Mums we Love!

May 10, 2019

CELEBRATING MOTHERS DAY

To celebrate Mother's Day we've decided to feature some of our favourite mums! Whether their running businesses, writing blogs or providing daily doses of inspiration all of our mums are committed to a sustainable and/or vegan lifestyle. Check out what they have to say below!

ERIN | Health and Lifestyle Coach, Founder: EatMoveRest

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

Mother’s Day, to me, is a special day set aside to honor everything that our mothers have done for us to get us to where we are today. The holiday will take on a whole new meaning for me this year, as a new mother!

What is the best lesson you learned from your own mum?

The best lesson that I learned from my mom was to be patient, kind, and selfless. She is very strong in her faith, and always reminds me to thank God, and has always shown me how to treat others with compassion, to think outside of myself, and to always be willing to listen and help.

How do you plan to spend Mother’s Day?

This Mother’s Day, I am looking forward to celebrating with my husband, Dusty, and baby boy, Maxwell as well as our mothers. We hope to be able to enjoy a delicious plant-based picnic and some time outdoors with our pets!

What is on your Mother’s Day wish list?

All I want for Mother’s Day is to spend quality time being present with my family! If I had to pick one material gift, it would be an (inexpensive) piece of jewelry to remember my first Mother’s Day by!

What is your greatest hope for your child/ren?

My greatest hope for baby Max is that he would grow up to be a brave little boy, to love God, and to someday become a true gentleman, who is kind, compassionate, fearless, independent, and unafraid to express himself in his own unique way!

Finally, would you like to tell us a little bit about your business, blog and/or Instagram account?

I am a health & lifestyle coach and creator of the lifestyle brand, EatMoveRest, founded on the premise that there are 3 things we all do every day, that we could all be doing better: Eat, Move, and Rest! Together with my hubby and our new little peanut, Mr. Max, and big bro/fur baby, Beau, we spend much of our time promoting a plant-based lifestyle and inspiring others to discover their best life! When we’re not busy blending, juicing, and chopping in the kitchen, we enjoy traveling the globe, hosting dinner gatherings, workshops, events, and retreats, and chances are if you’re a local, you’ll catch us on the bike path running, riding, and (now) pushing a stroller! You can find all-things food, fitness, & mindfulness at EatMoveRest.com, YouTube, Facebook, and connect with us daily on Instagram @ErinStanczyk & @DBStanczyk

SARAH & KIRSTY| Founders at KindredS

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

Sarah: I think Mother’s Day is such a wonderful reminder to stop and reflect on the value of motherhood. It is a role that can so often be undervalued in our modern Western culture, and yet I can’t imagine a more important role than raising our children. It is also often taken for granted in the hustle and bustle of daily life, and yet I can’t imagine any greater privilege than being a mother.

What is the best lesson you learned from your own mum?

Kirsty: It is honestly so hard to narrow it down to just one thing, as she is such a beautiful soul and has taught us so much. If I had to choose however what radiates from her the most I would have to say her kindness and compassion. She gives with such a full heart, with no expectation of return, purely for the joy of making someone else’s day brighter and happier. This type of giving brings so much fulfilment and I am grateful to have grown up with such a wonderful example of this in my life each day.

How do you plan to spend Mother’s Day?

Kirsty: If someone could have a chat with my 8 month old son Vince about extending his nap time I wouldn’t mind kicking off the day with a sleep in and a hot cuppa. Ha ha.

Both: We actually have already celebrated with our mum. Our parents were here visiting us on the Gold Coast a few weeks ago and so we surprised mum with a picnic and pamper afternoon as an early Mother’s Day treat. For the Mothers Day weekend we (Kirsty & Sarah) are planning on spending it together with our husbands and sons. It’s honestly such a treat that the universe blessed us both with little lads born only 6 months apart. Maternity leave together and watching them grow up so close is the best Mother’s Day present we could have hoped for.

What is your greatest hope for your child/ren?

Kirsty: One of the things I adore most about Vince is his sense of wonder and the way the world delights him. Seeing him delight in the most simple things I often find myself thinking … ‘oh my darling if you like this just wait until you see…’ (and I think about all the wonderful sights, places and animals that I would like to show him). One of my greatest hopes for him and for all the children of his generation is that those sights and places and animals still exist when they are adults and that they still exist when their children are adults. As parents I think we have a very important responsibility to be mindful of our everyday choices (the products, clothes and food we choose each day) and the impact of those choices on the planet - our children’s future home.

Finally, would you like to tell us a little bit about your blog and/or Instagram account?

Sure! The KindredS community was created with the hope of encouraging and inspiring people to make the connection between the decisions they are making each and every day and the impact of those decisions on the planet and its inhabitants. Often without realising we may be making decisions which are not in line with our core values and beliefs - not intentionally - but purely because we have not been given enough information.

Brands are very keen to tell us how something looks, tastes, smells, or how they suppose it will make us feel - but to know if purchasing that item actually aligns with our personal values of let’s say for example fairness, environmental sustainability and kindness - we need to know - what is the product made of, are those materials sustainable, are they cruelty free, are they organic, fairtrade, locally sourced, who made the item, were they paid fairly??? … there are so many questions and the list of questions will be different for each of us depending on our values.

At KindredS our aim is to provide information to make it easier to find the answers to these types of questions and to connect transparent and compassionate brands with transparent and compassionate people.

JULEE | Founder at PAWJ

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

What Mother’s Day means to me is taking the day to let your mom know how much you truly appreciate her and all that she does and has done for you. Sometimes the ones we love the most get pushed aside because we assume that they already know we love them and will always be there for them. So on this day I think it’s so nice to make mom feel even more special than we normally do.

What is the best lesson you learned from your own mum?

The best lesson I learned from my mom was… well, there’s actually a few but first is that your kids should never be afraid to come and talk to you about anything. Life can be scary and challenging as you grow and if your kids feel comfortable enough to talk to you I believe then they will know they always have someone to turn to and help guide them in the right direction Giving them the confidence they need to face daily challenges is so important. The other lessons are of course learning how to do my own laundry, cooking and sewing!

How do you plan to spend Mother’s Day?

I plan to spend Mothers Day enjoying my mom and of course being a mom. I will take any moment I can to have my family spend the day together. My kids are older now so we don’t get that opportunity as much anymore. We love to go out to eat, go on a hike or spend the day doing something fun!

What is on your Mother’s Day wishlist?

Family time, maybe some new shoes or new perfume. My three favorite things!

What is your greatest hope for your child/ren?

My greatest hope for my children is of course that they will always have confidence and happiness. I think if you are confident and happy going through life that you can be motivated and successful and feel as though nothing can stand in your way.

Finally, would you like to tell us a little bit about your business, blog and/or Instagram account?

Our Instagram account is called PAWJ CALIFORNIA. We started this account because my beautiful daughters and I are extreme animal lovers and also love fashion. We created a vegan footwear company to provide an alternative that is cruelty free but also manufactured with high quality and standards. We believe animals have just as much right to be here as you and I and we would love to help make our world a kinder, gentler place. You can find us on Instagram @pawj.california and also on Facebook and Pinterest.

COURTENAY | Pilates & Yoga Teacher, Founder at Whole Vegan Pantry

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

It's a day I feel gratitude to my mother for bringing me into the world. And I pat myself on the back, with a good dose of self love, for bringing my four little ones earth side.

What is the best lesson you learned from your own mum?

To be kind. Kindness is a really big deal in my mothers family. And is something I am trying to pass on to my daughters.

How do you plan to spend Mother’s Day?

It will involve eating something delicious, extra hugs, coffee in bed and time to read, plus some delicious feel good movement - pilates or yoga.

What is on your Mother’s Day wishlist?

I really want some wooden planter boxes to extend the veggie garden. Sounds kind of lame, but that's been on my list for ages!

Finally, would you like to tell us a little bit about your blog and/or Instagram account?

Courtenay runs @wholeveganpantry a gorgeous Instagram account and blog featuring amazing plant based recipes for the whole family.

MELANIE | Founder, Cheeky Wipes

What does Mother’s Day mean to you?

Honouring and appreciating my own mum and thanking her for all her love and support.

What is the best lesson you learned from your own mum?

When going out with kids, be prepared with a lot of food and drink! And when eating out at a café or restaurant, come with a bag of activity books, stickers and pencils!

How do you plan to spend Mother’s Day?

I am lucky to live near my mum and sisters. We always get together to celebrate, and it usually involves a lot of yummy home prepared food.

What is on your Mother’s Day wishlist?

I don’t need much! Maybe a pair of PJ’s where the top and bottoms actually match! Fancy!

What is your greatest hope for your child/ren?

That they become confident and adventurous! I think confidence is key when it comes to not giving in to peer pressure. I believe there is so much to learn and so much growth that comes through travel and adventures! I hope to lead by example and my girls will follow.

Finally, would you like to tell us a little bit about your business, blog and/or Instagram account?

You can find me @CheekyWipesAustralia on Instagram. We focus on reusable cloth baby wipes and other environmentally friendly baby products. They’ve all been tried and tested by my family and friends. I also love to travel so you’ll find a bit of this on the page too.