After starting Moeder Moment, it seemed like a good idea to introduce myself. Many of you already know me, but some don't yet 😊.
I'm Chantal Jansen (a name that often rings a bell 😆), 41 years old, and I still have no idea what I want to be when I grow up 😉. So I simply combine the best things. I work as a teacher in Pedagogical Work and as an examiner. Recently, I also started as a neighborhood coach for Tiel-East and Center. And then there's Moeder Moment. A place that once started as MamaCafé, which I set up together with Lisanne. Meanwhile, our paths have parted and I've continued under a new name: Moeder Moment in Tiel. These mornings give me so much energy. It's wonderful to be there for mothers and for mothers to be there for each other. I always look forward to these moments and feel enriched by all the meaningful work I get to do.
I myself am a mother of three boys (7, 12, and 13 years old) and part of a blended family, because my partner also has three boys 😊 (19, 17, and 9 years old). That sometimes gets surprised looks; so many boys?! Yep, lots of testosterone in this house 😅. It's sometimes hard work, but mostly a lot of fun. I feel blessed with my boys squad. And with my partner too. We do this together and that's so nice. And for some extra female company, we're fortunate to have a cat 🐾.
Soon Roosmarijn Brouwer from Beelden van Bouwens and Marieke Verweij will also introduce themselves. They are each once a month the host together with me at Moeder Moment 🩷.
I'm Roosmarijn and together with Chantal and Marieke one of the hosts of Moeder Moment. I can now call myself someone in her thirties, I'm married to the nicest man from Katwijk aan Zee and mother of Guus and Cato.
If you haven't seen me yet, you've probably already heard me. I'm a real chatterbox and a real busy bee. Besides being a mother, I'm a photographer at Beelden van Bouwens and I work as a real estate manager at a real estate agency.
Both as a photographer and as a mother, I love meeting other mothers, getting to know you, and especially providing a nice place to relax and let off steam. That's how my first experience back then at the MamaCafé felt, with an 8-week-old baby I just wanted to get out of the house. Hopefully, Moeder Moment will also be a biweekly outing for you that feels like your moment.
My house is everything I'm not: wonderfully quiet, tidy, and (almost) so clean you could eat off the floor
Finishing a book can take me months or sometimes years before I finally finish it.
I have a vegetable garden that makes me incredibly happy, getting my hands dirty and enjoying fresh vegetables and fruit
You can wake me up for a pornstar martini, cava, or a good piece of meat.
I'm incredibly happy from the smell of freshly mowed grass, rain on a summer day, and the first spring sun ☀️.
Ten years ago I moved to Lienden for love. Together we have two wonderful children: a daughter of 8 and a son of 3 years old.
Because I'm not from the area myself, I found it quite a challenge to find my place within the village. So when I heard about a moment for mothers to connect with each other, I was immediately curious. It turned out to be exactly what I needed!
That's how I ended up at MamaCafé in Lienden. When it stopped there, I went along to Tiel, where I now join Moeder Moment. What I find so valuable is that you can share your experiences about motherhood and life as a woman. Being able to get your story off your chest, finding recognition in each other, or simply listening attentively to someone else. Those moments create connection and make you feel that you're not alone.
I also have a broad background in work. I worked in social care for a long time, mainly in addiction care. I also gained experience in office work, was a volunteer coordinator for an association, and taught children's yoga classes.
Due to a combination of intensive events in my private life, I am currently at home. I can be found at Moeder Moment every third Wednesday of the month. A pleasant place to meet each other, share experiences, and simply be there for one another.
I hope to meet you there!
Love,
Marieke
