City Kids

When model Allie Rizzo left West Hollywood for New York City, she settled into Manhattan life on a bustling street in SoHo. But as soon as son Henry came into the mix, she knew a few changes were in store for their family, including finding the perfect neighborhood and taking on a new position as Creative Advisor for Babyzen USA.

photography by CHARLIE JULIET PHOTOGRAPHY

MINI | How would you describe your home here in New York City?

ALLIE RIZZO | In a word, temporary. We sold our house in West Hollywood after a couple of years living in LA and we headed back to NYC. When I found out I was pregnant, we were living on a busy street in SoHo. It was fun, but a packed neighborhood had its downsides and it made going on a casual walk with our dogs not so casual. I knew we had to find the right neighborhood before the baby arrived. Our apartment is next to one of my favorite parks in the city and the bones are beautiful; I loved the crown molding and marble bathrooms.We furnished it quite quickly just in time for Henrys arrival. It’s classic and practical with modern touches.

MINI | Do you have a favorite room?

ALLIE RIZZO | We spend most of our time in the kitchen and living room [since] family time often revolves around food. I love evenings in Henry’s cozy nursery which is still coming together a year later.

MINI | Let’s talk about Henry’s room. What inspired the space?

ALLIE RIZZO | It ended up being a wildlife theme. After my baby shower, we had so many elephants and lions that it was the style, like it or not! His name is Henry Wilder, so I thought it was quite cute that his nursery theme is the wild.

MINI | Let’s talk motherhood! What has surprised you most about motherhood thus far?

ALLIE RIZZO | Before I was a mom, I was really turned off by “mom bloggers” or women who constantly share their kids every move. I thought to myself, ‘Where’s your identity outside of your kids?’ I quickly realized that having a baby is so packed with joy it really does become the highlight of most days. I was as surprised as my friends when they joke about my mommy blogging because it had been a peeve of mine. Turns out, I just didn’t get mom joy yet.

MINI | What were your first thoughts when you learned you were pregnant?

ALLIE RIZZO | I think initially it was exciting but also very nerve-wracking. I was 28 when I suspected I was pregnant, just days away from turning 29. I think the idea of leaving my 20s pregnant and not out enjoying martinis was a wake up call! A very instant snap into adulthood or at least it felt that way. The immediate reality of, boom, your body now has a passenger and is no longer your own was scary to me. People would ask how magical I felt and if I was exploding with joy and I was honestly thinking, ‘I have a headache and want to puke all the time, so no.’ It wasn’t until my second trimester that I began feeling things shift. Really seeing him on a scan and it not just being a speck was so incredible and helped me get really excited. When the sickness passed, I was really able to feel calm and more connected and generally blissful. Throwing up first thing every morning was not fun and a migraine can suck the joy from anything! I wasn’t the person who was instantly overtaken with glowing pregnancy joy, but I was thrilled and relieved that the joy did come and think back to those feelings all the time.

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your son?

ALLIE RIZZO | We want him to grow up in a loving home and teach him to be a kind and respectful man. Most important job of our lives!

MINI | Is there anything from your own childhood you hope to share with him or teach him?

ALLIE RIZZO | Childhood even with sad moments is a magical and special time. I want to remember what I felt like as a child being curious and exploring and seeing things for the first time. I can’t wait to make sure he has those same moments and watch him see things with wonder for the first time.

MINI | What is your greatest joy of motherhood?

ALLIE RIZZO | Henry is the sweetest guy and I feel so much joy around him. When I make him laugh hysterically, it’s basically the best feeling on earth. That sound is perfection.

MINI | What have you found to be hardest aspect of motherhood thus far?

ALLIE RIZZO | I love sleep! I’m not someone who does well on no sleep, so that’s been the biggest challenge. Knock on wood, Henry has turned into a champion sleeper and I appreciate it!

MINI | Where have you seen the biggest changes in your life since becoming a mom?

ALLIE RIZZO | In the beginning, I was in a newborn bubble so I had no real social life. Eat, sleep, feed. Now that we are out of that stage and I am back working and socializing, I feel like the changes are less noticeable and I have a nice balance of motherhood and independence.

MINI | Tell us how you decided on your son’s name.

ALLIE RIZZO | The friends that introduced me to my husband now have a 10-year-old daughter and over New Years in Aspen, we asked her to write down names for the baby to entertain her. She came back with the most impressive list and one name was Wilder Grey. Everyone at the table was like he sounds like the author of the next great novel; we loved it. We dropped Grey but still loved Wilder and decided Henry was classic and would balance the uniqueness of Wilder. For some reason, I’ve always had a soft spot for Henry.

MINI | What are you looking forward to most about raising your son in NYC?

ALLIE RIZZO | NYC has been incredible. We sat in the park the other day and the coolest art show just started in front of us. Moments like that happen all the time. It’s cliche, but there’s so much to do in the city that never sleeps. Plus, we can walk almost everywhere, so I rarely have to bother with car seats and traffic!

MINI | What helps you to juggle motherhood and career?

ALLIE RIZZO | While I was pregnant, I continued working on my animal rescue, Mother of Dogs, and took over a few of my husband’s social media accounts for business and kept busy. When Henry was around four months old, I went back to modeling with a few jobs which was a nice way to see how I felt outside of the house. It was strange at first and then I got my bearings. A few months later, I started as the Creative Advisor for Babyzen USA and it has been a blast to work with a brand that makes products my mom friends genuinely love. I’m happy being a working mom and I feel that, for me, it was important to keep up my pursuits outside of the home. The balance is key to my happiness and makes me so appreciative of every second I spend with Henry.

MINI | As a busy working mama, tell us what a typical day looks like for you.

ALLIE RIZZO | Weekends are all about the family! The three of us hang non-stop and love exploring the city. During the week, we wake up with Henry and have our morning together before his nanny comes around 9:30. Each day for me is different depending on if I’m on set or just doing loads of emails. If I’m not on location, I get everything done between 9:30 and 2. [Henry] naps at 2, so I usually let my nanny go home and keep working from home until he wakes up around 4:30 and we spend our evenings together. If I have a dinner, it’s always after 8 because I put Henry to bed myself. It’s rare that I miss a bedtime. I cherish that time with him and love that he sees me right before bed. If he starts fighting it more as he gets older, I might change my mind!

MINI | Has your style changed at all since becoming a mom?

ALLIE RIZZO | My style has always been comfort based. I like to feel good and anything too fussy drives me nuts. I love jeans and flats and save the exciting stuff for formal events.

MINI | Favorite places to visit in NYC with kids, GO!

ALLIE RIZZO | We love Central Park and have been making that our weeekend trip.. It’s such a special place and we love just getting lost walking around. We also love Union Square Play on weekends. We take him to a cute music class that I think we enjoy the most— it’s adorable.

MY COFFEE ORDER Almond milk latte.

FAVORITE KIDS BOOK Is Harry Potter a kids book? I’m so excited for Henry to be old enough to read them so I can relive my peak childhood Harry Potter obsession.

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT Broken Coconut!

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Milk and yogurt.

IDEAL DATE NIGHT Watch our favorite show, eat lots of pasta, and drink lots of wine.

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOP Eataly.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO Neil Young, Harvest Moon.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE I’ll subject Henry to Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella quite a few times. My husband has never seen The Lion King, so we will all tackle that together!

ON MY NIGHTSTAND Water, iPhone, and on a good night, some chocolate and a big glass of wine.

BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD Be this comfortable in the role of mom.