Gifts by a Yummy Mummy - a Chichester mum's mission to spread joy

“I have always been interested in art and have done it for years as a mindfulness technique,” she says.

“I had a folder of all this art work just waiting there and I thought I have to do something with this.

“I remember my son was asleep and I was watching him. And I thought I am so bored. I love my son so much but I knew I wasn’t able to wake him up as that wasn’t the done thing and I thought I need to do something for me.”

And so in September 2019 Jen launched Gifts By Yummy Mummy.

Items in the collection include phone cases, dog beds, bags and umbrellas.

“When I was choosing items to stock it was about doing things that no one else is doing,” explains Jen.

“Before I went on maternity leave I worked in the health and wellbeing sector. I was the manager at Goodwood Health Club and Spa, I saw loads of yoga mats nothing like what I do so I wanted to create something a bit different.

“That is my aim with everything I do.”

Every item features one of Jen’s paintings which are created using pigment dropped into water on heavy duty paper.

“It looks like a big puddle and then I drop the ink in so I have to wait for it to dry in between,” she explains.

“You really have to think about where the pigment is going so that a bird looks like a bird or people know that it is a fox.

“My friends had bought me adult colouring books in the past but it couldn’t keep within the lines and found it too restricting whereas with this style of painting you take your time which is why I think it works with mindfulness.”

Now living in Chichester, Jen once called the Isle of Wight home and would paint a lot of boats and shorelines.

“I also spent a lot of time in South Africa and now I walk a lot so I am always surrounded by animals and wildlife. I also find it less pressure than trying to paint people,” she says.

Jen aims to bring joy to people’s lives and has found that when she showcases her work on social media she gets a great response.

But she also hopes to inspire other mums around the world to invest in themselves and their hidden talents too.

“Every mummy is a yummy mummy,” she smiles.

“I just want every mum to know that they need to do what makes them happy and do what is best for them.

“If you are a mum who loves being at home doing the nappies and the feeds that’s cool but I get that some mums need more and need to retain a sense of themselves.

“I just want to show mums they can do it, pregnancy can be an opportunity. I have a friend who has deiced to change their career and they wouldn’t have done that if they hadn’t had a baby.

“I believe life is about balance and everyone needs balance in their life with their physical and mental health.

“When I left my job it was terrifying as it was all I had ever known and I am good at it but I knew for my family and for my son it was for the best.”

And now she is not just empowering other mums but also adding a touch of joy to people’s lives through her work.

For more information and to view the collection, visit giftsbyyummymummy.com or email [email protected] or you can ‘like’ the Facebook page: facebook.com/giftsbyyummymummy

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