FWM: After nearly three decades in nutrition, public health, and food safety, what inspired you to finally pursue your longtime dream of becoming a children’s author at 50?
JM: For years, becoming a children’s author was one of those dreams I kept tucked away for “someday.” As I approached 50, I created a “50 Before 50” bucket list of sorts of things I wanted to accomplish or complete before turning 50, and writing a children’s book was on it. I realized I had spent almost three decades building a career around nutrition, public health, and food safety, and I had this incredible opportunity to take everything I had learned and turn it into something that could reach children in a completely different way.
Let your child help prepare food. Take a family walk. Put the phones away at dinner. Visit a farmers market together.
JM: Turning 50 actually gave me courage. Instead of thinking, “Is it too late?” I started thinking, “If not now, when?” Birdie’s Picnic Party began as one item on a bucket list, but it ended up opening an entirely new chapter of my life. I know preach to everyone I meet it is never to late to chase and dream and turn it into a REALITY!
FWM: The Birdie series combines storytelling with lessons about food safety, healthy eating, movement, and confidence. Why was it important for you to introduce these topics to children in a way that feels fun and accessible?
JM: Children learn so much through stories, play, and characters they can connect with. They are little sponges and eager to soak up helpful and educational information if it is delivered in a fun and creative way to them. I never wanted Birdie to feel like a health lesson or a textbook. I wanted children to laugh, enjoy the adventure, and fall in love with the characters and learn something valuable along the way.
Food safety, nutrition, movement, and confidence are all lifelong skills, but they don’t have to feel complicated. If Birdie can help a child remember to wash their hands, try a new food, get outside and move, or feel a little more confident in themselves, then the story has done exactly what I hoped it would do.
FWM: Your books were inspired by your daughter’s childhood nickname. How has motherhood influenced the stories you tell and the impact you hope to have on families?
JM: Motherhood is really at the heart of Birdie. My daughter’s nickname growing up was “Birdie,” so there is a very personal piece of my family woven into the series.
Being a mother also taught me that some of the most meaningful moments with our children happen during very ordinary things such sitting around the dinner table, cooking together, going for a walk, playing outside, the ride home from school in the car or simply talking about their day. Those moments build connection.
I hope the Birdie books encourage families not only to develop healthy habits, but also to spend more intentional time together. To me, wellness is bigger than what is on your plate. It is also about connection, confidence, movement, laughter, and creating memories together.
FWM: You have built a career around helping people develop healthier habits. What do you believe families often misunderstand about creating healthy habits that truly last?
JM: I think we sometimes make healthy living much more complicated than it needs to be. Families can feel like they have to completely overhaul their lives, eat perfectly, or follow the latest trend. That usually isn’t sustainable.
Healthy habits are built through small, consistent choices. Cook one more meal together. Let your child help prepare food. Take a family walk. Put the phones away at dinner. Visit a farmers market together. Try one new fruit or vegetable. Teach children why washing their hands matters.
It doesn’t have to be perfect to make a difference. When healthy choices become part of everyday family life rather than a set of rules, they are much more likely to last.
FWM: Your books have already received multiple awards and recognition. What has that affirmation meant to you, especially after stepping into this new chapter later in life?
JM: The recognition has been incredibly meaningful because I started this journey without knowing where it would lead. I simply knew I had something I wanted to share.
Receiving awards for the Birdie books has certainly been exciting, but what means even more to me is knowing that the message behind them is resonating. Every award, bookstore invitation, school visit, library story time, and child who gets excited about Birdie reminds me that taking that first chance at 50 was worth it. Just the other day I opened the mail to a package of thank you letters a girls scout troop had written to me, they read my books and it helped them work towards earning one of their patches. That in itself tells me my message is being heard.
It has also reinforced something I hope other women hear: your age does not determine whether your dream is still worth pursuing. Sometimes the experience you gain along the way is exactly what prepares you for your next chapter.
FWM: Many women reach a point where they wonder whether it is too late to pursue something they have always wanted to do. What did you have to overcome, internally or externally, to give yourself permission to begin again?
JM: Probably the biggest thing I had to overcome was my own belief that there was a “right” timeline for accomplishing certain things. Starting something completely new at 50 can feel intimidating. You wonder whether people will take you seriously, whether you know enough, or whether you should simply stay in the lane you have already created for yourself. Never let fear hold you back from going for your goals and dreams.
FWM: As you look ahead, what do you hope the Birdie series and your broader work will contribute to the next generation of children and families?
JM: My hope is that Birdie continues to grow into something that helps children understand wellness in a positive, joyful way while also bringing families together.
I would love for Birdie to be a character children grow up with; learning about food safety, nutrition, movement, confidence, and other important life skills through her adventures.
But my bigger mission goes beyond the books. I want to help bring families back to the table not just to eat healthier food, but to reconnect. If my books and my work can help create healthier children, more confident children, and families who spend a little more meaningful time together, that would be an incredible legacy.
Photo credit: Rising Star Photography
