Meet Katie Hiatt | South Denver Moms

I am so excited to post as our first Meet A Mom interview for our Meet A Mom series! Our parent company, The Local Moms Network, has posted about so many amazing women all over the United States and highlighted the work they are doing. I love the community they have created and how they have celebrated motherhood (however that might look for the person being featured!). We have some fantastic moms that are going to be featured, typically on Mondays. We try to keep the questions consistent from interview to interview (with some changes possible), so I am going to maintain the same format for mine. I hope you enjoy this series!

My name is Katie! I live with my husband, Jaime and our two kids, Elliot and Willa. We live in Littleton and have lived in Colorado since 2017. We moved here from New York after living there for almost ten years. After having our daughter, we decided apartment living in the City with a dog and baby wasn’t something we wanted to do long-term. Our parents are in Kansas City and we have a ton of family here in Colorado, so after some deliberation we chose Colorado. We have loved it here!

What’s your favorite family friendly activity in South Denver?

We are open to trying anything and are always trying new things in every aspect of our life! That’s not difficult when it comes to family activities. I think our favorite activity in South Denver is that there are so many activities. However, like many other moms, I feel like there’s almost too many and wanted to help centralize this for others. Enter, The South Denver Moms Network. 🙂 There are so many fantastic activities, events, etc., in our community, I wanted to help aggregate these items for others to reference and enjoy…and not spend hours looking through Facebook events, websites, and calendars trying to find things to do. We hope you enjoy our strategically curated site that will ultimately, save you time! Giving Moms the Gift Of Time is what South Denver Moms Network and our parent site, The Local Moms Network, is all about. Generally speaking though, we love the various playgrounds in South Denver and the variety there are to try. This also gets us out side too, which we need!

What’s your favorite kid-friendly restaurant in South Denver?

Honestly, it might not seem kid-friendly, but Next Door in Highlands Ranch (but only during happy hour). They have great deals and their staff are always so sweet when we bring in the kids. Sometimes I even go with my sister-in-law and we have four kids in total. Yes, a nightmare, but they always are helpful and get the kids food and drinks quickly. That’s key when eating out with kids! It’s also just helpful to be at a place that doesn’t seem irritated you’re there with kids. PS – Their chicken nachos on the happy hour menu are amazing!

What’s your favorite date-night restaurant in Denver (not just South Denver)?

We have been on a number of date nights since we moved here. I have to say, our most favorite spots have been Cafe Terracotta in Downtown Littleton and Barolo Grill near Cherry Creek. Cafe Terracotta has amazing food, quaint atmosphere, but isn’t stuffy. We sat outside on a Fall evening and their patio is amazing. They also make some fun mocktails (I was pregnant when we went)! I have also been there for brunch with some girlfriends and that didn’t disappoint either. Barolo Grill is definitely a spot for a special occasion. It has a little bit stuffier environment but still fun…and the food is awesome!! Totally worth the hike from South Denver.

What is the best mom/parenting advice you have received?

I have received a lot of great advice! Being a mom has made me stop and reflect on what my mom did while we were growing up, and I now understand why she might have done something or reacted the way she did. The best advice I have received though: 1) this too shall pass and 2) time flies…enjoy every moment. While both seem so cliché, they are incredibly true…especially number two! Time really does go by far too fast, and I have to remind myself of this on the challenging days when I get a little frustrated from time to time.

What inspires you?

Honestly, other women! I’m a member of HeyMama, just one example, and the amount these women have accomplished and what they’ve done is just incredible. It inspires me to challenge myself, go out of my comfort zone and try new things.

You just launched The South Denver Moms Network. Tell us more!

I went on maternity leave in February 2019 to have my second child. I ended up informing my company near the end of my leave that I would not be returning. It was both a challenge to make the decision, yet not a challenge at all. I loved my career and the team of people I worked with for years. However, I was traveling back to New York on a regular basis and missing my daughter and having just had my second, I didn’t want to miss moments with both. I wanted to be their person every single day (even if some days are difficult, #amiright). I wouldn’t change my decision for the world and feel so incredibly grateful that I even had a choice. Bottom line, I was looking for something to allow me to use my creativity and make an impact, which is when I found The Local Moms Network.

What inspired you to start The South Denver Moms Network?

Ultimately, I wanted to do something that was helpful to other women (moms specifically) and allow me to use my creative, writing, and communication skills. I found The Local Moms Network through HeyMama and started conversations with their team back in June 2019. Once I saw how fast their network was growing and the content they were offering to women (both Nationally and locally), I was thrilled to join and start curating content for the moms of South Denver. Will our network expand? We hope so! We hope to take on more in the future.

What do you do for self-care?

I do a few things for self-care: 1) workout – I am one of those people that has to workout for at least for 30-minutes 4-5 times a week, 2) get a mani/pedi on a semi-regular basis and 3) enjoy a quick chair massage. TIP: They offer chair massages ($1/minute) at most Whole Foods and they are amazing! I can go pick-up some groceries and do a 10-15 chair massage. It’s quick, but it helps relax just enough! And yes, it’s weird to get  a massage in a grocery story, but I really don’t care. Ha! And you won’t either after you enjoy one. Bottom line, my version of self-care is just being by myself for a set period of time…just me.

What is your best mom hack?

Oh wow, there are a few hacks I turn to. Since we still have a baby taking bottles, I prep two bottles at night: one for if he wakes up wanting a bottle and the second for the morning (so I’m no scrambling to make a bottle as I also get my coffee). Another fun one (I heard from another mom and think it’s genius) is to set your camera on time-lapse when you want your child to do something (i.e. – pick up a mess, eat, etc.) and let them watch it when they are done. Seems so silly, but my daughter really has enjoyed a couple of videos. Ha!

Anything else?

We cannot wait to build out this site and community in South Denver even more! This is just the beginning and we’ve had so much fun so far. We want to hear from you though! If you have suggestions, tips, fun facts, information, anything…please reach out to us at [email protected]. There’s lots more to come and we hope you enjoy our site!

Join The South Denver Moms Network Community

Stay up-to-date with what is happening in-and-around The South Denver Moms Network community with local events, community highlights, and exclusive deals.