Mini Fashions Mini Prices

A Pleasant Surprise!

Photo by racked.com

Mommy guilt.  I think all of us feel it at one point or another, right?  I always feel it when I buy one kid something.  I feel like I am going to give the other one a complex (aka envision them on a therapists couch in about 15 years), so I feel the need to get the other one something even if they don’t need it.

So I was at Target the other week and picked up a few bargains for my daughter (can’t beat clearance!) when I realized I had nothing for my son.  Therapist couch in mind, I headed to the other side of the aisle to see what I could find.  I saw the Shaun White line that Target has been carrying for a while now.  I had never bought any before, but since I needed to even things out I checked them out.

The styles were cute!  Monsters, stripes and my son’s favorite, cars!  I picked up two of them and although I thought they looked cute, I didn’t have a lot of hope for how they would wash and wear.  In fact, I didn’t want to recommend them to my friends until I test drove them.  Well, I can tell you from many washes and wears, they are great!  I got a bright aqua and a black top and not only have they kept their colors, they are still so soft.  Actually, they have washed and worn better than some of the surf shirts I have spent more on for him.  Honestly, for less than $10, it is a great buy for your little dude!

A Sale at Home!

Hunting for a good bargain is something that requires some time and patience.  I love it, but some of my friends hate it.  They hate having to look and find that gem.  Others don’t have the time.  My working mommy friends have little time left at the end of the day or the weekends to be spending time searching the sale rack.  For those of you lacking patience, time or both, I bring you zulily.com!

A friend of mine introduced me to it and it is a fun site!  If you go to zulily.com, they will ask for your e-mail and a referral if you have one.  You can always write me down as your referral!  Then you will get a daily e-mail with an overview of what they have available for deep discounts.  This company goes out and finds what is on sale from different companies and makes them available for you.  The styles and brands run the spectrum.  They will have brands from O’Neill to Laura Ashley, Dollhouse to Disney and Levi’s to Stride Rite!  As a bonus, it isn’t all kids clothes, they carry fun things for mommies and even some household times and toys!

If you don’t want to go out shopping, you don’t have to!  Cuddle up on the couch at midnight and shop your heart out without emptying your bank account!  Happy shopping friends!

A New Import!

Photo by Rachel Trotter

Guess what’s new in town?  Cotton On Kids!  It’s fresh from Australia and it is super cute!  I would describe the style as a mix of Baby Gap and Crewcuts.  In Australia, Cotton On is slang for catching on to the trend, which totally fits! The looks are fun, casual and comfortable.

You will have to go in and check it out for yourself, but let me warn you ahead of time, that the accessory wall is mesmerizing!  You know how cute the bracelets and necklaces are at Crewcuts?  The thing is, I have a hard time justifying the price at Crewcuts when my jewelry is usually cheaper.  Well, now you can get the same styles for a mini price and the variety is huge!  $4 for a cute little bracelet?  Sure, why not!  And the headbands, holy cow, sequins and flowers!

Anyways, there are three locations in the US and luckily two are in OC:  Irvine Spectrum, Brea Mall and Torrance Mall (if you are in the area).  The style and variety are updated twice a week.  Sizes start at newborn and go up to size 8.  Girls tend to run a little large and boys a little smaller since it is a tailored look.  They are also working on getting a customer reward program up and running soon.  I know I am looking forward to it!

Drop by and take a look, you will be pleasantly surprised by the fun style and the great prices!

Hidden Gems

Well, I have been a bit of a rag lately, so shopping has fallen by the way side.  Seeing as Easter is literally in hours, I should have been giddily going from shop to shop finding the perfect frilly dress for my daughter and a dapper outfit for my little man.  Instead, I barely got myself out of the house to buy my son new shoes because his old church shoes are too small and the kids are going to be wearing clothes they already have.  I know, but I told you I have been a rag!

Anyways, I wanted to show you my little treasure.  I went in to Gap Kids to see what they might have on hand and found these:

I think they were on sale because people were put off by the neon laces and truthfully, I was too at first.  Trendy or not, neon isn’t always attractive!  Anyways, I took a closer look and saw that they had another set of laces inside the shoe and so after a quick switcheroo, they look like this:

They were originally about $30, then on sale for $21.99 and with the additional 30% off they had on sale items, I got them for about $15!  The moral of the story is, you have to take a good look.  I am sure a lot of people saw those shoes and didn’t like the laces (although, my son thought they were “extraordinary” and wants me to switch them back before church tomorrow).  Anyways, when you take a closer look, you might have a little gem on your hands!

Another thing that could be a gem:  final sales!  I know some people are scared of final sales.  I used to be.  They are so final after all!  A lot of the final sale items you will run across will be a rock bottom price, but the final sale (aka no turning back) scares people.  Keep in mind most stores will mark on a tag if there are any defects if there are any.  Otherwise, these clothes are usually items that are well out of season, returned late or bought online and returned in store.  Nothing is wrong, they just don’t fit into what the store is selling at the moment.  So relax, take a deep breath and buy that cute outfit that says final sale on the tag.  You will be glad you did!

Who Knew?

So recently I was invited to a party where my husband and I had to dress up.  I was covered, but my husband needed a vest to complete his look.  I wasn’t about to spend a bunch of money, so I decided to look in the Goodwill.  I don’t think I have been there in 15 years!  Well, just to let you know, there are two sides to Goodwill.  One is the Goodwill and one is called Keepers which carries some higher end or new items.

I went into Keepers first thinking that I might find that vest, but instead I found a different treasure.  Brand new Etnies for my son!  We are talking tags on, perfect shoes marked at $16.99.  These are normally $45 to $50 bucks.  You know what was even better?  It was half off yellow tag day and so I got them for about $8.50!  I know, score, but my trip wasn’t over!

I decided to head next door to see if I could find that dang vest.  When I went in, I noticed that there were a lot of new items in there and I recognized the brands.  It turns out that Target is a feeder store for Goodwill, so all the items that go on clearance that aren’t bought are brought to Goodwill and the price is slashed even more!  We aren’t just talking about clothes either.  Items that have damaged boxes end up there too!  So in the end, this is what I got:

I found the vest finally.  The pants are something I had my eye on at Target and I got them for $6.99 again brand new.  Oh, and that Littlest Pet Shop toy was in a damaged box for only $3.99.

Moral of the story:  You can score some great deals on great brands at the Goodwill.  Who knew?

And Don’t Forget the Milk!

Photo by blogs.villagevoice.com

I’m not much of a Costco shopper myself.  My dad (aka Kirkland Man) might disown me for that.  I really don’t have a valid excuse either since it is literally around the corner from me!  Well, besides being a great place to pick up mass quantities of food and tires, did you know you can get great deals on clothes?  You know that will draw me in!

I’ll be honest, the variety isn’t huge, but it is always changing and the discount and brands are great!  I know I have seen brands like Volcom, Carter’s, Hannah Anderson, Lucky, Guess, Levi, Quiksilver, Billabong, and Roxy just to name a few.  The prices are great too!  On average a shirt by Billabong or Volcom for little boys is about $15, but I saw them the other day for $8.99 at Costco!

The last time I was at Costco, I was on the hunt for replacement shorts.  My son was “curious” as to what his scissors would do to his shorts.  Well, turns out that scissors can cut through them.  You can pass that on to your kids and hopefully they can avoid learning it first hand.  You’re welcome!  Anyways, with his piggy bank money in hand (yes, I am that mom) we went in and found some really cute shorts for him by Micros.  This is a brand that I have seen sold at Nordstroms.  They were well made, cute AND only $12.99!  Sold!

Next time you are looking to stock up on diapers, ketchup or ground beef, drop by the clothing section and see what treasures you can find!

Giving in!

I have been resisting for so long, but I finally gave in.  I got a GAP Card!  I can’t believe it.  I LOVE Baby GAP and have bought most of my daughters wardrobe from there.  In fact, I have actually heard myself described as the “one who always has her daughter dressed in GAP.”  I also know most of the employees and the manager at my local store.  I think I might have a problem.

Anyways, I can find amazing deals at the GAP and the quality of their clothes and shoes are great, so it is my go to store.  So after years and years of buying GAP, I finally gave in and got the card.  As a result, I got this deal:

Photo by Rachel Trotter

Photo by Rachel Trotter

In case you can’t see the total, I will just let you know it says $6.08!  For an adorable summer dress and a great pair of jeans, I paid only $6.08.  I saved over $45!  Here is how I did it:  When I got my card, the statement came with a little card that said if I used it anywhere else besides its associated stores (Old Nave, Banana Republic, etc.), then GAP would send me a $30 voucher.  So since I needed a car wash, I used my GAP card to pay for it and lo and behold, the next statement had that $30 voucher I wanted to get my hands on!  The day I went into GAP, they had 30% off most collections and ALL sale items.  Therefore, the summer dress at $34.95 and the cute jeans at $15.95 (on sale) both got an additional 30% off and with the $30 voucher came to just $6.08!

I’m not saying that you should all run out and get a GAP Card.  Know yourself first.  If you cannot handle the responsibility of a credit card, DO NOT get one.  I believe strongly that you should live within your means and that you should protect your credit like your reputation.  You should pay your total amount due and pay it on time.  If you can do all that, then the benefits of this card are fun and the deals can be amazing.  Happy shopping!

Virtually Indestructible

I have a son and boy does he play hard!  I think it is in their nature to see how hard, fast or high they can jump, fall, splash, slide, run and generally just be a boy.  As a result, we have tried and tested many brands and styles of clothing (albeit on accident) for durability and stain resistance. When he got to the age when he was literally up and running, I started looking for things that were more durable.

The problem was that the more durable they were, the less comfortable they became.  You don’t want to be wearing cardboard!  Although as adults, we can grin and bear it a bit for the sake of fashion, kids won’t.  If it’s not comfortable, they won’t wear it and that is just a waste of money!

So after my years of inadvertent testing, I have found something that is both durable and comfortable:

Photo by Kohls.com

Tony Hawk Microfiber shorts!  I have bought several pairs in different colors and sizes.  They are the roughest toughest shorts I have ever run across.  They are a great go-to pair.  They are lightweight, and wash and wear perfectly.  I’m wondering if you actually can stain them because there is nothing I have had spilled on them that hasn’t washed out!   They are around $20 a pair at Kohl’s and even if you get them cheaper with coupons or promotions, $20 is still a steal for a pair of shorts that can survive a kid like mine and still look like brand new!

Sick of hand-me-downs?

Some of you might be onto child number two or three or even more by now.  Being money wise, you have probably stored away your children’s old clothes as they got older, but now you are sick of seeing those clothes again.  I know, the romper with the funny little crocodile is cute, but you have seen it over and over again and need a change!  Here are some ideas that are budget safe:

1.  Consign–You know I am a fan of bringing in used clothes.  You can either get store credit and find gems in that same place or some places offer to pay cash for it.

2.  eBay–Sell off the old clothes and use the cash you get to some new things.  I know it is a bit of a hassle to take pictures, list and ship the items, but you can make a pretty good return if you have a quality item in good condition!

3.  Online swapping–If you check online, you can find several websites for swapping used baby and children’s clothes for you.  Here are a few that I have found:  thredup.com, swapbabygoods.com, outgrowingin.com, peaceloveswap.com, onceuponachild.com, babyoutfitter.com, rockabuygear.com, storkbrokers.com and rascalsresale.com.  Make sure to read the policy and procedure before starting!

4.  Create your own swap–Get a group of your mom friends together for an afternoon of swapping.  Bring all the items you are ready to part with to a playdate or park and let the kids play while you get new duds for them.  Make sure to have rules set in place ahead of time for both the condition of the clothes and how to swap fairly.  You don’t want anyone to leave feeling slided!

Photo by plumadorable.com

5.  Get creative–Time to bust into your craft closet and dust off the sewing machine.  Take those old clothes and give them a new life with a makeover.  I have gotten inspiration online from sites like Pinterest to recreate my kids old clothes.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:  1.  Get the scissors out and cut of the legs of pants or the length of a dress or create holes in jeans for a little rocker look.  Knits and jeans are good candidates for this because they won’t unravel.  2.  Get your iron out and buy fusing fabric.  Cut out a cute shape like an elephant and iron it over that chocolate pudding stain that just won’t get out!  3.  Sew on patches to knees or elbows.  Hearts for girls and stars for boys are fun.  You can do it over the fabric or under and it is good as new!  4.  Use a bleach pen with a stencil to create a new look.  I found this idea at plumadorable.com.  I just need to find a leopard stencil! 5.  Add accessories like lace, buttons, beads, pom poms etc.  Not only will it get a new look, but you can take the credit!

How to get designer jeans for free…well practically

OK moms, we all know we have noticed those cute designer jeans on little kids.  Have you noticed the price?  $60, $80, $120!!!  Are you joking me?  So, we like it, but do you really want to pay that?  No way!  We have other things to do with that money.  You know that saying “All dressed up and no where to go?”  You don’t want it to be because you are broke as a joke!

Here is what I did to get not one, but TWO pairs of designer jeans for my little girl for (almost) free: consignment!  I have a local store that I love.  I have tried a bigger one that is a chain and didn’t like it as much.  Wee Peats in Mission Viejo is my favorite.  I bring in the clothing that I no longer need or use for my kids and get store credit.  As a bonus, when you use your store credit, you get 20% off the already low prices!

Here are the spoils of one trip:

Photo by Rachel Trotter

That’s right, True Religions and Joe’s!  Now, I can’t guarantee you will find the same thing, but you are sure to find a gem in there!  Keep in mind that Wee Peats doesn’t just sell used clothes (for those of you that are squeamish).  They have brand new items that you can use that store credit for.

Basically, the clothes your kids outgrow can sit around the house and take up room or they can be consigned, loved again and help you buy new clothes and toys.  Can it get any better?

Wee Peats is located at 25108 Marguerite Pkwy # D  Mission Viejo, CA 92692