Magic Spotlight: Abby Kalter of Prepping for Peanut
Here on the Little Scraps of Magic Blog, I like to spotlight special mamas & thought leaders who will inspire you, motivate you, & help you realize you’re not alone on this motherhood journey.
Meet Abby, the founder of Prepping for Peanut— a personalized baby prep concierge service to make nesting a stress free, clutter free, and confusion free experience! Abby is a baby gear expert, living in NYC with her husband and 22 month old son, Miles.
Abby loves helping expectant families save time and headache by cutting through the marketing clutter to find the baby products that are right for their lifestyle. In her spare time (pre-pandemic), she could be found in Central Park looking at the horses with her son, or out with her husband on the hunt for the best burger and gin martini in Manhattan.
Abby, a baby concierge service— what a brilliant concept! When I was pregnant with Bruce, I was completely overwhelmed when creating my registry and basically had my friend do it for me… your business is so needed! Explain more about your services and how it’s different from having a friend help you create your registry.
I hear that! I was overwhelmed too when going through the entire process. I’ve always considered myself a savvy shopper and felt totally bamboozled by the baby industry. My mother had kids back when strollers seemingly didn’t have brands and the cure for anything was a tablespoon of whiskey (sorry she’s a southerner) so she was no help. Having a friend help you with your registry is great - I recommend any kind of support with this process, because if you aren’t a parent yet, you just don’t know what you don’t know! The small snag in the plan is that the items that come from friends and crowdsourced lists are most likely going to be those that they themselves used and liked. So the pool of products she is pulling from are already narrowed and her recommendations are experience and preference based. Here are the biggest challenges with this approach: 1. ) The market is constantly changing and it would be unrealistic to think she is going to have kept a close eye on every product development. 2.) Every family is different! One mom’s must have is another mom’s must skip! I often see one mom say they LOVED something that another mom says she HATED having. Working 1:1 with a personalized service offers you custom recommendations based on research and data rather than opinion. I spend my days immersed in the baby market and test driving product after product, reading countless reviews, and doing market research with moms across the county, so I keep a firm grasp on what works and what doesn’t for what type of parent. Then I get to know you so I can make the most educated personalized recommendations for your needs. We even talk through the pros and cons of certain products so you feel really good about what you select.
Working 1:1 with a personalized service offers you custom recommendations based on research and data rather than opinion. I spend my days immersed in the baby market and test driving product after product, reading countless reviews, and doing market research with moms across the county, so I keep a firm grasp on what works and what doesn’t for what type of parent.
Prepping for Peanut-- it is the most darling name! Tell me how you came up with it!
I knew I wanted it to be bigger than shopping for baby products, because I believe preparing to become a parent is so much more than that. I wanted the name to be able to extend past the merchandising piece and into resources and tools for moms so that’s why “prepping” because it was able to cross over into other facets. And then, don’t lots of people refer to their little ones as a little peanut? Maybe it’s just me, but it felt cute without being too cute, you know?
What would you say to other moms who may want to start a business or side hustle of their own but are afraid to start?
Having something of your own is incredibly fulfilling so go for it! I spent almost a full year postpartum miserable at work building someone else’s company and stretched to the brink at home. At a certain point, jumping on a business idea/side hustle became self care in a way. We give so much of ourselves to our partner, children, careers. The feeling you get when you do something for yourself is rewarding AF even if it’s hard AF! I’m not hip, did I use “AF” right?
I spent almost a full year postpartum miserable at work building someone else’s company and stretched to the brink at home. At a certain point, jumping on a business idea/side hustle became self care in a way.
What’s the thing about motherhood that has surprised you most?
Learning about baby products, and how to care for an infant is challenging, but it’s not what has the biggest learning curve. Motherhood has put a spotlight on my own insecurities, anxieties, and emotions in a way I never imagined. It has forced me to really look at the person I’ve grown into and how I want to continue to grow for my son and family.
Motherhood has put a spotlight on my own insecurities, anxieties, and emotions in a way I never imagined.
I’m a major bargain hunter and love buying second hand when possible. Any tips for those mamas who maybe can’t afford everything new and are feeling overwhelmed like to purchase their baby products second hand?
Yes - I love this topic! There are tons of sites to use for second hand baby gear and you can even register for things like hand-me-down clothing or cash funds for use on those sites. My only red flag on this is to be mindful of manufacturing year for things like cribs, pack n plays, and strollers. Regulations on these items have changed and will continue to change over the years so be cautious from a safety perspective. The only item I really would never buy second hand is a carseat, but everything else... have at it!
When it comes to splurging versus saving, what are a couple of items and brands you’d suggest forking over the money for and where do you think parents can save and go generic or skip all together?
Anything you will use daily for the entire first year and beyond. Your lifestyle will determine which items are actually daily, but I’d recommend not being shy about strollers, carseat, and furniture, especially those that convert and can take you into toddlerhood and beyond. You can spend $100 on a stroller or $2,000 on a stroller. I’m not saying everyone should go out and buy a $2,000 stroller, but do be mindful that you get what you pay for when it comes to the longevity of these items when used frequently.
You offer a few different services and can provide so much support to new and expecting mamas… of all of your offerings, which would you say is the most valuable and why?
The Registry package is a HUGE timesaver. If you’re busy or simply don’t really have the interest, but also want the best it will save you so much research and decision making. The extended support for after baby arrives is also a really nice option. Once baby arrives, no matter how well you’ve planned, new needs come into focus. I personally would have loved to have someone on speed dial to tell me if I had my son in the stroller right, or to help make a recommendation on yet another swaddle to try when I was totally OVER trying to wrap those damn blankets! In those newborn days, going to the web to do endless research is a nightmare and you ultimately just end up overwhelmed with way too much stuff.