Featured Artist: Piou Piou Kids

Be sure to check out the shop of this busy mom!

Tell me a bit about your mommy life:
I’m a proud mum of a little 17 and a half-month-old boy, Tahi. I stopped working just before he was born and haven’t got any plans to go back to work any time soon! In an ideal world, I’d be mothering him full time until he’s at least 5 then possibly start working part time. I previously worked in the film industry as a camera assistant, with unpredictable schedules and long working hours, both of which are unfortunately uncompatible to our idea of family lifestyle. I’m planning on breastfeeding Tahi until he’s 2, and hopefully let him self ween. We have also been practicing Natural Infant Hygiene since he was 5 month, and he hasn’t been wearing nappies since he was 10 month old (except for nightime and naptime), and teaching him sign language (great for communication and avoiding frustrations!). I’m also thinking about home schooling or unschooling him, but need to find out more about it.
We do a lot of activitites together: playcentre, stories at the library, swimming lessons, playing with other little friends (while mums have a coffee!), sing songs and quiet play at home, fewding horses and ducks, …

Tell me a bit about your shop and your creations:
I started sewing some of his clothes a few months ago, because the cool nice stuff is too expensive for us (that’s the downside of not working!) and the choice is very limited as far as kid’s clothes go anyway. There was also a lack of nice, practical clothing for ECing parents (Elimination Communication, another term for Natural Infant Hygiene) so I came up with my own designs. Then I made more for some friends, sold some stuff at a market and then found Etsy and opened a shop! Unfortunately, there are no craft markets where we live so I am limited to Etsy, but I hope to be able to do some eventually (I love craft markets!).
I like clothes that are not too girly girly or boyish, not just pink and blue. I like the idea that kids can wear nice, comfortable and practical clothes, just like ours! I am also a big advocate for the environment and try to limit the amount of waste we produce, so I endeavor to re-use and upcycle as much as possible. And show it’s possible to turn something old into something cool!

Any time saving tips for juggling a business and motherhood?
Lists, lists, lists.
I’m a list-o-maniac, a compulsive lister, a serial lister.
I used to live in an appartment in Paris that was on the 4th floor, no elevator… And I always ended up going up and down 5 times because I’d realise once at the bottom that I’d forgotten my scooter keys, cheques that needed to be banked, my jacket, my purse,… Same goes for shopping, I always ended up shopping every couple of days because there was always something I’d forgotten,…
So now I write lists for everything. When I was working, I’d write a list of everything I needed to do on my days off (which could be rare, therefore time was very precious), and now I still do it so that when Tahi’s asleep or with his dad, I can get all I want done. I’ll sit down for 5 minutes in the morning before I do anything else, and write a list of what I need/ want to do, and then place them in order of priority. I sometimes end up with 3 or 4 different lists! (daily to do list, shopping list, long term to do list, and usually an old list still floating around). I know, I sound like a freak, but I strongly believe it ends saving me time and energy. Except when I forget my lists at home.

Fun Stuff:
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Tea, usually herbal and from our garden: peppermint, verbena, chamomille, echinacea, elderflower,…
I am addicted to…. Nature
If you could have one super power…. Bring hapinness to all people
If I were to catch you grooving it would be to… many things! Last night it was George Benson’s “give me the night”!