Mandy is our TriangleMom2Mom mom of the week. I met Mandy last year as she and others got ready for the long-running consignment sale at the First United Methodist Church in Cary. I can't believe the spring/summer sale is less than a week away on Feb. 7.

Here's Mandy ...

Mom2Mom: Tell us about yourself.

Mandy: I am a native North Carolinian...a rarity in the Triangle I've found! I was born and raised in Wilmington, NC, where I had many, many memorable summers with my parents and younger sister living at the beach. My favorite memories are going out on our family boat, anchoring out on Masonboro Island, swimming, and grilling out for lunch (in that order!). At the time, I didn't realize what a luxury that was or how much sunscreen I should have been putting on! Fortunately, quite a bit of my family still lives there, so we always have a free place to stay at the beach. I really miss the salt air and having some sand in my car at all times!

College is what brought me to the Raleigh area. I attended N.C. State University, where I majored in Business Management and concentrated in Human Resources Management. During my time at N.C.State, I was a cheerleader and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Through these groups, I made lots of fun memories and amazing friends. Plus, during my senior year, I met the man of my dreams and began to date my husband, Patrick. Almost three years later, we were married! We consider ourselves to be die hard Wolfpack fans and have been happily married now for almost seven years.

Following graduation, I took a job in the Human Resources department with PPD, Inc. I worked in their Corporate Headquarters in Wilmington, and then transferred to the RTP office after my husband and I were married in 2002. I spent almost 7 years with them, mainly in Corporate Recruiting, before deciding to leave and start my own stationery/inviation company and a family (both at the same time!). It was a tough decision to leave the corporate world, but I am very thankful to have the opportunity to be at home with my daughter full-time. It is the most challenging and rewarding work that I could ever ask for!

Since getting married, we have lived in both Apex and Cary. It was natural for us to settle here, especially since we had already established some roots in the Triangle during our college days. Almost 5 years after saying our vows, we had our daughter, Ava (now 2 years old). I really love the Triangle and all that it has to offer my family, and we are happily settled in Cary. I am proud to call it home!

Part of what has made Cary really feel like home is our membership through our church, First United Methodist Church-Cary (www.fumc-cary.org). It has provided us with lots of opportunities for spirtual growth and a place to meet lots of wonderful people. After joining in February 2006, I have become very active with the women's group that I belong to, the Sarah Circle. Our Circle is comprised of women that are ages 39 and under. It really is an amazing group of women that are full of positive energy and excitement for the service work that we do through our semi-annual children's consignment sales. We all have a passion for serving the women and children's groups that we support financially through our Spring and Fall sales.

This past year, I've had the privilege of working on the Marketing side of our children's consignment sale. This included developing a new website for our consignors and shoppers, www.ConsignWithFUMC.com. We hope that our site will only help us to continue growing our sale, and in turn generate more donations for the missions that we serve.

Our sale, on Saturday, Feb. 7, will celebrate 17 years of this consignment sale! We're one of the few sales in town who gives all of our proceeds to charity, supplies all tags, doesn't charge fees to our consignors, and can pay our consignors the same day of the sale. It's such a positve experience for everyone involved...from the consignor, to the shopper, and evenutually to the family, woman or child that benefits from the proceeds. Through the years, we've been able to do so much with the proceeds, from helping local groups like The Carying Place, Me Fine Foundation, Salvation Army and the Methodist Home for Children to individuals and families who have medical bills and/or are facing unemployment. It has been the most rewarding part of this entire experience and what keeps us all going during the busy "work week" leading up to our sale date. We pray that God will continue to bless our sale and the many lives that it touches as a result!

When I'm not working on the consignment sale, I love to attend N.C. State athletic events, tailgating at football games, exercising, travelling, cooking and watching The Food Network. I'm also a big fan of Sue Stock's blog, "Taking Stock", and I try to incorporate her "money saving" and "couponing" tips throughout my busy week shopping for the family!

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite family place in the Triangle?

Mandy: We love to visit Planet Child on a weekly basis. It's become a fun place for my daughter to get some energy out during these cold months. The environment there is fun and sparks lots of creativity! In the warmer months, we can be found over at Bond Park, enjoying walks, picnics and hanging out at the Lazy Daze playground. We're so lucky to have such wonderful parks in our area!

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite place for yourself in the Triangle?

Mandy: Impact Athletics, in Cary, has become almost like a second home for me, especially after my daughter was born. There, I became very active with group fitness--taking weekly classes in kickboxing, weight training and various cardio classes. I love exercise and the way that it makes me feel, and Impact has created an environment that is family friendly, positive and comfortable for our entire family. The childcare workers and setting are fabulous and make it easy for me to take my little one along with me...giving me no excuses! Plus, the energy that I get from working out gives me the boost that I need to chase a toddler around all day!

Mom2Mom: What's your favorite ritual with your daughter?

Mandy: We really make it a priority to have meals together as a family. Everyday, I make it a point to have all of us together at the table to enjoy atleast one meal. We start out by saying the blessing, and it's so precious to see Ava bowing her head and closing her eyes. There is so much that each of us can gain by spending that valuable time together as a family. It is so important to me, and that's something that I want our daughter to experience everyday.

Mom2Mom: What did you eat last night? Can you share the recipe?

Mandy: A classic comfort food, Chicken Pot Pie. I used a recipe from Real Simple magazine's February 2009 issue, where they substituted healthier ingredients for what the recipe typically calls for. It was very easy to make and was full of veggies...more than you would expect from the traditional recipe! Who knew this could actually be made in a healthier way and still be good? Everyone seemed to like it!

Mom2Mom: What's your guilty pleasure?

Mandy: Goodberry's custard, especially if it's during the Fall months when they're serving their Pumpkin flavored custard. I'm always up for trying their featured "Carolina Concrete", too. Our daughter squeals with excitement when we pull into the parking lot! Also, Starbuck's has always been a favorite and having two drive-thrus so close to my home makes it hard to pass by without stopping. If I'm really going to splurge, I'll book an appointment at Iatria Day Spa and spend the afternoon relaxing.

If you know a mom we should feature, e-mail me.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!
WEEKEND: Relax!