Shopping for Kids

Haha, I almost titled this "shopping with kids". Well I definitely have NOT figured out the secret to doing that successfully.

 

But wanted to talk about shopping FOR kids. That I can do.

 

1. Be Picky (because you can)

You don't have to have tons of money to look pulled together. You CAN be picky. I would say 75% of what my kids wear is thrifted or given to me. But I am choosy.. You can buy the shirt that looks like you paid a quarter for it, or you can buy a shirt that you paid a quarter and looks like you paid $8 (I'm exaggerating these prices, I'm not that amazing). When people give you clothes it doesn't mean you have to keep it all, keep what you need and are good pieces and thrift the rest.

I am pretty much picky everywhere, but when I am out shopping and find something for the kids it has to be cheap, and if I wouldn't wear it I don't put it on my kids.

 

2. No Characters

That's my rule. Some only allow character jammies, which we tried when we were given a pair. But then there was major drama when they wanted to wear the Dora jammies every.single.night. Other than that- I think it cheapens the look of the outfit and I don't want to look back at pictures of my kids in Winnie the Pooh. But that is my personal preference.

 

3. Classic Shoes

I am pickier than probably the normal person about shoes. A shoe is a shoe. It should not light up, it should not roll, it shouldn't have glitter laces. Keep it basic in style and quantity. If you keep them basic you won't need 15 pairs of shoes.

Staples for summer:

-Church Sandal

-Flip Flops

-Church Closed Toe

-Athletic Shoe, optional

 

Fall:

-Church Closed Toe

-Athletic Shoe

-Mary Jane

-Boots

This is Gwen's summer footwear. She has other shoes but these are worn 90% of the time. The non sandal shoes were roll overs from the fall. The pink shoes were given to us, the athletic shoes I bought at Kid to Kid, flip flops are from Old Navy (best kids flip flops!) 2 for $5 and the brown sandals I got from Target and I think I paid $15 but I did have a coupon I believe.

 

Ok, dressing girls is really fun and can be done fairly easily. I have said before it doesn't matter what size it says on the tag and the same is true for girls clothes. Liv has a 9 mo dress she wears as a shirt, A 3t top she wears as tunic top. Jeggings start as pants, then they turn into cropped pants and then capris. Like this picture of Gwen above, she is 2 and those jeggings are probably 12-18mo :) Now this isn't a blanket rule, so don't put regular jeans on your kid and it hits mid calf ;)

 

 

 

My biggest tip: BUY AHEAD!

It's a little harder when they're little, because they can grow 10 lbs in 3 months! Especially hitting the seasons right, but when they get older they usually wear a size for a year. Gwen wore a 4t in the fall and all this summer and I've been buying 5t for her for this coming fall. I buy ahead because if you go out shopping for what you need when you need it, you'll usually spend more. Like yesterday, I bought Gwen a pair of sandals that are 2 sizes bigger than she wears now. She can't wear 11's now but it's not like she won't ever wear 11s, right? So when I find really cute sandals for $4, I don't have to spend $20 in a year.

To keep the sanity I have 2 basket/buckets on the top shelf of both of the girls closets for "too big" and "too small" clothes". I do not want to crawl up in the attic every time there are belly shirts or I bought something for later. So I just throw them in the basket then when it's full I'll get a container to put them up.

 

Now all my tips are what I experienced with my girls, because that is what I know. I would think the same principles apply for boys, but I'm not sure. I do know, don't put your boys in tunic tops and jeggings :)