READ ENTIRE PAGE PLEASE TO MAKE SURE GROUP IS FOR YOU

This group is for 28-37 years old Stay at Home Moms with **babies born 12/10 to 3/11**, Mamas who are confident, fun, sassy, hip Women, who live fairly central, in neighborhoods near SE Hawthorne area, Eastmoreland, neighborhoods close to downtown (the Pearl, Nob Hill, etc.), or in NE neighborhoods (close to SE, like Irvington, Laurelhurst),  who are interested in forming a new Moms group, making new girlfriends, meeting for lunch, going on walks/hikes, gabbing over dinner, sharing stories and advice, supporting each other, setting up playgroup dates with our kids to parks, museums, each others' houses, and most importantly, there will be Moms only events (because it's important for us Mamas to have fun, remember who we are, and not lose ourselves in Mommyhood!), and there will be Dads only events too. This group will be drama free and will not be catty nor religious. **Please submit two pictures of yourself, and one picture of you and your husband/partner with your profile. And please take the time to read the ENTIRE  Section below to make sure this group is for you.**

My husband and I moved here a couple of years ago from Austin, TX for a change of scenery (and also because my sister lives here). We have met some amazing people here, but they aren't quite 'us'. I am surprised how hard it has been to meet people who we really click with since moving here! All my best friends live out of state, and they are irreplaceable, but I’d love to find a group that lives here, close by. We still feel relatively new to town, and now that we have our first kiddo (our son, born 2/17/11), the only thing I’m missing is the close knit group of friends that I know are out here somewhere-- that's why I'm starting this group. Don't we all dream of having a close group of friends with kids, so all our kiddos can grow up together??

We live in the SE-- and I love the SE, but I'm very different than the majority of people I've met in this part of town--I'm secretly a little Downtown/Pearl District.  I have friends of all religions, races, dietary restrictions, sexual orientations, and religious preferences-- but I am looking to start a group that is more 'my peeps' here. I fall in the 'in between' category, if there was one-- I drive a SUV (gasp), but I live fairly central so I walk most of the time, I'm somewhere between only using cloth diapers and only using disposable ones (lately it's been mostly disposables)... I do not follow any one parenting style-- we're more in the 'whatever works for our family' camp.

While I'm not pro plopping my kiddo in front of the tv, I am not against letting him watch 10 minutes of sesame street every now and then if I need to get housework done or need a mental break. I breastfeed and am not afraid to do so in public. I love to dress up and wear makeup and go out on the town, but I also dress like a huge schlub now and then <probably more often now that there's spit up and sticky fingers involved...  In my daydream alternate universe, I wear Chanel/Zac Posen and Louboutins everyday and have a fab chic haircut-- whereas in reality, I am usually in flip flops/uggs, jeans, a shirt with baby food on it, and a ponytail>....  I love a good cup of coffee (Portland has turned me into a total coffee snob), good food and cooking, traveling, music, wine/sushi/cocktails, hiking, I'm somewhere between low and high maintenance (I'm super low maintenance compared to people where I was born<Malibu, California>, and mid to high maintenance compared to most people I seem to meet in my Portland hood??), my idea of camping involves a functioning toilet (and honestly, we haven't been camping since having a kiddo-- kudos to those of you that have! Please give us pointers!), I’m a total animal lover (we have several kitties of our own that we rescued from shelters, and I always put spiders outside), I am low drama, and don't like insecure catty girls.. I admit to watching more than just a couple of trashy reality t.v. shows (my guilty pleasure after we put our son to bed), I LOVE to read, I used to sing in a rock band (and miss doing that!), I enjoy being crafty (but wish I was craftier), I really like to sew (I’m a beginner), and I'm trying to get a green thumb in the garden, love going out to dance with friends (which hasn't happened in a while since the bambino came along), enjoy getting pedicures when I want to feel rejuvenated, I really love writing, and am always up for taking a class to learn something new. My son is the ultimate love of my life, but I also have other loves in my life :)

Where are the other Mamas who fall in the in between category who are not at any one end of the spectrum when it comes to child-rearing, politics, or pretty much anything else... or at least aren't judgmental of the rest of us :)

I want to start a group with other like minded, confident, sassy & fun Women who are 28-37 years old Stay at Home Moms who don’t take themselves too seriously, who are interested in meeting new girlfriends, sharing stories and advice in a no drama environment, gabbing about the joys and not so fun times of being a Mom (and wife-- ha! It's hard juggling the husband and baby!!)-- setting up fun and educational play-dates with our kids to parks, museums, each others’ houses, etc., and most importantly—all kinds of Moms only activities (because it’s important to have fun and not just lose ourselves in Mommy-hood!), and Dads only events, too-- I'd really love our hubbies to hang out! This group will not be catty nor religious.

My son was born 2/11, and hope to be prego with a second sometime in 2012. Please don't take it personally if the group isn't a match for you-- I really want to keep this group super small (maybe even as small as 10 people)-- which means it won't be a match for everyone.

Also, in the interest of forming a tight group, there will be a trial period for every ‘new member’ before they officially become members, so that we can all make sure the fit is right for everyone. Ideally, we will all live somewhat close to each other, so that getting together is easy breezy and do-able (so your location is definitely important). Once the group is established, everyone will be encouraged to host and plan activities (they don’t necessarily have to be in your home)—and all new members must be met at at least one public activity before they will be invited to anyone’s private home event.

Membership Dues: at this point, the membership dues are $15 per year, which will be due upon final acceptance into the group, to cover the cost of running this group on meetup-- this $ amount may change depending on size of group.

How to Join:
First off, please read this entire page and make sure this group is for you! Secondly, please upload at least two pictures of you and at least one of you and your husband/partner, And really take time to fill out all profile questions (any unfinished profiles will not be accepted)—this process is about getting to know you! Your profile will then be reviewed and you will receive an email.

After being accepted, you will then be on a test run trial period, where we will get to know each other over several visits, and make sure it’s a match for all of us. You can always choose to leave the group, of course.

Once in the group, all members will be expected to make it to at least one meetup a month, so that some consistency and group cohesion is maintained. Flakey moms need not apply :)