Mother Earth has always been an inspiration for Carla Wingett. After working for ten years as a wedding florist, Carla began to look for a solution to the waste inherent in fresh flowers and found as much beauty and versatility in dried flowers. Soon after, she founded Idlewild Floral, a boutique floral design company based in California that works exclusively—and beautifully—with dried and preserved flowers. As of this month, she’s helping spread the gospel of dried floral design with her first-ever book, Flora Nouveaux: Not Your Grandma’s Dried Flowers. And that’s not all she’s currently birthing. She’s expecting her fifth child in September—baby Shepard will join Harper (15), Hayes (6), and step-siblings June (14) and Shannon (17) to complete the brood. Below, the eclectic mama—who worked as an artist, organic farmer, landscape designer, and interior stylist before entering the floral world—shares her current Mother Essentials.

Beachwood Baby. “I love that I can wear these dresses during pregnancy and after. They’re all made with lightweight linen, and so comfortable it’s all I want to wear lately.” The Deia Dress, $198, Beachwood Baby.

Fable Rune Golden Algae Face Cream. “My skin already runs dry, especially during pregnancy, and this cream has saved me. Clean and safe for baby, it also smells incredible and feels so light and refreshing, I close my eyes and pretend I’m in a spa each time I put it on.” Agave & Golden Algae Face Cream, $55, Fable Rune.

Fable Book of Runes. “I’ve been waking up before the rest of the house each morning to get a little time to myself in the mornings, and I love pulling a rune (kind of like a tarot card) and using the guiding wisdom as a prompt for journaling.” The Fable Book of Runes, $60, Fable Rune.

Inner Now App. “I’ve recently added a guided meditation to my nightly routine—usually in the bath where I’m guaranteed at least 15-20 minutes of uninterrupted time. I love Deepak Chopra’s meditations but there are so many wonderful teachers and themes to choose from for whatever mood you’re feeling.” InnerNow App via Apple.

Bobo Choses. “The prints on everything from this company bring me so much joy, I love putting my kids in their clothes. They even have women’s pieces and things my teenage daughters will wear too.” Snail Onesie, $32, Bobo Choses.

Walker Goods Backpack. “I love the tiny Tommy Pack, I’m currently using is as a diaper bag, but all of their luggage is so cute and I love that our kids can each pick out their own colors.” Tommy Pack, $84, Walker Goods.

Good Energy by Casey Means. “I love this book so much that I’ve bought a copy for most of my close friends. It’s really empowered me to improve my health with simple to follow, actionable advice. Casey has traced many diseases to how well we care for our bodies on a cellular level, and gives us the tools we need to prevent them at the root.” Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, $27, Barnes & Noble.

Among the Flowers Flora Bath Cubes. “Handmade in California by a small company that uses only natural ingredients, I love to soak with these bath cubes knowing I’m doing something good for my skin. Not only do they smell amazing, they’re moisturizing too.” Bath Cubes, $40, Among The Flowers.

Perelel Cellular Hydration Powder. “Staying hydrated during pregnancy has been a challenge, so I’ve been starting each morning with a glass of this, which is packed with electrolytes, collagen, and hyaluronic acid to help keep my skin healthy too.” Cellular Hydration Powder, $46.50, Perelel.

Pipette Baby Wash. “Clean skincare that doesn’t make my kid’s sensitive skin break out, and it smells so good I use it too.” Baby Shampoo + Wash, $11.99, Pipette.

Loam Candles. “Handmade in Los Angeles with clean ingredients, I love how long-burning these are and how wonderful they smell. I’ve been lighting mine in the morning while I journal before the kids get up.” Full Bloom, $33, Loam.

Flora Nouveaux. “This book is my other baby, something I’ve been dreaming of putting together for the 15 years I’ve been a florist. It’s finally come to life—my love letter to dried florals, which have completely changed the way I design with flowers.” Flora Nouveaux, $27.95, Idlewild Floral.

Preserved Flowers. “I started out as a traditional fresh florist, but once I discovered preserved flowers I never looked back. It’s almost magical that real flowers can be preserved to last basically forever, and keep such vibrant colors and soft textures. Needless to say, they’re all over my house and bring me so much happiness.” Dried Flower Bunch, $24, Idlewild Floral.

My Bookclub. “I’m a part of a bookclub with four other mamas, and having this legitimate reason to get together at least once a month and connect with some of my favorite ladies without the interruption of our families has been essential to keeping my sanity.”

Subscription Groceries & CSA Veggie Box. “I’ve been loving Thrive Market for groceries, it has saved me so many trips to the grocery store. For veggies, I’m subscribed to a local CSA veggie box. Everything is so fresh and it forces me to get creative in the kitchen because it’s always a surprise what will be inside each week.” ThriveMarket.com.

For more MOTHER ESSENTIALS, peep our recent features on Andrea Faulkner Williams of Tubby Todd, Hana Getachew of Bole Road Textiles, artist & author Carissa Potter Carlson, actress & activist Hilary Swank, the co-founders of Hearth Display, author and organizer Aida Mariam Davis, design consultant Joyce Lee, self-care advocate Rachel Garahan, DJ Va$htie Kola, designer Rebecca Minkoff, VEERT founder Julia Lang, cookbook author Jenné Claiborne, Neha Ruch of Mother Untitled, model, writer, and activist Cameron Russell, author Nasozi Kakembo, kid-lit talent Bo Lu, artist Suzy Ultman, and Super Smalls founder Maria Duenas Jacob.