Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I grew up in Princeton New Jersey. After college, I lived in NYC and then in 1998, I moved to Rye and have been here ever since.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Grier 25
Sam 21
Ella 13
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I recently renovated my own garage into a SMART PLAYROOM for my kids who can now use it for playdates, sleepovers, rock wall climbing, monkey bars, obstacle courses, boxing and swinging – I love the space so much that I also use it as my meditation and yoga studio. It keeps me centered, present and happy.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
My family…my dad and my sister have always been incredible role models and are always there to give me sound parenting advice.
Favorite things to do with your kids?
I love to do yoga, go hiking, play tennis and ski with my kids. I also love traveling to new places with my kids. This year, we added aerial yoga to my garage/smart playroom and we are all obsessed with aerial yoga and find it’s great for kids and adults of all ages and abilities.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I own two businesses and have loved starting new businesses. I am Founder of Smart Playrooms and Co-Founder of Smart D2 Playrooms.I am so proud to be called the innovator of EDUCATIONAL DESIGN! I started an innovative new way of designing the playroom, by using all of my educational experience (years of teaching) and my parenting experience (I have 3 kids) which helps me to first understand the development needs and interests of the kids who will be using the space. I then use this knowledge to design the space, focusing on the activities that will engage and interest the children.
Smart Playrooms (www.smartplayrooms.com) designs residential and communal play spaces. In addition to working with clients in the NY and CT areas, I also design playrooms virtually, through my E-Design offerings.
In 2020, I opened up an online playroom store (www.smartd2playrooms.com) so families anywhere could purchase some of my favorite playroom products and equipment and do the design on their own.
Before I started Smart Playrooms, I was a teacher for many years and have taught in various schools throughout the area: Greenwich Academy, Stanwich School, Buckley School, Nightingale, and Rye Presbyterian Nursery School.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I placed my first ad in a local paper called THE RYE RECORD (The owners live and work in Rye) and received 8 phone calls. I knew then I had tapped into something people wanted and needed.
In order for any business to survive it’s first year, it must count on word of mouth referrals and the families I worked with in Rye always highly recommended me to their friends. I am forever grateful to the families who called my number from the Rye Record ad. Once the amazing mom (and Dad) network in Rye got wind of what I was doing, the phone was ringing off the hook. I love my Rye clients and now have branched out into other communities as well such as Fairfield County, NYC and The Hamptons, but I could not have gotten where I am today without the help of the local community!