We are so excited to feature Kelsey Searles and Rose Bridges of MiliMili on today's installment of "Moms on the Move"! Since this week on MiLOWE Mag is all about baby showers and gifts, it's only fitting that MiliMili be featured, as their products make the perfect gifts. Not only are we big fans, but Callie's 2.5 year old still sleeps in hers and probably will continue to do so until it's no longer socially acceptable.

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First, tell us your story! We’d love to hear little bit about yourself and your business.

It all started with a gift.

Well, it all started with a one-year-old's birthday. And for that birthday, a crafty, jane-of-all-trades friend (meet: Rose) couldn't find a gift bold enough to match the bright style of the baby and her mama (meet: Kelsey, a former Interior Designer who throws one hell of a party). At a loss, Rose dusted off her old sewing machine and decide to make a custom wearable blanket in flamingo print for Kelsey's tot.

Funny timing of it was — Kelsey had been looking for wearable baby blankets that were, well, less sucky. She was tired of sweet and precious. She was tired of junky zippers and fabric that felt like it was chemically treated. She was looking for the perfect safe, breathable, quality wearable blanket that didn't make her child a sopping bucket of sweat during hot LA summer nights.

The gift was awesome — although, full disclosure, not totally perfect (meet: evil, mom-hating snaps). But with that gift, a wonderful idea was born. With a quick snap-to-zipper swap, a whole lot of fabric research, and a few pattern tweaks, MILIMILI was born.

And we’re not just sleep sacks anymore - our goal is to fill your nursery with bright, bold, and incredibly soft materials that inspire and excite you and your little one.

How many kids do you have, what ages?

Kelsey: Daughter, Remy, 2.5 years old (+ a little boy on the way this December.)
Rose: Son, Oliver, 7 weeks old.

What are your top three recommendations for things to do with kids in LA (can be anything - restaurants, parks, adventures, etc.)?

Rose: We’ll I’m still in the ‘trapped in the house’ stage of new parenthood, so my and Oliver’s excursions are limited to going to the pediatrician and taking our dog, Lili, out for walks in our Toluca Lake neighborhood. We’ve also snuck in a couple lunches at Portos.
Kelsey:
- Kid Space Children’s Museum (Pasadena). Went for the first time a month ago and holy cow it’s awesome. So many things to do, climb, build, explore, experiment with and learn there – it’s amazing. My husband and I are talking about getting an annual pass because Remy has been asking to go back non-stop since our first visit.
- Erwin Park in Valley Glen: this is the park closest to our house, but it’s also one of the newest and nicest we’ve been to in the valley. Remy loves all the play equipment, and does weekly picnics with her park friends on the main lawn area.
- Petco: My sister taught me this trick - Petco is amazing for kids. Once a month when we need to get more food for our dog, Wagner, we take Remy to Petco to see the pets up for adoption, and gander at all the frogs, lizards, chinchillas, fish, and hamsters. She LOVES it there.

How do you network as a parent and a business person ?

Kelsey: I’m a member of HeyMama, which has introduced me to an amazing group of female entrepreneurs based here in LA. I’ve learned so much from these women who are all so willing to provide advice and tips on what has worked for their businesses. Perfect example: I needed a photo release contract today and within 10 minutes I had replies with 3 examples! Also, I’ve teamed up with a bunch of these wonderful boss ladies to plan a really great holiday pop-up shopping party this November. I also try to go to lots of mom conferences, like the one put on by Land of Mom, (thank you Instagram targeted marketing for always bringing them to my attention). And finally - I’m lucky to have an amazing friend group from college (USC) and we are all pretty good networkers, constantly expanding our friendship circles.

Rose: I joined The Wing just before giving birth to Oliver and loved it as a coworking and gathering space. But since he has been born I haven’t had a chance to go there or anywhere else for that matter! Luckily, I have a great text chain going with all my mom-friends where we can bounce questions and ideas and tips off each other, and that has proved invaluable the past 7 weeks.

Where do you go for inspiration on the web and in real life?

Travel is our biggest inspiration for our collections. We are really inspired by bright and bold and colorful places that aren’t afraid of prints on prints on prints. Think Hawaii, Mexico, Morocco, Kenya.

And on the web, we follow a handful of hashtags on Instagram that help inspire us daily and keep our feed fresh, interesting, and full of amazing artists including: #worldofinteriors, #makersgonnamake #colorcolourlovers #closetcasepatterns

What is the first website you visit every morning?

Kelsey: Instagram. To make sure our posts (which are typically scheduled for 6am) actually went up and to follow up on comments/questions etc… Then WallStreet Journal.

Rose: Apple News

What are your three favorite Instagram accounts to follow?

This one is going to differ quite a bit for each of us.

Rose:
- @Elisalex - I love making my own clothes and I follow Elisa for sewing inspiration + patterns
- @Denisevasi – love following her parenting journey and the beautiful, fresh, colorful shots of her little family. Such a nice change from all the muted/rose toned Instagram accounts out there!
- @Theconsciouskid – their feed is a mix of insightful and thought provoking quotes and ideas, as well as featured diverse children’s books
Kelsey:
- @KatieRidderInc – a decorator who often teams up with her classical architect husband Peter Pennoyer to create insanely beautiful spaces. She isn’t afraid of color and artfully mixes modern and traditional. She recently did Mindy Kaling’s super colorful house (who is a style icon of mine!)
- @DanielleWalker – the author of the Against All Grain cookbook series, which are focused on gluten-free eating. Remy has Celiac, and our whole house is gluten free to keep her safe - so I’m always looking for good recipes for things to make that we’ll all love.
- @FarmRio – it’s a women’s wear brand and I covet EVERYTHING they make. A collaboration with them would be a dream (we’re both palm and banana print lovers).

What is on your to do list for today?

Kelsey
- Work on responses to this article 😊
- Research & reach out to mama-run vendor partners for Nov shopping pop up
- Find a photographer for Nov shopping pop up
- Follow up with production manager to coordinate pick up most recent run of Kauai One sacks + all the remnant fabric
- Coordinate late-Sept photoshoot in West LA – develop contract for models, order design elements.
- After Remy goes to bed:
  - Work on her new bedroom: Pick up paint from Benjamin Moore, build desk, story board other elements to select curtains, art, linens, etc..
Rose
- Take Oliver to Dr to check on weight gain
- Feed Oliver / Change Diapers / Get Oliver to Sleep
- Repeat…. Over and over and over….
- Create digital mock ups of Holiday sleep sack
- Sew newborn beanies with MiliMili remnant fabric for friends having kids