Current Contributors

Meet the Team

cara contributor

Family: Lives with husband, Rob, and two little boys.

Live: Germantown

Hometown: Bartlett

Career: Content Director for a tech marketing firm and part-time artist

Favorite Memphis restaurant: Chips and salsa from La Hacienda, Babalu burger from Babalu, and Key Lime Pie from Southern Social

Why you love Memphis: It really is a tiny town with a huge history. People in Memphis either get it or they don’t. The ones who get it are my kind of people.

Fun fact: Addicted to escape rooms.

Family: Mom of 5 bonus mom of 3 fur mom of 3 wife of 1.

Live: Olive Branch, MS

From Ripley, MS.

Career: Social media strategist.

Fave Memphis Restaurant: Sunrise.

Why you love Memphis: I love Memphis because it’s always something to do for my family.

Fun fact is even though my favorite color is Pink wear a lot a lot of black!

Family: We’re a family of six! It first began with my husband and I sixteen years ago and then we added Aria and Hayes. In 2022, we added two family pets, Nico (Cane Corso) and Zaza (Giant Schnauzer).

Live: Germantown but prefer the likes of Midtown, Downtown, and South Memphis. They have the best restaurants!

Career: I recently was promoted in my career field, I am now a full-time and lead family manager, aka a Stay-At-Home Mom.

What I love about Memphis: I love everything about Memphis- the people, the culture, and the food. Soul flows through the water, which we have some of the best drinking water in the nation.

Favorite Memphis restaurant: I wish choosing a favorite restaurant was as simple as choosing my favorite restaurant. For a sit-down restaurant, I love Evelyn & Olive. For quick bite, Feast & Graze has the best charcuterie & cheese boards in the city. For sweet treat, Quintessential Sweets hits the spot every time!

Fun Fact: When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Figure Skater.

angela

Family: Husband + 5 girls

Where do you live: Memphis

Hometown: Also Memphis

Career: Mother of 5

Favorite Memphis restaurant: Coastal Fish Company

Why you love Memphis: there’s no place like home and Memphis is home

Fun fact about yourself: I’m addicted to baths, body wash, and PJs….no joke

Patricia headshot

Family: Lives with husband, 4 kids (Aiden 14, twins Elliott and Elijah 10 and Eve 9), a dog named Bourbon (after bourbon) and a cat named Barley (after beer).

Hometown: Memphis

Career: Librarian and Writer

Favorite Memphis Restaurant:

Why I love Memphis: He’s my boyfriend. Sure we get into arguments and he has commitment issues, but he treats me well and loves me too.

Fun Fact about me: I like sweets that aren’t too sweet, sausage that’s not too sausage-y, and bread that’s not too bready.

Jocelyn headshot

Family: Lives with husband & 1 child

Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD

Career: School Social Worker

Favorite Memphis restaurant: Hog & Hominy

What I love about Memphis: I’ve done my adult growing up in Memphis; she is kind and loving and has helped me learn about myself.

Fun fact: Love the Memphis Grizzlies (duh!)

Colleen headshot

Family: Husband Ryan, Addison 2016, Orin 2018

Live: Eads

Hometown: Ashburnham, MA

Career: Stay at Home Mom, Dog Trainer, Digital Marketing Freelancer

Favorite Memphis Restaurant: So far it’s Lafayette’s Music Room

Why I Love Memphis: The culture, the people, the food, and there’s always something to do!

Fun fact: I went to school for Marine Biology and I used to work in marine animal rescue.

Vivian headshot

Family: Husband Travis and daughter Nora (September 2019)

Where do you live: In a quadplex we own in the Binghampton neighborhood

Hometown: Hoorn, the Netherlands

Career: Personal Trainer / Group Fitness Instructor

Favorite Memphis Restaurant: Casablanca

Why you love Memphis: The developments happening around town are super great, there is always something to do! I love the diversity of people and the amount of fellow internationals that live in Memphis!

Fun fact about myself: I came to the United States on a track & field scholarship, throwing shot put, discus, and hammer for the University of Memphis (this is the most frequently asked question about me: why I came to the US).

Erin headshot

Family: Lives with husband and two kids.

Where do you live: Germantown

Hometown: Lebanon, TN

Career: Former ELA middle school teacher, who’s now a SAHM who blogs and volunteers a lot (LeBonheur, school PTO board, etc).

Favorite Memphis restaurant:

Date night: Coastal Fish

With kids: Rotolo’s Craft and Crust & Huey’s

Why you love Memphis: I love Memphis for its diversity, inclusive spirit, and amazing food!

Fun fact about yourself: I reread the Harry Potter series every year, love wearing Lilly, and am an Enneagram 6.

Family: married to Martin and we have a daughter and a son.

Live: We live in East Memphis

From: South Memphis.

Career: I am a Doula and yoga instructor in the community and moonlight as an operations manager for a national award winning local marketing company.

Favorite Memphis restaurant: Char

Fun fact: I won the Sprite Remix K97 Show Me Your Skills challenge rapping Jkown “Tipsy” in Highschool and my pronouns are she/her/mane, heavy on the MANE.

Maciel headshot

Family: I’m outnumbered by boys, Jacob (11/2014) and Nathan (8/2018) and husband that sometimes feels like third child🤪❤️

Where do you live: the 901! Bartlett

Hometown: Born in California but raised in Memphis since i was 3

Career: part time MDO teacher and part time earring maker -@purpleclay901

Favorite Memphis restaurant: Memphis pizza cafe

Why you love Memphis: mostly the people. The community and friendly ness of most

Fun fact about yourself: I started making earrings because i was bored during covid and now i have a whole business I’m blessed with! ❤️

Family: I have 4 kiddos – 8yr old – IP and 3 middle schoolers – BP(13), JP(12), KP(11)

Live: Cordova

Hometown: Normal, IL – I was born in Ohio but never lived there(Navy brat)

Career: HR

Favorite Memphis Restaurant: My Favorite Place Mexican Restaurant- Cordova

Why you love Memphis: My church and Shelby Farms Park

Fun fact about yourself: I love Paint Nights but am terrible at painting. And I’m an Enneagram 2.

Kristin headshot

Family: Husband, two daughters, and a son

Where I live: Midtown

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

Career: Mostly stay-at-home mom who is also an adjunct instructor at a community college

Favorite (family) Memphis restaurant(s): “Tractor restaurant” (Belly Acres) and Mulan

Why I love Memphis: Big small town feel

Fun fact: I skated for the Angels of Death with Memphis Roller Derby prior to having kids

Kathryn

Family: husband and kids—Grayson (2008), Kendall and Keller (2012), and Walker (2017)

Lives: suburb of Memphis

Hometown: Memphis

Career: currently retired pediatric ER nurse

Favorite restaurant: City Silo

Why I love Memphis: the people

Fun fact: I am a multi-schooling mom. One in private school, 2 homeschooled, and one in public school.

Family: Husband, 2 girls, and 1 rescue dog

Where you live: Germantown

Hometown: Born and raised in India.

Career: Homemaker (though I have 10 years experience as a System Administrator for American Express)

Favorite Memphis restaurant: Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar & Southern Social

Why I love Memphis: Love the diversity it offers, while maintaining its small town feel. Plus, ofcourse the Grizzlies and the food!

Fun Fact: I changed schools 17 times growing up! My father was in the army and we moved every 2 years. New cities, new schools, new friends!