Have you ever browsed around on Instagram and come across a beautiful feed—and then looked up to realize 30 minutes have gone by?!
That’s exactly what happened when I stumbled across Celia Munoz, owner and designer of the gorgeous Spanish clothing boutique, Lacoqueta Kids. I went nuts for everything! Her charming European life and five gorgeous children feel like something I would dream up—but they’re totally real!
Stunning European countryside, amazing adventures, and beautiful children’s clothing will leave you charmed with Celia, her business, and her lovely family.
Are you a morning person? If not, how do you handle getting up early with your kids?
I wouldn’t say I am a natural when it comes to waking up early but I guess motherhood did change that very quickly. I have now gotten used to waking up early and I don’t think about things too much when I wake up. I just do what I need to do, which is waking up my family, feeding them, taking my children to school and then going to work. The weekends are a lot more relaxed and my children generally wake me up a bit later than during the week, which is wonderful.
Do you get up before your kids? If so, how do you spend that time?
Yes, I wake up 15 minutes earlier so that I can have a chat with my husband (we don’t have much quiet time during the day with so many children around!). I wake them up just before I have a shower so that we can all get dressed at the same time. They all bring their little stack of clothes to my bathroom and they get dressed while I shower. My older children get dressed a lot faster than the younger ones so they help each other.
What is a typical weekday morning like in your house?
It is, to say the least, extremely organized and efficient. I wake up early because I do not like to rush my family in the morning and I like that we enjoy having breakfast together in the morning, all sitting down around the table and enjoying a meal and a conversation. We don’t rush. We enjoy being together before my husband leaves just after breakfast and I take them all to school. I must confess that by 9 am when I get to the office, it feels like half a day has passed already as I have done so many things.
Do you have a morning routine? What’s it like?
Yes we do. Like any big family, routine is our motto—otherwise, it would be impossible for me to make it work. I find that my children welcome routine and it trains them to do the same thing every day, which can be quite helpful.
6:30 – My husband and I wake up.
6:45am – I wake up my children and we all get ready. They all need to do their beds and tidy up their clothes before they have breakfast.
7:10am – We prepare breakfast together. I do the smoothie, my husband prepares porridge and my children help with laying the table. It’s a great team effort and we all enjoy our breakfast until 7h40.
7:40 – When my husband isn’t travelling he leaves for work.
7:45 – Everybody brushes their teeth. My son Lucas comes with me to my bedroom and reads to me while I put my makeup on.
8am – We walk to school and once we say goodbye to each other, I head toward my office or the shop, generally by 9 am.
What’s the best part of your morning?
Breakfast. My husband and I feel so grateful to have so many children. Having everybody around the table chatting makes us experience a great sense of achievement. There isn’t a single day we don’t think about this.
What’s a non-negotiable in your morning?
Not tidying up your bedroom or not brushing your teeth.
How are your mornings different on the weekend?
They are completely different. We let our children wake up when they want, which is generally around 7h30 or 8 am. The rule is that they can’t leave their bedroom before 8h30 so that my husband and I can sleep a bit longer. They have a clock and the moment it’s 8h30, they all race to see who is coming to our bed first…it’s hilarious!
What were your mornings like before you became a mama?
During the week I used to wake up half an hour before I left for work – I still woke up early but not that early…I do not miss it though.
What’s your dream morning?
My mornings during the weekend. I wake up later, there’s no rush and the only big plan we have is to go for a walk once we’ve had breakfast. It’s wonderful to not have a plan and to just enjoy being together.
If you could get someone to take over any part of your morning, what would it be?
Tying shoelaces and doing special hairstyles for my two daughters. I am terrible at it and find it a waste of time, but it is important to them so I try to make the effort.
Describe your morning in just 3 words.
Routine, energy and healthiness.
Coffee or tea?
Tea of course…one of the things I like the most about England. I recently discovered a Rooibos tea with cinnamon and orange that I love, always with a little bit of added milk.
What comes to mind when you think of mindfulness?
I think of the little things that my children do that in a way are so ordinary but in another way are so special, and that I will probably miss once they are fully grown up.
How do you find mindfulness in the morning?
By waking up early, taking that 15 minutes with my husband and not rushing anybody, just enjoying our morning before everybody goes to school. However, it’s always a work in progress…
What do you do the night before to make your mornings feel easier?
I ensure all of my children’s clothes, homework, etc. are ready so that we just need to get dressed, tidy up and have breakfast together without having to think about choosing clothes or preparing a schoolbag. I prepare all of my smoothie ingredients before I go to bed so that I save a few minutes in the morning.
Bonus: What are you working on right now? Tell my readers about what you do and any fun projects you are working on. Shameless plug!
At the moment I am working on our next SS16 shoot. We are launching a special occasion collection (first time ever for us!) and I am very excited.
