These techno savvy shopper moms invite users to avoid the clutter and “shop with mother”. Their super-focused site narrows down your search to boutique unique, handmade, mom-invented, and pre-owned baby and children’s items. “This service was launched out of necessity,” shares Silviya -- originally from Bulgaria -- who launched the site 1 year ago. “I was pregnant, trying to find what I guess every mom is looking for -- the best and cutest baby items. And I didn’t want to go to one of the big baby stores; I wanted something unique!”
Silviya Schimenti
Silviya spent a great deal of time in front of her computer, so much so that she began to compile a marathon list of of small boutiques and online sites offering handmade items. “But comparing and searching for items across hundreds of websites was tedious. And neither of the existing shopping comparison sites were displaying data from small companies.” Silviya had her “ah ha” moment, and Mom’s Shopping Engine was born.
The beauty of MSE is that it aggregates data found from small online stores … stores, that in most cases are hard to find in a general internet search, and the Engine allows users to easily navigate their way among the information. “Our goal is to be the link between small business owners -- mostly mompreneurs -- and parents looking for boutique and innovative baby and kid products at affordable prices.” The site also features product reviews and a variety of DIY projects parents would enjoy creating with their kids.
Moms love to share. Think about the last time you visited with your mom friends … what did you talk about? The latest and greatest kid product, family resources in your community, who cut your hair, potty training techniques? “We naturally share what we like. So making the transition from sharing with my friends, to sharing resources with the world via MSE is amazing,” shares Kim. “As a librarian, I loved research and writing. Silviya’s technical background in GIS, mapping, and programming rounds out the duo.”
Kim Lomeli
Kim also enlists the help of her expert resident project tester, her 2-year-old daughter Olivia, when preparing her insightful DIY project reviews. “We want our users to know straight from the get-go, what’s practical and what’s not!” Their DIY projects and reviews are super detailed and often include a giveaway. Their current offer is especially for military moms/kids -- it’s a delicious offer of 2 dozen homemade and decorated cookies that coordinate with your child’s birthday party theme.
So, here we have two military spouses/full time moms, joining forces to create a search engine to help connect thousands of women to one-of-a-kind vendors, products and projects and then … it’s time to PCS. Running a company from two different states … a challenge, yes … impossible, no! Silviya, whose husband’s orders to Hawaii sent them off the mainland shares, “Living on opposite coasts, with the time change and varied home routines, it has been tricky. But we also have flexibility in our schedules and supportive families. It also helps that we’re both patient and understanding of each other. We’re very resourceful and super supportive of one another!”
“I love being a Navy wife, and although this lifestyle does bring unique challenges, I always try and look at the positive. Even with all the deployments and moving around, I feel my family can handle anything,” shares Kim, whose family has enjoyed 18 years in the Navy and is now stationed in Washington. Silviya echoes Kim’s sentiment, “My life has changed entirely over the last few years, and I could not ask for more.”
Irons in the fire for Mom’s Shopping Engine? You bet! Product indexing to include more than 5000 items, live-time deal updates and deal information sharing, and donation resource listings for moms who want to donate their used products to local shelters. And for military mompreneurs who create one-of-a-kind boutique baby/kid products, MSE offers a free product review and 3-month data inclusion plan. Learn more at www.momsshoppingengine.com.
