Amelia
Amelia Cook Fontella is a writer, teacher, designer, and entrepreneur. She lives in a cozy little house on Madison’s east side with her husband Rob, kiddos Frankie and Luisa, and a puggle named Starla. Amelia has an MFA in creative writing and regularly teaches in the Madison area, including her own Get Inspired Workshop classes. Amelia and Rob own Green Table Media where they help small businesses and community organizations tell their stories. Amelia adores traveling the world, exploring things in her own backyard, going swimming, and just about anything to do with creativity, writing, and the arts. She’s good at finding other people’s lost things and makes a mean brandy slush.
10 Gift Ideas for Second-time Moms (That They Actually Want)
Until I became a parent, I was often baffled by what to give a mom or family when they had a second (or third or fourth!) child. First babies are so easy to shop...
Your Hard is Hard
I was having an especially bad day when a friend sent me an Instagram post. Four words stood out to me: Your hard is hard.
Here’s some of the post—I’ve shortened it a bit—from writer...
Social Distancing on the Hiking Trail: Staying Safe Outdoors During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Schools have been closed now for a few weeks due to the coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic. Our state—and many others—have stay at home orders in place. My family’s solution to our stay-at-home stir-craziness has...
I’m Not Homeschooling my Preschooler During COVID-19
Schools have only been closed for three days as I write this and I’ve been seriously amazed by the homeschooling that I’ve seen happening on social media. Home classrooms, curriculum ideas, awesome projects, guest...
Birthday Letters: A Simple Tradition for Kids’ Birthdays
Today, I wrote my daughter a letter. She was napping while I wrote, her face still smeared with raspberries, tuckered out from a morning party celebrating her very first birthday.
I started writing these letters—birthday...
Madison Area Winter Freebies: Fun, Free Activities for the Whole Family
Cabin fever setting in? Whether you love winter or are counting the days until spring, here are some fun free activities to fill your family’s late winter days. All of these activities are free,...
New Year’s Resolutions: Everybody’s Doing It (But You Don’t Have To)
Resolutions are valuable. They are powerful commitments to ourselves to live better lives. For some of us, the New Year works as a time to implement these life changes. But here’s an idea for...
Mama, Make Yourself a Quiche
These days, I almost always have a quiche in my fridge. It's a simple way to ensure—amid hectic mornings—that I get to eat breakfast. It's an act of self-care. Moms need breakfast, too!
My friend...
We’re a No-Santa House: Here’s Why It Works for Us
I don’t ever remember believing in Santa. My parents didn’t cultivate the Santa myth, but they also weren’t adamant in insisting that he wasn’t real. I remember filled stockings and gifts with tags signed...
Playing Outside Matters! Is Your Kid Getting Enough Vitamin N?
If you can’t find Vitamin N on the label of your kid’s vitamin bottle, have no fear. The N in Vitamin N stands for "nature." In other words, is your kid playing outside enough?
How...
Don’t Call It a Vacation: Mistakes I’ve Made Traveling With a Toddler
When our son was four months old, we got him a passport. He was still totally bald and I had to guess on a hair color for his application. (I guessed wrong, by the...
Hey, You’re (Probably) Carrying That Carseat Wrong
After my second baby was born, I developed an immediate vitriol for her infant carseat. Like, I really hated the darn thing.
It was the same one we had used for my son, one...