May always means a celebration of Mother’s Day, but you don’t have to be actual family to enjoy a special mother-daughter bond, or to respect the roles of mothers everywhere.
Carey Pena, 3TV Emmy award-winning news anchor, and Sandy Barbetta, co-owner of Cosmos Salon and Day Spa, have a special longtime relationship of mutual respect for each other’s hard work and dedication to family. “I think of Carey as one of my own daughters,” said Sandy.
And Carey has similar affections. “I met Sandy when I was fresh out of college, producing stories about fun new places around the Valley,” said Carey. “I covered a fashion event at Cosmo’s Salon, and the rest, as they say, is history. She is my one and only hairdresser, but so much more than that. She is like my second mom,” Carey continued. “I love Sandy’s creative spirit.”
Sandy keeps family close by, managing her family-centered salon business for many years in Mesa, with her husband, Cosmo, daughter Dana and son-in-law, Chris. “The rest of the staff is like family, too, with many having been with us for more than 10 years,” Sandy said. “And we all live nearby, too, in Las Sendas.”
“I have been blessed to grow my career here in Arizona—a place I fell in love with while attending ASU,” Carey stated. “I’ve worked at 3TV as a reporter, covering general news and investigative stories before moving into my role as an anchor and host of our Sunday political show, Politics Unplugged. Recently, my role was expanded to include anchoring our 6 p.m. broadcast, as well as 9 and 10 p.m. news Monday through Friday,” Carey continued. “I co-anchor with a great guy, Fields Moseley. He is a husband and father of three, so we are on the same page as far as trying to balance work and family.”
When asked how she manages a high-profile job and takes care of twins, too, Carey responded, “The key to making it all work is balance. My husband also has a very busy career as an attorney,” she said. “We approach everything as a team.”
Carey strives for quality family time, too. “When I am with my two-year-old twins, I focus entirely on them—no distractions, she said. “And I always strive for time well-spent, whether that is at work or at home. What’s the use of running yourself ragged if you aren’t inspired and enjoying what you are doing on a daily basis? My motto is, make it matter,” Carey exclaimed.
Modern motherhood is a balance of making choices and making time, something Sandy and Carey both agree.
If you have a story you would like to convey to Carey, e-mail her at cpena@azfamily.com, or connect on Twitter @CareyPenaTV and Facebook at facebook.com/careypena. Contact Sandy at (480) 844-0707, or at Cosmos Salon and Day Spa, located at 2837 N. Power Road in The Village at Las Sendas.