Julia Levy

Julia Levy is the mother of two children, a daughter who is six and a son who is three. She devoted four years to her family as a stay-at-home parent, taking an extended leave from teaching advanced biology. To chronicle the adventures with her children, Julia turned her classroom website into a personal blog which began with a baby announcement and continued as daily postings for nearly four years. Life by all appearances was grand.

Within one year of Lehman Brothers' collapse, the recession touched her personally when three family members found themselves suddenly and unexpectedly unemployed when entire departments were laid off in company downsizing. They and other friends struggled to find employment, and small retail shops and restaurants went out of business.

In 2009, Julia launched a new mommy blog that expanded readership beyond just family and friends. The mission was two-fold mission. Help Austin area families find local forms of entertainment. Help area businesses in bringing families to them. The idea was to keep Austin vital by encouraging others to eat local, play local. Julia took what she understood most, parenting her children in Austin and blogging, and turned that into the mommy blog Little Austinite.