Successfully ushering little ones in the world requires a lot of gear. Narrowing the field to find what products are best for your child can be daunting.
It’s a challenge Milk and Honey Babies owner Ariana Horry knows well. Horry, mother of 8-year-old Maya and 3-year-old Avery, is married to Jersey native Mike Adams, a safety for the Carolina Panthers. College sweethearts who met at the University of Delaware, the pair have lived in four cities throughout his NFL career, their family growing all the while.
“I like to shop for my kids, and in new cities I was always searching for the best stores for eco-friendly, non-toxic products,” says Horry. With the relocations have come mom groups and a sisterhood of NFL moms who were also looking for safe, quality children’s wares.
In 2015, after settling in New Jersey, Horry opened Milk and Honey Babies, stocking it with the high-end, innovative products moms like her are seeking. The 1,100-square-foot store is a hub of activity, committed to customer service. Horry offers a gift registry, space to host baby showers, classes—such as baby massage and mommy-and-me yoga—and a play area for little ones.
A hands-on owner, Horry admits motherhood and business keep her busy. “Every day is an adventure,” she says. Horry regularly travels to trade shows to track down cutting-edge merchandise and personally handles tasks like HTML coding for the shop’s e-commerce site.
Husband Mike, who has several enterprises of his own, contributes business acumen. “He is really good with managing inventory and the numbers part of things,” Horry says.