I Love Jill Savage!

I Love Jill Savage!

It’s True.  Next week I will begin a weeklong blog series about NO MORE PERFECT MOM, Jill’s new book.  You are going to want to know about this woman….

She’s the Founder and CEO of Hearts at Home.  It’s an international organization designed to support women through their motherhood journey.  As a member of a moms group, I had heard about her but didn’t know about all these fancy people at these organizations or what they did.  I decided to attend the National conference at Illinois State  University two years ago ON MY OWN.  No one else was going the day I was and I needed it.  I needed to be recharged as a mommy.  I needed to change my perspective and be encouraged.  I was nervous.  I’m incredible confident however there were more than 5,000 moms in attendance and I was alone.  I watched other moms in large and small groups giggling and connecting.  I felt alone in my mommy-life and alone in the auditorium.  As soon as the music began and the lights dimmed, I began to cry.  Not sure why.  Overwhelmed with emotion.  Overjoyed to be doing this on my own.  Excited and nervous and just emotional.  I looked around and realized I wasn’t alone.  Other moms had tears in their eyes.  Other moms were overcome the way I was- perhaps for the same reason or maybe completely different.  But I knew I wasn’t alone here.  And then I looked over and who do I see but my dear friend from HS, Leslie!  This was her 2^nd conference and she and her friend were enjoying the day together.  We caught up and even had a workshop together.  We spend time together talking about motherhood and we both promised to stay connected and come back next year!

In the meantime, I learned lots about Hearts at Home.  We had a few speakers from past conferences come to speak to The Moms Group.  I bought books, I followed blogs, I sang the praises to others who needed mommy encouragement.  I went to Hearts at Home again last year, this time on my birthday.  Not alone but with a van load of friends.  And met more at the conference.  Found not only Leslie again but another friend of ours from HS, Sarah, and loved to connect with them again too. I also brought my best friend who was a new mother of a toddler and pregnant with her second.  She came from Chicago.

Again the day was inspiring.  So much so that when I returned home, I began looking into getting Jill to come speak to moms in Monticello.  Over the next NINE MONTHS, I promoted Jill coming to our little town in Monticello and worked closely with Jill’s staff to make the night special.  I did newspaper interviews, I wrote articles, I blogged and face booked and worked with a team of moms to get as many as we could to see Jill- I just knew they too would love to have their empty mommy cup refilled!  Last summer I forwarded  the article  I had written about the event to Jill.  I wanted her to see what we were doing.  Not only was she pleased, she liked some of the things I said so well, she asked if she could use some of my words for her new bio.  I was so humbled.  And when I turned over my copy of her newest book, No More Perfect Moms, and read her bio- I was overwhelmed to read that much of her bio was my description of her just a few months prior.

On October 25^th, we had an incredibly successful event with Jill and I was able to meet her face to face and embrace.  Just looking her in the eyes and hugging her was an incredible experience.  Hearing her in a small venue and knowing I was able to coordinate her attendance that night was incredible.  This woman had changed my life and giving me so much hope and encouragement on “those” days and I felt so blessed to share her with others.

Jill is still in my life- daily.  On Monday, you’ll learn how she’s playing an active role today in my mommy-journey.  I can't wait to share my imperfect world with you….