The first time mama and author of children's affirmation book Hey Little Dreamer gives us a peek into her idyllic life on the NSW South Coast
What is the date today and who is in your family?
My little family consists of myself (Jazzi), my partner Todd and our beautiful little Girl Winter Oak. Today is 12th of January 2022 - three sleeps off Winnie’s first birthday!
Tell us a little bit about where you live. . .
We live in Narooma NSW. A beautiful little town on the south coast of NSW. Lots of beaches (with really clear water), lots of hinterland/farm life just up the road, plus beautiful wildlife. There is a seal colony here and I’ve even spotted emus walking on the beaches (I couldn't believe it when I first saw it! Haha). My partner says the fishing and diving is some of the best on the coast.
What does a ‘typical’ day look like in your household
I usually start the day with a morning walk with Winnie, sometimes a swim depending on the weather. This is followed by tidying the house, baking/meal prep for Winnie. Playdate with friends at the park, then catch up on work, organise dinner & bath etc. We spend time as a family every evening and once Winnie’s in bed- Netflix/chill time!!
You recently released a children's book called Hey Little Dreamer. Tell us a bit about it and the inspiration behind it?
Yes, so exciting! I wanted to write Winter a children’s affirmation book teaching self-love and gratitude!
I think it's really important to teach our children affirmations from a young age. I also wanted to create a children’s book with lots of neutral tones as I hadn’t seen many before. I think it captures a powerful message with a beautiful aesthetic.
The goal is for Winnie to wake up in the mornings and repeat Hey Little Dreamer’s affirmations to herself each morning starting her day on a positive note and making her understand how important, brave and beautiful she is.
I just had a vision and made it happen! I would have never expected to be “Author” in my wildest dreams- if I can do it, anyone can do it.
What has been the most surprising part for you so far in your parenting journey?
I actually was a nanny for about six years before I had Winnie, so I did have a rough idea what I was in for...
But I would probably say how much you manage to squeeze into to sleep time!
What is the sleeping situation like in your home? (co sleeping, musical beds, own rooms/sharing rooms?) and how did you decide what sleeping arrangements worked best for your family?
Winnie has always been a really good sleeper through the night. I usually shush/rock her to sleep but I have just started laying on the bed with her and letting her self sooth herself to sleep. She's only just moved into her own room so if she does wakes up through the night she comes in with us (which I LOVE). I know people say not to get in the habit of that- but I’m embracing every moment as there will be a day she won’t want to!
What was most important to you when you were setting up a space for your little one? Where did you find inspiration?
I got a lot of ideas from Pinterest and Instagram. For us it was important to keep an open space for Winnie to play with her toys and encourage movement. Plus having minimal furniture/accessories leaves the room feeling overall tidy even when it's full of toys. For example, we use a chest of drawers as the change table so you don’t need both in the room.
Keeping it simple with the overall design using timber, cane and whites. That way you can decorate with nice accessories and add colour that way.
I also think quality over quantity – with Winnie being my first baby I did get a lot of good quality/more expensive items, but I was happy to spend the extra money because I know that we will reuse a lot of them with baby number two.
Jazzi's affirmation book Hey Little Dreamer is available to purchase on our website.
