Hello and Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Behind-the-Scenes with Naked Baby, the Naked Baby Eco Boutique Blog. While the Naked Baby website had a blog under a previous owner, this is my first foray into the world of blogging.

So, who am I?!  My name is Ashley Stewart and I am the Managing Director of Naked Baby Eco Boutique. My partner and I bought the business in July 2014 and it has been a labour of love ever since. In addition to my love for children, sustainability and Naked Baby Eco Boutique, I am a bit of a geek, dancer, singer, foodie, wino, traveller, pop culturalist and music junkie. In general, I have a fervency for life, love and happiness.

I wasn't sure whether or not to start blogging in addition to the storefront; however, with recent changes in our lives, I felt that this could be a good medium to share some of my thoughts and experiences as well as connect with the broader community.

In the last 2.5 years I have moved across the world (from Canada to New Zealand), put the finishing touches on an MBA, bought a business and, most recently, had a baby (to name a few milestones!). This newest adventure further marries my passions for business, children, education and learning, while wanting to raise my family with the purest, safest and healthiest products I can find.

So, as you can see, there's been a bit going on and it's all been a huge learning curve. But, more on some of this another time.  :)

While the focus of the Naked Baby Eco Boutique is on bringing mums and babes unique, stylish, quality, organic, eco-friendly and handmade goods (the "Naked" in Naked Baby), I believe the concept goes much deeper. For the purposes of this blog, I also look at the "naked" as being raw and stripped down. So, while the blog will have some focus on Naked Baby products and related content, I will also be sharing my honest experiences and thoughts as I try to navigate my way through life and motherhood.

My hope is to not only connect with our customers and potential customers, but with the broader parenting community at large. As a work-from-home mom, I know what it is like to sometimes feel isolated, scrambling to get things done and wondering if you are on the right track. As a first-time-mom, I know what it is like to have those "WTF?" or "is this normal?!" moments (as well as those pull-your-hair out moments and feeling like you must be doing everything wrong!). It certainly isn't easy - and no amount of reading or research can adequately prepare you for the roller coaster!

Please know that I am very much about choices for you and your family and that is one of the goals of the Naked Baby Eco Boutique. Want to use cloth nappies? Awesome! Want to make a more environmentally-friendly choice but cloth doesn't fit into your lifestyle? Great! Breastfeeding? Good for you! Formula feeding? Great! You see - it is not up to me (or anyone else for that matter) to judge you on your parenting style or choices. I am here to provide you with options so that you can make the choice that works best for you, your family and your wee one. We are all unique and we all have our own story. No mummy-shaming here (and it won't be tolerated either)!

I am very excited to meet you and for you to become a part of our growing Naked Baby community and family. The relationships that I develop are most important to me, and I pride myself on offering excellent customer service and going above and beyond to make your family feel welcome and part of our community.

If you get the chance to check out our little boutique, we hope you love it as much as we do and that your experience shopping with us provides you with joy, a chance to relax, peace-of-mind and, overall, a simpler, more eco-conscious way of life.

In the meantime, keep up the great work all you mamas and papas! You're doing a fab job and we are all in this together!!  :) 

Ashley XOX

PS - I would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment and tell me a bit about yourself and your interests.