Before I introduce today’s sponsor (whose interview answers are worth the read!), I have to say a few things.

First of all, thank you for your responses to yesterday’s post.  I have so many e-mails to go through and am still reading your comments on the post and on Facebook, and–just, thank you.  Thank you for being respectful and kind and understanding with a subject that often riles those “but I know I’m right” feelings.  While there were many people who believe differently, of course (yay! we’re different! that’s okay! halleluiah! high five!), I felt, for the most part, there was great discussion–passion with kindness.  That’s how I learn the most.  And different opinions expressed that way–with love?  They look all colorful and beautiful when they’re together. 

Also, I was glad the post coincidentally fell on a day that called for love and some of those “Dear Gods.”  I said them last night, and I share them with the rest of the world.  For Boston.  For those who are hurting; for those who help the hurting.  You are in our thoughts and prayers, Boston.  Amen.

Today, we looked for love and found it in many places.  We slowed down.  We heard some of Dash’s first coos and goos and, my favorite, the “ga-ahhhh!” that he tries so hard to muster so that when it’s finally released, it startles him.  Big eyes and that bottom lip. 

Now, Oh Canada!  Google Analytics shows there are a lot of you friends out there.  And since our book club offer was limited to the US, our sponsor today makes up for it a little bit–it’s just for Canadians (at least for now–opening to US soon).  And all those other countries?  If you’re still reading, we love you too.

Teaplicity is a family-run tea business.  The website itself is an experience– the flavors, the descriptions, the thought behind every product, every business choice.  If there’s one thing for sure, this family knows tea; and it’s not just the tea, it’s the ritual of tea.  A simple life pleasure.  From fruit, spice and classic teas to creamy blends like buttered rum and white chocolate, Teaplicity offers an impressive range of flavors and types–all premium blends, all natural flavors.  Or shall I say, flavours.  Love that u. 

White chocolate (with a little cream and sugar) is my favorite so far.  I tried several of these teas over the weekend, and every one of them was delicious and unique.  Also–happy hour teas.  Enough said.

Teaplicity provides great explanations of every tea to help you choose and, in addition to loose leaf, offers convenient bag tea (finer cut tea leaves) as well as tea products–tea pots, steeping pockets, etc. 

I hope you’ll enjoy Nicole’s interview–the mama behind Teaplicity–as much as I did.  I loved what she wrote about incorporating her kids into her business to teach them entrepreneurship (saw on Instagram the other day, her ten year old was having fun photographing teas).

1.) So I’ve tasted many of your teas and love them. And your site is a beautiful mecca of tea. So, why tea? What got you started in this business and how have you been inspired to bring good tea to the masses?

I was travelling to urban (read snooty) tea shops to buy my loose leaf tea, and I noticed a lot of customers would timidly try to select a tea through their confusion. I recognized the opportunity to simplify tea for us busy folks/mamas who want to find the perfect tea fit without having to earn a PhD in tea terminology. You will see this simplicity reflected in the layout of my website and in tea descriptions that are simple and sometimes humorous. Spending your hard earned dollars should not be hard – hence the name Teaplicity! Also, tea is one of the little pleasures in life that feels like a big indulgence. Like most mothers, I make the family budget work by taking care of everyone else and holding back for myself. Tea is a great way to feel like I’m getting something special for myself without breaking the bank.

2.) I love that you are a family-run business, and you say it’s important that your kids are involved in decisions and business practices. Explain why this is important to you and how you do this.

I had the incredible experience of starting up and running a successful and profitable company when I was twelve years old through a program called Junior Achievement. I credit the program for a lot of my confidence and skills. I wanted my children to experience the same challenges, risks, and rewards of entrepreneurship. Ethan (10) and Tessa (5) were involved in selecting the company name, logo, and product packaging. We talk a lot about ethical business decisions because tea is grown in developing countries (all our teas come from estates certified by the ethical tea partnership, which is similar to fair trade for coffee). Ethan attends business meetings where he is simply introduced as my business partner, and I have yet to see anyone bat an eyelash that I would bring a 10-year-old to discuss business. With guidance and in his best suit and tie, he has learned to confidently shake hands and discuss the Teaplicity concept with others. Ethan is a wonderful promoter of Teaplicity, and I’ve overheard him talking about ‘his’ business with his friends. Children are capable of understanding and doing so much more than we give them credit for sometimes, and I value their opinion when making business decisions. It has been enjoyable and memorable for us to spend time building something together.

3.) I love how you express an appreciation not just for tea itself but for the ritual of tea, particularly the beauty of loose leaf tea. (I agree!) Care to elaborate?

I love the ritual of making a hot cup of tea for that rare quiet moment amidst the daily chaos of life with a young family. I love the ritual of catching up with your best girlfriend over a steaming pot of beautiful loose leaf tea. And the ritual of serving a decadent chocolate tea to my family after a holiday dinner. Or enjoying quality steeped tea in my travel mug while watching my daughter’s ballet class or my son’s hockey game. Tea just enhances life’s small moments. And while it’s true that I personally adore the ritual of loose leaf tea, I understand why some women choose to use teabags for reasons of time and convenience. While most (again, snooty) tea shops would never dream of including teabags in their product line, we pride ourselves on providing a huge selection of high-quality teabags for our customers who might just go over the edge by adding even one more thing to their day. I have so been there, my friends, and I am not here to judge you!

4.) So, what’s your favorite tea and what does your tea ritual look like in your home?

Preparing tea is a reminder for me to be fully in the moment for a few minutes each day. Being present-of-mind allows me to engage all of my senses. I take in the beauty of the tea leaves as I scoop them from the tin, and I watch as they uncurl and dance in the hot water. I smell the wonderful the aroma. And, oh, the taste of the first sip from every cup – pure bliss! I never feel guilty taking a few moments to myself to enjoy this sensory overload as I know the laundry pile and child pulling at my pant leg will still be there after the last drop. It’s so hard to choose a favourite tea! I really enjoy the creamy teas from our vanilla collection, mmmm, and of course the chocolate teas. I’m working on several exclusive new blends right now so I’m trying something different all the time.

*******
Teaplicity often runs giveaways on their Facebook page and has created a nice collection of Mother’s Day gifts (something besides slippers! yay!) for you. 

I spent a lot of time going through Teaplicity’s site and tasting their teas, and I’m really proud to have them as a sponsor.  So much thought behind this business and such a great example of how one mama’s idea and passion can be expanded to teach lessons to a family while helping provide for it.

Welcome, Teaplicity.
And Hellooooooo, Canada! 

I fell in love with the artwork of Jennifer Zetts as soon as I clicked on her shop, The Little Illustrator.  Full of, as Jennifer describes, “cutesy quirky” illustrations, The Little Illustrator offers unique, colorful drawings guaranteed to add happiness to your home. 

From the color palette and fun quotes to the simple playful characters Jennifer draws, The Little Illustrator art makes me smile.

Love seeing her art in our home:

Left: “You’re my Sweetheart” art, Right: Custom Family Art she created for us

*****

And I like giving you the chance to know the mama and artist behind this business.  Meet Jennifer:

1.) How did you learn to draw? Were you always a “doodler” and it just evolved into your unique style or did you have some sort of art training?

 I have always been a doodler but growing up I never liked art. All through elementary school and middle school, I dreaded going to art class. It wasn’t until high school that I found my love and appreciation for art. I’m not sure if it was because of my art teacher, my maturing, or a combination of both, but I found a passion for art. I remember sitting up late at night teaching myself to draw more realistic portraits using the grid method. I would sit for hours and hours erasing and redoing it until I felt like it was perfect. Although I spent quite a few years drawing realistically, it never felt like my style. It didn’t feel natural is the best way to describe it. I continued to draw and paint for years before I grew into my own unique style.

2.) I love how a lot of your art incorporates drawings with funny/cute/motivating captions. Where do you get your ideas/how do they come to you? (my best ideas sometimes come while I’m half-sleeping, so I keep a pen and paper by my bed).

My ideas come from my life and my family. Being a mother is a HUGE part of my life. I have a 16 year old daughter and 4 babies 3 years and under. Inspiration is never short in supply around here. There is a lot of love in my life, but at times there is just as much messiness. I try to tap into the messy parts of motherhood, or life, just as much as the sweet parts. Life can be hard. Motherhood can be even harder. Some of my most favorite prints come from some of the messiest times in my life.

3.) Do you have a favorite print in your shop or an illustration that has an especially good story behind it?

My most favorite print I have ever done is “You Are Our Perfect”. It will always have a very special place in my heart. The print is inspired by my sweet Camden. Before I had Camden, I remember going to ultrasounds and my biggest concern was about whether the baby had ten fingers and toes. It was like if the baby had the correct fingers and toes that meant that the coast was clear. That everything was going to be ok. I know for a fact that I didn’t once give a serious thought about genetic abnormalities, syndromes, feeding difficulties, hypotonia, etc. It’s funny how mother’s intuition works. Sometimes it’s not until we look back that we as mothers realize how right we really were. How we weren’t being crazy from lack of sleep or the emotions of the moment. That what we felt was more right than anyone could have ever imagined. When I held Camden in my arms for the very first time, the last thing I thought was how perfect he looked. I couldn’t even physically see him because my eyes were so filled with tears. I knew something was wrong with Camden after holding him for all of 10 seconds. I just didn’t know what. I remember unswaddling his arms and legs. Counting fingers and toes through blurry eyes, like that would somehow erase the sick feeling I felt and reassure me that everything was indeed alright. Dr’s and nurses reassured me that “everything was perfect with my baby” and that “he couldn’t be more perfect.” Turns out, depending on your definition of perfect, Camden was born perfect. Camden was born with a chromosomal abnormality, a slew of other health issues, and last week was diagnosed with autism. He has had a rough road in his short life, but he is truly one of the most amazing people I know. Camden is exactly as he was meant to be. He truly is perfect, although I’m sure there is a dozen Dr’s that would be the first to say he is the furthest thing from. Who he is is who we fell in love with and love. His heart is amazing and I wouldn’t wish for him to be any different than the 2 1/2 year old he is today. He is most definitely our perfect.

4.) How does a normal work day happen for you? Do you set aside a specific time to create/draw? Do you have a designated space where you create your art? (your own office/studio?)

With 5 kids, there is never ever a normal work day. If an idea comes to me, I find the nearest piece of paper that’s not stuck together, or that doesn’t have a stray sticky fruit snack on it, and I scribble/sketch it out. My life is crazy busy, but my art is what keeps me centered and grounded. When I draw, I feel like me. I try to make time for it everyday, even if it’s just for 20 min before bath time. I have a corner in our bedroom that is my studio. I dream of having my own studio someday with windows with flower boxes and cute curtainsmand multi colored Christmas lights everywhere. For now though, the corner works.

*****

Find the perfect little piece of happiness for your home, for a friend, for your mama, for your sister, for your baby’s room.  The Little Illustrator has a whole slew of happies.  Jennifer also creates custom art, so if you have something in mind, send her a message!

This one slayed me.  First born love, baby.

Welcome to our little ETST things home, Little Illustrator. You fit right in.

Stephanie Precourt joins ETST today for a guest interview on motherhood.  I “met” Stephanie when we both were a part of writing for Hallmark’s Life is a Special Occasion series and later through a group of bloggers who’ve shared an e-mail loop for the past year.  I’ve so enjoyed Stephanie’s reflections and her thoughtful approach to motherhood.  Stephanie is a mama of four who lives in Oregon and writes at Adventures in Babywearing.  She is also the Online Content Manager for Listen to Your Mother (check it out!) and is a video contributor for the award winning Mommalogues series.

My favorite thing about Stephanie’s writing?  There is such calm confidence expressed in her reflections.  I love that and learn from that.

I loved all the ways in which I related to Stephanie through her answers and was inspired to think about how I’d answer some of these myself. 

Hope you enjoy.
******

What was your “this is it” mom moment when you first really felt like a mom?

A moment I remember so clearly was sitting in my son’s nursery, rocking and nursing him and an overwhelming wave came over me of every feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. It was like all in a rush I experienced complete understanding, a fierce power and might along with intense fear and love, I was a mom. That was 12 years ago, I can hardly believe it.

Can you name a person who has made a remarkable impact on you as a mother? Why and how has this person impacted the way you parent?

I am kind of a collector of people and things, so I observe and reflect along the way. There are little bits and pieces of so many people that have affected how I parent. Ultimately my oldest son is probably responsible for the core of my parenting style because he had a rare disease early on and it shaped and changed our entire lives and how we approached parenting from then on out even still today. What we went through with him (and the people we met along the way during that time) taught us to follow our hearts and instincts and also that life is so fragile and precious. It just put everything into perspective early on and since then we observe a more natural/holistic and attachment parenting style with confidence.

Has your upbringing affected the way you parent? How/How not?

This is a good question- I think my upbringing affected my personality and who I am, and that is definitely reflected in my parenting. I was encouraged to dream big and be involved in the arts and had pretty easy-going parents. I prefer to be easy going as well and instill that in my kids- they don’t sweat the small stuff and feel safe and are great at self-expression. My husband and I were raised quite differently but have developed quite a good balance of both of our upbringings- not as structured as his but not has un-disciplined as mine!

How do you make time for your marriage while raising kids?

This is a tough one, something I think is always a work in progress especially while the kids are young and so demanding of our time and energy. My husband and I love to have date-nights in at least once or twice a week after the kids go to bed. We have our favorite TV shows we like to watch, or a movie. And as often as we can, we have started hiring babysitters more so that we can actually go out! But even when the kids are around, we are always trying to make time so that they can see that their mom & dad love each other and have a great relationship.

How do you measure your success as a parent?

Honestly, I think every night just before I fall asleep and  replay the day in my head- how I feel about interactions with my kids and how they moved about their day- that’s how I gauge how I am doing. Those little days at a time add up and the next morning offers a fresh start to keep up the good work or make a change.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing mamas today?

I think labels and competition among other mothers is the most detrimental issue in motherhood. Worrying about how other moms do things or what they might think of how you parent just eats away at your self-confidence as a mom. It’s so freeing to accept all styles and allow yourself to not conform to a certain mold other than doing exactly what feels best for you.

What advice would you give a brand new mama?

You are the mom, you have the final say. Follow your instincts and do what is best for your child according to what your heart and mind is telling you. Surround yourself with positive influences and don’t be afraid to say “no” or “I don’t know.”

 At this point in motherhood, is there anything you would have liked to have done differently?

There are some specific things I would have done differently, yes, but they are mostly things I could never have known until going through it. I do wish I wouldn’t have sleep-trained my oldest son and wouldn’t have been so afraid to get in trouble for co-sleeping with him. (And wouldn’t have been so afraid of disappointing our pediatrician!) I wish I would have been better and more consistent/less lazy with potty training ALL of my kids, and I wish I would have breastfeed my first two boys longer like I had wanted instead of falling into peer pressure to wean them when I did.

You’re shot after a “motherhood is hard” day. You need a break from your kids. What do you do?

Whenever possible, I leave the house and go to Target, the library, or the knitting shop. And Starbucks is usually involved. If I can’t leave, then I announce an early bedtime and – despite wanting to stay up and read or catch up on my favorite show- I’ll hit the hay, too. Makes a ton of difference!

What’s something from your childhood that you cherish and would love to recreate for your children? What’s something from your childhood that you don’t want your children to experience?

I have such fond memories of exploring the outdoors of our home and having independence from my parents while still in a safe environment. I hope that my kids can experience that- we live in a scary /paranoid time and I want my kids to be able to ride their bikes around our neighborhood and play in the woods and make their own grand adventures and memories. One of the most life-changing parts of my childhood was losing my grandmother, and I was never the same after that. I don’t ever want my kids to go through a loss like that at such a young age.

Do you have a favorite mantra/quote that helps you during the hard times of motherhood?

I love the Ruth Hulbert Hamilton poem Babies Don’t Keep “Quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep! I’m rocking my babies and babies don’t keep.” Also, “You’ve got this, you’re doing great.” Because it’s true.

What do you hope your kids will say about you when they are grown and looking back at childhood in your home?

I honestly hope they will all argue and truly feel like they were my favorite, each one of them.

*****

Read more from Stephanie Precourt at Adventures in Babywearing.