#MOTHERSTORIES - Nika from Prague about mom-life and sustainability

It's time to talk about you again! And what better place is there for that than our blog series #MOTHERSTORIES ?! Here we get to know a colorful mix of moms who all have one thing in common: they dedicate themselves to sustainability and shop at Orbasics.

We are super excited to introduce Nika to you for this edition. Nika lives together with her husband, her mother and her little son Marco in their house in Prague. Nika is self-employed and doesn't just live and breathe sustainability in her private life, but in her job too. In her Motherstory, she talks about daily life in Prague, sustainability in the Czech Republic and even has some traveling tips to share with us.

 

Nika, her husband Stefan and their 2-year-old son Marco

 

Hi Nika! Please tell us a bit about yourself and your family! 

My name is Nika and I live with my husband Stefan and the 2-year-old son Marco in our family house in Prague. I run a family business - fundus Eterle (www.eterle.cz) - with my mum Lia, who also lives with us and completes our strong family bonds. Currently, I am also finishing the interior design of our house, as we have finally moved in after a long renovation. I love to spend time actively with nice and inspiring people and my family, and I love traveling and visiting new places. 

 

Nika and her mother Lia who lives with the family. Together they run the family business  fundus Eterle

What does a typical day in your family life look like?

I wake up the first, prepare breakfast for my son and me and get him ready for nursery school. After leaving him there I start working, which continues till the afternoon when I pick him up from the nursery school. At this moment, our time together begins. We play at home or at the playground or just enjoy our time together in the garden. Sometimes Marco’s grandma takes over and I go for meetings. Around 6 pm our evening ritual begins (dinner, bath, reading…) and after Marco falls asleep, we have dinner with my husband and usually sit down at a computer again. That is one thing we would like to change, we are looking forward to free evenings ☺

What is your favorite memory from your childhood?

Summer holidays spent with my grandfather at our cottage. Absolutely careless days in nature, full of kids play.

 

 

Big party - Marco´s birthday

 

What was your favorite item of clothing as a child? Did you own something that was particularly special to you or that you connect with a story?

I had to ask my mum about this one and she said I liked any piece of cloth that draws attention. If the whole street was not looking at me, I became nervous ☺

I still have black leather boots from the UK lying around somewhere. At that time it was something very special even for adults so when I walked in them down the street the city was mine ☺

What is your experience is the biggest surprise when you get kids?

You cannot prepare yourself for motherhood in advance. No matter how much advice you get, you have to experience it yourself.

What have you learned from your child?

For me, motherhood is the biggest lesson of patience and a logistic challenge :)

 

How has your motherhood changed you? What are you especially proud of?
I guess I am still in the process of change. Not there yet but trying to live more in the moment and enjoy it fully. A big challenge for me is to see that “non-perfect” things are sometimes the perfect ones.

What does sustainability mean to you and how does it affect your family life?

I think our whole family business is about sustainability. We collect old furniture; decorations and even clothes and we repair them or remake them into something new. We, for example, sew pillowcases from old cashmere sweaters or we use old wood from doors or beds and we create tables from it. All these things are available for rent for whatever event you can think of – weddings, birthday parties, press conferences, photo shoots….

 

 

Summer in the Czech Republic and Nika´s works

 

Beautifully arranged renovated furniture is also a must on Nika´s wedding  

 

How big is the topic of sustainability in the Czech Republic?

I think it's becoming an important topic more and more in Czech society, although there is still a long way to go. I think it is also quite a good marketing tool and it is sort of “cool” to be sustainable. I think it is in a way good as it helps to spread this idea more easily and faster.  

What can't families miss if they visit Prague?

I would recommend a walk in the streets of Old Town and Lesser Town of Prague where they can also stop at nice playgrounds (mother thoughts follow me in every planning… :)

Why did you become an Orbasics customer?

A friend of mine recommended it to me and I fell in love with it immediately. I love the colors, material, simple cuts and also the price was good for such kind of clothing.   

What is your favorite outfit for your kids?

I prefer minimalistic styles without patterns or too many bright colors. I like classics, but Marco is more sporty-elegant type ☺ It is interesting that even in the kid’s age not everything suits everyone. I, therefore, had to adjust what I like and looks good on Marco.

 

What are the biggest learnings in your life and what would you like to tell other women?

Becoming a mother and raising a child is the biggest lesson I have ever got in my life so far. The feelings of maternity are non-transferable, every woman feels it differently, and it is unfair that very often (at least in our country) the society expects a certain attitude and feelings from mums. For that reason a lot of them feel guilty when they don’t want to give up their job and decide not to stay home with their children, etc. Therefore I would like to support all the mothers to respect themselves and their own feelings, needs and wishes, to take care of themselves. Because happy mother is as important as a happy child ☺

 

The family

 

Thank you Nika for these inspiring and strong words! We feel absolutely the same way and are convinced that we can reach many women with this message. Thank you for your wonderful stories about your life in Prague and your experiences as a mom.

If you would also like to share your story, just write us at hi@orbasics.com, we would love to get to meet you!