In anticipation of Mother’s Day, we wanted to celebrate the hard-working moms of ESR! It’s no easy feat juggling kids and work, but somehow they all do it beautifully. Angela, the co-owner of ESR, had the idea to highlight the moms in the company and chat a little about just how they do it. Read on for some fun insight into the moms of ESR. (And join us for brunch on Mother’s Day at Bramling Cross—Mimosa specials for all moms!)

★★★

Dionne Himmelfarb, Pastry Chef
Esther, 12

Esther definitely has Dionne’s pastry gene, and she loves to bake at home. On the weekends she whips up chocolate cookies—sometimes even for breakfast!—and Dionne acts as her sous chef, prepping and cleaning up. During school breaks they take on bigger baking projects together, which they both enjoy.

When everyone gets home from school and work, there is a two-hour no-device policy in the Himmelfarb house—they’re always amazed at what can get accomplished in those couple hours. Dionne and her husband take turns running errands with Esther, and they try to get it all done on weeknights so weekends can be free for fun.

★★★

Deborah Taylor, Chef at Staple & Fancy
Liam, 18 months

Deborah and Liam love spending time at the Woodland Park Zoo, as well as going on bike rides and playing outside. This spring Liam has been so curious about all the flowers and herbs in the yard, and has to smell them all! Deborah is excited for their first family camping trip this summer.

Deborah says it is hard being away from Liam on the nights that she works, but she loves her work, and wouldn’t be happy without it. She keeps work and home life balanced by having a weekly mother-son day with Liam when they go to the beach or the zoo, or even on a short hike. Deborah’s husband sends lots of cute photos while she’s at work, and they have a great longtime nanny that makes everything just a little bit easier.

★★★

Heather Poncet, Manager at Tavolàta
Annabelle, 11

This year has been all about adventures for Heather and Annabelle. This past winter, the two of them took a mother-daughter trip to San Francisco in lieu of Christmas gifts, and they had a ball sightseeing together, just the girls. Back home, they like to go to concerts, comedy shows, and out on dinner dates together—sometimes they even play hooky. Heather loves snuggling on the couch watching movies too, and hopes Annabelle never outgrows that. 

Balance is hard, says Heather, but her family is used to having her busy at night. They’ve got a schedule worked out, and their busy lives motivate them to make plans in advance as a family. They set dates for camping trips, movies, and playtime, and make sure that family time happens. Heather finds that more often than not, they’ve got big, fun plans for her days off, which she loves. 

★★★

Meg Posey Scott, Manager and Wine Director, How to Cook a Wolf
Eleanor, 3 and George, 3 months

Meg and Eleanor have a weekly ritual of going to get savory pies at Cederberg Tea House on Queen Anne—Meg has loved watching Eleanor mature and sit nicely at the table sipping tea. Now George, the adorable newcomer to the family, has been coming along too! They also go to music classes every week, which are always a highlight.

Meg feels lucky that she enjoys her job so much, and it serves as some good adult time, in contrast to time with the children. With Meg working in the evenings, the kids have developed special nighttime routines with their dad, which is special. They all enjoy spending days off together and exploring their community, as well as hopping on the ferries for little adventures. 

★★★

Jen Osborn, Events & Promotions
Charlotte (Charlie), 5 and Katherine, 7

Jen and her girls like being active together: skiing, camping, gardening, boating, or playing soccer or tennis. They get in the kitchen together too—Charlie and Katherine like to make everything from guacamole to cookies.

Jen says it’s always interesting trying to keep work and home life balanced, but she really enjoys taking trips with the family and having lots of time to bond over outdoor adventures.

★★★

Angela Stowell, Owner/CFO
Adrian, 3.5 and Franklin, 1.5

Angela and her two sons spend tons of time at the Woodland Park Zoo, the Pacific Science Center, and the Children’s Museum. Little Frankie has a newfound love of dinosaurs so they’ve been frequenting the dinosaur exhibit in particular lately. Adrian likes to tag along and go “running” with Angela around Green Lake—he gets all suited up for the outing in his sneakers and warm-up suit. Angela and Ethan have also been teaching him to ski, which was been pretty adorable. 

Angela says it’s definitely tough being a mom and a business owner, but she also feels that she’s a better mom because she goes to work—it gives her balance. She stays clear about where her priorities lie—family always comes first. She unplugs after work and tries to stay away from email and phone until the boys’ 8pm bedtimes, which gives her time to enjoy their company after work every day.