"For me the answer to minimalistic and no fuss outings resided in a single handbag to carry what I needed and a baby carrier to allow me to have 2 free hands while still holding my precious cargo close to my heart." - Forever inspired by Jane from @slow_journal and her minimalistic approach to life, with motherhood being no exception. Jane shares some special memories, teaching us how life can be simply beautiful.
When I look back at photos of my mum carrying me around the farm, strapped to her back in a carrier with siblings and animals beneath her feet I wonder if this is where my minimalistic approach to motherhood came about?
Out in the country amongst the hills, a stroller would be more of a hindrance than a help so babies were carried on your back or front. Grab a backpack with some snacks and water, a spare nappy and away we all go. It would seem that this lifestyle called for a practical yet minimalist approach to motherhood and it was not necessarily a choice.
When I was pregnant with my own daughter I remember going into the baby shops with my husband feeling like a deer in the headlights and wondering 'what is all this stuff for?' Creams, nappy bags, strollers with 3 wheels or 4, car seats, carriers, monitors and mobiles. Navigating motherhood is its own unique and complex journey, so in my opinion let's abandon the notion that we need all the bells and whistles to care for our child and stick to what feels comfortable, cosy and feels most like 'us'.
For me, catering to life with a baby meant a simple transition. A desire to slowly figure out how life can most authentically shape shift from one to two. Of course things don't always flow so smoothly because babies have little regard for your wants or needs, they just know what they want when they want it! So you take a back seat for a while, and you slowly figure it out together, you and your newest team mate.
For me the answer to minimalistic and no fuss outings resided in a single handbag to carry what I needed and a baby carrier to allow me to have 2 free hands while still holding my precious cargo close to my heart.
Almost seven years into my motherhood journey and I still carry just one handbag. A beautiful Lost Little One piece. This bag accompanies me to the shops, to the beach, to school drop offs, cafes, holidays and everywhere in between. The size is just perfect to fit my own things as well as jumpers, drink bottles, toys and snacks. - They tell me these are the 'necessities.'
I imagine if the creases in the beautifully ageing leather could serve as pinpoints on a map telling a tale of every outing, adventure or memory of our days. The inside pocket of my bag is always filled with treasures - a lot of sand, shells, feathers, rocks and seed pods.
And I know I'll miss the days when my handbag no longer holds traces of the small children that followed me everywhere, so for now I smile at the collection of artefacts in my bag that paint a picture of my motherhood journey.
Written by Jane Deane @slow_journal
Images by Brendan Deane via @bdeane__/
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Jane wears The Moga Tote in Tan
The Moga Tote is apart of our Motherhood Collection. Because we think that carrying your 'mum stuff' doesn't mean you have to compromise on style and quality.
Please note: our leather bags and accessories are artisan-made in Morocco using veg-tanned leather - famous for gaining more beauty with age. Our pieces will gradually become supple, assuming distinctive contours, deepening in colour and forming a unique patina. Tan variant will begin as a light tan and evolve with time and use.
