Mommies Behind the Blog: Irene of Designstiles
Today's mommy I have had the pleasure of meeting in real life while I lived in Peru actually. She and her husband Evan were visiting the country and it was so much fun meeting a fellow blogger while I lived abroad. Anyway, to get back to Irene she recently became a new mom and she is an inspiration to me as she has managed the duties of being a mom, blogger and a business owner. She is an interior decorator and is trying to expand her business of interior design to children's spaces.
Name, occupation, how many kids? Irene Lovett, Interior Decorator, one boy (age 6.5 months)
Mommy uniform? a striped t-shirt of some variety, demin (either shorts or jeans depending on the weather). Currently, I'm completely infatuated with the curved dolphin hem of these. So cute. And flats or boots (again, depending on the weather. These have been a favorite since I was pregnant. And my diaper bag. But at least it looks like an oversized handbag. 
Favorite go-to store for baby toys/clothes? I love baby gap. Their clothes are cute, reasonably priced and surprisingly well-made. I especially love their banded hem pants. They look so soft and comfortable and overall more fitted. We live close to a free standing store so it's way easier than having to set foot in a mall.
Favorite baby gadgets? I really love our stroller. It still looks new and the storage underneath is awesome for groceries and other shopping excursions.
What's the biggest challenge with blogging full-time, interior designer and being a mommy? Have you hired help? Balance. Trying to cross off as much of your to-do list in one day, and staying focused when unexpected surprises arise. Unfortunately I can no longer blog 5 days a week and many posts are sitting in my drafts. I've been trying to post twice a week and contribute to Spearmint Baby every other week. The time I do have is mostly dedicated to my business divided by being present for Felix. And a wife and dog mom of two. We juuuust hired a nanny to help twice a week. And we call on a cleaning crew whenever I can't fit household work in.
Where do you and your baby go to for fun? Every Monday we go to a breastfeeding support group. I get to share with other moms and he's old enough now to sort of interact with the other babies. As a new-ish mom, it's so nice to sit and share experiences and advice. And lots of walks. He loves them and it's a breath of fresh air for me.
What words do you live by? "Don't be distracted by what you think other people are thinking" It's a quote I read from Vanessa Holden, the creative director of West Elm. I cut it out and taped it to my computer as a reminder to just do me. So many times I felt (and sometimes still do) like, oh no, so and so is going to think this if I do that. That type of thinking really prevents you from doing what you really want to do. I'm getting better at not caring.
When do you find the time to blog and work as a new mom? I try to blog at night after I put Felix down to bed and work during his naps or while he entertains himself in like 10-15 min intervals.
How does a typical day look for you?
