Free Gear Consults are Why Pram N Proper Exists

Hey! I'm Sara, owner and founder of Pram N Proper. I love puns and alliteration, and I don't feel like enough people in the United States use the word "pram," which is short for "perambulator," which is a really great word that so rarely gets used. And if you couldn't guess, perambulator is another word for stroller, baby buggy, or push chair.

Aaaand, if you couldn't tell by now, I'm a walking book of fun facts. I've always loved learning, and teaching just seems to be part of my being. I taught dance all through college and grad school, and after grad school became a theatre and improv teaching artist while I toured, performed, and worked other retail jobs. When I moved to Chicago from Hawai`i to further pursue my improv training, I got hired at Whole Foods Market (pre-Amazon buyout, when the prepared foods were still bountiful and delicious). This would prove pivotal in how Pram N Proper came to be.

At Whole Foods in the Whole Body Department I have had the titles of Lifestyles Buyer, Supplements Buyer, Department Buyer, and Trainer. After leaving Whole Foods, I became a sales rep in the natural industry, meaning Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Plum Market, etc became my clients and key accounts. To say I know a LOT about the natural and organic industry is an understatement. So when the opportunity came to manage a high-end baby boutique that focused on carrying organic and sustainable goods, I jumped at it. There was a lot of overlap from my Whole Foods days, and I no longer had to take temperature readings of boxed probiotics. 

Having not spent much time in stores geared for babies before, I quickly learned that the front part of the store which displayed all the clothes, toys, and blankets were people's happy place to just come in a leisurely browse. The back of the store, where all the gear was, stressed people out. So many choices! So many pieces! How to choose??? And to be honest, when it came to having my own kids, I would have NO CLUE on where to start the shopping process if I didn't work in the industry. It's just so much. This is where I made it my mission to ease the decision making process and help expecting parents narrow down their choices by asking key questions.

Here are some of the brands I worked with closely through work:

Car Seats	Strollers	Furniture	Carriers	Bouncers/Rockers/ Activity Centers
Clek Nuna	Babyzen Bugaboo Bumbleride Joolz Nuna Stokke UppaBaby	Baby Letto Bloom Baby DucDuc Kalon Studios Newport Cottages Oeuf Oxo Stokke	Ergo Baby Beco Gemini Sakura Solly Baby Stokke	Baby Bjorn Bloom Baby Lovevery Nuna Three Pears

 

Car Seats	Strollers	Furniture	Carriers	Bouncers/Rockers/ Activity Centers
Britax Clek Nuna	Bugaboo Bumbleride Burley Joolz Nuna Thule	Bloom Baby Newport Cottages Oeuf Stokke	Solly Baby Stokke	Bloom Baby Lovevery SkipHop Three Pears

As you can see, the brands I worked with pride themselves on using safe, sustainable materials. No formaldehydes, PFAs, or BPA in the fabrics, hardware, or paints. Wool, bamboo, and OEKO-TEX certified rPETs are the fabrics of choice. Wood furniture is usually made out of birch or maple because these woods do not splinter if baby decides they're a beaver and the crib is their teether of choice. (Beechwood and Koa are other good, non-splintering wood options, just not as commonly used.)

Ok, jump to 2021. We've made it through the pandemic (by the skin of our teeth, for some of us), and in Chicago, Buy Buy Baby has shut their doors. Galt Baby, which is an independent Chicago retailer, closed their Lincoln Park location, and now the owner of the boutique I managed wanted to close as well. This meant that in a very large metropolitan city, people's choices to purchase baby gear were Target, Walmart, or Crate & Kids, where there's no floor models or knowledgeable staff. Or, if you wanted to shop small, your choices were Galt on Michigan Avenue, Twinkle Twinkle Little One in Roscoe Village, or drive out to the suburbs. Our vendors asked if I was going to open my own store, and as much as I wanted to, I was still freshly postpartum and burned out from closing a store. 

Now it's Spring 2023. The SAG/WGA strike has been announced. Oh yeah, I never gave up on performing and writing. I've still been doing that this whole time in my "spare" time. Where 2022 was an amazing bounce back time for actors, everything came to a screeching halt in 2023. And did I tell you my husband is also an actor? Yikes and double yikes. It's a very fun, exciting life, but I do not recommend if you enjoy stability and financial freedom - and don't have a trust fund. If you do, you do you.

We didn't know how long the strike was going to last. It was looking bleak, and I was having trouble finding work. Why is it that companies want you to drop everything and work for them like you don't have a kid, but don't want to pay you enough to cover childcare? Make it make sense. We decided this was the time to finally venture on our own, back into the baby boutique business. I say we, because my husband has played a key role in this endeavor as emotional and mental support, physical manpower, and social media help.

I cannot express to you the humbling joy I felt when I began reaching out to my old vendor contacts, and having them say, "Yes! We are with you!" Holy Lamb Organics was the first vendor I secured; Bumbleride followed soon after, and we've been picking up momentum ever since. Many of you have asked why we don't have a bigger selection of gear to shop from if I love it so much, and the truth is, I am working on it! Currently Pram N Proper is 100% self funded, and most baby gear brands require floor models be on display in a brick and mortar or showroom - something I am also working towards.

So all that to say: please reach out with your gear questions! Easing your shopping stress is why we're here. Also, if you read this entire novella, thank you.