happy.echo

Here are my fav mama items living the dream in Squamish! I had meant to post these earlier this winter so a couple of them are a bit more winter/weather related but they are still awesome…

My Jimmy’s - easy to get on, great for any weather, comfy, and cute!

Phil & Ted’s Lobster Seats! Easy peasy in every way, especially to CLEAN!

Couldn’t survive without my ERGO!

iPhone - apps, music, Skype but mainly my CAMERA for recording daily moments!

New to our fleet of baby gear this summer, can’t wait to go biking with the littles to the farmers market!

Awesome baby product - MEC sleeping bag for the BOB! Warm down & way easier than pulling on coats!

My best friend BOB! 

My lululemon jacket for those “Squamish” days (which hopefully are gone now until October?)

My lifefactory glass H2O bottle - staying hydrated is in itself a mission!

Meet my lovely friend Brittany and her cutie pie Hudson!

She’s a super cool mama friend who balances motherhood and being an artist/small biz owner beautifully. As part of this blog, I’ll be interviewing inspiring mama’s on a monthly basis. 

1. So, tell us… how do you do it? Motherhood and working as an artist/small biz owner?

First off, I firmly believe you CANNOT do it all, at least not well. As woman, we have been told we can do it all (work, babies, romance, community, unstoppable bodies, hobbies + giving to others) and reality hurts when this doesn’t go as planned. Each day/week/month is different and this is a general approach I take:

• Prioritize 

Tasks + errands fall second to my most important job, being a mom.

• Figure out your values

Do you know what your values are? Do your days, activities + conversations fall in line with your values? This is a great plum line.

• Hire people + let go 

I’m no longer a one woman show and things are better than ever! Things will be done right (sometimes even better) and this frees me up for other creative endeavours. 

Second, I have an amazing husband who supports me 100% and gets excited about what I do. He encourages me to push myself and even (gasp!) fail.

2. Who has most inspired you in your calling as “mama”?

My mom. She’s fiercely supportive, unafraid and finds joy in everything… I wish everyone could know her.

3. What helps you maintain balance in your life?

Exercise. This is totally a cliche answer but is the answer to stress, fatigue, frustration, lack-of-inspiration and a break from baby (even if they’re only in the stroller).

4. What is your favorite part of the day and why?

Post bath, pre bed, snuggle sessions nuzzling into Hudsons blond curls.

5. When did you start type B/lowercase and how did you get into jewerly making?

type B was born in 2009 in my quest for quality, casual jewellery! I wanted a way to preserve ephemera and work it into my everyday. I took a class from a local jeweller in Vancouver as well as from an artist in Portland. One thing has led to another and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Keep a look out for my new higher end line, perennial, launching at the end of the year.

6. Any practical advice for other new mama’s or mama’s to be?

Get yourself a medela swing pump and get out of the house every single day.

7. What is one thing that gets you through the TOUGH moments being a mother?

Sleep, even 20 minutes helps! Say yes to the friend who has offered to take the baby for an hour- everything will be fine.

8. Favorite kid product? Something you recommend…

I have to say, my stroller has been the BEST. From day 1, I have used it every single day. We travel often so it has taken a beating and still going strong!

http://uppababy.com/vista/overview/

9. Tell us about Hudson!

Hudson is the epitome of creativity. We spend the majority of the day laughing, petting dogs and practising head stands. Its a pretty tight schedule!

10. Where can we find type B/lowercase this summer?

http://lovetypeb.com/stores

Twin mama style came to me a couple days ago when I was thinking… what would be helpful, useful information to other twin mama’s…. and something interesting to blog about! I always enjoy sneak peak’s into other mama’s lives so here’s one into mine. 

Diaper bags, like most of baby-land, are uncharted waters. But face it, this is going to be something you carry around ALL the time. Whatever your go-to purse was before baby, it’s been relegated to the back of your closet and you won’t be using it for 20 years (or date night) so listen up mama’s because diaper bags are serious business (and seriously expensive). 

This was a big connundrum for me before my little ones arrived… Like any mama-to-be, you have “ideas” about what you think you want. Me… I wanted a Petunia Picklebottom Cake Bag (sigh). Much to my dismay, not only was it out of my budget, but when I visited Jack n Lola to check out diaper bags, I wasn’t impressed with the shoulder straps. I kept telling myself the little straps wouldn’t be a big deal but the more I thought about lugging around twice the amount of baby gear, the more I realized my shoulders would hate me later, no matter how cute the bag was. 

After a thorough investigation into the diaper bag market,  I settled on a simple black Lululemon Gym Bag (purchased at the Burnaby, BC factory outlet for $60!). A friend mentioned she was enjoying using hers as a diaper bag, and since I used to work for Lululemon Athletica a few years ago, I am very familiar with what makes their products AMAZING. They think of it all! And their gym bags lend PERFECTLY for busy mama’s, who want to functionality & style as well as doubling as a gym bag for those lucky enough to squeeze in a work out. My lovely friend Elim over at Lululemon recently did a similar piece on traveling light using a similar bag. The great thing about this bag is that it’s made to tote sweaty gym gear (not too far removed from the messy side of motherhood). The bag’s compartments lend great for baby bottles and gear as does the little bag for dirty gym clothes (which doubles great for dirty baby clothes). 

Now that my twins are almost 11 months, what I’ve toted about has fluctuated during each stage, but here’s what’s in my bag these days:

1. H2O (bottles for everyone) hydration is key!

2. Ella’s Kitchen Baby food pouches (perfect for out-n-about hunger)

3. mama snacks (granola bar & fruit)

4. pastic bowl/spoon/2 clean bibs in plastic ziplock bag with dry clean washcloth 

5. wallet & sunnies

6. moleskine dayplanner for keeping the day on track

7. iPhone & headphones 

8. hand sanitizer & hand lotion (it’s the small things)

9. pacifier (or “soo-soo” as they’re called around here)

10. Hooter Hider (for discrete nursing)

11. clean diapers (I carry both disposable and cloth as well as a small dry/wet bag for dirty diapers)

12. Skip Hop changing pad/wipes - this is a GREAT baby item, especially for twins

13. toys 

14. first aid kit & infant tylenol

15. (not pictured but I often throw in a change of clothes for each baby just in case. This has become less crucial after 6 months but certainly in the first few months, a dry, clean change of clothing was good to have on hand). 

ALWAYS keep your diaper bag stocked and ready to go. Nothing is worse than realizing you are out of wipes from the last outing and forgot to re-load… or using your finger as a spoon. 

**Also very handy: Storksak Stroller Clips (they work great on our Double BOB with the lululemon gym bag) 

So they’re 7 months old. And this is what my day looks like...

5:30-6:30 am - anywhere during this hour, I’ll awake to the soft sounds of baby in the monitor… I typically wait until about 6:30 to get them up.

7-7:30 am - nursing twins tandem… then feed them breakfast

7:30-8:30 am - try to grab a bit to eat while changing diapers, getting them dressed, and playtime

8:30/9-10:30 am - babies nap. Often I nap too :) Or I eat… or check emails, clean, etc. This is one of the only times I get during the day to “get things done”. It’s the best time to make dinner, make lunch. When I do this, our evening is a lot easier.

11-11:30 am - nurse twins, change diapers

11:30-12:30 pm - play time, snuggle, read (or meet up with a friend for a walk/coffee hang)

12:30/1 - 2:30 pm - second nap of the day. I sometimes nap, or eat lunch, or try to “get something done” (laundry, make dinner, empty dishwasher, shower, etc).

3-3:30 pm - babies up, nurse, change diapers….

3:30-4:30 pm - usually try to get outside for a walk… catch some fresh air and sunshine.

4:30/5 - 5:30 pm - sometimes babies need another cat nap… or we play. Prep dinner. Prep baby dinner. Housework.

5:30 - 6 pm - feed twins dinner & wait for daddy to get home. I’ll often Skype with family while the twins eat… two birds with one stone.

6-7 pm - play as a family, bath time, snuggles, and nurse before putting down for the night.

7:30 pm… - eat dinner, more house work, work out, run errands, depending on the night… My most efficient hours of the day are 8-10pm. This is often when I’ll manage my small business (invoicing/book keeping, emailing clients/staff, etc). 

The most difficult things for me to accomplish during the day:

1. drinking water

2. brushing my teeth

3. showering/changing out of my PJ’s

4. eating

5. getting outside

6. making a phone call

What I’ve learned so far is that the name of the game with twins is being ORGANIZED. Having a to-do list that is realistic, sticking to a routine, having help (even a couple hours to myself during the week to get out for an appointment or run an errand is a lifesaver, getting enough sleep, easy-to-make-healthy & quick meals, and having lots of grace with myself, the twins, and my hubby. We also have learned the art of balance in our life, which means a lot of saying “no” to fun things we’d love to do but just can’t. I book our social life well in advance and have found we can manage typically one (occasionally two) social things/weekend.

So far we are finding working out, date night, and time for hobbies are the toughest thing to fit into our lives… but we are motivated to get creative and figure out ways to incorporate those passions back into life.

It’s a crazy pace, a totally crazy life, but it’s equally as amazing and fun and awesome. We are constantly learning, adapting, and reminding ourselves life is short… it’s all about being in the moment.