Nikki has been married to husband Benji for 3 years and they have a ‘beautiful, energetic daughter’, Giulia, who will be 2 in September. I sat down with Nikki to find out more about her new role as a mother and about her newly found health and fitness journey.
What was the biggest surprise about becoming a mother?
“The amount of love that I have for her … its a roller-coaster of emotions”
What has been the most challenging aspect of motherhood?
“With that amount of love comes an enormous amount of worry! So the most challenging part of motherhood for me is letting go of all that unnecessary worry and guilt and truly believing I am doing a great job. All mothers are … whatever it may be we always give our kids the best we possibly can and that in itself is enough!”
What has been the best moment for you as a mother?
“She surprises me everyday, but the most special moment was last week, she told me ‘ayyu’. Might not mean anything to any of you but to me it means ‘i love you’ I can’t even describe what it felt like” (awwwww)
Do you think becoming a parent affects relationships with others? how?
“Yes, becoming a parent changes you, your views, your perception, your priorities and not everyone is ready to accept these changes. But that’s okay because at the end of the day we are all unique in our own ways.”
What is the best thing you every bought as a mother?
“A tablet! Stop judging me lol! Mummy needs an hour or so organising lunches, dinners, laundry, cleaning, brushing my teeth, shall i go on? The list is never ending”
What made you enter this new venture?
“Since having Giulia, I’ve longed to start living a healthier lifestyle and I finally followed through with my dream in February 2017. I have lost 9 kilos since and have another 7 to go. It’s been an incredible and very rewarding journey, can’t wait to achieve more results in the the near future.”
It had been on my mind for months, then one morning in February i woke up with this energy and drive to do something for myself, fed up of ‘I’ll start tomorrow’.
I called up my friend who had been using the products for a while and told her cancel her appointments because I want to know more about it, she burst out laughing and told me she obviously couldn’t cancel. But we managed to find 20 minutes to meet up that same day. Where there’s a will there’s a way. She asked me what i was interested in and I told her i wanted to lose weight and feel healthy, she gave me all the information i needed and showed me around. I started the next day and within a couple of weeks people started noticing the weight loss and positive attitude and started messaging me to get on board, i was thrilled. It truly does change you. I want everyone to feel that ‘feel good factor’ because it’s pretty awesome.”
Can you tell us something about it?
“The company encourages products for your well-being and beauty with ‘Aloe Vera’ based products suitable for any gender and any age. Just to give an idea, the products vary from weight-loss to skin care and even sunblock, teething gels, honey, the list goes on. There are two sides to this venture, building your clientele and building your team. Both are exciting. I have a small team already and they’re all mums. We are creating a ‘can do’ attitude, being a stay at home mum or a working mum, this is totally doable and not time consuming. It’s open to anyone who is interested. Training and guidance are offered to support you in building your own business.”
One piece of advice for any new mum?
“Although everyone means well with all that overwhelming advice, just listen to yourself, you are enough.”
How do you feel about the phrase “work-life balance”? What do you think can be done to improve situation for working mums in Malta?
“Every mum deserves a bit of ‘me time’. Juggling everything and making it work is not easy. Especially trying to cope with all the sick days from nursery or when nursery closes for a day, or a week. Don’t really know what can be done to improve it as it’s quite a tricky situation.
A solution I have actually! Join my team! Work your own hours at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. As mums we should stop waiting for a change and be the change, open our minds to greater things, and just make it happen.”
What makes you happy? My family … cheesy i know but it’s true.
Favourite food? … nothing beats a good plate of pasta.
Drink of choice … apart from my aloe vera it would have to be prosecco.
Favorite movie? ‘My father the hero‘, brings back so many memories of my dreamy teenage years.
Favorite TV series? Definitely ‘Friends’, without a doubt.
Best place you travelled to? ‘The Azores’, i have never seen such natural beauty.
What do you admire most in people? I admire honesty, humility and a good sense of humour.
What do you despise most in people? Jealousy, I just don’t get it.
Any hobbies? Picking on my husband lol! I do enjoy reading James Pattersons’ books but it has been a while since i read a book. Oh and definitely traveling (is that a hobby?!)
Any hidden talent? I play the piano, guitar, I enjoy painting, writing! Haha all lies, sorry! Seriously, I’m quite proud of my cooking skills.
