Occupation: I am a business owner, registered nurse, and graduate student at Southern Connecticut State University pursuing my master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, I was unable to return to work full-time post maternity leave and decided to start my own small business. This is when CB Flora was born! I continue to grow my business on a daily basis and love working with folks to provide them with the perfect plants for their home.

Family: I have been married for five years to Ken, the most supportive and kind man I have ever met. We have two beautiful little girls, Charlie and Blake, and they are the inspiration behind everything I do.

Pets: We have a dog name Luna, an axolotl named BooBoo, and six lovely little chickens. Luna is a fun-loving dog who loves to play with her friends every week at doggy daycare. She also has taken a liking to our backyard chicks and is their new protector.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I have lived in Newtown since 2014, and my husband and I purchased our home in 2015. We knew right away this was the place we wanted to raise our family.

What do you like to do in your free time? What’s free time!? I kid! When I do get any free time during the day, I love to garden outside and play with my daughters either on the swing set or out on a long walk. My husband and I love to sample craft beers at our local breweries in town.

What is your favorite travel destination? When we were expecting our first child, we took a vacation to Bermuda and it remains my favorite travel destination. It was calm, quiet, and the people who live there are so kind. We loved being able to get from one side of the island to the other in a short amount of time and the beaches are incredible. We are looking forward to going back sometime, hopefully soon.

What is the best part about Newtown? Besides the nice people… the restaurants are wonderful! We never feel the need to stray to another town for lunch or dinner, because we have so many options right here close to home. Our favorite date night spots are Barnwood Grill and Market Place, and our favorite family go-to is My Place.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? I would spend the day with my husband. He is my best friend and we have so much fun together. Having days to ourselves is rare right now so I cherish when we can.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? It may sound silly but have you ever heard the song by Kenny Chesney, “Don’t Blink”? That has got to be the best piece of advice I have ever heard. Life can be gone in an instant and we have a tendency to assume we always have tomorrow to get things done or see the people we love. Our children grow so fast and life moves along without skipping a beat. “Don’t Blink” reminds me: do my best to soak in every stage of life, no matter how trying it feels in the moment, because someday I will likely miss it.

What is something you cannot live without? I cannot live without sunshine. I know technically none of us can, but nothing compares to a beautiful sunny day. It brings me so much joy and it also brings flowers and plants, which I also don’t think I could live without.

What is your proudest accomplishment? This continues to evolve. If you asked me several years ago, I would have told you graduating nursing school was my proudest achievement. Then it would have been the birth of my two children. After that, it would be the creation of my small business. And for the future I’m sure it will be the completion of my master’s degree in nursing. While it sounds as if I am simply indecisive, I feel our accomplishments change over time. Things that were once important are no longer and things that you wouldn’t think would make you the proudest person on earth suddenly change your world for the better.