Here at LiveMom, we love meeting new moms (and dads) doing interesting things around town. Our monthly features give us an excuse to learn more about these hardworking Austinites.
I must admit that I’ve become a little bit addicted to Instagram. It’s true, I might just avoid that pile of dishes to check out stunning photos of exotic places, perfectly-plated food and well-dressed children. Yes, there are times when scrolling through my feed, I feel like my life is a mess, but I enjoy the image-laden escape it provides.
I’ve really enjoyed what Jesse Coulter posts about on Instagram. Jesse is a lifestyle blogger, based right here in Austin, and she posts about fashion, DIY projects, parenting and life, and I find I can really relate to her. I find myself scoffing at photos some fashion bloggers post (I could never pull that off! I could never afford that! I would do a faceplant in those shoes!), but I can definitely see myself wearing the clothes she suggests and contemplating the projects she undertakes around the house. In addition to having a toddler (who makes appearances in her photos), she recently learned she and her husband are expecting twins, so perhaps it’s that she is also a mom and has practical suggestions that don’t seem unrealistic to work-at-home, not fabulously wealthy, late 30s me.
I was curious to learn more about Jesse, so I reached out to see if she was up for an interview, and I’m excited she was! Read on to learn her suggestions about what to wear if you are pregnant in Texas, where she finds her inspiration and what unsolicited advice she has for new parents.
Jesse Coulter, her husband Alex and son Turner. Photo credit: Lindsey V. Rivera Photography
LiveMom: Where are you from originally? What brought you to the Austin area?
Jesse: I’m from small town Pleasanton, TX. In 2011, after college, my husband and I decided we would move to either San Antonio or Austin, depending on who offered us a job first. Austin it was!
LiveMom: How many hours a week do you think you spend on your lifestyle/fashion blog?
Jesse: I spent 3-5 hours a week on my blog. I love blogging, but at the end of the day family and relaxing comes first, so I don’t spend a ton of time blogging every week.
LiveMom: What fashion advice do you have for pregnant mamas trying to survive in this Texas heat?
Jesse: Cotton dresses…hands down the only way to bear this heat, or don’t go outside. I am a jean girl, being pregnant during the TX summer is sad. Thankfully, I’ll be huge during the winter this pregnancy.
LiveMom: What are some of your favorite places to get inspiration for your website and projects?
Jesse: I honestly find most of my inspiration from Instagram accounts. Local IG accounts I LOVE: @Camillestyles, @themagpiecollective, @Shalynnelson, @Birchandbrassrentals, @MissJLouie, @LiveFreeMiranda, @Ohhhchelsea, @Writeslikeagirl, @Caroline_Joy.
LiveMom: What’s your idea of a perfect day spent in Austin with the family?
Jesse: Early morning breakfast with a hike or time spent on the water, food trailer for lunch, take a necessary nap (maybe I escape for some thrifting while everyone is asleep), reunite for a family style dinner and grab gelato for dessert. Everything is centered around food…obviously. I tend to stray from the crowds, plus I have a crazy toddler, so I’d probably go home at this point.
LiveMom: What would you do in Austin if you had 24 hours to yourself?
Jesse: Three Ss…Sleep, Spa & Shop. I’d probably add eating at a really nice restaurant where children are not allowed. I’d like to think I would be drinking a lot, but when you’re a mom and you have a short window of time to yourself, the last thing you want to be is drunk or hungover.
LiveMom: What do you like most about Austin, and what would you change, if you could?
Jesse: I love that fact that you can meet a millionaire who dresses like a bum, and vice versa. I feel Austin has less of the “Keeping up with the Joneses” feel, which makes me feel great when I’m cruising in my piece of crap mini van. No one cares here! I’d change every highway…damn you city of Austin. Did you not think that thousands upon thousands of people would LOVE this city and want to move here?!
LiveMom: What piece of unsolicited advice would you give to a new parent?
Jesse: Go out as much as possible when you have a newborn baby because they will never sleep through dinners like that again! We can now eat in under 3 minutes flat when our toddler is at the table. Oh, and take KIDLESS vacations. My husband and I make it a point to go on a vacation – just the two of us – every year and it’s the best. We actually enjoy our food, sleep a lot, have conversations without being interrupted, and we laugh a lot!
LiveMom: What would we be surprised to learn about you?
Jesse: I studied abroad for a year in Poland after I graduated high school. I was 18, and didn’t know a lick of Polish and my host family didn’t know a lick of English. It made for some interesting dinner conversations using a dictionary. My husband and I are now hosting our first exchange student this fall from Germany.
LiveMom: What new projects are you most excited about (or does the idea of having twins pretty much eclipse all else in the short term)?
Jesse: I co-organize the ATX Blogger Mixers, so my partner, Erica, and I are already planning our next event, which will be holiday themed! I’m also excited to start decorating my twin’s nursery. I love a good design project.
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