How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? Piper is 3 years old and Teagan recently turned 1! I grew up in Wilton and we decided to move out here and raise our family in Fairfield County 9 years ago.
What has been the most difficult age with your children to date? What helped you overcome the challenges at that time? Probably my 3 year old at the moment; she is definitely adjusting to having a sister. She loves the baby and is so sweet with her, but she has her moments of clearly being frustrated at me. I wish I could give her all of my attention (can we duplicate ourselves?) but I can’t. I am dealing with it by making time for both girls alone and then also together time. She is definitely getting used to the idea that she needs to “share” me.
What is your favorite family activity to do in Westport or the surrounding towns? We love to walk / run / and play down at Compo beach. We even go in the winter. Its just a great place to get outside and be active as a family.
What was your most memorable family vacation and why? This is a tough call because we have really done some great trips. However, I would have to say taking our daughter Piper to Ireland last year was great. It was really fun to travel with her and watch her experience a new culture. I was also 8 weeks pregnant and EXTREMELY sick, so driving around Ireland in a rental car with morning sickness and a two year will always make something memorable! Ha.
What is the best white lie you have told your kids? That the food is too spicy for her. I had Piper convinced for a good two years that all sweets where too spicy for her and she wouldn’t like them. It was great, I could eat cookies and candy in the house and she had no interest. Enter preschool and that myth was busted quickly.
What is your proudest mommy moment? Watching my daughter Piper hug and kiss her new sister. I was so proud of her for embracing Teagan, and bursting with pride that I am lucky enough to have two beautiful, healthy little girls.
What’s your favorite app right now- for you- and for your kids? I honestly can’t say I use any apps. Yikes, I feel very un “hip”.
What’s your can’t live without beauty product? I am not much of a beauty products girl, just the basics, but I do love Beauty Counter’s overnight cream; it’s super hydrating.
What’s your favorite restaurant in town for a family dinner? A night out with friends? We go to Little Pub Wilton a lot for family dinners because it’s super easy. We also like having an early dinner at Fleishmans’ craft butchery after Compo. We love the Whelk for a night out with friends.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you? I had no retail experience before opening She la la. Everyone asks me if I went to school for it, or was a buyer before. I was not, I just simply had an idea, one that I truly believed in and a supportive husband who encouraged me to take the leap, and almost 6 years later, I couldn’t imagine a life without retail.
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you wanted – what would you do? I would spend a lazy summer day at home with my husband and girls. I love being with them, and on the rare occasion I feel that I don’t have work or cores to be doing, there is NOTHING better then just relaxing and swimming with them.
What is your most marked characteristic? I would like to think honest. I am definitely a wear your heart on your sleeve type person, for better or worse=)
What do you most value in your friends? Honesty.
What is your greatest regret? I do not believe in regrets, cliché perhaps, but I really don’t. I believe in making decisions and accepting them, for good or for bad. That is how we move forward and learn.
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to other moms? Just be you. I think we live in a society that is constantly trying to label everyone. I think the greatest gift we can give our kids is to teach them to be confident about who they are, not that they must fit into a certain mold. We can all wear many hats, and dance in many shoes. We don’t need to be defined by one part of ourselves. Our kids will be well rounded if they see us embrace our full selves.
