I want those clothes for my son!

When I was pregnant with my son, before I knew that he would be a boy, I really wanted a girl. I convinced myself that things would be so much easier with a girl, particularly with clothing. I have two school-aged brothers, and I see the hassle my mom goes through year after year, trying to find suitable boys clothing that isn't so dark, dreary and/or sports or camouflage oriented.

Well, I know that I'm going to be shopping for European kids clothes for my son! Unlike regular boys clothing, which is either bright, dark, sports oriented, camouflage covered, or just plain tacky with huge cartoons and such, European designer clothing is more traditional. Plaids, pastels, stripes, checks... the kinds of things I want to dress my sweet baby boy in!

Beds for our kids

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I decided that I wanted to have a bassinet for her. I thought cribs were too big, bulky and overwhelming for such a tiny baby. Furthermore, a crib couldn't exactly be squeezed into a small bedroom, or put alongside a bed. I thought bassinets were the perfect choice, because they're small and often portable, thanks to most of them being equipped with wheels.

Well, we were both working low paying jobs at the time, had the expenses of moving and buying the more necessary baby furniture (car seat, stroller, high chair), and so we didn't have room in our budget for a bassinet, let alone the small and often expensive baby bedding that we would need to outfit it.

Imagine my surprise when my husband's grandmother invited us to her house when I was nine months pregnant with our daughter. She gifted us with a bassinet that was filled to the brim with baby clothes, small baby toys and baby books.

I wound up giving away the bassinet to a pregnant co-worker a year later, which coincidentally was just a few weeks shy of me getting pregnant with our son, but it worked out for the best because we were able to borrow a cradle for the first few months of his life.

Now all of the baby things are gone, including cribs, bassinets, cradles and baby bedding. My daughter is turning four in October, and my son just turned two in July. Needless to say, they're both in regular beds - twin beds!

Baby clothing shopping: boys vs. girls

The best part of having a daughter is being able to dress her up in all of the great little girls clothing! I have a son as well, and I must admit that the selection of boys outfits is never as nice as what I can find for girls! Don't get me wrong, I can find nice childrens clothes for both of my kids, but the good boy stuff is few and far between. My biggest complaint with boys clothing is that everything is dark and dreary, camouflage or sports themed, or plastered with tacky illustrations and television and movie characters. Is it so wrong to want to dress your little boy is nice, sweet little boy apparel?

Now girls clothes on the other hand... a walk in the park! Last week alone I was able to find my daughter a pair of metallic silver jeans, dark blue denim jeans with silver sparkles all over them, and some great tights in the baby clothes section at Babies 'r Us.

Where do you shop for clothing for your children? I know that Gymboree and The Children's Place are often recommended, but there have to be some other nice stores as well! I love Carters clothing, but sadly their sizes don't go beyond babies!

Crystal Studded Diaper Covers!

What an adorable diaper cover for baby! These personalized baby clothes make the perfect baby gift for newborns! Complete with the baby's birth month designed in crystals in the birthstone color of the month! Available in a cake or crown design for birthdays or showers! These cute diaper covers can be found at, Smarteepantsclothing.com!

coolstuffcheap.com!

coolstuffcheap.com has some really, REALLY neat stuff. I can think of many scenarios where their fog machines and lava lamps would be perfect: dorm rooms, a teenager's room, even my three year old daughter's room (well, the lava lamp). A fog machine is a great thing to have at parties, particularly themed and Halloween parties.

The company also carries neon clocks. These are things you don't see except in bars, retro restaurants and in music videos. If you like these clocks, definitely check out coolstuffcheap.com!

Save money when shopping for baby clothes

So, here is my secret for shopping for baby clothes for two toddlers without breaking the bank: shop between seasons. It sounds like a strange thing to do, to wait until the end of summer before buying summer clothes, but I promise you you'll save a lot of money, and here's why: stores push the season merchandise before the season begins. This means that by the time summer is nearing an end, the retailers need to get the fall and winter clothes out on the floor. So they clearance all of the summer merchandise to get it out of the way.

Shopping between seasons for baby clothes and childrens clothes works with retail stores, specialty boutiques, and online stores like sandboxcouture.com. They key is waiting for the right time. For spring and summer clothes, check out stores in July and August. For winter clothing, check out stores in March and April.

By shopping between seasons, you'll save as much as 75% on clothes! Here's an example of what I picked up last week: four pairs of toddler girls' shorts, four tank tops, and two pairs of toddler boys' shorts. Guess how much I spent? Ready for it? $30. That's right. $30! Thanks to the items being on clearance, I spent an average of $3 per item. These clothes are normally priced anywhere from $3.99 to $12.99 each. :)

He's almost two!

My son turns two on Saturday. I would be lying if I said that these past two years haven't gone by fast. I know a lot of moms often lament that the baby and toddler days seem to drag and drag, but for me they really flew. Of course, having a busy life and another child assisted with that. My son has a sister who is going to be four in October. I also work from home. And since my son's birth, we have moved twice, dealt with a lot of family drama and changes, and have kept busy doing family things. For instance, in the last seven weeks we have gone swimming at least a dozen times, gone mini-golfing four times, have seen three movies (Hancock, Wall-E and Dark Knight), celebrated three birthdays, went to an amusement park, and went on vacation to the NJ shore.

So, two. What do two year old little boys want for their birthday? That's the question I have been getting from family and friends, and I'm having a heck of a time figuring out the answer. I mentioned clothes and/or gift certificates to a few people, simply because my son is going to need fall and winter clothing. His age really hit me then: two. Two means no more baby clothes. Two means shopping in the little boys section, graduating from 4T and 5T to x-small and 4/5.

Moms, let me tell you: the baby and toddler years go by very quickly. Make sure to stop and enjoy the little moments of them!