We love to see how families use Tubby Todd every day. Follow along with our series, A Day with the Basics! Today, we are hearing from from Paige Jones, Portland mama to (almost!) two and photographer about her life as a blogger, mother and wife. Follow her on Instagram to see her beautiful work and read below to hear about how she got started in photography.
Q: Tell us about a day in the life of Paige Jones. What does your day to day look like?
A: Eeek, might have to skip this one as it changes every single day!!
A: Eeek, might have to skip this one as it changes every single day!!
Q: We love your work! How did you originally get into photography? What is your favorite thing to photograph?
A: Thank you so much! I've always had a love for photography since receiving my first film camera as a young child. Oh how exciting it was waiting on those rolls of film to come back! I really got serious about photography in high school and college and am so glad that I pursued my passion and am able to have a full time job that I love. My favorite photoshoots (besides those of my family, because duhhh, that's a given) are any sort of life style shoots with family oriented brands. Companies are striving to share real moments in their campaigns and I love working with these inspiring brands and the strong, creative and talented women who run them! (ahem, tubby todd included!)
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: I absolutely love my life, I am so lucky in so many ways. But one big dream I have is shifting my career in a way that allows me to work from home even more. To be able to spend more time with my children and let go of the stress involved with having to leave for work. I'm so lucky to be able to do both currently, to be fulfilled in both areas of my life. But the mom guilt is real and being able to work from home more full time would be the DREAM.
Q: What is your favorite Tubby Todd Product? What do you love about it?
A: We are BIG fans of your bubble bath soap over here. We've dealt with some sensitive skin issues over the years and we've never had a problem with any tubby products... My son will also tell you that I'm a bit of an expert when it comes to bubble blowing. I can blow some pretty massive bubbles with my hands in the tub and Crosby just loves popping them, nothing makes for bigger bubbles than a bottle of Tubby Todd!
Q: How do you make bath time fun with your kiddos? Do they have a favorite routine?
A: We take a bath before bedtime every day. And it's one of my all time favorite routines, we can all slow down a bit and recap the day, and there's just nothing better than a fresh, clean babe to snuggle right before bed! It's also been one of the biggest learning times for us with foam letters and numbers that stick to the wall. Crosby loves showing off what he's learned and that quiet time is when he picks up on the most! We keep it fun with lots of bubbles, toys and bowls (kid LOVES spinning bowls on the ledge as if he's a DJ, cracks me up every time)!
Q: What is the biggest lesson you have learned from motherhood?
A: This is such a tough question! I'm definitely still learning, every single day. And I think there are different stages of "biggest lessons" as our children grow. At the beginning the biggest thing I learned was to let go of expectations, don't expect your days to go a certain way, life with a newborn is completely unexpected and difficult. And building up all of these expectations everyday is a recipe for being let down and feeling like a failure, which NO new mom needs. Try to go with the flow and give yourself some grace.
Now the thing I struggle with the most is "mom guilt". Oh it stings more than any physical injury I've endured. The constant struggle between work, raising a child, being there for my husband and myself. There's just not enough time in the day and I'm trying to learn to not feel like I'm failing if I don't have enough time to be the best Business owner, Mother and Wife everyday. I'm trying to focus on being 100% all in at what I'm doing at that moment. And then move on to the next thing. It's so hard when you're giving 20% here and 60% there and 0% for yourself. I'm trying to learn to be happy with what I've accomplished day to day, to release some of the guilt and remember that I have one hell of a happy, smart, loving and sensitive child that I'm raising... A successful business and a happy marriage. These are all incredible accomplishments that I should be so proud of, even if I wasn't able to sneak a shower in today!
Thank you Paige! We love following along with your beautiful family. To follow her work, follow Paige here!
PS Take a look at A Day With the Basics with Jen Rodgers, Naomi Miller and Jeff Mindell.
