This Week’s Super Mama
Monday 29th November 2010
This Week’s Super Mama is Jenna, a.k.a. Lola’s Mom
Children: Lola Grace Hardcastle 5 years old
City: London (by way of California!)
Your favourite part about being a mum? Having someone to love unconditionally…..and hearing Lola laughing!
What’s Lola up to lately? A lot of back talk!!! Lol! More seriously, getting settled into big girl school and finding her way in new environments.
What’s one thing you can’t live without as a mum? WINE!!!!
What advice would you give to new mums? Surround yourself with (other) great females. Whether they have children or not, are your BF or just someone to have easy chats + giggles with… great female friends are invaluable.
Favourite kid-friendly restaurant in London? Gotta be Frantoio on the New Kings Road. Great food, great people(our friend owns it)...always a treat!
What’s your mama indulgence? Free time….and a once a year trip, on my own, to PARIS!!!!!
What’s the most challenging part about being a mum? Remembering that it’s ok not to like your child (children) every day…You fall in love with them immediately but liking them, especially on the supremely challenging days, takes a lot of extra strength that I sometimes just don’t have. So instead of feeling guilty about it, i own it and realize I don’t expect everyone to like me every day either!
What’s it like being an expat mum in London? I’ve been here for 10 years now and truly love this city. I’m lucky because I have awesome friends and a very generous husband! Sometimes, especially during Jan/Feb, I can get quite homesick but I make sure to try to go back to California during the winter months and that helps ....a lot!!! My advice to anyone moving anywhere in the world would be to embrace the new place 100%. If you’re constantly comparing it to “home” you’ll never open your heart or your mind to all the wonderful (and new!!) opportunities in front of you.
I know you enjoy being a volunteer. Tell us little about that: I am a volunteer at the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation in Fulham. This is a home to ex-service men + women, partners of ex-service men + women + people w/disabilities. I do their nails every Friday and we chat about all sorts of things! It’s not about the nails, it more about spending time with people who cannot get out easily anymore or who don’t have family in the immediate area to visit with them. I’m also happy to take them on outings to Westfield, to dinner and help w/shopping, chores, etc on the days that I’m not at the foundation .
My Grandmother raised me and is the reason I love to give my time to people. I had the pleasure of watching her do it for 33 years…She and Lola (who is her namesake!) are my greatest treasures.
