1.How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Rachel- I have a 7 year old son Chase and a 3 year old daughter Sienna
Sami- I have a 7 year old son Gavin and a 3 year old daughter Morgan
- How long have you lived in Short Hills/Millburn/Livingston and what made you decide to live here?
We both grew up here! Born and raised! We are actually 4 years apart in age and although we knew each other growing up, the 4 year age difference kept us from running in the same circles. We didn’t become friends until after we both moved back to town! After college we both lived in NYC and Sami spent several years in Hoboken. We always knew we wanted to come back to Livingston because we had such great experiences growing up here and knew it’s the perfect place to raise our families.
3.Tell us about your business and what other local things you are involved in! And how did you get started?
We started making jewelry for fun since we were spending so many hours of the day together between activities with the kids. Our friends were always asking about our bracelet stacks which all of a sudden were exploding in popularity. We decided to start making beaded and string bracelets and posting on Instagram and got a huge response!
We then created RASAforyou making custom handcrafted bracelets with orders coming from all over. We’re on Facebook and Instagram!
We are both involved in the PTA at Mount Pleasant Elementary and Burnett Hill.
4.Favorite thing to do when you need “me time”?
Workout! Lifetime for Sami and Fit36 for Rachel! We also like to take an SLT class together once a week
5.Favorite place for dinner with kids?
Chit Chat Diner, it’s super kid friendly with a huge menu.
6.Most enjoyable place to hang out?
Rachel’s backyard hanging out by the pool all summer!
7.How do you balance your career and being a mom?
We’d love to say that we have found the secret, but we’d be lying! It’s not easy but like all moms we’re just doing the best we can to juggle everything on our plates!
8.Proudest mommy moment(s)?
Watching our kids grow up and turn into sweet loving hilarious and sometimes crazy little people
9.Can’t believe that happened mommy moment!
In the first week of RASA, Sienna, Rachel’s daughter found a loose bead on the ground and got it stuck up her nose!
10.Best advice you have gotten from a mom?
Everything is a phase and that this too shall pass.
11.Best piece of advice you can give other moms!
Enjoy every day because the days go slow, but the years truly do go fast.
12.One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
Rachel – Before deciding to take a break from the corporate life and stay at home to raise my kids, I was a shoe buyer at Bloomingdale’s for 10 years!
Sami – I used to work in the fashion industry helping to run production for companies like House of Dereon, which was Beyonce’s clothing line.