On December 16th we celebrated our 13th anniversary!
Check out this old photo of the “Little Goose” in 2003.
How can it be? Mama Goose is a TEENAGER! While your kids have been busily growing, so has Mama Goose – and just as you’ve been loving the job of parenting, we have been loving the job of nurturing our little store! We thought we would take the occasion of our thirteen-year milestone to re-post our story. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to read the history of Mama Goose, here it is …
Shortly after she moved to Ithaca in December 2002, Kelly Moreland met fellow mama Michelle Stuhr at the preschool that both their young children attended. Within minutes of meeting each other, the two women found themselves talking about their respective dreams to open a children’s resale store. They both felt there was a niche to be filled, and had been dreaming about the kind of store where they would like to shop for their kids.
Kelly was passively working on a five year plan, but was inspired by Michelle’s energy and can-do attitude. They started meeting and envisioning, and decided to join forces and take the leap. Neither women had owned or managed a store, but soon adopted the motto, “Build it while you fly it”. Within a few months, Mama Goose opened its doors in a very charming, tiny (850 sq. ft) store at the corner of Seneca and Plain Streets in December of 2003. Thanks to Ithaca-area parents’ passion for reuse and their support of local business, Mama Goose took flight and grew quickly. In 2006, after the arrival of Michelle’s third child, Kelly purchased the business, becoming the sole owner. In 2008, Kelly moved the business one block west to its “forever home” at the corner of State and Corn Streets in Ithaca’s lively West End. Mama Goose is now more than four times its original size with plenty of room for your goslings to enjoy themselves and for you to shop with ease.
Mama Goose owner Kelly running the register, back in the day!
We love sharing the memory of this store with so many of you who still come in today! Do you remember shopping at the Little Goose? We remember you!
THANK YOU, Ithaca families for your love of sustainability, local shopping and lil’ goslings. We look forward to serving you for another 13!
