Henjen Gets Lei'd

Oh you nasty people.....not THAT kind of laid. You know, the Hawaiian kind. And sadly, it was the Henjen Mother Clucker bag that was there, and with ANOTHER Jen. All I get to do is look at the pictures and write about it!

THAT Jen (the one that got to go to Hawaii and the one that I am not bitter towards, just in case you were wondering) bought her bag at the St. Jane de Chantal Holiday Boutique this past winter, which she also helped organize and manage. She and her fellow organizers made that a very fun show for me to do. Very nice group of girls over at St. Jane's! And very fashion-forward too judging by the number of Mother Cluckers that they snapped up. But I digress....

That Jen, who is the owner of a Mother Clucker bag in the very fun Busy Chicks pattern, actually grew up in Hawaii and her parents still live there and she went there for a wedding so I am thinking that she is allowed to go there, without me feeling bitter. Gee, why does this always seem to get back to being all about me??? I just don't understand....

Moving on. That Jen (I am doing a Junie B. Jones thing here and if you don't get that reference I feel very saddish inside of me for you) came to the mainland to attend The George Washington University and married one of those Dimond boys and never went back. I say "one of those Dimond boys" because I met that Jen's husband AND his brother who is married to her sister-in-law Eileen who also very cleverly bought a Mother Clucker bag at the St. Jane boutique. Are you following this? As a matter of fact, I think that Eileen and that Jen used the "Girlfriend Discount" to get a deal on their Mother Cluckers.

As I mentioned earlier, that Jen has the Busy Chicks pattern and that is kinda' funny because she describes herself as "a pretty boring handbag owner. I tend to buy one major (read, "expensive") purse every year or so, usually black or brown, and use it when I go to work, carpool, sporting events, etc." I am proud of that Jen for her Mother Clucker purchase because she stepped outside of her boring handbag box this time. Another convert.

Now here's the Q&A:

HJ: What is your favorite thing about the Mother Clucker? Do you use the key fob? Do you put your cell phone in the exterior pocket?

JS: I LOVE my Mother Clucker! I get complimented on it almost every day. I love the plastic exterior, the fun patterns, and the way it hangs off my shoulder. But my favorite thing is its size. I love being able to carry a couple of files or folders home from work, or store my book when I'm going to carpool, or pack a bottle of water and tube of sunscreen when I'm going to the park.

I read somewhere that Jen designed these for women who have graduated from diaper bags, and I thought that was a great description! My kids are constantly sticking things in my bag: a book, DS, Power Ranger, fruit chews, granola bars, crayons, etc. I don't usually use the key fob, although sometimes when I'm getting a manicure or haircut, I'll put my wedding ring or earrings on the key fob so they don't get lost in my bag. And I always drop my phone into the INTERIOR pocket. It just seems to fit there.

HJ Note: Brilliant use of the key fob! Love the idea of using it as a jewelry holder


HJ: What is the ONE thing that you would run back into your house every time to get if it is not in your bag?

JS: Cell phone. I keep a brush, gum, $20, and an extra pair of sunglasses in my car, so my phone is pretty much the only thing I need!

HJ: If you could pick a single item in your bag that represents who you are, what would it be?

JS: My chapstick.


HJ: What is the strangest thing that is in your bag right now? Please explain why it is there.

JS: A pink, blue, purple and yellow lanyard. I'm guessing my daughter dropped it in my bag for some reason.

HJ: Do you have anything in your bag that could be used in case of an emergency? (remember, there are all kinds of emergencies)

JS: I'm no McGuyver, but if I were stranded somewhere maybe I could dump out the hand sanitizer and use my reading glasses to reflect the sun to ignite the liquid! What do you think my chances of survival are? :)

HJ: What is the one thing that you NEVER have in your bag that you ALWAYS wish you did have?

JS: Two more pens and a pad of paper. Every time we go to a restaurant my kids ask for something to draw on and I usually only have one pen. Then they start arguing about who gets to use it first.

Thanks that Jen! It was fun.


If you are a member of the Mother Clucker Club, ie, you have a Mother Clucker, and would like to be featured here please email me at jen@henjenhandbags.com. I'd love to hear from you!

Helping Girls Excel

Is what Kim Alsup is passionate about. And also part of the name of her newly created non-profit enterprise, Creative K: Helping Girls Excel. As a creative writer herself, Kim's mission is to provide training and opportunities for teenage girls who are interested in writing but who do not have access to programs that will nurture this pursuit. Facilitating an understanding of the publishing world is another key component of Creative K's mission and one that is near and dear to Kim as she works toward having her first novel, Caught Up, published. Kim is also the
"Soul Editor" for the website Mornings with Mom, an online ministry for women, in which Kim writes inspirational essays.

So, this is all well and good, you say, but what about what's in Kim's Mother Clucker? Do the contents reflect this accomplished, motivated and philanthropic-minded woman? And since I know Kim personally and see her out and about with her Mother Clucker, I can answer this accurately.

Not reeeaaallly. They actually say more about the Kim that is funny, cute and so full of ideas and energy for what she loves that she is brimming over with it.

Brimming over is how I would describe Kim's bag as well. As she says, what she actually likes MOST about her Mother Clucker is, "that it is not too big and not too small although I do stuff it to capacity so much so that I make Jen nervous that the straps may give out , but I think they are fine, I have taken some books out....lol". That's Kim. And, yes, I do worry about Kim's straps because when I say brimming over, I am NOT exaggerating. So far, so good, though. Fingers crossed.

And now, on to the Q&A.

HJ: Which Mother Clucker pattern do you have?

KA: Oooh La La Stripe

HJ: Describe the state of the interior of your bag, messy or clean, please elaborate!

KA: Surprisingly by the amount of junk I put in it it is very clean, I usually clean it out once or twice a week and that is usually because I have lost something in the bag that I need. (see what I am saying?)

HJ: What is the ONE thing that you would run back into your house every time to get if it is not in your bag?

KA: My phone (which I just toss in my purse and don't put in the pocket provided...lol)

HJ: If you could pick a single item in your bag that represents who you are, what would it be?

KA: My business cards (which some are just thrown in and some are in the actual business card holder)

HJ: What is the strangest thing that is in your bag right now? Please explain why it is there.

KA: A button that says "Paddles the Beaver reminds us to protect our Cherry Trees". I forgot to take it out from this past weekend's trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival.

HJ: What is the one thing that you NEVER have in your bag that you ALWAYS wish you did have?

KA: Lotion

Thanks Kim! Just remember, if those straps break, do not call me crying about it. The usual excellent henjen customer service will NOT be given to those who have been warned. :)

If you are a member of the Mother Clucker Club, ie, you have a Mother Clucker, and would like to be featured here please email me at jen@henjenhandbags.com. I'd love to hear from you!

REALLY Cool Chicks

Last night I was at the St. Raphael's Girls Night Out shopping event and let me tell you, these girls are seriously fun! This was my second year at the event and it was just as I remembered it, relaxed, friendly and full of moms really happy to be OUT with an adult beverage in hand and many cute goodies to purchase.

I would actually like to present these ladies with the "Hippest, Most-Fashion Forward Women in and around Rockville, MD" Award. How's that for an honor? The reason for bestowing such a title upon them is that they absolutely LOVE the Mother Cluckers and bought quite a few to prove it Here are a few examples of their devotion to HENJEN HANDBAGS: I had one repeat customer who brought a friend to buy one as well all the while testifying to the fabulosity of the bag. One woman told me that she had regretted not buying a Mother Clucker at last year's event and was not going to make the same mistake twice.

Knowing that someone suffered for a WHOLE year without a Mother Clucker is heartbreaking to me and so I have a special offer for these VIP HENJEN customers. If there is anyone who couldn't fall asleep last night because they did not purchase a Mother Clucker when they had the chance, do not despair. Here's my offer, if there are at least five of you who would like to band together, I will deliver the bags to St. Raphael's next week or the week after (don't know when your Easter Break is) and I will also donate 10% of those sales to the school. Send me an email at jen@henjenhandbags.com and I will send you a code so you can purchase online without any shipping costs.

Just my way of saying a little thank you to my loyal customers! Thanks to Chris and Mary too for putting on such a fun event and for being such great HENJEN cheerleaders!

Should you, or shouldn't you?

So, here we have the contents of MY Mother Clucker. (Busy Chicks, brown with green, in case you were wondering.) As usual, you can see what has been going on in my life during the recent past. Been doing lots of "networking" hence the women's luncheon program and the scads of business cards, mine and others. Went to "Kegs 'n Eggs" at the 9:30 Club the Friday before St. Pats which meant buzz by 10am, hangover by 6pm. Everyone should go once, or maybe twice. Cab receipt from little trip to Florida with hubby. Pictures drawn by youngest son in church yesterday when he tired of Flat Stanley. Yes, I know that church is only an hour but this kid's long suit is NOT attention span.

The dry cleaner receipt from October '08 is not so recent and although it may seem innocent enough it is actually a window deep into my soul. You see, I have a THING about the dry cleaners. I resist taking things there and once they are there, I avoid picking them up. I know that it is kooky but it is a deeply rooted SHOULD that has worse consequences than never having a crisp, clean white blouse when you need it.

I think that it is the frugal girl in me who says that I really should be washing and ironing instead of SPENDING MONEY to dry clean. Now, I am not saying that this makes sense, I am just telling you how my brain twists it around. 'Course the thing that makes all of this into a crazy circular pattern is that I DON'T want to wash and iron the clothes and so I don't but I don't take the clothes to the dry cleaners either until I can't stand it anymore and then I do anyway.

I know, what you are thinking, believe me, I know.

Okay, now just so we're clear, this dry cleaning thing is not keeping me up at night, it's just an exaggerated example of how the little SHOULDS in our lives can be annoying and time wasting. So what about the bigger ones? What are they doing to us? And how do they match up with what we truly WANT?

I've got some monster SHOULDS about being a mother. Like many mothers, I have this picture in my head of how this whole motherhood thing is supposed to go. It magically appeared roughly 15 years ago and I've been fighting with it ever since. See if you recognize any of these: Should my baby sleep in my room, should I breastfeed, should I use cloth diapers, should I give a pacifier, should I let my baby cry herself to sleep, should I go back to work, should I stay home? And these only cover about the first six weeks.

Who knows where the picture comes from, our own mothers, the other mothers around us, the media, etc but chances are that it is NOT a representation of who we really are and want to be. Do you WANT your baby to sleep with you? Do you WANT to breastfeed? Do you WANT to stay home or do you WANT to work? Obviously, each of these decisions cannot be made completely in the vacuum of "it's all about me" however your wants need to be given their due consideration.

Remember, what you want comes from who you are and so your wants are valid. They are not right or wrong, they just are. Shoulds come from outside you and cause guilt and feelings of inadequacy. Wants come from within bringing strength and confidence.

So, try to catch yourself in a SHOULD and ask yourself how you can turn it into a WANT. Do you think you SHOULD make dinner or do you want to because it is important to you that your family connects and eats healthily? Are you keeping your house looking like a model home because it's what you should do when you really WANT to leave a few toys on the floor and read the rest of the Twilight series?

Think about it, and, by the way, I've finished all three of the books and I have dirty dishes in my sink right now. And, guess what? I'm going to the dry cleaners later.

The Dangers of Mother Clucker Ownership

No silly, you won't get a toddler with your bag. Even though this one is darn cute, I realize that you might not want any more of those or if you do, you'll figure it out yourself.

The danger is that you might not get to carry it yourself, especially if you have a precocious, fashion-forward little girl (or boy, no sexual stereotyping here at henjen, oh no!) like Sophie here.

Sophie's mom, the actual owner of this bag, is Stephanie who is married to her "wonderful" husband, Mike, and also mother to two "precious" pugs who she says she considers to be"babies with four legs". Upon receiving her Mother Clucker Stephanie sent me an email which said, "Jen, I got my bag today and it's beautiful! Love it! Sophie loves it too and has been wearing it around her neck all night! "

Besides her penchant for sporting the bag around her neck, Sophie also has a tendency to set the Mother Clucker in the pugs' water bowl so the vinyl is key for Stephanie. Wipeability (I think that is a made up word) is another reason to praise the vinyl. "I love that it has the vinyl on the outside because of all of the places I end up setting it down (restaurants, gyms, bathrooms) So it is very nice to be able to wipe it clean."

Read on for the rest of the scoop on what is in Stephanie's Mother Clucker:

HJ: So, do you have a lot of handbags, like, you know a handbag problem?

S: My husband would DEFINITELY tell you that I have a HUGE handbag problem because I own so many. I just tell him that it is like him with golf clubs. I mean, really, how many of the same type of club do you need anyway? (HJ: Oh no she didn't)

HJ: Describe the state of the interior of your bag, messy or clean, please elaborate!

S: The interior is clean. I can actually say that I try to keep it organized in there. If I am not able to find things in a timely manner it is not good. Sophie is 14 months and is still learning patience.

HJ: What is your favorite thing about the Mother Clucker? Do you put your cell phone in the exterior pocket?

S: I do put my cell phone in the exterior pocket. Another thing I love about my Mother Clucker is the size. It's the perfect size for what I need. Not too big and not too small.

HJ: What is the ONE thing that you would run back into your house every time to get if it is not in your bag?

S: My cell phone, definitely my cell phone.

HJ: If you could pick a single item in your bag that represents who you are, what would it be?

S: My pictures of Sophie. That's who I am now I'm Sophie's mom.

HJ: What is the strangest thing that is in your bag right now? Please explain why it is there.

S: A hat for Sophie. It's the strangest thing in there because she absolutely will NOT wear it. I try it when we go for walks to keep the sun off her face if it's nice and she hates it. It's still in there though.


HJ: Do you have anything in your bag that could be used in case of an emergency?

S: Wipes, well that does not need an explanation. Cell phone to either call for help or call in take out when I have had a really long day


HJ: What is the one thing that you NEVER have in your bag that you ALWAYS wish you did have?

S: A phone book. I dial information way too often.

Thanks Stephanie and Sophie!

If you are a member of the Mother Clucker Club, ie, you have a Mother Clucker, and would like to be featured here please email me at jen@henjenhandbags.com. I'd love to hear from you!

A Fellow Knight

A Cave Spring Knight, that is! This week's featured member of the "Mother Clucker Club", Jenn from Philadelphia, is a fellow graduate of good 'ole Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Virginia. She and I reconnected at our 20 year reunion (as she says, "gulp!") this past summer where I made a point to shamelessly self-promote at every opportunity.

"I kept finding myself checking out the HenJen website, trying to decide which Mother Clucker best fit my style. I'm glad that I finally figured it out!", says Jenn.

Jenn, who is the mother of two, ages 7 and 4, FINALLY decided on the Daisies, Brown with cream. "I love it. It took me so long to choose from the great patterns, I don't know how I'll decide on the next one!"

As always the plan was to post a picture of her with the bag, however, the stomach flu has been rampant at her house and well, you know how that goes. Taking pictures of yourself with your handbag kinda' falls to the bottom of the list. I mean really, even without intestinal issues, taking pictures of yourself with your handbag is probably not even on anyone's list. Moving on...

What has been high on Jenn's list is her kids which is why she stayed at home with them until this past year when she returned to work as a nursery school teacher. In fact, when asked what she carries in her Mother Clucker that represents her the best she answered, "I think it would be the kid snack and juice box. My kids are my world."

Read on for what else Jenn thinks of her Mother Clucker and what it says about her:

HJ: What is your favorite thing about the Mother Clucker?

J: My favorite thing about the bag, aside from the great pattern, is the size. My kids are not babies anymore, so I don't need the giant diaper-bag size. However, I do need a bag that will hold enough junk. The Mother Clucker is just perfect in that way.

HJ: Do you use the key fob and do you put your cell phone in the exterior pocket?

J: I absolutely use the key fob. I was always the one digging around my gigantic bag looking for my keys, which were always buried under who-knows-what. The cell phone pocket has been my saving grace!

HJ: What are five things that are ALWAYS in your bag?

J: My wallet, my sunglasses, sanitizing hand wipes, a bag of some kind of kid-friendly snack and a juice box and a bottle of Diet Coke (my one vice!).

HJ: What is the ONE thing that you would run back into your house every time to get if it is not in your bag?

J: Probably my sunglasses, although sometimes my Diet Coke!

HJ: If you could pick one thing that represents who you are that is in your bag right now what would it be?

J: I think it would be the kid snack and juice box. My kids are my world.


HJ: What is the strangest thing that is in your bag right now?

J: A screwdriver.

HJ: Do you have anything in your bag that could be used in case of an emergency?

J: I guess the screwdriver! I do have a small pouch with all my "monthly emergency" items.

HJ: What is the one thing that you NEVER have in your bag that you ALWAYS wish you did have?

J: My favorite lip gloss.

Thanks Jenn!


If you are a member of the Mother Clucker Club, ie, you have a Mother Clucker, and would like to be featured here please email me at jen@henjenhandbags.com. I'd love to hear from you!

The Very FIRST Mother Clucker Club Profile

That's right people. This is big. The very FIRST (of many) profiles of the actual women who are toting around Mother Cluckers, and loving them! Melissa is a mom of two, ages 3 and almost 5, that's them up there, who works full-time as an HR professional for a large company. She is quite possibly the winner of the "Most Mother Cluckers Purchased" Award with a grand total of FIVE of these babies! Before you go getting all "what a selfish, spoiled #@* that Melissa is" let me just say that THREE of the bags were for gifts. Sooooo, Melissa only has TWO of her own and I think that we can all agree that this is a reasonable number. Her choices for herself were the Ooooh La La Stripe, pictured above, and the Swirls, Brown with Blue.

When asked about her Mother Clucker she says, "I usually have solid colored purses but have fallen in love with these because they’re perfect size for moms with pre-schoolers." You see that, a self-proclaimed "solid color purse" girl has been saved. It just warms my heart!

Please read on to hear more about Melissa and what is in HER Mother Clucker:


HJ: What is your favorite thing about the Mother Clucker? Do you use the key fob? Do you put your cell phone in the exterior pocket?

M: I love the key fob for my extra keys – the ones I don’t use every day. I actually use the outside pocket for my car keys and my Bluetooth. What I really love is that it’s exactly the right size for what I need to carry. (click here to read what other moms are saying about their bags)

HJ: What are five things that are ALWAYS in your bag?

M: My wallet, my keys, my iPod, sunglasses, and usually a magazine for me or the kids.

HJ: What is the ONE thing that you would run back into your house every time to get if it is not in your bag?

M: Sunglasses

HJ: If you could pick one thing that represents who you are that is in your bag right now what would it be?

M: Pictures of my kids

HJ: What is the strangest thing that is in your bag right now?

M: Tape measure to measure an office desk

HJ: Do you have anything in your bag that could be used in case of an emergency?

M: ☺ Kleenex

Thanks, Melissa, for giving us a glimpse into your Mother Clucker.

If you are a member of the Mother Clucker Club, ie, you have a Mother Clucker, and would like to be featured here please email me at jen@henjenhandbags.com. I'd love to hear from you!