Occupation: I am the publisher and editor of the online family newsletter, Macaroni Kids, and a stay-at-home mom. I used to be director of communications for the largest shopping center developer in the Northeast, the Lord & Taylor owners, but I took a break awhile back.

Family: My husband Will and I have been married for 15 years. We have three children. Capri is 12, Cooper is 8, and Carsen is 3 years old.

Pets: We have a German shepherd named Edy. Tuesday is our cat. She was born in a barn, on a Tuesday, and actually was almost buried. They thought she was dead when she was born and set her aside. She’s 17 years old now. We have a hamster, too.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here from Brookfield eight years ago.

What do you like to do in your free time? A lot of my free time now is taken up with Macaroni Kids, but I like to knit. I’m coming up with a design for neck warmers for adults, and I like to do caps and scarves for kids. I like to read. It’s relaxing and sets a good example for the kids, I think. I love listening to music, especially Amy Mann, Eric Clapton, and Counting Crows — I like the lead singer in particular. We started a cutting garden for flowers and a small vegetable garden a few summers ago. The front of our meadow is lined with peonies that bloom in spring. I love having fresh-cut flowers.

Do you have a favorite book? My daughter suggested I read the young adult series, The Hunger Games, and they were very good. I want to pick up the Steve Jobs biography to read next.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Before kids, we went to Italy, and we want to go back now, with the children. As a family, we have gone to the Caribbean, often on cruises. There’s always something going on. You don’t have to worry about anything. They have great day excursions. We love the warmth and the beaches of the Caribbean. It’s great to getaway when it is so cold here.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I like the community and the charm it has. I love Main Street. I feel like I’m truly in New England here. There’s a nice feel to our town. Running into town to do errands, it’s nice to go to smaller stores, and not find the big box or chain stores here.

If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you pick? When I was a kid, my best friend’s parents were artists, and very influential. Gil did these abstract portraits, and Carol painted still lifes. They were beautiful people, inside and out. They had a positive attitude. They nurtured the creativity in other people. It was such a rustic and nonjudgmental environment. It was so much fun being with them, and they knew a lot of interesting people. They are both dead now, but I would love to be able to spend another day with them in their home. Part of who I am, is from them.

Do you have a personal philosophy? I tell my children this all the time: Being kind and thinking nice thoughts will make you beautiful on the inside and the outside.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? I love to shop, for anything: clothes, things for the house, for the kids. Because of the economy, I’ve learned to shop smart, though. Shopping is a treat for me, just touching things, and seeing how things are laid out in the stores.