Smart Family

A young couple brings home their little miracle after nine months of anticipation. Mommy delights in rocking her tiny one to sleep each night, and Daddy cannot wait for the day that his little guy first giggles at the funny faces Daddy makes while feeding him in the morning. They are a content little family, even when Baby wakes his parents up in the middle of the night.

Mommy and Daddy believe that their little one is the cutest little guy in the whole world, and they relish the moments that they get to dress him up in adorable newborn baby clothing. Their baby would look just as adorable wearing only a diaper, but Mom and Dad want to show just how cute he looks in his brand new threads.

Most new babies look cute, no matter what their parents put on them. And yet, stylish baby clothes offer parents a chance to dress up their little treasures. Many times, these clothes are the ones that parents hesitate to part with when deciding which items to keep as their babies grow older. They might find that they wish to hold onto at least one piece from their collection, just so they can reminisce about their child’s first months. Even when their sons or daughters are drifting in and out of the house during the adolescent years, Mom and Dad can take out the newborn baby clothing and baby booties that once adorned their children and remind themselves just how much their children have evolved through the years.

Mom and Dad will never forget the initial months of their baby’s life. With time, they will not remember the nights when Baby woke them, nor will they recall his little tantrums and fits. Instead, Mom and Dad will only reminisce about how adorable their baby was, which will simply remind them of the wonderful child they raised.

Maternity t shirts make pregnancy just a little more comfortable, a little cooler in the warmer months and even a little more lighthearted as well! Let’s face it, sometimes being pregnant is just no picnic. Feet swell, legs hurt, bellies grow, backs ache and the body temperature seems to feel a little hotter than usual.  When it comes to getting dressed and going off to work or to run errands or even to meet the girls for lunch, feeling comfortable is just as important as looking terrific. Thankfully, maternity t shirts are perfect for just that.

Their lightweight cotton and extra fabric in the belly area make them excellent options to wear under cardigans or business suit jackets for work or with maternity capris or jeans for running errands or pair them with cute maternity skirts or walking shorts for an afternoon snack at a local outdoor café. For those pregnant women with a great sense of humor, there’s also many downright hysterical maternity tee shirts that will have passersby laughing and will keep a smile on mom-to-be’s face!

Keep in mind, that maternity t shirts are not just big extra large t shirts that consume and cover the entire body! Instead, they’re specially cut to fit a pregnant woman’s body. This specialized design keeps everything in proportion rather than adding way too much material on areas that just don’t need it. It’s important that if buying a maternity tshirt for yourself or as a gift, that you make sure it’s a legitimate maternity cut. It should be slightly longer in the front so that when the fabric stretches over the belly bump, it still hangs evenly with the back of the shirt.  If it raises up, then it’s simply a regular tshirt trying to disguise itself as a maternity one.

Shopping for maternity t shirts is easier than ever thanks to the fabulous Internet where the largest selection can be found. There’s also every different neckline, fabric and sleeve length from which to choose.  Nline retailers even offer low or no cost shipping on preset dollar amounts which makes shopping from home better than ever! Maternity tshirts usually range from approximately $15 to upwards of $30 depending on quality and design. For an extra special gift, look into custom made maternity t shirts that can be created to say anything your heart desires from expected delivery date to an image of baby’s first ultrasound!

Why teenagers won’t shop online for a prom dress 

My daughter is intelligent, witty, popular, scatterbrained, hormonal, fashion conscious and very determined. Determined, not spoilt and as her sensible down to earth mother I expected a few battles and compromises when trying to choose a prom dress but I was utterly unprepared for the stressful experience over the next 2 weeks. Who started this trend from our American cousins and brought it into the UK? I would like to personally throttle them. 

Budgets and blackmail?

I will never again suggest tentatively “shall we look on eBay?” The look of withering disdain at shopping online from eBay for her prom dress would have silenced an MP at 20 yards at PM question time. Her prom is four months away so it had not crossed my mind until there was a panic akin to plopping into a piranha infested river. “All the limos are getting booked up” she wailed. “Everyone has their dress except me” and “I need a hair appointment for my “up do””. I have always had a cool hairdo ranging from Sinead O’Connor to Annie Lennox over the years and have excellent cheekbones so was cross with myself that I had no idea what an “up do “was. I do now – it is costing me £ 35. The receptionist in the hairdressers drawled whilst chewing gum “she will be needing a practice run and that will be £ 25.” The feeling reminded me of the emotional blackmail exerted by the vets last week as my puppy was sick and they demanded £ 171. Kids and dogs! 

Knowing what you want saves time – NOT 

My daughter knew exactly what she wanted and had obviously researched this subject for many hours. It was to be a full length, puffed out, Cinderella dress with bodice, beads and jewels. I resigned myself to a trawl around prom dress shops, wedding shops and Debenhams bridal department. We went to the prom dress shop first and the prices started at £ 275 and looked like the wardrobe department on “Strictly Come Dancing”. We left within 5 minutes after I had hissed in her ear. I forgot to say we took my Mum who is contributing to the budget. Three generations that needed the Ireland peace process negotiators’ to get them to agree on price, style and the morals of prom ceremonies.

 The wedding dress shop that held only a few bridesmaids dresses in my day so as not to outshine the bride had now jumped on the prom shopping bandwagon and had a full row that could be customised and started at £ 100. You guessed correctly; my daughter told the polite assistant what she would like and she pulled out the most expensive in the shop and my daughter eyes lit up like a Harrods shop window at Christmas. We walked out after 30 minutes. We then agreed to go to Debenhams bridal department and it took 2 minutes and the look of disdain again. 

EBay the saviour 

I then suggested with my creative thinking “ lets look what is for sale on eBay” she snorted “I am not having a second hand one and it will be lasts years fashion”. I told her to sit down and shut up; fast getting to the end of my tether.

I typed on EBay “prom dresses” and the first site to pop up was a Chinese site with the perfect Cinderella dress and available in all colours. I gasped with relief and delight and beamed at her only for the look of disdain to be firmly ensconced.

The price was £ 65. She was adamant that no way would she shop online. 

Reasons why teenagers wont buy a prom dress online  

I analysed each reason she came out with and decided that this was more than peer group pressure. This is a list of the complex reasons and why you should not persuade or even try your daughter to shop online for her prom. 

What if it didn’t fit?

What if her boobs looked big?

What would she tell her friends where she got this from?

She needed it in the next 2 days or her life was not worth living and she would be the last in the school to get her dress.

Everyone else paid £ 275+

How would she know what it looks like?

How could we post it back if it was hideous and not like the picture?

How can you tell what the fabric feels like?

Saying it was a bargain for £ 65 off EBay from China did not excite her in the same way as me and her grandma. The generation gap is alive and well and this is the way it should be. 

I remembered the importance at the age of 16 of fitting in, being cool, feeling anxious, being shallow, self absorbed and decided that this is the way she should be. There is plenty of time for her to put herself last behind her family, forget to care about her looks, worry about wrinkles, not be able to pull off the look of a Cinderella dress. There was a silver lining to the cloud as the process was a great trial run for her wedding I am hoping for, where I can wear a hat that requires scaffolding. In each prom dress she tried on she looked beautiful; my chest puffed out in pride and my arms riddled with goose bumps.

 Finally found the perfect one for £ 90

 My creative mind was doing overtime and I thought about my friend who is wealthy, very frugal and always gets bargains. I called her and she said last year her daughter hired a fabulous prom dress from a great lady who had been doing it for years and was fantastic and patient. I looked at her website and there was definitely Cinderella types of all colours. We made an appointment and she was a saviour. We found the perfect dress in 50 minutes, I filled up and blew my nose noisily and was relieved to know we won’t be left with a dress that cost £ 275 that we will have to sell on ebay after July. So get out there and enjoy your shopping ,…who said online shopping was better than real shopping

The Fashionable Sweatshirt

Rainy days and cold windy weather will never get to ruin my style especially when I wear my designer sweatshirt. This garment helps keep me warm effectively and makes me stand out in a sea of jackets and ordinary sweatshirts. The fashion industry has made a lot of styles available when it comes to the sweatshirt due to the fact that they are commonly used all over the world. I have a sweatshirt for every occasion. I have one that I use for working out, one for business casual wear, one for outdoor walks during winter and so many more.

Although sweatshirts are normally worn due to their capability to give comfort and warmth, this does not mean that I have to compromise my style. I can always have both. Most people make the mistake of assuming that the sweatshirt is limited to large and baggy garments that are often used by people to work out in.

It is not so hard to show that a sweatshirt can be trendy. In fact I was able to find a lot of sweatshirts in the marketplace printed with various themes, designs and colorful patterns. The fashion industry has given us a lot of options to choose from. So there should be no wonder why the sweatshirt is one of the most commonly used apparels all over the world.

There are also a lot of fashion designers and fashion brands that have taken the time and effort in order to make a high fashioned sweatshirt line devoted for the fashion conscious. Each designer was able to contribute their own unique cuts and each brand were able to pass along something in these sweatshirts that would make people think of the brand when they see it. And all these designer sweatshirts make me confident that no weather condition can take away my fashion sense.

Sweatshirt Tips

When you decide that you want to get your own designer sweatshirt it is best that you choose the ones that can flatter or enhance your looks. My tip is that you show off your assets. For instance if you think your body figure is an advantage or a plus when it comes to your physique then it is best that you get a fitted style to show your body off.

After trying on a the different styles you should also be able to choose which sweatshirt styles and cuts are best for you. Pick an interesting theme, slogan or pattern for your sweatshirt and you will be all the fashion. This includes the pullover sweatshirt, the zip up sweatshirt, and the hoodies or the hooded sweatshirt; the sweatshirt.

Getting organized can be difficult if you don’t have reason to be organized. However, when you have sense of purpose and time constraints are placed on your daily life you often learn to make small changes to become organized. Starting small with organizing is how can successfully become totally organized altogether. One way to become organized is at the end of the day lay out your toddler’s clothing for the next day. Just making this small change can benefit you for the whole day. The ability to wake up and not make any decisions other than to get dressed can help with a stress free day. The whole point of becoming organized is to reduce stress and allow you to take back free time or allocate time to things you enjoy most. Another simple thing that can be done is placing your wallet, watch, cell phone and car keys in the same place each day. These are all small time wasters and time sucking activities if you are not organized. If you think about it you put your watch on, your phone in your pocket and your keys in pocket if you drive each day. You don’t want to be wasting five minutes each day trying to decide where you left your keys where you placed your cell phone or other things that can subconsciously add stress to your life.

Once you start to make these small changes in your home life you can then carry them over to your work life. Sometimes, these changes can be simple technology enhancements that help you keep organized. Things like blackberries if you require computers to work or something like a tool vest that helps keep the most used tools on you at all times down to a organizing your home by building or adding  a small bike storage shed to help reduce clutter in your garage or around your home.

Taking the time to look at how and where you spend the most time in your life you can quickly see how you can save yourself time while reducing stress. In addition, sometimes you can make small changes in your schedule like leaving for work 10 minutes earlier or leaving 10 minutes later to find out you miss most of the traffic that exists in a daily commute.  It boils down to removing inefficiencies with your time and being honest about what wastes your time.

During the cooler months it’s always a challenge to keep everyone warm.  Mothers of course are constantly carrying children’s coats for little ones insisting that “it’s not cold” – whether it is or not!  Also there are many things to do outside in winter when you have a family… snow, frozen lakes, skiing, snowman building, hail, rain – all these things fascinating to children but how can we all keep ourselves farm amidst this fun?  Firstly it’s worth your money to get everyone a really decent and well-fitting coat.  If a coat is too bulky or pulls in the wrong places, the wearer is unlikely to want to wear it, and even an ill-fitting coat will still cost you a fair bit of money, so go that little bit extra and find the right coat for each family member.  Things to look for in a  good all-round coat are water-proof, wind-proof, simple to fasten/unfasten and a hood, preferably with a drawstring for little ones, to help the hood stay in place when they’re running about excitedly.  If you can find coats that are in appealing colours for the wearers, they will probably be more likely to get worn, too!  When I was a little child I can remember hating a particular coat I had, even though it was warm, because it was a horrid (or so I thought) shade of bright red.  I felt like I stood out in a really silly way, so you might want to keep that in mind when picking clothes for children – take them with you and let them find something that they like, too.  Otherwise, no matter how practical it is, it probably won’t get worn!

thermal underwear for kids?

Layering is a good way to think about winter warmth.  Children grow fast, so it’s nice not to have to keep buying piles of new clothes, which can become expensive.  Instead of going for a whole new set of winter clothes, think about how you can layer clothing you already have, like using regular clothes over girls or boys thermal underwear.  A long sleeve top or regular jeans that are fine in spring and autumn will make great winter clothing too if you pair them with some kids thermal underwear.  You can also use the addition of thermal or woolen socks, long socks, leggings, mittens, scarves, and even funky arm-warmers – for children, who love to dress up in crazy colors, see if you can find some cute and snazzy socks, mittens and scarves.  A benefit of layering, especially with children (!) is that is anyone gets dirty, you can just peel off a layer and add another scarf or jumper! To me, the thermal underwear for kids is the key ingredient.