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Mother Essentials: Courtney Klein Of Storq

Written by Sara Langer

As one of our very first Mother profiles (back in 2014, when she was expecting her first!), Courtney Klein has been a long-time inspiration to us, thanks to her thoroughly modern “maternity” line Storq and equally modern take on motherhood and pregnant people. Now a mother of two (Nell, 4, and Lew, 2), Courtney continues to inspire, especially with her brand’s recent pledge to nix Photoshop from their campaigns and feature a new inclusive range of sizes and models. Since it’s been awhile since Courtney’s showed her face on this site (4+ years to be exact!), we thought it made sense to catch up with the San Francisco resident on her recent “Mother Essentials” must-haves, below.

Cink Dinnerwear. “If you’re in the market for kids’ tableware that doesn’t feature cartoon characters, I love the cups and bowls from Cink. They are made from sustainable bamboo and come in a pretty, neutral palette. They will not break when your child tosses them unceremoniously about the kitchen or living room, plus, they are super simple and can be used for babies on up.”
Cink Dinnerwear, Bamboo Bowl 3-Pack, $34.30, Cink.

Bajo Toys. “We traveled to Poland this fall and it was a pleasure to be in a place that truly understands what it’s like to have children. Even fancy restaurants will most likely have a dedicated children’s play area! I discovered Bajo in Krakow, and picked up a few wooden cars for the kids. While they look simple enough, they go surprisingly far and proved to be an endless source of entertainment for our vacation and beyond.”
Bajo Pull-Back Car, $18, Acorn Toy Shop.

Storage Baskets. “My husband might tell you that I have too many baskets. But what does he know? They look good and hide multitudes. All of my family secrets are contained in baskets along with toys and a lot more toys. A couple of my favorites are from Territory and IKEA.”
Fladis Seagrass Basket, $14.99, Ikea.

Diaper Clutch. “It is not fun to change a diaper in public, and it never will be. But, there are things you can do to cut down on the stress of dealing when the situation inevitably arises. Step one is to keep all your gear in one place. I use my trusty Kit Bag, which comes with a padded changing mat, wipes pouch, room for diapers and a change of clothes, along with whatever extras you like to keep on hand. For example, As puppy care basics, I keep dog poop bags, so I can pack in/pack out of airplane bathrooms like a considerate camper.”
Kit Bag, $48, Storq.

Eco Lunch Box “Would you believe me if I said that packing my kids’ lunches inspired me to bring my own instead of ordering delivery every single day? Actually, what really inspired me to bring my lunch was finally having a kitchen in my office, but either way. I use these tins to pack my daughter’s preschool lunch as well as my own, which are small and easy to clean but hold a good amount.”
ECOlunchbox Three-in-One Stainless Steel Food Container Set, $29.95, Amazon.

Easy Hair. “Most days, I do not ‘do’ my hair. But if I am feeling fabulous (i.e. I have an important meeting) I have 2 quick, no-stress hair improvement options. Either I pull it back into a bun and secure it with this clip, or I use this trick to add some body and volume where there is literally none to begin with. My hair is dyed white, which makes an everyday impact, so doing anything more tends to feel OTT for me on a regular day.”
Sylvain Le Hen Barrette in Gold, $58, Jenni Kayne.

Lipstick. “The other morning routine add-on that I’ll bust out about once a week is lipstick. If I’m bothering to put on lipstick, I’ll typically opt for an in-your-face color because go big or just go with chapstick, ya know? Currently loving Royal from Kosas and Snob from MAC.”
Kosas Weightless Lipstick in Royal, $28, Amazon; MAC Satin Lipstick in Snob, $27.91, Amazon.

Kids’ Books. “Like any relatively sane person, I get a little fatigued reading the same books each night on repeat. I really appreciate and enjoy the book recommendations I find through Here Wee Read on Instagram, which highlights children’s books with themes that focus on diversity and inclusion. Some favorites include Jabari Jumps and Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse.”
Jabari Jumps, $14.39, Amazon; Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse, $12.75, Amazon.

Libby. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to the actual library much, but I do use this app to check out audiobooks for the kids and e-books for myself using our library card. Libby is a solid tool for families with adults and babes who go through lots of books on a regular basis.”
Libby App, free, iTunes.

Rishi Teapot. “We have a little garden off our kitchen where my kids can pick herbs with me to make tea in the morning. This little pot is great for single tea servings and small enough that my 4-year old, Nell, can pour everyone a cup.”
Rishi Tea Simple Brew Loose Leaf Teapot, $20.41, Amazon.

Qrib Sheet. “As purveyors of clothing and accessories for expecting and nursing mamas, our team is always waist-deep in all things mother-baby-child. We keep a running list of our new and interesting discoveries and then share our favorites bi-weekly in an email roundup called the Qrib Sheet. I can always expect a little inspo for me, something for my kid, and something to elevate my mood (as in, animal videos).”

Touchnote. “Kids tend to get a lot of presents – be it a birthday, Valentine’s Day, or a random Tuesday. It’s important to me to make sure we send personal notes to friends and family that send gifts, but sometimes I’ll have a bit of a backlog. Touchnote lets you take a pic of your babe using/wearing said gift and easily turn it into a thank you card that gets mailed to the thoughtful gifter. Boom.”

Pasta con Ceci. “Some nights when my husband and I haven’t had a chance to shop I get a little bummed thinking that our dinner will be some sad hodgepodge of leftovers and whatever is hanging around, but then I remember Pasta con Ceci. Using only pantry ingredients —chickpeas, tomato paste, fresh garlic—you can create a sweet little soupy pasta dish that is warm and satisfying and fairly legit in about 20 minutes.”
Pasta con Ceci recipe via Food 52.

For more on Courtney, check out her Pregnancy Style profile from 2014 and follow along with her and Storq on Instagram. And for more Mother Essentials, peep our past columns with Joanne EncarnacionLaTonya YvetteMorgan Walker of Make.doJeanne Chan of Harlow & GreyBekah Stewart of A Well Traveled WomanJoy Cho of Oh Joy!Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves, and an entrepreneur mom mash-up featuring Mara Hoffman, Jeni Britton Bauer, Justina Blakeney, A-lan Holt, Bee Shapiro, and Dominica Rice-Cisneros.

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