Meet the Moms: Introducing Jenna

Meet Jenna, one of our upchoose moms from California. Jenna is a self-taught artist and entrepreneur who has spent the last few years building her creative business and teaching others how to find their inner creative voice. You can follow her on Instagram @jennarainey.

What’s your name? Any nickname?

Jenna Rainey. The only nickname I go by now is "Mommy!" 

Live in? Grew up in?

Right now I live in Santa Ana, CA, but I grew up in San Clemente, CA.

You’re the mom of...

Myles James Rainey, currently 7 months.

Meet Myles and his now-legendary smile!

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?

I have auto-immune disease Hashimotos and have been dealing with that since junior high, so I have to be careful with the things I put on my body and what I eat. After doing research on the sensitivity of baby skin and how easy it is to develop auto-immune diseases, it made me really think through the things that I purchase. I want to purchase the best things to protect Myles and keep him as healthy as possible.

How did you get started? What were the first few changes you made?

The first few changes were foods that I eat, making sure to buy organic, and watching for reactions in my own body. From there, doing research on food, I stumbled on different blogs and videos that cause me to be more conscientious in general with how I consume products -- the amount of plastic used for packaging, food, shopping, etc... 

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

I've seen less irritation on my skin and I feel less guilty about the way I consume products and the way it impacts the world.

 ❝ After doing research on the sensitivity of baby skin and how easy it is to develop auto-immune diseases, it made me really think through the things that I purchase. I want to purchase the best things to protect Myles and keep him as healthy as possible.❞

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?

Step number one: you don't need that much stuff for a baby. Try to limit the spending sprees on brand new clothes. UpChoose is an amazing substitute for the number of clothes you'd end up using up very quickly. The baby grows so fast, the clothes get small quickly!! Try to look for hand-me-downs as much as possible, again for saving space and for getting just the right amount of clothes you need. UpChoose has been a game-changer for us. And it's all 100% organic for a happy baby. 

You have been using UpChoose for a couple of cycles, what can you tell us about your experience so far?

UpChoose is hands down run by the kindest humans. Not only that, I’m pretty picky when it comes to the style of clothes, but I knew I didn’t want to compromise on finding an option that left a smaller footprint on the earth. Thankfully UpChoose sets are cute, safe for my babe, they look brand new AND they get to go to another loving family afterward! No waste, hooray!

What made you pick a Preloved set?

Just knowing that it's a perfectly good product that would be reused for my baby helps me feel better about the way I'm buying products since the turnover rate is so quick. 

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

I honestly love all of them, they're all so soft, but the zipper-footie combo onesies are definitely a favorite! We love not having a million buttons to snap when the baby is fussy! 

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?

I feel like I'm leaving a smaller carbon footprint on the earth, especially now having a child it is something I want to be more conscious of and how I impact the future of this world for him... 

If you could have any superpower what would it be?

Mind reading.

Favorite movie?

Big Lebowski.

Favorite song?

Currently: Somethingfartoogoodtofeel by Japanese House.

Dream place for a vacation?

I would love to visit Japan and Morocco, those have been on my radar for a little while now.

Favorite dish?

I love any and all kinds of Mexican food. And sushi.

What Jenna picked for Myles

0-3m: UpChoose Clothes-Only Set, Classic, Preloved

3-6m: UpChoose Full Set, Classic, Preloved

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!