Laura Byrne and Matthew ‘Matty J’ Johnson fell in love over luxury dates on The Bachelor, but don’t expect anything flashy from them for Mother’s Day.
Now a mum-of-two, Laura is looking forward to a long sleep in and a coffee date with herself before a low-key celebration with Matt and their daughters Marlie-Mae and Lola.
“We don’t go out and make a big fuss about it or organise anything that’s too extravagant, [but] it definitely has a real sentimental meaning to me,” she tells Now To Love exclusively.
“As a mum you spend so much time giving yourself to these tiny little people … putting your love, your energy all into someone else. It’s just a moment to stop and really appreciate yourself as well.”
Laura Byrne and Matty J will be taking things easy this Mother’s Day.
(Image: Instagram)Laura never expected that motherhood would become such an integral part of her identity, though looking back she admits that was probably “a bit silly”.
Thinking back to before Marlie-Mae was born in 2019 and Lola in 2021, she says: “I always thought I would just have kids. I would be me, and I would have kids, and they would slot into my life I would just be the same person that I used to be, but I’d also be a mum.
“And it’s just so different to that. You think, ‘I’m not going to be a mum who’s going to lose my identity when I have children. I’m not going to make it all about my kids’ [but] your identity changes when you become a mum.”
Having children changed everything for Laura – her priorities, her relationships, even the way she dresses, ditching the bodycon dresses and glamour from The Bachelor for a more casual wardrobe.
WATCH: Laura Byrne wins The Bachelor. Story continues after video.
“I love the opportunity to get dressed up, don’t get me wrong,” she says. “But when you become a mum and you’re running around after little people, comfort and staples become a much bigger part of your daily wardrobe.”
Her closet is stacked with denim, loose shirts and button-downs and despite what some fans may think, Laura’s not buying her clothes from flashy boutiques.
Like most busy mums, she does most of her shopping online from The Iconic.
Whether she needs a new pair of satin PJs, a $60 eye shadow palette or something a little nicer – like her favourite Calli Krupi Midi Dress – for date night, The Iconic has it all on a ‘normal mum’ budget.
“We’re such normal people, it sounds stupid to even say that,” Laura laughs.
The online retailer also stocks some fancier picks, like this Oroton Patch Bucket Bag that would be a perfect Mother’s Day gift (Matty J, we hope you’re taking notes).
There are also plenty of kid’s styles to keep Marlie-Mae and Lola looking cute in their parents’ Instagram snaps, but Laura reveals she and Matt have strict rules about what they share online.
“There’s parts of our lives that we share and there’s parts of our lives that are completely private and absolutely off limits,” she says.
“At the moment, with Marlie and Lola being one and two and a half, they love it. They love to perform, they’re such like little entertainers,” she adds. “But that may evolve.”
WATCH: Matty J and Laura Byrne’s daughter Lola takes some of her first steps. Story continues after video.
A growing number of celebrities choose not to show their children’s faces online and while Laura and Matt made the “personal decision” to include the girls on their profiles, they’d stop in a heartbeat if that’s what their daughters wanted.
Even when Laura does share peeks inside her family life, she’s adamant about authenticity and shows the tantrums, messy house and meltdowns as well as the cute milestones.
Too often we only see the “bets bits” of motherhood on social media – “how wonderful it all is, how easy it is to get pregnant, how easy it’s to be a mum” – but that’s not reality.
“People are fed up with it and mums are finally being more real, more authentic,” Laura says.
Laura wants to show the good, the bad and the messy of parenting.
(Image: Instagram)“You can be grateful [to be a mum] and you can be exhausted. You can be full of love, and you can be completely empty at the same time. These things can both coexist.”
Not only does she want all mums to embrace the rollercoaster of parenting, she also wants them to feel like they can take some time for themselves when they need it – after all, that’s how she’ll be spending Mother’s Day.
“We have to try and make time for ourselves as well, because … sometimes as a mum you go down the priority list and you’re at the bottom,” she says.
“You’re so busy caring for everyone else and doing everything else. That’s why it’s [Mother’s Day] such a nice day, because it’s a moment to stop and go, ‘I am a priority as well. I can give to everybody else, but it’s okay for me to take time and appreciate myself.'”
