Hello World!

Posted on by Jennifer Ranndazzo

My name is Jennifer Randazzo and JustJenetics is something that has been in my mind for a very long time — so here goes! First let me tell you about Jenetics. As much as I’d like to I can’t take credit for this clever play on my name, I can’t. Truth is I hijacked it from my very funny friend and neighbor. Shout out to Jen Crouch! It was so fitting for me that I started #hashtagging the heck out of it. After realizing that it was not only in my DNA, but that many of my fellow Jennifers are plagued by the same “genetics” it just stuck.

Genetics is defined as the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics. Jenetics is much the same except it it the inherited characteristics of those named Jennifer. If you were a girl born in the 70’s chances are your name is Jennifer as it tops the list of most popular girls’ names in the 70’s. I grew up as Jennifer Jolly or Jen Jolly JJ or Jolly Jennifer, the list goes on — depending what kids were doing the teasing that day. I couldn’t wait to ditch my maiden name when I got married, but I’ve since learned to embrace it as it is much easier to spell or pronounce than Randazzo. It’s also pretty catchy around the holidays (so thankful my parents didn’t decide to name me Holly) It was something I never appreciated as a kid, but as an adult with a love for a thing for Hallmark Christmas movies i totally embrace my Jolly side. So spending your childhood wishing you could ditch your name and then as an adult realizing you wish you could have it back – that’s jenetics.

Jenetics for me and many of the Jens’ who took part in my very unscientific, non-reliable study is kind of like Murphy’s Law for those named Jennifer: Anything and everything that can go wrong usually does, something that should be simple never all hindering your ability move through life effortlessly the way someone named Rachel or Zoe does.

Me (left) and my little sister with the Jolly Ole’ Fellow in the good old days.

Perfectly imperfect.

Posted on by Jennifer Ranndazzo

So many of us are chasing perfection. I know that I have spent my life I continual phases of one self-help, self improvement or find your bliss journey to another. Even though I’m still trying to find that magic equation for perfection, I’ve come to a huge realization. It does NOT exsist!! Let that sink in for a moment. Perfection is a farce. We are all in search of this ideal of what perfection looks like to us. The PTA mom who makes the perfect classroom treats and throws killer birthday parties, the fit mom who looks like she can eat whatever she wants and still be featured on the cover of Shape Magazine or your coworker that never seems to have a bad day. Don’t even get me started on these Hollywood starlets who have a baby and are back to work sporting skinny jeans a week later. When I had kids it took a week just to see my ankles agin. It all look so effortless and with social media it is in our face 24/7. You would never know it or want to believe it but all these women are struggling with something. We’re all faced with struggles and hardships in some way shape or form. We are all searching for the key to happinesses and contentment. It might be different for each of us, but we are all yearning for something.

In todays world we are often so caught up in what our life should look like that we forget to embrace the beauty that it is. I spent most of my life believing that if I were a certain size, if I were a kick-ass cook, if I could plan the perfect party, have the showcase home or just break free of anxiety and stress that my life would be perfect. Well it took me over 40 years to realize it, but it was my search for perfection that was causing most of my anxiety and stress. Worrying if I was making the right decision, saying the right thing, presenting myself I the best light — was giving me major anxiety and stress. Just trying to make the most simple decisions gave me angst because they HAD to be the right choice. I suffered from serious analysis paralysis trying to play every possible scenario out in my head. What would this person think? What would so and so say? What would Waldo do? Why did I care? Honestly, I don’t know why I cared so much and in full disclosure I still struggle with caring too much. I think it is because I am a serious people pleaser. I want everyone to be happy. Happy with each other, happy with themselves, happy with me and even happy with my choices. That’s all lot of pressure ya’ll. You gotta be pretty dang perfect to make everyone happy all the time. Well guess what? I’m not even close to perfect and my strive for perfection was bringing me down. Sidennote: (being the oldest child in my family I blame my type A personality on birth order and genetics. My inability to maintain those type A personality traits I blame on Jenetics but that is another post all together).

I haven’t perfected it (no pun intended) but I am learning to let go of the ideal of perfection and its ability to bring me happiness. While I do hope to spread happiness and light into the world, it is not up to me to make everyone else happy – especially at my own expense. I am a work in progress. I try to remember that I am imperfectly made, but I am enough. My worth is not defined by what others think of me. I am perfectly imperfect! Let’s come together let down the facade honor each other’s imperfections. with love and compassion. I’m on a mission — to change the way we love ourselves and others. I hope you will join me.

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. – Mother Teresa