Thanks, Amanda and Layla Grace!

We won a contest on Amanda's blog recently and received the fabulous prize from Layla Grace… I think Roo likes it, what do you think?


Thank you!!!

The Itchless Tutu!

Roo loves princessy, fluffy things but she hates tutus because they're scratchy. I'm not ordinarily a girlie girl but for some reason I love the way little girls look in tutus, the poofier the better. Imagine our delight at discovering TutuLegz, a tutu engineered for maximum wearability.




TutuLegz were designed by two sisters whose mission was to "get the tutu out of the dress-up box and into the everyday wardrobe." Their ingenious solution was to attach a mini tutu-bubble to the stretchy, comfy leggings that most little girls love to wear. The tutu starts below the elastic waistband so there is no problem with scratchiness. TutuLegz' tutu fabric is actually softer than most tulle I've encounted, anyway. The tutus are attached to striped or dotted leggings and feature cute themed embellishments. The TutuLegz Roo is wearing are The Lil' Rockstar design, with tiny pink guitars. I also love the Happy Hearts TutuLegz, especially with its matching tee:



TutuLegz are available in three lengths (Shorts, Capris and Full Length) for sizes newborn-5T. I wish they were available in mommy sizes!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

I know, I know. Everything she does is fabulous. But this time, Kathleen's gone and made a fluffy Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt and I really, really think Roo needs it. Her birthday is on Sunday. The big 5. It might hurt mommy less if Roo looked like a living cupcake…

Skirt(y)ing The Issue

I've been holding off of writing about this particular item because I really wanted to get an action shot of Roo in it. No dice. Bob's been bugging me all summer about getting Roo some little shorts or something to wear underneath her skirts now that she's shed any semblance of baby and is a full-fledged girl. She's been flashing her panties to the world and apparently it bothers her overprotective daddy. But when mommy grabs a camera and tries to get her to pull her skirt up, no way, no how. Four year olds are like that.

Anyway, I found the perfect solution for girls like Roo who alternate between being total princesses and skinned-knee tomboys: The Skirty. Cuter than bike shorts but not as fussy as pantaloons or bloomers, The Skirty maintains some decorum on the playground. And look at the pretty lace!



Roo likes it because it has a lower waist and she has an irrational dislike of anything that touches her belly button. The Skirty also acts as an added layer for those stubborn gals who refuse to wear anything but dresses. All year 'round. Did I mention how totally adorable the lace trim is?



The Skirty was created by Rebekah Merkle, an Idaho expat and mother of five gorgeous kids living in the bucolic English countryside. She envisioned it as an accoutrement to her clothing line, Amoretti Designs, which will unveil its new Spring collection in January. She believes that beautiful clothes and practical clothes for children are not mutually exclusive. The Skirty provides a rock-solid (yet daintily lacy!) foundation for her graceful designs.



If you would like the chance to win a Skirty, visit Rebekah's blog Amoretti and the Fortnightly Purse where she gives one away fortnightly– every two weeks. The current contest ends on September 26th, so hurry! And bear in mind that for every Skirty you buy through December 31, you will get a chance to win $100 credit toward Amoretti Designs' Spring Collection!

Tilt-a-Whirl with Twirly Girl!

When I was halfway through high school, we moved to Texas from Hawaii. It was an abrupt change in many ways but especially in the pageantry of academia. Texas is showy, y'all! I remember trying to figure out who fit in where and asking a Barbie-esque, bowheaded girl if she was a cheerleader. She looked horrified. "No, I TWIRL!" she exclaimed. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. She could have been from outer space, for all I knew.

Well, now I have my very own little alien who likes to twirl and layer on the pink. TwirlyGirl is an online boutique that caters to such creatures, as one might assume. But far from being frilly, frou-frou nightmares, their clothes are spunky and even practical to a certain extent. TwirlyGirl's skirts and many of their dresses are reversible, as well as twirly! So your little whirling dervish can spin out to her heart's content AND wear the same thing tomorrow, if need be… just flip it inside-out.



I love the crazy colors and patterns, which keep TwirlyGirl clothing from being to precious or princess-y. And the convenience of just flipping it inside out in case of spills or boredom is totally thrilling to the mom in me.



The new SuperFun dresses aren't reversible but they double as dress-up clothes because they feature WINGS:



Just lovely. I wish they made clothes in my size! I think I could rock the skirted pants or definitely the fun leggings under a slightly more subdued twirly skirt.




But alas, TwirlyGirl is just for kids. So far…

Gonna Dress You Up in My Love…

***WINNER PICKED 12/22 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #24: Three Ps in a Pod!!!***

Roo loves dressing up. No matter how hard you try to imbue your daughter with a tomboy spirit and feminist manifesto, it seems like they all want to be a princess, at least on the outside. Unfortunately, unwashable crunchy poly satin and stretch sequin foiled fabric with glued on maribou trim seems to be the hallmark of the Princess costume monopoly. Most of these things are itchy and uncomfortable, with stiff elastic and scratchy trim that belies their sparkly countenance. It makes absolutely no sense in my world to market a garment for toddlers and young kids to play in more than once when it can only be "wiped clean with a damp cloth."

We have a couple of leftover Halloween costumes that are woefully frayed and, impressively, a ballet costume my obaasan made for my mom when she was little that Roo has worn literally to death. But nothing has come remotely close to the sighs of ecstasy I witnessed when Roo opened her dress up costume (Pink Pauper Princess) from Little Adventures. I swear, she swooned! Then she snatched it and ran to change, yelling "privacy!" She emerged in kind of a spastic frenzy, whirling and twirling around, reminiscent of Kirsten Dunst in Interview With A Vampire:



Then she mellowed out a little, re-accessorized, and did some curtseys.



And then she felt regal enough to bust out the Hot Wheels because Little Adventures dress up wear is actually comfortable enough to move around and PLAY in:


If you don't have daughters (or if your daughters aren't into all things Princess!), Little Adventures also has a super selection of boy dress ups, including this fantastic armor set that I wish came in 6 month size for Jasper…



I also love the matching Little Adventures doll dress ups, although I am slightly embarrassed to admit it. I never played with dolls much as a child but Roo sure loves them. I haven't plunked down the money for a big ticket dolly yet (I am coveting a Karito Kids doll) but it's nice to know she could play dress up with one… Check out this adorable Winter Beauty dress for 15"-20" dolls or plush animals:



Would your little girl like to be a Winter Beauty, too? Enter to win this luxe red velvet and white satin gown (a $25 value, which I find more than reasonable for such a quality garment… the sucky ones from the big box stores cost just as much, if not more), currently available in small (2T-4T) or large (6-8) . To enter, simply leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from the Little Adventures website.



Entries will be accepted through December 21st. US/Canada readers only, please. Make sure you leave an email address or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! If I can't find your email, I will pick a new winner. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR BLOG PROFILE IS SET TO PUBLIC AND THAT THERE IS AN EMAIL AVAILABLE ON YOUR BLOG OR LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENT!!! Only one entry/comment per person, please. Delivery is not guaranteed for Christmas.

Little Adventures products are only available through licensed vendors.
Visit their retail index for a location near you.

Tea for Two

So cute, I want a set for myself…




I think Roo's still a bit young for them but oh how sweet are they?! $34.50 at Delight.com.