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MUM'S THE WORD | Meet Lisa, You'll love her hilarous TikTok

Lisa Perese Cullen tik tok instagram mothers day saben campaign tilly crossbody

If you haven’t heard of Lisa, all we can say is, you’re missing out. Her witty videos (a commentary on day-to-day life) are some of the funniest, laugh out loud videos to appear in your Instagram or TikTok feed. Using her natural ability to find the funny side of the challenges of family life; raising kids, getting through chores and starting a business all while keeping that spark in your relationship well and truly lit make her videos not only funny but oh-so relatable. Her sharp wit and sense of humour is second to none. 

Crediting her mum, aunties, cousins and friends for her sense of humour and her ability to laugh when all you want to do is cry, Lisa spoke candidly about the juggle of motherhood and what’s next for her as she transitions from full time mum to business owner and bonafide TikTok legend.

P.S. Did you know Meghan Trainor is a fan? Yeah, we’re not surprised either, given that Lisa might just be the funniest gal on the internet.

Tell us about yourself, your journey and what led you to become the woman you are today?

I'm turning 33 this year and it feels like I've lived a lifetime already. I'm of Samoan/Maori descent and was lucky enough to learn aspects of my culture through my grandparents. Overall my life has been full of various chapters, some hard, some challenging and some beautiful.

At the moment, I'm in the transitional chapter where I'm trying to balance work, family and social media (which I never in a million years would have thought I'd be making a career from being on Tik Tok!).

I sincerely contribute the women I am today to the people around me. My mum, my aunties, my family, husband and closest friends. Learning the importance of being your true self and attracting people who value you for being you. 

What does Motherhood mean to you?

Motherhood is quite easily the hardest thing I've ever done but in a twisted way it's also the best thing that ever happened to me. My oldest daughter came as a surprise and before that I was never really sure if kids were for me. Now, I couldn't imagine life without them. They truly are an extension of yourself and seeing them grow and develop into I hope to be great adults would be my proudest achievement. I also look forward to when they are older and have their own house. So I can drop into their homes unexpectedly, eat all their food and leave a mess. 

Lisa Perese Cullen tik tok instagram mothers day saben campaign tilly crossbody

Lisa Perese Cullen tik tok instagram mothers day saben campaign tilly crossbody

Tell us about your girls; What are they like, the things you cherish about them, the things that test you, and what they’ve taught you…

Both of my girls are opposite ends of the spectrum. My eldest is 9 and she definitely tricked us into a false sense of confidence when it came to being first time parents. She is the most easy going, chill and kind natured kid and has been since birth. I adore her sense of self-assurance and her 'I don't care what people think of me' attitude. Which is something that took me years to master. Although she looks like her fathers twin, her personality is very much like mine. Creative, calm and caring.

Once my oldest was 5 we had our second under the delusion of 'our second will be just as easy' ... we have never been more wrong. My youngest, who is almost 4, is the biggest challenge I've ever faced. She really tested my limits and made me question my abilities as a parent with her strong will, defiance and overall feisty-ness. That being said she makes us laugh out loud daily with her never ending antics and she has a certain level of fearlessness I aspire to be. She brings so much fun and joy to our home that we can't really remember life before her. 

You share actual laugh-out-loud stories of your daily family life. Where do you get the inspo for this content? Or is it a ‘if you don’t laugh, you cry’ kinda thing?

Sometimes you have to just laugh at the ridiculousness of life. Car broke down in peak hour traffic? Laugh about it. Kids smeared peanut butter on the walls? Laugh about it. Ok, so maybe it's not funny at the time but later on it will be.

My point is life can definitely give you lemons and when you can have a laugh. Just means you'll laugh more than you'll cry. 

You made Meghan Trainor laugh, where does that epic sense of humour come from?

I put it down to a combination of growing up in a samoan/maori family where everything is witty and my own personal ability to say things without a filter. Something I used to get into a lot of trouble for at school.

Lisa Perese Cullen tik tok instagram mothers day saben campaign tilly crossbody

You’re creating A-Grade content, sharing your life, raising 2 girls, wrangling 2 dogs and managing your business Harper James, all while trying to stay sane. Are you cool as a cucumber while doing it all? Or do you have excellent coping methods and support?

With age comes a certain level of confidence in your abilities while also being self-aware of your wellness. Most of the time I'm pretty calm and multi-tasking is my middle name

but I still have days where things can get overwhelming.On those days I have two approaches - Put one foot in front of the other to get things done or rest and recharge. Both are equally as important.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

My grandad gave the advice 'Let your no mean no and your yes mean yes'. Which to me has meant to keep your word and follow through with your promises or commitments whether it's in friendships, business or parenting. It's a way of holding yourself accountable for your actions and also means you become reliable and trustworthy. Which I think is a vital part to any relationship with others, especially my kids.   

Lisa Perese Cullen tik tok instagram mothers day saben campaign tilly crossbody

Who are the women in your life you admire and look up to?

Genuinely the women around me. My mother, my aunties, my cousins and my best friends. I've always been surrounded by incredibly strong women with big personalities and even bigger mouths. I was a very shy kid but growing up alongside these women taught me confidence in being myself. I also 100% get my wit and humour from them too.

How would you describe your mum style? What’s your go-to mum ‘fit for when you’re wrangling kids and starting a business all while staying sane?

I wish I could pull off a more stylish mum attire but truthfully I feel most confident in comfortable fits. T-Shirt, jeans, hoodies and converse sneakers. However, when I have the opportunity to get glammed up I take it with both hands!

Any words of wisdom for mamas out there who need to take time out for themselves. How do you ensure you’re feeling as good as you can be?

Get rid of the mum-guilt. Ok, so I know that is easier said than done but if I could erase the words mum-guilt from existence I would. Everyone deserves a break or a timeout from their regular job and that includes mums. Find something you can do consistently and is just for you! 

SABEN STYLE - What bag have you chosen and what drew you to this one? 

I chose the Frankie bag in black purely because of its size! We're doing a bit of traveling this year and I immediately thought that this would make the perfect airport bag. I'm the delegated passport, snack, ipad and colouring book holder so I need something stylish to fit everything in. 

Where can our fans find you?

Tik Tok @lisaperese_

Instagram: @lisaperese_   

My Business:@Harperjamesshop

Lisa wears new season hue, Prussian in cult classic styles Bea and Tilly Crossbody. 

Spoil them with Saben this Mother's Day - Shop Saben New Arrivals.