Inside Travel Family: How to Get the Vacation You Actually Imagined

Inside Travel Family: How to Get the Vacation You Actually Imagined

Vacation shouldn’t leave you whispering, “I need a vacation from that vacation.” Claire Duarte, founder of The Columbia Mom, sits down with Tara from Travel Family Explores, a Frederick County, Maryland mom of three who helps families plan trips that feel calmer, more memorable, and actually doable with kids in tow. We talk about Tara’s path from DC life and the stress of childcare logistics to a pandemic-era move to Middletown and the moment career uncertainty pushed her into Plan Z: building a family travel planning business. Tara shares what a modern family travel advisor really does, from destination counseling that cuts through decision fatigue to itinerary “reality checks” that save you from overbooking tours, ignoring age minimums, or forgetting the basics like laundry, walkability, and groceries. You’ll also hear the practical systems that make traveling with kids smoother, including setting a consistent daily schedule, planning downtime, and using kid-friendly experiences like food tours and cooking classes to keep everyone engaged. We dig into the budget side too: why your dates, destination, and price form a triangle you can’t ignore, and how flexibility can open up better, cheaper options without giving up the vibe you want. If you’re craving family travel that includes good food, real rest, and fewer spirals on your phone by the pool, press play.  Connect with Tara ✈️  Mom of 3 + founder of Travel Family Explores 🌍 helping families travel with less stress and more joy. 📱 TikTok: @travel_family_explores [https://www.tiktok.com/@travel_family_explores?_r=1&_t=ZP-96YMs3PWOT9&utm_source=chatgpt.com] 📸 Instagram: @travel_family_explores [https://www.instagram.com/travel_family_explores?igsh=MWNlbXM4M2ZoYnZseg%3D%3D&utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🌐 Website: Travel Family [https://www.travel-fam.com/about?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Planning family travel that actually feels good starts here 💛 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465915/support] 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!  💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/]  📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/join-the-community]  📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom [https://www.instagram.com/the.columbiamom/] 🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/podcast] 🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk0fEeDhwdBJ2Y04AH01zZ6-lYU9vXlzT]  🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

Behind the Scenes: From Mom Life to Content Creator

“It must be nice to get free food and fun trips.” We hear that all the time, and it misses the point. Content creation is real work, and when it’s done well it’s also real marketing. We sit down with Lisa Summers, the creator behind It's Summers Somewhere and It’s Somewhere Local, to pull back the curtain on how a Maryland mom builds a multi-platform media brand that actually drives action for local businesses and families looking for things to do. Lisa shares her origin story, from a long career in sales to a painful house-flipping experience that forced a reset. What starts as a love of travel and local events turns into a consistent social media strategy once she invests in coaching, learns the framework, and makes the hard shift from posting “flyers” to showing the experience. That’s where FOMO comes from, and it’s also how audiences decide if something is worth leaving the house for. We also get specific about the behind-the-scenes costs of “free” invites: gas, babysitters, filming instead of relaxing, then hours of editing, captions, and cross-posting. Lisa breaks down her workflow, why she edits on her phone with CapCut, how she plans content like a story before she even arrives, and how tools like Repurpose.io help her show up across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube Shorts without doing everything twice. We talk platform risk, why you funnel followers to a website and email list, and how a weekly newsletter can turn scrolling into real weekend plans. If you care about influencer marketing, creator economy strategy, Maryland travel, local events, or building a sustainable digital advertising engine, you’ll walk away with a clearer playbook and a lot more respect for the work.  To see Lisa’s work in action and get inspired for your next outing: 🌞 It’s Summers Somewhere [https://itssummerssomewhere.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🗺️ It’s Somewhere Local [https://itssummerssomewhere.beehiiv.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 📸 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itssummerssomewhere?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 👥 Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/itssummerssomewhere?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎥 TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@itssummerssomewhere?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc]  ▶️ YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ItsSummersSomewhere?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Lisa blends 20+ years in corporate sales with content creation, speaking, and consulting—helping brands and communities turn content into real-world experiences that actually get people showing up. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465915/support] 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!  💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/]  📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/join-the-community]  📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom [https://www.instagram.com/the.columbiamom/] 🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/podcast] 🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk0fEeDhwdBJ2Y04AH01zZ6-lYU9vXlzT]  🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

Fresh at the Curb: Clean Bins Without the Effort

Your trash bin isn’t just “a little gross” it can be the dirtiest thing you touch all week. I’m sitting down with Josh Levy from MD Clean to talk about what really happens inside trash and recycling bins during a Maryland summer, why the smell spikes, and how germs can travel from a lid handle to your car door to your kitchen faster than you think. If you’ve ever dragged a sticky can into the garage and tried not to breathe, this one hits home. Josh shares the real origin story behind his Howard County small business: a COVID-era TikTok, a leap into the service world, and a specialized curbside bin cleaning truck built to do what a garden hose can’t. We get specific about the process people always ask about, including 200-degree water, high-pressure 360-degree cleaning, deodorizing, and the key detail that matters for eco-minded families: the dirty wastewater is captured and disposed of properly, not dumped into storm drains that feed the Chesapeake Bay. We also zoom out into exterior cleaning and pressure washing, from house washing and fence cleaning to slippery algae on steps and the headaches of power washing a deck the wrong way. Along the way, we talk about neighborhood routes, HOA partnerships, community events like parades and touch-a-truck, and why maintaining what you already own can help bins last longer and reduce plastic waste. If you’re in Columbia, Ellicott City, or nearby Maryland communities, you’ll also hear exactly how booking works at MD Clean. What’s the one thing around your house you wish you never had to clean yourself? If you’re tired of holding your breath every trash day 🤢, you can check out MD Clean and book directly here: https://mdclean.us/home [https://mdclean.us/home] You can also follow along for oddly satisfying before-and-afters and tips on keeping things fresh ✨🧼:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MDCLEANBINS [https://www.facebook.com/MDCLEANBINS] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdcleanbins [https://www.instagram.com/mdcleanbins] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdcleanbin?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc [https://www.tiktok.com/@mdcleanbin?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc] And if this episode made you look at your trash bin a little differently 👀, share it with a neighbor—you might just save someone from their next summer stink surprise 🌞🗑️ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465915/support] 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!  💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/]  📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/join-the-community]  📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom [https://www.instagram.com/the.columbiamom/] 🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/podcast] 🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk0fEeDhwdBJ2Y04AH01zZ6-lYU9vXlzT]  🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

Columbia Community Care: The Heart Behind the Mission

A mile-long line for groceries can change how you see your own town. After COVID shut down schools, Erika watched fear ripple through students and families in Howard County, Maryland and she decided to act. What begins as a quick Facebook call for donations turns into Columbia Community Care, a volunteer-powered network built on trust, logistics, and neighbors who refuse to let families go hungry. We talk through Erika’s origin story, from growing up in Columbia’s “bubble” to learning civic engagement the hard way at Wild Lake, where student protests and an ACLU-supported case cemented the power of young people using their voices. That same mix of conviction and community building shows up years later as she juggles virtual teaching with setting up food distribution sites, coordinating deliveries, and figuring out nonprofit systems in real time. You’ll also hear why food insecurity is not only about unemployment. Erika breaks down the ALICE population (asset limited, income-constrained, employed) and why working families often do not qualify for SNAP or other services. We dig into how Columbia Community Care fills that gap with low-barrier support, partnerships across the county, and programs that now include youth mentorship and wellness for moms and those who mother. Then we look ahead to The Source, a 65,000-square-foot community center planned for the former Columbia Flier building, designed to bring youth spaces, a gym, a food hall, and health connections under one roof. If this story moved you, there are so many ways to get involved 💛 Whether it’s volunteering your time, donating resources, or simply spreading the word, every small action helps strengthen the network that Columbia Community Care has built. ✨ 🌐 https://columbiacommunitycare.org [https://columbiacommunitycare.org] 📘 https://bit.ly/CCC-Facebook [https://bit.ly/CCC-Facebook]  📸 https://instagram.com/columbiacommunitycare [https://instagram.com/columbiacommunitycare]  💼 https://linkedin.com/company/columbia-community-care [https://linkedin.com/company/columbia-community-care] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465915/support] 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!  💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/]  📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/join-the-community]  📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom [https://www.instagram.com/the.columbiamom/] 🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/podcast] 🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk0fEeDhwdBJ2Y04AH01zZ6-lYU9vXlzT]  🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!

Massage Meets Community: The Tocar Spa Story

A brutal winter, nonstop school pivots, and the kind of stress that sneaks into your shoulders and never leaves, that’s where this conversation starts. Then it opens into something bigger: what it really takes to build a wellness business that lasts in Columbia, Maryland, and why massage therapy is shifting from “nice-to-have” to part of a real health routine. I’m joined by Stephen Conti, owner of Tocar Spa in Howard County, and his origin story is the definition of a zigzag. He takes us from growing up in PG County to UMD, from early career twists to going all-in on massage, and finally to opening his own brick-and-mortar spa. We talk about what clients can expect at Tocar Spa, why he intentionally avoids a sterile franchise vibe, and how his team customizes massage, facials, waxing, and specialty services like four-hand massage, Lomi Lomi, and couples massage lessons. Stephen also shares a side of the industry most people never see: he serves as chair of the Maryland State Board of Massage Therapy. We get into how licensing and regulation work, why small business owners suddenly start paying attention to policy, and how accessible local delegates and county leaders can be when you actually pick up the phone. We also address the hard topic of illicit massage establishments and how that connects to human trafficking prevention work right here in our community. If you care about wellness, small business in Howard County, or how local policy shapes your daily life, hit play.  Don’t just listen—go experience it. 💆‍♀️✨  Head to https://tocarspa.com/experience/ [https://tocarspa.com/experience/] to book your session. 🌿💫 Follow Tocar Spa to stay connected and see what real, community-driven wellness looks like:  📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tocarspa/ [https://www.instagram.com/tocarspa/] 📲  👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TocarSpa [https://www.facebook.com/TocarSpa] 💙  ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Y9huGLlnwAbFOSbqBm-OA [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Y9huGLlnwAbFOSbqBm-OA] 🎥 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465915/support] 🎙️ Thanks for tuning in to MomTalk Maryland — where community, connection, and conversation collide!  💻 Visit us at thecolumbiamdmom.com [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/]  📧 Join our newsletter for episode updates, exclusive content, and local happenings: Subscribe! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/join-the-community]  📲 Follow along on Instagram: @the.columbiamom [https://www.instagram.com/the.columbiamom/] 🗣️Got a topic idea, guest nomination, or want to sponsor an episode? Let us know! [https://thecolumbiamdmom.com/podcast] 🎬 Watch behind the scenes of the podcast on YouTube: Subscribe to the MomTalk Maryland Podcast Playlist [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk0fEeDhwdBJ2Y04AH01zZ6-lYU9vXlzT]  🎧 Like what you heard? Leave a review & share with a friend who needs this convo in their life!