MÈRES NATURE PORTRAIT - ANOUCK

Mother Nature, presented by The North Face is a web series created with our friends at Beauvoir and is available right here.

Q: How many children do you have and how old are they?

A: 2 + 1 in gestation. My daughter is 4 years old, my boy is 21 months old (2 years old in March) and my^3rd creation is due to be born in spring 2023.

Q: Your most memorable family adventure/vacation (positive or negative) and why?

A : There are so many, it's hard to choose! I hesitate between a month of vanlife in New Zealand when Lilou was 6 months old because we completely fell in love with this small island between surfing and mountain expedition OR a month of vanlife in Newfoundland when Alfie was 5 months old and Lilou was 3 years old for the incredible feeling of having been alone in the world to enjoy a wild nature during the whole stay.

Q: The moment you felt most proud of as a mother?

A: A little bit every day when I see how happy my children are and how they are blossoming in their own way according to their little personalities. I feel that we are really giving them the best of ourselves and that with each new situation, my husband and I are pushing our limits to learn how to best meet their needs. It makes us all grow tremendously.

Q: The biggest challenge you've faced as a mother?

A: A return to study Holistic Nutrition to identify, understand and heal my children's food intolerances. Our family quality of life has definitely taken a big leap forward. I feel that my children are at their full potential, both physically and psychologically. My process deeply nourishes me as a mother, while contributing to my professional growth.

Q: Your dream family adventure/vacation?

A: When the children are old enough to swim properly, we dream of going on a trip aboard our sailboat with the whole family.

Q: Your best superpower as a mother?

A: Planning. I've realized since motherhood how natural this is. I never forget anything in the diaper bag, there's always a little something healthy to eat on hand, and activities are always planned around the kids' optimal schedule so that the fun factor is there. With this super power, irritants, tantrums and minor panic are avoided.

Q: What's your snack of choice for you and your kids in adventure mode?

A: It changes a lot with the seasons and the age of the kids - right now they're big fans of seaweed and kale chips. Otherwise protein energy or calm balls (I made up a rose recipe for them to soothe their little nervous systems) are always a must. I absolutely avoid sugar which too often makes them irritable afterwards.

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Q: Your ideal day outside?

A : It starts with a golden organization and it takes place in joy and good mood for the whole family from the beginning to the end! The morning is generally optimized for energy and receptivity. The equipment is adequate depending on the weather and the choice of activity. I always respect the children's routine for lunch and nap time. For me, it's a perfect recipe for a nature mom who is radiant in her quest for adventure.

Q: The 3 things you can't live without for an outdoor adventure with your kids?

A: 1) My Thule equipment allows me great versatility in my choice of activities: hiking bag, single or double wagon (depending on the number of kids I'm dragging!) in running, biking or cross-country skiing mode. 

2) My crampons and hiking poles that allow me safe year-round mountain trips with a baby in my belly and/or on my back (my reality since January 2018!)

3) My Northface shelter, as much to protect their little fragile skin under the hot Panamanian sun during a day of surfing, as to allow us a game and a meal sheltered from mosquitoes while camping in the BIC National Park or to shelter during a violent storm while canoe-camping on an island of the White Fish Regional Park

Q: What's your best advice for other birth mothers?

A: Dive head first into this great adventure of motherhood! Don't be afraid to adapt everything to better fit the rhythm of the family cocoon and include the children by prioritizing pleasure - duration, intensity, nature of the activities. Take the time to observe your children, be sensitive to their signals to find the balance between stimulation and exaggeration.

The importance of taking a moment for yourself every day. Find something simple and easy to access that makes us feel good. For me, it's getting up before my kids for a candlelight yoga practice followed by a meditation. During the warm season, I take my mat outside to enjoy the first rays of the sun. Starting each day by taking care of my body and mind is the best gift I can give myself and it positively influences my motherhood. I am more available for my children, less reactive, more calm.

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