Meet the Mom – Veronica D.

Name: Veronica DeFeo

Where did you grow up: Palm Coast, Fl

Town you live in now: Jupiter, FL

Why you love living there: I love the sense of community here in Jupiter. Everyone is so friendly and the town is full of successful small businesses and very hard working people. I wanted to raise my child in a small town, for those very reasons. I feel that there is so much I had been exposed to through the years and learned from, which has acted as my compass growing up. Great values and good morals teach the most valuable lessons. I am grateful for the experience that I had and know that wherever my next adventure takes me, I can trust my small town roots to lead me in the right direction.

Tell me about your kids: Lyla Jean, my daughter is 19 months old. She is our greatest adventure yet! She is vivacious, curious, has an exceptional appetite and some amazing dance moves.

Favorite things to do with the family locally: My husband and I love to go on day dates with Lyla Jean. We love day boat rentals at Beach Water Sports in Tequesta. There is nothing better than using a boat you don’t have to clean or maintain. Also, the beach is a go to during all seasons #lucky.

Best family restaurant: We love ZIPS, great pizza, kid friendly. The a la vodka pizza is to die for. We sit at the same table, it’s our own little spot.

Ideal family vacation spot and why: We just went to Hutchinson Island Beach Resort a few months ago for our first little family getaway. It took us an hour to get there. It is a hidden gem. They have a few condo style suites with a small kitchen and a separate living area and bathroom. Which was perfect for the baby at naptime and bedtime.

What’s your ‘day job’? I am the Regional Marketing Director for Urgo Hotels and Resorts. I work remotely and travel quite a bit marketing our destination hotels on Singer Island, Pompano Beach, Reno NV, Breckenridge, CO, Lake Placid, NY, Stamford, CT and Big Sky, MT.

In addition, I own the Etiquette Seed, a handmade gift and floral boutique on Etsy. I create DIY Fairy Gardens and Dinosaur Gardens, hand curate a line of dresses for special occasions, baptisms, communions and weddings. I hand make flower crowns and hair accessories. I have planned and designed fairy garden birthday parties, styled brides with accessories, and their flower girls and bridesmaids, hosted wreath making parties and have planned several styled shoots for various family photographers. Marketing is my passion, whether it is for a destination resort or my small business, I love to make everything look inviting and beautiful. I love to plan parties and entertain. My next endeavor is a blog. I’ve called it “An Entertaining Life” it is about detours, short cuts and lessons I’ve learned. It will touch on all facets of my life, personally, professionally, as a mother, entertaining, decorating, cooking and DIY.

What is something that makes your life easier/better/more fun? I use SHIPT grocery delivery and it saves my time in a big way. I would much rather have quality time with my husband and baby. Also, I always over shop when I go because I get super hungry at the grocery store.

How do you balance your ‘day job’ and motherhood? I am currently under construction! I feel there is balance and then there is survival. Admittedly, I rarely wear anything but yoga pants, which never see yoga. I have conference calls while doing laundry and making dinner, which I will serve a few times throughout the week. At daycare drop off my child will always look more stylish than me, she will also have had a shower before I do. I am not perfect, but she is happy and healthy. As long as I can attest to a happy home and relationship I am doing just fine with my balancing act 19 months in. Also, any tips your readers have are welcome! The hardest part is the work travel but I am lucky to work for a company that allows me to prioritize accordingly.

Who inspires you and why? Other real women inspire me every day, those that tell their stories no matter how heartbreaking or how successful for that matter. Celebrate one another’s success, be kind and courageous because you can inspire someone else and your kids are watching. I love nothing more than scrolling through my social media feed and congratulating someone on something major that occurred in their life. I’ve felt that karma come back around tenfold.

What do you do for self care? I schedule time for myself! Phone dates with my best friends and my Mom. I see Jennifer Castro at Youthful Balance Medical Center, she helps me take the very best care of myself. I love her advice and services on skincare, she has helped me tremendously!

What did you wish you knew but no one told you about being a parent? Oh, those first precious three months… THEY ARE SO INCREDIBLY HARD. I relied on my husband and together with our support team of parents and friends we did it, out to the other side! But what a journey that was!

Anything else you want to share? My husband is constantly taking projects on right alongside me, he has physically made my dreams into reality several times over again. Being your spouse’s champion is something that I wouldn’t trade for any other title. This guy literally makes fairy garden boxes with me, made our daughters wagon into a Cinderella carriage for Halloween and does countless DIY projects. He is always pushing me to be the best I can.