5 Things I’m Thankful for About 2020

2020. A year that we will never forget. A year that will make it into our kid’s history lessons in a few years. A year where a lot has undoubtedly sucked, been less-than-perfect, and not what we imagined. A year of unprecedented challenges, and a year that continues to throw heartache and challenges at a number of people around the world. 

But a year nonetheless. And a year in which we’ve stepped forward, made memories and continued as best we can. Personally and professionally, there’s actually a lot that I’m hugely thankful for in 2020. That doesn’t take away from the personal and professional hard times, or the fact that globally, I want to be really sensitive to the fact that so many are still living through heartache, joblessness, tragedy, and the all the other things that come with a pandemic of global proportions. But a stop take where I think about what I’m thankful for is a yearly tradition, and I think it’s more, not less, important at the end of 2020. 

So here are my top five. And if you have some time to reflect within the next week or so, I’d love to hear some of your thankfulness lists too. 

1. Ko was born.

Of course, the highlight of 2020 has to be March 10th, when Ko joined our family. 

Back in April 2018, Luca was born via emergency C Section after 14 hours of active labor and him deciding to poo before making an entrance to the world (maybe a story for another time), so being in Japan, where VBACs are rare, Ko was a scheduled C Section. What no one told me was that quite often, C Section babies are born with excess fluid on their lungs that it takes a while to clear. It didn’t happen with Luca, but it did happen with Ko, who needed a bit of extra breathing support for the first heart-wrenching 60 hours of his life. NICU Mamas are honestly heroes of the upmost degree. Having a baby in an incubator and pumping for just 3 days had me a teary eyed mess a lot of the time. 

Covid19 had already started to hit Japan, and Ko was born exactly the week that the first round of restrictions started in Hokkaido. But just as the doctor promised, as the hospital visiting restrictions kicked in, Ko’s little lungs cleared, got stronger, and he was absolutely, completely and 100% fine. We made it home within the week as planned (in Japan, all Mamas and babes stay in hospital for a full week), and for me, recovery was way faster and better all around this time as I actually knew what I was doing!

Honestly, Ko, the happiest, biggest, bouncing baby, has been a joy every step of the way. So big, and so strong, and so in contrast with that tiny incubated babe I was so worried about. 

Thankful. 

2. We asked big questions about what was important for our family. 

Running a travel company and a few other tourist related businesses in 2020 has been…. Less than ideal? Challenging? I struggle to find the right words. Let’s just say that as the inevitable cancellations started rolling in for spring, then summer, then autumn… we had to ask some big questions as business owners, and think deeply about what was really important for our family. 

If we’re honest, we’d been running at 110 mph without a break since the end of 2017…. Pushing, growing, expanding, taking on more work than there were hours in the day for. And so, in many ways, this was an opportunity, and one in which we were able to ask what kind of rhythms were sustainable for us to live by. 

Have we quit travel? Not at all. We’re still doing some domestic travel and we’re still excited about international travel resuming in 2021. Will we return to the way we did things before? Definitely not. Some parts of our businesses have shut for good, others have scaled down, and still others have moved to the centre. 

I personally believe that all things happen for a reason, and so trusting the larger plan in this means that I trust whatever comes next will be the right thing for us. 

Still thankful. 

3. We started Tots & Togs.

Having more time meant that we could actually pursue other passions, and other interests… One which was this new fledgling company, Tots & Togs. Ochan has wanted to explore online businesses for while and not had the time, and since Luca was born we’d been actively thrown into searching for clothing and accessories for him that suited our lifestyle, values and budget. As a Mum, I noticed a lack of kids’ clothing I really liked aesthetically, that was also comfortable and flexible enough for a super active little boy to play in. Clothes that you could go to the beach in, go camping in, get outdoors in…. But also clothes that didn’t get destroyed when you did. 

On a personal level, our family has also been on a journey these last few years in terms of our own impact and sustainability. I made the commitment around 4-5 years ago to quit fast fashion and predominantly buy only used clothing for myself, our travel company cut its use of single-use plastics, and we’re trying to take steps in leaving a positive impact on the world… Which meant that kid’s clothing was something we were thinking more deeply about. I really didn’t want us to get into fast fashion for the sake of it. 

So Tots & Togs began, and we are working with some slow fashion manufacturers, and making more and more connections to become the kind of brand we want to be. This company began as a passion project, but it’s actually become a business we’re really proud of and that we’re excited to develop and grow in 2021. We can do it together as a family, we now have a great little team developing with our friends, and we’re so thankful that we get to do it. We’re thankful to you guys, our wider Tots & Togs family, for supporting our business, buying our items, and getting involved on social media. 

Thankful… And ready for so much more in 2021. 

4. We made time for regular family camping.

This makes my list, because summer is often our busiest season work wise, and therefore the season we distinctly do NOT have good family time. 

But this year we did. We made it happen. 

We camped on the weekends, around running the shop in the weeks. 2-3 times a month we got out of the city and into nature. We camped by the beach. We camped in the forest. We camped with friends. We camped with co-workers. We camped alone as a family. We had deep conversations around bonfires. We laughed over long BBQs. We star gazed. Ochan toasted with  whiskey. I literally toasted marshmallows. We made memories. And our kids became more adventurous because of it. 

Completely thankful. 

5. We enlarged our dining table. 

I don’t recommend moving house the week before Christmas, but I sure am thankful that we did. Combining our offices, our home, and our storage for the shop wasn’t an obvious decision, and it might not work for everyone… But it works for us. We have lost the wasted space of kitchens in offices we don’t use, and we have gained a larger family kitchen with a huge central dining table. In the day, it’s a base for work and laptops (I sit there now with a baby asleep on my chest, writing this), but over breakfast and dinner, it’s the centre of our home. 

Before we got married, we found a poem that we printed on our wedding schedules, that summed up what we hoped our home would be. I have an original copy from Tori Blue (@notesontheway) hanging on the wall. It says:

If I have 

Anything to do with it, 

My very life

Will be a shelter

For every weary

Wanderer

It will feel like a

Well worn sweater,

Smell like

Fresh baked bread, 

& it will sound like

The one thing

We become wayfarers

Only to hear

Here, you are wanted

Welcome home. 

@notesontheway

And so that’s the space we’ve made. A place where we hope our team and our friends can feel at home. A place that pretty much always smells of baking. And a place where all are welcome and all are wanted. 

And the place that we will grow Tots & Togs from in 2021. 

Thankful. 

So many challenges, but so much to be thankful for. 

Love

Peta, Ochan, Luca & Ko

Thank you for walking this journey with us, and thank you for supporting our business. Here’s to 2021 and whatever comes our way. We can’t wait to share the Spring/Summer 2021 Collection with you. <3