Shawnee on left, Tina on right
Welcome to your Meet a Mom Interview!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in New Canaan? How old are your children?
Tina: I was born and raised in Queens, NY. I moved to New Canaan in 2000 with my husband and our son. Our first home was on Oenoke Ridge, right next door to Shawnee. I have three children, two boys 20 & 12 and an 11 year old girl.
Shawnee: I’m originally from Portland, Oregan. I’ve lived in New Canaan for 12 years and my kids are 16 & 17.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
Tina: I attended the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute for 2 years
Shawnee: I was a contestant on Master chef
Favorite things to do with your kids? Any special holiday traditions?
Tina: One of my favorite things to do with my kids is going to Nantucket. It gives us a chance to unplug and just hang out together. We love going bike riding, having bbqs and playing on the beach. Every Christmas Eve, for the past 10 years, we have hosted an open house dinner, we don’t have a lot of family close by so it’s mostly friends.
Shawnee: My favorite thing to do with my boys is visit at dinner every night. Our family holiday tradition is to go into NYC and see the tree.
What is your local go-to store for children’s clothes? Shoes? Furniture?
Tina: We do a lot of shopping locally. My go to store for the boys is Vineyard Vines and for my daughter Shoes N More always has great items for her. Funky Monkey is also a great place for birthday presents. Caravan just opened in town and they carry unique items ranging from beautiful candles to high end furniture. During the month of December a portion of their proceeds will be donated to Filling in the Blanks.
Shawnee: Given that my boys are older, their go to stores for clothes are Bonobos, Rowdy Gentleman, & Jackthreads
What are your favorite events in New Canaan?
Tina: My favorite event in town has always been the 4th of July Fireworks. I love entertaining so we have a BBQ prior and then head over to watch the fireworks. It’s a night I always look forward to with family and friends.
Shawnee: Any event which supports Filling in the Blanks
What are your favorite restaurants in New Canaan?
Tina: My favorite restaurant is Tequila Mockingbird, we usually go there for my birthday dinner. Locali, SouthEnd, Elm & Pinocchio are staples in our house too.
Shawnee: Elm and Southend
What is your favorite kid-friendly recipe?
Tina: My favorite kid-friendly recipe is Ina Garten’s Mac & Cheese. It’s always a crowd pleaser.
Shawnee: Bolognese, Michael White’s recipe is a staple in my house in the winters.
Favorite hobbies?
Tina: Is going to the gym a hobby? If so that’s my favorite hobby, I go to Oxygen where they have the best trainers and classes. I also enjoy tennis, but haven’t really had the time lately to play.
Shawnee: Cooking and Gardening
Anything else you want to add? Business venture? Involvement in local organizations, etc…
Shawnee and I started Filling in the Blanks in 2013. Our mission is to fight childhood hunger by providing needy children with meals on the weekend. Every Friday we send over 600 school-aged children home with meals that will help sustain them over the weekend. For many of these children their last good meal is Friday’s school lunch and their next good meal isn’t until Monday morning at school. When the obstacle of food insecurity is removed, children experience increased academic achievement in school and increase opportunities for success in their lives. For more information please visit http://www.fillingintheblanks.org or [email protected]
