When Cameron was born my eyes opened to all the amazing Mom bosses who were out there sewing amazing clothing, hand-making the most beautiful bonnets, bows and booties – and owning the small businesses that brought in all the best brands. I wanted to buy them all… but, alas, the no-income post-partum blues hit. It’s true – shopping small can be a bit on the pricey side. But can you argue with handmade and supporting other Moms directly with your purchase(s)? It turns out you can… but I found the solution!

A few years ago I went through the KonMari book – and it made the biggest impact on my closet. Keeping only the clothes that brought me joy may mean laundry more often – but it also means I save time in the morning. There’s much less to dig through to find what I’m looking for and every piece I feel good in. I might pay a bit more for the pieces I love – but it’s worth it.

So, what if I approached baby clothes the same way? That’s where I started. Typically people think of baby items as very disposable – babies grow quickly and so why spend a bunch of money on them? But, I bought items that Cameron was able to grow with – dresses that turned into shirts, leggings that were slightly long to start with and cardigans that work year round. We also supported a few Mom bosses that made headbands and shoes – since those items always seem to last a little longer. We still bought GAP and Gymboree for simple pieces like undershirts and solid leggings, but we were able to stretch our dollars so much farther by buying items that she could grow with.

Now that Cameron’s set, we’ve started buying a few pieces for Nicklaus and I’ve been able to buy a couple things for me. As we look to add or replace things in our home we look to support other small businesses. Both Kevin and I run our own businesses and so it’s great to support other families. I hope this helps you ease into the process of shopping small – it doesn’t have to be all in to make a difference. Just start small.