Hi Martha, talk us through a typical day for you and your boys.
Our lives are structured around the classic working week, with social weekends. My husband and I both work - he is in private healthcare and I am a secondary school teacher - so we tend to focus our efforts on our weekends. A typical weekend day for us is breakfast together, a long walk (weather permitting!), seeing friends and family - and there’s usually a pub involved at some point! My husband is a great cook and often creates new exciting meals, so the two of us enjoy downtime after we put the boys to bed with one of his lovely original meals cooked from scratch.
You live in a beautiful part of the country. What type of content do you love to create?
Most definitely, we are blessed to live near some of the most beautiful beaches, cliffs and forests in the UK. My content is primarily places that inspire me and where we are happiest. Having grown up in Milton Keynes, the coast has always been a place that feels so special. So we make the most of these amazing places to play, relax and let the boys have time at the sea.
Our spring/summer collection is inspired by the great outdoors and families creating fun and happy memories together. Where do you like to go on holiday and why?
My husband and I adore Italy - the history, the art, and the food. We honeymooned in Florence, Sienna and Tuscany, and had our Babymoon in Rome (knowing the city wouldn’t be a place we’d return to with young kids). We can’t wait to take the boys to Europe, it’s warm and feels easy going which is what we want in a holiday.
Do you have any holidays or UK trips planned for this year?
I’m half American and so Arizona is where our family holiday home resides, so it always feels like a home from home there. We are there this Easter and hoping to take the boys away to Europe this summer. This summer feels particularly special as Julian will be starting school in September, so it almost feels like the end of an era that we want to mark with lots of memory making, whilst things feel that bit slower before the school rush.
Would you say you’re an outdoorsy family?
Most definitely. Before kids, my husband and I hiked the south rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ, road-tripped across South California, have enjoyed site-seeing in Europe, and closer to home we spent a week hiking Snowdon in Wales with friends. In fact he proposed to me on a hike in Arizona as we overlooked Saguaro Lake. So being on walks has just been part of our lives. It makes it easier to be outside as the boys also love walking, scooting and just spending time outdoors.
We’re launching our spring/summer collection of #JoJoLoveStartRite soon – we know you’re a fan of this collaboration. What are the boys favourite styles?
We absolutely adore the animal prints of the JoJo X Start-Rite collection - my favourite animal in fact is the giraffe (elegant and goofy) so it’s perfect for Rowan with his little giraffe print and matching first walking shoes. I love it when you can find outfits for kids that are stylish but do suit them when they’re little, as they’re only little for a little while.
Does your eldest son have a taste for fashion yet and picking out clothes he loves to wear?
Julian has a couple of favourite items, usually ones that have fitted him for a second year running. But he’s not yet interested in selecting the clothes, which is ideal currently as I can imagine that will bring new challenges (and less matching!).
What do you look for when buying shoes for your children?
Primarily I look for the style I'm after for that season and then I filter down to comfort and ease of use. As a mum of two, I don’t have time for laces, so concealed zips and rip-tape fastenings are where it’s at for me. There’s nothing worse than buying poorly fitting shoes and then needing to get more. So I prefer to buy one pair of shoes, where I know the back of the heel is padded, there is room for their toes to grow, and they stay snug on the foot.
How do you like to shop – do you mainly buy products online or instore?
I prefer buying everything online. Evenings are my downtime and I love the variety with online shopping and the time saved from going shopping in person is huge. We can then use our weekends for picnics and days out or just pottering around at home.
When you manage to grab some down-time to yourself – how do you like to spend it?
I love to grab a coffee to go and enjoy a quiet moment. I’ve just bought my first camera, a Canon RP, and have been using my time to learn manual. I’m really excited to pursue photography, having built a passion for it through taking photos of the boys. I also love a relaxing pamper, and lunching in beautiful settings.
Follow Martha’s creative journey over on Instagram @thedorsetmum
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