The Mudpies 'n' Fireflies storefront in Homer. Photo provided.
Today we’re introducing you to Kimbery Keniley-Ashbrook, owner of Mudpies ‘n’ Fireflies children’s consignment boutique located in downtown Homer. Mudpies ‘n’ Fireflies sells gently used, high-quality children’s clothes from newborn to pre-teen — as as well as toys, baby gear, and some maternity wear. The store also carries new boutique items and sells wares made by local moms. We’re excited to have Kimberly — a busy mother of four boys who is also a member of the Heritage School District Board of Education – as a partner with chambanamoms.com. Don’t forget to enter the great Mudpies ‘n’ Fireflies giveaway at the end, a $130 value!
Q: Why did you decide to get into the consignment business?
I loved the store as a shopper- the convenience of having it in Homer, as well as a complete “mall” experience all in one location could not be beat. It was great to go to one place to find cute Gap, Gymboree, and Osh Kosh for the boys, without having to travel all over Central Illinois! I always took advantage of the consignment toys and baby gear (this store was the first place I headed to when I found out I was expecting my fourth child a couple of years ago- because I had just sold off all of my baby gear!) The storefront is also really lovely. I did not want to see the business close, we thought it was important to keep it open in our small town- both for the value of offering consignment to our customers, and also to keep a historic storefront up and running. We also wanted to keep offering glass bottled soda in Homer- our store is the third storefront in this same spot to sell glass bottled soda. It is definitely a niche market, and it is a lot of fun to see customers find a nostalgic soda. A woman in her 90s came in the other day to find a grape soda from her youth. She told me that she could remember the taste, and couldn’t stop thinking about it. We had it in our store. That was priceless.
Q: How have your kids influenced the business?
Ah- well, the hours are influenced by four boys and their many activities! The boys also walked to the store after school last year – and “hung-out” in the store. They will do that again this year (this was one of things that made this business so attractive, in my mind, that my kids can walk to my workplace, and I can pop out of the store for a minute to get one of them from school if need be) I am trying to get my oldest interested in keeping track of our soda inventory- but so far no dice! I definitely keep my own clothing budget for the boys in mind when we are pricing our items. I am trying to figure out our fall hours, balancing our family demands with the store demands. Hopefully our customers will give me honest feedback, while also understanding that I have to put dinner on the table for the boys, while also driving them to music lessons and soccer! They also give me feedback for any of the new gift items and toys we carry and are adding in.
Q: What is your vision for your store?
I would like the store to become a community resource for moms in the area. I have been a stay-at-home mom, a work-from-home mom, and now a store owner, and in all of those roles, the demands of motherhood can sometimes become both overwhelming, and a little isolating. The store is here if you want to hang out for a while, let your kids play (we have a great play area stocked with Melissa & Doug items like a train table and kitchen), touch base with another mom.
– We love the green aspect of the store- recycling your kids clothing and gear- that is a great mission in itself. Our customers have brought in the best clothing, toys, and baby items- so our selection is lovely. We are continuing to pursue how to run a green business.
As part of our mission to shop local- we are focusing on creating a place in the store for local mompreuneurs to display their child=themed products for sale. Currently we have several local moms and grandmothers showcasing their items in the store- and we are always looking for more. We have tutus, bows, doll clothes, crayons, pillow case dresses, and crafts. I would love for the store to become a living, breathing Central Illinois etsy-ish storefront! There are amazingly talented women in Central Illinois, and I want to feature their talent!
We are planning on adding storytime/ craft/ and music hours to the store come this fall. And, if you need a meeting space for a group- we can accommodate that! So, the store as a community meeting place, parent resource, mompreuneur center, early education center, and place to find essentials for your child! That is the vision!
Q: What advice do you have for other women who want to start their own businesses?
1) Find a mentor who has gone before you, and call them! We have been very lucky to have developed a relationship with the family that sold us the store in Homer- and still has a children’s consignment store in Monticello. They have guided us all the way, and have been truly amazing! We knew that this kind of opportunity, to get into business that our family could participate in, so close to our home and the boys’ school in a community that we love and are committed too, with great mentors — was a once-in-a-lifetime chance — and we are so glad that we jumped at it!
2) The Internet is your friend.
3) Network. Which is why Chambanamoms.com is the bomb!
4) Running a business will take over your life- like any profession that you love. Give yourself limits- but know that the work is truly never done. Make peace with this- give yourself a break. I just read a great quote- put your feet where your heart is, and your heart where your feet are. When I first heard that I was like “Bah! I can do it all!” Well, I will be the first to admit, that I can’t or at least when I try- it seems that nothing turns out well. But when I get my lazer like focus on- watch out! It is easy to always feel conflicted, I am not with the kids enough, I am not with the store enough. I love to multi-task, but there are times when enough is enough. I try to make my time with the boys just that- my time with the boys.
Q: I want to visit your store. What else is there to do in the area if we come by with the kids?
Homer Lake is great. You should check it out with your kiddos, it is a great lake, great hiking, and a great Interpretive Center – completely do-able for a family with Littles. They are also building a natural playscape that we are really excited about! The vibe in Homer is very Main St. USA. That is what we love about it. We had a fun Fourth of July parade with fireworks, are always planning our next celebration or festival, we have a great history! I loved taking the boys by the store for a special treat to celebrate the little things in their day- like school registration or report card day. We would get a glass bottled soda, they would play, and I would shop. I hope that other people do this as well! If you wanted to make a day of it you could picnic at Homer Lake, stop by Mudpies ‘n’ Fireflies to cool off, and then stop by the Sidney Dairy Barn on the way home.
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We’re excited that Mudpies ‘N’ Fireflies is offering a $130 prize package to one lucky chambanamoms.com winner. It includes a gorgeous Chocolate New York mommy bag (big enough to schlep your stuff and juniors, but way cuter than your average diaper bag!); a gift certificate to the store, and a bottle of Mary Jane “relaxing” cola.
We’ve made it simple to enter; just leave a comment below. Tell us: if you had a superpower, what would it be?
All entries are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1; one comment per person. Winner must be able to pick up prize locally. Winner will be selected at random by random.org and notified by Tuesday, Aug. 2.
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I would love the Super Power of slowing down time. I recently had my second child and time is flying by faster than it did with my first son. There are so many moments I would like to slow down, like when my three year old makes the baby laugh. I cherish these moments and know they will be great memories but would love to ” live in” them a little longer.
I’d love to fly – save on airfare! lol
Superpower – I would like to be able to clone myself. It’s not easy being in 3 places at once and cloning (minus all the pesky ethical issues) would be incredibly helpful at this stage in my parenting life. On the other hand, I wouldn’t mind having Wonder Woman’s magic lassoo to help me round the kids back up in public places……
Hmm….I’d have a hard time deciding between flying, invisibility, or freezing time. I tend to procrastinate from time to time so being able to freeze time and catch up whenever I want (or just nap!) would be pretty handy! Plus, I’d probably get into to much trouble with flying (poor depth perception) or invisibility.
My superpower i would love to have would be able to organize and get everything packed and in the car in a snap!!!!! getting things ready for your child for a vacation or zoo trip is a trip itself…especially since I’m 4 months pregnant this would really come in handy with 2kids!!!!
Oh yes- teleportation for sure!
You can’t go wrong with mind control!
I would absolutely want telekinesis to be my power. The ability to move and control objects with my mind would be a fantastic way to 1) do more than one thing a time (pack lunches with my mind while getting dressed), 2) catch/grab/nab my two boys before harm befalls them (limit the number of boy injuries in a given day) and 3) cook dinner!
Oh man. I’d totally choose to teleport if I could! I’d zip the kids and I across a few states to have lunch with my mom and sister and be home in time for naps.
Lovely article and looks like a great store – will visit soon!
Well, after reading a few comments I’ve decided that I would like a “wish-granting” ability as my superpower. Then I would be able to wish for many of the superpowers listed above!!
Getting in under the wire here (thank you fb page for reminding me about this). I would love to have the super power of mind control. That way my kids would always be nice to each other and others and my husband would come home every night and give me foot rubs.
I just loved reading about all of your superpowers! Congrats to Diana, she is the winner. We use random.org to pick our winners. Her superpower would be: “the power to make a melt-down end with just a smile and a hug. Or the power to get my little ones to sleep through the night, every night.”