Meet-A-Mom-Monday: Diana Fannan of Sweet Dani B Cookie Shop Cafe! - The Monmouth Moms

Meet this week’s mom Diana Fannan an incredibly talented mama when it comes to crafts and being creative. She is married to a US Army vet and they have an adorable little boy Jack! Diana is a talented cookie icer and works with Dani the owner of Sweet Dani B’s Cookie Kitchen. These ladies create some seriously impressive cookies and she often bakes with her son in her spare time. She has created a great support system of friends in Monmouth County and really enjoys raising her son here. You can read more about Diana below!

 

 

Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I grew up in Bergenfield (Bergen County), and moved to Monmouth County in 2015, when my
then boyfriend, Gabe (now my husband), returned from an overseas deployment with the US
Army. After enjoying a few years as renters in Avon-by-the-Sea, we bought a home in Wall
Township to start our family.

 

 

Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Jack – 3 1/2

 

 

One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I have a knack for crafting and DIYing just about everything, but I suppose this is not surprising
to most people who get to know me. Another fun fact about me, I used to sing
backup/harmonies in my sister’s rock and roll band, The Normal Living. The band is still together,
and I do still consider myself to be part of the band, just on a long hiatus since Jack came along.

 

 

Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
My family has been a strong support system. My siblings and I have children in the same age
range, and it has been so wonderful to continue to build our sibling-bond as we raise kids
together. We definitely lean on each other a lot for the little things as well as the big-picture
things. I am so fortunate to live near my parents, who always jump at the chance to help me
with Jack when Gabe has to travel for his commitments with the military. Outside of my family, I
have a solid group of childhood friends that I am grateful to still call my best friends now, and we
are always looking to each other for advice and support. I also probably would not have gotten
though Jack’s early toddlerhood (which I thought was harder than the infant months!) without my
local mom-friends, with whom I connected through a mommy and baby fitness group.

 

 

 

Favorite things to do with your kids?
Jack and I love baking together (especially cookies and muffins, both his favorite), and he loves
helping me make homemade pizza. We can usually be found on the beach or boardwalk,
especially during the off-season. Although we didn’t get to the beach as much as I would have
liked this past summer, I am looking forward to bundling up with him and playing in the sun and
sand all throughout fall and winter.

 

 

Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the
corporate world? Please share!
I am a Cookie Icer at Sweet Dani B Cookie Kitchen in Asbury Park. As a self-taught baker and
cookie icer, it was hard to imagine ever doing this professionally. Before, I was content with
honing my cookie decorating skills by making cookies for every family member’s birthday,
every possible holiday, and all my friends’ special events. After having Jack, it was harder to
keep up with my cookie hobby. Once I connected with Dani, and started icing cookies at the
shop a few days a week, my cookie skills excelled even more than I thought possible. It’s a
special feeling to know that through our cookie creations, I get to be a small part of our
customers’ parties, milestones, and life events. Dani has been a much-needed mentor and friend,
both in our little cookie-world and in real life. She and I share so many of the same values and
our creative styles mesh very well together. We are Cookie Sisters!

 

 

 

How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Being a part of the team at Sweet Dani B Cookie Kitchen, and the surrounding community, has
given me the home-away-from-home that I needed as a new mom. It was important for me to
have a sense of purpose and community outside of my parenting journey, and to be able to find it
by turning my favorite hobby into a profession has been wonderful for my personal
development.

 

 

What is your favorite restaurant in Monmouth County?
We like to keep it casual, so our go-to restaurants are Brickwall in Asbury Park and St Stephens
Green in Spring Lake.

 

What is your favorite activity to do with your child(ren) in Monmouth County?
Definitely the beach and boardwalk, and we love to explore to find new and different
playgrounds in surrounding towns.

 

 

What are your Mom Goals?
To continue to build on my patience and grace towards my child as he grows and develops in
different stages of childhood. To show him the joys in the little things in life. For my son to feel
how much he is loved every day, and to look back on his childhood as a time of laughter and
joyfulness.

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