2013 fascinating mom: Naomi Davis
When she started her blog just a few months after getting […]
When she started her blog just a few months after getting married in 2007, Naomi Davis expected no one other than family and friends to read it. But now with over 2 million page views each month, it seems the vintage-loving, bright lipstick-wearing twenty-something’s little corner of the internet has become a popular destination.
And her web presence isn’t the only thing that’s been growing: Her family has doubled in size as well. Davis and her husband have recently welcomed two little ones into their lives, with their daughter Eleanor, 2, and son Samson, 11 months, born just 16 months apart. But although the transition has resulted in minimal sleep, the acclimating mom attests her babies are “the biggest blessing” in their lives. Shares Davis, “Raising these two special spirits together has really strengthened our marriage. Seeing your spouse as a parent, while he or she is holding or rocking or playing with a baby … you just fall in love all over again.”
Living in New York City with as many children as she has arms means Davis is never at a loss for something to blog about. “I share the good and the bad, whether that is the stresses of family life … or a day that is just hard,” she says. “But I don’t like focusing on that negative stuff for too long. It’s just not worth my time.” While Davis is open and honest online, she doesn’t hit publish without a second thought. “Since what we share online can be archived there forever,” she explains, “I try never to put up anything that could embarrass or disrespect my family in years to come. I want to share both the beautiful and perhaps not so beautiful moments of our lives while also creating a positive experience for my family and our readers.”
So far, the strategy has worked, affording Davis an online gallery of breathtaking photos and sweet sentiments and a network of virtual encouragement and support. “Some of our best friendships have begun on the internet,” she says. “One of the biggest reasons I love blogging is the connections I’ve made online.” Though her interactions with readers aren’t limited to the keyboard and screen. “Meeting a reader on the street is always a treat! It’s amazing how a simple, ‘Oh hey, I read your blog …’ can turn into a friendship that last for years.”
And running into a reader out and about isn’t unlikely, considering the topknot-sporting mom spends most her days visiting a museum or park or library with her children. “Since our space is tiny … I think we’d go stir-crazy if we stayed indoors all day. … We enjoy getting out and exploring our neighborhood.”
Most the time, that is. “This city is kicking my butt!” admits Davis, who lived in New York during college and her first years of married life and then spent a brief stint in Washington D.C. before returning to the Big Apple with her budding brood last year. “Living here with two small kiddos and a double stroller is a whole new experience,” she says. “If they could just get more elevators into the subways—or get the elevators they do have to work,” she laments, having more than once been stuck at the end of a subway platform with an out-of-service elevator, two kids and a double stroller to get up three flights of stairs. “Fortunately, New Yorkers are very kind—despite their reputation!—and someone always gives me a hand,” says Davis.
Like the city, motherhood has come with its share of challenges. But for Davis, it’s also proved an opportunity for self-improvement. “Motherhood pushes me to be the best version of myself every single day—or at least pursue the best version of myself,” she says. “These babies are like sponges. They take in everything I do and say. I am so grateful for the ways they encourage me every day to learn and grow and forgive and love.” She may only have time to squeeze in a post a couple nights a week before bed, but the busy mom is happy to let blogging take a backseat in exchange for full hands and a full heart. “I want to enjoy this time with my babies,” Davis says. “I don’t think there is anything more important in this life than family, and I’m so grateful for mine.”
Name: Naomi Davis
Age: 26
Lives in: New York City, New York
Occupation: Blogger
Partner in crime: Josh Davis
Website: lovetaza.com
Favorite item in her closet: A vintage pink dress that makes her feel girly and pretty
Strangest pregnancy craving: She couldn’t even look at a hamburger (even though they’re usually her fave)
First thing she does in the morning: Drinks a glass of orange juice
By Lauren Brockman Andre