Introducing Pittsburgh Moms Blog’s Newest Contributors!

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We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest Pittsburgh Moms Blog team members! You’ll get to know them more over the next few weeks as they share their first posts with you. Here’s a little insight into the newest Pittsburgh moms who are joining our team…


carissahoward300x300CARISSA HOWARD is a former litigator, Ivy League graduate, college athlete, wife, mom and writer. She grew up in the South Hills and attended law school at the University of Pittsburgh, living in Shadyside for several years. After six years on the West Coast, she moved back to Upper St. Clair with her husband and two kids in tow.

Her posts cover many parenting and lifestyle topics from the quirks of having European in-laws (her husband grew up in Ireland) to questioning the usefulness of preschoolers playing organized sports to providing time management advice, usually with a solid dose of humor and honesty. She’s also writing women’s fiction novels and seeking that elusive literary agent to represent her and her manuscripts. Carissa is a regular contributor on the Huffington Post and blogs on her own personal site Shopping for Time. You can keep in touch with her on twitter and Facebook.

What is your favorite thing to do in Pittsburgh? Eat at all our fabulous restaurants with my husband on date night. After coming back to Pittsburgh from six years in Los Angeles, I was so pleasantly surprised to find that Pittsburgh has become the next great foodie city – and all at affordable prices.

What are your guilty pleasures?   Binge watching the latest on HBO.

List a few things you can’t live without?   Coffee and wine, oh, and my family.

What would your perfect day entail?   Lots of quiet time to write in the morning, followed by an afternoon at the beach with my family.

What’s the best thing about being a mom?  I can’t pick one thing because the best thing about being a mom are all the little things that add up – all the daily moments of being with my kids, like the funny things that they say and the new lessons that they learn. I love watching my kids learn and grow every day.


dlarosa-300x300DENISE LAROSA is the founder, host and CEO of Mom Talk with Denise LaRosa, LLC, a multimedia platform designed to motivate, inspire and inform mothers along their journey in motherhood. Denise utilizes her parenting experiences and background as an elementary educator to bring mothers invaluable information and resources on parenting through her podcast, blog and workshops.

A devoted wife and mother of two precious girls, Denise is also an elementary school teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance (Magna cum Laude) from Radford University in 2003 and graduated from Carlow University in 2008 with a Master of Education degree in elementary education. Empty Shoes is Denise’s first children’s book. She plans to write many more for you to enjoy.

Learn more about Denise and stay connected at www.momtalkdenise.com

What is your favorite thing to do in Pittsburgh? My favorite thing to do in Pittsburgh is attend all of the magnificent musicals, plays and dance performances for both children and adults.

What are your guilty pleasures? My guilty pleasures are ice cream, coffee and reading. I am such a book nerd and proud of it!

 List a few things you can’t live without? I cannot live without my spirituality, family, friends, podcasts, books, music and love!

What would your perfect day entail? My perfect day entails fun and quality time with my precious family, lots of yummy food and laughs.

What’s the best thing about being a mom? The best thing about being a mom is that you get to witness their evolution and growth before your very eyes. As a parent, you have the golden opportunity to facilitate this growth and evolution, exposing your children to wonder and opportunities that can shape their lives for a lifetime. How cool is that?!


pulgini-300x300MELISA PULGINI has 18 years experience working with individuals (infant through adult) with diverse abilities.  She holds Pennsylvania teaching certifications in Secondary English Education and Family and Consumer Sciences, Pennsylvania Private Academic Certification, Pennsylvania Director Credential, Bachelor’s in English Language and Literature, post-baccalaureate coursework in Child Development, Education, Curriculum and Assessment, and a Master’s in Professional Writing.

As a Certified Instructor through the Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System, registered Child Development Professional Development Specialist, and Child Health Advocate, Melisa provided professional development opportunities to educators.

In addition to home schooling her children, Melisa is an author, photographer, and illustrator of juvenile non-fiction and fiction.  She enjoys touring historical sites, museums, and botanical gardens with her family.

What is your favorite thing to do in Pittsburgh? My favorite thing to do in Pittsburgh is to visit the many cultural and historical attractions in and around the city.  As a home school family, we utilize our memberships to Pittsburgh’s museums and gardens on a weekly basis.

What are your guilty pleasures? I dance to Yo Gabba Gabba soundtracks… after my children have gone to bed.

What would your perfect day entail? My perfect day would begin with an early morning hike through Gettysburg National Military Park.  It would end with both children going to bed on-time so I could binge watch Twin Peaks and Doctor Who reruns until I fell asleep.  Somewhere in the middle of the day, I would find my house perfectly clean and my children singing gleefully along to the “Best of the Trapp Family Singers.”

What’s the best thing about being a mom? The best part about being a mom is sharing the opportunity to grow, learn, love, and walk peacefully with my children.


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Meghan Meabon
Meghan is the Founder and Co-Owner of Pittsburgh Mom Collective. Born and raised in Pittsburgh also known as “The City of Neighborhoods.” She studied Education at Edinboro University where she also obtained her Masters in Educational Leadership. She's been married to her best friend and husband, Jeromie, for 18 years. Together they have been blessed with three beautiful children, son, Dylan 15 years old, daughter, Madison 13 years old and son, Jordan 9 years old. She enjoys watching the creative minds of her children as they participate in their extra activities. Favorite pastimes are cheering on the Pittsburgh Sports, relaxing on the beach and laughing with friends and family over a glass of red. Meghan is excited about meeting Pittsburgh Moms and connecting them to resources that will make their lives easier and more fun!