May 07, 2020Community

Mum, One Year On

Mother's Day is here, and with that another year has flown by. we thought it might be nice to check in with our four local Mamas who were kind enough to to talk to us last May. A lot can happen in a year and if these past few month's have taught us anything, it's that we are more resilient than we knew. Hope you enjoy our chat with these wonderful women who have navigated their way through Covid-19 whilst in the throws of motherhood. 

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renee. mother to yoshi (5) and juno (3).

What are three things you have learnt from this past year?
1. Slowing down is hard to do when you own a business (But when you do get those days, its incredible!) 
2. Balance. Im still learning that one. Its easy to say keep the balance, but its harder to implement. 
3. Ive learnt how important family time really is. It's just irreplaceable. 
 

 Photos by Jenna Agius Photography

What have you found to be the biggest challenge parenting during Covid-19?
The biggest challenge is trying to work from home whilst parenting. Trying to figure out when and how to work, with a 3 and a 5 year old around at all times, is just a difficult juggle that’s near impossible. 

What lessons are you hoping to teach your children from this time in their life?
Honestly, I just want them to feel and remember the time where we were all together 24 /7. Hopefully they don’t remember my stress as much as they remember all the cute things we have been doing.. like camping in the backyard, and surfing everyday. 

 

 

Talk us through what a typical day during Covid looks like for you - if there is such a thing…
Typical day would be starting with Coffee! Heading to the beach for a quick swim, back for breakfast and then spending the rest of the day juggling Homeschooling Yoshi, entertaining Juno, Working on our businesses, and keeping all Homelife aspects ticking along. Usually finished off with a backyard fire and a margarita or 2! 

What does an outfit look like for you on a typical day and has your style changed since staying home now?
Haha! Oh wow… so I’m going to say, I went from business pants to track pants! Haha! Theres a lot of lounge wear days (but luckily I have my Linen Deiji set from Kind!) How ever I start the day.. i seem to not evolve. If I start at the beach, then I end up in swimwear all day! If I start with a jumprope workout, ill be in activewear all day. Im going to say, its pretty relaxed around here! :-) 

 How do you manage the juggle in your household?
I don’t! Haha! Im trying to be organised and have structure in our day, because that seems to help. But also, knowing when to call it quits and just do something that the kids just want to do. I haven’t managed to master the juggle! 


What does sustainability look like for you on a day-to-day basis - from the products you use, to the clothing you buy …

Over the years, I have taken out any household product that tests on animals and has chemicals… and now our house has only non toxic, not tested on animal items. And believe me, it was hard to do! Toothpaste, deodorants, so many items… are just no go for us. I try to buy smart and long term items, we recycle and try not to be wasteful. Ive just started growing our own herbs and veggies again and I’m actually excited to be looking at a new compost bin! Its the little things! 

What type of future do you hope is ahead for your children?
Honestly, just a healthy and peaceful one. Happiness, to be loved and to love. And to always have a passion! It doesn’t matter what it is, just find one and give it your all!  

What are your favourite 3 pieces in store that you would love to be gifted for Mother’s Day?
A new set of my fav Deiji Studios Loungewear!
The matteau Bikinis high waisted in black!
Mudhavi butter dish.

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theresa. mother to three boys; mason (6.5), noah (3.5) and remi (8 months)
 
What are three things you have learnt from this past year?
1. Kids don’t need that much. We recently moved from a 4 bedder into a smaller 2 bedroom place and I’m finding that the kids are not even noticing the tighter quarters.
2. Everyone was right - 3 kids is crazy! Ha! 
3. Parenting is 80% ego. If I can take even half my ego out of the equation, we all have a better day. 
What have you found to be the biggest challenge parenting during Covid-19?
Probably trying to explain to my kids why they cannot see their mates. They are social creatures and this time away from their friends has definitely been a challenge. 


What lessons are you hoping to teach your children from this time in their life?
Being bored is okay! My (almost) 7 year old struggles with being bored - he thrives at school where there is something to do all the time. So our biggest lesson from this time at home is to enjoy the need to do nothing at all!


Talk us through what a typical day during Covid looks like for you - if there is such a thing...

Frankly, it looks very typical. You know those memes you see about not being able to tell the days apart.. it’s real!

My day starts off with a breastfeed in bed with Remi (my 8 month old). It’s usually around 6.30am, he makes these cute baby noises from our bed and that is an invitation for the big two to jump in. We chat (read: fight) for a bit before my husband gets the boys their breakfast and me a black coffee. He goes off to work and I feed my sourdough starter - it’s turning into a religion for me. We tend to bake something everyday, Mason is amazing in the kitchen and who doesn’t love a bit of eggshell in their brownies, am I right? I pretty much spend the rest of the day being a professional snack maker. Well, that and waiting for packages to arrive from the postman  Once Luke walks in the door at 4pm, we go straight to the beach. We’re so blessed - its a 5 minute walk from us. We wash away the day that was and get that last bit of energy burn off before we head home for the dinner, bath and bedtime special. Luke and I end the day off watching trashy Netflix tv shows and laugh about how these have oddly become the best days of our lives. 

 

What does an outfit look like for you on a typical day and has your style changed since staying home now?
I’ve always been an “aesthetics over function” kinda gal so suffice it to say, I don’t need to be going anywhere for me to put a nice dress on. It’s who I am as a person. The days where I stay in my PJs always end up being low productivity days for me. Everyone needs those, but I’m at my best when I get up and get dressed as if I have somewhere to be.
How do you manage the juggle in your household?
My husband is a very hands on dad (bless him!) Breakfast, bath and bed are his domain. It gives me a chance at a sleep-in in the mornings, to get dinner organized while he has them in the shower and to check out when he’s putting them to bed. 
He’s a surfer so that’s his version of downtime. Adding things to a cart is mine but we can’t have everything so I attempt some solo yoga or Pilates when I get the chance. I feel like we have a great balance in our home. It wasn’t always this way but we’ve both worked out our strengths and I can confidently say that we are much better parents of three kids than we were to just one.
What does sustainability look like for you on a day-to-day basis - from the products you use, to the clothing you buy …
My ethos is to always do our best within our means. We try not to live a lifestyle outside of what we can afford but within what we can, we make the best choices. On a sustainable level, we have as little single use items in our home as possible. We order an organic fruit and vegetable box every week and avoid any wastage by meal planning. I love shopping at bulk foods stores and that is largely to do with the package free shopping it allows. 

As for clothing, it’s probably the first time in my life that I love everything in my wardrobe. It’ll always be a work in progress (I’m always culling) but I don’t have that many pieces these days yet each one of them brings me joy! It is now a bizarre collection, ranging from the opshop finds to amazing pieces that I imagine will be with me for a long time to come.


What type of future do you hope is ahead for your children?
A little bit less ‘every man for himself’ and a lot more kindness. At the heart of it all, kindness goes a long way. Being kind to people, to the earth and to themselves..


What are your favourite 3 pieces in store that you would love to be gifted for Mother’s Day?
Please tag my husband in these answers, thank you.

Kowtow Henri Crew in Camel
Vermeer Studio Theodore Skirt
Lonely Dusty Tee Dress in Stripe
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paris. mother to 3 boys and newborn baby girl; zade (10) storm (5), and vada (21 months) and coco (1 week)

What are three things you have learnt from this past year?
No matter how much of a planner you are, the universe has its own plans for you.
Nothing is ever as important as it seems in the heat of the moment.
Women are incredibly strong and resilient, no matter how times they break.

What have you found to be the biggest challenge parenting during Covid-19?
The biggest challenge has been keeping up with my 3 boys while heavily pregnant. Keeping them happy and active has been my main priority but my body is physically paying for it too. They have a lot of energy.
What lessons are you hoping to teach your children from this time in their life?
To go with the flow, never buy into the panic and just focus on the good and do what makes you happiest.

Talk us through what a typical day during Covid looks like for you - if there is such a thing…
We have been very blessed with incredible weather here on the Gold Coast though all this and we live a short stroll to the ocean. We wake up and have breakfast and get our swimmers on and off for a walk to the beach. The boys ride or scooter most days and bring their boards for a surf. Ive been soft sand walking (baby eviction time) and enjoy the sun and sea for a couple of hours. We wander home and everyone has warm showers we cook lunch and the big boys watch a movie or have some screen time while Vada (21 months) has his nap, I try and nap with him too. Afternoons spent playing and housework. I will admit we’ve been taking full advantage of all the local restaurants and their innovative delivery or take away options. Movie nights, chill time. Its actually been super nice to just take it slow at home! 

What does an outfit look like for you on a typical day and has your style changed since staying home now?
I am all about comfort. Mornings in peony bikinis and a throw on dress, barefoot for our walks and swim. Then its deiji studios all day everyday. There is nothing more comfortable than linen loungewear I’ve got so many pieces that can be mixed and matched. I love that its nice enough to feel good about yourself without every jeopardising comfort. My style hasn’t really changed too much. I usually dress quite simple and laid back.

How do you manage the juggle in your household?
its pretty nuts. I have a really really epic husband. He does so much around the house after work and weekends so I can rest and focus on growing this bubba. The big boys have some chores and a chart they get to mark off daily but things are different every day thats for sure. 

What does sustainability look like for you on a day-to-day basis - from the products you use, to the clothing you buy …
We are very much a quality over quantity family. Ive been this way for as long as I can remember. Each item of furniture, clothing, products etc are seen as an investment. What is going to last the longest or get the most use. Ive never really bought into trends or fast fashion fads. 

What type of future do you hope is ahead for your children?
I hope they can remember the simple things and always value their health as their most important asset. With 3 sons I worry ALL the time about the teenage years but I hope they stay true to their love for the ocean, sand & sun. Eat well, be respectful and always love their mummy! 
What are your favourite 3 pieces in store that you would love to be gifted for Mother’s Day?
I'm Loving the St Agni Chloe Jumper, some All That Remains Pants - when i'm finally not pregnant and can wear pants again! And have been eyeing off the Surf Shack coffee table book.
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megan, mother to lyla (4.5) and marlon (1.5)

What are three things you have learnt from this past year?
We spent some time living out of an old VW van in Oahu, Hawaii a few months back and I learned that you really don’t need a lot of material possessions to be happy. All we needed was a few essentials and each other (our little family of four) our. health and a positive perspective.

I’ve learned I’m actually a bit of a wine snob. Since we’ve been stuck inside in the evenings I have been very particular about my wine choices and getting a bit nerdy on my wine orders, loving the natural and biodynamic wines out of Adelaide atm!

I’ve learned that I should have been using a slow cooker for the last 10 years or so. Our slow cooker has been giving us the easiest + yummiest meals. I’m excited for winter and the warm wholesome bowls of goodness we will be eating at home. 

What have you found to be the biggest challenge parenting during Covid-19?
Not being able to see our friends on the regular.  The parks, libraries, kids classes, skate parks etc. being closed have been a big bummer for us. Thank goodness for the beaches staying open!   

What lessons are you hoping to teach your children from this time in their life?
Teach them to be nice to their family because they might get stuck in isolation with them for a while one day! 

How very important it is to take care of your health.   

Talk us through what a typical day during Covid looks like for you - if there is such a thing...
All pretty much the same... A typical day with the kids usually starts with a swim at the beach and a little picnic breakfast to follow.  We recently moved to Kirra beach front so it makes it easy for us to start our day in our favourite way like this most mornings.  We’ll grab a coffee on the way home to get dressed for the day.  We don’t spend much time at home, the weather is so nice this time of year so usually grab our bikes for a cruz, Lyla just got a new bike so she is all about it and Marli rolls on the skatie with me. We take our time from Kirra to Rainbow and maybe go for another dip on the way back before we head up for lunch and siesta.  During nap I get some work done around the house or dinner prep or try to sneak in a work out.  When the kids wake up we wake up slow, drawing, reading books or playing music. Around 4 we pop out for a sunset surf or swim before dinner.  Both the kids are super into surfing atm so they’re all about it which we’re stoked on! Home by 6 for some dinner, bath, books or jam before bed.  

What does an outfit look like for you on a typical day and has your style changed since staying home now?
A good balance between style and function.  There’s definitely a few costume changes through the day when I’m with the kids. From swimmers with denim cutoffs and a bucket hat to active wear to an easy throw on dress and jumper in the evenings.  I love clothes that make me feel comfortable and sexy at the same time. 

How do you manage the juggle in your household?
Oh man, well my partner has been working a lot during this lockdown time, coming home after we are all asleep most nights the last few weeks so it has been a lot of time just the kids and I. We spend so much time outside and at the beach, which always puts everyone in a good mood and gets their energy out.  Lots of patience, music, wine and understanding always. My four year old, Lyla, is so helpful and getting good at cleaning up and playing with her brother, Marli, so she is my little savour.  

What does sustainability look like for you on a day-to-day basis
from the products, I love Consciously Clean in Currumbin for home products, they have the best stuff!  I love clean beauty products, home made coffee scrubs, multi skincare, avasol zincs.  We also shop from farmers markets each week, we buy local and with least amount of packaging as possible.

My favourite clothing items for the last 15 years have been vintage or second hand pieces I have found or from friends.  Nothing feels better then finding a pair of vintage denim that fits you perfectly and only gets better with wear.  When I buy clothes I try and buy timeless pieces that I will love and wear forever.  

What type of future do you hope is ahead for your children?
An environmentally conscious one with hopefully little to no virus scares again.  I hope too, that travel is always safe, and accessible to them.

What are your favourite 3 pieces in store that you would love to be gifted for Mother’s Day?
Ines Sandals from St Agni! Yes please!!
Rosalie Necklace from Vermeer Studio! Ouuu lala! 
Doll Longsleeve from Lonely - Perfect for this time of year!

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