Posted by Jennifer on 6/28/2011
By Jennifer
Simply Snazzy Lead Designer/Collection Beader
1. How many children do you have? What are their names and ages? A little about each of them?
3 girls...which is funny it itself as I have 3 younger brothers and my husband, Joe, is the baby of a fam of 1 girl and 4 boys. -Mackenzie will be 7 yrs old in a few days, & is a true first born - very motherly (which sometimes is borderline bossy LOL), loves to dance and do anything creative. -Anna is 4 1/2 - lately all she wants to do is 'whatever Mackenzie wants to do' which I find very sweet and sad at the same time! She just loves to have someone to play with and loves her big sis. She also enjoys to dance - both girls take ballet. -Lyla just turned 1 :( People ask us if we are 'done' or will have more children, and we've always said 'we'll see how baby #3 is before deciding that....' Well, she is VERY easy going, happy, go w/the flow. Unlike the other two girls, she is a thumbsucker! She found it at 4 months old and while yes, I did try to stop it initially unsuccessfully, I admit it is very cute. Sometimes I think she could fend for herself as she seems to only need that thumb to soothe herself.
2. What is one of motherhood's biggest challenges for you?
I definitely struggle with being confident that my parenting decisions are the 'right' ones to raise happy, confident, successful, honorable, selfless (the list goes on...) girls :) This is by far my most important role so I'm constantly reading articles and parenting books - while it's great there is so much information out there nowadays, sometimes it's information overload! 'Balance' is right up there too. Us moms wear many hats, so if I'm doing great in one area, that means something else or someone else is being neglected. Which I guess leads to the ever popular 'mommy guilt' LOL - it's a sick cycle!!
3. What is something you have overcome that has contributed to who you are today?
This is a tough one...I hear about and know so many people in my life who've had major setbacks, obstacles, etc they've overcome...much more major than anything I can think of for myself. So for that I feel very blessed. I've heard that if you build a house and are still married afterwards, you are lucky LOL. So I guess this is something we overcame, especially since my husband was the builder. It was a 15 month labor of love, done on the weekends and almost every weeknight w/tremendous help from our family. We were able to build our dream house - a house that can grow with us as our family grows so while it was a long process, we knew the end result would be so worth it. We moved 3 times in this time period (not the plan but things happen!) and while it was our 'norm' then...looking back, I'm amazed we did it with no real hiccups in our marriage or family dynamic. So I guess this made me realize I am stronger & can handle much more than I thought I could. If someone had told me what this time period would entail beforehand, I'd have been stressing majorly!
4. After overcoming something, you need a vacation. Right now, where would you go?
Anywhere tropical with a lounge chair, a non-parenting book, someone to bring me umbrella drinks and clean up after me would be ideal :)
5. What Mommy Necklace would you wear the most on your vacation (aka your favorite collection at this moment!).
Bermuda! These are my fav colors. I wear these colors, our house is all in these beachy house...love love colors that make me feel like I'm on vacation - refer to question #4...do you see a pattern here? :)
6. Sorry to tempt you with hopes of a vacation... but if you do find alone time, how do you spend it? What do you enjoy doing for that 'you' time?
While I do get out once in awhile to run errands kidless, strole the aisles of Target w/out being asked to go down the toy aisles...I very rarely am at HOME alone. So when I do get that chance, some find it sad...but I love it...I organize...something, somewhere in our house! We moved in a year and a half ago and the basement is still full of boxes!
7. What is one thing on your bucketlist?
Taking a summer, a few months, an extended period of time...and traveling cross country - east and west. I'm from the Chicago suburbs so we get there often to see family, along with trips to Florida...but haven't ventured much from those destinations! We live in a beautiful country - I want to see it :)
8. What is one of your favorite indulgences?
It used to be, like Kim, Starbucks! Then it became more of a daily 'need' than an indulgence! And and expensive one at that! We recently got a Keurig coffeemaker, and my husband somehow managed to come up with a concoction that I find better than my Starbucks habit. Hello my name is Jennifer & I have been "Starbucks-free" for about 2 months now :) My other indulgence now is a few nice pieces of clothing for myself. I've always loved fashion, but am more an Old Navy on-sale-only type shopper...with my clothing purchases being a quick pick from what's on sale during the last 5 minutes of our shopping excursion for what the clothing budget is primarily spent on these days - the girls! I was introduced to a line of clothing that is great quality, super cute AND comfy...so this is my new addiction :)
9. Who is one of your heros? Why?
My best friend & cousin, Melissa - we are just a few months apart in age. Melissa was born with macular degeneration, a visual impairment that classifies her as legally blind. Yet she went all through public school with me, plays the piano beautifully, has a college and masters degree in Clinical Psychology...and now is married with 2 children. With the exeption of driving (which we joke would be really funny for her to try sometime!), she can do anything one with great visual can do...it just takes longer & she works really hard at it. She relys a ton on her hearing and memory. Melissa is such an inspiring example of perserverance, has incredible faith and is the most humble, loving person you'd ever meet.
10. Why do you enjoy beading and working for Mommy Necklaces?
What started as something to help a very, very busy friend and allow me a few hours per week to do something besides be a 'stay at home mom'...has brought me much more than that. I love the variety of women I've met along the way. I love reading the FB fan wall, which fuels the sometimes late nights of beading. And makes me feel, as a mother, more 'normal' to hear some of the things you ladies post about motherhood or life in general. It's awesome to be apart of something from start to finish, know that it will help another mother out there - with feeding issues, distractability...or just making her feel a bit more glamorous for our sometimes viewed as not-so-glamourous job.
Love your answer to that last question! Kudos to surviving your house build, I'm a bit scared of ours, whenever it happens. :O
These Q&A's have been awesome!!! It's been a treat getting to know the other ladies behind the MN amazingness :)
Like August said, this Q&A series is wonderful! It is such a treat to find out a little more about the very talented women who make up this wonderful company/family. As I've read each Q&A, I've noticed a pattern. You all seem to be ladies of great faith in the Lord. You truly have servants hearts, and blessed me with a special gift in a hard family time. I keep that special necklace along with the note where I can see it daily. It is the little things in life that can make a giant impact. I pray
Thanks for sharing! It's lovely to get to "know" you ladies here.
Fellow pretty-wearable-things-addict here: what is that line of clothing you mentioned discovering? :-D
Jen, I love this photo of you. So adorable!
