Hey, Mama!

Thanks for checking us out. We’re honored. What is the Bastrop Mama Network? It’s a place for mamas to find new friends, create new opportunities, and build new connections.

_{WHAT WE’RE ABOUT}

Some of us are building companies, some are building careers, some are building families, some are building communities. Many of us are doing more than one of these at the same time. We are ambitious, but balanced.

We are here because we have a vision of creating and nurturing something meaningful to ourselves, our families and those around us.

We have a heart for our local community. We know that strengthening the social fabric of our small towns makes us more resilient to larger, unchecked economic and cultural forces.

_{WHY WE STARTED}

I love living in Bastrop County because of its relaxed vibes and beautiful nature, but after being out here awhile, I realized living here also comes with its unique challenges, especially as a mom who wants to build things.

One of those challenges is staying in the loop about community events that would give me an opportunity to meet others in the same phase of life as me. Last year, I missed the Smithville Christmas parade because I didn’t even know it was happening. The next day, I sat feeling bummed with my toddler. She would have loved getting out of the house, and I would have loved to meet new people.

Which brings me to the other problem I was facing: new mama loneliness. I absolutely adore being a mother, but it can be quite lonely when you are in the thick of raising kids, especially small ones. I thought “keeping up with friends” on Instagram or Facebook would help me feel connected, but often the timesuck during precious naptime hours would make me feel worse. Instead of connection, I often felt the negative social media side effects: comparison, insecurity and anxiety.

Plus, I was tired of the dustless, curated living rooms with expensive couches and the perfectly pressed linen dresses. I like nice things but I wanted something more substantial. I wanted to talk to other moms who are nurturing and creating and thinking about the future they are leaving to their children.

So, I started this newsletter to solve my own problems, and hopefully I can help with some of yours too, Mama.

_{WHAT WE DO}

In addition to some corny memes, and thoughts on motherhood in our ‘hood, the Bastrop Mama Network offers:

🌼 A weekly, curated list of community events

I comb through all the Bastrop, Smithville, Elgin and Rosanky events so that you don’t have to. We will focus on some family-friendly, civic, and educational events. We are here to build connections.

🌼 Mama meetups (coming soon)

We’ve got some gatherings brewing, but look out for a monthly Bastrop meetup and a monthly Smithville meetup coming soon. Let’s increase our serendipity.

🌼 Classes and Workshops (coming soon)

We’re working on some classes for digital marketing, personal + professional branding, and other skills that can increase payable skills and opportunity, regardless of location. Reply to this email if you have want to see a specific class.

Keep up with our current offerings by subscribing to this newsletter here:

_{WHO WE ARE}

We just launched in September 2023, so “we,” is really just me, Elise Entzenberger-Dayton. I’m the founder and writer of the Bastrop Mama Network. But I foresee this humble newsletter and community growing into something really special.

If you have a cool idea for collaboration, guest post, or co-hosted event, reply to this email ([email protected]) and let’s see if it’s a fit.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading! I hope to see you soon.

Kindly,

Elise