Noble Babe @mamaendo

Name, baby names, ages, and where do you live?

I’m Marlys Endo. Joshua is my oldest is nearly 7. Oren, my spunky middle is 4.5 and Kira, our baby is 18 months. We live on the northern part of the Oregon coast! 

Where did you take the photos for our recent Playwear collection?

We went to one of our favorite beaches just south of us. The dunes there are beautiful this time of year and it’s usually less crowded than some of the more popular beaches! 

Photographing babies (even just one) is so hard, but you make it look like a breeze. The photos you took for our recent Playwear launch are stunning. Can you share any tips for photographing your littles? Do you use a fancy camera, or just your phone, any editing software?

Thank you! I use a canon rebel and a simple editing app-nothing fancy. I don’t try to pose them when we do shoots. Sometimes I’ll ask the boys to sit or stand in a certain spot, but the rest is up to them! I’d rather follow them around and catch the candid moments of them at play than have them do stiff poses. That’s not fun for either of us!

We just launched our Noble Waffle & Playwear collection, what did you decide to get and why? I know you think these things through.

We got waffles for everyone! They are our absolute favorite and hold up so well to my kids rough and tumble play. Everyone needed their size up. Plus a sun suit for Kira, and the bucket hats for the boys. They loved the one from the shoot and we’re always dealing with weather coming off the ocean (the ties are perfect for that!)

I love how thoughtful you are when it comes to all of your babe's wardrobe. Can you share some of your tips and tricks for shopping sustainably for your babe?

I keep their wardrobes small. As much fun as it is to shop for cute things, they don’t need every new thing that comes out! I’ve found a handful of brands that we love and I stick with those. Sale shopping is great-but only if it’s something they really need. Choosing hardworking fabrics (like linen, cotton canvas, wool...) is really important for me. They last so much better and can be passed down when it’s outgrown. There is nothing sweetest than to see all of your babes wear the same piece!

I believe you are homeschooling your babes, can you share any tips or resources for all of our new homeschooling mamas?

Start small. You don’t have to have it all figured out-just start! And remember you’re not trying to replicate the traditional school schedule! There is so much freedom in homeschooling to make it fit the student. Watch how your kids learn (do they like workbooks? Or do they learn better from a more hands on approach? (Blocks to count, etc..) and their daily rhythm. Do they immerse themselves in independent play as soon as breakfast is over? Then maybe wait to start for a bit till they can focus (this is my kids). It’s maybe one of the best feelings in the world to see your child excited to learn something new.

As far as resources, we loved @kindergartentoolkit when the boys were younger. @chalkfullofdesign has some great learning tools too. And I’m planning on using @thegoodandthebeautiful for math and language arts this year!

Want to learn more about Marlys? Of course, you do. Follow along on her homeschooling adventures or for sustainable style inspo over @mama_endo on Instagram.