Kim, Woed & Dia

What has changed in your life since you became a mother?
For me it’s hard to find the balance between work and family. This constant search for where you need to be, has definitely been a big change in my life. Also the feeling that you really need to take care of these two before you take care of yourself. And a love I’ve never felt before.

What do you want to teach your child?
That you can be what/whoever you want to be. Also, treat all people/animals/the planet with respect.

What do you like to do together?
Being in the garden and at our home, but I also love holidays together. Going to the south of France where my parents have a holiday home.

What’s the best thing about being a mother?
That someone loves you unconditionally. And you feel a kind of love you’d never felt before.

KIM & DIA ARE  WEARING:

What’s typical or characterizing about your children? 
Woed; sweet, caring, always strive for nr 1.
Dia; shy, sweet, can be naughty. Really girly.

What surprised you about motherhood?
That I really love it… I’m not really the kind of girl that was always into babies etc. but now I have my own I cannot imagine be without them.

What’s important to you when it comes to toys and playing?
That the kids like it. I’m not really into the real commercialised toys but I see that kids really like it so I try to find the balance between the commercial stuff and things that are ‘real’.

What are your favourite places to take your child?
I really love the zoo. Especially Blijdorp. Both of my kids also love this. To see the big animals so near.

What are the products you can’t do without anymore since you’re a mother?
For now, this is still diapers because my youngest just turned two. I think every age and phase has his own product you cannot do without.

What’s your advice for new moms?
Relax! Things never work out as you planned it.

What do you find difficult as a parent and what do you do to fix it?
How to handle the daily dinner routine. Sometimes they eat but sometimes they don’t eat anything. And are they getting their dessert when they don’t eat anything? Or don’t they?

How do you like to raise your children, what works for you?
I think we do a pretty nice job as we do now. We are strict but also relaxed. And they know their boundaries. Tjimme and I are 95% of the time on the same page. And if we are not, we won’t disagree in front of the kids.

What would you like to do differently?
Maybe less Television and Ipad…

What’s your favourite moment of the day?
It depends on the day. During the week it’s when we had a ‘good’ dinner and then afterwards the kids take a bath. Afterwards, we bring them to bed and reading a story. In the weekend it’s just the time we wake up, relaxing in our pyjama’s.

What do you do to feel well, to treat yourself?
I take a bath when the kids are sleeping and Tjimme is not at home… Love it.
As a couple, we try to go out twice a month and have a lovely dinner. It’s so nice to really talk to each other without the kids.

How do you make sure everything is ‘in balance’, work, family, friends?
That’s sometimes really difficult. But we moved for example to this village because my parents and my parents in law live here. This is so much easier when you get stuck in traffic after work for example. And plan trips or visits… because when you don’t do that you never will.

How do you combine motherhood and work? 
Sometimes really difficult see nr 1. & 16. But don’t stress. And take things how they come.
And you need to make yourself comfortable. For example Hello Fresh.

Name a couple of your favourite things in general. List a top 5.
Family, friends, working in the garden, fashion, time for myself.

Can you tell a little about decorating the kids’ room? 
Woed was able to choose his own colour for his room. He chose the colour green. The rest we decorated in an animal theme. So we have a lion above his bed and pillows with animals. Dia has her brothers’ bed and my dresser when I was a baby.
In her room, the walls are light green and the rest is decorated with little details like butterflies on the walls, a branch from a tree to hang her clothes. And I love linen and bedding for her bed by the brand Numero 74.

What’s important to you interior-wise, when it comes to creating a home?
That it suits myself and our family. It really needs to feel like our home and it really does.. I also like to combine new with old. That things have a story and with other things, we can create our own.

Where do you shop for your kid(s)?
For Dia I love to shop at Zara. But I also love to buy some more expensive brands online during sales, for example, Tiny Cottons, but also Lilukid or Bobo Choses. As for the basics, I really like Petit Bateau. For Woed I like to combine cool with classic, for example, a Scotch Shrunk leather jacket with a sweater of Petit Bateau and a skinny-jeans from Zara.

What are your favourite clothing brands and stores?
I love Humanoid and like the brand American Vintage and the skinny pants by Kimm. I buy them mostly online but also at Zisa Basics in Strijen. And Also for myself, I Iove shopping during sales to find some nice pieces for less.

How do you stay in shape, physically and emotionally?
I have a personal trainer once a week. I also go to several coaches for my mental health and of course my friends.

What’s the first thing you bought for your baby when you were pregnant?
With my first child, it took me a long time to buy something because I was really in shock with the news… I think I bought a really soft hoody with ears at the GAP in NY.

What’s the nicest piece of art you ever got from your kid(s)?
Haha I never looked at it this way….

When did your heart melt?
When Dia en Woed are having fun.

Which city do you like to visit and why? 
NY, London and Paris. We love to stroll and shop till we drop. Besides shopping I love to eat. So we do breakfast, lunch and diner the whole way.

What’s important when you go on holiday as a family?
To spend time with each other. Because we really have busy lives and when it’s holiday we just want to be with each other and do nice things. Preferable in the house of my parents in the south of France where we feel at home while on holiday.

What do you like about your partner as a father?
He is strict but really sweet. And we really think alike with raising the kids.

What does your date-night look like?
Having dinner and long conversations.

Who as a mother inspires you and why?
I’m really inspired by my best friends. All kids are different and all mothers are different. And just raising the kids the way we think suits best with our own family is really good to see.

Which one is your favourite Lennebelle Petites item and why?
I love the new collection. But hearts are always good. And I have the Miss Universe for myself.