As a parent of two, Tara understands the joys and challenges of raising little ones. Having spent a lot of time and money in search of products for her own young children, she wanted to help make the parenting journey easier for other parents. She launched Cuggles & Berry to create a haven for affordable, practical, eco-friendly and durable baby product solutions. They meticulously curate and design their bundles to include only the essential items you’ll use daily with your little ones: products that have passed the test of durability and quality, providing you with peace of mind and more time to create beautiful memories with your children. Here Tara talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about what inspired her to create Cuggles & Berry, how she balances work and family life, and the pros and cons of running her own business.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
As a first-time parent, I spent hours and hundreds of dollars searching for products to support my little one on their journey to solid food. Many of the products did not live up to the hype and ended up as a bunch of mismatched plastic waste. I thought to myself, if we could avoid other parents having to go through the same experience, they could save money, effort, frustration, and environmental wastage. Through trial and error, testing and re-designing the perfect bundles, we have put together the most durable, practical, and functional products, which will be used by families every single day.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Cuggles & Berry was launched online in December 2023 after nearly two years of perfecting our collection. We only wanted to sell the highest quality products at the most affordable price. This took months of trialling products with my own family and friends, thoroughly testing for durability and safety. We tested for all the best features in every one of our products.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Our biggest breakthrough was identifying and providing all the truly essential products parents need to support their little ones: enabling them to safely explore and discover food and minimise mess, with age-appropriate utensils, supporting the developmental stages of babies through to toddlers. Our uniquely shaped Super Scoop Catchy Bib, allows babies to comfortably enjoy their food, while keeping them dry and catching all the extra bits as they learn to co-ordinate hand to mouth. The super suction design of our bowls and divider plates means more food in the belly and less on the floor!
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
This is an ongoing journey where we learn something every day. With two children under four, life is very busy, priorities can change, challenges and triumphs arise, daily. Trying to be the best mama and wife I can is by far the most demanding yet incredible job I have the privilege of doing. Dedicated time to family, business and preparation will always be fundamental to the success of a family and work balance.
As myself and our business grows, I will continually work on the unity of the two.
Some things I have found to be very helpful to get pockets of time back throughout my day:
Daily morning outings (this can be a lap around the block to discover rocks or plants, or an adventure park) – filling the children’s cup means we have dedicated time together, and everyone is just better after a little fresh air!
Days planned in advance – this saves so much time trying to come up with something, when the children are so excited for their next adventure.
