I would like to warmly welcome and introduce my incredible sponsor Suzy! Some of you may already be familiar with seeing Suzy's online shop on the pages of Mothering Magazine. She is a creative mama of two little ones and work at home owner of the online shop Hip Mountain Mama! I am excited for you to learn more about Suzy today and also to host her three-part giveaway!
Gardenmama: "Thank you for sharing a bit more about yourself in this space Suzy I have enjoyed getting to experience your very easy going and efficient work ethics through working with you on this giveaway, interview and through purchasing from your shop! I am also excited to host your generous three-part giveaway!"
Hip Mountain Mama: "Thanks Nicole for conducting this interview as well as hosting the giveaway. It is an honor to be featured on Garden Mama and I am looking forward to this interview!"
.: Suzy, owner of the online store Hip Mountain Mama wearing a shawl hand knit by her own hands! :.
Gardenmama: "Suzy, I would love to know, what inspired you to start your business?"
Hip Mountain Mama: "I was inspired to start Hip Mountain Mama out of a desire to stay home with my babies and also help earn some income for the family while doing something I love. It was my original vision to have a shop that carried eco friendly products for moms and women. It has since evolved into a business that carries a lot of hand made products made by women who work out of their homes."
.: Suzy is happy to be able to stay at home with her girls as well as run her online business :.
Gardenmama: "I appreciate that you are a work at home mama and in turn support work at home mamas through your online shop. Would you share with us the importance of both to you?"
Hip Mountain Mama: "Being a work at home mom is incredibly challenging and at the same time incredibly rewarding. I am thrilled to be in a position where I can help other Mamas to achieve their dreams. Not only do I get to help them grow their businesses, but I also get to carry their unique products in my shop. I appreciate the hard work and love these Mamas put into their products. It doesn’t get any better than being able to support another Mama while acquiring some really great products! There is such a great community of Mamas out there making amazing products and I love being a part of it."
.: Suzy's little one playing with a Waldorf doll at a local fair! :. photo credit: Suzy
Gardenmama: "I have certain guidelines I think about when buying products for my family. Would you share with us the criteria you have for selling a product in your shop?"
Hip Mountain Mama: "I
don’t have a set criteria, but will look into each company on an
individual basis to see if I think it will be a good fit for the store. I consider the materials used, working conditions, and overall values of the company in making my decision. I
strongly believe small businesses are the back bone of the economy and
I strive to support businesses with similar values to my own. In
a world full of big box stores I try to provide a unique shopping
experience by focusing on natural and/or recycled materials, natural
parenting/living, imaginative play, and of course things that I think
are just too cute!"
.: Suzy's Hip Mountain Mama shop carries doll slings and Waldorf inspired dolls, as well as slings for newborn babies! :. Photo Credit: Suzy
Gardenmama: "Have you taken cues from your family and from your own favorite things when choosing what to carry in your shop?"
Hip Mountain Mama: "Absolutely! When I first opened up I was only carrying products that I knew first hand and loved. Sarah’s
Silks, Maggie’s Organics, Ecolution, Under the Nile, Stockmar, and
other’s were among the first products I brought into the shop. Most of the products on the website are products that my kids and I have used and feel comfortable using or wearing. It is also fun for us to learn about and use new products that I in turn get to share with my customers. The shop also definitely carries a sense of my style. It
is hard sometimes to recognize that everyone likes different things and
I try to bring some things that I may not necessarily wear or use, but
others might. But, for the most part the store is a reflection of my own style."
.: Suzy wearing sandals made locally and by hand with environmentally responsible materials! :.
Gardenmama: "Suzy, what inspires you in your everyday life and how do you creatively express this inspiration with your family?"
Hip Mountain Mama: "Nature in my biggest inspiration in life. As a family we believe in honoring and celebrating nature and bringing it into our everyday lives. We enjoy hiking, camping, playing in lakes and rivers, jumping in leaves and playing in the snow. We spend a great deal of our time outdoors and when we are inside we enjoy crafting with natural materials."
.: Suzy with her family on an outdoor adventure! :.
"Another, newer, source of inspiration in my everyday life has been from reading other Mama’s blogs, such as Garden Mama. Having an online community of friends and supporters has been so incredibly inspiring over this past year; it really amazes me when I stop to think about it. Every day for about an hour I check my favorite blogs, discover new blogs, leave comments, and come away more centered and relaxed. I think there has been a lack of community for women for the past several years and we seem to be taking back our need to bond and inspire by connecting virtually. It is really a great movement going on right now!"
Gardenmama: "I would love for you to share what one lucky reader will win today in this three-part giveaway!"
Hip Mountain Mama: "We are really excited about this giveaway! We would love for one lucky winner to be able to treat their child, or any child in their life, with some great Sarah's Silk items valued at over $50."
We are giving away the following!
.:Silk rainbow cape, silk crown in your color choice, silk animal wand also in your color choice! :.
Just leave a comment on this blog post and you will be entered into the drawing! For three additional entries, link to this three-part Giveaway in your next post on your blog! Comments will close on Friday November 6th at 8:30 est the winner will be announced at 9:00 est.
Good luck! We would also love to offer all of you 10% off your entire purchase at www.hipmountainmama.com from now until Friday November 6th. Use the coupon code “garden” at check out to receive 10% off your entire purchase (this is good on all products except for our gift certificates).
