Business owner and crazy creative behind kids shoe brand Pretty Brave, and mother to Skye (9) and Blake (7), Natalie shares with us what she loves most about being a parent, her exciting new adventure – AND having the family together again for Mother’s Day
Natalie wears Frankie handbag in black
Best part of being a mother: I LOVE being a mum for a hundred reasons. But near the top would be because my kids can make any moment special. I am constantly inspired by how Skye and Blake see every day as a new adventure and opportunity for discovery. I love how being a mum takes you back to being a kid!
What you didn’t see coming: Parenting is a moving target… just when you think you have it sorted, new challenges pop up. It seems just the other day I was obsessing on sleep routine with a newborn, but soon I’ll be worried about boy-racers. I have discovered that with kids there is always something new around the corner and you constantly have to adapt your parenting to keep up.
Values you want to instil in your children: Love yourself and others, family is number one and don’t be afraid of hard work to take you anywhere you want to go.
Juggling Pretty Brave and your role as a mother: Challenging! But the flexibility allows me to be the mum that’s always there for school pick up and parent help. Having my own business is 2-4-7 but I am lucky to have amazing family support, especially my mum, who helps me above and beyond. And now I understand the cliché - the importance of great staff.
Tell us about your next big move: Toddler market here we come. Pretty Brave launched 2 years ago which means we have babies who have been with the brand since they were born. Now I’m starting to get messages from mums who are devastated their children no longer fit our shoes! Moving into bigger sizes is a natural progression for the business and enables us to grow alongside our little customers.
Sunday routine: Sundays in our house are always special. It’s the day when the laptops don’t come out and we just be a family. Skye has just mastered the coffee machine, so the morning starts with coffee in bed. Tim is on Sunday breakfast and we often get spoilt with waffles or pancakes. During the day we like to head off on a family adventure and having spent 5½ years in Spain we still feel like we’re rediscovering New Zealand. It’s easy to just walk out the door and show the kids our amazing country. A few weeks ago we explored Rangitoto Island where we hadn’t been to forever, but our little missions can be as simple as heading down to the local beach after a storm.
Mother’s Day wish list: On Mother’s Day my kids and I would have just moved to Bermuda. Tim has been there for a month prepping with Team NZ for the upcoming America's Cup. I’ll be happy for our family to be together again, have sunshine on our skin and smiles on our faces ready for our next adventure.
