Category: sleepwear

Children’s Place Summer Emphasizes Bright, Bold and Fun(ctional)

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just in time for our trip to see the Mouse last month, our friends at The Children’s Place once again invited us for their Media Shop Day, this time to check out their latest in summer styles. SummerPlace at the Children’s Place is all about bold, beautiful and fun patterns and graphics, with a whole lot of functionality thrown into the mix. The baby and I had a fun time perusing the bright racks in the Union Square store, stocking up on the great baby and big boy pieces for our trip, but to also last us through our busy summer.

Among my favorites from the Summer 2013 line are the swim coordinates for boys; athletic wear and the cute jumpers for girls. Bright aqua tones for boys were a common sight and we noted lots of orange and pinks for the girls.

According to Michael Giannelli, lead designer, “For summer 2013, the trend we’re seeing everywhere is clothes in bold colors and prints with blazingly bright, neon accents. This style is perfect for kids who love fun, cheerful looks and great for parents who want to keep track of their little ones. With our bright collection, you’ll never lose sight of them.”

True story: I always dress my boys in orange shirts when out and about in large crowds since most people dress their boys in blue and girls in black. Orange is one of those hard to miss, but super fun colors!

Here are a few great finds we spotted at TCP!


It’s been a month since we picked up our selections from TCP and as expected, we’ve been getting the most wear out of the athletic shorts and the coordinating swimwear. Because Biggie plays in various sports, the athletic shorts have been a great to have onhand. I only wish I’d picked up some of the matching sports shirts. The swimwear for baby are all fun, yet durable for frequent washes.


And, in case you don’t get TCP emails, it looks like they’re having a big sale right now. Head on over to stock up on summer essentials before the school clothes hit the racks.

Disclosure: I received a giftcard to purchase clothes to facilitate this review.

The Children’s Place Spring Styles for Babies to Big Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Easter and Passover right around the corner, bulky winter gear is thankfully being replaced with snazzy Spring outfits for the kids.

The Children’s Place, one of my longtime favorites for staples and dress clothes, has a great Spring line up filled with classic styles with plenty of details. This season has styles for everyone, from girls, boys, tots to babies.

We were invited to shop at TCP a few weeks ago to check out the latest offerings first-hand.  With a big boy and a newborn to shop for, my biggest dilemma was deciding which items to take home.  I have a weakness when it comes to shopping for kid’s clothes, which attributes to kids’ overflowing dressers and closets. We had a friend take family portraits shortly thereafter, which gave us a great reason to take the kids’ new clothes from TCP for a spin.

Boys clothes aside, TCP had the most beautiful dresses and outfits for girls, too.  Admittedly, I’m not a head-to-toe pink fan for girls, so I was glad to see that TCP had dresses beyond shades of pink. Most dresses and tops were adorned with bling or some other eye catching details. My favorites were the classic white and black dresses. But most importantly, TCP gets it right with age-appropriate silhouettes for girls.

From Baby to Big Boy

For my own kids, I was excited to find dressy clothes for both boys in one spot.  I haven’t been shopping for two kids that long, but based on my experiences as a kid, I was anticipating having to shop at multiple stores to accommodate different sizes and tastes.  At TCP, we found plenty of jolly roger, pirate-influenced clothes, something my four-year-old is crazy about.  He quickly snactched up some khaki shorts, a tie and collared shirt, all bearing small skull and cross bones details.  I also grabbed some undies, a t-shirt and a nice dress shirt for the big kid, all items that have been getting great wear thus far.  The dress shirt, I noticed, is a different quality from other dress shirts we’ve bought from TCP.  This plaid shirt that looks much like “daddy’s work shirts,” is classic, but soft to the touch.

For the baby, I stocked up on portrait-worthy dress clothes, perfect for Easter Sunday.  A Southern girl through and through, I always love dressing my boys in seersucker.  I was excited to find baby pants and a matching hat, all in seersucker.  I also picked up a dress shirt with anchor details and a few pairs of jammies for the babe.

Be sure to check out their latest in spring and summer clothes!  And before you go shopping, make sure you Google for coupons.  TCP seems to always have good coupons out there.

Full disclosure: We were provided a gift card to The Children’s Place as part of media shop day.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Harajuku Mini for Target Debuts in November

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Target’s become synonymus for partnering with a myriad of cutting edge designers to provide accessible, affordable, yet fabulous collections to the masses.  And kiddie fashion is no exception.

Announced earlier this year, rocker turned designer and fashion icon, Gwen Stefani, partnered with Target for her upcoming collection for kids, Harajuku Mini.  The collection, inspired by Stefani’s penchant for Japanese street-style, touts an eclectic, edgy, yet practical appeal for babies, tots and Tweens.  I love that this collection is edgy, yet not over the top.

The Harajuku Mini for Target lookbook hit the internet last week, but I just got around to checking it all out myself.  The collection is expected to hit stores next month and will feature cute items such as accessories, biker jackets, dresses, onesies and outfits that are totally Holiday worthy. While the animal print and plaid dresses for Tweens are cute, they don’t completely blow me away.  The baby items, little girl outfits (where the pink and black color scheme dominates ) and the boy clothes are super cute.  My faves are pieces that would be perfect for my guy and the new one on the way; at just $20 for both the Mayhem sweatshirt for boys and tuxedo onesie for baby!  And of course, the pilot case for myself!

I never hopped on board the Missoni madness from earlier this fall, but I’ll be the first to incite a little panic for Harajuku-Mini.  The clothes are THAT cute.  Expect the best of the Harajuku Mini line to go quick in stores!

Ranging from $4 to $30, the entire collection will be in stores November 13.  Check out more of my faves from the Harajuku Mini lookbook.

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Dinosaur Train Introduces New Episode and Giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s a chugging kind of day; I’ve got lots of cool train-related news today.

To start off, Buddy and crew are welcoming the new year with a new Dinosaur Train episode.  The Jim Henson Company property that follows a Buddy the dinosaur, along with his family and friends on their train adventures, is chugging along with a new episode called “The Good Mom;” “Diamond Anniversary.”

In the new episode, Mrs. Pteranodon meets fellow mom Millie Maiasaura, who hovers a bit over her kids. The moms share some mothering methods in a play date at the Big Pond.  And, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon decide to surprise each other with gifts on their anniversary.

The new episode can be viewed on PBSkids.com, so be sure to check it out if you missed it.

As fans of both trains and dinosaurs, Dinosaur Train, which airs on PBS, is one of our all around favorites.  We’ve been tracking Dinosaur Train’s adventures way before the very first episode even aired.  Dinosaur Train has been so well received, like many popular shows, licensed toys and products have followed suit.  I love Learning Curve’s Dinosaur Train toys and can’t wait to see what’s up next toy-wise.

But toys aren’t the only Dinosaur Train products worth checking out:  There’s a new line of pjs that are now available at Kohl’s, ideal for this frigid weather.  The Dinosaur Train Striped Footed Pajamas feature a dinosaur appliques and a striped pattern, and I’ve got one to give away.

Giveaway

Would you like to win a size 3t Dinosaur Train Striped Footed Pajamas?  Just tell me why you and your kid(s) like the show and comment below.

Want additional entries?

Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to @jenrab

Follow The Jim Henson Company on Facebook and tell them The Next Kid Thing sent you.

Comment on the NKT FB post associated with this giveaway!

Share this giveaway on any social networking site.

Please comment below for all entries.  This giveaway will end 1/25 at 11:59 p.m. and is available for U.S. residents.  All giveaway winners will be contacted via email, so please be sure to include a valid email address.

Deal Alert: 20 Percent off at 77Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Deal alert:  NKT fave, 77Kids by American Eagle, is having a 7 hour sale today.  Aside from all of the cute new arrivals, like this and this, it looks like a lot of their fall merchandise is on sale.  Already discounted gear, plus another 20% off? Who can say no to some inexpensive and stylish graphic tees, hoodies and then some?  Stash and stock up for next fall or spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To save 20% online at 77Kids from noon-7pm (today only), use code 84678658.  Heading to a store? Just say ‘Happy Birday’ to grab your discount.

Though this post was inspired in part by my newly purchased, super-comfy aerie pj pants, this is not a sponsored post.

The Little Seed Blooms at Target

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Soleil Moonfrye and Paige Goldberg Tolmach, the eco-savvy moms behind the LA-based boutique, The Little Seed, have teamed up with Target to distribute their line of organic baby clothes.  The Life Saver-hued baby line, a shift from neutral and pastel colors that are usually associated with organic baby items, is comprised of layette necessities such as hooded towels, onesies, pull on pants, baby hats and baby booties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to LA Time’s All the Rage blog, it looks like, The 100% organic cotton line is reasonably priced, ranging from $7.99 to $12.99.

The Little Seed items at are available online and in Target stores now.

 

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Summer Fun with Polarn O. Pyret

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and I hope everyone is prepared for fun in the sun!  I’ve got quite the backlog of posts, so I thought I’d dedicate the next few to fun summer-inspired gear.

Speaking of which, I just eyed some fun whimsical summer prints, from the well-loved Swedish line, Polarn O. Pyret.

Polarn O. Pyret, synonomous with classic, well-made children’s clothing, has a distinctive European flair that stands out among the crowd.  Polarn O. Pyret accommodates sizes from babies to big kids and even mamas, too.  I love that so many of their prints and designs are gender-neutral, including this fun sailboat-clad Summer Fun T for baby.  The line also offers a fabulous variety of eco-friendly clothing that uses organic cotton, with sizes also available for baby, big kid and mama.

Check it

In the NYC area?  Citibabes is having Polarn O. Pyret trunk shows at its Scarsdale and SoHo locations.

Check out the Scarsdale Citibabes on June 3 for the Polarn O. Pyret trunk show.
RSVP to scarsdale@citibabes.com or 914.725.3334.

Check out the SoHo Citibabes on June 9th and 10th for the Polarn O. Pyret trunk show.
RSVP to soho@citibabes.com or 212.334.5440

 

aden + anais Cozy Sleeping Bag Review and Giveaway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With this as one of the coldest winters on record, naturally, parents have been doing what they can to keep babes big and small warm all winter long.

But did you know that infants who are overdressed or covered in heavy blankets or many blankets are at higher risk for SIDS? Contrary to our instincts to layer heavy blankets on ourselves, it is advised that babies to be dressed lightly to avoid overheating. The CJ Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the special needs of the SIDS community through funding SIDS research, support services and public awareness programs, recommends the use of wearable blankets and sleep-sacks in place of blankets to keep infants warm while sleeping.

One of my favorite baby brands aden + anais, who is a sponsor of the CJ Foundation, makes Cozy Sleeping Bag, which keeps these safe sleeping recommendations in mind.