Idential twin sisters Cristen and Kimberly share more in common than just their gorgeous appearance. The mums, wives and yoga enthusiasts can now add “social media stars” to their resumes, a feat which occurred almost entirely by chance. One photo – captured and posted by Cristen’s husband, renowned celebrity photographer Nigel Barker – caused a sensation. “The Chin Twins” Instagram account was born.
More than just a model portfolio, the profile showcases the beautiful relationship between the sisters.
“Our sisterly bond is what got us through our childhood and what continues to carry us through adulthood. Having each other makes the bad times bearable and the good times even better. We always have a mirror to bounce things off and we know we are never alone. We speak daily about our individual challenges and motherhood – our connection as sisters helps us to overcome any obstacle!”
Inspired by the twins, we sat down to ask them about their approach to life.
How do you balance being a mum and work life?
Motherhood is a blessing that changes our lives forever, but we are challenged to rethink how we balance our lives after having children. Creating healthy boundaries around what we hold important while raising our families and continuing with our careers is very important. Being committed to what we need as individuals to stay strong will help us rise to the challenges of Motherhood. If we focus on our primary needs and know our limits and boundaries everything else will fall into place. Raising a family while working requires super human powers!!! We often think that being a strong woman means being everything to everybody, but it takes real strength to ask for help. Building a support system in and outside of your family is key to giving yourself space to stay balanced while working and raising a family.
How important is health and wellness to you?
Health and wellness is one of the most important things to focus on as a Mother. We lead by example, what we consume and how we stay fit set the bar for our families. “Healthy” looks and feels different to everybody, so being realistic and kind to ourselves is key to Wellness. We can’t find balance by trying to fit into an idea of being healthy, comparison and judgement can be the enemy of contentment. We need to remember that our mental health is just as important as our physical well being, our bodies can only take us so far. Our minds are what can expand and connect us to the clarity that helps us keep a positive outlook on health.
What tips can you share to other moms who might be struggling with balance and the day to day life?
As Mothers we all need to practice self love, we need to be patient with ourselves, we need to constantly forgive ourselves because we love so much and we all fail so often. As caretakers we naturally put the needs of our families before our own, but at a certain point we need to turn our attention back to the needs of our own hearts. There will always be dishes to do and laundry to fold, our kids will make mistakes and they will get hurt. We need to let go of the ideal home, or the perfect family, we need to stay present in the moment so we don’t miss the magic, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed in the daily details.
Tell us about the importance of yoga in your daily routine. What advice can you share with our readers on getting started?
Yoga is very important to our daily routines, movement of the body and being connected to your own breath even for a short time can change your day. Yoga can go beyond the physical, living by the principals of this ancient science can lead to inner peace and balance. Practicing non violence, truthfulness, non excess, non stealing, wasting energy and not being over possessive with ourselves and others can change the world. If we aim to stay pure of mind and content, to work hard and to continue to learn more about ourselves we will be able to surrender to something larger than ourselves. Yoga can meet you wherever you are physically or mentally. Explore you community until you find what fits you and your lifestyle. Technology can now bring so many new options to learn about Yoga right into your home, making it a family affair is a fun way to get everybody on their mats.
Your bond with your Identical twin sister
Our Sisterly bond is what got us through our childhood and what continues to carry us through adulthood. Having each other makes the good times even better and the bad times bearable. We always have a mirror to bounce things off of and we know we are never alone. We speak daily about challenges and motherhood, our connection as sisters helps us to overcome any obstacle!
What important values do you want to pass onto your children?
We want our children to know that what makes them different is what makes them amazing. We want them to love and accept themselves and others without judgment. We want them to know that love is what fills the soul not what possesses them. We hope that by learning to stay connected to themselves that they will be connected to a lifetime of happiness.