I am not sure about you, but I love buying clothes for my son. I truly enjoy getting him dressed in the morning, although I am sure he wouldn’t agree! The problem is that he grows out of his clothes so fast, that sometimes I feel bad about all the clothes I buy. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that buying your child’s clothes could actually be doing a GOOD thing? Well, if you buy Olive Juice kid’s clothes than you will be!

Olive Juice, a maker of classic and European inspired childrenswear, is providing hope for kids in need through a new partnership with Clothes4Souls, the apparel division of one of the fastest growing charities in the world, Soles4Souls. In a “buy one, give one effort, Olive Juice will provide one item of clothing for every item purchased through the special microsite www.olivejuicegives.com. These donated items will then go to a child in need with the help of Clothes4Souls. Now if that doesn’t make shopping for your kids a feel good experience I don’t know what does!?

Olive Juice was founded in 2003 by Maryellen Kane based on the belief that parents should have the opportunity to choose from a quality brand of clothing for their children at a reasonable price. The clothes are casual, comfortable and fun. I found it interesting that they even had some unisex items.

My son has this playtime hoodie ($32.50) and it is so soft! I look forward to having him wear this in the fall.

With a few clicks of the mouse you are able to get your child some great looking clothes AND help children in need! If you ever needed an excuse to shop you have one now.

I was provided with clothes from Olive Juice for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When it comes to kids clothes I am all about the sale. Especially when it comes to every day items, but sometimes, just like adult clothes, it is nice to have a few classic, well made pieces that can grow with your child, and last. What better material is there for that than cashmere? I know I loved to be wrapped in it, so why wouldn’t your child? Bambeeno Cashmere is composed of timeless cashmere and knitwear essentials to keep your little one dressed in style and sophistication.

Bambeeno Cashmere is an Atlanta based company that produces luxury cashmere knitwear items for children ages newborn – 12 years of age.  Made with some of the softest cashmere on the market , children will feel as good as they look.  Items range from crewneck tees and polos for boys, to pretty cardigans and dresses for girls, and even newborn sets and cashmere accessories for baby. In addition to the pure cashmere line,  Bambeeno Cashmere also offers an array of cotton/ cashmere knitwear containing beautiful layette pieces for the season. This is the type of piece that I tried. I have a navy blue cotton/cashmere sweater, which is 90% cotton and 10% cashmere. The sweater is so soft! It will be perfect for spring, or those cool summer nights.  My little guy is going to be stylin!

The only downfall I see is that these items need to be hand washed. Although I am new to the mommy thing, I have already come to learn that “easy” is key. Therefore, hand washing can be a bit of a chore. But I plan to use the sweater when a “nice” outfit is needed, which isn’t all the time, and so I think it will be fine.

Overall the Bambeeno Cashmere sweater is a well made piece, and I am excited for my guy to wear it. Don’t we all need a little luxury in our lives when it comes to our clothes? Why not pass on that same luxury to our kids??

I was provided with a Bambeeno Cashmere sweater for the purposes of this review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Willow & Clay Two Tone Blanket Sweater

This Blanket Sweater (doesn’t the name just say it all) from Willow & Clay is perfect to throw on for a chilly day. You could even belt it. Wearing a pretty black and white print blanket all day – now that is cozy!It is available at Piperlime for $84.

Un-Cabled Pullover

I am loving the color of the Un-Cabled Pullover from Anthropologie. It is a warm chunky knit wool sweater with fun wider sleevesand I really like the way the neck falls. Wear it over a tight fitting, long-sleeved layering shirt. The Un-Cabled Pullover retails for $198.

Cocoon Cozy Sweater

I think this is my favorite. The Cocoon Cozy Sweater (again, all in the name)  from Athleta for $89. I adore the versatility of the neck. It has a cocoon neck that can be worn as a shawl over the shoulders, as an over-sized cowl neck, or as a hood – so super cute!

Check out these other fab Bloggers with Fashion Friday Posts

We received a beautiful Classic “Twirly Girl” Pretty in Pink fleece poncho made by boutique-owner, Becky Ingersoll, herself.  And might I say, it’s the perfect compliment to my daughter’s fall wardrobe, specifically on those days when it’s not *quite* cold enough for a coat, but just a bit too breezy for no coat.  It really is a wonderful layering piece, and it finishes off any little outfit perfectly.  Check it out:

OK, so maybe I’m a tad biased (since the lovely model is my own daughter), but I’m thinking this poncho makes the outfit.  And it’s soft, and sunggly and perfect for a day on the town.  It’s not, however, perfect for the playground and can be tricky in the carseat.  But if you can overcome these obstacles (wear it anywhere but the playground and take it off or configure it for the carseat), your girly girl will be as cute in it as mine is.

Becky sells other handmade things at Creative Mind as well.  Think tooth fairy pillows, adorable flower hats, wrist key holders for mom, and a few other items – visit her Etsy shop for even more cute stuff!  Prices are reasonable too - $30 for a poncho and just $4.95 for shipping in the US and $8.95 to ship to Canada.

As the mom of two young girls, I can attest to the fact that unique, non-mass produced baby clothes are few and far between.  I mean, if you’re into having your kids look just like everyone else’s kids, you’re in luck.  But if you want to dress your children in a manner a bit more original yet still fun, you’re hard pressed to find what you want.  Until now.

Bebe Dulce, an online children’s store, fills this void.  This pretty web-boutique offers hundreds of hand-made products for infants through 24 months.  Everything from hand-made hair accessories for girls and sun hats for boys, to adorable onesies and swaddlers for baby, there’s no lack of choice at Bebe Dulce.  Even moms are considered – what mom doesn’t love to pamper herself too? 

My kids were lucky enough to check out a few of Dulce Bebe’s very own Applique Tees.  Though these cute styles typically come in onesies from newborn up to 18 months, Claire, the mom-owner and creative force behind the store, made up some larger t-shirts to fit my girls, who are long past the onesie stage.  And that’s just typical of the service at Bebe Dulce - custom orders are always welcome.

We also had a chance to take a look at Claire’s beautiful flowered sun hats though we had to share this a baby friend since these hats only go up to 18 months.  But I can say that it was just adorable and the chin-strap makes it extremely useful as well (my babies had to have chin-straps or bye-bye hat!).

If my sample order is any indication, when your order arrives, you can expect perfect presentation.  The items were neatly wrapped in pretty tissue paper and secured with a sticker.  All the items are hand-made by Claire in her home in Aspen, Co. and can even be found in some shops in Co., Tx., and Tn.

Bebe Dulce accepts payment through PayPal, and ships within 2-7 days after receiving your order.  They recently launched a brand-new “Shop 2 Share” program which donates a percentage of all sales to a chosen charity each month.

As if you needed another reason to shop Bebe Dulce, use coupon code momstyle10 for 10% off your order on the site amd all orders over $50 enjoy free shipping.

Old Navy's Reversible Vest

As much as I love to support small designers, I can’t always afford to purchase more than a few piece here and there so, like most parents, the majority of my child’s wardrobe comes from Old Navy, H&M, Target and online sample sales. I was recently invited to a kids’ fall fashion preview at Old Navy and treated to a $200 gift card to acquaint myself with the fall line-up so I set to shopping! My personal mission was to seek out back-to-preschool outfits that my very divalicious 3.5 year old daughter Anya would deign to wear and sophisticated layette for my baby boy arriving in November.

While finding cute stuff for girls is like shooting fish in a barrel, it’s generally accepted that boys’ apparel is a lot less fun. Since I don’t care for any kind of sports (getting hit in the face with a dodge ball when I was 8 probably has something to do with it), I was up for a challenge at Old Navy which, like many other children’s designers, tends to overuse sports and other pre-determined masculine motifs (not to say that girls’ clothing doesn’t overdo the ultra-cutesy — they just have much more variety to chose from). I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of sophisticated, non-lil’ slugger apparel to choose from!

Watch the slideshow and click to continue reading about my fabulous finds!

Old Navy Baby Boy Newborn Basics

First things first — Baby Brother needs basics since the first few months they pretty much live in pajamas as they sleep around the clock. I love that this fall’s Old Navy’s baby boy basics relies heavily on a more sophisticated– dare I say French — navy striped palette instead of traditional baby blues. I also like that grey is a gender-neutral option instead of the usual boring pastel yellow or green (I have no problem with these shades, just the treatment of it for unisex baby clothing). I made a beeline to the newborn section where I picked up classics like striped ankle-sock 3-pack ($5.50) and  jersey pant 2-packs ($10.50) which include one solid and one patterned pant — I chose the striped navy combo, but you can also get the pink or grey versions whose patterned pant has scripted text reading “I am loved, Mommy loves me, Daddy loves me, I love Mommy, I love Daddy, Everybody loves me.” For these items, I actually scooped up a set in two sizes: 0-3 months and 3-6 months because I remembered how often Anya wore these as an infant and how quickly she outgrew them. I had also recently ordered the 3-pack of solid cotton bodysuits (now $10) which are only available at oldnavy.com but you can also get the script printed long-sleeve ones ($12.50/3) in-store.

Old Navy Boys' Knit One-Pieces

For lounging around the house, the super-duper soft striped hooded one-piece (now $10) has an old timey turn-of-the-century beach feel (even Anya picked up on it, saying, “Baby Brother can wear this to the beach!”) but will definitely get a lot of wear this winter. (Choose from brown, pink and blue.) For dressier occasions, the brown striped sweater knit ($19.50) and oatmeal heather cable-knit ($24.50) cotton one-pieces are clearly inspired by similar pieces from the American-based but highly French-influenced Egg by Susan Lazar, but much easier on your wallet. Both are fabulous for the holidays or portraits but are practical as they snap at the inseam for easy diaper changes.

Check out new arrivals for infant boys!

Old Navy Illusion Tee and Tiered Tutu

Old Navy’s toddler girl’s section is, as always, outrageously cute but Anya has very specific tastes so I limited myself to a few items that I was sure she’d love. The pink tutu skirt ($16.50) was a no-brainer as she’d wear a princess costume to bed if we let her. As far as tutus go, this one is pretty tame with just a few layers of tulle so I don’t mind letting her wear it to school. And though I didn’t notice it while I was at the store, I’ll have to head back to complete the look with a coordinating trompe l’oeil graphic tee ($8.50) that depicts ballet slippers slung around the girl’s neck or a tied ribbon.

I adored the ruffle-hemmed corduroy and printed 2-in-1 poplin with jersey sleeve ($16.50) dresses but wasn’t sure if they would fly with Anya so instead chose a hot pink tie-sleeve jersey dress ($16.50). Because Anya is also on a no-pants bender (“jeans are for boys,” she told her jeans-wearing mom this past spring), I also grabbed pink cable knit cotton tights ($6.50) and two pairs of light pink tapered jersey leggings (now $5) to go underneath her dresses as they will coordinate with any color (pink is the new black for us!). The piece de resistance, though, was the reversible quilted vest ($24.50): one side hot pink with a bit of  luster (very Appaman) and the other a matte pale pink with hot pink hearts. If you haven’t worn or bought one before, a vest is a great item for fall and spring when it’s too warm to break out the winter coat but too cool to just wear school clothes.

Check out the new arrivals for girls!

I was thrilled that my selections were a hit with Anya. Though I warned her that these new clothes were for school and not until it started getting colder, I found the vest hanging up on her hook by the door the next day. Guess someone’s ready for fall!

Make sure you visit OldNavyWeekly.com to hunt for a $65 off $100 purchase coupon!

– Danielle

Organic baby and kids clothing do not have to be pastel and, well, boring. That’s what the moms who created Hatchling thought when shopping for their own kids. So they created a line of fun tees made from 100 percent organic cotton with azo-free dyes and environmentally safe, non-toxic inks.

The colors are bold – bright pinks, greens, blues and yellows – and the graphics are fun. My daughter absolutely adores her cat and mouse puppet show shirt.

The fabric is super-soft and the color has stayed intact through numerous washes. And I love that my daughter, who has sensitive skin, can wear a cute shirt that’s good for her – and the earth.

Check out their line. Sizes are from 0-6 months up to a 4T. Please use MWS20 to get 20 percent off your purchase through Sept. 30.

It’s easy to see, from a quick look around the Polarn O Pyret site, what my friend was talking about. The designs on this site definitely have a fun retro feeling. And the vibe is decidedly Swedish – the stripes, the repetitive motifs, are all reminiscent of the best of Nordic design. But what you cannot see firsthand from browsing the site is the quality of these clothes. It’s a quality that is often lacking in clothes we buy from popular US chains. In a way this reminds me of retro clothing as well. Clothing that was made to last through a few kids in the same family, to be washed and worn and washed again, and weather the abuse of childhood. Many of the designs on the Polarn O Pyret site are specifically designated as “uni” meaning that they can be handed down to younger siblings without fear of taunting. Which, in these times I find super cool. It’s thrifty chic, and exactly what Pippi would have done, if she had a little brother.

One more note  about the quality and versatility – even the leggings from this company feature an adjustable waistband. I cannot tell you how happy this made my lanky 9 year old daughter. She is constantly using a hair rubber band or a pin to keep her leggings on, or wearing a pair of size 6 leggings as capris.

Polarn O Pyret clothes are fast becoming  a celeb fave. There is a summer clearance sale going on at the site right now, through tomorrow. And their fall line up is showing up next week Go check Polarn O Pyret out. Buy your kids a tambourine. And put Pippi Longstocking on your end-of-summer reading list!

These sweet, colorful, fun, and playful bags are perfect for young girls! They are a great size to tote around, feature cute and funky fabrics (coordinating, inside and out), have two carrying straps (to hand carry to put over their shoulder), a snap closure, and the best part? Adorable feather trim! At an affordable $26 each, they make a great, unique, present for a special little girl!

Kaity-Bug Designs also features pretty “Tiny Hiny Diaper Totes” which very stylishly hold your diapers and wipes, as well as nursing covers and sensory blankets. Click on “Go shopping” to see all of the great fabric options and items for purchase.

Make a purchase from Kaity-Bug Designs and receive free shipping when you mention Mommies with Style!

The adorable playwear were created by the owner of Toy Tips, a magazine featuring independent toy reviews. Each order of I’m a Toy Tester Playwear will recieve a free copy of Toy Tips magazine (a $4.99 value.)

Also by Toy Tips,  Toy Tips Toy Cleaner is a pure all-natural solution to gently clean dirt, dust and grime that builds up on children’s toys. It inlcudes no alcohol, bleach, dyes, artificial fragrances or phosphates. Its the perfect cleanser for anything thats handled by spit-up, little fingers and drool… not to mention dust and dirt build-up that just happens.

All orders of Toy Tips Toy Cleaner will receive a free $20 subscription to Toy Tips & Parenting Hints magazine.