Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Jones.
Lauren, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In this season of life, my favorite role is wife to Jordan and mama to four active boys. But adjusting to staying home with our boys wasn’t the instant joy I thought it would be. Leaving the pediatric nursing world was difficult, but I’ve grown to wear this title of a stay-at-home mom with honor and joy! Being home for the last few years has given me the chance to play with passions I have, one being baking and recipe development. And when you have four boys and a husband, your fridge and pantry are often empty before you’re finished filling it so I’ve had to get creative and find the joy in preparing meals, even when it’s the last thing I want to do. But it evolved from not just the food to the experience around eating because time is precious, especially when you have young children. We’ve had to force ourselves, even when we didn’t want to or have the time, to sit around the table and eat, laugh, chat about our day… and yes, have the all too frequent fights between the boys. But it was here at our own round kitchen table that our Jones Family Table business started. We want to help create experiences around the table that celebrate life, people, food, and all the beautiful in between. My husband designs and builds custom tables, and I create recipes and write about the joys of life lived around the table.
Has it been a smooth road?
Any smooth road isn’t worth taking, and I’m so grateful for the bumps and bridges along the way. In all honesty, the wife, mom, and home baker I am today is because of a 12-year struggle I had with eating disorders. Food was honestly something I couldn’t be around. It was the one thing I could control during a challenging season in my life, and then it became a crutch and a way to handle life’s challenges over the years. It was what I knew for too long, but even after years of counseling, only by the grace of God and my choice to be free, was I able to start my life again, not being a slave to my eating disorder. I had a vision for my future with a family, and it did not involve this eating disorder. And to not only have freedom from this but to truly be able to appreciate food and enjoy it for the gift it is is just such a joy! I think that’s why I’m so passionate about not just feeding people physically but feeding them spiritually. I used to cringe thinking of the experience around eating and now I dream of long dinners and great conversations around good food. The one thing that kept me in chains for too long is now something I get to share with others. It’s incredible to see how struggles can be healed and redeemed!
Whatever you are going through, share with a trusted friend. Don’t battle alone. Accept help because it’s okay to not be okay. You are loved and have a purpose bigger than you know!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Jones Family Table – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
One of my favorite authors Jen Wilkin once said, “Entertaining seeks to impress. Hospitality seeks to bless.” This has always stuck with me and is the heart of what we do. It’s all about life around the table and being intentional with our time to those around us. It’s fun to put a party together, but at the end of the day, we want people talking about how they felt when they were at our home. I joke that I like my house clean but not too clean when guests come over. I often leave dishes in the sink on purpose because I want to create an environment that’s cozy but not stuffy – where people can have fun, talk life, and be themselves like they would at their own home. And part of that is serving up delicious food so people can leave with happy hearts and stomachs. Whatever the meal is, I like to ensure it can be made as much in advance so we can spend more time chatting with our guests and less time cooking. So, I love sharing these recipes and more with my friends and community so they can also create their own life around the table moments. My husband makes custom tables and cutting boards as part of our little family business so if you’re looking for a beautiful table or cutting board, Jordan is your man! And if you’re looking for delicious recipes (and the best ready to buy granola you’ve ever had) to put on the table, I’m your woman!
Who have you been inspired by?
I’m so thankful to have always had women throughout my life to speak truth and wisdom o me, even when I didn’t want to hear it. God beautifully wove these women into my life for a reason and have shaped who I am today. My advice: seek women you trust, wherever you are and do life with them – the hard and the fun! But when it comes to baking and my Iove for serving others through hospitality, I’d have to say both my grandmothers. I believe we all need a Norma and a Marilyn in our lives. They taught me that serving others, whether through food or time, is truly the best way to find and create joy in life. And to this day, my Grandma Marilyn is still baking away in her late 80’s and dedicating time to those around her. I might be grown-up (well… sort of), but they are who I want to be when I grow up.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jonesfamilytable.com
- Email: jonesfamilytable@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jones.family.table
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/jonesfamilytable
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