How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
We are moms of boys! Shez has 2 boys – 10 and 5. Gloria has 4 boys – 12, soon to be 13 😬😭, 11, 4, & the littlest of the crew – 10 months.
How long have you lived in Your Town/Hudson County? What made you decide to live here?
Shez and I are both based out Elizabeth, NJ, but we run our studio out of Jersey City where mainly host most of our markets and events.
What is your favorite activity in Hudson County?
We love to visit all of Jersey City’s local parks, like, Hamilton Park on 9th St. and Newport Green Park on 14th St. We love to take the kiddos out to eat at some of our favorite local restaurants and finish off with a trip to our favorite ice cream shop like Milk and Sugar and Torico Ice Cream! 😋
Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop in your town?
Our favorite restaurant to visit with the kiddos is Porta Pizza and love to brunch at Beachwood Cafe in Jersey City. As a date night with the hubs we love to visit The Lighthorse Tavern.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
Shez and I have been friends for 15+ years! 😅Opening the baby shop was always something we wanted to do until we decided to go for it and it literally happened overnight! Another fun fact: our super power is summer day drinking by the pool as our kids play! 🤪😅
What are you doing to stay sane during Covid for yourself?
At the moment the kids are back in school so once we drop them off we take an hour to ourselves to walk around the neighborhood or at a local park to get our day started. It really helps clear the mind and gets us ready to tackle the day.
Any tips or recommendations for parents to entertain/educate their children during this time?
We always try to include some sort of family time in the week where we do a lot of DIY educational projects with our kiddos. There are tons of simple and easy activities that can be found on Pinterest. We also try to get out and explore the outdoors. We love to take them on walks and to local farms. The small day trips provide an excellent opportunity for learning. We strongly believe not all classrooms have four walls!
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
Our husbands are our number one supporters! They are very devoted to their children and of course grandma and grandpa from both our ends! We couldn’t live without our parents’ help!
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
Shez is the owner of Deen Boutique which opened up in 2008 in downtown Jersey City. She has been in business for 13 yrs now. The boutique is mainly online but you can also find her in the local markets and fairs in Jersey City throughout the year.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
(Shez) As the business owner of Deen Boutique in which I opened in ‘08 at my first location in Powerhouse Art District, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many creatives within the neighborhood and have grown my clientele and gained so many friendships at the same time.
All of this has given me the courage to open up another business venture – Simply Baby Shop – with my long time friend, Gloria.