Posh Mom Of The Week: Crystal Holloway

In a post titled You Know You Are A Hoarder When…I mentioned my friend’s love for couponing. She isn’t the “extreme coupouner”, as protrayed on the TLC reality show, but she does have great money saving tips for you and your family, which is why she is this week’s feature spotlight.

Let’s welcome Crystal Holloway, a wife, Stay At Home Mom, former teacher, and now owner of a crochet line called Sylvia Enid Designs. In less than two months of giving birth to her son (now 3 years old), she found herself unemployed and becoming a SAHM, which has unexpectedly fulfilled her.  Determined to find as much joy in work, as she does from being a mom, she took some time to listen to her inner voice and follow the path that God was leading her towards. Recently, she launched Super SAHM 930, a blog catered to meal plans and recipes, preschool activities and educational aids, product reviews and what else….money saving tips. Read her journey below:

Mommy Posh: Tell us a little about yourself. Your family.

Crystal Holloway: I love crafting, writing, and reading. My husband and I have been married for five years and we have two boys, aged 17 and 3.

MP: You are a mom, a wife, a woman – what do you take most pride in?

CH: I take most pride in being a mom. I have fulfilled many of my life’s dreams, but ultimately I knew I would never feel satisfied until I became a mom. It’s been a long, painful journey, but worth every moment. Becoming a mom has made me a better wife and woman.

MP: Tell us about your blog, Super SAHM 930 and your business website  Sylvia Enid Designs. What made you launch them?

CH: My blog, Super SAHM 930 has a little of everything. Each week you’ll find recipes, preschool lesson plans, product reviews, money saving tips, and much more. I’ve always loved to write and I was a teacher before becoming a SAHM. Blogging about things I’ve learned along the way was a natural extension for me. I became a first time mom and lost both my grandmothers within one year. I began to use crochet (a craft I learned from my paternal grandmother) as a creative and emotional outlet more and more. At the same time I was looking for a way to honor my grandmothers’ memories and find a business I could do from home. My line of crocheted goods, Sylvia Enid Designs was born.

MP: As an avid couponer, do you relate to the women on the TLC’s show “Extreme Couponing” or extreme couponers in general?

CH: I can relate to the women on “Extreme Couponing” in some ways. When I’m doing a transaction where I know I’m getting a lot of product for free or very close to it I get a rush. My nerves are on edge until all of my coupons go through and I’m on my way out of the store with my booty. I DO NOT let couponing consume my life or my home. I spend about three hours a week on list writing and sorting and clipping coupons. I only get what I need and donate my excess or freebies I know I won’t use to my family, friends, and charity.

MP: Any tips on how to be a smart food shopper?

CH: Whether or not you coupon my #1 tip for being a smart food shopper is to stockpile. When you see an item your family uses regularly on sale don’t buy just enough to last until you go grocery shopping next week. Buy enough to last up to 12 weeks because stores usually rotate sales every 6-12 weeks. By doing this you will never run out of a staple and be forced to pay full price.

MP: Who are your style inspirations and why?

CH: I have a pretty eclectic sense of fashion. My look may shift from Bree Van de Kamp to Erykah Badu and everything in between. Both of my grandmothers were very prim and proper Jamaicans and taught me how to be a lady. Because of them no matter what I wear I make sure my clothes and hair are always neat, clean, and fit well.

MP: How would you describe yourself as a mom?

CH: I would describe myself as a well rounded mom. I do structured activities with my children like schoolwork, playgroups and sports, but I also let Moose A. Moose babysit when I’m working on a project.

MP: What’s your life motto?

CH: “Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing’s gonna be alright.” -Bob Marley

MP: Fill in the blank: I may have too many _____

CH: pants

MP: My signature style look is _____

CH: I don’t think I have a signature style look, but my favorite article of clothing is skinny jeans. Change the top and shoes and you can go from soccer mom to hot mama in no time!

Each week we will bring to you a mom that signifies overall POSHness, a mom that reveals real stories and experiences that celebrate, entertain and inspire the woman, who is a mom.

Are you a POSH Mom like Crystal? Are you a mom that inspires others? A mom with a blog or company that you would like to promote? Then contact me at gina@mommyposh.com to get featured here.