Disney fanatic, financial guru, and earth’s caretaker are just the start of what it means to be Jennifer Borget. She’s also her family’s #1 cheerleader and mother of three, a successful blogger and digital creator, and a gung-ho supporter of individuality, having fun, and cherishing every day.
The Propane Education & Research Council partnered with her to see how propane fits into her inspiring and creative lifestyle.
What does it mean to cherish life every day?
It’s an awareness that each day is unique and has an opportunity you won’t get to live again. It’s a reminder to slow down and enjoy the little things and know that someday we may look back and remember them as the big things.
What are 3-5 things a family can do right now to live a Cherish 365 life?
Keep count of things you’re grateful for throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be written down. Just as you notice something you’re thankful for, add to your tally. Set some time aside to do something together each week. Our family likes to have a weekly movie night where we take turns choosing a movie. Other families have Sunday dinners. Maybe yours likes a regular game night. Or reading a book together. Have something you can look forward to doing together regularly. We also like to set goals together. Personal goals and family goals. We are each other’s cheerleaders and friends as we work towards progression together.
You first launched your blog at a time when you were debating motherhood. Now with three kids of your own, what advice would you give a new parent today?
My biggest piece of advice is to know that you don’t have to parent like anyone else. You and your child are each one of a kind. Comparison is the thief of joy. Do you and appreciate how others do things their way.
What is a parenting lesson that you recently learned?
That my DNA doesn’t necessarily mean my kids are my spawn. Ha! I nicknamed my oldest Spawnie before she was born thinking she was going to be my mini me. While our personalities are similar, I’ve realized it’s coincidence. Each of my children have completely different personalities and needs despite having the same parents. They all need love, attention, and encouragement, but they crave it in different ways. Once I began to lean into their uniqueness, I really started to see each of them grow in new and exciting ways.
You’re a huge Disney fan. Who is one of your favorite Disney characters and why?
I have so many! I love Rapunzel because she is a big dreamer and tries to see the best in people. I love Merida for her tenacity and boldness in walking her own path. I love Elinor (Merida’s Mom) as she comes to realize that her daughter’s path doesn’t have to be her own.
You paid off your mortgage in under two years! While a lot of planning and sacrifices made that goal possible, did propane as an efficient source of energy contribute to helping you save money?
It did! Since so many of our appliances are propane powered, and we top it off when we need to, we go several months without having any kind of propane bill. We are able to plan ahead and budget for it, using months in between to pay a little more towards our principal.
How does using propane help you get closer to your dream of living as close to off the electric grid as possible?
Unlike when you’re on a city grid, you get to choose your own propane provider, which means that you aren’t limited to just one option the city decides for you. In the winter, we don’t use much electricity because our furnace is propane powered. Eventually, we’d like to get a propane-powered generator for emergencies also if/when the city grid goes down.
How did propane make a difference for your family during storm Uri in Texas?
Our neighbors all had a text chain and we were helping each other out with tips about using our propane-powered fireplaces and stoves. My hot water heater actually still worked too. So, we were grateful to have the option to take warm baths, and heat up pasta when the lights were out. Not to mention warm up by the fireplace when the power was out. Another thing we realized was our propane-powered furnace warmed up the house a lot faster than our previous electric-powered furnace. That made a big difference when our power was intermittent, so we were able to warm up quicker as soon as power came back on.
Why is it important to you to live sustainably and use energy efficient sources like propane?
For us, we want to do our part. There’s so much I’m trying to learn about our environmental footprint. I’m mother to an animal enthusiast who is very passionate about taking care of the earth so the wild animals will be OK. I’m constantly trying to find ways we can do that. Propane is just one way, but we are going to keep doing more.
What else do you put into practice to live a sustainable lifestyle?
We recycle every week, and we are starting to do the store-recycle programs for things that we can’t recycle curbside. We use metal straws instead of plastic, and I’m learning to compost! We limit our water consumption, stopped using single-use plastic water bottles, we collect rainwater for our garden. I hope to continue to learn more and get better every day!
