This Mom of Two and Graphic Designer Moved Cross-Country To Give Her Kids a Suburban Massachusetts Lifestyle.
We’re continuing our Moms We ♥️ Love series, with Maria Leshner, a Medfield mom of two who moved from Arizona to the Boston-area suburbs three years ago. She shares her experience connecting with the community and using her graphic design and marketing skills to help launch a local farmers market.
Maria Leshner is a stay-at-home mom of two and the owner of RiDesign Studio, a freelance art and graphic design company. Almost two decades after moving to Arizona for college, Maria and her husband were ready to relocate and settle down in Massachusetts, her home state.
“We were looking for a different experience for our kids growing up,” she said. “We wanted more varied seasons and great education systems. I really appreciated my upbringing in Massachusetts.”
Since Maria and her husband, Scott, both work remotely, they didn’t have to consider commute times in their move and were considering many areas around Boston. With the help of Suburban Jungle, the couple settled on Medfield, a Boston-area suburb close to where her parents live in the city.
Shortly after moving, Maria connected with a woman named Lauren who wanted to start a new farmers market in the community. The two became fast friends – and Maria volunteered for the Executive Committee. The committee has worked hard to get the new market up and running.
“We’re in the process of launching a new Medfield Community Market and I’m on the executive board. We had our grand opening this May and welcomed over 1,000 attendees to the event! We were blown away by the community support,” she says.
Maria devoted the past year to getting the new market up and running. She helped build the market’s online presence, created graphics, secured vendors and sponsors, and helped manage the business registration process. After months of hard work, Maria is excited for her community to experience the new farmer’s market.
When did you decide to move to Medfield?
“We’ve been in Medfield for nearly three years now,” Maria says. “Prior to moving, we had been talking for years about the idea of wanting to move before my son started kindergarten. We took first the steps in the process, including contacting Suburban Jungle, back in 2020.”
Why did you decide to call Medfield “home?”
“Medfield is a wonderful community of about 13,000 residents,” she says. “This is a bit more suburban than we had experienced before. We’re really enjoying all the outdoor opportunities we have and the close-knit energy of our town, while still being close to Boston and all it has to offer.”
How does living in Medfield inspire your graphic design work?
Since joining the Medfield Community Market executive committee, Maria has devoted her time to getting the market up and running.
“I am creating all the graphics with Lauren, getting our brand online, reaching out to vendors and sponsors with the committee, as well as contributing to the business registration process,” she says. “Working on that and flexing my graphic design muscles has been fantastic.”
What advice would you give to other moms considering a similar cross-country move?
“When you’re getting ready to move, it’s important to strategize what to pack first, and what to leave until the end – like things to keep your kids comfortable and entertained. It helped me to break down my packing plan into smaller pieces that I knew I could accomplish every day. If you can divide the approximate total number of boxes you’ll have by the number of days you have left to pack, you’ll set yourself up for success.”
Want to find a place you ♥️? Get in touch to schedule your Suburbs Strategy session.
