Whole World Baby

Every time I get that invitation in the mail I panic. It’s a Boy! It’s a Girl! It’s another gift I have to shop for, buy, wrap and deliver. I go through a litany of questions. What are the baby’s parents like? Do they like organic clothing, handmade gifts or store bought trendy items? I hit the World Wide Web and search for Baby shower gifts, baby shower ideas and unique baby gifts. I discover that thousands of people are searching for the same thing and there’s nothing very unique out there anyway. I descend into baby shower hopelessness and consider pretending I never got the invite.

Finally, common sense and kind heartedness return to me and I get busy. What was I thinking? It’s not so much a challenge but an opportunity. It’s actually just like those first few months of parenthood when we are forced to surrender to a new way of thinking and living. I decide to look for gifts that truly represent what that new life will represent, a gift that gives back.  When I search for gifts that give to charity I am amazed to see the many choices available. The cynic in me that believes this kind of thing will never catch on retreats and I am engulfed by a hope. My hope is that this trend of companies donating a percentage of profits to charity will become more than a trend.

There are some trends that stick around for much too long. The plastic shoes from the 1980’s would be an excellent example of that phenomenon. Then there are trends that that fade too quickly into that good night. I hope that things like home made gifts, organic clothing and socially conscious giving do not disappear but thrive. There is only one way we can give really unique baby gifts. We must  hold on tightly to the unique belief that if enough of us give gifts that keep on giving, the world will indeed be a better place for our children.

We all want to be eco friendly, socially responsible and trendsetting moms. How we do that on a budget is a good question. I’ve spent hours shopping for cool kids clothing and the latest baby fashion trends. Usually I end up with one overpriced piece of kids’ fashion that she outgrows in a few months. So how can we keep our babies, toddlers and kids looking darling without breaking the bank?

First, mix and match. That is the key for adult fashion and it goes for children as well. When we follow the rules our style usually ends up being pretty boring and safe. So go ahead and put stripes with polka dots or a frilly dress over jeans. Don’t feel obligated to put a pair of Mary Jane’s on your child with her birthday dress. Try that light up sneakers that she just had to have with her birthday ensemble and create a unique style of her own.

Second, don’t be confined by the seasonal limitations of the clothing. Put a sleeveless summer dress over a long sleeved t-shirt and you’ve got a whole new look. My daughter loves to wear her spring colored tutu over her jeans with her frog covered rain boots on a cool autumn day. Remember Annie Hall? It was the layers that gave her fashion that uncommon flair.

Third, often times little tots grow out clothing before they’ve had a chance where them sufficiently. It’s frustrating to pass along a favorite toddler outfit to a friend’s baby when your own child has worn it only once or twice. Think those pants that still fit in the waist are too short for your child? Think again. A pair of funky socks kick those floods into cool baby clothes central. That jacket still fit in the arms but too short around the waist?  Put a sweet ruffled dress over a pair of leggings and that jacket becomes a short waisted jacket fashion trend for kids. Every baby dress becomes a toddler’s top with a pair of pants.

It’s not where you live or what store you buy your kids’ clothing from that matter. It’s not following the latest fashion trend for kids or wearing designer children’s clothing that makes our children hip, cool or fashionable. It’s that fact that mom shares a unique sense of baby style, ingenuity and individuality that makes a kid really cool. It’s always those kids who look like their parents didn’t spend a ton of money but a ton of love that grab our hearts. They have that certain “mom just threw this outfit together before we ran out the door” look we all want to emulate. That is so much more interesting, not to mention more inexpensive, than the perfect baby or toddler outfit prepackaged from some hip kids clothing store.