Twice a month we interview moms in our “How Does She Do It?” feature. If interested in participating please reach out on Facebook or Instagram.
We are excited to introduce you to Jessica, the creator of Mint & Birch jewelry. She is also a wife and mama to soon-to-be 5 children. She is also a mental health advocate.
Are you an Urban or Suburban Mama, where do you live?
I’m a Suburban Mama in Langley!
Tell us about your children?
My kids are 8, 6, 4, and 20 months and I am due with a 5th in 2020! They’re a rambunctious bunch but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Tell us about your typical weekday?
Our weeks are very sporadic due to shift work in our household. A Monday this week will look different than a Monday another week. Our lives are centred around being adaptive to what needs to be done, and what we want to get done. Typically, I try to work when my husband is off. When he’s at work, I’m with the kids full time. We also homeschool, so we will take turns doing school with our children. It’s very much teamwork! Some days we feel like passing ships because I have to take advantage of the time that he is not at work to get undisturbed work time. However, with working from home as the owner of Mint & Birch, I get to work whenever I want. Sometime I am most productive in the middle the night!
Do you have help?
We have very little to no childcare. Because of our rotating schedules, it’s difficult to find a part time nanny willing to take on 4 children! However, I have a few team members for Mint & Birch and they support me and cheer me on!
Who cooks dinner?
I’m not going to lie – my husband does best at cooking. I do best at ordering food.
How often do you buy something just for you?
I try to spoil myself monthly with something. I encourage my husband to do that too, even if it’s just a cup of coffee or a take out meal! I work really hard with Mint & Birch, and he at work so we like to pat ourselves on the back every now and then!
Do you exercise regularly and if so, what and how do you fit it in?
Does physical labour with Mint & Birch necklaces count? LOL! I have a few apps on my phone that I use for yoga and I try to do it with my kids every now and then. My work with Mint & Birch – cutting and filing the necklaces is very physically and manually labour intensive so I get a lot of exercising doing that, as well as with the kids! During the winter, I try to take them out for a walk even if it’s indoors in a mall!
What clothing lines or stores do you like to buy for your children?
I LOVE to shop small, but my children are at an age where they destroy everything so we get a lot of hand-me-downs from friends, which we are super thankful for! Some of my favourite small shops to buy from are Haven Kids, Cabin Fever Apparel, Tattrd Threads, Love, Mom Shop and a few more of my local shop friends!
I’m totally obsessed with…
Anything with the colour mint in it, hence Mint & Birch! Haha! No, but in all seriousness, I am obsessed with sitting down and having a heart to heart conversation. It doesn’t matter if I’ve only known someone for 2 minutes or 10 years – those heart to heart conversations over coffee fill my heart. You could also say I’m a little obsessed with my children.
Three things in my purse right now are…
- Candy
- Wipes
- Necklaces that I have made at Mint & Birch
My favourite drugstore buy is…
Definitely chocolate at the check out. Most likely Reese’s or Ferrero Rocher.
My guilty pleasure is…
Candy Crush on my phone. I can’t believe I’m even admitting that! Sometimes I just need a few minutes to do something completely useless and zone out so I can rest my mind.
Thank you to Jessica for taking the time out of her day to let us know “How Does She Do It.”
