We are so excited to introduce you to our February 2014 Fan of the Month Julia, and her daughter Gretchen! (And no, we didn't just choose Julia as Fan of the Month for her fantastic taste in baby names. ;) ) These beautiful ladies are a long-standing and truly wonderful part of our community! We have known Julia for years now and always appreciate her warmth, intelligence and sense of humor. Read on to learn more about her and click here for general info on our Fan of the Month feature, including how to enter to be FotM yourself! Entries are now open for March! :)
Julia Willhite
Where are you from? Where do you live now?
Grew up in Lawrence, KS, now live in Kansas City.
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
Gretchen, 18 months old. (And don’t think we JUST chose Julia as our Fan of the Month for her fantastic taste in baby names.)
How/when did you find twinkie tush?
It was actually before we were even pregnant! I hung out on a cloth diapering message board while we were TTC and buzz for TT was brewing. I bought my first TT before we were even pregnant, it was Chance of Rain, still one of my favorites.
What is your favorite twinkie tush print of all time?
Flatline, you might say I'm obsessed. My husband knows it is a "special" diaper that doesn't go in our regular rotation.
Do you have an ultimate ISO print?
Thanks to so many generous TT mamas I've acquired all the girly prints I've wanted. Now if I have a boy someday I will have a whole new list of ISOs, Track and Field being at the top of that list.
What is your favorite personal non-parenting related, non-work related hobby?
Not sure if this counts as a hobby but I love trying new restaurants with my husband or with friends. Brunch, happy hour, dinner, I am game!
What makes you feel most inspired or grounded? How do you take care of yourself and your spirit?
Connecting with and helping others, which I get to do through my job as a social worker. Self care for me usually means getting out and being by myself. Maybe a walk through Target, a pedicure, eating lunch by myself at a restaurant. Just having some time where I'm responsible for no one but myself so I can refocus and then come back refreshed.
What is your favorite activity to do with little Gretchen?
Getting out and exploring places like the zoo, children's museum, a local park. As she gets older and more verbal it is so much fun to watch her interact with her surroundings.
What is/was your favorite place to visit?
We honeymooned in Maine and it was amazing. I hope we can go back for our 10th anniversary in 2016!
What is your favorite book? What about your favorite movie?
I don't really have one particular favorite book. My guilty pleasure reads are anything by Beverly Lewis about the Amish and any book written about the FLDS. I also love YA lit and memoirs. Favorite movie is hands down Mean Girls.
What is something surprising about you, that people might not guess upon meeting you?
I just watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" for the first time in 2013. So maybe I grew up sheltered!
What twinkie tush attribute and/or philosophy do you most appreciate?
Family! I love that TT is a family run business and that a sense of family has been fostered among TT fans. TT also brings our family together in small ways. As I write this right now my husband and my toddler are folding diaper laundry. She pulls the TT soakers out of the basket and hands them to him and he matches them up with the diaper shells. Then she puts the finished diapers back in the basket. Over the last couple of years I've gotten to know many other TT mamas really well, it does feel like we are one big family.
What would you tell someone who has yet to try a twinkie tush diaper?
You are missing out. Also, you can't stop at just one, so brace yourself!
Tell us your funniest cloth-diapering or parenting story!
It's hard to think of one specific story but my daughter is currently digging through her basket of twinkie tushes and talking and singing to them. She just carried on a long conversation with the whales on Big Sally, in secret toddler language of course.
Tell us about one of the most meaningful parenting experiences you have had.
My daughter was born at 35 weeks and was a very small and very sleepy baby. I got a ton of support from my TT mom friends including some mamas sending me preemie sized cloth diapers since my daughter was too small for newborn sized diapers for the first few weeks. I also got tons of support and great advice when we dealt with breastfeeding issues. The first few weeks of motherhood were so hard, but the amazing support from my husband and all of my precious online friends actually makes me look back on that time fondly. I had never felt so supported and now I feel empowered to support other new moms struggling as we did.
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| Gretchen in Flatline <3 |
Many thanks to Julia! We are honored to have you as our Fan of the Month! :)
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