How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? My daughter (Eleanor) is 8 and my twin boys (Dane and Conor) are 6. My husband and I have lived in Fairfield for 11 years.
What has been the most difficult age with your children to date? What helped you overcome the challenges at that time? The most difficult age was definitely when my sons were born, because my daughter wasn’t even 2. She was only 22 months old when they were born. That time period is very hazy! Help- i.e. my mother, husband and night nurses helped.
What is your favorite family activity to do in Westport or the surrounding towns? My favorite family activity is to either bike ride or hike the trails of the Aspetuck Land trust in Weston.
What was your most memorable family vacation and why? My most memorable family vacation has been Disney World. We all LOVE rides so seeing such pure enjoyment and happiness in all three children was pretty unbelievable and so much fun. Their energy keeps you going.
What is your proudest mommy moment? My proudest mommy moment probably was when I had 3 children under 3 all napping at the same time each and every afternoon.
What’s your favorite app right now- for you- and for your kids? Favorite app- duh. Amazon Prime.
What’s your can’t live without beauty product? My can’t live without beauty product would have to be Melatonin for my “beauty” sleep, and Skinceuticals Overnight Dry Moisturizer.
What’s your favorite restaurant for a family dinner? A night out with friends? For family dinner, definitely Luigi’s Pizza in Fairfield, and for a night out with friends- the Whelk.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? People would be surprised to know that I recently started doing abstract paintings and have several pieces hanging in my home.
If you weren’t doing what you are today, what do you think your career path might have been? My career path would likely be in Financial Services, which is what I was doing before I had my children.
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you wanted – what would you do? I’d exercise, spend time with my immediate family of 5, somehow squeeze in a way to see my parents, and my two brothers and their families in MA, then shop and hang with some girls friends, golf with my husband, and then the two of us would go into NYC for a show and dinner…and then come back home in time to still be able to squeeze in 8 hours of sleep.
What is your most marked characteristic? My most marked characteristic is my tenacity.
What do you most value in your friends? I value most support, loyalty and dependability.
What is your greatest regret? My greatest regret is starting to work immediately after college. I wish I had explored and travelled more or opted for a more non-traditional work experience in a different part of the US.
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to other moms? Piece of advice would be to find a way to have a balance in your life when your kids are young and you are in the trenches. We can’t be “on” all the time; every day is a long day, so figure out what it is for yourself that gives you balance.
How did you end up where you are now in terms of your job, or whatever passion project it is you might be doing? I manage the William Raveis Charitable fund and am the organizer behind the annual family and community fundraising event we hold, which is the Raveis Ride + Walk. This year’s Ride + Walk is on Sunday, 10/1! This is a biking and walking event where we give 100% of the donations received to Damon Runyon Cancer Research. DRC is an national organization that provides funding to the top up and coming cancer researchers so they can continue on with their groundbreaking research. The timing was right for me to take on this incredible opportunity in that my predecessor was retiring, and I was getting close to the point in my life and my childrens’ lives when I would have more time to focus on something during the day while they were all in school. I wasn’t sure what I would want to do, but this has been extremely fulfilling both because of the cause and the impact that it can make, while at the same time I am involved with the family business.
