I’m Tarn, a Scottish mama, freelance copywriter and photographer. I’m also a carer for my mum who has Alzheimer’s – I don’t always identify myself that way but it’s definitely a key part of who I am right now, and it’s made me accept that sometimes you must adjust your plans and find your way forward slowly. In my little family there’s me, my husband Mike and our daughter Greta, who’s nearly eight. 

I love to take pictures that capture Greta’s everyday childhood, from the smallest moments to the big adventures. A lot of my photography focuses on our family time outdoors because the outdoors has been so important to us over the last few years when home life was fairly stressful. I only share a fraction of the photos I take, but I’m always snapping away and nothing really brings me as much satisfaction as taking pictures.

I’m from Edinburgh, which is where we live. I lived in London for six years before doing a creative writing MA in Bath, and then moving back to Scotland. Edinburgh has always been ‘home’, and though we dreamt (and sometimes still do!) of moving somewhere rural, circumstances meant we had to stay. When I lived in London, I always missed Edinburgh’s changeable skies where you often get four seasons in one day. Edinburgh has hills, beaches, rivers, woodlands and beautiful parks, so it's ideal for people like us who are both city and countryside people at the same time. Both Mike and I have family nearby which I’m grateful for, and Greta is especially pleased that one of her cousins is a Border Collie (called Mossy)!

I’ve always loved a classic piece of knitwear, especially jumpers, but when I was pregnant with Greta, I researched the best ways to keep babies warm and comfortable at night and very soon, discovered MamaOwl! I read about the magical properties of wool, and how its breathability makes it perfect for keeping babies at the right temperature, while also being non-toxic and environmentally friendly. I ordered her a little knitted merino wool sleeping bag, a Disana cream knitted blanket and some merino wool bodysuits, and those were the first things she wore. (I still have them all in a box.) Since then, wool has become a staple in all our wardrobes.

I try to be thoughtful about everything we buy, especially as Greta is an only child. I find a lot of books, clothes and toys second hand. When it comes to new clothing I try to buy from sustainable and ethical brands. I don’t get a lot for myself and I find that makes me think even more carefully about whether each item will be something I’ll love and wear for years, or not.  

I used to be able to dress Greta however I liked, and while I really enjoyed this, she’s naturally developed her own taste, so now we collaborate. I always check with her before buying anything. I realised it was often me who wanted the item, not her, and that actually her needs are very few and simple. Of course, she has more than she needs of certain things, but I know these will find a good home once we no longer want them. Durability is important and I love it when she can wear something for several years, and then still pass it on. Because of the Scottish weather we wear wool year-round. I see people in different climates talk about packing wool away for summer, but here we just put away a few of the heavier jumpers, and everything else stays in the drawers.

In colder months I wear a Siskin vest and long sleeve top then layer whatever I need on top. If I’m wearing jeans or trousers I wear my Siskin leggings under them – they’re light enough that this doesn’t feel bulky. I’m actually not sure how I got through winters before I did this, but I think I was often cold and complaining, ha! On non-school days we spend a lot of time outdoors, so if it’s cold I layer Greta up in the same way; Siskin vest, long sleeve top and leggings, and then more layers that she inevitably peels away as she warms up. Tougher woollen leggings like the ribbed Siskin or Disana ones are great for popping over the base layer leggings and they even look cute under dresses.

Greta isn’t a huge fan of wearing jackets when playing outdoors, which makes the Siskin Falcon vest perfect for her. It’s so cosy, and she loves the hood, but her arms are free. Wool is so great because it keeps out a lot of wetness too, so she can clamber about in light rain, or lie down on the frost and still be warm and dry underneath.

One thing I love about wool is that you don’t have to wash it very often. If wool items aren’t dirty but need to be freshened up, I just air them out or spot clean. I hand wash hand knit pieces like jumpers and hats with wool soap and wash base layers like our Siskin pieces in the machine on the wool setting. 

We’ve had trouble with clothes moths before, so if I’m storing wool items, I put them in a sealed plastic storage bag. I don’t love buying plastic items like that, but they can be used over and over and they work. I also try to darn any little holes that appear asap, before they grow any bigger.

MamaOwl stocks all my favourite brands for kids. Misha & Puff have been a solid favourite since Greta was a baby for their unique, fun style, quality and softness. Apolina is very special to me because after being a customer for some time I started to work with Caroline (founder and creative director), writing their newsletters and some website copy. So Apolina is a little part of my life and is the most beautiful clothing, designed and made with such talent and heart. I love Disana boiled wool and Fairechild waterproofs, they’re a wonderful combination for outdoors play and can withstand a lot without being heavy to wear. Angulus Mary Janes with the Velcro fastening are some of the only shoes I’ve found that are comfortable for Greta’s high instep (when it’s hard to fit shoes over the top of the foot), so we love those. We also love the sweet little flower fairies MamaOwl sells. Greta has collected a beautiful rainbow of them. Personally, I can’t do without my Siskin layers or my Glerups wool slippers. They do not leave my feet when I’m at home, I wear them every day of the year!

I have two all-time favourite purchases from MamaOwl. First, the original hazelnut boiled wool jacket by Disana that Greta wore for a few years as a toddler. She would go about saying brown was her favourite colour because of her jacket, which would make me laugh. The other is the first Misha and Puff piece I bought, a ‘confetti cake’ popcorn bonnet that I had to adjust the button on because she was such a chubby baby. She wore it for years and it got so many compliments. 

Trying to limit our impact on the environment is really important to me. I’m very passionate about climate justice in general, and really everything we as people do feeds back into that. I like to know where our clothing has come from, and that once it reaches its eventual end of life, that it won’t sit in a landfill for a hundred years or more. I also hope to teach Greta about our responsibility towards the earth and all other humans.

As part of the MamaOwl community, there have been some really rewarding experiences. I’d never have known that my kids’ clothing choices, my Instagram account and a lovely shop called MamaOwl would have brought me such beautiful connections. I’ve made some true friends who not only have kids that Greta loves to be with but are mums that share my values. We’ve swapped clothes, had days out and trips together and met up in other cities and it’s just very cool.

We recently moved my mum out of our current flat and into a cosy wee place of her own, and I’m starting to have a little more time to myself for projects and work. I’m not sure what will transpire, but I’m looking forward to doing a couple of family photoshoots soon, and to redecorating what will become Greta’s first ever bedroom of her own!

You can follow along with many more of Tarn and Greta's adventures at @tarniegr.