Interview with a Mermaid

It’s not often one comes across a mermaid mom on the ‘gram; so when we discovered Lauren from HelloWhimzy, we HAD to reach out and talk about life as a whimsical mermaid mom. You can find her documenting her life on Instagram here: @HelloWhimzy For this interview, Lauren is wearing our Caffeine Queen and Mermaid Bra tees!

What inspired you to live the mermaid life?

Can I change this to "What inspired you to live the whimsical life?" Because mermaids are just a part of it. Growing up, my family always loved all things whimsical and would find little ways to incorporate it into everyday life whether it’s through games, stories, crafts, etc. and that carried over to my adult life. The definition of whimsy is playfully quaint, fanciful behavior or humor. I was already doing things like this all the time, so I started documenting it.

How did you get started?

Years ago I had started a children's party company and after a while, I decided I wanted to start offering original characters to our line up. I had two little girls at the time so we were reading a lot of children's books. One day, I had a stroke of inspiration and wrote two of my own children's books featuring a mermaid and a fairy who were "Fairy Best Friends." We got photos taken and read the book at our parties.

When I sold my company because we were moving across the country, I couldn't bear to give up these characters; so I brought them with me, fully intending to start my business again. Although the idea of doing another party business lost its appeal, I still wanted to incorporate it into my next adventure which was still forming at the time. One day, I just had a funny image of a mermaid trying to chase human kids around and the stay at home mermaid was born!

Do you have a favorite mermaid fairy tail (see what I did there? haha) besides The Little Mermaid?

Hmm. I'm actually not super aware of many mermaid fairy tales other than The Little Mermaid. I have always been a HUGE fan of fairy tales though. I love short stories that are a little silly, with fun rhymes or stories that have a little bit of everything, adventure, romance, mystery, danger. I was (and still am!) a sucker for a good story.

What's your favorite part about being a mermaid?

I love interacting with children. Absolutely love it. I see so much of my younger self in their eyes and want to make all their dreams come true. One thing I've learned is how influential you can be to these kids, in a tail or not. They just want to be loved and accepted and listened to.

What kind of mermaid are you?

A tired one. Haha! No, I would say a playful one who loves adventure and laughter.

Which ocean would you like to live in?

Whatever one is the warmest haha!

Do you custom make all of your tails or do you have an artisan make it for you?

Whew I wish I made them! No, I bought mine from different tail makers around the area. My current pink one is from Finfolk Productions and my orange one from my book is from the Mertailor.

My goal is to get a full silicone tail someday but I'd need to sell quite a few books to do that. Which is silly because offer my eBook for free! (Find it here http://www.hellowhimzy.com/free-ebook/)

How much do your tails weigh? Are you able to swim in them?

You know-- I've never actually weighed it! We don't even have a scale in my house.... well, not that kind of scale anyway.  Haha. I'd say it's close to 20 pounds. And yes! I can totally swim in it!

How do you balance the mommy and the mermaid life?

Some days it sure doesn't feel like I'm balancing anything. Haha. But I've learned that if I include my kids in whatever it is I'm doing, it makes it easier to get things done. It's fun family time and the kids feel special and included. Other days, I'm just running (or I should say, swimming) on Diet Coke and a prayer.

Any advice for new burgeoning mermaids?

You bet! To those wanting to be a mermaid, (and not yet aspiring to the honor of Stay at Home Mermaid) get comfortable in your skin, find your squad, your tribe. Do what you love and take chances.

To my mama mermaids I want to say, take it one day at a time. Don't be too hard on yourself and enjoy the little moments. You are after all, the most majestic creature on earth.