Mom Talk with Paige

In a few sentences (we know you don’t have much time!) tell us about yourself and your little one…

I’m Paige, mama to 8 month old Nova and owner/creative director of Studio Bicyclette. We recently moved to Hamilton and are settling into our first home, taking it one project at a time and enjoying the process. On any given day you’ll find me attempting to balance motherhood with running my little creative agency, helping lifestyle brands and boutique businesses with creative direction, visual storytelling, brand strategy and styling. I’m still learning. Rayna brought me on to The Mom Lists to help with the branding right around the time I found out I was pregnant, and it’s evolved into the perfect side project since, letting me flex a different type of creativity while playing with adorable kids’ items. What could be better?!

faves

What is one thing you couldn’t live without as a mom?

Oh, there are so many things. I love our Gathre mats (we use a Micro as a change pad cover, a Mini under our highchair and for on-the-go, and I just got a Midi for park hangs, music festivals, the cottage and all our other summer adventures!). Mildly obsessed.

I’ve also learned the importance of always having healthy, easy-to-grab snacks on hand — for me. Otherwise there are days where I might not eat since my schedule revolves around Nova’s and you never know what the day might hold or if you’ll actually have a hand free for more than 2 minutes.

(I know, that’s two…)

What is one purchase that has been the biggest waste of money?

I actually didn’t buy that much “stuff” because I wanted to avoid this, and we ended up getting a lot of hand me downs from friends (swing, bassinet, bathtub, etc.), so I feel like we avoided this pretty well!

You’ve been there, done that… so what would you say… save or splurge?

Sleepers? Save. We’ve done second hand (Once Upon a Child) for most of ours.

Swaddles/blankets? Splurge. I vowed to not go too crazy with these and instead invested in a few I really loved in different sizes, paying attention to the softness and colours and/or prints.

Stroller? Splurge — but on sale!

High chair? Save. Ikea!

Diapers and wipes? A mix. We’ve done mostly cloth diapers so far (through a delivery service) and try to buy in bulk/on sale for the natural wipes and disposables we like.

Three things that are always in your diaper bag (besides diapers)?

A change of clothes, as many toys as I can fit (we’re at that super short attention span phase), and small muslin cloths to clean up whatever messes the day has in store.

Book Club

What is your favourite children’s book?

I’m excited to have so many new books to explore with Nova, but Where the Wild Things Are remains a favourite from my childhood. Oh, and also The Rainbow Fish — because sparkles!

Which book could you recite from memory (aka. your child’s fave)?

We’re not at the story phase yet — but I could tell you every single different textures in our touch and feel books…

Mini Style

What are your favourite places to shop for your babe?

I’ve started thinking of Nova’s wardrobe in seasonal/size capsules, which has worked really well for us. Most of her clothes are secondhand, so I frequent Once Upon a Child, Value Village and Talize often and hunt for pieces we love at a fraction of the price they’d be new. Plus, that way we can trade in what doesn’t fit anymore and we’re being more conscious with our buying habits.

Beyond that, I love premium brands like Jamie Kay, Rylee + Cru and Quincy Mae but we usually just pick out an item or two for those special pieces. And we buy them big so she has plenty of time to grow into them! I also love a lot of the Zara baby collection, especially for the price point.

A lot of our accessories are from small, mama-run companies like Brim Shoppe for gorgeous sun bonnets in vintage prints, Fourth + Pierce for leather hair accessories, Indy and Pippa for cute printed hair bows and Mini Made for headbands.

Mom Talk

What advice would you tell your pregnant self?

Everyone’s experience is different, and though it’s good to the research (if that’s your thing) and talk to your friends about their experiences, you won’t know what your experience will be until you’re in the midst of it. Listen to your intuition and do what you feel is best for you and your babe. Also — don’t be afraid to ask for help.

What was one thing you thought about motherhood that proved to be untrue?

Honestly, I went into it with very few expectations intentionally. I don’t think I realized how isolating it can or how much it was going to affect my sense of self though, so that’s been a bit of a personal struggle.

As a working mom, how do you find balance between work and motherhood?

I’m not sure I have found balance, and it’s a constant learning curve as things continue to evolve. The biggest thing I’ve tried to do is to set really clear boundaries when I can. If I have access to childcare for a day, I make sure I’m planning that out well and taking full advantage, so that I can be fully present when I need to step into my mom role and am not trying to bounce back and forth and do it all. I’ve realized that doesn’t work for me and adds a lot more stress and anxiety.

Who is your momspiration?

I was lucky enough to have a few friends who had babies a little earlier than me and I learned so much from them throughout my pregnancy and during those early months. I also found our friendships were strengthened a lot during this time, and I’ve absolutely loved watching them became amazing moms and set the tone for the kind of mom I hope I am. I’ve learned that community is so incredibly important during this time and I so value having real women who are navigating this crazy journey in my life and aren’t afraid to get into the nitty gritty of it. So Jenn and Rayna — you’ve been my momspirations.

#TMLmomtalk