By Michelle Moskowitz
Sentinel Correspondent
After enjoying a warm Labor Day summer send-off, Greenwich students are officially making the transition from end-of-summer laid-back fun to back-to-school business.
With the beginning of each academic year, busy moms find themselves caught in the frenzy of setting schedules (especially with the later start time), stockpiling school supplies (Staples was a mad-house) and lining up after-school activities—all in preparation for a smooth fall semester for their kids.
But two local websites, both started by Greenwich natives, have become valuable resources for the busy, conscientious mom—with the goal of making mom’s job a bit easier while simultaneously fostering a strong community—thus helping a town of more than 60,000 residents to feel a bit more close-knit.
Layla Lisiewski, mother of three children under the age of six, grew up Greenwich since the age of four and attended Greenwich Academy.
After attending college at Brown University, Lisiewski moved to New York City, where she worked at Merrill Lynch for seven years.
But as she and her husband started a family, Lisiewski, like many other city dwellers, began to feel the pull of the suburb she had always called home.
“I think I knew I wanted to come back to Greenwich ever since I left,” said Lisiewski though a broad smile.
So Lisiewski and her family moved back to Greenwich with their budding family to make a new beginning.
Lisiewski admitted it was not an easy transition at first: “I loved growing up here, but coming back to Greenwich with kids, I felt a little bit lost.”
She began her quest to find all the best things for her family, and in the process began to aggregate and compile essential kid-worthy resources, discarding outdated information and calling each and every resource to get up-to-date listings and services from providers.
Over time, Lisiewski felt compelled to share what became an invaluable resource for moms like herself—a trove of information that would not only make the transition of becoming a mom easier, but would also make it more enjoyable, having readily available information at one’s fingertips.
Thus began greenwichmoms.com—a one-stop resource for “mommy information” such as kid-friendly restaurants, fun family activities, doctors and dentists, birthday parties and much, much more.
“We are giving moms the gift of time by sifting through the information they need,” said Lisiewski.
The site’s resource guide includes a comprehensive, well-vetted list of local attractions, babysitting services, pet care, shopping and products, as well as a special section dedicated to new moms.
For example, site members would have the inside scoop that prescriptions can be delivered 24/7 by Greenwich Pharmacy.
Or that Mike’s Organic Delivery will deliver fresh produce just in time for a quick, healthy dinner.
And that Bestever Cleaners offers pick-up and delivery dry cleaning services in order to save a busy mom the hassle of a few trips in the car.
Lisiewski responds to every email, answering what she feels are important questions, big or small—approximately 100 per day—which she attends to during nap time or after her children are put to bed as to not take time away from her family.
“I have met so many smart, savvy moms in this town,” said Lisiewski. “I have a found a good balance, as the majority of my time is spent with my family. There are so many Greenwich moms that are so strong and so driven, making it happen.”
Greenwichmoms.com features an up-to-the-minute site calendar including fun events for kids, family night and date night for when parents need a much-needed break.
The site also offers a custom app called “Burb Blurb” that provides up-to-the-minute local activities; it can be purchased through the Apple Store.
Since its inception in 2015, greenwichmoms.com continues to grow its membership base, garnering a heavy daily traffic flow.
Lisiewski is currently expanding her platform to target moms in Westport, New Canaan and Darien, while future plans include developing the brand outside of Connecticut in cities and towns such as Boston, Houston, Little Rock and Del Ray, Fla.
A critical component of the site’s strategy is the non-traditional advertising model Lisiewski developed “with moms in mind”—creating a win-win for her target audience and for ad partners, who provide attractive discounts on sought-after services such as home improvement, beauty services, and trial fitness programs.
“I think it’s making a difference in creating a sense of community and helping other moms connect with one another,” Lisiewski said.
Subscription to the site includes a monthly newsletter include news of kid-friendly events, priority access to featured promotions with site advertisers, and exclusive promotional giveaways for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas.
Another local website “celebrating and serving moms through its curated content,” is partywithmoms.com (PWM), a website dedicated to moms of all ages, “inspired by Greenwich moms who manage their own lives, families, careers and volunteer to help others as well.”
The inception of PWM is unique.
PWM.com originated because of a coveted T-shirt with the words “Partywithmoms” printed in hot pink lettering.
Founder Remy Cook, a Greenwich native, first accompanied his mother, Anne Martine, a much loved, long-time teacher at Putnam Indian Field School, to a fundraiser donning the tee in celebration of all the moms in town.
By the end of the night, almost every mom wanted to order the tee, and thus began the creation of a website.
But what first started as a fun way to celebrate all that moms do, with the help of Martine (whom Cook is very close to) and other experts, the site has since evolved into a rich resource of parenting and educational information as well as a go-to resource guide.
Content providers include local experts including a weekly parenting column by Martine, an interactive early childhood column written by Marianne Riess (former head of PIFS), a mindful parenting blog written by Carol Tolonen, a psychotherapist and teacher at PIFS, as well as a school admissions blog by Dr. Paul Lowe.
Perhaps one of their most popular features is the “Mom of the Week” column featuring an interview with over 100 Moms consisting of ten fun and interesting questions. It serves as a powerful platform for moms to share their own personal stories and at the same time connect with one another.
This reporter has been a featured “Mom of the Week” and very much enjoyed the questions, which encourage all moms to pause and ponder the path of one’s journey and all that it entails.
The Sentinel asked Cook some questions based on his column. Cook’s favorite places to go in town include Boxcar Cantina, Louie’s, Le Penguin and The Ginger Man, and says the best-kept secret in town is the Babcock Preserve.
Other content sections featured on the site include local food and drink events, house and travel ideas, and health and sporting events.
The highly trafficked site participates in annual philanthropic events, benefiting a local women’s organization, such as the Breast Cancer Alliance of Greenwich and Mothers for Others donating a portion of event proceeds.
As a life-long native, coupled with the organic growth of his PWM platform over the past few years, Cook certainly knows the ins-and-outs of the Greenwich community.
Having a strong passion for housing and design, Cook recently joined Coldwell Banker as a real estate agent, where he will be working alongside his longtime friend, Jen Danzi—perhaps helping moms find the perfect house.
For more information visit greenwhichmoms.com and partywithmoms.com.
