April 30, 2020
At Home With Sara Lundgren
How do you juggle working from home while also trying to care for and entertain your kids? It can be a daunting task. This Q&A series invites some of the mothers and small business owners we admire to share their isolation experience in an effort to help us all feel a little more connected.
Swedish-born Sara Lundgren is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Tasteology – a gourmet brand producing artisan salts, sugars, spices and oils that caters to the design-conscious foodie.
First off, how are you doing?
I’m doing OK actually. Being in isolation is tough with two little kids, but it is also kind of nice to be in our own little bubble with our newborn baby and spend time together at home.
Tell us a little bit about your job and the work that you do.
I’m the owner of Tasteology, we create gourmet food products. Our products are made here in Australia from natural ingredients. We are a small family business and work with small local growers and producers to create our products. Our bestselling range is our Great Barrier Reef Salts, made with a base of salt harvested ethically from the Great Barrier Reef.
How old are your kids?
I have two boys, Axel is 2.5 years old and Henry is 3 months old.
What’s one the challenges of “isolation parenting” you’re currently facing?
I’m used to working from home with kids around as my business is run from home, and my oldest was at home with me for the first year and a half of his life. The struggle during isolation has definitely been having a new baby plus a toddler and trying to keep my toddler entertained at home. Not having access to playgrounds has been really tough, and it breaks my heart every time we go out for a walk and pass a playground and Axel points to the park and says "no slide, park closed" in a sad little voice.
What are you grateful for?
I’m grateful that my family and friends, both here and in Sweden (where I grew up) are all healthy and safe. I’m also grateful for the fact that we live in such a beautiful part of the world, and even though we are in isolation we are still able to go for a walk in the sunshine by the ocean.
What does your morning routine look like these days?
It’s pretty slow. I get up when baby Henry wakes me up and then we usually cuddle in bed until he is ready to get up, then we go down to the kitchen where my toddler is having breakfast with Dad. Then our superstar AuPair Elin takes our toddler for a walk and I have a shower and get ready for the day, then check my emails while baby Henry is napping.
What does self-care look like for you these days?
I try to do an online Pilates class every day, I also sometimes treat myself to a bath with nice bath oil and lit candles, or go for a dip in our pool when the kids are napping.
Three things that are keeping you uplifted or simply sane right now?
I take baby Henry for a walk along the coastline every afternoon and it is my favourite part of the day. These walks have definitely helped keep me sane during these times.
What's on your dream Mother's Day wish list?
FIKA Swedish Kitchen in Manly/Bondi (Did I mention I’m Swedish) are doing these amazing curated Breakfast in Bed Baskets with Swedish treats, sparkling wine and a beautiful timber tray. I would love one of those, then a slow breakfast in bed with my boys.