Second Hand Everything!
Hello fellow parents, hope this is a topic appropriate to post about. We have a 4 and 2 year old and with how rapidly they outgrow their shoes, hats, pajamas, books you name it we have been huge supporters of our second hand shops around our area in Uptown.
This is a no brainer right!? The idea that you can make a return on the things you've already used or outgrown and support your children with 'new' good quality items for their next phase, while supporting your local small businesses. We've had a lot of luck thrifting from these consignment boutiques so far and would love to know if there are any more out there that you know about or love!
Our favorites in order:
Little Gems - Evanston - just an amazing mother operated business with a ton of community outreach programming. We were just there today for a 'yoga for tired moms' event. Moms did yoga, kids had planned entertainment during and then they hosted a free ice cream sundae party after for everyone. Like what!? Tons of legit vintage kids wear/toys and consigned items. Mostly clothes, books, toys and art or decor. Parking was easy. Owners are super fun and make you feel at home. Its a must visit every few weeks to see what's out on the shelves.
Second Child - Lincoln Park - they have it all in spades so it's basically a must stop in if you're expecting to get some of those essentials that would cost you 4-5x new. I like their website because it allows you to shop from home. We take the kids when we're down that way and they always get to pick a book or game or something and it's all reasonably priced. The owners are kind, too!
Kangaroo Kids - this place is organized and probably the cheapest of the places we routinely shop. Very easy to shop the size racks and get the essentials you need that you'll run through daily like onesies, pajamas etc. They have some great sales that are color coded and we typically grab a handful of books each time we're in because they could be just a couple bucks each.
Cloud and Bunny - we live the closest to here and they have the best options for buying some small gifts for family or friends for birthdays and such. It's definitely a fun little place to shop. Only reason we rank it #4 in our rotation is that it's PACKED with clothes and we just can't find our way through it to make it an efficient trip. But they sport some local small business stuff and they have a little space in the back for the kids to bop around while the parents shop.
Who am I missing? We're always looking for more. Second hand is the way to go.
Edit: Forgot to list the location for 3 and 4. I believe they're in Ravenswood or Lincoln Square