Meet Lisa the mama of 3 and maker behind @shopbabyoctopi. Baby Octopi designs and creates
a line of products intended to celebrate life and comfort newborns through replicating elements of life in the womb. Their signature item is a crochet Octopus with tentacles that mimic the feel of the life giving umbilical cord that surrounds babies in the womb! How amazing is that?! They also offer knotted gowns perfect for curling up in fetal position and muslin swaddle blankets covered in scripture and perfectly soft for swaddling babes nice and tight!
Do you have kids? If so how many & age? Yes, I have 3 boys. Hayden is 7, Bentley is 5 and Lincoln is 2
What's one thing people probably don't know about you? I wanted to be a midwife for a long time, and still kind of do. I was accepted in to the program many years ago and even bought textbooks and payed tuition before changing my mind and pursuing a career in Child and Youth Care. I often wonder ‘what if’ I had of followed that dream...
Are you a stay at home mom? Yes, I have slowly transitioned out of my job as an Educational Assistant to focus on Baby Octopi and be home with my last baby who is growing up way to fast!!
What is your favourite thing to do for yourself? Anything at the Spa!! Nails, hair and massage are probably top 3, but I truly enjoy almost every service offered. Looking and feeling my best is something I value and the time spent filling my own cup always enables me to do my best in other areas of my life.
What is your favourite date night activity? I love eating out! We don’t eat out very often so when we do, I love to splurge on drinks, apps, dessert and everything in between! It is such a treat!
What's one thing you couldn't live without? Definitely Coffee!
Who's your IG inspiration? @britthavens @blushingbabesociety @thisjoyfilledlife  @overcompany @woolydoodle
What advice would you give your younger self? You will never be able to please everyone, so stop trying. People will come and go and at the end of the day you are the one that has to live with your decisions. Follow your heart, use your brain and pursue what you’re passionate about.
Where is business located out of? We run the business out of our home in St.Thomas
How did you choose the name for your business? Our business revolves around the Octopus so it seemed natural to use that in the name. We did go back and forth and do a lot of research about the word Octopi. The plural of Octopus is actually Octopuses and goes back to the original greek plural which is Octopods. Octopi isn't even a proper grammatical term but it just flowed so nicely we went with it anyways.
How do you balance having kids & running a business? This is an area I am still growing in. I involve the kids in the business as much as possible. I talk to them about what we are doing and why. As a family, we celebrate achievements together and when I do have to step away from the kids to take care of business, they are able to understand that the business is important too. I also try to designate intentional time to work on the business and intentional family time and try to protect both of those as much as possible so I can do my best in both spaces!
Where can people find your products? On our website www.babyoctopi.com
What advice can you give someone looking to start up their own business? Surround yourself with like minded people who can offer support and encouragement! Put yourself out there and connect with people, both online and in the real world! Even in a business that runs primarily online, the relationships I build with my customers and other business owners are crucial in building my brand.
What sets your business apart from others alike?
Baby Octopi has built a reputation for modern and beautiful, quality products. Â We have high standards for every product that goes out and have built brand loyalty through our excellent customer service. We take what we do seriously and strive to offer the best Crochet Octopus on the market through sourcing high end materials and working with only experienced Artisans.
What is the most challenging part of running your business? The hardest part of owning a small shop is the book keeping! I am so bad at this and I tend to get caught up in all of the exciting ideas and plans I have for Baby Octopi, without making sure it is going to make sense with our bank account and business model. Running a business is really expensive and the costs can easily outweigh the profits if I'm not careful.
Coffee or tea? Â Coffee
Neutral or colourful? Â Neutral
Morning or night? Â Morning
Wine or beer? Â Wine
Starbucks or Tim Hortons? Starbucks
Online shopping or in store? Â In Store
Instagram or Facebook? Â Instagram
Text or phone call? Text
Instagram: @shopbabyoctopi
Facebook: Shop Baby Octopi Website: https://babyoctopi.com/
@Camara.Crew Stamp of Approval
We recently got our Octopus from @shopbabyoctopi and I have to say I truly believe that the tentacles do replicate elements o life in the womb. Mason has not had his octopus from birth, however when I gave it to him he was so excited and seems very comforted by it. He loves to hold onto the tentacles and keeps them close always. It is beautifully handmade to perfection! I definitely think that Mason's octopus will be one of those special comfort items that will last him a life time. Another special thing about the octopus is for every octopus purchased they make a donation to a non-profit organization that loves babies just as much as they do!
We also had one of Lisa's knotted gowns for when Mason was a newborn. We purchased the "Loved" gown in white with black. I loved wearing this on Mason when he was first born. It kept him nice and snug which he seemed to be comforted by. The design was beautiful and the fabric was so soft. It also had mitts that folded over to prevent Mason from scratching himself which was an added bonus. They now make plain gowns as well as personalized name gowns which would be adorable for newborn photos or birth announcements!
USE CODE CAMARACREW15 for a special discount! Thank you to Lisa for sharing this with my followers!
photos by @meganbutchardphotography