I LOVE my country! This isn’t a new revelation for me and no one who has followed me for any amount of time is shocked by this statement. Last year confirmed my thankfulness for what we have here in America despite current affairs, it’s a great place to be. Being a small business owner myself, nothing is harder than down cycles. Watching business after business shut down was painful to watch. Made in USA took on a whole new meaning for me!
Last Year
To experience last year was seemingly geographic. Each region experienced something a little different. I lived in PA for part of the shut down and CA for the remainder. Our family felt the brunt of it for sure! It was overwhelming for lack of a better word to describe it. You can add your own adjectives I’m sure.
If you’re like me, you watched the world transform before your eyes and wondered, what can I possibly do to make a difference?
Starting small and simple sometimes feels like doing nothing. It’s almost as if we’re avoiding the elephant in the room. It feels like the grand gestures are praised, and the simple is lost amongst the noise of negativity. Surely there must be bigger Goliath’s worth my time. However, time gives you space. Space lets you think and all that thinking led me to this blog. I’ve come up with a few ideas of how to pivot in this world we are currently wandering in and I’m going to focus on one of my favorites…
Buy American made!
Hi, I’m Rebekah, and I am a recovering Amazon addict. I REALLY REALLY love having items delivered to my door in 1-2 days. But, in the past few months I started the hard work of backing away from click to door purchases that were ‘easy.’ It made me think twice before making a purchase. Do I really need this? It also made me plan ahead for the things I really do need.
Now, I’m sure there are great vendors and businesses worldwide. I have no agenda or political pandering in saying this. Our family has decided to be conscious about buying American from now on. As much as possible, this will be my aim. I have decided I love my fellow Americans and their small businesses more than convenience. Intentionally seeking out the Made in USA label when I am in the market for particular items is now my default.
It requires research and time. It required some acceptance that not everything is $2.99 free shipping. I say this will full acknowledgment and humility that we lives in times where many have been out of work and low on funds, so I’m not here to sell you an idea or tell you to blow your budgets. We’ve all had enough of that from all corners of the earth in the last year.
I’m going to save you some work though and share my favorite finds. If this resonates with you, your style, then great! If not, then I encourage you to go on a treasure hunt to find these little businesses that are Made in USA. The link will take you to the breakdown of what Made in USA actually means for consumers and manufacturers.
Goodbye StitchFix, Hello __________!
Let’s talk about clothing. Over the years, I have grown to love Stitch Fix. I’ve posted about it often and being someone who doesn’t love shopping for clothes a lot, who wouldn’t love someone to style them and send a box of surprises every few weeks? It’s fun and a great concept, but unfortunately not much is made in America. So, I went hunting for the same clothing solution, just with a different geography base.
Let’s start with a search I know other moms who have daughters do. Matching Outfits! My most recent search for clothes revolved around wanting matching outfits for me and my 5 year old daughter. I found a couple of options on ETSY (which is a great place for Made in USA business’) but hit the jackpot with Pineapple Clothing.
Pineapple Clothing has thousands of clothing options all made in the USA…Miami, FL to be exact. How can they have so many options? They make your clothes to order! Sweet huh? It’s not going to arrive in 2 days, but oh is it worth the wait!
They specialize in mom/daughter matching outfits, but you can order individually as well if the matchy-matchy thing isn’t your gig. They have so many cute dress options and many of the fabric designs are created in house. I know a lot of you who follow me are wondering.
What about workout clothes? This is one of the #1 most purchased (and non-American made types of clothing). And yes! Pineapple Clothing has really cute active wear as well with designs and fabric that you won’t find anywhere else. You are going to be amazed at the number of design options they have.
Customer Service at Pineapple Clothing
Let’s discuss customer service. I feel like this is such a crucial piece to deciding where I’m going to spend my hard earned money. On my second order, I purchased a few dresses. I wasn’t sure how the sizing went and assumed the size I ordered would be sufficient. The Maxi dress ended up too large and too long. When I emailed support she asked a few questions and agreed that it would be best to send back my original order for a refund. I was encouraged to make a note in my next order with length preference for my maxi dress. I did just that and they were happy to customize the dress for me at no additional charge. Customization for free?! AMAZING! I’m 5’3 so this is going to come in handy more than once I am sure!
Obviously I’m in love and could go on and on. I’d love to leave this little list of PROS here as well as 20% off your next order!
Make sure to remember to use Code: REbBai
There’s no commitment. No bells and whistles. Just a mom sharing some fun finds in the good ol’ US of A!
- Made in USA
- Custom made
- Phenomenal customer service
- Thousands of options
- Mommy/daughter matching
- Reasonable price
- Quality fabric
- And you save 20% and get free shipping just for being my friend (Code: REbBai)
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