Family First

Content creator Bella Lambert on motherhood and the beauty of adoption

By Kaylor Jones / Photos by Claudia Johnstone

When she first broke onto the scene, Bella Lambert inspired others as the teen entrepreneur at the helm of Origami Owl. Now, she’s inspiring countless more by sharing the story of her growing family online.

For 1.4 million followers on Instagram (@bellagraceweems) and over 4 million subscribers on YouTube (Dallin and Bella), Lambert and her husband Dallin have documented their journey of adopting and raising two daughters.

If you ask her, this chapter is a natural extension of the career that began when she first started her hugely successful jewelry business at just 14 years old.

“I always loved singing and dancing and being creative. I knew that I’d end up doing something creative in my life, but I just didn’t know that it would be on such a big scale.”

Though for many content creators, work and home life have a tendency to overlap, Lambert says the line is firmly drawn in their household.

“I always prioritize my family and my kids – they’re my first priority. Then I take time every day, especially when my kids are napping, to get as much work done as I possibly can. Sometimes things slip through the cracks and I have to work harder at night or get up earlier, but it’s worth it so that I can spend as much time as possible with my kids.”

Time has always been an invaluable commodity for Lambert, who hopes to give her daughters some of the childhood she missed out on as a young founder.

“I grew up so fast I felt like I was 40 at 14. I learned so many life skills but I did miss out on a lot of my high school life – while my friends were out at parties, I was growing my business,” she says. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything – I feel like I’ve proven through my business and now our social media that if you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything. There’s no age limit on success. You’re never too young or too old to go after your dreams.”

Now, 14 years later, Lambert has mostly stepped back from Origami Owl while she focuses on spending time with her family.

“The little moments are my favorite. My first daughter is almost 3, and she comes into our room in the mornings and wakes me up,” Lambert says. “I feel like some parents would be annoyed, but I live for it. She says, ‘The sun is up, the sun is up!’ and it just brings so much joy to my day.”

Another unexpected highlight of motherhood is how it gets Lambert back in touch with her own childhood – the way milestones like learning how to ride a scooter can unlock precious memories from her own life.

“You want your children to have the best childhood ever, and you want them to live some of your favorite moments again. I also find so much joy in buying my favorite childhood toys for my girls, the Polly Pockets and Barbies. I love playing with them – it brings out the childhood Bella!”

Chasing Adventure

One thing Lambert hopes to prioritize while raising her kids is adventure – from the little, everyday moments to the big trips that form the basis of lifelong memories.

Traveling with little ones can be daunting – their youngest will get her passport before her first birthday – but Lambert says the key is remembering that kids feed off of your energy.

“If you’re stressed or overwhelmed going into the airport experience, they’re going to start acting out and feeling stressed and overwhelmed. I always try to take a couple of deep breaths before we enter the airport and keep everything very lighthearted and relaxed.”

For Lambert, it’s a privilege to show her kids the world – they’ve already taken their 2-year-old on a safari in Kenya and swimming with humpback whales in Tonga. Watching her learn and collect new experiences is something Lambert will always treasure.

But no matter how far from home they travel, Arizona will always have her heart.

“I’ve seen so much of the world, and every single time I think, ‘Man, Arizona is the best. I live in the best place, and I can’t wait to get home.’ I love everything about it – Arizona summers, monsoon season, the food, the people. I have nothing bad to say about Arizona. I grew up here and I’m never leaving. It’s the best place to live and the best place to raise your kids.”

But when it comes to values, adventure and spontaneity take a backseat to kindness, the most important trait Lambert could hope to model for her daughters.

“We do everything with love and want to instill confidence in our children, but above all I want them to be kind. I want them to have big hearts, and when they see someone who is struggling, they help them. My mom always raised me to love the underdog, so when you see someone sitting alone at school, be the friend. The biggest thing I can teach them is just to be a good human.”

A Helping Hand

Lambert knows firsthand that you can’t overstate the value of support. When she was in high school, she sometimes had to juggle homework with national media appearances like Good Morning America, and she couldn’t have done it without all of the people she had in her corner.

Now, it’s her turn to pay it forward in a way that’s especially meaningful to her. Lambert’s newest passion project is a video series in which she and her husband gift financial support to families that are in the same position they once were – trying to grow their family – but are impeded by the cost.

“I really have a desire to help others through their adoption journeys and infertility journeys because I’ve lived it and I’m on the other end of it now. We know the burden that can be on people, so my husband and I feel strongly about helping people pay for their adoptions and their infertility treatments. I just feel so grateful that we can use our platform to make an impact for good, to bless people and their growing families.”

One of the biggest benefits of sharing their lives online is interacting with the people they’ve touched, including those who reach out to share their own stories of adoption.

“I think it’s such a blessing that we’ve been able to empower families to adopt or to build their family, however that looks for them. It’s been so incredible to connect with so many other adopted families and hear everybody’s beautiful journeys.”

At the end of the day, it’s all about serving as a counterpoint to the negativity in the world – inspiring people to take a leap or tell their stories, but also just putting a much-needed smile on their faces. In all they share, Lambert hopes their joy shines through.

“My husband and I try to show a good, wholesome family that’s happy and thriving,” she says. “I just always wanted to be a mother. I think that’s the best job that I could have ever had. I feel like I’m living my dream now.”