"We live in the family-friendly neighborhood of Prenzlauer Berg, in East Berlin. We moved in one year ago after searching for several months. My husband received a newsletter from a realtor and the apartment was listed for sale. When we first saw it we loved the lofty feel because it reminded us of lofts in New York, where we met."

Shirley wears an Isabel Marant dress.

"I like to think of our home as bohemian, eclectic, and cozy. It is where family and friends gather and they feel comfortable putting their feet up and relaxing while their children run around and play. We travel a lot and we like to find different pieces for our home on our trips. Antiques are my weakness, so I am always at the various flea markets around Berlin looking for new pieces for our home."

"Mix and match styles, take your time decorating, and find pieces that personalize your home."

"Bella and Michaela's artwork, our old carpenter table that our TV sits on, and the old mail cart that doubles as a bar cart. I found the cart for 10 euros at a flea market and pushed it all the way home. Also, Jakob’s blocks his Opa handmade for him that were passed on to Bella."

"I enjoy creating little play nooks for Bella. She has a reading corner beside our couch and her teepee and art station add a playfulness to the living room."

"Michaela’s room is in transition. We are trying to find a happy medium to transfer it from teenage style to something more grown-up and sophisticated. Bella’s room is the most colorful in the house. I love the gallery wall we created and her little house everyone decorated with washi tape for her first birthday. I get the crafting bug sometimes and like to create dream catchers. Both Michaela and Bella have them in their rooms."

"In Michaela’s room, the cross stitch on Liberty-print fabric I created for her. In Bella’s room, her bed because it transitions from a crib to a bed for children up to 6-years-old."

"I generally work from The Store Berlin, but when I do work from home, I work at my dining room table."

"How much I love them! I love watching Michaela and Bella grow and helping them to be strong and compassionate."

"The thought of something terrible happening to my daughters."

"My eldest daughter is Michaela Rose. Her first name is from her father, Michael, and her middle name is from my mom, Rosemary. When I was pregnant with Bella I heard a mother calling to her child and her name was Ella. I thought that it had a nice ring to it and when we found out we were having a girl, I told Jakob I liked the name Bella. I meant to say Ella, but Bella came out and we both liked it. Since we had not been able to agree on a name until then, I was not going to dispute it! Ro is Bella’s middle name, which is the shorten version of Roland, my husband's father, who passed away before she was born."

"Jackie O., Jane Birkin, and my grandmother."

"My mom taught me good manners and I feel that is something I passed onto my girls."

"I read What to Expect the First Year during both of my pregnancies. When I was pregnant with Bella I read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby and the Precious Little Sleep blog."

"The bond they have and watching their different personalities evolve. Michaela was very quiet and sweet when she was little and Bella is a little feisty."

"I am Canadian and my husband is from Germany. I speak only English to Bella and my husband speaks German. Michaela speaks both languages to Bella."

"Yes, definitely. There is no 'helicopter parenting' in Germany. Germans believe that play is very important at a young age. Children are much more independent and go to school or the store on their own starting at 7-years-old."

"The biggest pro is we have a live-in babysitter! A con is I wish that Michaela had the benefit of having a little sister to play with when she was younger."

"When I had Michaela I was young and a single mother, so it was a bit difficult. My mother and friends were a great help. With Bella, both Jakob and Michaela are very supportive. Michaela has been so helpful, especially when we have travelled without Jakob. The popular parenting advice has also changed. Michaela slept on her side, but now you read it’s not safe to put your baby to sleep on their side. I only breastfed Michaela for six months, while I breast fed Bella until 2-years-old. I have been lucky that both girls went to great nursery schools that were not expensive."

"Have a great support system of family and friends. Be patient with the process because the sleepless nights and aches and pains don’t last forever."

"I love being a mother, so there could be one more on the horizon."

"I am currently in the process of building my dream place for families, called Wunderhaus, specifically with mothers in mind. Motherhood is a wonderful, but sometimes difficult journey and I feel there are not enough places out there that support mothers. I want to create a place that parents and children enjoy, that is tastefully designed, with a cafe that offers healthy food options for children, and a place that supports women through their pre- and post-natal time. We will offer a drop-off space for children so that mothers can get a bit of time to themselves to take a class in our studio or treat themselves in our beauty bar. There will be workshops, classes for children, and a space for family events."

"I grew up in Toronto and went to Sheridan College, where I studied advertising. When I finished school I was scouted to be a model and worked as a model between Toronto and New York for 10 years. I lived in New York for 11 years and now Berlin for 5 years."

"I want to create something that makes Michaela and Bella proud and inspires them to achieve their dreams."

"After having Bella I realized there are a lot of things that I wanted to do for myself, such as get back in shape, take a German course, or simply get my nails done. It was too hard to find the time because I could not find a sitter. Michaela was in school and family was too far. That’s when the idea for Wunderhaus came up."

Shirley wears a vintage dress.

"Maternity leave in Berlin is great. Mothers get one year off or husband and wives can take a combined year off. After you have your baby, you have a hebamme (midwife) visit you for two weeks to help you with your baby and answer any questions."

Bella wears Zara leggings. Michaela wears a sweater from Forever21 and jeans from Uniqlo.

"Having dinner together and to always make time for family time. On Sunday everything is closed in Germany. Although that can be annoying, it’s great to go to brunch or to a lake outside the city."

"The thought that I will be able to help families, especially mothers."

"Bohemian. I love anything with embroidery and it has to be comfortable."

"Yes! When I had Michaela I was young and I still tried to maintain my style, like wearing high heels. Now, sneakers in various styles are my best friend!"

"A cozy sweater, great jeans, dresses, and a great midi skirt."

"I really love vintage, but if I could buy anything, I would get Ulla Johnson, Zimmermann, Isabel Marant, Reformation, and Spell Byron Bay. They are all very girly and bohemian."

"I shop on Etsy for vintage pieces. Otherwise, I like Zara, April First, Other Stories, and Acne."

"I don’t wear very much makeup, just mascara and lip gloss. I wash my face with Weleda face wash and use coconut oil for my face and hair."

"I downloaded Ballet Beautiful after having Bella and it is a great workout. I am getting into boxing and I would love to learn how to meditate."

"Childcare is great. It is too costly when they are infants and as soon as they turn two it is free. The fact that we can travel often around Europe is wonderful."

"I would like to give L.A. a try."

"There are a lot of great restaurants in Berlin. My favorites are Shisho Burger, Grill Royal, Dudu, and Grace in the Zoo Hotel. We enjoy having picnics when the weather is warm in Volkspark Friedrichshain or the Tiergarten. Kollwitzplatz is the perfect park in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg. The sun lasts for most of the afternoon. On Saturdays, there is a market that sells food and flowers and there is a man who sells wine by the park. You will find all the parents socializing, pushing swings, standing around slides, and sipping on wine."

"I think it’s great to show your children different cultures and we get to travel a lot. The downside of moving is learning the language as an adult is not easy. I did not know the language when we moved here and am still trying to learn it. It’s a difficult language and you need to practice a lot. Michaela went to an international school and picked a bit up, but now that she is working, she is much more proficient.”

"Jakob and Michaela are wonderful! I also have a great group of mom friends that I meet in the park after Kita everyday. It’s nice to know our children will grow up together."

For more on Shirley and her family, check out her Instagram feed, and Wunderhaus' feed, too.