We love to see how families use Tubby Todd every day. Follow along with this series, A Day with the Basics! If you use Tubby Todd in your home, be sure to tag @_themamablog and #adaywiththebasics to share! Today, we are hearing from Sandy Zucker, @zozubaby, about her life as a business owner mother and wife.
Q: Give us the history on you! And would you mind sharing one or two things that many may not know about you?
A: My name is Sandy and I am the owner of ZoZu Baby and we make simple hair accessories for the everyday kid! I grew up in the Bay Area of Northern California and married my high school sweetheart in 2008. In 2012 we had our first child, Zoey (who ZoZu Baby was designed for), followed by Sebastian in 2014! Before ZoZu Baby was my full time job and passion, I was a wedding coordinator for a beautiful venue here in the Livermore Valley. I spent 10 years in that industry before I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and do ZoZu Baby full time. Working for myself has been such a joy as it has given me time with my children and husband that I never had before. I am doing school drop-offs and pick-ups and weekend getaways. It’s a dream!
Another thing about me that many people may not know about me is that I have alopecia! It is an autoimmune disease which causes hair loss on my entire body. I developed this condition when I was only 8 years old and have been completely bald since I was 22. I have learned to embrace my alopecia because I am thankful for my health and happiness. My son, Sebastian, has alopecia as well. It was a bit harder for me to accept this for him, but I am again, happy that it is nothing worse.
Q: Keeping bows simple since 2013! Tell us about Zozu Baby. What inspired you to start this cute company?
A: When Zoey was 6 months old we kept receiving bows from people that didn’t fit our style. They were either overly big or filled with pounds of glitter. While that is totally fine for some people, it didn’t fit with me! So I decided to start making her something small and simple. I wanted something that would compliment her face, but not take away from her cuteness! My husband was never a bow fan. He hated bows on our daughter. But once I started making them and keeping them simple, he really started to love them! He would dress her for the day and add a bow from the shop!
Q: You seem to have a busy busy lifestyle! Tell us about your day to day with your 2 kids?
A: I have always been someone to keep busy. I have a problem with just sitting still! So it is important to me that we’re always doing something. Sure a lazy day around the house is great, but too many of them and I go a bit crazy! So even if it is working around the house or the yard on a Saturday, keeping busy is a must! Right now our days are filled with school and activities like swim lessons and gymnastics, but once summer rolls around we plans to spend our time at the local pool soaking in the sun!
Q: What are some of your favorite resources (books, blogs, websites, etc) you follow?
A: While I love following a good blog, I honestly have a hard time keeping up! So I turn to a lot of entrepreneur groups I am in on Facebook when I need advice or inspiration. There are so many great women out there that I can learn so much fun. It’s great to be able to hop on and ask them questions and learn from my peers.
Q: We love hearing people talk about their dreams. What are some of yours? They can be simple + small, some bucket list items, or an overall grand hope for life?
A: As silly as it is to say, I feel like I am living the dream right now. I have always wanted to be there for my kids. Take them to school, volunteer in class, allow them to do after school activities. This is what I always wanted. Growing up I always had my mom by my side and she is my best friend. I wanted that for me and my children. Now, going on a bigger scale, I would love to be able to travel more. While we do travel some now, I would love to be able to pick up and go. It can be as small as a trip to Disneyland or a trek to South America, I want that option for myself and my family.
Q: You seem to have a travel bug. Where are some of your favorite places to go and why?
A: We love to travel! Aside from Disneyland (we are big Disney fans), I love traveling abroad. Last year we explored the Azores, which are the islands right off of Portugal, and I absolutely loved it there. I was able to see where both of my parents were born and raised. Everyone there is so friendly and life just moves at a different pace. Next to that, has to be Costa Rica. We just came back from a two week vacation there and it was such an adventure!
Q: What is one of your favorite quotes? How does it help you get from day to day?
A: I love the quote “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be” by Maya Angelou. I love this because I am trying to teach my children that it is okay to be different. I want them to stand out and live their best life.
Q: Do you have a favorite Tubby Todd product?
A: I can’t live without the Tubby Todd detangler! My daughter has such long hair and after each bath or shower, combing it out can be a challenge! Once we started using the Tubby Todd detangler we no longer had a fight!
I also am obsessed with Tubby Todd's bath bombs. I probably am the only one who uses them this way, but I actually keep on on the shelf in my office to keep my office smelling yummy all day long. Not only is the pop of color cute, but the long lasting smell takes away any stuffiness that may have been lingering.
Q: Let’s talk about bathtime! How do you and your kiddos make bath time fun?
A: Making bath time fun is easy for us! First, we make the washing part as quick as possible and usually happens first thing. Once the kiddos are clean, the bathtub is theirs! Some days it’s bubbles, or bath bombs, we are always trying to make bath time a fun activity. The kids also really like “washing” my feet, and let’s be honest, it’s kind of like a pedicure without the nail painting!
Q: Lastly, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from being a mother?
A: I feel like with every day I am learning something new, but there are some important lessons that I carry with me from day to day. One of the biggest is that I am constantly reminding myself that my kids will only be little once. So I try and breathe through every tantrum, cut knee, middle of the night wake up and embrace each moment where they just need me to hold them. I remind myself that they won’t always want me to hold them and that every emotion they are feeling is amplified. So right now, I am hugging and holding my babies whenever I can.
