Welcome to The Hood Magazine.

When we decided to start Hood Magazine my husband and I were just getting married and I thought this would be a perfect fit to help us get ready to be parents, although we feel like we are parents already because of my niece (4) and nephew (9) stay with us every summer for 6 weeks. They even tell us we don't need to have kids because they are our kids! When my nephew first started coming to Sioux Falls 6 years ago I was always looking for ways to keep him busy in the summer. When the idea of Hood Magazine was being developed, I thought why not make this a resource families could use all of the time. In order to make this a parenting resource we would have to ask parents what they would need. After meeting with Moms and Dads, we developed our amazing Menu and Calendar sections. Hood Magazine is about being a family and we believe a family can be more than just your parents. Family to us is anyone you love and spend your time with; hence the term Hoodie was developed. Hoodies is anyone who believes in the Hood Mission of "Stronger Families Through Togetherness". I am a Hoodie and welcome you to be Hoodies with the rest of Hood Magazine Hoodies and be part of our family. We are always looking for parents to help us out with family friendly events. Let me know if you would like to help.

My name is Ally Vogel, otherwise known as mom, wife, sister, designer, etc. I'm the art director/designer for the 'Hood Magazine. I graduated from USD Vermillion in 1997, and moved to Minneapolis for several years working in Marketing Communications. My husband and I moved to the area almost 5 years ago with our lively children Ella (7) and Max (5). We chose Sioux Falls as our hometown since it's such a great place to raise a family, with an added bonus of being close to grandparents and aunts and uncles. Being somewhat new to the area, I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the 'Hood team and learning more about the wonderful family friendly activities the area has to offer. We are thrilled to call Sioux Falls HOME!

Family has always been important to me. After 12 years in Des Moines, IA, I moved to Sioux Falls for family. At the time, my dad's health was failing and I felt like I needed to be closer to help. I am the middle of 3 girls so I know all about siblings! I have a niece and nephew that I get to spoil regularly. My boyfriend James and his daughter Tori live in St. Louis, they are the family I am missing right now!! God has also blessed me with an amazing group of friends who I consider family. Family should be those who build you up, those you can share everything with, help you up when you fall and be a loving reflection when you forget who you are. 'Hood is another family I'm happy to be a part of.

It all breaks down to one thing- passion. I have a passion for photography, and a passion for children. Most of all, I love what I do! I view photography as a way of documenting life's bliss. I strive to capture natural, everyday emotions- curiosity, mischief, wonder- just to name a few. I am graduating SDSU with a Major in Graphic Design and a Minor in Photography. I have attended SDSU for 5 years. I have been a photographer for 4 years, but recently opened a studio in Dell Rapids, SD. I have three wonderful, creative, yet crazy children and one super amazing, super supportive husband!

I've been married to my husband, Jason, for 13 + years and we have 3 beautiful children. I'm not a huge fan of the cold weather in S.D. and dream of living where it is warm all year round. I have a masters degree in Educational Leadership and taught 2nd grade for several years. After being urged by my amazing photographer friends and family, I startedt my own photography company. I only shoot 20-24 weddings a year in a photojournalist style telling the story on their day. I also love taking pictures of newborns and get my baby fix when I do. I love to play with my kids, get messy, and laugh. You can usually find me at the park or a softball/basketball game with a camera in hand. I absolutely love being a photographer.

I'm Chris Langner and currently an intern with Hood magazine. I'm currently attaining my BA in Art with emphasis in Graphic Design and Fine Arts at the University of Sioux Falls. I live with my wonderful cat, Mr. Bungle, in Brandon.

Hi, I'm Connie Miles, an intern with Hood Magazine. I'm currently attending Southeast Technical Institute working on an Associates Degree in Graphic Communications. Going back to college has always been a dream of mine, but what a lot of work! I have three practically grown children and, as you can see from my family pic, I just married off my oldest daughter. As I'm sure you can all relate, raising children is both rewarding and frustrating, but I wouldn't change being a mother for anything. I couldn't have managed thus far without the support of all my family, but especially my husband. Isn't that what 'Hood's all about? Family!