For cute presentation, this sweet pea bundle of baby layette essentials gets a gold star. A woven basket is filled with organic cotton baby basics, including a baby blanket, footed pjs, a cap and bib, and a peas in a pod shaped rattle. The color is a natural beige throughout, with the sweet pea motif of a baby bundled in a pea pod decorating each item. The basket could be re-used again and again by the new mother too, either for keeping baby toiletries in, or giving gifts to the next new mother, so it doesn’t need to be a waste of resources. For elegant mothers who love the quality of organic cotton, as well as its chemical free benefits, this Baby Aspen classic gift set is sure to be a hit at baby showers.

The set costs $54.99 at amazon.com.

We all understand that you get what you pay for, but that line of thinking is causing us to plan to “get” less. Instead of thinking of your children’s clothes as durable diapers, think of them as a longer-term investment.

How is that possible? You can’t make your child stay in the same size longer than he or she actually wears it! No, you can’t. But if you plan to have more kids yourself, or if you have friends or relatives who plan to have kids after you, it can be worthwhile to buy nicer things and not write them off once those gangly arms and legs render them unsuitable. Buying quality clothing, laundering it correctly, and storing it efficiently keeps your nicest items in good condition for other kids.

That may sound suspiciously like a roundabout way of saying, “Spend more money.” Don’t count on it. On top of all the old tricks–surfing the clearance racks, shopping at liquidation stores, redeeming loyalty points–you can also outfit your kids in nicer things for less money with some quality time spent online.

It doesn’t take long at all to zip through a search and find coupon codes for Hanna Andersson, a retailer of some really beautiful and unique clothing for people of all ages. With the savings you accumulate, you get that wonderful choice: Get the same items for less money than you originally thought, or get those items plus some other things for the same expenditure that you expected would get you much less. Call it the bargain shopper’s conundrum, and enjoy it.

And don’t forget each fall to prepare yourself to take advantage of the best Black Friday deals. Make a promise to yourself that you’ll avoid paying retail at every opportunity.

In the tearjerking stories of our grandparents, the younger siblings always bemoaned ending up with the hand-me-downs of the older ones, who had already worn out the garments before little sisters and brothers got them.

That has given a bad name to hand-me-downs, so let’s coin a term. Let’s call it “Sibling Garment Succession”. Or maybe instead of saying we’re handing it down, let’s say we’re saving it up.

Terminology aside, these truly aren’t your grandmother’s hand-me-downs. Grandma’s were washed in harsh soap with a hand wringer and dried in the beating down sun. Yours have a gentle cycle and a low-temp dryer.

That means that you’re not passing along the rags from kid to kid. You are spending your money wisely up front to make a purchase that will benefit all your children. Remember that when spending is really investing, there’s a benefit to reap that will repay you more than you think. Don’t hand them down, save them up!

$21.00
for an organic lap tee at Baby Wit

Around the four or five month mark, you will need to start investing in maternity wear for the remainder of your pregnancy. That bump is only going to get bigger and there’s only so long you can continue to squeeze into normal size clothes. The question is, what style of maternity look should you go for?

Until fairly recently, it was considered the decent thing to do to hide your bump as much as possible. In Victorian times, women weren’t even allowed to go out when they were pregnant. This was known as a ‘confinement’, one of many strict social conventions imposed on society in Victorian times.

Over the last thirty years or so, however, it has become accepted to show your pregnancy off to the world. Some people expose their rounded midriffs with crop tops and dresses which cling to their baby bump. Others wear looser clothes which gently drape around the wearer’s new curves. Overall, the vast majority of pregnant women wear flattering and stylish clothing in styles which suit both themselves and their
bumps.

When you do start shopping for clothes, there are a few factors to consider. First of all, think about what sorts of colours you prefer to wear. It is a good idea to choose maternity wear in colours which suit you, to help you feel at your most confident. Then there is the matter of whether you would prefer to dress your bump loosely or in clinging clothes. This is a question of personal preference – whatever works for you.

Online and in stores you will find a great selection of maternity wear for the coming season. Dress for cool in a babydoll or shift chiffon dress. Wear comfy khaki, linen or jeans in maternity sizes and cover your bump with cute t-shirts. A flowing maxi dress works really well to help keep your profile looking nice and slim. If you are planning
to work throughout your pregnancy, then there are super chic blouses and pencil skirts to choose from to keep you looking cool.

Kate Middleton has done a pretty good job so far of looking stylish and classy as a Royal Mum-to-Be. She chooses flowing dresses and carefully tailored coats to gently drape her bump, combining these with black tights and heels to accentuate her lovely long legs. With a little bit of thought, you too can look as classy as Kate.

Author Bio:
Donna Redman is a fashion blogger who is very impressed with the maternity collections out there this season.

$9.95 at Taraluna