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Co-Op Brings Work And Motherhood Under One Roof For Orange County Moms

ORANGE (CBSLA.com) — It's a work space where you'll find a coffee cup and a sippy cup, side by side, and where the sounds of babies and toddlers co-exist with the clicking of keyboards.

It's called Mommy Works a baby and kid friendly office co-op for moms started by, Amanda Rowoldt, a mom herself, who used to work from home part time.

"I found that it was taking me hours to do something that I could have done in 20 minutes if I just had time to focus," Rowoldt said.

Rowoldt, who has a 2-year-old boy and another on the way, says she even tried coffee shops, but they weren't kid friendly. So she opened Mommy Works, in Orange. Moms can rent a desk or a conference room. There's a supervised play area for their kids, a diaper changing area, and a place to nurse or pump. Of course there's free wifi and coffee.

You can rent a desk starting at $15 an hour, or you can become a member and come as often as you want for a monthly fee of $500.

Entrepreneur Raewyn Sangari has a 1-year-old daughter and now comes several times a week.

"I was staying up until two or three in the morning because it was impossible for me to get any work done with her around," Sangari said. "I've been able to take on more clients, make more money and grow my business."

Mommy Works clients come from a range of careers and even students have used the space.

"We kind of understand each other, really trying to balance that work and being with your kids," stylist Monique Moon said.

The mom's who come here say it's not just about the space, it's about the camaraderie.

"It's a village and I think for a while that we moved away from that. But the people missing out the most, are the moms," Sangari said.

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