What is your name?
Jaimie Ruggiero
How many kids do you each have and what are their ages?
2 girls, ages 5 & 7 Emilia & Alessia
What is your favorite thing about the Sayville Patchogue Area?
The quaint town feel! Being able to grab a coffee and walk shop to shop. I also love the venue, The Lovely on Main! It’s the most beautiful venue and the owner Val is amazing She hosts fun events herself there but also she supports other women business owners and they have hosted fun events there too!
Tell us about your business – name and services offered!
Suburban Low Tox Mom is a brand that was built out of necessity. It is a Low Tox Self Care Product Line and I also offer small at home soap making parties. I also have a sister company, Suburban Luxe Gifting Co. which provides those same products beautifully wrapped and customized as personalized favors, Gift Sets and More!
What inspired you to start your business?
I became sick with Long Covid and was forced to resign from teaching. My doctors told me to live a low toxic lifestyle to manage the inflammation. When I was doing research so many of the products I needed to buy and replace were so expensive and I started to get upset about why the healthier options are always less affordable. l started to feel like we as moms, are all set up to fail. I started finding recipes and making and trialing them to get them right… I would use them for myself but others would ask for them too. I started selling them as gifts around the holidays and started to get regular customers who kept wanting to restock. I decided to continue to make products and keep the prices affordable for everyone but fell in love with the creative aspect and making them pretty too.
What do you love about your business/favorite part of what you do?
I enjoy the creative aspect of making a simple soap beautiful. I love designing the packaging, naming it, blending the scents, and trialing the recipes until it’s exactly how I like it! I love that it’s restored my creative expression and allows me to enjoy doing something in my own home and on my own time.
How has motherhood influenced your business journey?
My daughter was diagnosed neurodivergent very young and I knew that I had to make many lifestyle changes to make our home a less toxic environment and to make sure we limit the toxins we put on our body and in our bodies. When I got sick I knew I needed to make these changes too to get better to be around for my girls. The research I have done was driven by my love for them. They are my number one fans and they love watching me make my products and joining in from time to time.
What makes your business unique?
Everything is premium quality and handmade and it can all be customized. Customers love that it’s convenient gift giving. I take pride in all of the little details. I genuinely want the consumer to love the product and the presentation. I enjoy hearing customers, especially fellow moms say how convenient it is to purchase gift sets because all the wrapping is completed for them and they don’t have to waste time running to get a gift bag or tissue paper etc.
What advice would you give to another mom?
You don’t have to be crunchy granola by any means but start researching what’s in the products your family uses and how they can affect your health. I never did and always thought it was all ridiculous until I was so sick and did my deep diving and I truly think it’s the reason I’ve been healing.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
If you have an idea don’t sit on it because someone else will play it out and steal your glory.
Anything else you’d like to share!
Be kind to everyone you meet because you never know what they are going through. I found more kindness from strangers than friends during my hardest times. Many of those strangers have turned into family 
