JAZ PULBROOK, THIRROUL, AUSTRALIA
Meet Jaz Pulbrook, Banabae's co-owner and general manager.
With a claim to fame as Banabae's first customer, having purchased the very first swaddle from her long time work mate Alana, Jaz felt a connection with the Banabae brand from the start. With a love of vintage and sustainable living and her background in operations, production & sales it was a natural fit that the two young mums would team up and the brand has since blossomed.
Here's a bit about our bright and sunny gal Jaz.
What’s the date today?
5th March 2020
Where do you live?
We live up in the hills of Thirroul, NSW. We have an old pole frame clad house that sits amongst the tree tops. We fell in love with the outlook as soon as we saw it… like we were stepping into our child hood dream treehouse. Now, reality has struck with the crazy endless amounts of renos that need doing (hahaha ☺), but we still walk into the open living space and take a mini here and there to look out to see only green leaves, tree trucks and ocean blue. Thirroul is the southern start of the coal coast, an area that has always loved the creatives and their considered way of living. There are great cafes tucked away and more beautiful boutiques popping up all the time. It’s a beautiful place to live.
Who is in your family?
There are three in our tribe, Heinz, Myself and Mimi. Heinz is my delicious Swiss man, we call him hurricane Heinz because the amount that man can get done in a moment is actually ridiculous. Mimi is our super rad 22 month old daughter who is an absolute bundle of love, she adores people and there’s nothing better than time chatting and cuddling, reading and playing. Each evening our terrific trio become a family of nine, (soon to be eleven with more babies on the way ☺), very quickly around dinner time as our extended family gather to share a meal together at someone’s home. The magic and joy of living close to family is a true blessing.
What has been the most surprising part for you so far in your motherhood journey?
The biggest surprise was the personal journey. The shift that my mind and soul took when carrying our Mimi was the most softening experience. Moving from a fast paced corporate job abroad to return to my home town with the love of my life, buy a house and renovate it whilst living with my mum was phenomenally emotional and supremely heart-warming. Then the overwhelming love and joy felt when our baby was born. The moment that tiny body is placed on your chest and you feel the dependence and fragility. You want nothing more than to be her best, it’s then you know life has changed for ever. It was the most uplifting feeling for me. I was grateful for every poo and every burp (not every wake up ;-P but that is a distant memory). Everyday smiles burst from my face when she sings us a song or runs and jumps (not quite making it into the air ☺). The development is beyond amazing and an absolute pleasure to be apart of. I continue to surprise myself with the love that I’m capable of as she grows into her own self. She is a constant reminder that nothing lasts forever, and kindness is the key ☺.
What was most important to you when you were setting up your nursery? Has the space evolved over time?
Mimi’s nursery changes constantly but what remains the same is there is always a comfy chair in the room that we sit and read together in, a comfy cot with plenty of cotton blankets, a change table and a place on the floor to play, usually with pillows for her (and us) to lay on. I change the linens almost weekly to different colours and patterns as it brings new life to the space. With this generally a piece of furniture gets added or retracted, changing of wall hangings and decals and a rotation of the toys and books that are out and plants moved about. Mims always spots the changes with great joy and often brings up the flowers or surfer girl on her linens throughout the day. We have a wall of cupboards in the room where we stash most things, so most toys are hidden away for her to pull out. Although at the moment she loves opening the cupboards and putting on socks and a beanie (no matter the weather).
Do you have any tips for setting up your nursery?
Keep it ‘you’. I spent a lot of time in the nursery especially for the first 18 months with breastfeeding, settling to sleep and nappy changes. So I truly believe you should make it a space that feels amazing, inspiring and comfortable for you to be in with your babe. Buy quality furniture and linens you love then buff it up with decals and plants as you find them. I always love looking through Pinterest and Instagram to find looks and products that spark joy, and the beauty bonus of these forums is that you can usually shop them right there and then too. Then when you do have a moment out of the house with your happy baby you can sift through op shops and second hand stores for amazing unique finds. Another big tip I have, is to consider your layout and functionality of the space. When your first baby comes home with you every moment is a complete new experience. So I had to really play around with finding systems for the necessary tasks that need to be done regularly. Every mama and family will have different ways of doing things so I loved talking to as many people as possible to get a whole heap of ideas and then worked with what resonates with our family. I continue to do this! Mimi enjoyed swaddling in both the woven muslin and stretch swaddles but not the zip ups. So we always had plenty on hand and through winter she would be layered with cotton blankets. For breastfeeding I would use a bunch of cushions so that Mimi and I could be comfortable for the whole time. Which we continue to use around her space and the home. During feeds I enjoyed having a little table beside me for a book, light, phone and water bottle as you don’t know how long you are going to be there for. We used cloth nappies and cloth wipes, so we very quickly had to ensure the dirty nappy system was in place to have fresh nappies to wear all the time along with change mat covers to keep her room fresh. Ultimately pick a colour or print and run with it, and have at least three beautiful looks you love on rotation. It’s fun that way.
Do you have any self care tips or rituals you like to do?
My self care is pretty simple. Look out the window and be grateful. Go for a walk down to the beach and have a dip. Have a slow day with Mimi, stop the rush and just enjoy each other. Do an exercise class. Chat with pals. Go get away with the family. Enjoy each other, be outside, slow down and play.
Best mama hack?
Have a laugh and join a mothers group. If the first group doesn’t click, join the next one and so on. Having an amazing group of ladies at the same stage of life is a beautiful thing.
JAZ'S FAVOURITES
