Prepping the Kids’ Closets for Fall!

Fall has arrived & you can finally start to feel the change of weather in the air, especially with the brisk air on these cold school mornings.  This weekend, I have a goal to do the daunting task of changing the clothes for the season.  This means storing away summer clothes & bringing out the fall clothes.  A dreaded task by many moms!  This year, I am really trying to be a smart shopper when it comes to my kids’ wardrobes.  I used to stock up every time I saw a great deal & then end up with a huge amount of cute clothes that it was absurd.  So this year, I am really trying to pare back & buy what we will use and wear.  Today, I am sharing a few kids’  clothes shopping secrets and some of my favorite picks for fall this year.

1.  Before you do your seasonal shopping, make sure to pull out all the clothes that you have & assess what you really need before you start buying.  I find that it is really hard to follow this step as you start to see all the great adorable finds for the season, but your wallet (& husband) will thank you!

2.  Splurge on a few items that you truly love for the kids. This may be a super cute t-shirt or dress, but these are the items that you will find to be truly special for your child. I stress A FEW not A LOT!

3.  You can always find a good sale on kids’ clothes.  Trust me, I have learned that if you are patient or willing to wait a week or two, you will often find what you want on sale somewhere.  Watch blogs that feature deals & coupons to catch the latest deals!

4.  Don’t be afraid to shop online & watch sales on your favorite sites!  If there is something that I want for the kids, I keep an eye on it to see if it will reduce in price or if the site will offer a promo or free shipping.  Buy on these days & save a few dollars!

5.  Splurge for 1-2 “dressier” outfits.  Most days, my kids wear play clothes that they can run around in & get dirty which are easy to wash & wear again.  Each season, I splurge on a couple nicer outfits that will last through the whole season or for a few years for the more special moments in their life.

6.  Buy each kid a few pairs of super comfortable & long lasting pajamas.  We love pajamas in this house & I have learned to find pajamas that are comfortable & pleasing to the kids which makes for happier kids & happier bedtimes!

3.  Pick up a few fun kids’ accessories.  It’s easy to jazz up a simple outfit with a cute hair bow, hat, jewelry, or other fun accessory.

7.  Be smart when you buy shoes.  Buy shoes that will last, that will be used, & are kid-tested and approved.  Make sure you buy for the correct size & remember that your child’s feet will grow.

8.  Don’t be afraid of hand-me-downs!  At least 50% of what my children wear are hand-me-downs from some awesome friends & older siblings.  It’s so awesome to have these clothes ready to wear for free!

9.  Watch after-season sales for must-have basics.  Now that fall has arrived, I do recommend watching clearance sales on swimsuits & summer essentials:  shorts, tank tops, & summer play clothes.  Every once in awhile, when I find an awesome clearance sale, I will stock up!

10.  When you are putting away a season’s worth of clothes, save items you love & are still in great shape for the next child.  If it is well-worn or not used, pass it along to another child.  Someone will wear it & it’s better to be used than to be sitting in storage for a long time!

Now that I have shared a few of my kids’ wardrobe secrets, I want to share some of my favorite finds & shops for kids this fall.

Little Faces

Little Faces:  As I mentioned above, I love to have a few fun products that I love knowing that we will use them often.  For Abby, that would finding some fun patterned pairs of leggings  that can pair with shirts & sweatshirts.  We love our “star” leggings from Little Faces while Courtney’s girls are wearing the “cupcake” leggings and skirts from the same shop.  Make sure to check out Little Faces for all their fun wardrobe essentials for kids!  Use coupon code: sparkle10 to receive 10% off all purchases at Little Faces!

Sugar Bit

Sugar Bit:  I love these adorable owl pajamas for fall from the online clothing shop, Sugar Bit.  These pajamas from Hatley are perfect for these cool fall nights & are super soft and comfortable for baby girl.  One advice for pajamas is buy up a size so you get a little more wear out of them:)  Sugar Bit is a great online clothing shop for kids with a lot of our favorite designers including Kickee Pants, Hatley, Peaches ‘n Cream, & many more.  The clothes sold at Sugar Bit are high-quality & long-lasting.  It is definitely a site to check out for both great play clothes & attire for the special occasion.

FabKids

Bella Bliss:  We talked about our love for Bella Bliss yesterday in our post here.  Clothes from Bella Bliss are perfect “extra special” outfits to have on hand for those special moments:  fancier dinners out, school pictures, & special occasions.  Make sure to visit our post to learn more about this great shop & have a chance to enter a $50 gift card from Bella Bliss.

Bitty Bow Shop