Q&A With Amri and Katya of Hey Mama Co.
Amri: The morning snuggling with Mari, when she puts her little hand in mine while we walk down the street. I feel so blessed to be afforded the responsibility of teaching this precious creature what I can in this world. The hugs and the kisses aren’t bad either.
Katya: I think that our kids wear this addictive perfume that only we find delicious so one of my favorite things is being close to her and getting a whiff of that sweet baby smell. I love feeling so connected to someone who is such a big a part of you. Also, getting to relive childhood through your kid’s eyes, like you’re experiencing everything for the first time again.
Amri: It’s made me slow down a lot and be more patient. I was always on the go, but time goes by so fast with kids. I really try my best to take a break to just hang out together and let the day unfold. I’ve learned more as a person from this little one than in my entire lifetime. You can’t rush a child. They take time to acknowledge everything and are fully present in the world. They bring you back to that place. Motherhood has made me realize how precious all these moments are.
Katya: Motherhood has made me the best version of myself and given me a whole new perspective on what’s important and what happiness is. It’s also made me want to create more beauty in the world to share with my daughter and for her future.
Amri: I breast fed for 9 months. I would have for longer but I ran out of milk after I was back to work full time and just pumping. It’s so good for the baby, and I really loved our time together. It was a sweet and lovely time to bond.
Katya: Yes, I did breast feed and until this day it was probably one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve been through. I was sad when it ended and loved it pretty much from day 2. I will say though once your friends and loved ones have seen you pump, they’ll never look at you the same way! ;)
Amri: I would say it’s just evolved a bit. I’ve always had a minimal chic style, both in my home design as well as fashion. I love clean lines and graphic prints or solids. I’ve never been much of ruffles or liberty print person. My color palette has narrowed a bit since becoming a mom. I used to take more chances with bolder pieces and wacky prints, but that doesn’t appeal to me any more. Now I wear mostly black, white, grey, blues, or neutrals with a pop of color here or there. This makes it easy to get dressed as my whole wardrobe is pretty much interchangeable.
Katya: I find myself looking for really chic and comfortable things I can wear on the weekends, but my going out style has really stayed true to who I am. I’d describe my personal style as feminine, yet edgy, lots of black and white, a combination of uptown/downtown, and designer finds mixed in with Zara and H&M. I’ve definitely been feeling the sneaker look which is great for running around the city with or without kids!
Amri:
Miljas Hat Green/Grey
Miljas Hat Green/Grey
I love hats to keep the son off my face and complete a look.
Lara Lip Joey Jumper
This sweater will go with everything since it’s black but it’s cheeky and fun.
Elanor Shirtdress Impasto Print
Shirt dresses are so easy and this one is dressed up with a graphic quirky print I love
Culottes Loom Blue
Culottes are a great skirt alternative with kids.
Cointa Jumpsuit
Jumpsuits are a must for mamas. Just throw on and go
Embellished Top Navy
Light knit perfect to layer or wear alone
Black Lace Panty
Lacey lingerie makes a girl feel pretty
Bardot Stripe Mom Crop Sweater
Stripes are an essential for me
Katya:
Elastic Waist Full Skirt With Laser Cut Out Leather Detail
Short Sleeve Button Down With Piping
Crewneck Cable Knit Sweater With Mesh Detail
Katya: Although pink is not my favorite color by any means, I know the occasional bright colored dress will make my daughter very happy. It’s fun to wear matching outfits sometimes. I tend to gravitate towards a lot of black and white because I feel the most elegant and versatile so if I’m going from work meetings to picking up Lili at school to heading out to dinner, then it works. I like comfortable pieces
Amri: In the beginning heymama was about helping mamas find other women they could connect with over more than just being mothers for friendship. Katya and I soon realized what we, and the women we brought together, were connecting over a shared passion for creative projects and entrepreneurship. These women are passionate about their families, but also things beyond motherhood. they want to share this with their peers. We want heymama to become the go to place for mamas to find inspiration to launch their dream projects, if they want to get the word out about something they’re doing.
Katya: heymama was really inspired by the relationship I had with my best friend and Co-Founder, Amri Kibbler and wanting to create something that made finding that easier for other moms. It’s since become more of a voice for the creative, entrepreneurial mom who has a lot of interests and is looking to surround herself with women who inspire her to do her best. Our long-term mission is to create a global community of these women where anywhere you go in the world you can find women accomplishing and doing amazing things and feel a part of something greater. We’d also love to help mama-run brands start their businesses and get off the ground in the early stages when we know it can be the hardest to break through the noise.
Amri: We have a beautiful lake house about an hour outside of New York, and head there every free weekend. Mari loves running around outside, digging up worms, fishing, swimming in the lake. My husband Jason loves to grow things, and we cook a lot with veggies from our garden. Hitting up the farmers market and bbqing are also high on our list. We try to spend as much of the weekend out side as we can before we head back to the city.
Katya: We really love to go to the country and spend as much time in the fresh air, picking flowers, feeding ducks, baking cookies, having dance parties at home. If I stay in the city, then I love to catch up with my mama friends and their kids and take Lili to the beautiful parks at the waterfront, get pizza at our favorite pizzerias, go to museums, and do arts and crafts at home.
Amri: Balance is tricky, and elusive. Some days it so much more about work and others it’s more about family. If Mari has a play in the middle of the day I’m there. Katya and I make sure to cover for each other so we can make time for our family. At the moment we’re plotting to take the girls to do something fun together each week during the day. heymama is so important to us, but this time goes by fast and we don’t want to miss it. It’s about making the time you spend together special and being present.
Katya: Balance is definitely really tough but I block off time in the day that’s just dedicated to my family. I put away my phone to make sure to give 100% of my attention to them. Also having my own business makes it easier to be flexible and be there for the things that really matter. Sometimes even breaking up the mornings with a walk to the store together helps it feel like there’s more quality time.
Amri:
mother: nurturer
wife: partner
business owner: hustler
friend: listener
Katya:
mother: energetic
new yorker: always and forever
business owner: fearless
friend: devoted
Tell Us Your favorite...
Amri:
Bedtime Story: At the moment its Pinkalicious
Lullaby: Rock A Bye Baby
Vacation Spot: Byron Bay, Australia
Restaurant: Locanda Verde
Bedtime Story: Lili always convinces me to read way more stories than we initially agree upon, so some of my favorite moments are when we chat about the stories I read to her and every time I’m done she says “one more, one more!”
Lullaby: I love singing Lili rockabye baby but then making up the words so that they’re different and really fun. It always makes her laugh
Vacation Spot: I just recently took her on a farm adventure this weekend, just the two of us and got to take her to her first amusement park. I’ve never seen her so happy, I think she actually said she had one of the best days of her life.
Restaurant: Lili loves pizza, especially Grimaldi’s in Brooklyn.
Children’s Brand: I really like ezzer kezzer, they make things super soft and comfortable, yet edgy and fun.
Amri: How fast every stage zooms by I remember being all stressed about making baby food and never realized it was gone in a second.
Katya: That the days are long, but the years are short.
