Meet our first #NobleBabe of the year, Kristi Reed, owner of the Shop Windy Peak Vintage and trained Doula, featuring her two babes Leon (Age 5) & Paloma (Age 3) on their homestead near the mountains in Montana.
What does a typical day look like for you when it comes to tending to land, animals, your family and yourself? Every morning at the break of dawn, my little ones rouse me out of bed. The next step for me is coffee while my husband makes the kiddos breakfast. During the week I see them all off to school and then bundle up to feed the animals. The goats get to run around with the dog and eat their grains in the yard while I tend to the chickens and bunnies. In the summer I water the garden and spend time during chores in the yard and in the winter I gather firewood and turn inside for work. We live very seasonally out here.
Since living near the mountains in Montana - what have you learned from this type of “slow living”? Was it an adjustment or did it come naturally? After living in cities for years, there were some adjustments to living 'slow' in the country.Conveniently walking to the grocery store or local coffee shop was no longer an option. Things like weed control and snow removal were foreign concepts that we had to learn quickly. Everything else has happened quite organically. Every year our garden gets a little more prosperous as we connect deeper to the land, we become more confident in foraging our forests, baking with our sourdough, etc but there is lots of trial and error along the way.
Any tips you can share with those who want to “slow down” more? Don't try to do it all at once. Small things like taking a pause to make a cup of tea for yourself is a good start to slowing down. Don't be afraid to fail. I don't know how many bread loaves I've burned or tomato plants I've killed. To me, living slow is more about the process, not the end results.
Tell us more about Windy Peak Vintage and how it came to be? Windy Peak Vintage started as a very small side hustle when I first moved to Montana and was working at a local food bank. When I had my first child I decided to stay at home and focus on motherhood and growing my own business. It has slowly grown into a brick and mortar shop in our little town of Livingston and really is a dream come true for me.
What inspires you? The drastic seasons and mountainous landscape we are surrounded by will forever move me.
How has your style changed over the years? It honestly hasn't changed that much. I try to keep my wardrobe pretty minimal and buy second hand as much as possible. I'm good to go with a good pair of jeans, boots, and button down top.
Being a trained Doula is such a unique experience - how has that shaped you and your view of motherhood? Childbirth was a very spiritual experience for me and I feel so grateful to be able to be in that moment with other mothers. Every birth is unique and continues to show me how powerful mothers are.
This past year required a lot of self-care, what is your favorite way to stay connected with yourself? If I'm feeling down, I just go out and pet the goats. They are good therapy. I've also been taking my tea breaks very seriously. The occasional quiet bath is a real treat too.
Your favorite way to get cozy in your Noble Waffle Jammies? After a long day, I love nothing more than cozying up by the fire wearing my Waffle Jammies (ideally matching my kiddos) and watching a good movie with the family.
Follow Kristi here at @windypeakvintage
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