Go Ask Mom

Meet the Cary mom who's competing on Food Network's Haunted Gingerbread Showdown

Grier Rubeling, a mom of two in Cary, has long been creative, but Food Network viewers will see her step way out of her own comfort zone during her national television debut on the channel's upcoming show Haunted Gingerbread Showdown.

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Grier Rubeling with her husband and daughters
By
Coleen Hanson Smith
, Go Ask Mom writer

Grier Rubeling, a mom of two in Cary, has long been creative, but Food Network viewers will see her step way out of her own comfort zone during her national television debut on the channel's upcoming show Haunted Gingerbread Showdown.

The show, which launched Sunday, Oct. 6, features host Clinton Kelly and top gingerbread artists from around the world facing off in front of judges Jamika Pessoa, Gesine Prado and Jason Smith. The competitors whip up some spooky creations, all based on a theme. The winners of the first three heats will compete for the ultimate prize of $25,000.

We don't know yet if Rubeling wins. Her episode will air at 10 p.m., Oct. 13. The theme will be "When Aliens Attack." But, even without her national TV debut, Rubeling, a small business owner, brings with her a passion for life, parenthood and entrepreneurialism. We checked in to find out more about what drives Rubeling. Here's a Q&A:

Go Ask Mom: How did you get into making gingerbread houses?
Grier Rubeling: Well, artistry runs in my family and I have some crafty friends who have inspired me over the years. I really started getting creative in my late 20s with the Pinterest craze and I even have my own DIY/crafting blog, The Craft Crib.

A few years ago, a friend of mine sent me an advertisement for the Raleigh Winterfest Gingerbread House Competition. I competed and won with my first-ever entry and I’ve been hooked ever since. I won a few local competitions and then set my sights on the National Gingerbread House Competition, which takes place in Asheville each year at the Grove Park Inn.

I found out that the most recent winner lived in Apex, so I tracked her down on Facebook. I took one of her classes and she introduced me to a whole underground network of gingerbread fanatics, mostly people in North Carolina. I absorbed as much information as I possibly could about the “sport,” created my “Reindeer Playing Poker” entry for the 2018 competition at the Grove Park Inn.

I went with low, but hopeful, expectations, and I won third place! Which was completely unexpected, especially after seeing the entries on display. Needless to say, I got completely hooked, made so many new friends, and discovered a whole new side to myself.

Courtesy: Grier Rubeling
GAM: What is the Haunted Gingerbread Showdown and how did you get involved?
GR: The Haunted Gingerbread Showdown is a competition style show on the Food Network that centers around nine contestants building Halloween-themed gingerbread houses on set. There are three episodes in the first round with three contestants competing on each episode. The winners from each of the first three episodes go on to compete head to head on the fourth and final episode. I was recruited by the network after placing third in last year’s National Gingerbread House Competition – for which I was briefly featured on the Food Network’s show Gingerbread Giants 2.
GAM: What was filming for a national TV show like?
GR: It was a humbling and stressful, but totally awesome experience. I got to compete with some of the best artists in the nation, and it brought my game to a whole new level. I learned so much in such a short time. I really enjoyed the filming part and getting to tell my story to the world. Plus, I got to meet Clinton Kelly and who doesn’t love him?
GAM: Tell us a little bit about yourself aside from your love for gingerbread.
GR: I live in Cary with my husband and two daughters. Eleanor is almost 4 and Evelyn is 2. When I’m not doing gingerbread, I’m usually spending time with my family or working on my business or blog. I recently decided to get back into blogging and now I’m trying to monetize the blog I started years ago as a side hobby. I didn’t have much time to manage it while I was caring for babies. Now that my children are toddlers, and a bunch of my pins on Pinterest went viral, I’m attempting to create some passive income off of my hobbies that I spend so much time and effort on.
Courtesy: Grier Rubeling
GAM: What is it you love about making gingerbread houses? Do you bake anything else?
GR: I love the challenge of making a gingerbread house. Gingerbread house isn’t even an accurate description for my creations anymore. I tend to make “scenes” out of gingerbread, rather than structures. Trying to create something realistic looking and artistic with only food products is challenging and fun. I don’t really bake, but I’m excellent with baking “hacks.” I can dress up a boxed cake like no other. But in terms of baking from scratch, I don’t do a lot of that. I never really got the hang of the ingredients and how they all relate to one another. I prefer to lean on others with years of experience (Pinterest recipes).
GAM: You dabble in so many things – and it seems like you do them all well. What fuels your entrepreneurial spirit and passion?
GR: I love being an entrepreneur! I’m too much of a Type A personality with my own ideas, passion and determination to work for anyone but myself. After the birth of my second daughter, I just decided I didn’t want to raise two young women when I couldn’t be proud of what I did for a living. So I quit my job and started my own financial services consulting firm – which allows me to help other financial advisors become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses.

Starting my own company changed my life and my entire mindset. I really enjoy being an entrepreneur and having total control over my life and my schedule. It makes me a better mother and person. Now I’m working on bringing my hobbies and passions into the mix and trying to create another income stream for myself. Eventually, I’d love to own my own business making a living in an industry I do love.

Go Ask Mom feature local moms every Monday.

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