Meet the yayas!

As members of the yaya tribe, we promise to provide you with loving, supportive answers to all your questions. Here are the amazing women making time for you:

Grama Claire Bear
Grama Claire Bear is 85 years young and lives on the island of Maui. She is the mother of 7 children and boasts 20 grandchildren & 16 great-grandchildren. Her favorite things include playing the piano, tending her roses, meeting up with friends, going on adventures with her daughter, and keeping in touch with her family. More than anything, keeping in touch with family every day is what’s most important to her.
Diana
Diana is a mother to two sweet boys, ages 3 and 5, and lives with her husband in Ohio. Before being a stay-at-home mom, she was/is a speech language pathologist and fitness instructor. She loves being active outdoors, as does her family and dog, though if she’s inside, you’ll find her baking or at the theater. Her favorite place to be is with her family.
Taren
Taren is a single mom of two grown daughters of whom she is very proud. She was a teacher for 20 years during their school days–it was truly a wonderful time of learning for all. Raising daughters and having adventures with them is her greatest joy. Taren comes from a long line of strong, independent women. She appreciates the special, close relationships she has with her daughters and her mother. (Just as she had with her grandmother and great-grandmother and they had with theirs…). Observing the beauty in nature while walking on the beach or hiking on the mountain is her passion. She also enjoys photography, graphics, astronomy, music, and reading.
Lori Beth
Lori Beth is a mama bear to 3 girls under 5 and the creator of yayamamas.com. She lives on Maui with her husband, kids, goats, chickens, and dogs. She holds degrees in child development related fields and worked as a nanny and personal assistant for many years before having her own children in her 30s. Her favorite topics: babywearing, breastfeeding, child development, children’s literature, homeschooling, positive parenting, and self care for mamas.
Cortney
Cortney is a homeschooling mom of 2 that her 25-year-old self no longer recognizes. Becoming a mom was the best thing she and her husband never planned; she has jumped in whole-heartedly and cannot imagine her life any other way. Cortney enjoys the occasional yoga class, loves reading just about anything in her five minutes of spare time each day, and misses babywearing something fierce. She is passionate about the environment, peaceful parenting, and her morning coffee.
Bernie
Bernie is a New Yorker who traveled to the magical isle of Maui for her first teaching position over a decade ago. She is currently the lead teacher for a K-5 elementary program and involved in educational reform on Maui. Outside of her work world, Bernie is a mommy to two wonderfully active little boys, and a wife to her parenting partner and best friend. In the evenings and during teacher breaks, Bernie loves to relax with her littles and live in the moment. Weekends and summer vacation are full of digging in the sand, running at the park, creating at home, and spending time with friends.
Lorelei
Lorelei is a Cleveland mom who lives with her three sons, ages 5, 8 and 11, a male cat named Dusty, and her husband of 18 years. Lorelei worked for 8 years outside of the home doing website and email marketing, and relying on amazing editors to help her learn the appropriate use of the words levity, brevity and gravity (though she appreciates the value of each in situations). She struggles with the Oxford comma. Now she spends her time helping her kids, running her household, and volunteering at her non-denominational Christian church. She takes interest in learning more about child development, particularly the discoveries of Maria Montessori as well as the asynchronous development of gifted children. Her favorite things to do are spend time one on one time with friends and travel with her family.
Nadia
Nadia lives on the beautiful island of Maui with her best friend and their sweet daughter. She has been working in the online space for 10 years with a focus in Tech Startups. Her educational background is in Graphic Design, Web Design and Marketing. She recently launched Work & Woo which teaches female entrepreneurs how to start their own online business. Her passion lies in helping women align their passion with their purpose to live fulfilling and successful lives. When she is not working she loves to travel with her family and spend time with friends.

Karen is ringmaster for what she calls her traveling circus of a family; including 2 teen boys, her partner of 25+ years, two gigantic rescue dogs and three cats. She is an adventurer at heart, encouraging others to embrace themselves just as they are while enjoying the small moments as they unfold. A self-proclaimed non-perfectionist who frequently claims to be held together with chewing gum and paper clips, Karen is queen of messy entertaining and embracing chaos. She is a mindfulness instructor for all ages and a yoga teacher rooted in the Kira and Tantric lineages. Karen helps run two family businesses and is a practicing social worker for vulnerable individuals. She is crazy about her boys, the Blue Ridge Mountains she calls home, spreading the radical idea of self acceptance and championing her tribe of long time girlfriends. She is a reader, a traveler, & a fierce advocate for those she loves.