Ellen Allen & Her Boys

Ellen Allen is that mother who has the ability to multi-task like no other. She constantly performs a daily balancing act between baking cookies for the boys (Scott, 9 and Mac, 11), helping with homework and running a successful business. She’s a celebrity of sorts in Annapolis known for her coloful and oh-so-Annapolitan handbag company. Women who embrace a gracious and preppy lifestyle clamor to carry an original Ellen Allen Eastport Tote to round out a perfect day on the water. On top of all that, we would describe Ellen as one of the funniest people we know and anticipate she will be recieving an invitation to host Saturday Night Live sometime soon!

Q: CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST MOTHER'S DAY GIFT YOU RECEIVED FROM YOUR SONS?

A: Yes, a poem that my husband wrote to me on my first Mother’s Day from our son. It was beautiful and validating. I still read it from time to time.

Q: WHAT WAS MOTHER'S DAY LIKE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

A: We always used to make my Mom breakfast in bed. I don’t recall doing the dishes, but we always made breakfast for her! I am sure we trashed the kitchen and she cleaned it up with complaint.

Q: IF YOU COULD CHOOSE, WHAT WOULD AN IDEAL MOTHER'S DAY BE LIKE?

A: You mean with the kids or alone? Seriously, I love being with my kids more than ever at their ages of 9 and 11. They are so funny and have really insightful things to offer. I would like to spend the day with them boating, fishing or kayaking—then, I would take a day the following week to myself! I try and reflect on the job I am really doing as a mother and if there is anything I would like to edit. This always helps me with perspective.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF MOTHER/SON ACTIVITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AS THE BOYS GET OLDER? WHAT ACTIVITIES DO YOU LOVE DOING NOW WITH THEM?

A: We go fishing on Mother’s Day and I love that. It starts the summer and we all have a great time. What is the best part of being a Mom? I don’t think I have ever been happier parenting my boys! I love these ages and am drinking up every minute of it. They are so funny, competent and still sweet. They make me laugh all the time and always give me things to think about. They are plenty fresh when it is all said and done, but for the most part I really like who they are as people. That is the best part of being their Mom.

Q: HAVE YOU RECEIVED HANDMADE GIFTS FOR MOTHER'S DAY? IF SO, WHAT IS MOST SPECIAL TO YOU?

A: Each and every year my kids make a decorative Melamine plate for Mother’s Day at their school. I think I have service for 12! They make it easy to chart the years.

Jane, Jenny & Gracie

We captured an adorable moment of Jenny Moran with her mother, Jane Duffy, and 6-year-old daughter, Gracie. It may look like business as usual, but it was a very special treat for these three. Jenny Moran is actually the mother of of four! Her three sons did not attend the photoshoot, allowing the ladies to spend some special “girl time” together. This female trio made light work for the creative team by being so well prepared with multiple wardrobe options and fabulous attitudes. Although this is a very “girly” group, they could certainly serve as role models for the Boy Scouts of America whose motto is, “Be Prepared.” Both Jenny and Jane are know about town (and very much appreciated for) being extreme “mom-unteers.” They volunteer every opportunity they can at the children’s events and fundraisers.

Mother: Jenny Moran

Q: CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST MOTHER'S DAY GIFT YOU RECEIVED FROM GRACIE?

A: The very first Mother’s Day gift that I received from Gracie was a beautiful jewelry box that she made in her preschool. I still keep my “special” jewelry in it.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF MOTHER/DAUGHTER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AS GRACIE GETS OLDER?

A: Having three sons and only one daughter, I look forward to building a strong “mother/daughter” relationship with Gracie. I want her to look at me, not just as a disciplinarian, but as a source of unconditional love, support and guidance. I want to instill in her the same principles that my mother taught me.

Grandmother: Jane Duffy

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY ACTIVITIES THAT ARE SPECIAL TO JUST YOU AND GRACIE?

A: I took Gracie to see the Nutcracker when she was two and she loved it so much, that we do it every year. It is such a wonderful tradition to do with my Granddaughter.

Q: WHAT WERE SOME WORDS OF WISDOM YOU IMPARTED TO JENNY WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER?

A: When Jenny and her sister Jami were young, I always told them that it was more important to me that teachers tell me they were nice, as opposed to teachers telling me they were smart. They grew up to be two of the nicest people I know.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FUNNIEST PARENTING MEMORIES?

A: One of my funniest parenting memories was getting Jenny involved in swim lessons when she was one and a half. She was the only one in the class that cried for two straight weeks, but she was the only one that learned to swim. It was the start of a long career in swimming that included going to Nationals, life guarding in high school, swimming at the collegiate level and coaching swim teams.

Jen & The Twins (Reese and Charlie)

As the mother of 14-month-old twins, Reese and Charlie, Jen Fifer is required to stay on her toes 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. Just when one is fed and ready for a nap, the other one decides he needs some some mommy love and attention. No matter how you look at, raising twins is an exhausting proposition. They say a mother’s work is never done. That’s an understatement when it comes to twin toddlers. What impressed us about Jen is how easy she makes it look. Jen embraces the challenges with Reese on one hip, Charlie tugging at her pant leg and all the while she radiates a contagious smile.

Q: WHAT DO YOU TYPICALLY DO FOR MOTHER'S DAY?

A: Unfortunately my mother lives in Boston so I haven’t spent Mother’s Day with her in a very long time. Her birthday is always right around Mother’s Day, if not the same day, so I make sure she gets flowers every year. We typically go to my mother-in-law’s house, who is really a second mother to me, and she ends up doing all of the cooking… LOL. We always put together a planter for her. It is really important for me to spend the day with her and my sister-in-law and the rest of the family. We just laugh and usually sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. She is a wonderful woman and I don’t know what I would do without her.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF MOTHER/DAUGHTER ACTIVITIES YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO AS REESE GETS OLDER?

A: I want to make sure Reese and I have a strong relationship. I think it is important for all women to have a close and loving relationship with their mother. My relationship with my mother has always been strong and she is a big part of who I am today. I hope we can enjoy things together like running, shopping and travelling. But mostly I want her to know I am always here for her whenever she needs me.

Q: REESE MORE THAN CHARLIE, SEEMED LIKE QUITE THE HAM AT THE PHOTOSHOOT, WHAT INTERESTING PERSONALITY TRAITS CAN YOU ALREADY SEE IN HER?

A: Reese loves to be the center of attention. She is always finding crazy things to do to get our attention, good or bad. She is very smart and knows what she wants. She even tells us when she is ready for bed. She loves to read. We call her the librarian because she takes books out, reads them or has us read them, and then puts them back over and over and over again. She is the strong willed one and will be the ringleader of the two. She has no problem taking a toy right out of her brother’s hands and most of the time he lets her do it.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A MOM?

A: The best thing about being a Mom is seeing my kids grow and develop. Motherhood has been so challenging so far and I am sure it will continue to have its challenges, but when you see your child start to walk or build something with Legos, complete a puzzle or say a new word it is such an amazing and proud feeling. I try to write down as much as possible because it just goes by so fast.

Caryla and Baby Gideon

Mother to 12-week-old Gideon and 2-year-old Ayden, Caryla Mohr is still exuding that new mom glow. She was just as calm as a cucumber during this shoot and little Gideon followed her lead. Taking everything in stride, as any good mother will tell you, is a challenge, but also a key to parenting success. Being laid back does not slow down this new mom. In fact, the entire Mohr family left our shoot and headed straight to Disneyworld for some family time!

Q: WHAT WAS MOTHER'S DAY LIKE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

A: I made handmade gifts for my Mom in school and would pick wild flowers for her in the field behind our house.

Q: IF YOU CHOOSE, WHAT WOULD AN IDEAL MOTHER'S DAY BE LIKE?

A: I would definitely spend the entire day with my two children, Ayden and Gideon and my husband.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING A MOM?

A: Seeing my children laugh and smile. It’s just a joy to watch them learn something new and being amazed at how smart they are becoming everyday.

Joanna, Emmaline & Ruby

Joanna is not only a mother of two little girls with boundless energy, but she is also a Cardiac Device Specialist at St. Jude Medical. We see lots of similarities between the two roles... let’s recap the skillset needed in order to excel at both: ability to adapt quickly to change, prioritize and then reprioritize, handle upset people without taking it personally and above all have a laid back personality with a great sense of humor. We think Joanna has found her two true callings! Emmaline and Ruby are a handful of excitement, creativity and giggles galore. If you stop into the Maine Cottage® Flagship Store, be sure to look up Emmaline’s entry and signature in our guestbook!

Q: CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST MOTHER'S DAY GIFT YOU RECEIVED FROM YOUR GIRLS?

A: Emmaline and Ruby give me gifts that they themselves would like. They give me their dollies and toys, with a grandiose presentation, then proceed to take them back a few minutes later. I don't mind, it's really the presentation I enjoy. Drama starts very young.

Q: WHAT WAS MOTHER'S DAY LIKE WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

A: Growing up, my fondest Mother's Day memory was going to the annual church potluck supper with my sisters, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Watching the men of the church serve the women was slightly comical. The entertainment was singing church ladies. One was always slightly out of key and a beat behind the others even more comical. My sisters and I would giggle, while my grandmother beamed with pride. The multi-generational dynamic is very special. I did not fully appreciate that until I became a mother myself.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF MOTHER/DAUGHTER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AS THE GIRLS GET OLDER?

A: I love my girls at their current ages of 3 and 5, they have spectacular imaginations, boundless energy and are incredibly loving—most of the time. I come from a family of four girls, my best times with my sisters and mother are just sitting around chatting and catching up. I am looking forward to having meaningful conversations with my girls. Not that the silly ones are not fun. My girls love dressing up and pretending to have a day of beauty, so I look forward to having a real girls only spa day with them both.

Jen and Samantha

We recently met Jen Pratt because of her role as the Leukemia Cup Summer Gala Chair for the Annual Annapolis Leukemia Cup Regatta. Maine Cottage® is a proud sponsor of the Gala that’s held at the Annapolis Yacht Club. Jen is a mother of two who also juggles the demanding job as Managing Director at Accenture. Her world was shaken to the core in February 2009 when her daughter Samantha, at the time 3-years-old, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, or ALL. The day she was diagnosed Sam was immediately admitted to the Pediatric Oncology floor at Johns Hopkins and started six months of intense chemo treatments followed by 18 more long months of chemo treatments nearly every day. Sam took her last dose of chemo on April 27th, 2011. Now two years in the clear, remarkably, Sam’s prognosis is great. Jen can now focus on normal family fun and this Mother’s day, she is just thankful to have a healthy family to spend quality time with.

Q: HOW HAS THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGED YOUR APPROACH TO MOTHERHOOD?

A: The experience taught me a lot about myself, life and being a parent. I definitely learned to look at the blessings in everything. Sam was lucky and we are so blessed to have her strong and healthy now. I truly appreciate every day with my kids and we take lots of time out to do things as a family. If you have health and happiness everything else is just noise. It also taught me how to be strong in the face of unbelievable pain and fear. My job was to be present, positive and fearless for Sam. I look at Sam now with overwhelming love and awe that she has been through so much in her life already and it hasn’t set her back one bit. She is my hero.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF MOTHER/DAUGHTER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AS SAM GETS OLDER?

A: I hope that she will love to be on the water waterskiing and sailing so that we can be active together. I, of course, will also enjoy the occasional pedicure together and special girl’s lunches.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT BEING A MOM?

A: Being filled with an unimaginable amount of love for my kids that I am reminded of every time I see their little faces and the pure joy of watching them grow up to be unique and special people.