The Chaos of Life with Four Boys
As a mother of four sons, I am definitely "Outnumbered"... My very busy, very loud house consists of 4 boys, 1 husband, and me!! Ahhhh, I know, I can see that look in your eye, the pity look, the "I couldn't do that" look. Some days, I'm not quite sure how I do it either! Somewhere in between soccer practices, homework, diaper changes, and story time, I guess...
There's definitely some testosterone running through my home and oftentimes has me playing "referee" more often than mom. My boys are very active and play just about every sport known to man. Never did I think I would be one of those moms sporting the "I can't, my boys have practice" coffee mug. But here I am, mug in hand, bundling up my baby to sit at our 10th game of the week.
Finding Sanity in Starting a Children's Boutique
So why did I decide to go back to work rather than stay at home? One word, SANITY.
The Birth of a Dream: Starting The Trendy Bunny
I have always loved baby clothes. When my firstborn came along, I would spend hours looking for clothing that was different, that not every other baby was wearing. I wanted something special for him that didn't come from a big box store. That was difficult 15 years ago, before online shopping was as easy as it is now. I spent way too much money on clothing that would only fit for a couple months at a time. Luckily for me, two more boys came along that wore all of those adorable outfits! I worked in retail for years and knew the ins and outs of the business. I played around with the idea of a children's boutique but never really followed through.
Building The Trendy Bunny Childrens Boutique from the Ground Up
I was already so busy with my mom role that there wasn't much time left for my dream. Plus, investing in retail can be a huge financial risk. Nevertheless, I decided that I wanted to bring my dreams to light. When I found out that I was expecting my fourth child, I decided to put my fears aside and move forward with my dream of opening a boutique. So I did just that.
Making Affordable, Adorable Childrens Boutique Clothes Available Online
Pregnant and all, I found a business partner, collected wholesale contracts, and started a "Pop Up" Boutique. The business took off and has found a ton of success. But the overhead costs were high, and I wanted to offer clothing that had a "Boutique Look" without the contracts that require higher prices. I wanted to bring baby clothing and accessories online that look adorable but don't cost $74 for a romper or dress. How was I going to do that???
I started working my contacts up from the bottom and reaching out to manufactures that would be willing to let me look through the inventory without contracts. I found that there is this entire world of adorable baby clothes that I had never seen, that are so cute and vintage-inspired, that fit in with my minimalist, vintage style.
So I started The Trendy Bunny.
I wanted to allow everyone to shop these styles at a discounted price. There are some hiccups involved, obviously. It's not all pretty packaging wrapped up with a beautiful bow. Shipping directly from my manufacturers takes longer than sending out what's in my stock rooms. But it saves the customers so much money.
Behind the Scenes of The Trendy Bunny Boutique
When you get your products, you get them how I would get inventory for my stores, except mine come in a huge pallet. In my boutiques, I re-tag each item, steam them, package them in my store's adorable (and expensive) custom-made packaging, add tissue paper, business cards, and thank you card stock, etc. But in the end, you have the SAME product. Plus, I don't have to charge shipping because I am not paying the incredibly expensive shipping costs for the pallets to come to me first.
Family First: How My Boys Inspire The Trendy Bunny Childrens Boutique
So I did what I set out to do, outnumbered and all. My boys have always been the inspiration behind The Trendy Bunny. I still love choosing new products and seeing the newest collections. I love that I get to be a part of the joy that comes along with choosing something new and different for your little one! I am proud of The Trendy Bunny and its products. I stand behind them, I wear them on my own baby, I gift them to my friends and family. My nieces have almost every dress I sell and wear them time and time again.
My creative energy and desire is what created The Trendy Bunny, and I want every mom to find their happy place. Remember to take the time for yourself, even if that does mean "work"!
The Trendy Bunny truly is a blessing to my family, my boys love to choose new outfits with me now. They will spend hours helping me search for new products and it makes me proud to see them involved in my businesses. I hope you all love something you found in my boutique, and can see that the pretty packaging ends up in the trash, and the outfit remains in your memories. After all, "Never judge a book by it's cover"...
-Ali, The Trendy Bunny