Koko Collective brings stunning and uniquely handcrafted rattan furniture, specially crafted for the little ones to your home. Thoroughly designed to be not only a piece of art but also functional and stimulate children's senses, this eco - functional, stylish brand has the special touch of the 2 beautiful sisters Kylie and Alica who together have 7 children. We caught up with Kylie to talk all things design, motherhood & mayhem.

✧ Meet Kylie and Alicia ✧

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Eco Naps is spreading the love for mother earth with eco-conscious cloth nappies, swim & accessories, inspiring modern, young, earth-loving families to make a positive change. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we had the pleasure to chat to Kyla Geen about the amazing sustainable community she has created through her venture.

✧ Meet Kyla Green ✧

Kyla, we are in love with your gorgeous Eco Baby Cloth Nappies!
We would love to hear about how EcoNaps came to life.
EcoNaps was born from a desire to create a better way to cloth nappy. After being thrown in the deep end when my first child was born, I was shocked at the waste created from disposables. I researched alternatives, and discovered the modern cloth nappy - fits like a disposable, but designed to be reused again and again.

I trialled a few styles but struggled to find nappies that were simple to fit and easy to use. I also struggled to find a brand that aligned with my own values around ethical production, and sustainability practices. Sure, cloth nappies were an eco-friendly alternative to disposables, but I felt there was so much more to sustainability than just the products.

It was from these struggles that I knew there needed to be a better solution, and EcoNaps was born.

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You have created not just a brand but a whole support space for families that want to swap disposable nappies for cloth nappies, what was the biggest challenge you faced when you started using cloth nappies instead of disposables?
When I first started researching alternatives to using disposable nappies, I felt pretty overwhelmed - it all sounded quite complicated, with so many nappy types, temperatures and routines. So much so that it took me a while to dive in and give it a go. But once I did, it was really so much easier than I thought - we started by using them just at home, found our flow and never looked back.
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A baby will go through approximately 2500 disposable nappies in their first year. Can you tell us the numerous benefits for both Mama Earth and our little ones that swapping to cloth nappies will provide? 
There are so many positive benefits of using cloth nappies, and the best part - you don't have to use them full time to make a difference. Even using just 2 cloth nappies a day from birth to toilet training can save around 1750 of disposables from landfill.

Cloth nappies are also a lot more cost effective than disposable nappies. Birth to toilet training with disposable nappies will set you back around $2100, yet with cloth nappies only around $800. It is a higher initial outlay, however you don't have to go full time all at once, and it definitely pays off in the long run.

Not to mention - cloth nappies are WAY cuter that disposables! 😉

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There are a lot of new families out there wanting to start using cloth nappies but are a bit worried about their functionality in our fast paced world. What tips would you give to them?
This is such a good question, and often asked by our community.

My advice would be that cloth nappies really aren't as hard or time consuming as you think. It's just about finding a flow that works for you and your family. Don't put pressure on yourself to use them full time - starting with 6 is perfect. This will give you 2-3 cloth changes per day - great for using around the home while you get in the swing of things. 

Although often sounding complicated, washing cloth nappies is also not a tricky or time consuming task. Simply put all dirty nappies in for a rinse cycle daily to remove the bulk of the soiling, and then again on a full cycle every 2-3 days. Hang to dry and voilà - ready to use again.
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What's one thing you want to say to all the Mamas out there?
Remember to make time for yourself.

Your own well-being and happiness is so important, but you'll also find yourself a more grounded and present mama by doing so.
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Freckly Ollie dresses your little one in style and with consciously designed limited pieces that don't hurt Mama Earth. Vintage-inspired with a twist of modern minimalism, each collection is handmade with natural linens, vintage cottons and sustainable surplus fabrics from their small studio in Melbourne, Victoria. We chatted to Diana, the Mama, wife, daughter and entrepreneur behind this fabulous brand.

✧ Meet Diana Yue Chen ✧

Diana, you are the brain behind the prettiest handcrafted linen baby and kids wear with all support from your whole family, hubby, son and mama. We would love to hear how Freckly Ollie was born and how it has grown through your family.
I was a womenswear designer for fast fashion and loved my job, however, I always felt a bit burdened with the ethics and sustainability of it all. So when my husband had to move to regional Victoria I decided to quit my job and start some kind of sustainable brand. I landed on kids-wear as we were planning on having kids but mainly because I didn’t have enough space for adult clothing. Now almost 6 years later I’m so in love with it and it has allowed me the flexibility to be with the family as well as my love for having a career. Being able to grow the brand whilst becoming a mum has really helped me understand what is needed in clothing that ticks all the boxes for mum and baby.

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Eco-consciousness and Sustainability are building stones in your brand. What precautions have you taken to preserve Mama Earth, both as a family mum and as a business. 

I’m very conscious of choosing materials for my brand. Working with mainly plant based fibres that are much more sustainable, I also think about how long items can last and how much they can be used which is also a contributing factor to sustainability.  In everyday life as well as in business, I try my best to use less plastic, compost, recycle and all the usual things. We also always used recycled paper, compostable satchels and stickers for packaging. I mean it’s  still always a work in progress as there is always more we can do. 

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As a business owner & MAMA yourself, how do you juggle both roles and what advise would you give to all Mamas out there, scared of opening their own business?

 I think it’s being comfortable in knowing that it’s ok to choose what makes you happy and not what we think is expected of us. It’s ok to put your little ones in daycare if you need to work. We shouldn’t feel bad for not being there all the time or getting enough satisfaction with ‘just’ being mum. Vice versa, if you feel that you don’t want to miss anything with your little one, then it’s totally ok to sit back and go slow with business, once they’re older you can get back to it. So really, I think the only advice I can give to mamas is to think of starting. business is to accept that there is no right, wrong or perfect balance. It’s whichever ‘balance’ works for you and overcoming any guilt that comes with it. 

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What’s your best style hack for Mamas out there.

My style hack is to choose everything in a harmonious colour scheme, that way whatever you pull out will always go with each other.

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Born on a small island of the archipelago of Sweden, Cotton stories makes poetry by brushing love and care with the most delicate touches onto 100% cotton vessels to create a lifetime memory of the most magnificent journey of them all - the beginning of life. 

✧ Meet Caroline Eklöf ✧

Caroline, you have a unique talent - whilst Mamas around the world are creating humans inside, you’re creating the most beautiful art to capture it. Please tell us how you got into painting Ultrasound Nursery Art?
 I’ve painted all my life, anything from sketching to large canvas. When I got pregnant for the first time I wanted to really get to know watercolour since it had forever been my least favourite art technique. It needs patience to master. And with a baby growing inside of me I really needed to practice my patience :) I remember feeling a kind of connection with my baby when I was painting. I know it sounds weird but it just felt like it was “ our time”. So after I had an early scan where I didn’t get a picture with me to take home I grabbed my paintbrush and tore off a piece of paper from the nearest sketch pad, and started to draw a mental picture of the very first meeting with my yet unknown daughter to be. And that’s where it all began. It’s crazy to think that my very first painting, of my own daughter, was the birth of Cotton Stories and I now paint to people from all over the world.

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Your style of painting is so magnificent and delicate, one little mistake and it’s all ruined, could tell us more about your process of creating a sonogram.
I love the whole process of making these paintings. I analyse every single detail to make sure I capture it all, and the best part is to enhance details that may be a bit unclear in the original image such as a moving foot or unclear profile. Once the sketch is done I begin adding many many layers Of paint. This is the beauty of unique artwork, it takes time. And that’s a valuable thing.

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Your sonograms of babies, twins, triplet and even tiny embryos have now been ordered from all over the globe. What’s the most memorable request you’ve had?
I’ve created paintings for baby showers, christenings and birthdays. Every moment is so special and it’s an honour to be a part of something so big, but I do have a special place in my heart for the paintings I create in loving memory of a baby that’s no longer with us. I especially remember this one story where a woman lost her baby at 29 weeks. This was about the same time that I was 30 weeks pregnant with my girl so it really got to me. She wanted me to create something in memory of her child. She later got back to me to let me know that the painting had helped her in the grieving process and now she looks at the sonogram painting differently. She had turned it into something beautiful, just as her baby. She wanted me to discreetly add angel wings to her image to remind her that she didn’t lose her child, it just turned into an angel that she now carried in her heart forever. Reading stories like this and being able to be part of something that big and emotional is something I am very humbled and proud of.

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Your gorgeous girl is 7 years old this year - same age as your very first sonogram. How do you feel when you look at that beautiful painting and how she’s now grown to become the gorgeous girl standing next you?
It's incredible!I have to pinch myself so many times when I realise she is the reason I do what I do today. She has been right by my side since day one and she is my biggest inspiration. She's with me in all the projects going on right now and I love picking her brain. She’s amazing and I can’t wait to see what our journey together will be and what journeys she’ll take later on in life�

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