The Minimalist Baby Book, Sustainable Design, + Purposeful Entrepreneurship: Interview with Christina of Tokki Goods

In a day and age where fast production and instant gratification are the norm, it is rare to find someone who chooses to intentionally slow down and truly pursue sustainability in both their business and in life. I met Christina of Tokki Goods through Instagram in 2020. She is a mother of two, small business owner, and brand designer. She is the creator of The Minimalist Baby Book, a sustainable, heirloom baby record journal that covers the first five years of a child’s life.

On her website, Christina says, “We believe that thoughtful design creates opportunity. In a world of noise and clutter, our brand seeks to simplify in order to make space for the things in life that truly matter. Our company was born out of a small dream, to live a life that is simple, yet intentional.”

The Minimalist Baby Book: A Keepsake Journal

Christina generously gifted me a baby book for my son when he was young, and it is one of my most treasured possessions. It is a place where I have recorded his birth story, his first words, our family vacations, favorite memories, and letters to my son. I recently purchased a second book for my daughter, and I teared up while reflecting on the journal prompts–thinking about how faithful God has been to our family.

Everything about Christina’s business is intentional and thoughtfully designed. All of her packaging is not only beautiful but also sustainable. Christina does not cut corners in her business and she holds true to her values.

This week, I had the absolute honor of interviewing Christina. Below, you can read about her family, her values, the story behind her brand, The Minimalist Baby Book, and encouragement for young moms.

 

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Tell me about yourself and your family.

My name is Christina Ketmayura and I live with my husband and two children, ages 6 and 8. We live in the suburbs of Georgia. We love to eat good food (Korean bbq is one of our favorites) on our tiny back porch, go for walks in the park, hang out with our community, and volunteer when we can!

What are your top 5 values?

Loving Jesus with all our heart, soul and mind.

Having a strong community base.

Making the world a more beautiful place.

Prioritizing health and nutrition.

Making sure we have FUN in life.

What are 3 things you are passionate about and why?

Nutrition

I truly believe that we are what we eat, but it was not always that way. In college I ate ramen noodles every day for lunch because it was $0.20 a cup. But when I got married, my husband had major stomach problems that no doctor could help us with. He went on a 10 day juice fast and has never had the problem since. We saw the power of nutrition at work in our lives and slowly made changes through the years. Our daughter also has gluten and dairy sensitivities, so I’m always in the kitchen coming up with fun new whole food recipes for her to enjoy!

Beauty

I think form and function should always work together. There’s an opportunity around every corner to make something more beautiful and more functional.

Warm Minimalism

I am a strong believer that less is more, whether in life or in design. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Over the years I have trended more towards the idea of warm minimalism which incorporates nature, wood aesthetics into a minimal home design.

Can you tell me about your business, Tokki Goods, and The Minimalist Baby Book?

I studied Graphic Design and worked as a designer, but when I became pregnant with my first child, I felt called to step away and start my own freelance business. Design is about creating for others, but for the first time in my career, instead of creating for other clients, I really wanted to create products that came from my heart. Thus, the Minimalist Baby Journal was birthed and the rest is history!

When and why did you start Tokki Goods and The Minimalist Baby Book?

Tokki Goods was started in 2017 with the desire to create beautiful, minimal goods that mothers and families would love. I wanted to use the business platform to connect with moms and encourage them along the journey of motherhood.

What is the meaning behind the name?

There’s no deep meaning, but Tokki means “rabbit” in Korean and so that’s why you see the rabbit icon in the logo. I wanted something catchy, short and unique. I chose “goods” because my desire is to expand into the various product lines one day.

What are your company’s values?

My company values are to stand true to beautiful, minimal design and to create products that (1) have meaning and longevity (like our baby journal) or (2) help parents along their journey of parenthood (our infant daily log or scripture cards). I’ve been told through many well-meaning coaches to just “make anything” for profit, but I’d honestly rather make less money than to sacrifice my values. Business isn’t my strongest forte, but because of my focus, I have met many other businesses and mothers who share the same value and that is the encouragement that keeps me going.

What is your favorite product in your shop and why?

My favorite product is the Gray Linen Minimalist Baby Book simply because it was our first product. When my second was only 6 months old, I had a strong vision to create this memory book and seeing it come to life was one of the most fulfilling moments of the business. We took our kids with us when we visited the manufacturer and they were excited to be our little helpers. We never cut any corners, and I still hand write each note and package every order.

How did you get the idea for The Minimalist Baby Book and the other items you create?

Most of my products stem from something I personally wish I had. I use the journals for my two children. The rest of the products come from requests from other mom friends and customers! I love creating something that moms need if it’s feasible!

Do you do design work outside of your business?

Yes! This is actually something I am considering more and more lately. My specialty is actually in brand design. I absolutely love creating brands for companies because it allows me to fully flex my creative muscles and it’s a huge thrill to see a brand come to life for a company. Having a beautiful brand can really set you apart from the competition.

How does sustainability relate to your business and The Minimalist Baby Book?

In EVERY facet of our business! We are a plastic-free company and our books are sustainably printed. We are also scrappy and try to reduce waste whenever possible. For instance, I save  bubble wrap we get from suppliers and repurpose them for our own wholesale orders!

I saw that you offer homeschooling resources in your shop. Do you homeschool your own children?

This is a topic I revisit EVERY year! I absolutely love the model of homeschooling. So far, we have been called to continue at our public charter school. It’s been nice because it’s (1) free and (2) our kids are learning in Korean half the day since it is a dual language immersion program. At the same time, I follow lots of homeschool moms and eat up all their ideas and resources so we can apply it at home. We love doing a morning basket with stories and scripture memorization. I recently bought the Charlotte Mason book Laying Down the Rails. We love utilizing homeschool book lists as well!

Here is a link to Christina’s homeschool resources.

Where do you find inspiration for the work you create?

I absolutely love fashion and studying different styles of various cultures. I think a lot of my inspiration comes from my travels. When I visit another country, my eyes are always looking out for new ideas and styles. On my bucket list is to visit the fabric shops in Japan or the wholesale markets in Korea. I would also love to visit India one day!

I saw that you have Bible verse cards in your shop. What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

That’s a tough question! Lately it’s been all of Psalm 91. We had a rough season with two of our good friends receiving a cancer diagnosis and we declared these scriptures over them and ourselves daily as a family. Update: they are both doing well!

Here is a link to Christina’s Scripture memory cards and printables.

What advice do you have for new moms?

Wow, there’s so much I didn’t know as a new mom. I wasn’t aware of how hard it would be or how much my entire identity would change. I would encourage moms to show themselves lots of grace. What does that look like? Spending time in the Word to glean real truths and to speak kindly to yourself about yourself. I’ve only been a mom for 8 years now. I’ve been a designer for longer, yet we have to make so many important decisions every day for our little ones. We are all still learning. Most days I don’t know what the right answer is. Instead of asking everyone for their opinions though, I have learned to focus on the peace that surpasses understanding. Follow your peace, that deep gut feeling, and you’ll be okay.

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Baby Books that are Heirloom Treasures

Christina’s business is one-of-a-kind. Her work is beautiful, intentional, and designed with so much love. As I mentioned above, the books that I have for my children will be cherished for generations.

Motherhood has a lot of highs and lows, and the prompts in this journal bring tears to my eyes as I reflect on how the Lord is using motherhood to mold and shape my heart–stripping away my own selfish desires to better love and care for the precious children he has entrusted to my care.

These baby books are not only a gift that I plan to pass down to my children someday. They are also a gift to myself as I reflect on precious moments with my babies that I never want to forget.

Where Can I Find Christina’s Work and The Minimalist Baby Book?

You can find Christina’s The Minimalist Baby Book on her website, Tokki Goods. In additional to her beautiful baby journals, you can find Christina’s printable resources for moms on her Etsy shop. She has newborn logs, planners, Bible verse cards, homeschooling resources, and more! You can also follow Christina on Instagram and see more behind-the-scenes of her business HERE.

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