Meet Jen! | Stamford Moms

How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have a daughter named Zoey who is 3-years-old.

What do you love about living in Stamford?
I was born and raised in Stamford. We were raised in North Stamford, so I spent most of my childhood exploring the woods, swimming and fishing at “the falls” and playing in our backyard, which was basically Mianus River Park!

As I got older, I became more familiar with Downtown Stamford. I spent many years working at the bars and restaurants. I know every inch if the city and it has been so wonderful to show the places I love to my daughter. I recently even took her to Mianus Park and found a hideout my brother and I built 25 years ago!

The City of Stamford has gone through so many changes in my 39 years. But it has been such a blessing to show it to my daughter and watch her create memories here too!

What is your favorite restaurant or place to shop?
One of my favorite restaurants is Table 104. It is one of the few restaurants close to my home and I actually worked there back when it was Fio’s! My family and I have many good memories there. The food at Table 104 is amazing too and I’m a sucker for good Italian food.

I don’t get to shop for myself too much anymore. But I love to take my daughter and walk through Ridgeway. When I do shop for myself it’s often plant-related because I collect and sell rare/common houseplants in my spare time. So I enjoy walking around Designs by Lee. They are wonderful!

You recently started teaching at My Gym in Stamford! What do you love about it?
My daughter and I have always enjoyed doing activities together. I found My Gym when my daughter was 6 months old and it bas become a constant in our lives for the past 3 years. I love the location and the fact that the skills change week to week, which keeps the program interesting and fresh! There are classes for different age groups, so as my daughter grows she tries new classes and explores new things. Each skill and activity is meant to work on motor development, problem solving, muscle strength and social development (plus so much more!)

Why did you decide to being teaching at My Gym Stamford?
Since my daughter began preschool 2 days a week, I decided I wanted to get back to work. My previous job was in the medical field, but I needed to do something less demanding. I know that I still wanted to do something that made me excited to go to work every day and I knew I could find that with My Gym! My daughter is also able to come to work with me sometimes and she puts on her little “My Gym work shirt” and is even more excited the before!

What are your favorite activities at My Gym?
I really like Circle Time, when we all sit together and introduce ourselves, do a warm-up, sing and dance! I love watching the ids start to memorize the movements and songs. It’s a great thing for them to learn for when they enter pre-school.

My daughter is a ball of energy, so she enjoys the skill stations where she can learn how to do flips, rolls and work out all that energy!

How do you juggle work and mommyhood?
To be completely honest, I was terrified to go back to work. I spent three years home with my daughter, enjoying every moment of motherhood. The fact that she started school and I went back to wok in such a close timeframe was a huge change for us! But like most things it went a lot better than I pictured. I am lucky enough to have a job that is willing to work around my busy schedule. So it has really worked out perfectly.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received from another mom?
Honestly it might sound cliche, by everyone told me when I was pregnant, “enjoy every moment, it goes by so fast.” I didn’t quite believe it, but when I saw how wrong I was I made it a huge point to truly enjoy every moment. I have scrapbooks full of activities and milestones.

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