Mother Essentials: Morgan Walker Of Make.Do
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Portrait by Adrian Octavius Walker
Ready for some more Mother Essentials? Today’s list comes courtesy of Morgan Walker, the Oakland-based founder of Make.Do, a company dedicated to showcasing the work of black female entrepreneurs through pop-up events and curated marketplaces. Also the mother of an 8-month-old daughter, Emory, (whom you might remember from their adorable street style snaps at West Coast Craft!), Morgan spills her current essentials for mama and baby below.
Vanilla Lavender Whipped Shea Butter. “This product is handmade with all natural ingredients and shea butter directly from the Katariga Women’s Shea Cooperative in Ghana. I used this faithfully while pregnant and saw great results. The entire family uses it as a body and hair butter.”
Vanilla Lavender Shea Body Butter, $20, Hanahana Beauty.
Mented Lipstick. “I love every last color, but my current fave is Brand Nude. Mented has a great collection of nude shades for darker skin tones.”
Mented Brand Nude Lipstick, $16.50, Mented.
Notebooks. “At times when I’m overwhelmed or just need to get out of my head, I really like to make lists. Gratitude lists, intentions, ideas, tasks to complete, rants, whatever is currently on my mind goes there. Iron Curtain Press makes really durable and cute notebooks and task pads.”
Task Pad In Pink Lemonade, $15, Shorthand.
Maracuja Milk. “I’ve spent so much on hair products that I’ve gotten to the point where I rarely try new ones anymore. But I tried this product and I’m so glad I did. It’s not super greasy, but it’s heavy enough to saturate my thick hair. I use it as a daily moisturizer to keep my hair feeling soft. It also smells great!”
Maracuja Milk for Kinks, Curls, & Coils, $20, Beija Flor Naturals.
Holographic Stick in Lavender. “I’m obsessed with purple. I wear this when I want to look alive with a subtle flush of color on my cheeks and eyes.”
MILK Makeup Holographic Stick in Lavender, $28, MILK.
Doona Stroller. “We purchased a gently used Doona from my husband’s co-worker and it’s probably my favorite baby item. We got it for travel and it was so convenient that we couldn’t go back to our old car seat/stroller. I get sad thinking about the day she’ll be too big for it.”
Doona Infant Car Seat/Stroller With LATCH Base, $499, BuyBuyBaby.
Like You Know Anything. “In a world full of ‘experts,’ I love this short montage of stories, notes to self, and prayers just as it was written in the author’s notebook. This book reminds me we’re all a work in progress and if I’m going to be an expert on anything it should be myself.”
Like You Know Anything, $20, Kyndacee.
Google Search. “Speaking of not knowing anything, I always joke that the easiest way to embarrass me would be to pull up my Google search. I Google everything. Seriously everything!”
Backpacks As Purses. “I tend to carry bags until they rip and get all raggedy. I now like bags that can double as small diaper bags. On the rare occasion I’m rolling solo, I don’t have to worry about switching bags. I just grab and go.”
Enku Leather Backpack, $228, UnoEth.
Children’s Books. “Reading to my little one is an activity I love (much more than she does). Our dear friends and family have helped Emory start a great personal library full of characters of color. A few of our current favorites are Too Fly Not To Fly, Whose Knees Are These, Happy to Be Nappy, Pretty Brown Face, How Mamas Love Their Babies, and Dream Drum Girl.”
How Mamas Love Their Babies, $11.70, Amazon; Pretty Brown Face, $6.95, Amazon; Happy to Be Nappy, $7.19, Amazon; Too Fly Not To Fly, $12.50, Amazon; Whose Knees Are These, $5.16, Amazon; Dream Drum Girl, $15.34, Amazon.
Face Jelly. “All of my favorite ingredients in one super light moisturizer. The oils I use to cleanse my face tend to be too greasy when I apply makeup, so this was the perfect solution. They’ll even let you try a free sample!”
Base Butter Radiate Face Jelly, $28, Base Butter.
All Power to the People Tee. “I love this collaboration between O.N.W. and Fredika P. Newton in support of the Huey P. Newton Foundation. This shirt’s powerful message along with it being the most comfortable tee I own means I’ll wear it forever.”
Power To The People T-Shirt, $38, O.N.W. Shop.
Rosewater. “I use this as a refresher for my hair and face. I previously used it to set my makeup, but now I just use it because I like the way it feels. My instant morning—and sometimes afternoon—energy booster!”
Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater, $7, Amazon.
Spotify Playlists. “It amazes me how much a surprisingly good playlist or finding a new artist will make my day or turn my mood around.”
My Mother. “Even with all the other mothers in the world, motherhood can still feel lonely. My mother is a constant source of inspiration, encouragement, and laughter. I’m blessed to have been birthed by such an amazingly nurturing and caring woman. She keeps me sane!”
For more on Morgan and Make.Do, be sure to check out her site and follow her on Instagram. And for more Mother Essentials, peep our past columns with Jeanne Chan of Harlow & Grey, Bekah Stewart of A Well Traveled Woman, Joy 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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