For the last nine months, Gayle King has been eagerly anticipating her next chapter: With her "favorite daughter" Kirby Bumpus gearing up to welcome a baby boy, Gayle is officially becoming a grandmother—and she is over the moon.
To prepare for this next phase of her life, Gayle and Oprah made a stop at a children's store during their "Joy Ride" tour, a drive throughout Santa Barbara, California, in celebration of the original cross-country road trip they took 15 years ago on The Oprah Winfrey Show. For the first stop of their adventure, they drove to surprise an Oprah Daily Insider. Now, for episode 2, Oprah and Gayle meet up with award-winning singer-songwriter Katy Perry, a new mom, at local Santa Barbara boutique Chicken Little.
Watch Episode 1 of Oprah and Gayle's Joy Ride Now!
"It's Katy Perry! Hi, Mama!" Oprah says upon seeing the pop star. Last August, Perry had her first child, a daughter named Daisy Dove, with husband Orlando Bloom. "It's everything I was looking for," Perry, 36, shares of motherhood. "I climbed all the mountains and then I found the view."
Perry calls Chicken Little the "best kids' store in all of Santa Barbara" and happily offers herself up as Oprah and Gayle's guide to all things baby. She says this store in particular helped get her through the ups and downs of early motherhood, because as she puts it, the first six weeks with a child are a "total surprise." She says that having the right items—from food and clothes to toys and even multiple strollers—is crucial.
In one hilarious moment, Perry enthusiastically shows off her newfound expertise. Using a stuffed animal ostrich as a stand-in for an infant, she demonstrates how to use a SwaddleMe, designed to help babies sleep in a comfortable and safe position. Perry also proves why onesies that clasp with magnets are infinitely easier than options with buttons or bowties (even though Oprah thought the one with bowties was cute). "You guys do what you want, "Perry says, "but if you want to learn the hard way...we ain't got no time for ties."
Just before they move on to strollers, Gayle picks up a FaceTime call from Kirby, who virtually joins in on the shopping trip. Kirby watches as Perry expertly folds up a Baby Jogger stroller and pops it back out again ("in less than five seconds!") before mounting a GYMNIC Rody Bounce Horse for a victory lap. Turns out shopping for baby supplies can also unleash the inner child.
Along the way, the trio picks up more items, like a kid-friendly DJ kit, a hand-puppet board book, rattle socks, and a Baby Shusher, which Perry called the "holy grail" for putting babies to sleep. "It's like a massage for their mind," she said of the white noise machine.
In the toiletry aisle, the friends get into a playful argument. Perry recommends a banana-shaped toothbrush designed for infants, to which Oprah replies, "Why do you need to brush them? They're going to fall out." From FaceTime, Kirby confirms they will be brushing her baby's teeth. "You are not babysitting!" Perry tells Oprah, laughing.
At the end of the trip, Gayle and Oprah leave Chicken Little with an abundance of goods in monogrammed Lands' End canvas tote bags. Now all set on essentials, there's just one lingering question: Gayle still hasn't decided what her future grandson will call her. "I don't want to be grandma or nana," she explains. Currently, Gayle is leaning toward Gaia, a name for Mother Earth—which happens to sound a bit like her own name. Oprah, however, is not sold on the mythology-inspired moniker. "I think it's pretentious," she says.
Lands' End Medium Natural Open Top Canvas Tote Bag
Lands' End Medium Natural Open Top Canvas Tote Bag
Gayle moves on to her next option: Sunny, because of her bright and optimistic persona. Unfortunately for "sunny" Gayle, both Perry and Oprah shoot that name down. Perry thinks it sounds like a pet's name, and Oprah agrees, considering that she has a springer spaniel named Sunny.
The conversation ends inconclusively. Will Gayle go with her first choice, and be called Gaia? Or will she ignore detractors, and try out Sunny? We'll have to wait until September 17th to see.
Tune in next Thursday, September 23, for the third and final episode of Oprah and Gayle's 2021 Joy Ride!
Katy Perry's Picks for Baby Supplies
Baby Shusher
Baby Jogger
Magnetic Footie
SwaddleMe
This Little Piggy Book
GYMNIC Rody Bounce Horse
DJ Studio Music Toy
Boogie Toes Rattle Sock
Baby Banana Infant Toothbrush
