Moms Who Rock: Nola Kende Long, Dobbs Ferry

Patch shares with you local moms we think are awesome. We ask her some questions and hear about how they manages life with kids and other activities. We hope you'll enjoy getting to know some of our neighbors and nominate someone you think is worthy of a future profile (email: krista.madsen@patch.com).

Nola Kende Long considers herself a stay-at-home mom and is the owner and founder of Project Organize, launched in January 2012. She lives in Dobbs Ferry with her husband, Corey and their children, Isabel (11 1/2), Preston (7), and their cat, Jupiter.

1. How do you balance being a mom and working?

Nola thinks of herself as "a creative scheduler," because it is how she has "figured out how to balance the demands of motherhood, suburban living, and a new business."

Nola finds that almost everything that happens each day is part of a "larger puzzle," so she tries to spend "a few minutes figuring out how the puzzle pieces will be put together on any given day." On most days, this is how she is able to accomplish her personal and professional goals while the kids are at school, leaving time to focus on their activities, homework, and other needs once they are home. Of course, some days, Nola finds that "the puzzle has too many pieces or none of them fit together," and on those days, she just tries to do her best and knows that she can start over the next day. 

2. We's love to hear more about your work; tell us about it! 

For Nola, starting a new business "has been a thrilling adventure." Project Organize was established out of her desire to utilize her organizing and creative skills beyond the confines of her own home and into the homes of others.

She recognized that there is a "big need for help in the areas of eliminating excess, finding the appropriate places to dispose of items, organizing what is left, and establishing a system to keep items in place that can be maintained." 

Nola loves "helping people figure out how they can live more simply with less stuff while keeping their treasures well organized within their spaces." She loves a challenge too and particularly enjoys projects that have "space reconfiguration and design aspects as part of the job."

3. When you find time for yourself, what do you enjoy doing locally?

Nola describes herself as a "huge tag and garage sale fan," so she enjoys visiting them on the weekends to see what treasures she can find. She admits that is if there is a flea market, she may be unreachable for hours.

Over the past year, she started karate training which has been "challenging and invigorating on many levels."

If Nola had to pick, she shared that as a professional organizer, her "absolutely favorite store is The Container Store," where she loves to purchase things for her clients and for herself.

Ultimately, her favorite thing to do, "is to spend time with friends," so she aims to do that whenever it is possible. 

4. What are some of your top things to do around Westchester with your family?

You can find Nola and her family biking along the Saw Mill River Parkway bike bath, rock climbing at The Cliffs and enjoying frozen yogurt from (a favorite flavor is Red Velvet Cake).

In the summer, they like to head down the Dobbs Ferry waterfront to listen to music on Wednesdays and on July 4th for the fireworks.

Their most favorite activity is the Halloween activities in Dobbs Ferry's downtown area.  It is something the whole family "looks forward to all year!"

Nola also enjoys the outdoor ambiance at  and "loves the chipolte ceasar salad." She also thinks "the food at is awesome for its simplicity, well-priced food and consistency." Another spot is , which Nola likes for its pumpkin soup.

5. What is your favorite thing about living in this area?

Nola feels that "living in this area means that we get to enjoy a sense of community on a daily basis." She loves being able to go anywhere and see familiar faces from the street she lives on, "to the frame shop, to the schools, to the grocery store, to the waterfront activities, to the post office, and everyplace in between." Nola likes that she lives in a "small town and engaging community" that is also so close to NYC.

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