How old are your kids and how long have you lived in Westport? My kids are 9, 7 and 5 and we moved to Westport almost 7 years ago. (Yikes! You would think I could get to Norwalk without using a GPS by now)!
What has been the most difficult age with your children to date? What helped you overcome the challenges at that time? It’s been a steady level of insanity since #3 came on the scene. The other 2 were toddlers then, and by the time they stopped being awful (you know…super cute and rewarding, but awful), the third one started to be. What helped was laughing a lot. Crying sometimes. Oh, who am I kidding – wine was the only thing that helped.
What is your favorite family activity to do in Westport or the surrounding towns? Lately, it’s been family bike rides at Sherwood Island. It took us a long time to discover it and now it’s one of my favorite places anywhere. It reminds me of the coast of Maine, it’s always peaceful, and it’s right here!
What was your most memorable family vacation and why? We took a pretty great trip to Hawaii 2 years ago. I’m not sure what was more memorable though…the amazing vacation we had or the anxiety I felt planning for a 13-hour flight with my kids.
What is your proudest mommy moment? That time I got all 3 kids to turn off their iPads.
What’s your can’t live without beauty product? The peppermint hair spray from Hair Genies. Does that count?
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you wanted – what would you do? Lay in the sun, read a book, and eat donuts.
What do you most value in your friends? The ability to authentically connect with others. People who can make me laugh until I cry. Someone who has strong beliefs but holds them without judgment of others. Also, anyone with a pool.
What is one piece of advice you would pass along to other moms? Embrace your superpowers and use them to do what’s meaningful to you. I know so many moms who are struggling with their post-motherhood identity and questioning their ability to use their skills outside of that role. Many of them have multiple degrees, came from high-powered jobs, and have just lost confidence in their value outside the home. Everyone has a superpower and a purpose. You just have to look for it.
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 was laid off from my job when I was 9 months pregnant with my first child in the middle of the financial crisis. I went from having a pretty predictable career path to suddenly having no idea what I was doing next. I took it as an opportunity to do something more meaningful and my husband and I decided to create a non-profit called Experience Camps to give underserved kids who had lost a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver an opportunity to go to summer camp. We had no idea where it would go, but we took one step at a time and it has evolved into something beyond what I could ever have imagined.
For more info on Experience Camps, or if you are interested in being part of it’s first inuagural Westport fundraising event (a color war of sorts!) on May 20th at Camp Mahackeno at the Westport YMCA, you can email Sara anytime at [email protected] or find more information here.
