Trendy Tot: Halloween Style

I have a confession. I'm obsessed with holiday clothes for Jaqs. I mean, really, how can anyone NOT love this stuff, right?! ;) It's so darn cute. I try to buy ahead, so I bought these two adorable outfits on clearance at Dillard's last year. They seemed SO BIG back then when my little lady was not even 7 months old, but here we are. Can't believe how much she's grown!

Of course, Grammie can never resist them either, so she got Jaqs a couple of play shirts for Halloween, too! I just love them and only wish it were appropriate for me to wear all the cuteness, too ;)

I hate to pack these sweet little outfits away, but I'm equally excited to break out the Thanksgiving and Christmas wear! Crazy that we're already entering the holiday season!

I'm linking up with Megan, Kelly & Lindsay for Trendy Tot Tuesday!

La Mia Bella Boutique: A Review & GIVEAWAY!

Just like most mamas, I loove shopping for my little lady; I would much rather buy something cute for her than for myself these days! I don't know what it is about "styling" a mini that is so darn fun, but it JUST IS....everything about it!

So, when Courtney, owner and operator of La Mia Bella Boutique, contacted me about doing a little review for her on the ol' blog in exchange for some darling baby girl clothes and accessories, I jumped ALL over that! I've never had the opportunity to do this before, so I was very excited about it.

We received quite the loot from Courtney! Here it is in all its glory:

peasant style dress w/ coordinating bow
chevron top with minky pants set
baby legs + clippies & pins

 Of course, she was even thoughtful enough to include some Wildcat swag!

wildcat boutique style bow

As most of you know, I've just gotten Jaqs wearing bows within the last few months, so she is basically NEVER without one now! I still can't get her to keep a headband in, though.

Anyway, this "wildcat" bow is ADORABLE. The quality is great and quite sturdy. It is affixed on on a lined alligator clip, so it stays in place in her hair. Courtney has a wide variety of bows in her shop and is all about customizing to YOUR needs/desires, so be sure to visit with her if you're needing specific colors or styles!

 You cannot go wrong with leg warmers on little girls of ANY age! Jaqs wore them a lot as a newbie, and I still love to put them on her now. These blue & red ruffled chevron ones are so precious and the perfect colors to support our Cats! Again, there is no slipping or sliding with these, and she'll be able to wear them even as she grows below the knee! LOVE THESE!

 This little paisley printed peasant style dress is stinkin' adorable, y'all. Seriously. I absolutely love all the colors in the fabric, and even more importantly, it is cut to a super cute fit. These dresses are meant to have a little "room," but it certainly doesn't look like she's wearing a tent with the way Courtney has sized it.

 The gathering on the neck is very sweet, and the flower applique just sets it off. Also important to mention is that the fabric is really great quality, so this dress should be able to live up to a rough & tumble little girl juuuust fine! :)

 Tell me this is not one of the sweetest little outfits?? Love!

You can find similar styles available in her shop, and again, Courtney is all about customizing, so see if the two of you can't dream up a little something together!

Pink and orange are two of my favorite colors, so of course I adore this little pant set! The top is cotton and the pants are minky, so although it's really cute, it's also really comfy! That's a biggie for me just because I hate to have to change Jaqs into something different to wear for naps during the day. I love the fact that this outfit is special enough to wear to a party or small event while still being comfortable. 

Courtney included some bonus clippies & embellished bobby pins for casual wear, and they're the perfect little addition to every day play clothes. Jaqs wears these smaller clips in her hair from the time she wakes up because she can't stand for it to be in her eyes. The butterfly clip is on a lined alligator clip, and Jaqs really does love it. She brings it to me to wear all the time, whether it matches or not!

The bobby pin with the dainty rosette is one of my favorites that I've seen! Far better than anything I could have picked up at Target or elsewhere, that's for certain. I love these!

I would absolutely recommend La Mia Bella Boutique for outfitting your little ladies! The clothes we received are well-made, and the bows are just perfect. I love that Courtney can customize things so your little one has something all her own! After all, she is a mom to two darling little girls, so she knows the importance of being unique!

*****

Now for the REALLY fun part: YOU get the chance to WIN an item from Courtney's shop! She has generously offered up {one} appliqued holiday t-shirt, and you have THREE choices to pick from. The options shown are for girls, but they can also be customized for boys, so boy moms, you definitely don't have to miss out here :)

To enter, follow the Rafflecopter below! :) This giveaway will run through the end of next week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Baby Fashion, Summer style!

Rounding out the week for me is Meredith! She's basically a super-mom in my eyes because she has boy/girl TWINS...they are stinkin' adorable and have THE best style! She's sharing some of her favorite shops and stores with y'all today! And yes, we should totally be friends in real life some day, Meredith! ;)

****

Hello everyone!  It's Meredith from A Work In Progress.  :)  Katie is currently on a gorgeous beach drinking adult beverages with tiny umbrellas.  I'm stuck in Dallas with zero beach, zero fruity beverages, and 1,000 degree temperatures.  Regardless, I was really excited when she asked me to write a guest post.  Katie and I have never met but I've enjoyed getting to know her beautiful family through her blog and Instagram.  Maybe one day we'll meet in real life.  :)

She told me the topic was "Summertime with Littles" and it took me approximately three seconds to decide I'd write about baby fashion.  Let's be honest, next to politics and religion, baby fashion is all the rage.  As I mentioned above, we live in Dallas where you'll break into a sweat retrieving the morning paper at 6 am.  My twins (Jude & Sloane) are 7 months old and while both would rather be nudists, I know that somewhere deep, deep down they long to wear the latest trends.  Jude especially.

When I'm out shopping for these two I keep three things in mind: expense, comfort, and practicality.  Oh and cuteness.  Can't forget cuteness.  When we found out there was not one but two babies in my belly we decided I would stay home with them for the first few years.  Frivolous spending might as well be considered the "F word" around these parts and therefore I do a lot of website stalking, constantly looking for sales.  I very rarely pay full-price for anything the twins (or I) wear.  Patience is a virtue, blah, blah, blah.

Along with expense, I now realize how important comfort is for these two.  I've made the mistake of buying ridiculously cute items that looked uncomfortable on the hanger and even worse on the twins.  They HATED it.  I would dress them and they would look at me like I had 10 heads.  Oops.  Along with comfort, practicality is huge.  I once purchased a romper for Sloane that didn't have snaps on the bottom.  Meaning, each time the girl needed a new diaper I had to take the ENTIRE OUTFIT OFF.  No amount of preciousness is worth that struggle.

I don't think I need to explain "cuteness" but I will mention a few things.  I love when they coordinate. I love unique items that will not be seen on every child in their playgroup.  And most of all, I love clothes that aren't so in-your-face that you can't see the baby wearing them.  Babies are cute--why do people feel the need to make clothes with 50 bajillion items/animals/jewels in colors that are so bright you feel like you're staring at a miniature sun? 

So with that in mind, I wanted to share a few items I've found that (I believe) match the criteria listed above and are perfect for summer.

For HIM:

Jude wears t-shirts.  Lots and lots of t-shirts.  This is mostly due to the fact that he has no neck and can look a little ridiculous in collars.  My favorite t-shirts for him are from Peek (peekkids.com).  They are made of the softest fabric and typically have verbiage that is either funny or insightful.  I like to believe people see his shirts and think he is either hilarious or brilliant, depending on the content.  I find him to be both.  :)

I will be the first to admit that Peek is EXPENSIVE.  However, they have dang good sales (in store and online).  Their clothes are extremely well made and wash beautifully.

 

Another favorite baby store is Zara (zara.com).  Cute, affordable tops! 

Below are some of my favorite casual boy tops from Peek and Zara right now!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For HER:

Sloane spends most of her summer days in dresses.  Some of my favorites are from Tea Collection (teacollection.com).  The patterns are so much fun and the cotton is durable but isn't heavy.  I've washed them multiple times and the color doesn't fade a bit.  Tea is a little pricey but has regular sales.

 

I also love the Liberty of London dresses and tops from Peek.  Talk about lightweight and great for summer!  These are perfect for the hottest days!

H&M has adorable clothes for babies that are trendy but cheap!  They also carry great basics.

Below are some of my favorite summer dresses and tops from Tea, Zara, and Peek!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

I find Old Navy and Children's Place to be the best places for baby accessories: shoes, hats, etc.

On Jude: Top - Polo; Fedora - Old Navy; Sunglasses - Children's Place

On Sloane: Dress - Tea Collection; Sunglasses - Children's Place

While I could spend all day writing about this, I have a sale to catch! ;)

(In case you're curious, the sale is Hanna Andersson!  While their pajamas aren't specific to summer, they are the most durable pjs your children will ever own!  Right now they are also selling Hanna Andersson jammies at Costco.  Do yourself and your baby a favor and get a pair!)

Americana Baby

I am all about getting decked out in the Red, White, & Blue any chance I get...I love it! Since Memorial Day is just around the corner, (can I get an amen for the unofficial start of Summer?!) I thought I'd put a little patriotic board together for the baby and toddler girls! 

Old Navy and Gap have lots of CUTE stuff right now, and Jaqs may or may not already have some of this waiting in her closet ;)

{click set for detials}

Y'all know me...rompers and jellies are two of my favorite things! And those swim-suits? Ah. I can hardly handle the cuteness. Cannot wait to squeeze my little water baby in hers!

******

I'm linking up for 'Trendy Tot Tuesday' for the first time today!

Also linking up for 'Baby Talk'!

spring lovin'

In case I haven't already made this clear...dressing a baby is SO MUCH FUN! 

I would seriously rather shop for Jaqs than myself any day. With the temperatures getting warmer every day, I've had the itch to start shopping for Spring & Summer. When I saw thaty Old Navy was having their 'Kid-Tacular" event PLUS an additional 20% off online, I figured what better time than to start finding some Easter basket and birthday goodies for my baby girl?!

Not all of these are from ON, but here are some things I'm loving!

Striped flutter one-piece /Gap Dot Romper /smocked denim romper / Cross Front Bubble/ knit dot romper / Old Navy Scalloped Trim Bodysuits/ Old Navy Scalloped Trim Bodysuits / Old Navy Scalloped Trim Bodysuits / T-strap bow sandals | Gap / Glitter-Jelly Sandals for Baby | Old Navy

Can you tell I've got a little romper obsession going on?? LOVE, love them!

Where are your favorite places to shop for your littles?