Harajuku Mini for Target

I wasn’t excited when Missioni came to Target.  This was my first exposure to the brand and didn’t find anything I liked, so I let the craze pass me by.  Then I heard that Gwen Stefani was bringing her children’s clothing line to Target and my ears perked up.  That I could get excited about.  I know Gwen Stefani and like her style, also, I have been looking for something different for the kids in the clothing department.

Today I went to check out the collection and I was disappointed.  Mostly, I found t-shirts with little girls with huge heads and other pieces that look like what the “punks” wore in my day.  None of it really what my kids like to wear.  One thing did catch my eye and I am hoping Amber likes it, because I am thinking it will be her Christmas dress.  Sure it is the same old plaid, but I like the details that made it a tad different.

A simple black or red long sleeve shirt and we are good to go.
I am not sure it will be what Amber likes.
Let’s face it she is 9 years old and bouncing on the line of tweenhood, hormones and all.

 

These tuxedo shirts are cute.  Especially paired with this skirt:

Matter of fact this looks like a skirt that I wore when I was in high school.

Some of the things that I wasn’t excited about:

I don’t get the big headed little girls on motorcycles.

Again something that I use to see when I was in high school.
This look can be easily achieved with some leggings and a skirt over it.

I can’t even find the boys selection online.  I saw a few pieces in the store, but nothing that I thought Sam would wear. I think the biggest disappointment was the lack of selection for boys.  If there is one market that needs a boost it is the boys clothing market.  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from this collection, but this wasn’t it. I guess it stays in line with Gwen Stefani’s style, but not really what I was looking at for my kids.

Tutus

It seems tutus are a must have in today’s little girl’s closet.  According to where I have seen tutus, there is an age limit on tutus. Most seem to be limited to the toddler set.  If you are an older girl, as in 5 and up, you need to go to a dance or specialty stores.  Even then it seems they would like you to keep your tutu wearing to dance class and photo shoots.  If you are an adult female, just keep it to the privacy of your own home unless you want weird stares and questions about your mental state.

This is all great news for Evie.  She LOVES tutus.  She wears them almost everyday and on days that she isn’t wearing one she put up a good fight to wear one.  Lucky for me there are more options for tutus beside Chasing Fireflies, dance stores and $80 price tags.  Target, the store that will forever have my undying love, has tutus and at rock bottom prices.  There is a a slight tutu, which is basically just a knit skirt with some tulle over it for $5, then there is a fuller tutu for only $10.  I was shocked when I first stumbled upon them.  I had gotten a nice full tutu at Marshall’s for $10.  After a few wearings, the wire in the tutu started coming out and once that started the tutu was a goner.  Evie’s first tutu came from Gymboree, but I prefer the Target ones.  While the Gymboree has multiple colors it is not holding up well through washings and wearings.   After multiple wearings, the Target tutus are holding up well.  And when I say multiple wearings, I am talking 3/4 times a week.  Evie currently has a black tutu (Halloween, of course), pink (for everyday princess fare) and hot pink (for when she is feeling a sassy, which is often).

Take a look for yourself:

This would be Evie’s Halloween outfit for this season.
Shirt by Gymboree
Tutu by Target
Socks by Target
Babylegs

The socks were the perfect addition to the tutu.
What girl can have a black tutu without some pink skull socks?

First Communion Dresses

Amber is set to make her first Communion this April and along with learning her 10 Commandments, 4 prayers and how to perform her First Reconciliation (confession for the non-Catholic folks) we have to pick out the prettiest white dress and veil for this important occasion.  I don’t know if it is just our town, very Catholic, or everywhere but there are more Communion dresses to pick from than bride dresses, it seems.  The prices for these little girls’ dresses rival a dress that they someday hope to wear to walk down the aisle.  I was happy when the lady in charge of First Communion asked us to please skip the gloves and purses, because they tend to become distractions.  I mean we are dealing with 7 year olds here and most of them can barely make it through Mass.

There is a lovely boutique in the mall we go to often, because of the 2 story Target (yeah, we live it up large down here), so I popped in yesterday after our V-Day lunch to see what they had to offer.  Not much, which was a surprise.  However, I managed to get Amber to try on 3 dresses.  I believe that when choosing Communion dresses or Christening gowns, simpler is better.  We want to focus on the importance of the sacrament not who has the prettiest dress.  I am sure that since we are dealing with little girls, here, that there will be some talk of it and there is always a thrill in dressy up like a princess, or *ahem* bride, but the focus should remain on the religious journey they are on.

Here are the choices we tried on:

This dress fits the bill on simplicity, except for the double dose of flower.
The flower on the bow was detachable, so it had that going for it.
However, there was no ignoring the bow in the back.
It was huge and had to be tied, not one of my better skills.
So we moved on.

SoHubby picked this one out, so even though I wasn’t fond of it I humored him.
It was a little too bridal for my taste, but again it was simple .
Dare I say more simple than the first dress.
The simple beading around the waist was just enough and the rest of the
dress was made by the stitching and pleats.
There was a bow in the back, but not has big as the first dress.
Still not what I was looking for, so we moved on.

This was my favorite and I have to admit it is the skirt.
I didn’t have a the tulle skirt for my wedding, because it didn’t suit me.
And before you say it, I realize that this is Amber’s day so I didn’t push the issue.
Too hard.
I think this was the more extravagant dress of all 3 and the price matched at $100.
It wasn’t the most expensive I have since, but it was the most expensive in the store.
I do have to keep in mind that there are shoes and a veil to buy and a trip to my hair stylist,
so this price point was pushing it a bit.
On the other hand, I could justify it by saving the dress for Evie when it is time for her
First Communion.  However, the $35 Christening gown I got for Amber held up well when
Evie wore it this past year.

Here is where social media comes into the picture.  I mentioned on Twitter that I couldn’t decide between the 3 dresses and asked for votes (didn’t help by the way) and then this link was sent to me, Just Unique Boutique.  That is when it hit me that I could get just as pretty a dress for half the price.  I had already kind of knew this, because I have been scooping out the dresses at JC Penney’s, although I didn’t find one that I truly liked.  Then I posted my question on Babycenter.com, because when in doubt go to the Internet.   There I found another link and think I have discovered the perfect dress for not just one First Communion, but two.  Oh you scoff, but you better bet I will fight tooth and nail to get Evie to wear the same dress, shoes and veil for her First Communion.

I think this dress fulfills all the requirements:
simple, short sleeves (some people have voiced their opinions regarding
sleeveless for Communion and our church said no spaghetti straps.  I think the sleeves
give a more demure appearance.), some detail and fullness in the skirt.
This dress came in at $67.  There was a $5 charge for a size 6 and I believe a $10 charge
for larger sizes.  Still a good price.
I am a bit concerned about purchasing a dress from a website I have never used before, but
I have read their return policy and if there are any problems I can return it within 7 days.

To be frank I wasn’t thrill with many of the veils I saw.
There seemed to be a ton of detail on all of them.
Again, I wanted simple and I didn’t want something
that competed with the dress.
I think this veil will look great with the chosen dress and
Amber loved it when I pointed out that it looks like a crown.

Again, I wanted simple and what is more simple than ballet slippers
I know what you are saying that proper white Easter shoes can be used for more outfits.
The thing is we don’t do a lot of white shoes.  Most of the shoes I was seeing had heels or slippers,
so I went with the slippers.
I am not fond of heels (no matter how small or chunky) on little girls.  And why take the risk of
Amber tripping when she walks up for Communion.  You may think I am silly, but the girl has tripped
in bare feet with nothing around her.

It is easy to get caught up in the hoopla of buying fluffy, beaded out Communion dresses for our girls.  I mean why did we have them, right?  I think to keep it simple and demure pays respect to the importance of what the kids are working toward, a full fledged member of the Catholic church.  It is an important step and not one to be used as a chance to out do each other.  There is time for that when there is a wedding.

Some have asked which dress did Amber want.  That is tricky.  She loved and pranced around in all of them.  As I showed her each one that was the one she had to have, then she ran off to play.  So it was up to me to take into account her style and comfort level and choose the best dress for her.

Just for fun, here is the runner up and one that was way out of our price range:

We found this dress here.
It is simple in the front, but the back is the part I love.
It was a slight v-back with large buttons and a beautiful bow.
In this case, I thought the bow accentuate the dress and didn’t over power it.
Why didn’t I go for this dress?
Because Amber did voice her opinion and the one we chose was the one she wanted
when presented with both of them.
She didn’t care about the v-back, buttons or bow.

This dress was found at Chasing FireFlies.
When we were just starting to think about First Communion I saw this dress.
I thought that our lives wouldn’t be complete until I had it for my little princess.
Then I saw the price, $248.  Way out of our price range, which is no surprise.
If you have looked over my previous wishlist for Amber, you will find that Chasing
Fireflies is the place I would love to spend all my husband’s money for my little darlings.
However, we must buy pesky things like heat, food, shelter and for some reason the males
in the house demand clothes, too.  So dream on I shall.

Now the next great debate do I get this dress for Evie to fulfill the free shipping with a $125 purchase.  Oh Internet shopping you shall send me to an early grave.

Consignment Shopping Gone Bad

I have talked about the benefits of consignment shopping, especially when buying children’s items, but you have to be careful.  Let me be your example for the day.  Today, I was in the mood to do a little shopping for the new baby and what better place to cure that urge of shopping without spending a ton, the consignment store.  Unless, that consignment store is the last of a dying breed in your area and they know it and start hiking up the prices. 

I admit when I go to thrift or consignment stores I search out name brands.  What is the point of paying $2 or $3 for a piece from Walmart or Target.  You can wait until they go on sale at the stores and buy it new.  If I am going to be doing some searching then I want to find diamonds among the coal.  The problem is the consignment stores know this and take advantage.  I just hate when I fall into the trap.

This was today’s recent score from my local consignment store:

Yellow dress is BabyGap, Polka Dot pink dress is Circo (Target brand), flower and blue dress are Gymboree and the shoes are Stride Rite.

Not only did I break a few of my rules for second hand shopping, the biggest was  spending more than is reasonable.  The other rules were never buying second hand shoes and I never buy shoes for infants.  If you are not walking then you don’t need shoes, socks will do you just fine.  However there have been evil thoughts afoot with this new baby, like, not only the cute shoes, but these headbands.  Also, I bought a Target dress for $5 when I am sure I could have found it for way less, but I am loving the polka dots.  *sigh*  I was shocked at the price tag of $71, but when I get my heart set on something I usually can’t walk away.  That means I paid over $10 for each piece.  I know these styles are probably no longer in the stores, but I am sure I could have gotten a lot more for my dollar if I just waited for the next big sale at Gymboree .  Heck, I just spent around $60 for well over $200 worth stuff at Gymboree a few months ago.  And it was all new. 

So yes, consignment shopping can be a good thing, but know your prices and realize when to walk away.

Bras and Mamarazzi

A new maternity store opened up in my area, so, of course, I had to check it out.  I was hoping for nice and slightly different styles at prices that didn’t require I sell my children in order to buy something.  I think Destination Maternity fit the bill.  PLUS they had an area for the kids and the husbands.  My husband wasn’t there to try out their flat screen TV in a comfy leather chair, but  Sam was able to put the kid area to a full test.  Not only did they have some pretty cool toys, but Noggin was playing on another flat screen TV.  Heaven for the hanger ons that must go shopping with mom, who needs all the time she can get to cover her ever growing belly. 

The store was nice and big, which is a plus if you have ever been to the Motherhood Maternity store in the mall.  They carried Pea in the Pod, Motherhood and Mimi.  So I would say that the price range was medium high to reasonable.  And even though I had been in the Motherhood store several times since getting pregnant, Destination Maternity offered more styles than was offered in the cramped mall store. 

My one complaint, which I have with most retail stores that don’t specialize in undergarments, is the bra fitting.  Like most women I have never worn the correct bra size until about a 3 years ago, because no one has ever taught me how to measure myself properly.  And that is because they, themselves, can’t measure you properly. 

First we need to get over the fear of touching or personal space.  Maybe because I am older or have had 3 kids going on number 3, which every mother knows modesty goes out the window during the birth process, or because I am so fed up with being uncomfortable in my bra that I don’t care what you have to do to get me in the right size.  I did get a correct size once I started nursing Sam.  I remember throughout my pregnancy with him being so uncomfortable and increasing my bra band size didn’t help at all.  As a measure of last resort, I went to a medical supply store to look at their nursing bras.  I thought maybe it wouldn’t be pretty, but maybe, just maybe, it would hold the girls up and help with the back pain.  I got a lot more than I bargained for.  I was ushered into a dressing room and told to strip down to my bra.  Shocked, because, HEY, didn’t she miss the part where she was suppose to buy my a dinner or drink, at the very least, first.  And then the saleswoman set to work with her measuring tape.  I was shocked at the outcome, a 34 DDD.  The cup size didn’t shock me as much as the band size.  I had always been told I was a 36/38 and while pregnant I went up to a 40, with no luck.  It never occurred to me that it was strange that I immediately went to the tightest sighting on all new bras I bought.  You should start on the loosest setting and as the bra band stretches move to the tightest setting.  I walked out of there with a new bra, better posture and a back that didn’t make me look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.  

After that day, I stopped buying my bras in retail stores, because they rarely carry a small band size with a large cup.  I did most of my shopping online.  The downside to this revelation was that these bras are usually way more expensive than the “average” bra size.  I guess you can’t have everything. 

Second, the woman that measured me at the maternity store didn’t believe me when I told her what size I worn.  She was shocked as she showed me that her tape measure was barely on 39 inches.  Well, that happens when you have the tape pulled from my chest and a couple of fingers in the way.  I have found that the easiest way to get a pretty good sizing is to measure, at least, down to your bra and right under your breasts.  Then you measure the fullest part of your breasts.  Subtract the 2 numbers and the difference is your cup size (1=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D and so on).  It does get a bit confusing when you get into the double, but I have found that some bra companies just like to use the double letters.  Like if you are a DD, you can, also, be an E.  Just depends on the bra.  And the first number you got was your band size.  The band should be what gives you the majority of the support.  Don’t rely on the shoulder straps, because that will just cause back pain.  I think the one thing every bra in the above E cup size should have are slings.  That’s right, slings for extra support.  Most of my nursing bras, with Sam, had slings and they made a world of difference.  Unfortunately, I haven’t found slings in just regular bras or in a nursing bra that wasn’t sheer.  Maybe someday.

I was hoping to actually get a bra off the rack and figured I could go up a band size and down a cup size, so I humored the saleswoman by trying on a 38 F.  Nope, no luck.  The band was on the tightest setting and I still felt like I was wearing nothing, except for the pinching of the cups.  I don’t know how best to describe this, but it seems that long ago I was cutting my breasts off.  My breasts went back further, I guess to the middle part of my underarm, than I had thought.  After emerging from the dressing room and handing the saleswoman the bras, I triumphly announced that I was right; 34 was my correct size and they had nothing for me.  I don’t really blame the sales people in these stores, because I am sure they get minimal training in this area.  I just wish that they would believe me, you know the one that has lived with my breasts for about half my life, when I tell them my size.  It is really insulting to be told that you can’t possibly be the small size that you claim to be and that you must be a much bigger size.  Beside from that experience everything else was great.  Heck, if you can make me forget I am shopping with my kid, I can overlook one flaw in your system.

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Mamarazzi is a term I learned from this site.  It refers to those moms that always have the camera, and I am not talking phones or just slim cameras, at the ready to capture the most interesting thing their kid is doing at that exact moment.  Since the invention of digital photography, long gone are the days of pulling out the large cameras with the large flash cubes and running to the store to drop off film and then back to pick it up.  Also, long gone are the days where the camera isn’t brought out just on special occasions or just when you were at home.  Kids today are having their pictures taking all the time by moms who know more about photography than the ones who came before them.  And even if you don’t know much about photography, ahem, digital cameras can pretty much do all that technical stuff for you.  It is a win-win situation.  The problem comes in transporting these cameras.

Sure I could have gotten the slim camera, instead of the big hunk of camera that lured me with it’s many dials and special features, and all my problems would have been solved.  There are still some things you can’t get with a slim camera that you can get with a larger one, like zooming abilities.  I am far from being a photographer.  I am so far that I can’t see their flashes, but I do like the pictures and features I get with my Sony DSC-H50 with the 15x optical zoom.  The problem was that it didn’t fit into my diaper bag along with, you know, actual diaper bag items and my personal stuff.  So I would have to resort to using the camera on my phone, which takes okay pictures if your subject is perfectly still and patient which my kids are not, and forgetting it all together when we went somewhere I would actually like great pictures of the kids. like school activities or birthday parties. 

So when my friend sent me the above site, I thought it was perfect.  Also, by buying a couple of extra flaps you can change one bag into several.  I am all for that, since I tend to get bored with my bags after awhile.  Only problem is that I couldn’t really touch the bag, open it up, see the size first hand and determine if it would fit all the stuff I carry on a daily basis.  I hate carrying more than one bag, mainly because it interfers with me corralling my kids and grabbing things from the bag at the same time.  I thought this bag was perfect, but wasn’t quite sure.  My main concern was how it would hang on my shoulder. 

Then I came across this bag (I got the plain black one so it was only $65 at Maternity Destination) and was able to determine that it was the perfect size I had been looking for and it was cheaper.  I don’t need a huge diaper bag, even with a newborn on the way.  I have learned that there are many things I don’t need to bring on an outing.  I have been carrying a downsized Timi and Leslie bag that just fit all my stuff and Sam’s.  After putting all my stuff into the Fleurville there was room left over.  I can fit my camera nicely into one of the vacant stretch pockets inside the bag and, since, I am not a “photographer” I only carry the camera and not extra lenses or other accessories.  If I did I would have gone for the Tracy Joy bags, because I think they fit that bill better.   

I will revisit Tracy Joy for one of the smaller, much better looking than my current camera bag, camera bags or get the larger bag as a laptop bag.  There are so many options for these bags that I can see getting one long after I don’t need a diaper bag, anymore.  Now, how to explain to my husband why I have so many bags.  Men, they  just don’t get it.

On the Hunt

Amber was in desperate need of some tennis shoes.  Like she had grown out of both pairs she owned and will have gym next week desperate.  I have been searching for some time for a decent pair of tennis shoes that didn’t cost a small fortune, but that is hard to do once your child moves into size 12.  Apparently, this is the size that every child in my area is currently in.  I would find a pair that we could both agree on; not Hannah Montana or not blinding colorful .  The price would be right, but no size 12 in sight.  It was a, to say the least, frustrating process.  Finally, I gave up and just got her a pair at Stride Rite.  I can count on Stride Rite to have, at least, one pair that won’t blind me, Amber will agree to wear and in her size.  I am not fond of the price, but when you have run all over town and come up with nothing you take what you can get.  Saucony is quickly becoming a favorite tennis shoe that I like.  Sam got a pair in our earlier quest for new shoes.  I may have to look through their website to see what they offer for myself.  Not right now, I am all shoe shopped out.  I know hard to believe.

We were, also, on the hunt for some dress shoes to go with Amber’s Easter dress, now, dress for the May wedding we will be attending.  She wore a pair of multi-colored sandals that we found at Target for Easter, but I am not sure if I like them for the wedding.  This brought up a debate that I fear we will be having for a long time to come.  My almost 7 year old picked out nothing but heels and not those barely there heels, at least, an inch high heels.  Not to mention that most of the styles looked like they were meant for a night out on the town and not for little girls to wear with their little girl dresses.  I envisioned many trips and falls in Amber’s future if I were to allow her to wear heels, especially for an outside wedding.  So I have decided to put that little crisis on the back burner until I have recovered from the tennis shoe hunt.  It seems Amber is pushing her way to big girldom and I am pulling her back to little girldom.  One of us is going to lose and I think it will be me. 

On to some good news.  Remember when I said that you can still dress your children in style while on a budgetand the best place to do that was at the consignment shop?  Well, it is not the only place.  I did mention that if you keep an eye out you can get brand name new clothes at cosignment shop prices.  That was proven today at Gymboree.  It is the first day to redeem Gymbucks and they are having a 60% sale on spring clothes, as well.  I didn’t find much for my older kids, but I found tons for the new baby.  Thank God, for ultrasounds and discovering the sex before baby is here.  Although, if the doctor was wrong she is going to have one angry mamma on her hands and a bunch of pink clothes thrown in her face.  

I got $209.50 worth of clothes (one polo shirt, not shown, for Sam) for $60 including tax:

That box in the back is a gift box of 7 long sleeve bodysuits.  It was priced at
$49.50, marked down to $16.99, but rang up at $13.49.  That is about $2 a bodysuit.
And as you know newborns live in these things for the first year of their life.
The rest was priced anywhere from $4.99 to $11.99 plus my Gymbuck.
Not bad for a 30 minute rummage through the sale rounders and a couple of whiny kids.

 

Million dollar Looks at $6 Prices

 

I know the Stork doesn’t bring babies, but do you think he will bring me one of these?

A new maternity store sprung up, in my area, a couple or years ago.  Since I wasn’t pregnant, and didn’t think I would ever become pregnant again, I figured I would never have a chance to scope it out.  Since I have become pregnant again and was in need of new capris and shorts, I decided it was a good a time as any to check out the store.  The size of the store fooled me into thinking that it wasn’t a boutique (meaning not a lot of merchandise with huge prices).  I looked around a bit and when I saw the first price tag of $104 for a pair of capris that I would, hopefully, wear for only 4 months, I knew this store wasn’t for me.  I don’t mind spending on quality, but I am not a fool.  I looked around a bit more and just as I was walking out the door I fell in love.  With a diaper bag.

The store didn’t have many styles available in this designer bag, but I knew that was going to be my new diaper bag.  I knew that I could find them online and I did.  Storksak has a ton of styles and the best part they don’t look like diaper bags and, judging from the one in the store, they have tons of room and pockets.  Even insulated side pockets for bottles and sippy cups.  To me it looks as if the bag can hold a lot but won’t get in my way.  It should be easy to get to while holding a baby in your arms and trying to keep another one from wandering into the street. 

I am torn as to which bag to get, the first one that seduced me or the backpack that can be changed to a shoulder bag.  I wish I could see the backpack in person to better judge it’s size.  If it could fit a newborn and 3 yr old’s stuff I am all over it.  If not then I will wait until I need to downsize and got tired of the larger bag.  In any case, I want this bag.  I haven’t seen many storks in my area, so that means I need to work on the husband.  It is not like I am asking for jewelry, just one helluva bag.

It is Easter, ALREADY!

I usually don’t have a problem with getting these types of outfits for the kids.  I mean it is nice to go looking for pretty pastel dresses and airy shorts with matching shirts, instead of heavy sweaters and dark colors.  However, this time I saw Easter sneaking up on me and didn’t know what I was going to do.  The kids needed new shoes, which was a tortuous event and not at all due to the kids.  Since we were at the mall, why not look for some Easter outfits so the kids could get pictures with the Easter bunny and I don’t have to scramble at the last minute for appropriate clothing for Easter festivities.  I looked and looked and found nothing. 

There were a few problems with picking out Easter clothing: 1. I would like to use the outfits for an upcoming wedding 2. Everything was either too dressy or too casual.  Nothing in between.  and 3. I didn’t want to spend a small fortune.  This cut out all the little boutiques that I would go to as a last resort.

We don’t do much for Easter, just church and searching for Easter eggs, but it is tradition to get a set of Easter clothes and look fresh and new to welcome Spring.  So we don’t need either dressy, but maybe special.  But since I wanted to use the clothes for a wedding I needed them to lean more toward the dressy side.  As usual there was tons of stuff for Amber.  (I got her this one.)  The problem there was I didn’t want her to be mistaken for part of the wedding party, but I didn’t want her to look as if she just stepped off the beach.  And that seemed to be what I was finding.  JCPenney’s had tons of beautiful dresses that I would have normally snapped up in a minute, but they all seem a bit too much and I wanted to make sure I had something for Sam first.  I am not into matching the kids, but I didn’t want him to look like the poor little matchboy next to his big sister.  The other side of the coin was worst.  Sam’s choices were either shorts with polos and sweater vests or to look like a mini AIG executive running for his life.  There was no middle ground.  And trust me I went to all my normal stomping grounds and they all seemed to disappoint.

After much deliberation and teeth gnashing, I sat down this morning and looked online.  Back in the early days of Internet shopping, I swore up and down that I would never shop like that.  I needed to feel, look and try on anything before I bought.  Now, it seems feudal to even go to the mall, because I can look at any store’s entire selection with one scroll, compare with other stores within seconds and best of all find things that I would never have found if I was hopping from one store, or mall, to another.  I still have a problem shopping for shoes online, because those really need to be tried on.  Other than that I think I am liking this whole sitting on my sofa, watching a little TV and maybe munching a bon bon or two while getting all my shopping done within minutes instead of hours.  The lure of the mall is still there it is just getting weaker with time.

When it came to Sam’s outfit, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I would know it when I saw it.  I thought I didn’t want a sweater vest and I definitely knew that I didn’t want a mini suit, so I looked at every option offered in the boy section.  I found what I was looking for at OldNavy.com.  I am really loving the new look of the Old Navy, GAP, Banana Republic and Piper Lime website.  You can shop all 4 stores and pay one shipping fee.  Love that, because it means that I am more willing to shop on that site than others, because of the choices and convenience. 

Simple, yet classic.
I know I said I didn’t want a sweater vest, but I like the slight color contrast
at the neck and bottom and the lion.
If this was just for Easter, I would have went with shorts, but since I want to use this
for the wedding I thought pants would be better.
Found at OldNavy.com
If you are interested these are the sandals  that Sam found on his own at Stride Rite.

I think we are set and it was all done within about 20 minutes.  It would have been less if I didn’t order the same dress twice for Amber, but a quick call to customer service and all was taken care of.  Now, let’s hope I get all the pieces before the Easter bunny hops off into the sunset. 

Sidenote:  The wedding will be held at a vineyard, which I am assuming will be an outside ceremony, so I don’t think it will be that dressy.  Now, all I have to do is find a nice maternity dress that doesn’t make me look like an Easter float that got away. 

Finding Space and Gems among the Chaos

I will be the first one to admit that my daughter has way more clothes than my son.  I have said it over and over, again, it is more fun shopping for girls than boys.  Mainly, because of the variety that girls have.  However, there is a problem in having so many options, they tend to get lost in the chaos.  I don’t know what happened this pass season, but there seems to have been tons of sales and I seem to have visited all of them.  Amber had drawers overflowing with cute long sleeve tops, jeans hanging by the mile and skirts by the ton.  What is the problem with all of this?  Well, it seems she might have been slightly overwhelmed and tended to wear the same few outfits over and over again. 

This pass Saturday, I had decided, even though I am only in my 20th week, to organize Amber’s clothes and switch around the seasons.  This is easy enough to do, especially with our weather that changes with the wind, because Amber has a fairly large closet that is divided into 2 areas.  We have a low rod, which is great for small kids to have a choice over their clothes and a much higher rod for long dresses, costumes, and storage, but readily available out of season clothes.   In my organizing mission I was determined to make room in Amber’s dresser.  Since she was the only one occupying the room for 7 years, it was easy to spread out a bit, but the upcoming birth of another daughter some rearranging was in order.  I had decided to hang all of Amber’s shirts.  And she had many of them.  Then I realized that she rarely wore what was in the dresser.  Sure she had a few items that she always went to, but she rarely wanted to sort through the stacks of folded shirts to find something to wear.  It appeared to be easier to just look in the closet and pick something from there.  After hanging all of her clothes, I was shocked at how much room was left in the dresser.  Although, now her closet is packed and I am wondering how to fit another girl’s worth of cute dresses in there.  I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it. 

I, also, came to realize that my daughter may have more clothes than me.  Like I said it is easy to buy girls’ clothes, because of the variety.  I mean how many navy shorts can one boy have?  I will soon found out, because while organizing and packing away out grown clothes in Sam’s room, I discovered the poor boy doesn’t have much for this upcoming summer.  So, I have decided that there will be a halt to purchasing anymore clothes for Amber at the moment, saved for a few special occasion dresses, like Easter and for a wedding we will be attending in a couple of months.  Besides the girl simply does not need anymore clothes.  There is another little girl that needs to be outfitted, but hopefully not to the extent of her sister.

That brings us to another dillemma.  Thinking that after my son was born we were  done having children, I did something very stupid, I gave away some of Amber’s clothes.  Stupid, because my gut told me not to and I really loved those clothes.  I don’t save many things, but I do like saving special items of the kids’ clothes for my walks down memory lane.  I don’t know if that is weird, but I do feel I put a lot of care into finding clothes for my kids that I would like to keep them.  Anyway, I have seem to have given away the first year of Amber’s clothes and it hurts.  Not just because I don’t have those memories, I mean I do have pictures, but it would have been nice to have our second daughter  wear the same adorable clothes as her big sister.  All this means, is there will be more shopping to be done and new clothes to search out.  I already have one consignment appointment marked on my calendar.  Since finding out the sex of our third and, definitely, final child I have begun saving Amber’s clothes, again.  It was getting to the point that our attic would be converted to some kind of huge memorial closet.  Not everything gets saved, but the especially cute and non-stained go right into an x-large Ziploc bag that sits at the bottom of the closet.  I am still saving Sam’s clothes, because it seems I just can’t part with them, but there will have to be a stopping point. 

The lesson in all of this is that yes, you can have too many options, especially a young child and yes, you can go too far.  The first step is admitting you have a problem…Okay, I don’t think it is that bad, but seriously I think Amber has close to 20 long sleeve shirts and we live in an area that is cold maybe 2 months out of the year.  On the bright spot we have a bunch of empty dresser drawers that are just screaming, “Fill me!”  Okay, maybe I do need some help.