Mother Stories
Day In The Life: Boise-Based Stylist & Mother Of 2 Laura Tully
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Laura Tully
Apr 21, 2020
Next up in our Day in the Life series is Laura Tully, a Boise, Idaho-based personal wardrobe stylist and co-founder of Next Level Women, a group that’s devoted to training the next crop of female leaders. Born and bred in Jamaica and immigrating to the U.S. at 11-years-old, Tully studied psychology at Montclair State University in New Jersey before discovering that fashion was what truly beckoned her. She learned more about the industry when she took on a management job at J.Crew, later taking the big leap to launch a personal styling biz on her own. Thanks to her “mountain man” husband, for the past 15 years she’s called Idaho home, and is now settled there with her family, including her step daughter Madeline, 14, and baby boy Conner, 15 months. Below, she shares the ups and downs of a day in her life as she and her family wrap up week 3 of a local stay-at-home order, which has recently been extended to April 30th.
Want to see how other mothers are getting it done during a pandemic? Check out our past Day in the Life features on Dr. Kat De Jong and Juvilynn Arbuthnut.
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- Laura, 41, personal wardrobe stylist James, 48, facilities manager Madeline, 14, stepdaughter and awesome human Conner (a.k.a. Mr. Handsome), 15 months Kiwi, 4, four-legged fur baby
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- "I wake up at 7 a.m. and my husband James wakes up at 5:30 a.m. because he’s a rooster (ha!). My baby Conner usually wakes up at 8 a.m. and our teenager Maddie at 8:30 a.m."
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- "I usually lay in bed for about 5 minutes and breathe in and out slowly. This also depends on whether my 15-month-old boss wakes up early. I try to start slow and set the mood for my morning with some calm. After that, I take a shower immediately. I add a drop of eucalyptus oil in the shower and it gives me a mini spa morning. I get dressed for the day. No matter what I have going on that day, I once again do the things I can control to set my mood. Wearing a great outfit that I feel good in helps. A 2-minute makeup session—honestly that’s how long it usually takes—and then to the kitchen to make my tea and coffee."
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- "Avocado and toast are kings in this house. Conner is into oatmeal right now with blueberries and I’m rolling with it. Yogi green tea is also a must. Sometimes I add a bit of cream, sometimes I don’t. I take my coffee strong with heavy cream. I can’t sip it any other way. This specific morning I'm making some tea and eating avocado toast. Maddie has the same thing for breakfast. It’s an easy morning so far. Conner is still sleeping and Maddie is taking care of herself. My big girl! I feel like I can breathe a bit."
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- "It’s slow and easy so far. I was able to get some sleep last night because Conner slept through the night. The teething game is strong right now and it messes with sleep for all of us. Poor little guy. Today I have a meeting with my Next Level Women Leaders team, shopping online for two clients, and full-on Conner duty, which will dictate how I get some things done today."
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- "I’m on a Zoom call with my Next Level team. I can hear Maddie grabbing Conner from his crib. He’s awake and sounds upset. I try to focus on the details and tasks, but it’s challenging. We openly share the angst each of us is feeling both here in the U.S. and aboard with our individual businesses and our company. We help each other say out loud how we feel and without apology. It helps me manage so much." "By 10:00 A.M. Maddie is doing her online schooling, which is a strange new reality for her. I think the structure helps give her some normalcy and schedule for her day. There are dishes to clean up and then playtime with Conner. This is week 4 of him having me all to himself and he’s been extra clingy this week. I try to take advantage of this time with him, but know that I also need my space. It’s good for both of us."
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- "Tuna and olive sandwich for me and grilled cheese for Conner and Maddie. I feel like I’m in the kitchen most of the day. Making snacks, putting snacks away, or cleaning up. Comfort food has been the go-to these days. I find myself needing to do the things that give us immediate joy and cooking and eating is one of those things."
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- "Conner refuses to take a nap and it’s go go go for me. I have to put off doing some work because I can’t get anything accomplished with him around. Trust me, I’ve tried. So, I work on letting go of 'no-nap' cramping Mama’s work time and play with him. He’s in a good mood. Mama's happy."
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- "Conner is only 15 months old, so I don’t think he notices it much, but I do think he misses playing with his friends. When we go for strolls in our neighborhood and he sees a little kid he gets so excited. He just wants to play with his friends. For Maddie, she misses hanging with her friends. It’s a big part of her life. She’s also used to using technology to communicate with her friends, so I think that has helped ease the shift with this new normal."
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- "I check my email and Conner takes apart the bookshelves. It’s his favorite thing to do and it gives me a solid 10 minutes. A client is scaling back on her styling service with me. Her family’s financial position is about to do a 180 and that shit is so real. I’ve been fortunate to not feel the huge sting of the economic hardship of this virus, but I worry that it just hasn’t hit me yet. I assure her that I understand. We are in this together. Breathe in breathe out."
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- "James is home from work and I couldn’t be happier. He works primarily on a solo basis with minimal contact with people and social distancing protocol in place. I give Conner another snack and hand him off to James. I’m relieved because I’m ready for a break. I can get some work done and have something checked off my work to-do list. This new normal makes me feel the tug of working and family life more than usual. The boundaries have to be really clear for me. Either I can work and focus, or completely be with my family. It’s fuzzy right now, so I do what I can."
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- "Having some routine. Conner and Maddie have certainly helped with that. It gives me some consistency and some control over my day. I’m also allowing myself to be more protective of my mental health. All of this can make me at times feel like I’m drowning. So, I have to mentally decide that I’m not and also ask for support."
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- "James works Monday through Friday, so most of Conner’s care during the day is in my hands. However, I’ve been brutally honest about what I need to care for myself. He comes home from work and he’s on Conner duty. Communicating what we both need in order to be a good wife, husband, mother, father, and a family is essential and it comes with lots of compromises."
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- "It makes me feel like I haven’t been focusing on what truly matters. It might seem clichè, but I was losing so much of what 'together' really meant for me and my family. The restrictions have made me call my mom and dad more and chat with my family and friends. I now pick up the phone and call instead of text. There’s a new joy in hearing each other's voices or FaceTime'ing. I really appreciate the gift of technology and being able to see the faces of the people I love."
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- "We are some serious chicken eaters. I’m making spiced chicken with sautéed asparagus, onions, and peppers with jasmine rice. It’s bold and flavorful and once again it’s that immediate joy. I feel like it lets my family know how much I love them and that I’ll take care of them."
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- Dinner with a tiny sous chef, naturally.
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- "Snuggling and reading with Conner. He’s so chatty and I love the big conversations we have. Also, the blip of sunshine outside today and watching Conner run around. Sunshine is one of those immediate moments of joy around here. And Maddie loves to sing and play music, so we always have a jam session while we clean up the kitchen after dinner."
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- "I’m hoping that this experience deeply and profoundly changes how we care for each other. We need each other more than we thought. We are more alike than we thought and we can’t thrive without looking after each other. It’s that simple. Once this pandemic is over, togetherness will have a new meaning for me and ultimately it really is the little things that matter."
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- "Conner not taking a nap really takes some of the wind out of my sail. He needs it and I need it. When my mind wanders into COVID-19 land and all its uncertainties I try to remind myself that I’m doing the best I can."
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- "Tonight is a struggle. James was able to get Conner down for a late nap, so he’s now wide awake and the routine of 8 p.m. bedtime just got pooped on. I’m tired and ready for rest. Maddie is so self-sufficient. She takes her shower and gets ready for the next day. She’s my 'I got this Mom' baby. James gives Conner a shower—his new favorite thing—and puts him to bed. Once the kids are in bed, I take a long shower and calm my mind. I make some tea and sit in bed. We keep the news off before we go to bed. I watch Bob Ross paint and sip my tea. I can only control what I think and how I take care of this body and my family. So, I breathe in and breathe out."
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- For more on Laura, her family, and her at-home experience, follow her on Instagram.
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It’s so nice to see an amazing woman of color join the ranks of barefoot mamas on this site. Laura’s bare feet are absolutely gorgeous! Picture #5 is so natural. Her toes look so beautiful! Picture #13 is lovely as well. The partial view of her cute sole and toe undersides is simply exquisite!