baby clothes - Stuff Parents Need

So Cute It Hurts! Shockingly Affordable Kids Clothing from Shrimp & Grits Kids (Giveaway!!!)

May 20, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · 94 Comments

Thanks to Shrimp & Grits Kids for providing review and giveaway products! All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.

I love the story of the founding of Shrimp & Grits Kids, a clothing company based out of South Carolina. After Megan Hewitt had her first child, she wanted to do what any Southern mama would do…fill the closets with smocked, embroidered, monogrammed, and all-around adorable clothing.

But guess what? That stuff is CRAZY expensive!!! My own mother has come home from garage sales before, beaming with pride at the smocked dresses she picked up there, still paying $15-$20 (for used clothing!). Megan decided to learn how to make these beautiful creations herself to bring the costs down. Only, i turns out that smocking, embroidering and monogramming all require expensive equipment, LOTS of time, and enough materials to make the final creations cost pretty much the same as what you are charged in a store.

What to do??? Well, this savvy lady searched high and low and finally found a manufacturer that could create the designs she was seeking, and by cutting out the middle man, she could save quite a bit of money. And so, Shrimp & Grits Kids was born!

Inspired by the South Carolina coast and culture, Megan’s designs are too cute for words (well, almost…I’m a blogger, so I always have SOMETHING to say!). While my personal taste in clothing for my kids leans not quite as preppy as most of her collection, I was instantly in love with the Serendipity line. This is pretty much exactly how I’d love to dress my kids, and the style reminds me a lot of the looks I see in the boutiques here in town (the only thing missing was the boutique price tags!).

Darah is wearing the Clementine top, which is currently on sale for just $20.77! I’d buy it again if we didn’t already own it!! This is one of her very favorite tops, and it is pretty much getting worn as soon as it finishes drying after being washed. It is going to be a summer staple, for sure.

It’s a little big in the back, but Darah is quite petite, and the tie in the back makes the size no problem. You can just cinch it!

Layah is wearing the Cora top. I just adore the colors in this one! And when the girls wear them on the same day, I DIE. Cause of death: heart melted. This one is also just $20.77 right now. Jump on it!

In fact THE ENTIRE STORE IS 33% OFF RIGHT NOW!!! If you are drawn to the Serendipity collection, or if your style is a bit more traditional, have a look around. You are going to be thrilled with what you see and with the prices, especially during the sale! I mean, just look at the cuteness!

And I should mention that they do have clothes for boys; you’ll have to forgive me for not featuring them…it’s all girl, all the time around here!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need is going to win the top of your choice from Shrimp & Grits Kids!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

A Pop of Color for Country-Chic Style: Joules (Giveaway!)

June 10, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 57 Comments

Even though I fell in love with big cities from the time I first saw Atlanta (I was 7 at the time), I was born and raised in a small town, surrounded by even smaller towns and lots and lots of farms. My roots are in the country, and that’s also the case for the British clothing company called Joules. It has been around since 1980 (me, too!) and has always held country styles at its heart, while striving to bring a little color and life to them. That’s what has made them so popular and once you take a look at some of their clothes, I think you’ll see that there is so much to love.

Darah and Layah were sent coordinating outfits which I absolutely adore. They aren’t matchy-matchy and they aren’t frilly and uncomfortable. They are simply perfect for a summer day spent romping out in our yard, which is something we do quite a bit of these days !

Layah is wearing the Baby Girls Summer Dress in Ribbon, which comes with matching bloomers. It is made of soft cotton and is so bright and cheery!

Darah absolutely loves her Dungaree Skirt (which I think we here in the states would refer to as a denim overall dress). She loves how the hook and clasp jingles lightly when she walks, and she loves how comfy it is. She asks to wear it frequently. Typically, I’m not really a big fan of denim overalls, finding them to be just a little too country in their overall look. but Joules has brightened these up beautifully and even I can’t resist!

I mentioned earlier about how these outfits coordinate without being too matchy. I just wanted to point out the trim on Darah’s dress so you can see what I’m talking about. The trim of her pockets, as well as the inside of the overall bib are made of the same pattern as Layah’s dress. So cute! Also note the rabbits on the buttons. The rabbit seems to be the symbol for joules clothing, and you can also see an embroidered version on Layah’s outfit. I really love when companies create good design all the ways down to the details like this.

Joules has a fantastic selection of bright and beautiful clothes. I am fortunate enough to own several pieces of children’s clothing from Europe thanks to my sister-in-law who lives there and passes them on, and Darah and Layah always receive compliments for having such different and fun clothes. If you are looking for something just a little bit different to add to your child’s wardrobe, Joules is a perfect fit! The clothes are casual so they are practical, yet they are also bright, fun and designed with an eye for fun little details. Check out what they have to offer in the girls clothing range, and don’t forget to look in their adult clothing section, too!

Win it!: One k Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Baby Grow outfit (up to 18 months) in your choice of style and size!

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Refreshing Styles, Organic Fabrics for Baby: Finn + Emma Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

March 6, 2012 · by Tiffany Merritt · 97 Comments

After checking out a local consignment sale last week, one thing became abundantly clear: if you want to dress your baby girl in pink, there is NO shortage of opportunities. There’s even quite a large selection for you if you want to dress her like a little diva or princess.

But what if you don’t? Well, your options are decidedly more limited, then. I have no problem putting my girls in pink (though I’m not so fond of diva/princess stuff). But I’d prefer that this color not dominate the closet. I imagine that I’d feel the same way about the color blue if I had a little boy. Why confine ourselves to these colors? Are we terrified that someone will think they are the opposite sex? I can tell you from experience that people will make the wrong guess no matter how much pink/blue you put your kid in. Darah’s had her ears pierced since she was 6 months old, and that didn’t stop people from guessing that she was a boy, either!

If you, like me, are always on the hunt for clothing that is a refreshing change of pace from the norm, I’ve got a delightful company to share with you today. It’s called Finn + Emma. The clothes all have such a sweet vibe that make them precious for babies, but they do not look like what you might find at a Carter’s store or even a local consignment sale. The designs are different and absolutely delightful. And if that’s not enough to get you to take a closer look, you should also know that Finn + Emma clothes are made from organic material. Hooray!

A few weeks ago I received a sweet little baby girl romper that made me squeal when I saw it. The flower detail and the slightly puffy sleeves give this outfit such a feminine feel without beating you over the head with the, “I’m a girl!” message. The soft purple is so pretty (purple happens to be my favorite color). It is going with us to the hospital in the event that our baby is large enough to fit into 0-3 months clothes from the start. As simple as it is, I think this outfit is cute enough to be a “going home” outfit contender!

Finn + Emma is the type of company that breathes new life into the baby clothing industry. Their sustainable and fair trade practices also make them the type of company I want to support as a consumer. Their clothing is also constructed out of very high quality materials, which means that it will last through several babies, and potentially even several generations!

Buy it!: The romper I received to review retails for $37.00 and can be purchased here.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your choice of romper for a boy or a girl from Finn + Emma!
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Baby Clothing Network: Doing Baby Clothes Trading Right!

July 12, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I’ve been a member of a baby clothing and gear trading website before. The concept was awesome. The execution…not so much. It is hard to find someone, for example, who is in need of size 3 month baby girl clothes and has size 2T baby girl clothes that she needs to get rid of! If she has a girl, she wants to hang on to those bigger sizes (I know I would!). In my experience, finding clothes that you wanted was easy. Figuring out a trade that worked for both parties was very difficult.

There’s a new site that has launched and that has really streamlined the process of trading clothes, and I want to strongly encourage you to check it out (it’s free to join, after all!). It’s called Baby Clothing Network. This site is, as the name suggests, just for clothes. So this isn’t the place to swap your books, baby gear, or anything else. It’s all clothes, all the time here!

Here’s the basic information you need to know about how Baby Clothes Network (BCN) works.
1. Clothing is shipped in bundles put together by individual members. There are two sizes of bundles, medium and large. A medium bundle has between 10-20 items (you will know exactly how many as the person who made the bundle will specify). A large bundle has 20+ items. Each bundle must be size and gender specific.The shipper is to use a flat rate USPS box which can be picked up from the post office for free.

2. The person requesting the bundle pays the shipping cost ($10.50 for a medium box and $14.50 for a large box) plus a $2.00 transaction fee. The person putting together the bundle is able to print the shipping label that the buyer paid for so that they don’t have to get reimbursed for shipping costs. Very easy!

The idea is that you can get gently used clothing for roughly $1/piece and have it sent to your door. You also don’t have to find someone to do a swap with you, but can simply “buy” from whoever has what you need. When you send away a bundle of clothes, you get 1 point on the network. To request a bundle, you are deducted 1 point. You can send a bundle or request a bundle to start (so you can have a negative balance). But the purpose of the point system is to give the community a sense for who is giving and receiving fairly. In that sense, it sort of monitors itself, as those with high negative numbers will likely be denied by the people whose bundles get requested. Make sense?

The Baby Clothing Network walks you through how to put together a bundle so that you can be sure you do it right and present something that someone else is going to want (no stained clothing, please!).

I am absolutely fascinated by this idea. I have TONS of clothing that got picked over when I tried to put it in a consignment sale. There was nothing at all wrong with the clothes, they just couldn’t beat out the Baby Gap and Gymboree items sitting right next to them. The Baby Clothing Network is the perfect place to go to so that I can find new a new home for this baby clothing. And I can also try to score some great play clothes for Darah to have now or grow into while I’m at it.

The price is also very fair. You are just paying for the shipping plus a $2.00 fee. You’re basically paying garage sale prices for the clothing without having to brave the heat and drive all over town to go to garage sales! It saves time and money. Gotta love that!

Give Baby Clothing Network a try. Browse over the bundles that are currently being offered. I bet you’ll find one (or more!) that you’d like to have. That will inspire you to part ways with some of the stuff your kids have outgrown. Everybody wins! 🙂

Special thanks to Baby Clothing Network for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Black and White Patterns for Infant Visual Stimulation

February 28, 2011 · by Tiffany Merritt · 32 Comments

Have you ever seen a new product idea that made so much sense that you kicked yourself for not coming up with the idea on your own? That’s exactly how I felt when I learned about Bright Baby Tees. This is an organic clothing line that uses only non-toxic inks. This is wonderful, of course, but that’s not what makes it so brilliant. It’s what is on the shirts that is so smart and unique!

Bright Baby Tees have designs that promote infant visual stimulation. Babies, and especially newborns and young infants, are drawn to particular colors, shapes and patterns (black, white and red for the first few months). When Darah was a tiny little things we had shapes and patterns in these colors up all over our house, and we go on daily tours to check them out. She would stare at them each with such intensity! Bright Baby Tees has taken those colors and designs that babies love to look at and put them on clothing!

Why is this so brilliant? Newborns and young infants spend lots and lots of time being held by their parents, grandparents and other caregivers. Just imagine how great it would be if there was always something of interest for them to gaze at during awake time!

I think these make fantastic gifts for new moms and dads. In those first few weeks after you have a baby, you are definitely not getting all dressed up for the day. This is a good way to get you out of your pajamas but keep you in something very comfortable! I know I would feel motivated to put it on because I would know that my child would enjoy looking at it! Seriously….why didn’t I think of this?!

And don’t forget to pick up our favorite book for infant visual stimulation, as well. It is so great to bring out during tummy time!

Buy it!: Bright Baby Tees are available online with prices starting at $18.00. If you order 3 or more shirts, shipping is free!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win your very own Bright Baby Tees shirt! The contest will run until March 10th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me what your child enjoyed looking at when s/he was very tiny. If you are currently expecting your first, what types of products do you have or want for the first few months, in terms of visual stimulation?

My answer: As I mentioned in the post, we had black, white and red images up everywhere in our house. One of Darah’s favorites was in our room, right where she could stare at in while we burped her after feeding her.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Bright Baby Tees on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Pinwheel, Pinwheel, Spinning Around (GIVEAWAY!!!)

June 21, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 65 Comments

This giveaway is CLOSED.

There are so many fun things about being part of the blogging world. It is so much fun to get to know other wonderful moms and dads out there who are going through some of the same things my family is going through. It is really awesome to get to learn about the latest (and truly greatest) products from other parents who have taken them for test drives. AND…it is SO MUCH FUN to win something every once in a while! A while back I won a custom dress that was featured on Wee Share (you seriously should subscribe to this blog if you don’t already, by the way!). I won the Moo -la-la dress from Thread & Jam!

This dress is out of control crazy and awesome! It is honestly something I would have never picked out, but let me tell you, now that I have it, I am bonkers about it! The cows are precious, the design of the dress is fun, and I just can’t help but smile every time Darah wears it. It is so unbelievably cute, people! And even though this may seem silly of me, it is really REALLY fun to dress up your kid in something that can’t be bought at the local mall or at Target. Her moo-la-la dress can’t be bought anywhere (she actually got the very last one that Preetha, the owner of Thread & Jam, ever made).

Before you start to feel sad about not getting one of these dresses for your own little love, let me offer some comfort! Thread & Jam still has an awesome selection of dresses in fun, bold prints and patterns that are anything but ordinary. Two of my favorite dresses are the vibrant scallop tunic dress with bow and the lopsided swoosh neck dress! Preetha’s outfits are also very reasonably priced, with pretty much everything ranging from $15 to $38. That’s amazing for handmade clothes! Check out what Thread & Jam has to offer today, and pick out something extra special for your little one!

Win it!: In addition to making rockin’ skirts, dresses and jumpers, Preetha also makes these adorable pinwheels that can help you snazzify an outfit or a headband! They can be made from any fabric that you see in the shop. One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win a set! Hooray! The contest will run until July 2nd at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forefited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me your very favorite piece at Thread & Jam!

Additional Entries:
1. “Like” Stuff Parents Need on Facebook
2. “Like” Thread & Jam on Facebook
3. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter
4. Follow Thread & Jam on Twitter
5. Subscribe to my blog via RSS, email or Google Friend Connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe more than one way)
6. Mark Thread & Jam as a favorite on Etsy

Be sure to check out all the other current giveaways so that you don’t miss your chance to win (on the side bar of my homepage!)