Occupation: I call myself a stay-at-home mom, first of all. On the side, I am a professional blogger for MaryJanesFarm, at http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org. I’m the Suburban Farmgirl. I write about gardening, cooking, and being a mom. Sometime I even write about Newtown, because that’s where I’m from. Once a month I write for the online newsletter put out by MaryJanesFarm, “The Sisterhood.” I write about natural beauty products. Lastly, I’m the knitting teacher for Parks and Recreation and Continuing Education.

Family: My husband, Kim, and I have been married since 1992, and my wonderful daughter Audrey is 12 years old.

Pets: All of our pets are rescues. We have two dogs. Bonnie is our “Germanshusky,” a German shepherd and husky mix, and we just adopted a Chihuahua named Pip. They are buddies. Bonnie is 75 pounds and Pip is 5 pounds. Then, we have a 20-year-old cat name Badger and another cat, Mittens. My daughter had a Holland Lop-Ear bunny named Patches, a betta fish, and another fish that is a fourth grade rescue — and she’s in seventh grade now. We have two hermit crabs, and four chickens.

How long have you lived here? We have lived in Sandy Hook for 20 years.

What do you like to do in your free time? I garden. I have a huge veggie garden, an herb garden, and a cutting garden for flowers. I knit, I sew, and I like to make jam. That’s kind of my calling card. I spend a lot of time with my daughter. I’m a Girl Scout leader for Cadette Troop 50055. I do a lot of crafts, and I like to repurpose things. In the summer, I like to go to flea markets.

 Do you have a favorite flea market in the area? Elephant’s Trunk, hands down, in New Milford. I like being outside there, and finding things to repurpose or vintage items. It’s good for finding vintage things.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Skagen, Denmark, in the northern part of Denmark. It’s where the two seas meet. You can stand there and have waves coming at you from two different directions. That’s where my husband grew up, and my in-laws still live there. We try to go at least every couple of years.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The community and friends. Sometimes, I think we’re spoiled by this small town. I love that you can go into a store and people call you by name. I love the Edmond Town Hall Theatre and walking at Fairfield Hills.

Who has been the greatest influence on your life? My daughter. She grows so fast. She’s taught me to slow down and savor every minute. And Mary Jane Butters, who started MaryJanesFarm. She believed in me, to write the blog. I met her in New York City when she was here from Idaho visiting. Mary Jane inspires me to live a more creative and healthy life.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Bloom where you’re planted.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Ice cream. I love the chocolate peanut butter from the Creamery at Ferris Farm. And Facebook. I’m bad about that.