We interviewed the wonderful Content Creator and Ovl Collection Brand Ambassador, Holly Denton @hollydenton5
Please tell us a bit about yourself and your family.
My name is Holly Denton. I just turned 30 (oof). I have 2 girls – Billie 2.5 years and Maxie 10 months. My husband Matt and I met when I was 18 (first boyfriend) so we have been together 12 years. We got married in 2018 and had Billie in 2019. We also have 3 cats (Georgia, Piper & Lewis) and a Golden Retriever (Boston).
I have wanted nothing more in my life than to be a mother. I always worked with kids as a swimming instructor, gymnastics coach, Education Assistant, Special Needs Assistant, nanny, everything! Now I work a boring admin job from home (but I actually really enjoy it) and I’m a quizmaster, singer and performer. I am up every morning at 4am to work before the girls get up. They are in daycare twice a week so I work a full day those days. I work at least one evening a week hosting quiz nights around Perth and I do all the marketing for the quiz company, too.
Every now and then, I may pop up in a musical or gigging at a pub somewhere with my dad. I come from a very musical family and love to be on stage. I still perform here and there and as much as I miss it, I gave up that dream to chase a new one for being a mum. My girls are my whole world and I can’t even remember what life was like before them.
What surprised you about being a mum?
How amazing the female body is! We do not need men, that’s for sure! We are so strong and capable of incredible things. We literally created a WHOLE HUMAN FROM NOTHING!! And then went on to feed that human and keep it alive for the rest of its life!!
What do you love most about being a mum?
Firstly, I LOVE being pregnant. I believe nothing is more beautiful than a pregnant woman in all her glory! Let those bellies show!! I love feeling life inside of me and learning all about the stages of development. I was very sick in both pregnancies with hyperemesis gravidarum but I still loved it (some days more than others hahah)
Secondly, I LOVE giving birth. I love everything about the birthing process. The highs, the lows, the joy, the never knowing what will happen next. I love it so much I want to be a midwife!
Thirdly, I love how when your baby looks at you, you are their entire world. They see no one but you. There are times when they get older that they say they want their dad, other their grandparents and mum becomes boring but when they are sad or scared, they want their mum. And in those early days, mum is the only one they see and I just love that!
What's the hardest part?
The guilt. OH THE GUILT! Prepare yourself to always feel guilty. EVEN WHEN YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING GOOD, you will feel guilty. Guilty because you didn’t do the dishes, guilty because you did do the dishes instead of playing with them. Guilty because you gave the fish fingers for the third night in a row, guilty because you gave them something healthy that they wouldn’t eat. Guilty because it was a fight to get them in the car, guilty because you didn’t let them go to the playground without shoes on. Guilty because you have to work, guilty because you can’t contribute financially. Do you get my drift? You will always, always, ALWAYS feel guilty for SOMETHING!!
How has being a mother changed you?
My husband works away a lot so I am on my own with the girls for long periods of time. When I was pregnant with Maxie (Billie was 18mo), I was solo parenting from 16-35wks! Then when Maxie was born, I was on my own again from when she was 4wks old to 3mo! It was a very tough time for me and our marriage but we made it. I had to learn so much patience and really how to control my temper (I can be quite quick to react). There were times when I really felt so defeated and like a failure. I was mad, I was sad, and it was really tough. But then, another day came and I was still there and we had survived another day. I really came out the other end so much stronger as a person and I learnt how capable I am!
Do you have any good hacks or tips for other mums?
- Buy second hand or get hand me downs!!!!!! Particularly for newborns stuff. Trust me. It’s a waste of money to buy new.
- When you just give birth, wet some nappies and freeze them. When your milk comes in, stick them in your maternity bra between feeds to cool those babies down!
- On a similar note, wet sanitary pads and freeze them to put in your underwear postpartum.
- Take an eye mask if you will be staying overnight in hospital – some lights are ALWAYS on.
- If you are pregnant with #2, make sure you get your #1 to touch your belly a lot. Talk about who is in there and how much they will love what’s coming. My first born absolutely adores my second born. I really made an effort to involve her in the whole process of pregnancy.
- Remember, no matter what, This Too Shall Pass.
How long have you been a content creator / influencer and how did you get started?
I probably got into once Billie was born. I started finding cute small businesses and sharing pics of her using the products. The businesses really appreciated it and wanted to send me more things for Billie to “model”. During COVID, I started a “Small Business Sundays” things where I shared 5 small businesses on my stories each week. They would send me discount codes to share with my followers and it snowballed from there!
What do you enjoy most about being a content creator and what do you find the most challenging?
You have to be on your phone A LOT!! It takes time to get good pictures, create reels, edit them and come up with captions. I don’t post as often as I should but I have a pretty loyal following and they often recommend new followers to my page. I like doing giveaways too! It’s hard to keep up with trends and Instagram changes their rules so often. But I just do what I can and hope for the best I guess!!
Do you have any little known facts about yourself or special interests that you’d like to share?
When I was 14, We Will Rock You came to Perth at Crown Theatre. I loved it so much, my mum and I went twice and I said, “One day, I want to be in this show and I want to be her!” I was referring to the leading lady, Scaramouche. In 2018, I got cast in the role of Scaramouche and went on to play her for 3 seasons, the last season being at Crown Theatre, the very stage I first saw the show on. Dream: achieved!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’m not done with babies – I’d love to have 4 kids, and I wouldn’t be mad if they were all girls, but I honestly don’t care!! I’d love to live on a bit of a property so we can have a big backyard, but I don’t think I’ll be magically gaining a million dollars anytime soon. I’d love to get back into more performing, expanding my Instagram platform a little more and I’d love to look more seriously into studying midwifery…a girl can dream, right?
What is your favourite piece of jewellery in The Ovl Collection, and why?
"This Too Shall Pass" bracelet – I LIVE by that saying.
I also plan on getting myself “Life is Tough Mama, But So Are You” bracelet, just in case I ever forget that 😊
Anything else you’d like to share…?
I am a very bubbly, outgoing, energetic person – a lot of my family and friends think I should be a Wiggle (tbh…I do too) but I actually do have a bit of anxiety. I very much overthink things and situations and at times it can have quite an impact. Becoming a mother has helped me overcome this quite a lot and made me realise what’s important, but I still often finds moments where I am spiralling and having a lot of self doubt. I think one of the main issues is that I just talk and talk and have no filter (like right now) so everyone knows everything about me and then I’m like “Why did you tell them that, Holly?!?” But the truth is, and I guess why I’m saying this now, is everyone has something. No one is perfect. It’s ok if you aren’t perfect. No one is. And If they seem like they are, then they are just really good at covering it up. The best thing to do is try to be kind – and not just to others, but to yourself, too!!
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Thank you Holly for sharing so much of your story! We loved getting to know you and we are so grateful to have you as one of our Mum Ambassadors.
