Member Story: Alex from Oregon

Meet Alex, one of our UpChoose moms from Oregon. She's the mom of three elementary aged kids and a baby named Jonas. She joined UpChoose just after Jonas was born.

What’s your name? Any nickname?

Alex

Live in? Grew up in?

Grew up in Wyoming and now I live in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

You’re the mom of...

Three elementary aged kids and a baby named Jonas.

Jonas was born a month before Christmas. We had a sudden influx of Christmas presents and baby gear when we made the adjustment to being a family of six. I decided that I wanted to buy less and waste less.

We garden and try to live simply. I buy a lot of second hand items and participate in our local Buy Nothing groups. I look for high quality items that will last.

What are some benefits you have seen over time, are there things that worked well for you?

Reducing the amount of items coming into the house reduces my stress and keeps our living areas neater. It also saves us money.
 
 

❝ Thanks for helping me keep my baby in safe, adorable clothing. I love imagining the next family getting their shipment with the items my baby wore.❞

Any tips you'd like to share with other expecting parents who just heard about these issues and trying to figure out their first steps?

Don’t underestimate how much gear you accumulate for one tiny person! I recommend buying as you go. It’s great to get things on your registry, but often the high chair you thought you wanted pre-baby is not the one that will work for your family. Or you end up with a clothes that are out of season because your baby grew faster than average. Gift cards (and upchoose!) help you get the right items when you need them.

Can you tell us a bit about the set(s) you received from UpChoose? What did you pick and how have you used the platform so far? 

We got the pre-loved earth tones set. I love the simple, attractive clothing that doesn’t distract from my baby’s face. I pair the basics with some of the cute clothes we were gifted (booties, jackets, etc). I also like to add a cute bandana-style bib to protect the clothing and dress up the outfits. Jonas grew fast, so we made our first swap early on. I just let up choose know that we were ready for the next set and it came in the mail a week later.

Do you already have a favorite outfit or item from your UpChoose set? 

I LOVE the Colored Organics body suits. The fabric is so soft and the colors are amazing. The feel of The fabric you dress your baby in becomes part of the memory of what it felt like to hold your baby. I hope I remember the feel of snuggling my baby those suits.
 
 

Alex and Jonas :)

What’s most exciting to you about being part of the UpChoose community and what are the most important things we can help you achieve?

Thanks for helping me keep my baby in safe, adorable clothing. I love imagining the next family getting their shipment with the items my baby wore.

If you could have any superpower what would it be?

The ability to pause my family so that I could get an uninterrupted shower and nap.

Favorite activities or games you play with the kid(s)?

We love going for walks and eating together!

Favorite movie?

Little Miss Sunshine.

Favorite song?

I love listening to music, but I don’t have a favorite song. I can’t even narrow it down to a favorite genre!

Dream place for a vacation?

Alaska or Italy.

Favorite dish?

Whatever pasta dish my husband is cooking.