How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
I have a three year old son!
How long have you lived in Jersey City? What made you decide to live here?
Jason has lived in Jersey City for 12 years & I’ve lived in here for 4. I fell in love with Jersey City while we were dating; some parts reminded me so much of where I grew up in Brooklyn. When we found out we were expecting, I packed up my ish and hopped across two rivers & here we are!
What’s your favorite family activity Jersey City?
We love Liberty Science Center, so excited for them to reopen again soon! We also just that we can walk/scoot around. We have the best eats and parks around!
Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop in your town?
Ok so we’re a pretty big food family (Jason is the Chef de Cuisine of The Dutch in SoHo)
A few of our favorite JC spots are New Thanh Hoai, Grand Sichuan, Downtown Taqueria, Tacoria, The Little Sandwich Shop, Bread & Salt, Mordi’s, Pinwheel Garden, Honshu Sushi, JC Sakura, Karma Kafe (Hoboken), Mamouns (Hoboken) Bucket & Bay, Torico, & Milk Sugar Love.
We also can’t live without the farmer’s markets around town!
For shopping, Kan ibal, Hazel Baby & Kids and Deen Boutique (online only) are my go-to.
To relax, Om Life for floating and massage, Sw3at Sauna to sweaaaaaat and SuiteTeeBeauty studio for brows!!
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m a Native New Yorker, I’ve never been to Vegas, I don’t have any tattoos and I once raised a squirrel successfully.
What are you doing to stay sane during Covid for yourself?
Working! Jason was furloughed (The Dutch reopened on August 19) but in the thick of everything I just put my head down and stayed proactive.
I take a lot of epsom salt baths, stretch, kayak and try to be outdoors/in nature as much as possible. I also drink wine and binge watch tv!
Any tips or recommendations for parents to entertain/educate their children during this time?
Do whatever ya gotta do! And have fun. Let your kids help you and try new things around the house. Our job as parents isn’t to ABC, 123 our kids to death—it’s to equip them for life. So cook together, ask them to help you with dishes and laundry, teach your kids to feel confident and proud to help and learn to take care of themselves. We talk a lot and play games and do puzzles. Not everything has to be so academic! When they’re young, everything is a learning experience.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
Thank you Jason my love for keeping our souls and bellies fed.
I have a very special place in my heart for the women in our community too. We all grow together and motherhood is nuts. Thank you to every woman who has ever shared their energy with me—we are the village and it’s the best one to be part of.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
Yes!! I an an independent consultant for an incredible B Corporation called Beautycounter! We are a clean beauty company that prioritizes human health and the health of our planet. Leading with education, we advocate for stricter beauty laws and use commerce as a vessel for change. Most people are surprised to know that a major federal regulation hasn’t been passed since 1938!
Our mission hooked me but our high performing products sealed the deal—we are actually in Sephora stores in the US and Canada until October, so we are very excited for what’s to come for us in this movement.
Everyone should be able to buy products that carry zero risk of impacting their health negatively later in life. I was so attr
acted to feeling peace of mind about the
products we use at home—everyone should have the same. Our aim is to change beauty forever!
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I was a Jersey City Mamas Moderator for a little over two years, and it is within our community and on that platform that I discovered my voice in this chapter of my life and rediscovered who I am, what I want, what is important to me and what I am made of.
If there’s one thing you want new moms to know, what would it be?
Trust yourself! Your instinct is correct and our system is designed to make you doubt yourself. There is a lot of information out there, and that’s fantastic, but don’t let resources rule your journey. It’s your story & your family.
Cheers to better beauty!