momstory

Meet Mom Marta from Lisbon...

 

My name is Marta, I´m a fashion designer and I live in Lisbon, Portugal. I have a gorgeous son with 9 months, his name is António.
My passion has always been fashion and I currently work in my studio which is an extension of my home. I have an online shop and I usually write in my blog. I love to work with patterned fabrics. Probably because I love color. I work a lot with african and asian fabrics. I always buy some fabrics when I travel.

 
Living
I live in a sunny apartment with my husband, son and our 3 cats. I love this house because our previous apartment had no natural light. This one has tons of light and it´s always warm, even in winter! Although I love this apartment, I dream about having a house with a garden, so my son can play outside.
Here in Portugal we´re lucky ´cause we have sun even during winter, so people take their kids to outside playgrounds. Even so, I dream about having a house with a beautiful garden to lay around and watching my kid play.

I love decorating! Since our previous apartment was so dark, I decided I wanted to have a bright new one, so our walls are all white. For now! Maybe one day we´ll change.
When I was pregnant I decided I didn´t want a blue or pink baby room, so we painted one wall in a very bright grey with white clouds. The other walls are white. Everything else has colour: the baby quilt I made, the wall stickers, etc...

I usually buy LivingEtc, Elle Decor (UK) and AD (Spain). They are my favorite magazines.
My son usually plays in the living room, but if we leave the room, we comes following us crawling. He ´s discovering everything and we are now taking some "extreme measures" to make our home baby proof. In my neighborhood I love to buy vegetables and fresh fruit from a local market.

General and Upbringing
I always think on 2 sides about raising a child: raising them in the city or in the countryside. A part of me would like to raise my child in the country, and maybe one day it will happen. But Lisbon it´s a good city to live and raise a child: it´s sunny, not violent and culturally open. So it´s not a bad city to raise kids.

I don´t have just one role model, I have many: my father, my mother, my husband and some friends for various reasons. My father is a leader, ambitious and generous. My mother was extremely affectionate, I have the best memories of her and she´s a true role model has a mother. My husband is passionate about life, never quits anything and is super amusing.

A perfect day with my children is watching him play and hearing his laughters. It makes my day!
Honestly, I don´t have any favorite books about "how-to-raise-your-kid" values. I believe every child is different and methods depend on your child personality. Also, the best mother tool a woman can have is her own instinct. Of course now and then I have some doubts, and when that happens I usually visit babycenter.com.
I think the most important value is Love. Love is never too much. Being affectionate and showing I´m always here for my son is a priority. Also, I want to show him the importance of being tolerant and not prejudiced with others.

Craft and DIY projects:
To keep the house clean when crafting, I always try to clear up everything when I end crafting. I think this is the secret to find everything tidy when I want to start crafting. It´s a simple method, but it works for me! While crafting, forget being tidy! :) Worry about that in the end!
I prefer to name myself as a fashion designer, but I´m also a bit crafter. I usually take some ideas from other blogs, but I always change them my way.
Well... my kid is only 9 months, so he´s too small for kids crafting so I´m not there yet :) But I guess I will soon discover some great projects to make in a few months!! I do want to keep everything, so one day I´ll give him his masterpieces!

Playing and relaxing:
I have a funny story about celebrating birthdays: I´m not a fan of big parties, but last year I was 37 weeks pregnant and decided to plan a big birthday party for me. I planned everything, It was gonna be a great party... but my son decided to be born the day before!! So I had no party :)
This year I want to reunite everyone again so I can have my birthday party. But usually I like to celebrate special days with a few special people, cooking something or eating out in a nice restaurant.

I don´t have any musical instruments in my house, but I have a passion for pianos...
My favorite books for children are Anita´s. They were part of my childhood and I love them, hope my kid will love them too.

Cooking
I am absolutely a cook and food lover! I don´t eat meat, only some fish and vegetarian food. I love to try new recipes and I create a lot of them too. In fact, I have a secret food blog. I´m not prepared to reveal it to the world yet, but one day I will!! I also love desserts. This is my favorite dessert blog.

Travelling

I love to travel as a backpacker, with nothing booked. I prefer simple things and seeing non touristic spots. Since António was born I made one trip with my husband to Morocco without our son. We wanted an adventurous trip, and our son is to young to enjoy this kind of trip, so we decided to go just the 2 of us. But we real want to travel with him one day. We still don´t know what kind of trip it will be, but we are already thinking about this. Any suggestions?  We already made some small trips around Portugal with António and we try to pack only essential stuff, but with a baby it´s difficult. We have to be organized and leave the non important stuff behind.

..Marta Mourao..
..Marta Mourão blog..

Meet Mom Lucie from the Netherlands...

I’m Lucie Beck from the Netherlands and I live in Utrecht, together with my husband Robert. I just gave birth to my son Joep! Joep is 13 weeks old. My company is called Gallerie Lucy and I organize creative courses for bachelor-parties and companies. I’m always looking for humorists new workshops. For example you can paint garden gnomes! Beside that I'm participating in the organisation of the Utrechtse Fabriek. It’s a cooperation of five business woman and we organize crafty markets in Utrecht. People sell their handmade and unique stuff, workshops, food, drinks and music are available.

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
We live in a beautiful f house in Utrecht dating back to 1910. The house has a big garden (in Utrecht is this uncommon) where Joep can freely crawl in the future. The house has old charateristic details like the green white shutters. We are very happy in this house. The center is nearby, day-nursery and shops are near. The day-nursery of Joep is near a mill (Holland!) with goats and animals, very cute.

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
Yes a lot! I’m always changening things in the house. Most of the things I do by myself and I try to combine old and new stuff. I renovate old things or apply my style to it. For example I’ve decorate the commode of Joep with nice porcelain buttons.

Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?
The second-hand shop is near by (Emmahaus); I’m always getting inspired there. Also they’re selling old hobby books where I get my ideas from.
I like the Dutch  magazines, 101, vtwonen and ariadneathome. Different blogs and sites I’m visiting are design*sponge, madamezsazsa, bybjor, marieclaireidees, flickr. When I visit blogs I look at their links and click trough.

What are your children’s favorite items in your house?
At this moment Joep is 8 weeks old, he likes the mobile above his box very much.. I’ve changed the puppets on his mobile, I bought the ducks at a webshop and change them for the old ones.

What places in your new neighborhood do you like to go to for shopping?
At Utrecht: Rachmanihof, Casablanca, the Emmahause, Hema and several flea markets. At Liberation Day, the fifth of May, I always go to a very big flea market in the district Lombok in Utrecht. Everyone who lives there is selling their stuff, very nice and a good atmosphere.
At Queensday (the celebration of the Queen) there are flea markets everywhere and I shop many clothes for Joep at this day.

What's it like to raise a child in your town?
Very nice. There’s a lot to do for children in the neighborhood. Everyone takes their children on the bicycle and you can take them everywhere. Near Utrecht you will have different places to go, not so much traveling but a lot of nature and green.

Who do you consider is a good example for your children?
No one in particular, I think Joep can learn from everybody (family, friends, teachers) in his environment on condition they’re approaching him with love, tenderness and consistency.

What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?
A walk to the center of Utrecht or go to friends with Robert and Joep, have lunch and enjoy time off with each other.

Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?
“Baby” from Desmond Harris, a up to date book with an interesting vision on a babies growth.

Can you mention some of your ‘how-to-raise-your-kid’ values?
A lot of humor, love and singing but also consistency and explaining the things you’re doing and why.

Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
Always have a plastic cloth in the house or when it’s  nice weather go outside for crafting.

Are you a crafter or DIY person?
I’m always design things that people can make in my workshops. These ideas are with different materials like fabrics, paint, felt, old buttons or nice wallpaper. Actually I have a lot of materials which I use. Otherwise I’m decorating the wall with pictures from old books in my working room or think of nice things for the house. I create “etageres” (stacking) from old and new tableware and use plastic animals to decorate them.

Books, websites, local shops you can recommend to get tips and ideas for kids crafting?
MadebyJoel and different books from the library. The magazine “Ariadne at Home Kids”, “Ouders van Nu”. And there are nice books in the second-hand shop.

What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school? Any nice decoration ideas how to hang them, keep them or use them as presents?
I think when Joep starts making projects we will get a frame which we will  hang on the wall. When there are new paintings I will put the old paintings in a map and the new in the frame. Then you often have a new big painting from Joep.

How do you like to celebrate birthdays and other special days in your house?
A big party with a lot of friends and family, with nice food and drinks, not very complicate but very socially cosy (in Dutch you will say “gezellig”!)

What are favorite games in your home?
The Catan of Colinist and the WII sport.

Are there musical instruments in your house?
One trombone, only Robert play’s only on it when were’ having a party.

What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting?
“Spoorwegmuseum”, railway museum for kids in Utrecht.Nemo museum in Amsterdam, technical and scientific to-do things for kids. Of course “De Utrechtse Fabriek” at the Griftpark with a big playground and an animal farm. Of course there are severate workshops to do for the kids.

What movies do your children like to watch, is there one from your childhood you would love to show them too?
A movie that I want to show to Joep in the future are severate Disney films like The Lion King. My father translated them to the dutch so I grow up with Disney movies!

Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
A food lover! Robert cooks most of the time, I’d like to eat what he’s made;-)

What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?
We are a big fan of the island Terschelling in particular the festival Oerol. It’s a ten days long festival on the whole island with music, theater and different things to do. We are staying at a `, this year it will be the first time for Joep. We’ll rent bicycles and bicycle all over the island to the beach or some music entertainment. We’d like to go to France, to Bormes les Mimosas. A friend of us has an apartment there, very lovely! We also like diving holidays or go to Italy.

Do you keep some sort of travel journal with the children?
Not that I know yet. We always make a lot of pictures.

How do you prepare for a trip, any useful tips?
Make a big list!

..Gallerie Lucy..
..Gallery Lucy shop..
..Gallery Lucy workshops..

Meet Mom Fleur from Avalon in Australia...

My name is Fleur Robinson and I live in Avalon on the northern beaches of NSW (just a little further north than Hayley in Dee Why - another Mom Story). This area and lifestyle is still very new to me after having spent the majority of my life literally on the other side of the country in Perth, Western Australia. My husband is from Avalon, originally, but after completing his studies in WA he decided to stay on – lucky for the both of us.  He is a ‘left brain’ and I am most definitely a ‘right brain’ person, having been involved in design all of my adult years and in many guises.  I studied Interior Design, however I’ve never practiced in a formal sense, preferring to stay on the perimeter and falling into sales positions where my peers became my clients.  I ran an agency representing fabrics & hand-made rugs ect… for many years and in my spare time, contributed editorial features to a few design & architecture journals.  Writing was a passion, but it was based on an interview with a designer and photographs of his/her work so I was always working to a streamlined brief.  Now, with two young children in tow, I’m writing for children’s fashion label Alex&Ant in a far more organic and open-brief environment that constantly alarms the perfectionist in me!

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
Our house is a gorgeous 1940s-ish white weatherboard cottage, quite unique to this neighbourhood.  It couldn’t be more different from the architect-designed renovation we’d completed in Perth that paid tribute to modernism with an industrial edge.  We were so excited to add this ‘box’ onto our small 1920’s home, to make way for baby number 2 and to insert the kitchen of my dreams.  However, after living in it for only one year we realized our priorities were quite wrong.  Where were the outdoor living spaces, lush garden and huge expanses of lawn for the kids? We don’t miss the house, but we left behind an amazing group of friends in Perth, whom we all miss terribly.

Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
I used to daydream about my ‘ultimate’ contemporary interior.  These days I’m much more relaxed about how it all comes together and typically the pieces I buy are far less of an investment. We sold a lot of furniture and possessions before we moved owing to this house being much smaller and the style so different.  It’s been exciting to embrace a new aesthetic and enjoy trawling unfamiliar antique/collectables stores.  Our kids sleep together so this really helps to control any desire to personalize their room.  One boy + one girl = neutral loveliness.

 
What are your children’s favourite items in your house?
Olive’s favourite thing is her Klippan “Bruno” bear rug given to her at birth by my closest friend. Nordic Fusion sell Klippan rugs in Sydney, a great store.
Zac’s favourite is his Parker  Furniture desk containing all of his drawing & craft supplies.  He can sit there drawing literally for hours.

Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?
Interiors inspiration:
Inside Out, frankie - mags
Haus Maus – blog
Love Loans & Linen, David met Nicole, The Society Inc. – stores
Food:
delicious, Donna Hay, Donna Hay Kids
Donna Hay General Store, Belle Fleur Chocolates, any niche food store - stores
Kids:
LMNOP – mags
Bleubird - blog
All of our Alex & Ant stockists – stores & webstores!

What places in your new neighborhood do you like to go to for shopping?
Love Loans & Linen is in the next suburb, Palm Beach, which is as far north as you can go on this Peninsula.  It’s a pared back, considered collection of homewares with a few beautiful pieces for children, housed in a tiny store as part of an old post office.  Very special, just like the area.

Little Paper Lane is located in Mona Vale, a short drive South of Avalon.  It stocks beautiful paper goods.

Antiques General is Narrabeen is a stylists heaven, full of delightful 2nd hand goods at reasonable prices.  I picked up a split cane lounge for our front deck at only $280AUD.  Ebay is also a friend of mine - a stunning deep blue West German vase is on its way to me from Byron Bay as I write.

What's it like to raise a child in your town?
The reason we moved from Perth to Avalon was to discover a simpler way of life.  We didn’t live hear the beach in Perth and never longed to, but now that we do I can’t imagine what we did all day.  There is water all around us, the Pittwater river system on one side and the ocean on the other.  We’re always outdoors and taking cues from what the kids like to do rather than what we think they’d like to do.  There are a lot of families with young children around here, so I’m meeting people quickly.  The park in the centre of town is always heaving with kids so you inevitably get chatting with other parents.  Most everyone is relaxed, smiling & friendly and we feel privileged to live in these parts.  Sydney is only 1 hour away whenever we need a city fix and I try to drive in alone once a month to meet up with friends, and appreciate what their suburbs have to offer.

Who do you consider is a good example for your children?
To always find time to stop and interact.  We all work and there’s also the housework, but 10 minutes spent reading a book to your kids whilst you’re in the middle of vacuuming, isn’t going to totally sabotage your cleaning goals.  Who wants their kids to think, or much worse say, that you’re always pre-occupied with the bigger picture?  Zac has accused me of spending too much time on the computer in the past, and it really hit home.

Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?
I followed the Tizzie Hall ‘Save Our Sleep’ routines for Zac & Olive and I have to be careful not to boast about how much they love their sleep!  I wasn’t able to express much milk so I left this out of the routine, but as for the feed & sleep times throughout the various ages & stages – I worked my days around Tizzie’s advice.  Sure, I didn’t get out much but I was perfectly happy because the kids have slept through the night since around 4 months of age.  It was also really important for me to know the time I’d have in the day, either to myself or to get things done.  I was never a Mom who just went with the flow and took all my cues from the bub – maybe moreso these days.

Can you mention some of your ‘how-to-raise-your-kid’ values?
I simply try to treat my children how I like to be treated.  Sometimes I wish the roles were reversed
and I could have a tantrum over something small that has got under my skin!

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?
We try not to go too crazy with craft projects like I used to living in Perth.  I spent a fortune on gorgeous stickers, stamps, glitters and papers without realizing there’s more fun in finding your own materials to work with.  These days we collect shells from the beach and string them up with twine or we draw on my old letterheads instead of pristine paper.  And how much fun do the kids have with a nappy box!?!

Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
Fishing tackle boxes are great to store everything in.

Are you a crafter or DIY person?
Each year at Christmas I make something with textiles to accompany a baked treat(s), but I’m not a great crafter or sewer!  I love the raw appeal of fraying linen and stitches such as a blanket stitch.  Last year I made felt & linen gingerbread man decorations…not sure about this year yet.

Books, websites, local shops you can recommend to get tips and ideas for kids crafting?
Bloesem Kids, of course.  And I like to stay in touch with the books that ‘Chronicle’ release as they seem to represent all the most creative.

What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school?
I have some linen bunting strung up between two photo canvases above our bed.  At the moment a few of Zac’s drawings are pegged up and I love it.  The majority of his paintings & drawings are kept in a drawer – I find it very hard to dispose of any.

Any nice decoration ideas how to hang them, keep them or use them as presents?
We often use drawings or paintings as wrapping paper with a layer of cello over the top – it looks so personal and gorgeous.



Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
Oh yes, I’m both.  I cook every night for the family, sometimes a special kids meal, but more often than not they eat what we’re eating.  Either I choose something from one of Annabel Karmel’s great books (kids food that’s sophisticated enough for adults) or from Bill Granger (adult food suited to kids!)  I enjoy the discipline of following a recipe at the end of a day when I’ve usually had to pander to the random needs, wants & whims of my children.  My husband leaves me to cook and he takes care of bath-to-bed for the kid – it’s my relaxation time. My favourite cuisine to eat out is Thai and there are some amazing Thai-influenced restaurants in Sydney such as Spice Temple and Longrain (the cocktails are amazing here too).  You can read about my fascination with food on my “Feed Me Friday” blog where I put my own spin on a great recipe.  I try hard to style and photograph the dishes well too, so they look appetizing at least!

..Alex&Ant..
..Alex&Ant blog..