Meet the Dads: Introducing Jordan

Meet Jordan, one of our UpChoose dads from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jordan is a first-time dad of Rae, an adorable little girl. You can follow him on Instagram @jordanheeb.

What’s your name? Any nickname?

Jordan.

Live in? Grew up in?

Live in Philly. Grew up in Denver.

You’re the dad of...

Rae.

What made you want to be more careful about the things you buy for yourself or your family? Was there an “aha” moment or a specific event? Did becoming a father impact how you approach your consumption choices and behaviors? 

The honest answer is that my wife initially drove the prioritization of sustainable living. But over time it has been easy to buy into the change it can have on the world we leave behind for Rae. But even closer to home, you never know how sustainable living may impact your family directly. We learned a few months into her life that Rae has very sensitive skin. She would get bad rashes on her legs from the elastic of normal diapers. We stopped using disposable diapers (we were only using them for sleeping) and put her in the cloth diapers permanently. The rashes healed almost immediately. I am grateful that UpChoose helps us to make a positive impact on the world we leave behind for Rae and helps us provide comfortable and sustainable clothes for our sensitive little girl.

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?

Plan your budget around sustainable living from the get-go. Living sustainably has many benefits but one that most people don’t realize is that it is often a more economically sustainable decision. Instead of buying clothes that you may never use again, UpChoose gives you the power to know the exact cost of clothing for your baby and you won’t have to waste money on new clothes that just get thrown away when you never have that second boy/girl. Most sustainable solutions have higher upfront costs (cloth diapers, reusable shopping bags, etc.) but UpChoose spreads the cost of that initial investment through the community so you don’t have a big upfront cost for clothes!

Jordan and Rae

Can you tell us a bit about the set(s) you received from UpChoose?

We went with the used sets from UpChoose because it made more sense with our budget and it brought a sense of communal sharing to clothing Rae. 

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

We loved this Colored Organics outfit!

Rae in her favorite Colored Organics one-piece from her UpChoose set

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?

The most exciting thing to me is thinking about all the young families out there who can’t afford large closets of nice clothes who will benefit from using Rae’s last set next. It brings a sense of community to be able to share and help others afford clothes for their kids.

If you could have any superpower what would it be?

Teleportation would probably be nice. No more plane or car trips.

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

I play a lot of basketball and in the summer, I try to get out and play Spikeball, Pickleball, and corn hole. But let’s be honest, I don’t have much time for any of that with a baby! My favorite thing to do with Rae is to set her on the bed and crawl around and pop up to scare her from different sides of the bed! She either loves it or she gets really startled.

Favorite movie?

Probably The Departed.

Favorite song?

Bang! by AJR

But if you ask me next week this will be different!

Dream place for a vacation?

I’ve always thought that the Maldives look like a cool place to escape.

Favorite dish?

Honestly, I’m a big pizza guy. I know it sounds like a copout but who doesn’t love bread, cheese, and red sauce?

If you want to learn more about the UpChoose community, our organic baby clothes solution, react to this article or be featured, drop us a note at hello@upchoose.com