Mom-fluencer: Kaitlin Hargreaves

This May, we’re honouring motherhood by chatting with some of our favourite mom bloggers, influencers and content creators about the highs, the lows and the many moments in-between. —Vita Daily

Hi Kaitlin! Tell us a little bit about you and what do you do!?

I’m a freelance makeup and hair artist. I’ve been working full time in film/TV for the past seven years on the show Love it or List it Vancouver, doing weddings, makeup lessons, etc., and I’ve recently found a little happy place sharing my life through social media!

How do you use your platform to impact other moms—and parents—who follow you?

I love sharing life hacks or new products that make life easier or more beautiful. I want to empower people, especially women, who feel inadequate or like they have to prove themselves. My message is to love yourself and not care what others think of you as long as you’re happy with who you are. I also love to share the less-than-perfect moments that all parents have and make it clear we are all in the same boat lol.

What’s your personal style/beauty mantra?

I’d like to say I’m trendy-casual haha. Not too fancy, and I love to be comfortable. My beauty mantra: real beauty is true happiness and no matter how much makeup you have on, or how cute your outfit is, if you’re unhappy, it will always show. The most beautiful people I know are the ones who live their lives true to themselves and are just kind, loving people.

What would the Mother’s Day of your fantasies be? And what, in reality, does Mother’s Day usually look like at your house?

A lengthy spa day, lol! Dinner with the family and snuggling up on the couch for movie night! In reality … it’s the same, minus the spa day haha. (*cough* Keith … hint hint!)

Did (step) motherhood come easy to you, or were there challenges (if so, any in particular you’d like to share)?

I feel pretty lucky in that step motherhood felt like a breeze. There are obviously challenges, like any parent would agree, but being a step parent definitely has unique challenges. Not only do you need to be on the same page as your partner, you need to have a good line of communication and understanding with the other parent(s) in order for things to run smoothly.

The hardest thing about being a (step) mom? The best thing?

The hardest part would definitely be not seeing the kids all the time. That being said, the “kid free” time is a nice perk that most full-time parents don’t get! Date nights and more sleep haha. The best thing for me is seeing how the relationships with the boys have grown. From meeting them for the first time to now being fully involved as a parent, I can’t even explain how it melts my heart when they say, “I love you,” or want to snuggle with me. A biological parent usually has an instant love and bond with their child right from day 1, so I think it’s definitely rewarding to see how my time and love impact their lives, and how they have so obviously impacted mine!

Follow Kaitlin on Instagram and her blog.