The Washington, DC area is full of amazing moms. There are working moms, stay-at-home moms, single moms, moms of multiples, foster moms, adoptive moms, etc. We want to highlight some of those moms like Karen Hetz. Each month we will feature one special mom as the Mom of the Month. Know a fellow amazing local mom here? Nominate them here!
Meet our July Mom of the Month: Karen Hetz
Karen Hetz, founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Kids’ Cake Boxes, a Women-Owned, Military Spouse-Owned artisanal DIY baking kit company in the greater DC area, is a military mom determined to preserve childhood moments. Throughout her husband’s service in the Army, Karen took on the role of solo parent, witnessing her husband miss significant family milestones with their three young children. Understanding the fleeting nature of childhood, Karen sought to craft meaningful experiences for her family. Given her belief in baking as a way to bond, Karen integrated love, laughter, and life lessons into every recipe.
Her initiative, Kids’ Cake Boxes, was born from a desire to extend these joyful moments to all families, providing quality screen-free time, enhancing familial ties, and nurturing childhood creativity through baking cherished memories with thoughtfully curated kits. Each kit contains pre-measured dry ingredients, themed decorations, reusable bakeware, and a user-friendly recipe card. Karen and Kids’ Cake Boxes are committed to spreading joy to families everywhere, establishing the brand as a favorite among budding bakers.
Here is our Q&A with Karen Hetz
1. Tell us about your experience as a military family.
I grew up in Indiana, attended undergrad at Carleton College in MN where I earned a degree in biology, and then onto the University of Washington in Seattle to earn my Master’s Degree in Nutritional Science. Afterwards, I went on to earn my licensure in dietetics and became a Registered Dietitian, which I absolutely loved doing. It was during my time in graduate school when I met my husband, who was stationed with the Army at Ft. Lewis in Washington. We were set up on a blind date – something neither of us had ever done before, but decided to take the chance. We married a few years later and thus began our chapter as an Army family together.
Although my husband had served 5 years prior to meeting me, we spent another 15 as an Army family, moving from one end of the country to the other an back again. More than once. In fact, in those 15 years, we moved 7 times, with some duty assignments being less than one year long. Which means if there are moving boxes that aren’t unpacked after a month, I’m just going to leave them packed! For some perspective of Army life, by the time my oldest son was seven years old, he had lived in six different places. But our story is far from unique. It’s how the Army runs, and simply the pace of the train we were all riding. Our domestic locations limited exposure to Army life abroad, but we look forward to traveling overseas independently. Fun adventures await for sure!
After 20 years of service, my husband retired, giving us the opportunity to select our preferred home without military directives. Despite having many options, we chose the DMV area where he worked at the Pentagon before. Familiar with the amiable residents, excellent hikes, and strong schools, we appreciated the military camaraderie in the community and decided to call it home.
2. What has been the hardest part about moving around?
The hardest part of moving around wasn’t finding new houses or setting them up (although that was never without adventure, a necessity to be flexible, and an it’s-only-for-a-year-we-can-make-it-work mindset when finding a house). No, the hardest part was helping our kids adjust to new schools, new friends, and new communities.
Whenever we moved into a neighborhood full of other military families, it was easier to adjust. Operating in a battle rhythm that requires making friends quickly as time spent together is always short, military families know that meeting their neighbors needs to happen fast. It seems your kids are invited to birthday parties before the moving truck has even finished unloading. On the flip side, moving into civilian neighborhoods posed challenges in forging relationships due to initial barriers, as the warming-up period understandably takes a bit longer. Short assignments limited interactions with these neighbors, impacting our children the most. Yet, their bond with each other thrived – a heartwarming sight for any mother witnessing their supportive friendship with one another.
