Mom Talk with Nicole from The Bear Co
In a few sentences (we know you don’t have much time!) tell us about yourself and your little guys…
Hi! I'm Nicole - Mommy to two cutie pie baby boys - Theo (2 years old) and Mikey (2 months old), wife to my childhood camp boyfriend, and founder of The Bear Co. I worked in advertising before spending a year living abroad in Israel with my husband where I ran an e-commerce site and travelled to my heart's content. At the end of the year, we sold the e-commerce business, bought a house, and got pregnant with Theo. And now we have Mikey. Life is good and so silly with my boys.
Fill us in on everything we should know about your shop The Bear Co.:
The Bear Co. makes custom, personalized teething rings, rattles, and pacifier clips for little humans, and matching keychains for their grownups (or older siblings). Made with eco-friendly silicone beads and natural beach wood, they are designed to relieve teething pain and help little smiles break through. Named for my son who we call The Bear or Theo Bear.
faves
What is one thing you couldn’t live without as a mom?
(your ultimate must-have!)
Okay so I want to say my husband but maybe that's too cheesy? For real though, I feel like the one thing you cannot live without as a mom is a great support system and my husband is that! I hit the jackpot with a husband that is a true partner in parenting and just life. So grateful for him.
Okay but also, I couldn't live without a pacifier. I remember the first time we gave it to Theo we were like 'what is this magic sorcery?'
What are your child’s current faves?
(if it suddenly disappeared tomorrow - there would for sure be tears!)
This is an easy one. Lion. Theo has a lion lovey that he takes everywhere! We have backups for the backups. It’s a whole thing.
Mikey's current fav is Mommy. And I love it and will take it for as long as I can and remind myself daily that this phase will end way too soon
What are three things that you take everywhere with you …
(diaper bag essentials - besides diapers!)
1. Vasaline. It's like my 'Windex' that cures all. And my kids' paediatrician recommends it for like 9 out of 10 ailments we've brought to him so it is very validating.
2. Backup pacifiers and paci clips. Theo stopped using his recently, but I always had his stash with me and now it begins again with Mikey. My husband used to lick a paci if it fell on the floor and then plop it back into Theo’s mouth. Hated it and now that’s definitely not an option with COVID so I keep lots of extras as well as an extra paci clip so I never get stuck without my sorcery.
3. Sunglasses. Because I’m a tired mom to a newborn.
Book Club
What is your favourite children’s book?
(a childhood fave or a post children discovery)
I like ‘I’ll Love You Forever’. Because Theo will let me rock him as I read it and then he rocks me at the end and I’m obsessed with those snuggle opps that don’t come often enough.
What is your child’s favourite books?
(bet you can recite from memory!)
Theo loves 'Where the wild things are'. I always tell him 'I'll eat you up I love you so' and he says 'NO' like Max. It was actually a gift from a cousin that passed so it's extra special that it ended up being a fav.
Mini Style
What are your favourite places to shop for your babe?
(mostly online these days I’m sure!)
H&M is a go-to. Their kids stuff is way better than their adult clothing in my opinion.
What children’s clothing brand do you wish they made in your size?
(because let’s face it, we’ve all once thought “I wish this came in my size!”)
lol. See above :)
But also if Kyte Baby made adult clothes, I would be all over that!
Mom Talk
What advice would you tell your pregnant self?
(if only you knew then..)
The fourth trimester is real. And real hard. Accept help. I had a really tough time after Theo was born. Feeding was hard, I had low milk supply and at one point he wasn't gaining weight. It sent me down a spiral that I'm now sure was postpartum depression or anxiety. People talk about it, but it's hard to remember your'e not alone when you feel so alone. I would tell myself to accept more help - it doesn't mean you are any less capable.
As a working mom, how do you find balance between work and motherhood?
(really is there such a thing?)
This is so hard. Especially because The Bear Co. is a side hustle. I think something always has to give and the 'balance' is always shifting.
Who is your momspiration?
(it can be more than just one because there are so many superstars out there!)
Gosh. Any mom that is running a successful business is killing it in my opinion and is major momspiration.
What has been your pandemic saviour?
(we need all the sanity tips!)
FaceTime reading with our Bubbies. If we have a Bubbie with a book on Facetime, we can leave Theo alone with the phone for a very decent amount of time. When one Bubbie has to get off the phone, Theo will ask for 'Different Bubbie' and we'll move on to the next.
Follow Nicole on Instagram: @the.bear.co and visit her shop website: www.thebearco.ca/
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