Featured Closet with Christine Field-Hall

Meet Christine, a stay at home mum to two boys, Joshua and Jasper. In her spare time Christine is also an influencer and blogger and is passionate about connecting with other Mums over the realities of motherhood and providing a non-judgemental space for them to be supported. Christine has been a Retykle supporter since her days in Hong Kong and is committed to bringing up her boys with a more eco-friendly mindset. 

Hi Christine, please tell us a little more about yourself…

Born in Canada, raised in Hong Kong and the UK, I am a mixture of different cultures. Like many in my generation, I am influenced by Western and Asian cultures; we are children born into two different worlds, mixed into one. We are Asian Expats/竹星.  

My perspective is neither Western nor Asian, but instead taking influences and the best out of both cultures. This transcends into my unique perspective and experience towards motherhood and my blog.

What inspired you to start your blog Mummy Diary HK? How has this grown with you empowering Mums through a wider community?

I first fell in love with blogging when I started a travel blog with my friend. Even though that journey only lasted a year, it ignited something in me, and made me realise how much I enjoyed blogging and sharing my experience with other people.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I thought it would be helpful to share my unfiltered raw motherhood experience with other mums, that was when www.mummydiaryhk.com was born. My first blog post gained a lot of interest, and that was when I thought this could really be something I can build on. From that, I began to grow my Instagram account, where I connected with other mothers and momtrepreneurs. 

For those who know me in person, know that I like keeping things real. I am an optimist, but also a realist. Motherhood isn’t perfect, there is the good, bad and ugly too, and I like to translate that onto my blog and social media, because I feel by keeping it real, not only does it make other mothers feel less lonely, but it is the best way to connect with other people. 

It has been a great journey, and I love doing what I do. Whenever my readers and followers reach out to me and let me know that my content has helped them in any way, big or small, it is very rewarding. 

That is why I am currently working on creating a motherhood community - The Practical Mum Solution. This is a new passion project of mine,  where I am hoping to reach and help more mothers with their motherhood journey. I am working with experts in early childhood and motherhood and healers to create a safe and non-judgmental space for mothers to share and find solutions for their challenges and struggles. This is a platform I would like mothers to be able to find emotional support and expert advice, a virtual holistic community or village to help them raise their kids. 

It is a very exciting new project, so watch this space.

You have been open about your struggles to initially conceive, what advice would you give to others who may be going through the same thing?

Be open to try everything, even if it is something you never thought you would even consider. I never thought I would try Reiki, let alone fall in love with the holistic world after I experienced it. 

Six years ago I was desperate to become a mother, and after 3 years of struggling to conceive, I was ready to give anything a go. My husband and I were looking into IVF, but I thought I would give Reiki a go before we took that final step, and it paid off. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life, and it changed my life for the better. 

I am not saying Reiki is for everyone, but definitely be open minded to try alternative ways. Whether it is Chinese medicine, hypnosis to help you relax, sound bath healing or whatever it may be. There are so many alternative ways than just IVF. All you need is the courage to try.

You moved from Hong Kong to Singapore one year ago. How has the transition been? Any tips you can share on how to move countries with two small children and get them settled in their new surroundings?

My Hong Kong Singapore move was rushed, but I will say it was a relatively easy transition compared to a transAtlantic move. For one, there is no time difference, and there are lots of similarities between the two cities, so it was not too hard to adapt.

My biggest tip to moving countries with young children (2 under 2 in my case.), will be to keep to the same routine. Before I left Hong Kong, I knew I wasn’t going to have a helper for awhile, and my husband will be working long hours. So I would be alone taking care of both the kids and doing all the housework. So a month before I left Hong Kong, I created a new routine with my sons’ nap times, meal times and bedtimes all scheduled in. A routine that I know I can do without any help. I started implementing it before we left, so when we moved, we just continued with the same routine, which made it much easier for everyone. 

I would also advise to bring your child’s favourite toys with you when you move. So they have their favourite things around them from day one. This will also help them to settle into their new home. If there are gadgets that will make your life easier, bring it with you from day one. I brought my Béabe babycook with me, because I knew that would help me save time when it comes to cooking for my kids. 

How do you incorporate green habits into your daily lives and teach your kids about caring for the planet?

I believe incorporating green habits should start at a young age, so it will become a second nature to the kids when they grow up. I was brought up to only buy things that I really love, and it really stuck with me until now. I am not a seasonal shopper, and even though I was in the fashion industry throughout my twenties, I am not one of those people who needs a new wardrobe every season and chases the latest trend. I have always just bought  things that I loved, and I will keep them until I fall out of love with them or they fall apart. When I fall out of love with a piece, I will normally sell them, donate them or pass them on to someone who would love them. 

I believe children learn best by modeling people they respect and trust. That is why we try to use as many eco-conscious products in our lives, such as bamboo tissue paper, sustainable baby products and pre-loved items. So the kids grow up with that concept in mind. We are also big on recycling, we take the boys down with us when we do the recycling, so we can explain to them why we do it is important that we take care of the planet.

What are your favourite brands to dress your boys in and why?

We love Mori Baby sleepwear simply because the quality of their material is great. We have a mixture of new and pre-loved Mori baby sleepwear passed down from friends, and honestly they last. I mean some of the pieces have been in constant use for the past 3 years, and they are still in good condition. 

We do buy a mixture of high street brands and designer brands for the boys, and we have been incredibly lucky with friends and family who bought them lots of nice clothes and had lots of nice hand-me-downs on the way. But the rule of thumb of how we treat clothes is the same. We will use them until the boys outgrowns them or are falling apart, and after that we would either pass them on, donate them or sell them.

What does Retykle mean to you?

I think Retykle is a wonderful idea and concept. Children outgrown their clothes really quickly, especially in the first few years of their life. You might want to keep some of them as keepsake, but you cannot keep all of them, and Retykle is a great way for parents to sell preloved baby wear or unwanted gifts so another family can enjoy them. 

Not only is this great for the environment, but it is also great for parent’s wallets too. We all want to buy nice things for our children, but designer children's clothes are expensive. This way parents get to buy good quality and beautiful children clothes for a fraction of the price. It really is a win-win situation.

Shop Christine's featured closet here.

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Christine Field-Hall
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Photo credits: Samantha Tracey Photography

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Make-up credits: Fiona Tan

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