We love to see how families use Tubby Todd every day. Follow along with this series, A Day with the Basics! If you use Tubby Todd in your home, be sure to tag @_themamablog and #adaywiththebasics to share! Today, we are hearing from Naomi Meller about her life as a blogger, mother and wife. Follow her on Instagram to see how she uses Tubby Todd in her day to day!
Q: Tell us about a day in the life of Naomi and family in Rhode Island! You have such a charming little family!
Thank you so much! We're so excited to share with you! I am a mom to two little girls, Olive and Ruby, and I am incredibly thankful to be able to be at home with them. We are creatures of habit in this house, and we find a lot of comfort in our routines. We are currently homeschooling, which has laid the framework for our daily life over the last couple of years. Mornings are always slow, in fact, I have a rule that we don't start school until I've finished my coffee! We take it easy until mid-day or so, and then we get down to business. Olive is older so her learning is a bit more structured, and Ruby learns through play and art. The girls both have multiple severe food allergies, and this year they're both undergoing desensitization treatment (it’s the same science behind allergy shots but for food). The treatment requires a good amount of rest time, so we work that into our day by focusing on reading, quiet play, and school time in the afternoons. Evenings are rooted in dinner and bath time, and then everyone usually enjoys reading and playing again before bed.
Q: We love hearing people talk about their dreams. What are some of yours? They can be simple + small, some bucket list items, or an overall grand hope for life.
A: Art has always played a crucial role in my life. When I was younger I painted and sketched the days away, as I got older I started writing creatively and continued to paint and draw. When I had Olive 8 years ago I started taking pictures and taught myself how to use a camera and Photoshop (this was long before we had so many amazing editing apps!). I started creating surreal fine art, sometimes combining mediums like real paintings and pictures in composited images. I would love to someday utilize all of those abilities and write and illustrate a book, whether it be a children's book (I have had a draft saved in my email for far too long), or even a memoir.
Q: What is your favorite Tubby Todd Product? What do you love about it?
A: That's a tough question! They're all so amazing. If I had to pick one, I'd say the bubble bath. As I mentioned, my girls have lots of allergies, and they also have eczema and really sensitive skin. We have never found a soap that they didn't react to. When we tried Tubby Todd for the first time, I had basically given up on soaps for them. I'm so glad I decided to try it, because not only did they not react, but the baths seemed to help their skin. It may sound silly, because it's just bubbles, but watching my girls enjoy something that they had never been able to has been so wonderful!
Q: How do you make bath time fun with the girls? Do they have a favorite routine?
A: We have always relied on bath time to help both kids relax. When Ruby was a baby, some days she needed 2 or 3 baths to help calm her down. We've always included bath time as part of our nighttime ritual, but there are many days where they ask for bubble baths in between. Our routine includes bath (we always use the bubble bath, and then the shampoo and conditioner), followed by lotion before pajamas. Putting lotion on them before bed is definitely relaxing, but also how we help proactively treat and prevent new eczema outbreaks. We love the All Over Ointment for this particular reason, it's so gentle and yet concentrated and effective.
Q: What is the biggest lesson you have learned from motherhood?
A: One of the biggest lessons I've learned is to let go of expectations and comparisons. It can be so easy to get caught up in what other people are doing, when other people's babies are walking, how many words they're saying. When Olive was a baby, she couldn't crawl until almost a year, she didn't walk until 18 months.The babies we knew were mobile and she just sat in place. BUT. She spoke well enough to carry on a conversation at her first birthday party. I remember worrying that she wasn't on the same timeline, but now I understand that she was just focusing on something else, and that is who she is (and still to this day! She asks the best questions I've ever heard, and reads the day away).
When we decided to have another child, I planned exactly how much of an age difference I wanted, but as we all know, things don't always go as planned. It took 4.5 years before Ruby was born. Shortly after her birth, she was diagnosed with multiple life threatening allergies, just like her big sister. Food allergies are hard because a lot of people still don't realize how serious they are, that epipens don’t always work. I had expectations of friends, of school, about holidays, birthday parties, of everyday life, and this changed everything. At this point in motherhood, I had let go of expectations and learned how unhealthy they can be for me. I learned to be proactive and to have a voice. I learned that instead of feeling bad about what they couldn’t have or where they couldn’t go, that I could get creative and make them exciting, safe meals and activities. I learned to not compare Ruby, Olive, or our experience to anyone else. Focusing on the tiny details, the in-between moments, really became my focus, and that is where I have found a lot of peace as a mom. Some days at home are easy, and some days are long and difficult and end in tears. I mean, kids are physically growing and simultaneously learning how to function as individual people. That’s a lot of pressure on them, and I think sometimes adults forget that and put adult expectations on childhood behavior and mentalities. It’s taken some time and experience, but I am much more relaxed, and respect each moment and each individual for what and who they are. We're all doing our best, and these girls of mine, they continue to inspire, amaze, and ground me every single day.
