Collin County Moms

Hailing from West Tennessee, Allison comes from a vibrant household of seven siblings and their 14 children. She currently resides in Benbrook with her husband Kevin and their two adorable boys. Having earned a BFA in graphic and web design from Ole Miss, Allison’s creative solace extends beyond her profession to include painting, piano, and nurturing an appreciation for life's diverse beauty. You can find her at any outdoor event - kids in tow and coffee in hand!

Katie has been and editor and journalist since 2010. She’s worked for various national publications, including EQUUS and Western Horseman, and freelanced for titles such as Horse Illustrated and The Reiner. In addition to her role as managing editor at Beal Media, Katie is a content writer for The National Council of Mental Wellbeing and secretary for the Ranch Horse Association of America. In all her work, she’s drawn to projects that serve a purpose and help others. She lives in Willow Park, Texas, with her husband, two kiddos, horses, dogs, chickens, and cat.

August is a transplant to McKinney from Asheville, North Carolina. She is a mother to four fearless, outspoken children. She and her husband, Matt, have been foster parents for the last seven years. Previously a high school teacher, August homeschools her children. Her passions are reading and traveling. She leads the Collin County Moms Book Club. August is also a member of the Junior League of Collin County and a volunteer driver of Meals on Wheels of Collin County.

Originally from North Carolina, Dominique is the proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie class of ’04 (Whoop!) who married a fellow Aggie. Dominique has worked on multiple political campaigns, as a project manager for a global medical publishing company and most recently also works in a local elementary school as a K-5 reading and math tutor. Dominique has two incredible and busy boys. In her free time (hah!) she enjoys baking, being outdoors in the sun, and visiting Aggieland any chance she gets.

Emily grew up in Katy, Texas. She came to Fort Worth to attend TCU, where she met her husband. They married in 2009 and have a daughter, Ellie (2012) and son, Brody (2015). Emily has experience in many administrative roles, and currently assists several small businesses with various needs, ranging from bookkeeping to social media oversight and many things in between. Emily loves to read, cook, be outdoors, and listen to music.

Katie has been and editor and journalist since 2010. She’s worked for various national publications, including EQUUS and Western Horseman, and freelanced for titles such as Horse Illustrated and The Reiner. In addition to her role as managing editor at Beal Media, Katie is a content writer for The National Council of Mental Wellbeing and secretary for the Ranch Horse Association of America. In all her work, she’s drawn to projects that serve a purpose and help others. She lives in Willow Park, Texas, with her husband, two kiddos, horses, dogs, chickens, and cat.

Katie has been and editor and journalist since 2010. She’s worked for various national publications, including EQUUS and Western Horseman, and freelanced for titles such as Horse Illustrated and The Reiner. In addition to her role as managing editor at Beal Media, Katie is a content writer for The National Council of Mental Wellbeing and secretary for the Ranch Horse Association of America. In all her work, she’s drawn to projects that serve a purpose and help others. She lives in Willow Park, Texas, with her husband, two kiddos, horses, dogs, chickens, and cat.

Kristen Gardiner moved to the Dallas area (Allen) in 2018 with her husband and three boys (born in 2010, 2012, and 2015). She has a marketing degree from Texas A&M (class of '06) and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M --Corpus Christi. Kristen met her husband while working at Whataburger in College Station ,and they have been inseparable ever since. She has spent the past few years as a freelance writer and marketing consultant. Kristen is passionate about storytelling and sharing about struggles with mental health in motherhood on her blog Driving Mom Crazy. drivingmomcrazy.com

Unless she's lost in a pile of books (or laundry), you'll likely find Kristy over-thinking, chauffeuring her kids somewhere, or brainstorming at her lifestyle blog, Simply Kristy Lynn. Kristy has been married to her husband, Jeremy, for 20+ years. She's an army mom, a theatre mom, a boy mom, a dog mom, and a huge introvert. As an "old soul" in a modern world, Kristy ponders (and writes) about timeless style and values, wellness, motherhood, and whatever she's reading at the moment.

Lauren serves as BEAL Media Council Member and Collin County Moms Hospitality Coordinator. She is a passionate writer for Collin County Moms. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Lauren and her family moved to DFW in 2007, where she earned her BA at the University of North Texas. Lauren met her husband in 2016, and they welcomed their first child (and bought their first home) in 2020. With baby number two on the way, you will find Lauren working as a full-time stay-at-home mom, cooking, practicing yoga, or crafting with her Cricut. Lauren hopes to support, encourage and lift other moms up, as her closest friends have done for her.

Lauren is a gardener, amateur chicken rancher, and semi-pro Pinterest recipe tester who has mastered the art of reheating her morning coffee and evading the endless requests for snacks. Whether it’s solo traveling across the country or a picnic lunch in her front yard, she ensures her life each day is an adventure. With a professional background in sales, social media management, marketing, and business administration, Lauren is the embodiment of the organized creativity that’s reflected through her writing and work as sponsorship and social media director for Fort Worth Moms. Lauren resides in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband, Sam, and three children.

Melissa was born and raised in New Jersey, and graduated from Centenary University. Shortly after graduating from college she began and spent ten years working for Crate & Barrel in New York City. During that time she met her future husband, Scott, who works in professional sports. His career moved them all over the country until they ended up landing and settling with their family in McKinney, Texas in 2015. Since moving to Texas, Melissa started her own personal shopping and athleisure retail shop. As an entrepreneur and sales veteran she began working in business development for Collin County Moms in 2021. When Dallas and Collin County Moms was acquired in 2022, Melissa came aboard as a partnerships manager for Beal Media.

Missy lives in Frisco with her concert-crazy husband, Adam, and two “couldn’t be more different” daughters, Raegan and Maddie. She met Adam while living in Australia, and often jokes she brought him home as a souvenir. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, she will proudly yell, “Go Pokes” across a store or restaurant when she sees a fellow fan! When she isn’t busy taking her girls to dance or gymnastics, you can find Missy crafting, talking to her three kitties, or wandering Target while sipping an iced coffee.