Where are you from and how long have you lived in town? What brought you to the area?
I grew up in Leesburg, Indiana and moved to Libertyville in 2012. My husband grew up just north of here and was familiar with Libertyville. We lived in the Gurnee area prior to here and spent a lot of time in Libertyville. We loved the downtown main street area and the schools.
Do you have child(ren)? Age(s)
I have 2 boys – Dane is 12 and is a 7th grader at Highland Middle School. Kale is 10 and is a 5th grader at Adler Park School.
What are your favorite things to do in the area with and without your kids? Family friendly restaurant? Date night?
We love to hit up Mickey Finn’s and Milwalky Taco with or without our kids. We also love Shakou and the Tavern Lounge for dinners without the kids. There are so many great options here in town. My kids love Bubble Tea Lab and Rocky Mountain Chocolate & Dairy Dream for ice cream.
In addition to the restaurants you mentioned, can you share your TOP 5 favorite local businesses? It could be stores that you frequent for clothes, kids, home decor, healthcare, fitness, wellness, beauty salons or spas, or family resources (photographer, financial advisor, lawyer)… We love supporting local.
I don’t think I can keep it to just 5! I love shopping at the Bootery and Edie Boutique. Libbyville & How Impressive have great gift options. Maison Chic has great Libertyville Christmas décor. I love Salt of the Earth salt cave & spa. Steve Kopala with Northwestern Mutual is our financial planner, a great Libertyville guy to work with. Heather’s Gym is amazing, great instructors and classes.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor or in the corporate world?
I have a background in event planning, starting way back in 2000 with Hyatt Hotels. I worked for several different companies planning events through the years and left a software firm in 2019 to establish my own company. I started my company, M3 Events, in September 2019 which ended up being pretty poor timing on my part since all events came to a hard stop in March 2020. Right now, I am working on building that company.
M3 Events
Libertyville
773-383-3198
[email protected]
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
The event jobs I have gotten since starting M3 Events have all been local people that I had some type of connection with. Another elementary mom, a friend of a friend, someone who knows me through something my kids are involved in…without this community and the amazing friends we have here, I don’t think many people would have given me the chance to do what I love. It’s a great feeling to know that I have people here I can count on for anything…helping with my kids, carpooling, marketing my business, keeping me sane when things are crazy, whatever it is I’m lucky to have people to call.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
That I grew up on a farm in Indiana and even showed animals at the county fair.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another Mom?
As simple as it sounds, it was just to be there. Be there to catch them when they fall, be there as a soft place to land when the world seems harsh, be there as a sounding board when they are confused, be there as a confidant when they are trying to find their way, be there when their first love breaks their heart.
Are you involved in any volunteering or philanthropy? Do you have a favorite local non-profit or charity?
I recently joined the board of the Super Jake Foundation. SJF is a pediatric cancer foundation that was started in 2005 to honor Jake Widman who lost a 15 month battle with neuroblastoma at the age of 4 years old. His parents are long time Libertyville residents. The mission of SJF is to fund research to find a cure for neuroblastoma and also to provide financial assistance to families that have a child battling neuroblastoma.
What are your favorite places to travel near and far and why?
We really love to travel anywhere. Our favorites are beach vacations – Aruba & Kauai. I just recently started pushing my husband to visit some of the national parks and we really loved Grand Teton and Yellowstone. I’m hoping to see more of those in the coming years.
Which podcasts and/or TED Talks inspire you the most?
The “I” in Win is a great one that I recently started listening to. I also love the Calm Parenting Podcast and Don’t Mom Alone. But I have to be honest….most of the podcasts I listen to are about unsolved crimes.
Tell me about your favorite books. I love receiving fiction and non-fiction recommendations!
I have a weird obsession with historical nonfiction & historical biographies – The Boy on the Wooden Box & Tears in the Darkness were 2 books that were incredibly heart wrenching and hard to read but very compelling. And because I just gave those 2 recommendations, I have to follow with 2 much more lighthearted reads: The Light We Lost and Malibu Rising
What is your favorite thing about the Libertyville Area Moms Network?
I love reading these “Meet a Mom” interviews. I’ve known many of the ladies featured and it’s fun to read something you might not have known about them. I also love the local events calendar and the resources section.
What is next for you?
I am looking forward to seeing my kids grow, hopefully watching them play the sports they love at Highland Middle School and LHS. I’m hoping to grow M3 Events. I’m in the process of adding rentals to my services. And then driving off into the sunset with my hubby….isn’t that the dream?
*This post was sponsored by M3 Events