Tiff, Terepai, Tainui, Rocket, Fin and Ochre, you guys ROCK and look like you have a lot of fun! Tell us... 

What does a week in the life of your family look like? Do you have any rituals in which you swear by? 

We don't have a very regular week-to-week routine as both our jobs are quite spontaneous, but the things that are constant would be... Because my boys are big skaters, and I've been skating too with a group of mums for over a year now, we tend to have at least one family skate session a week at a skatepark. And sometimes little sessions at home on our ramp set up. It's really nice sharing that together and i love being able to connect with them doing something we all love. Another ritual is simple but we chill on Sunday mornings; eat pancakes, drink coffee, listen to old music, move slowly and drift between the treehouse Terepai's building and the creek at our place. I can get lost in a happy place with them at home when there's nowhere in particular to be and have to talk myself into getting out and doing something.  

You were recently spotted at little splendour wearing some crazy fun outfits and playing some pretty cool tunes, Tell us how poppy galactic and the beat was born?

Poppy Galactic and The Beat is our kids band we started when Rocket and Fin were really little. We began because i thought there was a lot of room in the kids music world for some material that musically wasn't so "kiddy" but lyrically was. My boys would rock out to the music we loved, it's just that the lyrics weren't relevant to them. So we began writing songs that appealed to kids but because of the music, hopefully adults too. Terepai -being a drummer- is very good at creating fun, thumping beats to dance to and I love writing lyrics that are fun and help kids gain perspective on the world. Our tag line is "we may be small but we're all galactic"... Meaning, we are tiny beings in the scale of the multiverse but we're also literally made of stardust, connected to everything and very therefore very special. I want kids to feel expansive and like they're part of something amazing. Which we are! And i also want this galactic perspective to help make their problems feel smaller and more manageable. We also write silly songs about pirates liking jelly and the like, too. It's all about good music, gaining perspective and getting silly. 

From music to skateboarding, life seems action packed, what inspires your creative lifestyle?

Creativity is in all of us but i think some of us find it easier to access that others. It's easy to slot into the daily grind and spend our lives doing what society deems valuable without thinking about it too much but these days i'm keen on spending as much time as possible doing what i feel is valuable. It hasn't always been easy. I still sway between trying to find a balance of being able to support a family and at the same time spend time doing what i love. Music is what i love. It's taken a while to believe in myself enough to commit but also remembering that we're all going to die helps. LOL! But also not? It gives huge perspective, pondering our mortality and helps you get shit done! Feeling grateful for this life and wanting to squeeze every last drop out inspires me. I love yogi Adriene Mishler's simple message "find what feels good". When you're thick in the busyness of a young family then this to me is even more important as there's less time for yourself so you really need to get clear on what these things are. That's why we surf, skate, make music and dance. 
 

Four boys and lots of fury friends, give us some intel on how you find some calm in the busy hustle and bustle of family life? 

This year I've become part of a really great group of mothers who meet monthly to learn and practice the concepts of "Aware Parenting". This paradigm has brought a lot more "calm" to my parenting because it offers suggestions for different ways to respond to the usual kid related chaos. It takes a while to break the old habits that we've been conditioned with but it's so compassionate and effective. I highly recommend it. Skating has also been a game changer. It's given me something that i can go and do just for myself. And because you can't think about anything else when you're skating (or you'll stack) it's almost like meditation. Plus it constantly teaches me about life. I geek out on the lessons i've learned from skating. From facing fears to focus, belief and committing to things. It's all mirrored in life off the board too. 

Whats next?

We're currently finishing out debut album for Poppy Galactic and The Beat so keep and ear out for that. When it drops it'll be on all the regular platforms like iTunes and Spotify. And then i want to tour it. Globally! Thats the plan. Now just to make it happen. And Tainui's also about to release his own EP full of heart exploding tunes. It's going to be a big year for everyone once these tunes are out.  

Life is quite the adventure...Share with us some words of wisdom you guys live by?

A little line from a baby book i used whilst preparing for my boys' birth's springs to mind. "This is a wonderful moment." Right now, whatever's happening - you're here and that is wonderful. 

Tiff x

Check out more about Poppy Galactic & The Beat 

Until next time,

Munsterkids