At Home In New Jersey With Mama Of (Almost) 3, Sade Llits

Mother Stories

At Home In New Jersey With Mama Of (Almost) 3, Sade Llits

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Photography by Dina Kantor

Apr 28, 2022

If you love old homes, today’s profile is for you. Born-and-bred New Yorker Sade Llits decamped for New Jersey four years ago, after craving more space for her children to roam and finding a 185-year-old colonial home on the market. Up on a hill, surrounded by trees is where she currently raises her two kids (Sage, 5, and Ollie, 2) in their 2,000-square-foot stunner. The young family—who are welcoming their newest member this spring—has completely made the space their own, with a mix of vintage, thrifted, and new furnishings and artwork that give the historic property loads of personality.

You can check out the space in our slideshow below, as well as hear about Sade’s journey to motherhood, including her most recent pregnancy. We discuss her career (“My career is my children! But that was my choice, I sacrificed myself, career, and goals for my family.”), the ups and downs of pandemic parenting, and her self-care habits during pregnancy—including incorporating the breakthrough, plant-based iron supplement Ferritin+ into her routine.

For a limited time, MOTHER readers can try Ferritin+ at 15% off!

This post is brought to you by Mother + Flora.

: Meet the family!

Sage, 5, Ollie, 3, and Sade, 35.

: "We decided to move to New Jersey because we wanted to live somewhere that would be good for the kids growing up, as well as our dream of having some land and a farmhouse."

"Unfortunately, we didn’t get the farmhouse, but we fell in love with this quaint colonial home that our real estate agent had sent us at the time along with other homes. When we saw it, we immediately fell in love with its potential before we even put in an offer. We have been calling it home for 4 years now."

: Sade wears a Michael Stars lounge set and ARQ bra.

Ollie wears a jumpsuit by Quincy Mae.

Sage wears Zara.

: "I would say modern rustic colonial farmhouse–ish. We love rustic wood with the old colonial feel and we just tried to incorporate the two in our own style."

: The family's dining table is from Pier 1, with chairs from Wayfair.

The black fruit bowl is from Target and the milk jugs on the mantel are thrifted.

: "Truthfully, we still haven’t figured that out yet. We have a 3-bedroom now, and Sage and Ollie have already established themselves in their own rooms. So, the baby will be sharing space with mom and dad for now until she gets older, then we can figure out who is going to have to share, or possibly move to another home by then."

: The gold-framed artwork is by George L. Wilson (thrifted), and the candleholders are by Hearth & Hand with Magnolia.

: "The balance of it all. This third pregnancy definitely caught us off guard. We were comfortable with our two children and finally getting into the swing of things. I was getting my life back together, started working again, and now my fear is I have to step back into full-blown motherhood, leaving my dreams behind for a while until the baby gets a little older."

: A new addition to Sade's pregnancy routine: Ferritin+ by Flora. The breakthrough iron supplement is plant-based and made with organic peas, allowing for a unique absorption path that minimizes digestive upset.

Shown by three clinical studies to effectively increase and maintain healthy iron levels, Ferritin+ was specifically formulated to be gentle on the gut, while delivering all the vital benefits of iron—making it especially ideal for pregnant women and nursing moms.

Iron is responsible for boosting energy and focus, the immune system, regulation of body temperature, the gastrointestinal process, and other vital functions—but iron deficiency is also the most common nutritional deficiency, especially among pregnant people, women between the ages of 18-50, athletes, vegans, and vegetarians.

: 1 in 4 women suffer from iron deficiency. Tell-tale signs include:

*Always feeling tired.
*Having trouble concentrating.
*Catching colds easily.
*Having dark undereye circles.
*Thinning hair.
*Having difficulty in completing daily tasks.
*Pale skin.
*Brittle nails.
*Often feeling chilly.

"I never thought about iron consumption before, because I always thought I would be getting it in by the food I eat," says Sade. "But in truth, in the beginning of my pregnancy my diet was poor because of morning sickness, so there was no way I was getting the correct iron intake."

: As for Sade's favorite aspect of Ferritin+:
"That it is plant-based and made from organic peas! I can’t express how important that is today," she says. "Even when I was pregnant with Ollie, I was always looking for plant-based alternatives for things I put in and on my body to protect myself and the baby."

MOTHER readers can add Ferritin+ to their health routine for 15% off!

Just click here and the promo code will appear in your cart automatically!

: 'This pregnancy has been the most challenging because I have more kids to run around with. More meals to make and clothes to wash. So I can’t really enjoy this pregnancy because I am just tired all the time."

: Interesting artwork, everywhere!

The hippo bust is by Nickey Kehoe. The head bust is via Etsy.

: Zoom in to see the retro-tastic LEGO Ghostbusters car!

: "I have a few friends I talk to who are also pregnant, which I am grateful for. We talk about our experiences and what to expect and how different these pregnancies are from the others."

"Community is very important, especially for me because I don’t live near my friends and family for that emotional support."

: "Self-care for me is taking care of my body. Eating right, drinking more water, and my favorite is my bath and skin care routine. I love an early morning bath, it gets me ready for my day and I have a skin care routine I do when I wake-up and before bed."

: "I never thought about motherhood before having kids. I was honestly enjoying my freedom and being able to work without any extra responsibilities. I knew eventually it was going to happen, but I wasn’t in a rush to be a mother because I already had young nieces and nephews that I spent a lot of time and practiced with."

: "I did not want kids so close in age, though I do appreciate it more now because I love to see them play, run around, and giggle together. They have each other and I think that’s the most important thing—they will remember that when they get older."

: A mix of vintage and brand-new—including dishware from Fable.

: "Sage is our fearless, sassy, but sensitive little girl. She is 5 years old and loves fashion, she’s very into makeup, and her hair must always be combed and on point without a strand out of place."

"Sage is a normal girl who loves playing dress up and with her dolls. She’s really into Roblox now where she can live this fabulous virtual lifestyle and brags about it."

: "Ollie is our sweet, lovable, timid, and shy little boy. He is 2 years old and is into monster trucks, construction equipment (especially excavators), bugs, and dinosaurs."

: Making sure her doll's hair is just-right, too.

: "The way you shift from being this selfish person to selfless. Everything is no longer about you, it’s about this precious little soul you have to take care of and you don’t mind sacrificing everything for them and their comfort."

: Big sister, little sister (in utero), and mama.

: Sade wears a Sabo Skirt lounge set and Pepper bra.

Sage wears a top and pants by Little Cotton Clothes.

: Sade's bedside scene, including a daily dose of Ferritin+.

Users of Ferritin+ no longer have to choose between the often unpleasant side effects of other iron supplements (stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea), while reaping the vital benefits of iron

The absorption advantage comes from the fact that our bodies already use ferritin as iron reserves. Since Ferritin+ features a naturally protein-coated form of iron found in legumes, it releases slowly and absorbs efficiently through a process called endocytosis, which minimizes digestive upset.

: "I am not too crazy about being pregnant during the pandemic. It makes doctor visits for me very difficult, especially with new hospital policies. I am a stay-at-home mom, my children are with me most of the time, and unfortunately children are not allowed in most of these facilities."

"Though I respect and understand the reasons, some of us mothers don’t have that village or childcare to watch our children during peak hours. Also, the fear of someone bringing home the virus with such small children is nerve wrecking. It’s already happened once in the early stages of my pregnancy, and I don’t want it to happen again."

: Ollie wears a cozy set by New Zealand-based brand Ziwi Baby.

: That mother-son love.

: Upstairs in the leafy corridor.

: Beautiful antique details.

: Sage invites us into her darling room.

Her Jenny Lind bed is from Crate & Kids. Her accent lamp is from Target, on top of a sidetable from Amazon.

: The rabbit head bust is by Nickey Kehoe.

The framed quotes—by Elsie de Wolfe and Pablo Picasso—are via Etsy.

: Sage sits on top of a dresser from Pier 1 (painted with Milk Paint by Shackteau Interiors).

Her coat hooks are by H&M.

: "Having both is definitely a blessing, but has its challenges. Each child matches each parent, and they are very much into what we are doing as our roles as parents. Sage loves makeup, helping to cook and clean. Ollie is into construction equipment and basketball, and loves watching it with his dad."

"I found out the sex for all of my pregnancies—I wanted to know each time, but it really didn’t matter what the result was."

: Inside Ollie's adorable nursery.

His crib, dresser, and rug are from Pottery Barn Kids.

The bookshelves are from Seven One Six Wood and the framed comic books are vintage.

: "Watching the kids do things together. I get so happy when I hear them hugging and giggling when playing around. It just melts my heart."

: Another classic vintage piece.

: "Hoping that I am leading them to the right path on making the right decisions for themselves and that whatever generational curse I am carrying does not rub off on my children. So they can be able to manage their feelings and reactions better."

: Raising a reader.

: A sweet aviation-themed toddler chair from Marshalls.

: "I grow up in Queens, New York, with my brothers. I have 6 siblings, 3 of whom I grow up with (my brothers). I remember always playing with my younger brother outside, whether it was a manhunt with our friends or riding on the handlebars on their bikes on a mid-summer day. If I wasn’t with my brother, I would be playing double-dutch or choreographing dance moves to our favorite hip-hop song with my girlfriends."

"In my house, my mom never missed a meal, she was always cooking for us, and if we played outside, we better not dare miss our baths. Growing up my family was very close. We always had a get-together during the holidays and my favorite during those get-togethers was the ghost stories they would tell, which would scare the crap out of me when it was time to go to bed."

: "That family is important, to always respect your elders, and stay close to them. Also to listen to one's feelings, young or old. Everyone has the right to express themselves or disagree—that doesn’t mean they are being disrespectful or don’t value your feelings."

: Twinning for sure.

: "I’ve always loved the name Sage, so when I found out I was having a girl, I already had her name ready. Sage’s middle name is Elizabeth, named after her grandmother who passed away a few months before Sage was born."

"Ollie’s name is William Oliver. He is named after his father, William, and I always love the name Oliver (or Ollie), so I just had to get it in there one way or another."

"We do have a name for our baby girl, but we are not sharing it until her arrival. Can’t wait to share it with everyone."

: One of Sade's favorite, and often-documented nooks in her space, which features the home's original windows.

: The beautiful entryway with thrifted artworks.

The heating pipes are wrapped in manila rope to prevent the kids from burning themselves.

: All dressed up, and ready to hit the outdoors!

: "The hardest part about parenting these past few years is getting the children to understand what’s going on with the pandemic and explaining to them (well, really Sage) why we can’t do the things we use to do, why we can't go to certain places, or why we can’t spend time with a family member at the moment."

"We've had a lot of breakdowns and tantrums from being isolated, and it's been very hard to deal with sometimes. But it's also been some of the best times. We were able to introduce the kids to some of our favorite childhood movies and shows, which allows us to bond a little more and have cuddle time."

: "I am always with my kids. Even before the pandemic, I did not have childcare, which was our choice, plus we do not live close to family. In the beginning, it was a bit of a challenge for me because I lost all my freedom, but eventually I got over it because I see it as—they are my children and my responsibility, I brought them here, so it is my job to take care of them."

"The bright side to this is that I have the privilege to be there for them in their early stages of life where they need me the most. Sage just started Pre-K a few months ago part-time, which helped just a little. But now Ollie doesn’t have anyone to play with, so he’s on me most of the time until Sage gets back home."

: Sade's ribbed dress is from DISSH.

Sage (and Ollie) wear Zara.

: "Before I had children, I was a real estate agent in New York. When I moved to New Jersey, all that stopped. I have no career. My career is my children! But that was my choice, I sacrificed myself, career, and goals for my family."

"When the kids are older I’ll probably figure out what I want to do then, but I am happy where I am now. I sort of fell into this influencer thing, which I enjoy because I love photography and decorating, but it's not a full-time job. I am grateful for where I am now in my life."

: "Just do it. If you love it, you’ll find time to make it work. Nothing and no one can stop your passion, what’s yours will always be yours. When I create, my kids are right beside me, and sometimes they are apart of that creation. Them being around does not stop me from doing what I love."

: "With all transparency, with the pregnancy, it has been really hard to stay creative. Most of the time if I create, it's something I see in my head that I need to put down on a digital print. But lately that has not been the case because I am so focused on creating a space and preparing for the baby."

: "That I can’t control everything. To let things be, there’s no perfect day in motherhood and there’s no such thing as the perfect mother. We are all different and trying our best to create this perfect life for our little humans."

Be sure to follow along with Sade and her family @blackandolive on Instagram.

And score Flora's new Ferritin+ plant-based iron supplement at 15% off by clicking here (the promo code will automatically appear in your cart)!

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