don’t want Graci to grow up being defined by her arthritis, but I also want her to grow up and say, ‘Yes, I have it and it is OK. But I’m not going to let it keep me from being who I want to be,’” Anna said. “She has pretty well done that.”

Story by Samantha Pogue

Visit Graci’s Facebook page, “Team Go, Go, Go, Graci,” and Arthritis.org for more information. 

Mid-Missouri's voice: Graci Diggs
(Courtesy of Anna Diggs) Graci Diggs stands with her best friend who has juvenile arthritis at this year's arthritis summit in Washington D.C. They both hold Arthritis Foundation flags boasting the slogan, "Champions of Yes."
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Little HER: In Sync on Ice

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Team Intensity claims synchronized skating national title, creating perfect ending for departing seniors

Five minutes on April 2 were purely surreal for the Capital Classics’ Team Intensity, especially its four high school senior synchronized skaters.

They came into the final, premiere round of the Ice Skating Institute (ISI) Nationals in second place, beating out teams from across the country in the teen category and leaving them one performance away from earning the top title.

Anticipation, nervousness and excitement filled the 16-member team while they waited in the bay by the ice rink in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. For the seniors, realization set in knowing this was their last time competing, their last performance of the season and their last time skating as a team.

However, once Whitney Houston’s “I Want to Dance With Somebody” started to play, Team Intensity started dancing on the ice, it was about being in sync and enjoying that time together.

(Photo by Tom Hickman) From top, Sierra Foster, Madeleine McDonald, Brittany Patrick and Rylie Kever had the perfect ending to their long youth career in synchronized skating with Capital Classics when Team Intensity became ISI national champions for the first time in the program’s history.

“When we skated at nationals this year, everything just came together. It was one of those things that you didn’t think about the choreography or the footwork. You just take it all in, and we had a great time. It was a very surreal five minutes,” said Brittany Patrick, Jefferson City High School 2017 valedictorian. “I remember the coaches when we got off the ice; they were bawling. They said, ‘We don’t care about your placement. That was the best you’ve ever skated.’ I looked at everyone when we were doing our last maneuver, and we were all crying a little bit.”

Their “Platinum Beats” performance launched them to the highest accomplishment a Capital Classics synchronized team as achieved in ISI since it started 21 years ago. Team Intensity became 2017 ISI national champions.

That victory was a perfect ending to a long synchronized skating career at Washington Park Ice Arena for seniors Brittany, Sierra Foster, Rylie Kever and Madeleine McDonald. The sisterly bond shared between the seniors, their teammates and coaches will continue long after graduation.

Getting in sync

Synchronized skating is a program with music where each skater forms individual patterns that are integrated together to create a moving image on ice. Many of Team Intensity’s members began ice skating at a young age, further developing their skills while synchronized skating. Brittany is a seven-year member of Capital Classics synchronized skating teams, but she has also individually competed in ISI for 10 years, passing her United States Figure Skating (USFS) intermediate moves in the field and preliminary freeskate levels.

Sierra, who also is a longtime participant in ISI competitions, has skated since she was 6 years old and has been involved with Capital Classics synchronized skating teams for eight years. A Jefferson City Figure Skating Club member for 11 years and Capital Classics FSA member for two years, Madeleine has skated for 12 years total and synchronized skated for eight, six with Capital Classics.

Rylie has skated for 14 years, synchronized skated for nine and been with Capital Classics teams for seven. Like some of the other girls, she comes from a family of skaters, including her mom who figure skated at Washington Park’s outdoor rink and a younger sister, Allison, who skates with Team Intensity. Rylie felt synchronized skating progressed her skills.

“It made me grow so much faster than individual skating,” she said. “I didn’t know if I liked it at first, but it grew on me and I love it.”

Many synchro-skaters now start in Team Sensations, a tot formations synchronized skating group. Then, they advance to Capital Classics’ three main competitive synchronized skating teams, tiered by age group and level of skill. Team Vibrant and Team Radiance are a youth formations and youth team, respectively, with Team Intensity comprised of more advanced skaters in eighth through 12th grades.

With the exception of the tots, the other teams travel to compete in six to nine competitions throughout the season. Before entering into a recital or tournament, the teams spend hundreds of hours practicing intricate, originally choreographed routines both on and off the ice.

“We practice the choreography off the ice, and once we have learned the steps, we practice on the ice and see how it works,” Rylie said, noting their coaches Jessica Northrup and Rachel Bruemmer choreograph the routines.

Many of the seniors have enjoyed the costumes, music and themes each season that added to their unique routines, including a song mesh-up with “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly and “Fly” by Rihanna, peacock-inspired outfits and inspirations from Alice in Wonderland. However, they all feel they’ve grown from their first performances, hooking their interest in synchronized skating.

Skating to success

That passion for synchronized skating is what drove Team Intensity to secure the national championship, despite a challenging 2016-17 season.

All the Capital Classics teams faced adversity when the ice rink flooded on two occasions in the late summer/early fall. Time was lost in preparing for the season’s competitions. The teams traveled to St. Louis for practice while Jefferson City rink was out of service, a challenge for all of the teams whose members are all in school.

“It was stressful, because the rink came back three weeks before our first big competition in Jefferson City,” Brittany said. “We were freaking out about how it was going to happen and how good we would be. But everything just progressively got better from there.”

Despite the rink issues, Team Intensity built their routine as they always have. During competitions, groups like Team Intensity are assessed based upon the difficulty of moves and the uniformity of the skaters in exercising each movement. At their level, the most advanced teen category at ISI competitions, Team Intensity must complete each formation and execute it in unison. As the coaches often tell the girls, they can only go as fast as the slowest skater on their team.

“We have to make sure we are on the same count, going up and coming down at the same time when doing lifts,” Sierra said.

Team Intensity has many challenging moves in their most recent award-winning routine that sealed the national championship, including a rotation block.

“We are in four lines of four people in each line. We hook up, pivoting the entire block to make one move. Then, the front line becomes the back line,” Sierra said. “The back line is more shallow and has a wider edge, and the front line takes a deeper edge, so we all move together.” No matter the move, practice and trust is vital.

“We have one move where three skaters are lifted in the air and the other is kind of doing the splits at the same time. I was one of the people that went up into the air, so getting us all to go up at the same time is challenging,” Brittany said. “It is definitely weird (to be lifted) at first. But I trust all the girls and know them really well, so even if you fall it is OK. … You just do it.”

With seven competitions including nationals this past season, Team Intensity’s routine continually evolved. The coaches changed and added to deliver the best performance possible.

“We added lifts and spirals and a bunch of stuff from December up to nationals,” Sierra said.

In addition to their regular tournaments, Team Intensity also competed in their first two United States Figure Skating (USFS) competitions this past season, placing first in the St. Joseph competition and receiving fourth after a tie-breaking round in Detroit.

“In November and December, we had a short program, and then we switched to a longer program mid-season. When we knew we were done with USFS we added two minutes for our ISI competitions and nationals,” Sierra said.

Team Intensity has secured a high national championship placement in the past, frequently placing third or fourth, and earning second place in 2014. However, receiving their first Boyd Wietecter Trophy became a climatic ending to the team’s season of perseverance.

“It felt good, having it all come together. When you looked at the audience’s faces and our parents, you could tell we were doing well,” said freshman Skylar Gaw. “We had a pretty good season, but it was definitely our best performance.”

Forever a ‘family’ 

About a month after nationals, the team was still reveling in the win.

“I’m still wearing the nail polish from the competition. I won’t take it off,” Madeleine said. “I will probably keep repainting it and keep living in the moment.”

Other significant moments have taken place for the seniors since the team’s victory. Both graduating from Jefferson City High School, Madeleine plans to study radiology at Metropolitan Community College, and Brittany will study biomedical engineering at Washington University this fall. Recent Helias Catholic High School grads Sierra and Rylie both plan to participate in their college’s synchronized skating teams. Sierra will be at the University of Missouri in Columbia, majoring in biological engineering with an emphasis on biomedical, and Rylie plans to study education and psychology at Lindenwood University.

Stationed in places Team Intensity competes, the four seniors teased Skylar about having eyes throughout the state on her and the team. However, the senior girls were assured the upcoming seniors and underclassmen will keep Team Intensity strong next season.

“It will be really hard because they all have been here for so long,” Skylar said. “They left such a high standard. We got first in the nation, and they are leaving.”

“We are taking a fourth of your team, but you now have to step up and win again. And I’ll be watching you because I’m not that far away,” Sierra said with a smile.

“We are always watching,” Madeleine added, as all the girls laughed.

The senior girls will miss the inside jokes, challenging practices and personal talks they have had with their “sisters” and “second mothers,” but those bonds will never be broken.

“I would take a billion more of the worst practices we have ever had to have be with this group one more time,” Madeleine added. “We are all close, but individually you have people that you will always go to. Eventually we all crossed paths, and that is why we are all best friends.”

Story by Samantha Pogue

For more information about Capital Classics synchronized skating teams, visit Capitalclassics.weebly.com or find them on Facebook. Watch Team Intensity’s winning performance at the 2017 ISI National Championship here.

Team Intensity's 2016-17 Season Journey
(Photo by Fannie Gaw) Team Intensity does a rotating formation to Whitney Houston's "I Want to Dance With Somebody" during their ISI National Championship performance.
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Capital Classics youth teams win at ISI National Championships

(Photo by Fannie Gaw) Team Radiance won second plact at the ISI National Championship in their category. They are: (front, from left) Emily Aroundpradth, Taylor Gerlach and Aubrie Morff; and (back, from left) Hannah Bearden, Jaden Frahm, Lil Delk, Zoe Scrivner, Whitney Pavely, Auburn Frahm, Kathryn Fitch, Laurel Delk, Zia Clark, Emma Friedman and Kaya Huffman.

The two younger teams from Washington Park also had great success at the ISI Nationals in Wisconsin.

Team Radiance won second place in the premier round of the advanced formations teams after claiming second place in the preliminary qualifying round. Team Vibrant also placed second in the premier round of the formations competition and claimed first place in the preliminary qualifying round.

The Capital Classics teams are made up of young people throughout the Mid-Missouri region and are affiliated with Jefferson City Parks and Recreation with the help of local sponsors and the skaters families.

The post Little HER: In Sync on Ice appeared first on HER Magazine.


Little HER: Breaking Sound Barriers

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Sisters Olivia and Emma Burney captivate audiences with their unique music

Olivia and Emma Burney have big dreams for their future careers in music.

“I just want to go on tour with one of my favorite bands, even like Violet and the Undercurrents (a Columbia-based rock group). That would blow my mind if we could ever go on tour with them,” said 12-year-old Olivia.

“I would like to have a band that is big, playing super upbeat songs where I can run all over the stage,” 9-year-old Emma added. “I also want to play in one of those huge football stadiums, and people actually come see it.”

Their mother, April, didn’t want the girls’ dreams to be out of reach, so when the sisters   decided to professionally delve into the music industry at an early age, she told them t

(Photo by Samantha Pogue) Emma and Olivia Burney are making their mark on the Mid-Missouri music scene.

o put those dreams in writing.

“From the time we started this, we put it on paper and kept our minds open,” April said. “We had written down venues we wanted to get to, people we wanted to connect with and we’ve been working hard.”

That hard work has paid off. Since actively pursuing their dreams early this year, the Burney Sisters busked at hot spots in their hometown of Columbia, networked with musicians in the region, scored multiple gigs throughout mid-Missouri, were featured in local media, reached more than 1,000 followers on Facebook and finalized branding artwork.

“If you look at our music meeting notebooks, we have almost achieved everything that we initially had put down,” Olivia said.

The Burney Sisters aren’t stopping there. While building on their previous goals, they are gearing up to record their first EP and continually hone their craft with lessons and guidance from notable musicians.

Audiences are captivated by this dynamic duo’s jazz and Americana vocal styles harmonized beautifully with their guitar and ukulele riffs. The Burney Sisters are fueled by that feedback, continually filling their music meeting notebooks with more achievable dreams to conquer.

‘A singing child is a happy child’

Olivia and Emma come by their passion for music honestly. April’s mom and dad both are musically inclined, along with many relatives.

“I have always sang, but I couldn’t get over the stage fright part,” she said. “For me, it was a no-brainer to sing to them when they were born, teach them cute little songs to sing with me and for them to learn how to harmonize on the radio or with me. It has always been a big part of our lives.”

In December 2015, Olivia and Emma’s singing struck a chord with Columbia area musician Rocket Kirchner. In helping a local soup kitchen, he stopped by the Burney household to pick up bags the family, including dad Rusty, made with the Girl Scouts to hand out at Christmas. He spotted a little blue guitar Olivia got when she was 6 years old and started to play, amazed by what happened next.

(Photo by Shelby Kardell) Emma Burney, 9, left, performs with her sister Olivia Burney, 12, May 9 at The Mission in Jefferson City. They are based out of Columbia and have played at several venues throughout central Missouri.

“I think he was just trying to be sweet and play Christmas songs for the girls. … He would say, do you all know this song? He started playing it, and then when they sang, he was like, ‘Wow,’” April said.

“He said you guys are going to be on our next album. Of course we were just thinking, ‘Oh yeah, he is just saying that.’ Then he texted mom and said, ‘Hey I just wrote a new song’ and asked if we wanted to help him out with it,” Olivia added.

That initial invite led to Olivia and Emma assisting with several of Kirchner’s songs on his “Child Maze” album. Proceeds from album sales raised money for kids with cancer in a project called “Love Train,” also the title of one track.

Olivia and Emma performed with Kirchner at nursing homes, hospitals, Cooper’s Landing in Columbia and other venues. They learned a lot about the studio process while creating “Child Maze” and many other helpful tools from their new musician friend.

Soon, the girls were eager to do something on their own together. Olivia had played guitar, picking up the ukulele last September and learning her first chords by watching YouTube videos. While performing with some friends, Emma watched in amazement as one of her sister’s friends played guitar. She was inspired to start taking guitar lessons in December at Palen Music Center, a beloved second home for the girls who had been taking various instrument lessons for four years.

“(Working with Kirchner) started a bug in them that they could do this. … I asked, ‘Is this what you really want to do? I tell you what, you won’t just be a cute kid on a stool. You will have to learn the business. We’ll have meetings twice a week, talk about what we will sing, etc.,” April said.

Becoming the Burney Sisters

The Burney Sisters found their individual musical styles complimented each other.

“Olivia’s voice is more of a jazz/indie sound and Emma is more Americana and country. They have different genres, but when they come together the sound is wonderful,” April said. “The harmony just works. They can be so different, but it is just beautiful together.”

The girls took their brand of music to a public audience by launching The Burney Sisters Facebook page, where weekly video snippets first featured Olivia performing renditions of her favorite tunes from mainstream artists and local musicians. As Emma felt more comfortable with her guitar, she joined in.

The Burney Sisters also began to busk weekly in Columbia, allowing them to receive genuine feedback from passers-by while performing on the street, as well as make some big connections for gigs. Even though less time has been devoted to the act recently, Olivia and Emma plan to continue busking.

“Every time we have gone out busking we have met new people, got gigs from it … It is near and dear to our hearts to be with the people and meet people. I wanted the girls to understand the history of music.

If you came from nothing and had nothing, but you still had your voice, you could survive. I want them to know the power of what they have right now,” said April.

Gigs started stacking up for The Burney Sisters. Since April, they played at the Palen Music Center, twice on KOPN 89.5 radio station, as part of the choir during The Wall: Interstellar Overdrive performance at The Blue Note, with Rose Ridge at The Mission, Hartsburg Grand Market’s Mother’s Day event, the Orr Street Farmers and Artisans Market in Columbia, Family Fun Fest at Cosmo Park, the Columbia Earth Day Festival, Evening at the Amphitheatre and at Shawnee Bluff Vineyard in Eldon before Lonestar too the stage, to name a few.

The Burney Sisters have appreciated all of their connections with area musicians, including their idols, Violet and the Undercurrents. Violet Vonder Haar, lead vocalist and guitarist for the folk/pop rock quartet, first reached out to Olivia and Emma after watching an Instagram video of their busking performance in Columbia. The Burney Sisters then performed at a Woman’s Day House Concert, where Violet and the Undercurrents also played.

(Photo by Shelby Kardell) Emma Burney, 9, performs May 9 at The Mission in Jefferson City. Burney performs with her sister, Olivia, 12.

“Violet stayed there to watch us. She came right over to us after the concert and said, do you want to play a show with us? We were like, ‘Oh my God, yes!’” Emma said.

“She told them, ‘You remind me of me; this is just crazy.’ She is precious; we love her,” April added. “The whole band is amazing. We have them on loop in the car.”

Since then, The Burney Sisters opened for Violet and the Undercurrents at Katfish Katy’s in Columbia, appeared as the band’s special guests during a gig at Rocheport General Store and performed with them during “Respect: A Celebration of Women in Music Through the Decades” at The Blue Note. Olivia is taking voice lessons with Violet, and the girls will learn songwriting and other industry skills at Compass Music Camp in July, where the band’s lead guitarist Lizzy Weiland is instructing.

“When (Violet and the Undercurrents) perform, they are engaging; you want to watch them,” April added. “That is what the girls aspire to be.”

More dreams to achieve

Violet and the Undercurrents’ song, “I Got You” is one of Olivia and Emma’s favorites to play, keeping it secured in their performance setlist with about 30 others like “Riptide” and “Ex’s & Oh’s.”

Despite gigs streaming in weekly for The Burney Sisters, the girls are anxious to start recording their first EP with the help of Palen Music Center General Manager Nate White. Olivia has written several originals, performing a few like “Follow Me” to receptive audiences.

“I want to influence other people to spread light in the world with my songs,” she said, as one original, “Light the World” suggests.

(Photo by Samantha Pogue) Even though they are professional and business savvy at a young age, the sisters enjoy being silly and themselves on and off the stage.

Songwriting is slated in Olivia and Emma’s music meeting notebooks, with a tentative late summer time slot. Outside of home school with mom, drawing and hanging with the family, the girls are spending several hours practicing, creating and building on the sound of The Burney Sisters.

“Olivia is fueled by curiosity and Emma is fueled by challenge. If (Emma) sees something, she says hold on a minute I could do this. Emma will disappear in rooms for hours at a time … but then she would come out an play this thing, and we are like, ‘wow.’” April said. “We are still learning to create a bigger sound and use percussion with our instruments. … But, their harmonies give them that beautiful full sound, too.”

Despite some common sisterly disagreements, the pair works well in developing and promoting their music as The Burney Sisters. To them, no dreams are unattainable. With hard work, perseverance and an open mind, everyone can accomplish them.

“At any age, you can start learning. There is not a limit in your whole lifetime to anything that you can learn,” Olivia said, “You keep going and don’t give up.”

Story by Samantha Pogue

Listen to two songs from The Burney Sisters at HERMagazineMidMO.com.

Check out The Burney Sisters Live!

July 13: Shawnee Bluff Winery in Lake Ozark, 5-8 p.m.

July 15: Columbia Farmers Market at The Arc, 8 a.m.-noon

July 18: (Billed with Rose Ridge) The Mission in Jefferson City, starting at 8:30 p.m.

July 29: Guthrie Green park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 7 p.m.

Aug. 5: Star City Town Square in Arkansas, 7-10 p.m.

Aug. 13: Orr St. Farmers Market in Columbia, 10 a.m.-noon

Aug. 21: Foodstock – Solar Eclipse at Corporate Lake in Columbia, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (total festival time, not specific performance time)

Sept. 16: (Billed with Cara Louise Bank and Sunshine Mamas) at Cafe Berlin in Columbia, 8 p.m.

For more information and more gigs, visit Facebook.com/BurneySistersMusic.

The post Little HER: Breaking Sound Barriers appeared first on HER Magazine.

Becoming a Momtrepreneur

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mamasboy owner Tanya Lankford supports fellow moms in their creative, business pursuits

Three pictures line the wall at the recently opened downtown Jefferson City boys clothing store, mamasboy.

The happy faces of the three young boys displayed — 10-year-old Chase, 7-year-old Jake and 6-year-old Finnegan — belong to the sons of the shop’s owner, Tanya Lankford. They inspired her to start a quality, pre-purchased clothing boutique that caters to boys like them.

Her successful entrepreneurial vision has filled a needed youth style niche in the area, allowed her to contribute a portion of every dollar sold to the United Way and connected her with many families in a safe, fun shopping environment. However, Lankford’s business wasn’t complete until she was able to hang one more important piece of decor at mamasboy: a sign that reads “momtrepreneurs.”

The space under this sign highlights fellow mothers’ original products designed for young children and moms. Together in mutual support, Lankford and her momtrepreneurs are showing all area women that they can make their business dream a reality.

“I just wanted to have a place that I was proud of and from my heart,” Lankford said. “In my mind’s eye, this is exactly what I always pictured. For it to actually come to fruition is pretty cool.”

REALIZING A DREAM

While growing up in New York City, Lankford frequented small niche boutiques scattered across the east end. Boutique shopping was also available in south Florida where Lankford worked for nonprofit organizations like the American Red Cross in Miami and the YMCA’s foster care division.

After marrying a registered nurse, Brad, she soon became a full-time mom to her three sons and realized the lack of available, quality clothing for young boys.

“Wherever you go, it is three-quarter girls and a quarter boys clothing. My boys are special to me, and I always want to make sure that they look their best,” she said. “I care about the way they look and I care about their clothes.”

After the family moved back to Brad’s hometown of Jefferson City, Lankford found quality play clothes for her boys at department stores and clothing chains. Yet, she said nicer clothes were often more expensive and shopping online sometimes left her in a pinch if the clothes didn’t fit properly.

“If you have a wedding, a confirmation or special occasion, there are few places to outfit boys in nice, affordable clothes,” she said.

With those struggles in mind, she wanted to create a business that catered to boys and mothers, helped the environment and was philanthropic in nature. Last fall, Lankford began turning her 10-year-old idea into a real business. After finding a perfect downtown High Street location and spending more than three months cleverly designing the space with Brad’s handy work to meet her complete vision, Lankford opened mamasboy March 17.

The clothing became the initial draw, with play, seasonal and special occasion ware for boys up to 16 conveniently displayed in the store’s front space. Nike and Under Armour garments are most popular, but Lankford also carries quality clothing, suits and more with labels bearing Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, GAP, J. Crew, Brooks Brothers and notable designers from around the globe. The clothing is pre-purchased or recycled, with many items Lankford receives to resell having their original tags.

“Mothers come in and buy a pair of jeans that in a different store are $28 or $30. I sell them for $12 or $15 and they are almost brand new,” she said. “The brands that I carry are made very well; they will last you longer.”

While the clothing is a draw, the environment and Lankford’s special touches for fellow parents’ shopping experiences create return customers. Outside a fitting room with a custom-made, properly scaled height chart, the bathroom wall is lined with comic book covers and that area includes a changing station stocked with free plant-based and hypoallergenic diapers, wipes and other baby products. The “Little Man Cave” in the back of mamasboy is a safe haven for the kids and has chairs, movies, toys, a chalkboard and stocked fridge with water and juice.

“When you have small kids, having five minutes to shop is important. The boys come back here and the moms are like, ‘This is amazing.’ It gives them that peace of mind. The boys are having fun in a safe environment where they are,” she said.

FROM ONE MOMTREPRENEUR TO ANOTHER

Outside of chatting with shoppers about parenthood over tea or coffee at mamasboy, Lankford still wanted to empower fellow moms to fulfill their dreams.

“A lot of times, as women, we forget who we are. We are someone’s wife or someone’s mom. We are the daughter or the caretaker. … I want to do something to make women feel proud of themselves. But how am I going to do that with a clothing store?” she said. “I started thinking, how cool would it be if I give moms … who like to sew, like to knit or make bowties for their nephews a place to showcase what they do. To let them know … you are still valid, you are still important, what you do matters. … You have a gift to share with others.”

Lankford began finding those moms through connections, encouraging them to become a momtrepreneur. Now, three Jefferson City women have become mainstay “momtrepreneurs,” showcasing their original, unique items at mamasboy.

Abby Struemph, a full-time mom to two young boys, was the first person Lankford contacted. Struemph was a fellow parent at her sons’ school, but Lankford didn’t realize she made hooded towels for kids through her business, LoveBug Design, until seeing a little girl wearing one at the local pool and talking with the girl’s mother.

“When my first son was born, we, of course, received a few infant hooded towels as gifts, and while they were great in the beginning, we quickly outgrew them. My aunt made him some hooded towels as a gift, and we loved them so much that she taught me how to make them myself,” Struemph said. “Initially, I just made them for my kids, but soon gave them as gifts for baby showers, as well. The more exposure they got, the more people would encourage me to offer the towels for sale.”

In 2014, she opened her Etsy store and has primarily sold online or at local craft sales. Lankford then asked her to be a momtrepreneur and sell some at mamasboy.

“I’ve focused on fun colors and themes that kids of all ages love. I feel that there is definitely a market for these hooded towels because babies outgrow the standard hooded towels so quickly, but parents and kids love the design of a hooded towel,” she said, with Lankford buying one for each of her sons and two for her friend’s children.

Lankford also loved another item, a water bottle with a vinyl hydration tracker, the mother of her son’s friend made. That item became a social media hit and led Southern Boone Elementary fourth grade teacher Christina Brauner, who has 7-year-old Hunter and expecting another child this month, to create Vinyl Variations.

“I bought myself a Silhouette Cameo as a Christmas present. I always saw all of these cute vinyl projects on Etsy and Pinterest and knew I could make them myself instead,” she said. “I started out with a water bottle that had a hydration tracker on it. I shared a picture on Facebook, and it took off from there. I had so many people wanting to order them that I decided to make it into a business. A lot of my business is now based off custom designs that the consumer brings to me and I create.”

In mamasboys’ momtrepreneur area, shoppers can find Brauner’s hydration tracker water bottles, as well as tumblers, wine glasses, coffee mugs and more that boast adorable sayings like “My Mom is the (bomb symbol),” “Mama Bear” and “Mom’s off duty, go ask Dad.”

“I have known Tanya and been good friends with her since before her shop even opened. I remember talking with her about the store and her vision for it as our boys played soccer together,” said Brauner, who also started making monogram earrings. “She invited me to be one of the vendors featured, and I am forever grateful. Tanya is a great business owner and friend, and always goes extra lengths to make sure she supports the local community.”

Patrons also utilize personalized embroidered services from momtrepreneur Stephanie Osborn, owner and founder of The Little Blue House. The single mother of two daughters started the business as a creative hobby with basic intentions of designing a few items upon request and selling pre-owned items to fill financial gaps. Six months after purchasing her first embroidery machine in 2015 to make gifts for family and friends and monogram clothing for herself and her girls, she expanded her sewing and embroidery services of names and initials to include wedding handkerchiefs and numerous other products, such as Stitched Blessings for Broken Hearts (handkerchiefs for families that lose a loved one), Memory Pillows, Noggin Nesters (12-by-16 inch pillows with custom pillow covers) and, through the encouragement of Lankford, Little Bro Ties.

“She has so many different kinds of Little Bro Ties, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman, trains, pizza, St. Louis Cardinals,” she said. “She also just introduced these awesome travel pillows. … I know for the moms, (the momtrepreneur program) has given them a boost of confidence, which has helped them believe in themselves more and start making more things and expanding.”

KINDNESS LEADS TO GREATER GOOD

The momtrepreneurs have seen how Lankford’s generosity and encouragement in promoting their creations has helped grow their businesses.

“The feedback has been outstanding. The opportunity that I have with the momtrepreneur program at mamasboy has increased my creative process and income, as well as offering a product that is exclusive to this area,” Osborn said. “I have also increased Tanya’s creative process and customer base, too. The opportunity to help someone grow their business and follow through on their goals is important to me. I get to be a small part of that.”

Lankford has found when you start extending kindness and not expecting anything in return, blessings of all kinds come back to you.

“This store already has given me so much. I have met amazing women, met great moms and met beautiful children,” she said. “I have been embraced by the community here. … I have been really blessed and am extremely happy.”

Story by Samantha Pogue | Photos by Emil Lippe

Stop by mamasboy at 205 E. High St., call 573-616-1326 or visit them on Facebook or MamasboyJC.com for more information.

The post Becoming a Momtrepreneur appeared first on HER Magazine.

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

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Local ice cream parlors share their hottest cool treats

Ice cream is more than a sweet treat in Jefferson City. It’s serious business.

There’s a wealth of well-known national chains, such as Sonic Drive-In, Freddie’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Steak ’N Shake and McDonald’s, that dish out popular frozen treats to satisfy everyone’s palate.

Locally owned businesses have created institutions in the industry, making waves by offering some of the first styles of ice cream cones in Mid-Missouri and establishing tourist hotspots in the state capital year-round.

In celebration of National Ice Cream Month and National Ice Cream Day in July, HER has highlighted the signature treats served up by eight locally owned ice cream companies or specialty restaurants. Discover more fun facts and offerings, and view more photos to make your mouth water from these sweet tooth havens.

There’s no need to scream for ice cream in the capital city. Go treat yourself.

Daisy Delight

Daisy Delight customers are still pleasantly surprised at the size of the ice cream cones.

“They can be serious and business like when they come in, but when you hand them that cone a big smile comes across their face,” said Jana Bartel, who has worked at Daisy Delight for 25 years and now co-owns the restaurant with longtime owner and husband, Jerry.

Opening in 1955 as a drive-in, Daisy Delight initially offered treats like vanilla ice cream and orange and grape slush. As new owners carried on its legacy through the years, the restaurant offered the first two-flavor twist ice cream cone in Mid-Missouri, tripled its building size and added a dining room, and expanded its menu to include delicious charbroiled hamburgers that are still a favorite among Daisy Delight guests today.

Daisy Delight, Ice Cream, Banana Split

4-Flavor Banana Split Delight
Four stacks of ice cream over a layer of sliced bananas, four toppings of your choosing (strawberry, pineapple, caramel and chocolate featured), whipped cream, nuts and a cherry

Hooking customers with homemade soup and chili and the savory flavor of multiple charbroiled sandwiches like the Polish sausage and BBQ pork, Daisy Delight also draws in patrons with its Dole Whip non-dairy soft serve in chocolate, French vanilla or flavor of the week, as well as a wide variety of other ice cream desserts.

Dole Whip is in their most popular treats, which are aptly named Daisy Delights and started with the signature Four-Flavor Banana Split Delight. Daisy Delight owners decided to make their banana splits in a rectangular dish and use four stacks of ice cream, sliced bananas, four tasty toppings and a smothering of whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. Nine more Daisy Delights were added to the menu, with Reese’s, Brownie Turtle and Banana Split Turtle delights all popular among guests, according to the Bartels.

Visitors love having have their ice cream cones dipped to create a hardened, sweet shell in five flavors — chocolate, cherry, blue raspberry, peanut butter and birthday cake.

Whether it is using Daisy Sauce on a charbroiled cheeseburger or watching wide-eyed as employees make a massive Daisy Delight, fond memories are continually made at this Mid-Missouri landmark eatery.

Daisy Delight is located at 2715 East McCarty. For more information, call 573-635-1221 or visit Daisy-Delight.com. Get the full scoop on Daisy Delight here

Zesto

During the summer, Zesto Drive-In goes through about 130 gallons of its signature soft serve in roughly three days. That delicious vanilla ice cream made from the business’ namesake soft serve machine, the

Brownie Supreme
Ghirardelli brownie, Zesto’s signature vanilla soft serve, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry

Zest-O-Matic, is used in its malts, shakes, old-fashioned ice cream sodas, sundaes, banana splits, avalanches, classic ice cream cones and other dessert specialties.

Whether it was at the original concrete building along Missouri Boulevard or the current restaurant on south Jefferson Street that opened in 1993, the soft serve is one of the biggest reasons why customers have returned to Zesto for nearly 70 years.

“Part of it is the machine and part is the mix we use. We’ve used the same mix since 1948. We bought it from the same company, and we go through a lot of it,” said Chris Wrigley, whose love of Zesto’s ice cream and food encouraged him and his wife, Cindy, to purchase Zesto Drive-In South in 2011.

Wrigley said popular treats include cookie dough, Andes Mint, Oreo or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup avalanches and specialty sundaes like the Brownie Supreme, which is named for a longtime, former Zesto owner, Harold “Brownie” Brown. This succulent sundae includes a Ghirardelli chocolate brownie, Zesto’s signature vanilla soft serve ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry.

Zesto’s national award-winning barbecue (like the popular Philly cheese brisket), Polish sausage, specialty hot dogs and cold cut sandwiches are equally as popular as its desserts. No matter if it’s food, ice cream or both, generations of customers have made Zesto a family tradition.

“They loved it as a kid and come back to visit their folks, bringing their kids to eat at Zesto. That is a pretty good compliment,” Wrigley said.

Zesto Drive-In is located at 1730 Jefferson St. For more information, call 573-659-7117 or visit ZestoDriveInSouth.com. Get the full scoop on Zesto here.

 Culver’s

One word is synonymous with fresh frozen custard: Culver’s.

The national chain is known for its delicious premium ice cream, which uses the finest dairy from Wisconsin, cold-pressed vanilla and Dutch-blend chocolate, and is made fresh in each Culver’s restaurant throughout the day.

“We run the custard through a machine that whips it, blends it and makes the light, perfected taste that you enjoy every day at Culver’s,” said Allen Walz, who opened a Culver’s franchise with his wife,

Signature & Personalized Sundaes
(Caramel Cashew) Vanilla custard, roasted cashews, buttery caramel and a cherry; (Strawberry) vanilla custard, strawberries and whipped cream; (Turtle) vanilla custard, hot fudge, roasted Southern pecans, caramel and a cherry

Gretchen, in 2009 and recently expanded their family owned and operated business, with daughter, Kendall, running a second Culver’s franchise in O’Fallon, Missouri.

Containing less air, Culver’s frozen custard is creamier and lets the rich flavor last through every bite. Culver’s uses its decadent custard in an array of desserts, including cones, dishes, concrete mixers,

shakes and sundaes. Guests can select from dozens of candy, fruit, nut and other toppings to make a custom sundae or concrete creation, or they can dive into a signature sundae like the Caramel Cashew,

Fudge Pecan or Turtle, with the last being Walz’s favorite.

Culver’s serves up a flavor of the day, such as Bonfire S’mores, Georgia Peach and Salted Double Caramel Pecan, all slated for this month at the Culver’s of Jefferson City.

“We pint up between 15 to 20 of the flavor of the day, every day and put them in our freezer,” Walz said, noting a variety of flavors are available for purchase and upcoming flavors of the day at his store are available online. Every family member can also savor the classic frozen custard with a free pup cup served to pets with any purchase.

In offering equally popular ButterBurgers, sandwiches and savory food items, Culver’s of Jefferson City truly is a customer-oriented, quick service restaurant focused on casual dining that makes each guest feel like part of the Walz and Culver’s families.

Culver’s of Jefferson City is located at 1920 Jefferson St. For more information, call 573-415-1897 or visit Culvers.com/restaurants/jefferson-city. Get the full scoop on Culver’s of Jefferson City here.

Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery doesn’t just serve ice cream; they make “creations.”

It starts with one of more than 20 flavors of creamy ice cream made fresh daily in one of its

Founder’s Favorite
Sweet cream ice cream with pecans,
brownie, fudge and caramel

independently owned franchise locations. A selection of toppings is blended in on a frozen granite stone before served in a waffle cone, decorated waffle bowl or classic cup.

The restaurant’s premium ice cream, succulent desserts and energetic atmosphere is what drew Buddy Scott, and his late wife, Jaime, to open a Cold Stone Creamery at the Wildwood Shopping Center in Jefferson City more than 10 years ago.

“We found Cold Stone and loved the charisma of throwing the ice cream, singing customers’ praises and what-not,” he said. “The kids really love to see us throw their ice cream.”

Families also find joyful entertainment in making a personal ice cream creation. However, Scott said some of the most popular are Cold Stone’s signature creations, with Founder’s Favorite, the favorite of Cold Stone founders Donald and Susan Sutherland, being the top-selling treat at his store.

“Birthday Cake Remix and the Peanut Butter Perfection are also very popular,” Scott said, noting new ice cream flavors are introduced quarterly including the recently added sea salt vanilla bean.

Smoothies, waffle cones and decorated bowls, caramel apples and chocolate dipped strawberries are also made fresh at the local Cold Stone, as well as an array of delectable ice cream cakes. Scott said the store also offers Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory chocolates and dog treats to fulfill a customer’s “10-minute vacation” from the outside world when visiting the Jefferson City Cold Stone Creamery.

“People walk in and are like, ‘Wow. Am I in Jeff City?’ We have top-quality products, and they know they will get a superb ice cream here,” he said.

Cold Stone Creamery is located at 610 Wildwood Drive. For more information, call 573-636-2653 or visit ColdStoneCreamery.com. Get the full scoop on Cold Stone Creamery in Jefferson City here.

Central Dairy

Central Dairy, Ice Cream, Banana Split

Signature Banana Split
Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream (3 scoops of each), bananas, Hershey’s chocolate sauce, marshmallow and pecans

When wax paper is wrapped around a dessert to catch all the sweet goodness, it’s going to be an extremely special treat. Guests ordering the signature banana split at Central Dairy’s ice cream parlor find that wax paper is a necessary tool in devouring every last bite.

It’s no wonder why the banana split is one of the most notable items on the expansive parlor menu. The local favorite has sliced bananas in a boat and nine scoops of ice cream, three each of traditional chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream or three each of the customer’s three favorite flavors. The mountain of ice cream is smothered with Hershey’s chocolate sauce, marshmallow topping and pecans.

“I have seen people come in and finish it themselves,” said Central Dairy General Manager Chris Hackman, noting one St. Louis-based man would regularly come to town, eat a banana split, and get a small ice cream cone to eat on the way home. “That is a lot of ice cream.”

Central Dairy’s variety of affordable quality ice cream and specialty desserts has made its company and parlor a Jefferson City historic destination and tourist hotspot since 1933. “With our ice cream, we use the same formula, the same freezers and the same process that we’ve always used. And it works,” Hackman said.

Central Dairy offers about 50 ice cream and sherbet flavors, including vanilla, its No. 1 seller, and most popular specialty flavors like Rocky Road, Butter Pecan, Cookie Dough, Moose Tracks and Tiger Tracks. In fact, Central Dairy is excited to start developing a new ice cream flavor this year.

For now, visitors continually pass on family traditions of happily relishing in Central Dairy’s ice cream cones, dishes, malts, shakes and traditional and specialty sundaes at its legendary parlor.

Central Dairy is located at 610 Madison St. For more information, call 573-635-6148 or visit CentralDairy.biz. Get the full scoop on Central Dairy here.

YoYums

At YoYums Frozen Yogurt & Smoothies, experimentation reaps sweet rewards.

Yo-Yums, Ice Cream, Gelato

Creamy, Custard-like Gelato
Chocolate gelato paired with popular toppings – homemade chocolate brownie with Ghirardelli chocolate chips, fresh strawberries and rainbow sprinkles

The self-serve restaurant in downtown Jefferson City invites customers to select from more than a  handful of different rotating flavors, choose from more than 50 toppings, and relish in a personalized taste explosion with each bite.

For Kevin Kemna, watching his customers’ faces is his favorite part of the job.

“When (the kids) come through the door, they are so excited. … They make a mess and put the weirdest things together, but they love it. … The adults are the same way. That is the fun part,” said Kemna, who opened up YoYums with his wife, Lisa, on July 2, 2010.

Utilizing Dannon Yo-Cream products, the Kemnas regularly rotate Yo-Yums’ frozen yogurt selection from a catalogue of more than 50 flavors every few weeks. They keep a non-dairy sorbet and no-sugar added flavor on tap, as well as classic chocolate and vanilla.

“Cake batter is our best-selling flavor … other popular flavors are red velvet cake, toasted marshmallow and New York cheesecake,” Kemna said, sharing fresh strawberries, cookie dough and brownies made fresh in-house, and hand-sliced Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are highly popular toppings. “Every single flavor seems to be different — the way it looks, feels and tastes. Some other places like this use a vanilla base and mix in flavor syrup, so you can taste the vanilla in every one. … Here, each one is different, and they are regularly creating new flavors.”

Introduced a few years ago, the creamy, custard-like gelato has scored rave reviews among YoYums patrons. Even though Kemna’s favorite is chocolate, six different gelato flavors are available, including banana flambé, hazelnut, limoncello, pistachio and the new vanilla bean that YoYums plans to offer soon.

Just like the selection of smoothies, milkshakes, malts, floats and Lisa’s custom-made tie-dye items, ample variety satisfies every taste at YoYums.

YoYums is located at 122 E. High St. For more information, call 573-644-7581 or visit YoYums.com. Get the full scoop on YoYums here.

El Jimador

El Jimador, Fried Ice Cream

Fried Ice Cream
Fried vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, honey, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles in a taco salad shell/bowl

Fresh chips and salsa, delicious Pollo Bandido, sizzling fajitas or succulent quesadillas are popular reasons why residents frequent El Jimador Mexican Restaurant & Cantina’s two Jefferson City locations. However, one homemade dessert has also become a big draw for those celebrating a special occasion or simply hungry for a delectable treat.

El Jimador’s fried ice cream has been served since the first El Jimador on Missouri Boulevard opened at the turn of the 21st Century and when the Edgewood Drive location opened six years ago. Yet, it wasn’t initially on the menu.

According to Tony Vareas, assistant manager at the Edgewood El Jimador restaurant, fried ice cream was first utilized as a sweet surprise to customers celebrating birthdays. Its rich, superb flavor became so popular, El Jimador owners decided to include it on its dessert menu.

“We make 30 to 40 of them and often by the end of the day, we run low or run out. So, we make more to keep up with the demand,” Vareas said.

The fried ice cream is made by taking big frozen scoops of ice cream, covering them with corn flakes and frying them briefly when ordered. The fried ice cream is then placed in a taco salad shell/bowl, with cinnamon, honey, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles making this one delicious treat. Sometimes they add strawberry syrup, similar to an ice cream sundae.

With other desserts also made in-house like the sopapilla that is served with ice cream, El Jimador can feed the need for excellent Mexican cuisine and a sweet tooth year-round.

El Jimador has two Jefferson City locations: 1410 Missouri Blvd. and 2930 W. Edgewood Drive. For more information, call the 573-761-1616 (Missouri Blvd.) or 573-638-0232 (Edgewood), or visit ElJimadorMexRestaurant.com. Get the full scoop on El Jimador here.

Dairy Queen

You know ice cream is incredibly cold when it’s turned upside down and stays put in its container.

Dairy Queen

Frosted Fudge Brownie Blizzard
Vanilla soft serve, fudge, chocolate chunks, chewy frosted fudge brownie pieces
and
Salted Caramel Blondie Blizzard
Vanilla soft serve, caramel, chocolate chunks and salted caramel blondie pieces

The refreshing, chilly temperature of Dairy Queen’s blizzard is just one reason why it is the company’s premier dessert. The multitude of infused flavors mixed with the national company’s signature soft serve is another big reason, according to Tracy Bauman, who has independently owned and operated the Dairy Queen franchise in Jefferson City for 25 years.

In fact, that popularity warrants a new Blizzard of the Month, frequently rolling out new flavor combinations that become instant favorites among DQ fans. Bauman believes the two July Blizzard of the Month creations will also secure fanbases: the Salted Caramel Blondie and Frosted Fudge Brownie. Bauman also said some flavor combinations continue to maintain popularity for local blizzard lovers.

“Oreo Cookie, Cookie Dough and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup are consistent top flavors for our customers, including Chocolate Extreme,” he said.

Other desserts added during the more than 70 years of the national Dairy Queen’s existence are still big hits locally, including shakes, malts, ice cream cakes, traditional banana split, peanut buster parfait and a line-up of hot desserts called DQ bakes. Bauman said food is an equal draw, and the popularity of its burgers, sandwiches and baskets, including the $5 buck lunch that includes a dessert, makes it “a food destination with a great sweet treat to enjoy afterwards.”

Dairy Queen is located at 2114 Missouri Blvd. and make sure stop by for DQ’s Miracle Treat Day on July 27 in support of Children’s Miracle Network, with $2 from each blizzard benefitting University of Missouri Children’s Hospital in Columbia. For more information, call 573-634-2240 or visit DairyQueen.com. Get the full scoop on Dairy Queen here.

Compiled by Samantha Pogue | Photos by Julie Smith, Shelby Kardell and Samantha Pogue

The post We All Scream for Ice Cream! appeared first on HER Magazine.

Little HER: Going for Gold

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(Photo by Shelby Kardell) Brynn Schmidt, 9, participates in track, cheerleading and bowling through Special Olympics.

Only competing in Special Olympics sports for two years, 9-year-old Brynn Schmidt has already earned a gold in track, a gold in bowling and three silver medals for track and field events.

The Fulton resident is certainly proud of her awards, but when asked what her favorite part of Special Olympics is, she quickly replied “people.” The medals mean a lot to Brynn, but the people offer her strength in numbers.

Those people are her classmates and teachers, who filled the hallways of her elementary school in celebration before the inaugural South Callaway Track Meet for Special Olympics last September. They clapped, cheered, gave high-fives and sported signs of encouragement as she and her fellow South Callaway student Special Olympians paraded past, carrying handmade paper torches.

They are her coaches and fellow Special Olympians, who offer positive reinforcement and help enhance her skills in each of her three sports — track, bowling and cheerleading/dance.

They are her family — parents Shannon and Brian, and her brothers 9-year-old Zane and 7-year-old Gavin — who cheer her on at local tournaments, volunteer at Special Olympics activities and shower her with love and support.

Brynn is surrounded by people who see her developing skills, fuel her enthusiasm as an athlete and know she can do anything she puts her mind to.

“There is no limit to what they can do. A lot of people think because they have a disability that they can’t do things, but I think they can do just as much as anyone else. Don’t ya?” Shannon said to her daughter.

Brynn nodded her head, casting a huge smile back to her mom.

Becoming a Special Olympian

Shannon and Brian had always knew they wanted to adopt a child.

“Brian is adopted, and we always had that in the back of our mind we want to adopt a child of our own,” said Shannon, who works in nuclear medicine at Jefferson City Medical Group (JCMG). “We were open to having a special needs child since I work in the medical field and Brian is a firefighter (in Fulton), so we both understand. … We also wanted an older child that was closer to our boys’ ages.”

(Photo by Shelby Kardell) Brynn Schmidt, 9, puts on her pom-poms with her mother, Shannon Schmidt, during the HER cover photo shoot.

After about an 18-month process, the Schmidts adopted a 4 1/2–year–old girl with Down Syndrome from China.

“She spoke no English (when they first brought her home) and we spoke no Chinese,” Shannon said with a giggle. “She was fluent in Chinese and still speaks some. However, her paraprofessional Krissy (Rees) goes with her at school and helps her a lot. Even though she goes to speech and OT (occupational therapy), she is mainstream and spends the rest of her time in the classroom like everyone else. She has learned half the English language, her colors, numbers and how to read. She does very well and is very smart.”

The Schmidt family entertained the thought of Special Olympics involvement for Brynn after talking with family friends. Zane and Gavin were in Cub Scouts, and a man who also was involved with that program has a daughter, Tina, who bowls and dances through Special Olympics. That discussion led to Brynn trying her first Special Olympics sport, bowling, two years ago.

“In fact Tina’s mother … helps coach the bowling team,” Shannon said. “I didn’t know what to think (about Special Olympics at first). You never know what it is going to be like, but everybody was so welcoming. They helped us sign her up for bowling, and then track.”

Brynn’s jumped right into bowling, practicing and competing in regular 10-frame games.

“When they do practices, they have four or five of them together. When they go to a tournament, they pair them up based on their scores from practices so they are competing at the same level,” Shannon said. “She can’t pick up the balls yet because they are so heavy, so she uses the ramp and aims it. … But she bowls better than mama.”

Brynn’s best score was a 103, beating out her brother Zane who is allowed to bowl with her during practices at the Fulton Bowling Center.

“And, what do you say when you do good?” Shannon asked Brynn.

“Boo-ya!” she replied, giving a fist-pump and a grin.

Being a Special Olympian

The way Special Olympics sports are designed helps Brynn have victorious moments that warrant a well-deserved “boo-ya.”

The Central Area, in which Brynn competes for Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO), is geographically the largest of six regions and serves 33 counties. Special Olympics offers a young athlete program, designed to introduce children ages three to seven to the world of sports and get them acclimated with Special Olympics. At 8 years old, they become traditional athletes, and Special Olympics makes sure all athletes can grow and excel in the sports they choose.

“For competition, specifically track and other individual sports, we have a division process that groups athletes by gender, age and preliminary score. For team sports, we divide them out by score and the average age of athletes on the team,” said Megan Wallace, SOMO Central Area program manager.

(Photo by Shelby Kardell) Brynn Schmidt, 9, examines her medals during the HER Magazine photo shoot.

As a result, competitions are much more exciting and fun when athletes of all ability levels are assured closely contested athletic competitions, according to Mandi Ballinger, SOMO marketing and communications director.

“In event after event, heat after heat, everyone has a fair chance to compete. Athletes are encouraged to strive for their personal best — a quest that forever challenges one’s potential and opens the door to undreamed possibilities, both in sports and in life,” she said.

The excitement of bowling and the people involved with Special Olympics encouraged Brynn to look at other sports to join. The next was track and field, in which her South Callaway Elementary School teachers coach.

“Once they consider they are going to participate (in track), they work with them at the school during PE or when they have free time. They work with them on their running, throwing and jumping,” Shannon said, noting those are the three main events for Brynn’s age group in track.

Brynn has competed in three track meets total, the first at Hermann High School. The second was the inaugural South Callaway Track Meet for Special Olympics last September.

“The school district of South Callaway, especially their SPED teachers, really took the reins on organization and fundraising the event. There were almost 40 participants, but we see this number increasing over the years,” Wallace said, noting the Central Area is seeing an increase in more local events with three track meets added last year.

Organizers and volunteers hosted many fundraisers to support this first event, which welcomed Fulton and New Bloomfield school districts and two new school districts to Special Olympics, Osage R-1 (Chamois) and Osage R-3 (Fatima).

“We will definitely be having another local track meet at South Callaway. This year it is scheduled for Sept. 27, with a rain date of Oct. 4,” Wallace added.

Not only did Brynn fair well at the South Callaway Track Meet, she was delighted to be a part of the pre-parade celebrations and have Zane and fellow elementary school students and staff cheer her on. Brynn also received lots of audience support during two competitions/performances with her newest Special Olympics sport, cheer and dance.

Mizzou student Kelsey Boschert started this team a few years back, and Brynn became one of its youngest members last year. The Spirits includes athletes ranging in age up to their 30s and practices once a week at the Columbia Dance Studio.

Wallace helped coach The Spirits, along with Jennifer Pestle, who will become head coach after Boschert graduates. Under the coaches’ tutelage and motivation, the squad of about 15 members participates in performances throughout Mid-Missouri.

The routines stick with The Spirits. This was apparent as Brynn mimicked the dance movements and sang along to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” from her favorite movie, “Trolls,” while watching a video Shannon shared from The Spirits’ last season.

“Younger athletes are so fun to watch. Of course, they’re adorable, but when you watch them over the course of a few weeks, you can really see them grow. An athlete might show up to practice on week one and have trouble following directions, but then by week eight, she’s already in place, waiting for the coach to get started,” Ballinger said. “All of our athletes grow and change throughout the season, but there’s something especially satisfying about seeing it really click for a new athlete.”

A Passion for SOMO

The people Brynn has met through Special Olympics have also stuck with her. She’s found many friends in fellow athletes, like 10-year-old Kalia Silvers, who Brynn competed with in her first track meet.

“I think it has helped her outward look toward people. She was kind of shy sometimes. It gets her out doing things with new people. … There is a tremendous amount of camaraderie between the athletes,” Shannon said. “When we joined Special Olympics we felt accepted right away. Everyone was friendly and helpful. … It also has encouraged us to get people to become aware of Special Olympics.”

Shannon, Brian and Brynn’s grandparents have also helped coach and volunteer at local events, hoping to do more in the future as Brynn gets more involved with the organization’s programs.

“SOMO is such a great social network for families, as well. I see families really utilize each other for advice and support,” Wallace said. “Almost always, when someone volunteers at an event, they are hooked. The pure happiness of our athletes is truly contagious. And their genuine gratefulness for all SOMO does for them makes everything beyond worth it.”

In the 12 years Ballinger has been involved with Special Olympics Missouri, she has watched many athletes grow up and become responsible, contributing citizens. The skills they learn in Special    Olympics can apply to schoolwork and help them earn a diploma, learn social skills, get a job and earn money for themselves.

“They get involved in their communities; they are respected. Special Olympics helps our athletes be seen for more than their disability,” she added.

Those personal journeys of athletes are what inspire many who get involved in Special Olympics. It did for Wallace and the Schmidt family.

“I love seeing the athletes grow athletically and socially. And I love that SOMO challenges them to become stronger athletes,” Wallace said. “The younger athletes make my heart so full, I get so excited to see them get involved so young and then stick with it for life.”

For more information, visit SOMO.org, and for programs in the Central Area, call 573-256-6367 or visit SOMO.org/CentralArea.

Story by Samantha Pogue | Photography by Shelby Kardell

Special Olympian Brynn Schmidt
(Photo by Shelby Kardell) Brynn Schmidt, 9, prepares for a short dash during the HER Magazine cover photo shoot. Brynn participates in track, cheerleading and bowling through Special Olympics.
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HER Picks: Rockin’ the School Year

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School necessities for everyone at local shops including Downtown Book & Toy, Carrie’s Hallmark and Southbank Gifts are rocking the July/August HER Picks.

HER Picks July/August 2017
Melissa & Doug School Bus Play Set, Tolson Drug Store, $19.99
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The post HER Picks: Rockin’ the School Year appeared first on HER Magazine.

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