It makes me extra excited when I get to share businesses that are from my hometown. Especially when they are as amazing as Nicole's new business adventure Gentle Family Living. Nicole has her own blog called Gentle Family Living where she shares snippets from their day , along with thoughts on creating the simplest connections with your littles. Nicole is a teacher with a passion for alternative educational philosophies which pairs nicely with her Montessori teacher training.
Along with that, Nicole created Gentle Family Playkits; sensory boxes made with natural playdough and loose parts, to promote open-ended creative play at home. They contain everything you need to just sit down and play with your children at the end of a long day, all in one box and easy to tidy away. They are also amazing for promoting independent play if you need some quiet time!
Do you have kids? If so how many & age?
My daughter is 15 months old, and my son is just over 2.5 years old.
What's one thing people probably don't know about you? I would say the fact that I lived and worked in England for a few years, except lots of people know that already (my English husband gives it away) BUT not many people know that I worked in a deaf and hard of hearing school in North London and have my British Sign Language certification.
Are you a stay at home mom? Yes, although I do work casually as a supply teacher.
What is your favourite thing to do for yourself? It’s harder than it sounds, but simply carving out some time to be by myself… maybe reading, writing, or doing anything creative (I love cross stitch!)
What is your favourite date night activity? Going out for dinner – doesn’t have to be fancy, as long as we can actually hold a conversation and eat food while it’s hot. Long conversations are something I didn’t realize would be so difficult when your kids are really little (I also didn’t realize how important those chats are to me, I miss my husband when we get caught up in “busy”!)
What's one thing you couldn't live without? My planner and (many) notebooks! I have amazing long term memory, and really questionable short term memory… my coping mechanism is to have an intense planning system so nothing slips through (although it’s not perfect yet haha). And notebooks with lists and ideas always on the go! Oddly, once I write something down I’m far more likely to remember it, even without looking at it again.
Who's your IG inspiration?
Parenting/Montessori: @nickav25 @mightymother_
Style Inspiration: @hanbullivant @thevitamindproject
Teaching: @teachandtransform @growingwithmxt
What advice would you give your younger self? I think it would be the same advice I try to give myself now, and the basis of what I’m hoping to tell other parents - “It’s ok, you’re enough, just as you are.”
Where is business located out of? The blog can be found at stonefamilyliving.blogspot.com or on Instagram @gentlefamilyliving. I’m physically located on Stoney Creek Mountain (and offer free local delivery for the playkits!).
How did you choose the name for your business? I have been very inspired by the concept of Gentle Parenting, but not just for my children. The more I read about it, I realized there were concepts I could apply everywhere – including my husband, family and friends, and most importantly myself. So we’re striving for a “gentle family life” – removing unnecessary expectations, stress, and activities, and trying to keep things as simple as possible.
How do you balance having kids & running a business? Definitely still working on this! A lot of nap time and post-bedtime work. However, I actually find having this as a project is an element of self-care for me. I enjoy thinking and writing, especially about children, so it gives me a reason to carve out time for that! I really enjoy creating the play kits as well, although to keep it real, I did 2 Christmas markets and the prep work was pretty stressful – so I guess for me, balance is finding the line between “enjoyable hobby”, and work that takes me away from my kids.
Where can people find your products? You can contact me for orders directly through our facebook/instagram @gentlefamilyplaykits – and we have an Etsy shop by the same name.
What advice can you give someone looking to start up their own business? I’m still in the early days – so might have to check back with me in a few years! “Keep it simple” is the advice I am always trying to convince myself to follow.
What sets your business apart from others alike? I think my teaching back ground, and the philosophy behind my blog, are my main inspirations. Encouraging parents to try simple play activities at home and find ways to connect with their little ones is my main goal and I’m really enjoying that aspect of the business! In that way, the playdough and playkits were a natural next step, and I’m excited to offer something tangible to the community.
What is the most challenging part of running your business? I sometimes feel like I have so many ideas, especially for the blog, I have to work really hard to focus on one thing at a time. My brain gets very crowded!
What does a typical day look like for you? We are usually up and dressed around 7. My kids both nap in the afternoon, so our mornings are either for playing and crafts at home, or heading out on adventures in the city. Lots of library visits and EarlyON activities… We try to spend some time outside everyday as it makes everyone feel better!
Favourite song: Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now Dream Vacation: A tiny cottage by the sea, preferably on the English coast Favourite Book: Ian McEwan is my favourite author – I love all his books! Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is the book I have reread the most Dream Job: being able to stay at home with our kids has always been my dream, I love that I can still pursue my passions at the same time! Favourite Podcast: The Office Ladies Dream Car: Don’t laugh… a van! I watch my niece and nephew and would love to be able to drive everyone around, but I can’t fit more than 2 car seats in my SUV! Favourite Smell: Vanilla – or fresh baking! Dream meal: Roast Lamb Favourite item of clothing: Currently living in big, warm sweaters
Instagram: @gentlefamilyplaykits Etsy Shop
@Camara.Crew Stamp of Approval I am so impressed with our play kits! Nicole was kind enough to create an individualized play kit for both Lily and Mason. They were each so excited to explore and use their imaginations. Nicole created a special kit for Lily that we are using to help prepare her for going to school in September.The kit included a set of number and alphabet stamps, jar of play-dough & some loose play parts (pebbles, shell, flowers etc.). Masons kit was dinosaur theme and included 3 jars of play-dough (blue, green and brown)and various loose play parts (dinosaurs, pebbles, cookie cutter, Popsicle sticks etc.).
Here is why I love Nicole's play kits;
the play-dough is safe and natural this is really important for me especially with Mason because he still tends to put a lot of things in his mouth. Knowing that if he does end up with some in his mouth that it isn't harmful makes playing with play-dough a lot more enjoyable.
it helps promote learning opportunities with Lily's play kit its been a great way for us to introduce learning her letters and numbers in a fun environment. She loves spelling out different words and practicing number recognition
it helps encourage children to use their imagination I love activities where my children are forced to use their imagination and explore freely. These play kits are the perfect start for that. It is amazing what a child can come up with when they are given the opportunity to create their own play and story.
this is an activity both Lily & Mason can do together or independently which helps when I need a break or to get a few things done. I am able to set up the activity and remove any small parts that may be dangerous for Mason at this time. Watching my kids play side by side and engage in this activity together made my heart so happy!
takes the stress off of me trying to figure out how to setup an activity. It can be very stressful and time consuming to setup an activity for the kids such as this. But by purchasing a play kit it takes this stress away! You can pull the kit out whenever you need to and not have to worry about anything else!
These would also make great gifts! I am always looking for unique gifts for children and I can guarantee that parents will thank you for this one!
