Winter Wear

Winter has come fast this year, and is always a difficult time for us as parents to get our children to stay warm while still remaining comfortable. I always picture the poor little brother from the movie A Christmas Story, and how he is so cramped in a snowsuit that he can hardly move. Sometimes we overdo it, assuming that our children will come home with frostbite if we don't bundle them up in every piece of warm clothing we can find in our house. Sometimes we forget that children need room to play and do what they do best, be a child.
While searching for winter coats for Sierra this year I was taken away by the great coats that are now being produced. With lighter weight materials like wool blends and staying away from the usual feather down puff jumpsuits, I was able to find something we could both agree on. I also found so many great new cuts that actually keep a child’s figure instead of the ever so popular snowman silhouette we are so used to seeing. The great new additions to winter wear for this year seems to be the simple and classic colors. This year, we seem to be staying away from the bold and sometimes obnoxious prints and loud colors that were so popular in the 80's, and should have stayed there. I have noticed allot of neutral earth tones and softer pastels mixed with some bold rich colors like reds and purples. Argyle prints have remained over the centuries and have come out with some new and more fun spins on this classic style. They are fun to play with and easy to layer by pulling out any one of the colors in the mix. Keep in mind, that layering is the best option and can be much more comfortable than a heavy sweater and bunchy coat. Find some lightweight long-sleeved shirts in any color and throw a simple heavier sweater with a fun print over it. STAY AWAY FROM AWFULL CHRISTMAS SCENE SWEATERS! Remember, would you wear it? If the answer is no, then neither should your little one.

While at a park in Paris, I couldn’t help but notice the amazing accessories that some of these children had on too. Hats, gloves and especially scarves seemed to be the popular garb for this years winter season. I am a huge fan of accessorizing, but know that these items tend to get lost by our little angels during play, so I came up with an easy do-it-yourself solution. By attaching a small line of heavy thread with a button to the inside of your child’s jacket and then attaching the other end to some gloves (remember to put the proper glove to the appropriate jacket sleeve) they now will never be able to come home with only one glove again! Then sewing the middle of the scarf to the back inside of the coat, and no missing scarves either. I haven’t come up with a way to keep their hats on yet, I'm just glad to see Sierra come back from the park with her head!