Beyond the Bunnies

 You may recall, that a few weeks back, we took a little trip to Greenville, South Carolina. To say that we enjoyed our brief (read: way too short) stay is an understatement, but we plan to get back and explore more, when the weather warms up.

And while we enjoyed exploring the city, the real reason behind our visit, was to get to know the lovely ladies of Peekawhoo. If the name Peekawhoo doesn’t ring a bell, allow us to refresh your memory right here. Yep, these are the ladies who reached out to us a little over a year ago and made us fall in love with their monogrammed bunnies. Remember:

A photo posted by Angie Keiser (@2sisters_angie) on Mar 10, 2015 at 5:38am PDT

But we didn’t just fall for the bunnies either, we fell for them. Working with Heather and Kelley (the owners of Peekawhoo) was so much fun, and I loved the fact that they were small businesswomen, who were obviously incredibly smart and super creative. So earlier this year, I asked if we could pay a visit to Peekawhoo HQ. Why? Because as much as we LOVE what they “make”, we love getting to know the people behind the products even more. And this year, we’re making a concentrated effort to expose Mayhem to “hands on” experiences with as many different careers as possible. I mean, Mayhem has been the recipient of a few of those perfectly cuddlable (<—just made that up) bunnies, but did she know the real people who sent them? Or how those bunnies were made? … Nope.

So we planned a “field trip” to Greenville (#yeahTHATGreenville), and packed our bags. And bunnies. And Moxie 🙂

Now, if you’re anything like me, you LOOOVE hearing people’s stories. Which is why it was fascinating to sit down with Heather and Kelley and hear Heather’s story about moving to Greenville and how, she simply starting monogramming a few things at home. Which turned into having friends ask her to monogram things for them. Which turned into a small business that she could run from home and still care for her two kids. Which grew. And grew. And then one day Kelley reached out and offered to help Heather. And then one day they decided to go into business together. But not before Heather’s husband (with a background in finance), sat them down and made them answer all the hard questions and build out a solid business plan.

And now, together, they’ve built a wildly successful business that is (believe it or not) SO much more than bunnies! Seriously, how cute is this monogrammed apron and hat set?!?!

On the day before we were meeting at Peekawhoo HQ, we met up with Heather and her daughter at a local park, where Mayhem was more than ecstatic to have the chance to hang out with a new friend. After we’d been there for a while, Kelley and her husband came strolling over with their four boys in tow. Right then and there, I knew why I had such a connection with these ladies. It was completely obvious to me that both Heather and Kelley are “family first” businesswomen.

And the next day, we got to watch the bunny magic happen before our very eyes:

I have to tell you that one of my favorite parts of this visit was that Heather and Kelley suggested that Mayhem choose a few bunnies for friends. They were well aware that they’d already sent Mayhem a few bunnies over the past year, and rather than focusing on more bunnies for Mayhem, their “mom instincts” went right to the idea of allowing Mayhem to have the opportunity to create something for someone else.

 Watching Mayhem carefully choose just the right bunny colors, and then just the right colored thread, and of course … just the right font, was heart warming. She thought about each friend that she was selecting for, and what they’re favorite colors are. Heather and Kelley then walked her through, step by step, showing her the care they put into each and every bunny.

Having spent the day at Peekawhoo HQ, I can honestly say that I think Heather and Kelley are the perfect example of a successful mom-preneur business. They customize products designed to bring smiles and create memories, they’ve created jobs for other women, they’ve successfully maintained their strong friendship throughout their business ventures, AND … they’ve done it all while keeping their families their first priority.

 I felt good about recommending Peekawhoo bunnies last year for Easter (and for every other occasion!!), but this year, I can tell you with absolute certainty, that a bunny order with Peekawhoo this Easter season is a show of support for all the moms who are creating amazing businesses while maintaining family first priorities. If you’re so inclined, (and you should be because these bunnies are the softest, fluffiest, most perfect bunnies anywhere!) hop on over to Peekawhoo and create a a special bunny for your somebunny special (<— see what I did there). And be sure to use code: MAYHEM10 to take 10% off your order. But hop to it! Deadline for ordering to guarantee delivery before Easter is March 11!

This post is brought to you as part of our partnership with Peekawhoo, but all thoughts, opinions and LOVE for the bunnies and the ladies behind them is completely our own. PS: stay tuned to the Peekawhoo Instagram account in the coming weeks for a fun little surprise that Mayhem whipped up!