Welcome and Introductions!

Hello and welcome to my new blog! Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Gretchen and I'm a mother of two boys, 3 weeks and 2 years, and also an industrial designer, hence the name "ID Mommy." I am passionate about both motherhood and design, so much so that I currently work as a freelance designer out of my home, so that I can spend every day with my precious kiddos and still do both of my favorite things. Being a work-from-home mom, I experience a lot of crossover between motherhood and design. Therefore, I thought I would start a blog to share my unique design perspective on the products we use as parents.

(below: me in my studio with my youngest son in a sling...I do a lot of work this way!)


I am also what you might call a "MOMtrepreneur." In addition to my industrial design work, I also provide face painting for parties and run an online face paint retail store called Paintertainment, and I sell my own line of green gifts made from my recycled junk mail called Junk Mail Gems. While my degree is in Industrial (product) Design, I began my education in graphic design, so I have an appreciation for all things 2D and 3D.

I realized that I've posted many kid-related product reviews on my Junk Mail Gems blog, and while I did try to also tie my posts into the site's green theme, I thought they might warrant their own blog. So, that's where "ID Mommy" comes in. (I.D. stands for Industrial Design) To give you a taste of what's to come, here are some links to my previous posts on my other blog that may be of interest to you!

TIPS AND PRODUCT REVIEWS:
Method cleaning products: Why I'm Jealous of my Shower
Adiri Natural Nurser (Bottle Review)
Travel with Toddlers: My Experience & Tips (Domestic Travel tips & product reviews)
Keeping your Sanity During Overseas Travel With a Toddler (Int'l Travel tips & product reviews)
Greening Mommyhood: Part 1 (Cloth diaper reviews)
Greening Mommyhood: Part 2 (Cloth diaper reviews)
Greening Mommyhood: Part 3 (Cloth diaper reviews)
Greening Mommyhood: Part 4 (Cloth diaper reviews)

DIY PROJECT TUTORIALS:
Recycle your formula cans
Diaper Clutch out of Recycled Placemats
Make your own cloth diaper insert sock
Robot/Space themed birthday party

OTHER PERSONAL MOMMY PROJECTS:
How I Designed My Home Office to be Toddler Friendly
Thrift Store Furniture Re-Make
Designing My Son's Space/Robot Themed Bedroom