Kelli Hier Pike
A born and raised Vermonter, Kelli got her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Vermont, then joined the Vermont Air National Guard, where she met her husband. After that, she got her Master’s Degree in Digital Forensic Science from Champlain College. She and her husband and bought a house in the woods with 30+ acres of land to raise their two kids (4 and 2), three dogs, two cats, six chickens, and three guinea hens. Kelli stays home with her kids and pets while running her own wood crafting business, Tabor Ridge Designs, during nap-times. Kelli occasionally writes for her own mom blog, Calm Collected Mom, because we can all dream. She doesn't always think of herself as a writer, but she often has conversations with people over similar life frustrations and wants everyone to know that they're not alone. Life is full of irritations and annoyances, but Kelli thinks that we’ll get through it with a great story to tell afterward!
Parenting Roles: What Happens When Mom Leaves For Eight Weeks?
Gender roles are odd enough but add kids and suddenly there are a million new roles and expectations, and everyone does it all a different way. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, dual working parents,...
Hand-Me-Down Holidays: an Alternative Gift Giving Tradition
It all started a long, long time ago… kidding! The first COVID Christmas happened to coincide with my kids being the ripe old ages of four and two. The ages when a box can...
Khaki Pants: Your Masculine Ways Will Not Define Me
When society was so critical about my skinny jeans and crop tops, I had to wonder, where were they with regard to khaki pants of business casual?
Ladies, let’s turn the script from an...
Health Day: Forget the Labels, We Do Health Our Way
We’ve heard of sick days, mental health days, vacation days, and whatever other labels are assigned to time off, but for kids, I think there should also be a “health day” category. As my...
Family Date Night: This Mom’s Recipe for Success
We finally did it. My husband and I ventured out of the house for dinner with our two toddlers for the first time in, well, I don’t remember how long, but it was a...
Moving Next Door: Mom’s Five Lessons Learned
Have you seen the real estate market lately? It’s an awful time to buy, but a great time to sell! We had zero intentions of selling our home. It was our first and forever...
Summer Goals: Five Ways This Mom Makes it Personal
Hello, summer! It's not over yet! What are your summer goals for our remaining days of warmth?
If you’re a parent, summer usually involves camp drops offs, childcare dilemmas, and hopefully squeezing in some...
Pandemic Playdate Tips from a Confused Mom
So, you want to have a playdate. The kids deserve it, why not? It’s been many long months of ‘stay home’, ‘stay away from others’, ‘don’t hug’, ‘don’t blow kisses’, etc, but now what?...
Eight Indicators of Spring from a Seasoned Vermont Mom
As I sit here, sipping my lime White Claw and binging Girl Scout cookies after a rare smooth, and easy bedtime routine with my kids, I realize spring is finally coming! To some, that...
Procrastinating Mom: Do You Wait until Tomorrow Too?
“Full disclosure. Every time I look at the Vermont Mom Contributing Writer’s checklist for what we have to do before submitting a post, I get overwhelmed. Simply because it’s new and I don’t want...
Finding Balance in Stress: My Steps for the New Year
Let’s talk about stress. It’s my favorite topic lately. I’m pretty sure we all experience some level of stress and anxiety. And we all perceive and respond to that stress differently. The key is...
Table Manners: How We Raise Free-Range Kids
Growing up, my family's dining room table was a place for dad to store his work documents or a month’s worth of mail. I am the youngest of five, and before my time the...
My Forever Valentine: Celebrating Mom’s Traditions
There appear to be three different kinds of Valentine’s Day people. You either love the day, despise the day, or if you're like my forever Valentine- you do it for the kids.
Somewhere along the...
Potty Training Your Toddler: Lessons from the Field
Did you just get an overwhelming sense of anxiety? Fear? Frustration? Excitement? Did you hear the magical sound of money, not being spent? Or, did you forget about all those hours of potty training...