Can I get a Woot, Woot?

Sorry, we've all decided to take a bit of unplanned vacation from our blog, just to evaluate our purpose and mission. It is much needed!!

While we try to think things out, I couldn't help but post some of my favorite deals for the week. It's Wednesday so I thought I'd start out the week, spending money instead of making money...always a bad sign when I need retail therapy. But, how about I spin it and say, it's always a good start to week when I can start it SAVING money?!

1. Kids Woot. It just launched the site yesterday. It's Woot but for kid stuff. According to Kids.Woot, by "stuff", they mean "everything from carseats to apparel to educational toys & games to non-educational toys & games – all the accoutrements that make your little bundle of joy so damn expensive."

My husband is in love and in trouble! He has a even softer spot for bargains than me. For today, Thomas the Train Talking Railway Set with Engine Recognition Technology. Retails for $140-$160 but on Kids.Woot for $49.99 and $5 shipping. Can I say, stock up for Christmas?!


2. Tarte Cosmetics: Now, that you've got something for the kids, what about for yourself? I love Tarte's cheek stain (normally $30) because it's idiot-proof make-up and that's really all I can handle.

Now that I think about it, I sure spend a lot money on appearing to not have anything on...Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me, either. At $18 a pop, it's time to get cheeky. Use the coupon code "FF09". Shipping starts at $5, or get free shipping on orders of $60 or more. Coupon expires August 24.

3. Spending all that money....hmm, I mean.... saving all that money can make a person hungry. Why not get the Buy one meal, get one meal free from Boston Market? Save the meal making for another day because shopping is exhausting! Coupon expires Thursday, August 27th.

Enjoy the savings!

-Thuy

Craigslist in Pictures

I love a good bargain and, in our area, the first and foremost place for such deals is the venerable Craigslist. Where else can one swap things, search for a job, find an apartment, potentially meet their future spouse, and sell their old baby toys, all in one URL? Also, did I mention I sometimes go on to read all the missed connections? Some are really sweet messages of yearning and some are just plain creepy, but it's fun to casually browse...just don't get sucked into reading them all.

Lately I've been on Craigslist because I've been searching for the perfect desk/play table for M and, though I keep searching with the mentality of, "I'll know it when I see it...", I quickly became frustrated at having to click on every post just to see the posted picture. Well, it looks like I found a site that only shows me the pictures within the category I'm looking at. It's called Listpic, and it's been a simple solution to filter out only the posts that have pictures.

I admit it's not a very robust search tool, but it does the job for a quick browse in the morning. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

-Thuy

Beyond Bulk Buying

I just came back from traveling with the family down to Southern California to visit friends and relatives and though we prefer “staycations,” it was a good way to test the waters before planning longer, more adventurous trips with an active toddler.

I’m a horrible procrastinator and despite knowing of the trip months in advance, I still planned it last minute and thought surely I’d probably have to pay through the nose for it. Not true. The Deal Gods must be looking down on me...I got amazing deals on Southwest airfare despite buying my tickets only a week in advance (HINT: always check airfare first; don’t assume it’s cost prohibitive) and even more drool worthy car rental deal of $14 per day for a mid-size from Costco. Yep, I said, Costco. Seriously, it cost more for us to park the car at the hotel than to drive it around.

Even as a single person, I shopped at Costco and some of my friends would laugh because it seemed excessive but it’s been so ingrained in me to try to get the best value out of anything. So aside from buying paper towels, wipes, and roasted chicken, and now, booking some of my travel plans from the website, I have also added hardware to my list. During my kitchen remodel, I bought a name brand garbage disposal, German engineered kitchen faucet, and other hardware accessories at extremely reasonable prices. Now, in the midst of our bathroom remodel, I turn to Costco once again for my bathroom vanity which was delivered this morning.

I get overwhelmed by too many options and after going to three showrooms, I just needed my choices narrowed down for me. Plus, if I don't like what I order from Costco.com, they have an amazing return policy. Not that I would ever do this, but I saw a person return a BBQ, 3 years after they’ve bought it. Costco still took it back. Got to love a company with that generous of a policy.

Before making any new purchases, I am now in the habit of looking at what’s available at Costco.com first. Just last week, I saw Phil and Ted Vibe Stroller with Doubles Kit for around $500. Their selection changes daily so it's been fun just checking to see what they have online. Here are some things for the kids that you might have never thought to look at Costco for, including the Boon bath set. For $44 you get the frog, the flo, and bath toys, and shipping and handling is included. It is indeed a boon to find such a deal!


Check out some other items that you might have never thought you'd find at Costco.com:

Play kitchens:

Nursery furniture:

Announcements, invitations and thank you cards:



Family ticket pack for Legoland, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and Disneyland:

Browse around because it's always fun to just look.

-Thuy

Public Service Announcement

It's been awhile since I've posted deals, but it's Friday and what better way to end the week than to save you all a few pretty pennies. Here are a smattering of deals that I found this week:

1. Pampers on Amazon:
Save up to 30% on select Pampers and Luvs diapers sold by Amazon.com. Save 15% when you enter code PMPRSJN9 at checkout. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine the instant rebate with your Subscribe & Save order--bringing your total savings to 30%. Subscribe & Save is only offered on select Pampers and Luvs products. Offer valid through May 31, 2009. (You don't have to commit to Subscribe and Save; simply cancel after your order ships).

2. Quinny Buzz & Zapp Strollers, and Maxi Cosi Car Seats:
Save 50% on the 2008 Quinny Buzz and Zapp strollers, as well as the Maxi Cosi Car Seats. We bought our Quinny Buzz from AlbeeBaby and are really happy with it. Even happier that we got it 50% off!

3. The Gap:
Save 25% off a purchase of $100 or more via coupon code "SUMMER".. Shipping is a flat-rate $7, or spend over $150 for free shipping. Sales tax is added where applicable. Coupon expires May 25.

4. JCREW:
Save 20% off $175 or more through Memorial Day via coupon code "SUMMER."

5. FREE Coldplay Album:
"LeftRightLeftRightLeft," the free live album that Coldplay is giving away on CD to every fan who attends this summer's "Viva La Vida" tour, is now available as a free download from the band's website. Simply enter your e-mail to download the free album.

I bet you're digging how I can include Coldplay and diapers in one posting, huh?! :) Enjoy!!

-Thuy

What's the Dealio?

I fell off the wagon today. For the past couple of months, I've been very good about refraining from shopping. Our current economic crisis means shoring up the emergency fund and exercising major restraint even when the sales are so tempting. Well, this week, I caved. I caved BIG.

I really do have an excuse, though. I am starting a new job next Monday and, this week, I felt like I needed to do some back to school shopping. Perfectly justifiably, right? (Like Kacey, I can justify any purchase.) The good news is that I rarely buy anything unless it's on sale. Somhow, the price of an item can dictate how cute it is. You know, a cute top suddenly becomes a whole lot cuter with an additional 30% off.

Alas, here are some places that have excellent sales going on. Go ahead and shop; you never have to justify your purchases to me.

1. Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy: 30% off through Sunday.


2. JCrew.com: 20% off everything through today, Friday, March 13th. Promotion code: Secret.

3. Crazy 8: 20% off everything + free shipping through March 22, 2009. Promotion Code: SAVE20.

4. Tea Collection
Tea Collection Sample Sale: March 21, 2009 from 9am - 1pm.
1 Arkansas Street (@ 16th), Suite B, San Francisco, CA
COST: $10 admission fee to be donated to The Global Fund for Children! Bring your own bag and get $5 off.

We love Tea Collection clothes and if you do too, you could win a $200 gift certificate to use at teacollection.com by submitting your kiddies' pictures by the last day of each month on Facebook. Winners are chosen monthly.

With so many sales, how could I possibly cover them all? I can't. Instead, I check out Bradsdeals, a great site that I found recently that does a wonderful job of listing all the sales. I love that he has the printable Michaels 40% off coupon or Joanne's coupon on his site. No need to dig through the newspapers when you can print directly from this website. So useful for when you are suddenly feeling crafty!

If you have any deals to share, please do!! I love to hear about other sales out there.

Happy Savings, everyone!

-Thuy

Oops! I Forgot the Link

Many of you are have voiced interest in purchasing the iBend, but I completely forgot to give you the link. You cannot buy it at an Apple store, only online. Get yours here by clicking on the picture.

Enjoy!

-Kacey

iBend Diet

It’s been said that purpose is the natural expression of who you are, utilizing all your gifts and talents. If this is true, then Emi’s purpose in life is to become a competitive eater. She has a natural talent of shoving food into her face, one urgent fist full immediately after the other, like a neurotic chipmunk on cocaine. Usually, as relatively responsible parents, we try to limit her attempts to inhale her meals. But sometimes you just have to sit back and watch the majesty of it all. It’s what I imagine it would be like to go back in time and watch Jordan play basketball as a child.



Being half Japanese, she does have roll models that she can aspire to:

When we bring Emi to restaurants and allow her to eat what a normal child would eat in an abnormal amount of time, the only way we can discontinue her ingestion and avoid a meltdown is to distract her with her favorite show – The Backyardigans.

We download episodes onto my iPhone (reason #305 that I love this phone) and play them while we eat our meal. This tactic has worked beautifully. The only problem was that Emi kept waving my phone around and I was afraid it might break. I tried propping the phone up against a glass, but it would not stay in place. Agh!

Enter the iBend, my good friend Dara’s husband’s genius invention.


It allows my iPhone to be propped up so that Emi can watch her show and I can eat in peace.

I love the fact that it’s slim enough to fit in my wallet, comes with two in a pack, is childproof, and cost less than $5 bucks. In addition, I use it at home to prop up my phone with the nightstand application. In all seriousness, this little gadget has changed our life, and fingers crossed, will also have an impact on Emi's waistline.

-Kacey

Book Swap

I started out this year obsessed with decluttering. It's now turned into fanaticism because, in my effort to get organized, I have created various stacks around my house to donate, to toss, to return, to recycle, to pass on to friends, to file, etc. These stacks are out of control and may not be helping my cause. It is supposed to get worse before it gets better, right?

There are two stacks that I am particularly proud of: BOOKS TO KEEP and BOOKS TO SWAP. My husband and I are voracious readers. We spend a lot of time and money on books. As much as we would love to hold onto all of them, we need to keep tight control of our book selection until the glorious day arrives when we are able to have our own library. (A girl can dream, can't she?!) So, almost exactly a year ago, I joined http://www.paperbackswap.com/ to help manage our bookshelves. It's been a great experience.

Paperbackswap is basically a FREE online book swap community. Initially, I simply committed to swap twelve books. By doing so, I instantly earned three points to "spend." Each book I request "costs" me a point and each book I send out "earns" me a point. You can buy points too, but I've never had to do that.

I've swapped over 40 books over the course of a year. This week, I received two books that I waited a few months for: A Thousand Splendid Suns and Water for Elephants. (These popular books had a long wait time, but most books do not). I didn't mind waiting and can't wait to dive into these books, although if they're anything like Kite Runner, I'm sure I will be up all night reading.

Like I need more dark circles under my eyes.

-Thuy

Egg-citing!

I came across Egg-Baby clothing in the Cookie magazine not too long ago and thought how cute and luxurious their stuff is. You know how you look at kids' clothes and think if only they made it in my size...No? Okay, maybe it's just me, but this is definitely one of the brands that comes to mind when I envision myself in kids' clothes. However, the prices always stopped me.

BUT WAIT...How about now when everything is 50% off?! Hmmm...I might be tempted to buy M another hat and booties even though we're in California. It does get cold here, so maybe I can still justify the purchase. I can justify any purchase, really. I consider it quite a gift!

Egg-baby.com is celebrating their launch by inviting you to take advantage of a 50% discount off your purchase now through December 23rd. The code for 50% off your entire purchase: holiday08.

If you're in New York, they have a sample sale as well. It's in Dumbo, Brooklyn (hahaha):

Blow-Out Holiday Sample Sale through January 4th

Mon-Sat 10:00am-6:00pm, Sun 11:00am-5:00pm

Located at 143 Front Street (across from Chase Bank)

F train to York Street stop

Fall & Spring seasons up to 80% off retail

Happy Retail, everyone!

-Thuy

Take a Leap...Frog

We love the Leapfrog products and thought we'd pass the savings along. Stock up for the holidays and enjoy the savings!


-Thuy

Toys Worth Buying: Part Deux

Since posting my list of toys worth buying for children ages 0-2 last week, I have been asked by a few readers to keep the information coming, especially for older kids. In putting this version of the list together, I considered consulting my husband. However, I quickly realized that unless our readers are looking for a slingshot parachute flying monkey with screaming sound, this might not be the best idea.

Here’s a brief description of the toy that my husband picked out and purchased for M. (Please do not judge me by his toy choices.)

• The Slingshot Flying Monkey is "limited edition" for 2008. (No joke!!!)
• The monkey can be shot long distances using his elastic arms.
• The user makes the monkey take flight by putting two fingers in the hand pockets, pulling back, and letting go.
• Every time you shoot him, he lets out two loud monkey calls.

Lucky for you, my Toys Worth Buying list for children ages 2-4 is monkey-free:

1. Bubbles, Bubbles, Who doesn’t love Bubbles? ($15): I am cheating with this a bit because our favorite thing to do is blowing and popping bubbles. We love the Gymboree Bubble Kit, but may graduate to the One Step Ahead version because M will have more control over the bubbles.

2. Automoblox ($30): Cool and fun cars for kids and adults to play with. Collect the three smaller cars first, then consider the bigger cars because they can be pricey.

3. Babybug Magazine ($34 for a year subscription): Great way to introduce your little one to mail and affirm their love of books. It’s basically a year-long book subscription. Who doesn’t love getting mail?

4. Schylling Stacking Robots ($15): This toy officially labeled me as a cool aunt. We have a few of these robots for everyone who comes over to our house. I love playing with them and can’t wait for M to be old enough to enjoy them too. Buy two at least for more fun. Rule for buying toys at this age: buy games you want to play with your kids; otherwise it is a waste for everyone.

5. Zimbbos ($25) : Who doesn’t love a fantastic pyramid of balancing elephants? It’s a great game for kids and adults. The company, Blue Orange, offers a wonderful array of games that are award winning.

6. My First LeapPad ($45): A fun and educational toy for your kids. You can switch books when the kids get bored. Genius!

7. Green Toys Tea Set ($25): Aside from being made from recycled milk jugs, these are super cute and completely safe for kids. Perfect for tea with my neice! Now, all I have to find are silly hats and gloves to wear.

8. Photo Book (FREE): Not necessarily a toy, but a ton of fun for you and your child. M recently learned to walk, so we are having a great time with him during his exploring phase. On our long walks together, I try to remember to take my camera so that we can photograph the things we see: family, friends, neighbors, neighborhood dogs, the leaves, the park, ants, and even grocery carts. Doing so captures all of the words we are learning together.

As a Christmas gift for M, I thought it would be fun to put our photos to use. My first idea is to laminate several of the photos and create a memory game that he and I can play together. Not only will the game reinforce the words we are learning, but it will also help him to further develop his matching skills. I am also puting together an album of the photos we've taken during our walks. To my absolute delight, my timing for creating this book couldn't be better. I learned this week that, with Oprah's help, the photobook is free.

FREEBIE and COUPON ALERT: I love Oprah and have been a dedicated viewer for over four years (or ever since I got Tivo). This week, my dedication has paid off! Oprah is offering her viewers a free 20-page, 8 x 11 inch Custom Cover Photo Book from Snapfish. Offer ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, November 14.

Oprah, the most generous person on TV, is also offering her viewers a 20% off coupon at the Container Store until Wednesday, November 19th. I could spend hours in this store, but it’s so expensive. Now, through the power of Oprah, I can feel a little less guilty about my shopping...at least for a week anyway. Check out Oprah's website for additional organization and de-cluttering tips.

A final tip: If books are your thing, check out Chronicle Books. They are offering a 25% discount and free shipping with the code WHS1008. Offer ends Saturday, November 15. I know many little boys who would love the Big, Bigger, and Biggest Trucks and Diggers book.

I hope you enjoyed our list. Don't forget to enter in our cool giveaway! Mama's got a brand new bag...to give away, that is.

-Thuy

Our First Bloggy Giveaway!!!

Christmas is just around the corner and what better way to kick off the shopping season than by giving a present to the most overlooked person on your gift list…yourself!

Loom has graciously agreed to give away their beautiful and functional Go Tote Canvas pictured above to one lucky 3 Bay B Chicks reader. The bag, known as the "essential urban hauler", is valued at $105. To enter the content, visit the company's website. Once done, come back to the 3 Bay B Chicks blog and leave a comment letting us know which Loom item you love most and why. Who knows? That very accessory may be the prize for a future giveaway!

And because every contest must have them, here are our Official Rules:

1) Contest ends on Wednesday, November 19th at 12:00 a.m. PST.
2) Contestants may submit their entry by commenting on any post on the 3 Bay B Chicks blog during the contest period.
3) One entry per person.
4) No purchase necessary.
5) Entrants must be U.S. residents age 18 or older.
6) The winner will be selected at random on Thursday, November 20th and contacted via email. The winner will also be announced on the 3 Bay B Chicks website.
7) Any failure to respond to the prize notification within three business days will result in the prize going to an alternate winner.
8) Neither the 3 Bay B Chicks nor Loom may be held responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

Good luck!

Also, if you've missed the warehouse sale at Loom last weekend, it's not too late to take advantage of their amazing sale prices. All regularly priced items are still 40% off. Simply go to Loom's website to make your selection and then send an e-mail to info@loomlife.com with “FALL SALE” in the subject line. Be sure to include your order details and payment information. Loom will contact you via e-mail to confirm your order.

As you know, I can never resist a sale and ended up buying a few of these adorable pop bins to store M's many toys. Anything to restore our house to the semi state of order that existed before M!!

-Thuy

Coupon Poetry

When I was pregnant with my son, my mother-in-law bought me a book entitled, Haiku Mama. The subtitle to this book is, "because 17 syllables is all you have time to read." I had to laugh when I received the gift. How could having children possibly make me so busy that I would not have time to read? I had always been successful at creating time for myself.

How very little I knew back then. As testament to my naivety, I realized yesterday that my mother-in-law gave me Haiku Mama in 2005 and I am finally reading it for the first time. I took a few moments while G was at pre-school and L was taking her morning nap to flip through some of the pages. Here are are haiku's that are especially fitting for me:

Chocolate beckons;
too old for trick-or-treating,
right age for stealing.

Wrong to eat bagel,
Sour Patch Kids, green tea for lunch
but damn it tastes good.

These poems were still on my mind last night when, despite my best efforts, L woke up and would not go back to sleep. While staring at her for hours on end, I came up with my own haiku:

Three a.m., baby cries,
Who is going to make it stop?
Motrin, answer my prayer.

(O.K., so the last line has 6 syllables and not the required 5, but it was super early and I had gotten very little sleep.)

The moral of this story: Compose your own haiku the next time you have hours to kill with your baby. It just might be the remedy you need to keep from losing your mind.

* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Since everyone so kindly suffered through my bad, middle-of-the-night poetry, the 3BayBChicks would like to offer a reward. Thuy, our resident bargain expert, has graciously utilized her skills to provide us with a bevy of bargain basement buys and sample sale tips. Many of the deals are only good this weekend, so read on and let the savings begin!

On-Line Specials:
1. GAP Give and Get Coupon: Effective November 13-16.

2. Gymboree Circle of Friends Coupon: Effective November 6-9. Customers receive 30% off of their entire purchase. More information at this link.

3. Cost Plus World Market: Effective November 7-11. Customers receive 25% off of their purchase. Details at this link.

4. Sephora: Effective now until November 10. Receive an extra 20% off of your on-line purchase using the code FF2008 at check-out.

5. Neiman Marcus: Effective now until November 9. Receive up to 40% off. Also, use the code NMNOV at check-out to receive free shipping.

6. Victoria's Secret: Effective now until November 10. Receive 25% off any single item using the code 25ITEM at check-out.

7. Giggle: Effective now until December 2, free gift wrap and free shipping. No code required.

8. JCrew: Effective November 5-8. Receive an extra 30% off of sale items using the code EXTRA30 both in stores and on-line at check-out.

9. Crazy8: Effective November 6-9. Receive an 20% off at check-out using the code C8ONLINE.

10. Janie and Jack: Effective November 14-16. Receive 25% off Janie and Jack entire purchase on November 14-16th. Online code: JJFamily.

In-Store Sales:
1. Club Monaco: Effective November 6-9. Bring this coupon to any store location and receive 30% off.

2. Nordstrom: Half-yearly sale for women and children. Savings of 40% or more. No coupon or code required.

Sample Sales in the Bay Area:
1. Loom: Saturday, November 8, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This store specializes in diaper and weekend bags. They are located at 38 Lochinvar Road in San Rafael.

2. Carrot and Stick Press: Saturday, December 6. Carrot and Sticks is one of our favorite destinations for paper products. The sale will be held at their warehouse at 6050 Lowell Street, Studio 102, in Oakland.

3. The Cat's Pajamas: Famous for their sushi pajamas! The sample sale will be held on Saturday, November 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and again on Sunday, November 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Location is 1285 66th Street (at Hollis) in Emeryville.

More Bay Area Love:
1. Iniam: One of my newest discoveries and most favorite stores. They are located in the Rockridge Area in Oakland and are offering 30% off of everything in the store on November 7 and 8 only. As an added bonus, if you bring in a first time customer who also makes a purchase, the savings for both of you is increased to 35%.

2. Appel & Frank shopping event: Tickets may be purchased in advance or on the day of the event. This quarter the faire will be held in Marin and will feature a number of designers, complimentary spa services, beauty makeovers, wine, and giveaways. More detail is provided in this link.

-Francesca

Let the Madness Begin

I realize that it's not even Halloween yet, but I've started to get anxious about holiday shopping. I've said it before, I am not good at shopping throughout the year. The other two chickies are the exact opposite. In fact, Thuy is most likely done through the year 2010. (I'm not kidding.) With gas prices, an impatient little one, and a city with parking issues, I've decided to do most of my holiday shopping from home.

Last night I went searching on Etsy and found some amazing items, all of them very reasonably priced. Here are some of my very favorites:

Little chirpy bird has some of the cutest clips around. I just purchased these two for Emi, love em!




Maya Paypaya also has some very cute clips. They are pretty reasonable at around $6.50!


And what's not to love about mycakies? I especially love the crown.


Bonus: She makes clips for adults too!


Little Lily dresses are very hip and reversible. I wish I had this when Emi used to spit up about 3 times a day. It would have saved me from some laundry.




I've never seen a leather bib before, but bellataylor swears it's the easiest to care for. Very cute, I love the simplicity of the designs. She makes shoes too.




Some great soft toys for babies I found were these cute owl blocks by baby ballou (only $10.50).


And my favorite, Marvin the Misunderstood spider. He's so cute and ugly at the same time.

For the superheros in your life, these capes by babypop are right on and only $14!


Finally, what's not to love about these adorable crayons? They come in a ton of different shapes and sizes.


They even have crayon favors that are already prepackaged for a party. Genius!


Hope this helps with some of your holiday shopping!

-Kacey

Looking Cute: Part Deux

Can I get some sugar with my Daily Tea?

As promised, here are our recommendations for boutiques and destinations we love in our own backyard:

1. Milk: J’adore. I salivate over the beautiful clothes at this boutique but have only managed to buy a gift for a friend’s daughter. Pretty clothes for a pretty penny.
2. Ruby’s Garden Kidwear and Flower Shop: Amazing service and a great place to discover new local designers. Last time I went, they had Obama and McCain onesies. (I wonder if they have any Sarah Palen onesies in?!) The people there are super friendly and helpful. I am on their mailing list and they were nice enough to send me a $5 gift card for M’s birthday. Sweet!!
3. Temescal Farmer’s Market: Very unique, local t-shirts by local designers. Oaklandish onesies are very cute. EEEastide!! (Aren't I so street?!)
4. BabyAlula: It's a perfect place to go when you are in search of a good quality baby/toddler gift. They have interesting wooden toys and puzzles for kids of all ages usually at a discount. They also have some really great organic clothes, suitable for newborn gifts.
5. Rockridge Kids: Good selection of all things basic and cotton, especially the Zutano line.
6. Crackerjacks: A terrific little store carrying new and used stuff for kids, such as See Kai Run shoes, Haba & Plan toys, and locally made blankets and tees.
7. This Little Piggy Wears Cotton: Cool store with trendy styles. Good destination for the fashion/quality conscious mom or mommy-to-be.
8. Tea Collection: Their designs are very cute and hip and though much of their stuff is pricey, sometimes, it’s worth it, especially when they have sales online. On sale, the prices are fair and the quality and softness of their cotton is unbeatable. Their Daily Tea collection is perfect for everyday wear. If you’re lucky enough to attend their sample sales, they are phenomenal.
9. Red Wagon: Similar to This Little Piggy Wears Cotton; we love the unique assortment of clothes and toys found at Red Wagon.
10. DayOne: Although a bit hard to find, the trip is well worth it. In addition to cool clothes, they carry high quality, easy to use, mom-tested, and nurse approved items. The staff is happy to share their experience and opinions on all things baby related.
11. Giddy Giddy: What outfit is complete without hairclips and accessories?! Tip: Order from the designer directly; it’s cheaper than using a third party website. The designer of the hairclip also has a line of bedding called Kukunest that I've been eying. Cute, but not cutesy.
12. Penny and Maude: Great local designer with super cute designs. Their Super Chick shirt is a personal favorite…M is lucky I haven’t forced him to wear this tee.
13. Heartfelt: The only place to pick up the “I hella heart Oakland” onesies and t-shirts. Great place for unique gifts as well.
14. Cotton & Company: We walk here all the time and the people are generally very helpful, though the store sometimes lacks the sizes I need. They are closing shop soon, as the owner has decided to retire. Always sad to have a local business close but I will support them 'til the end.
15. Jeremy's: It's my favorite place to shop for myself. Lately, the Berkeley store, carries a small selection of Crewcut clothes (Jcrew classic style shrunken for the little people in our lives) at hugely discounted prices. I found ruffle collared cardigans here for little girls for just $15. Ohhh, I love a good sale!! More reasons for me to visit Jeremy's...as if I really needed a reason to shop here.

Though we mentioned some great places, really, one of the best places to go to is your friend's. I am lucky enough to borrow from Francesca because G has great clothes. Borrow and swap with friends and share the love.

Good luck and let us know of any great stores that you love. We’re always interested!

-Thuy

Looking Cute

Happy Birthday, Ms. Emi!! We love you, sweet girl!

Our Emi is one today and she is the hippest, best dressed baby we know, though I imagine the outfit possibilities are going to get even cuter once she is upright and mobile. Watch out, Kacey, you're going to be buying even more stuff!

As you can imagine, between the three of us, we do lots of clothes shopping for our kids and though we really try hard not to obsess over their clothes, it’s difficult. They are just so darn cute! Plus, it’s always easier to justify buying things for our kids rather than ourselves, right?!

I prefer getting all cotton stuff for M because I want him to be comfortable. He’s active all day. M only dresses in “outfits” when we take him somewhere nice. Otherwise, our guy is constantly in sweats and soft cotton, whenever possible. I even allow him to wear his PJs all day. (Shocking, I know!)

So, where do we go to adorn our little ones?!

1. The Gap
2. Old Navy
3. Gymboree
4. Crazy Eight
5. A Children’s Place
6. American Apparel: Most designer screen printed t-shirts that M have are American Apparel as designers tend to gravitate to these shirts so if you’re looking for the basics, they are a good source for soft, quality pieces. The cotton can be a bit thin but very breathable, great for summer months or good layering pieces.
7. Nordstrom: Although the children’s clothing they carry is good, this is really our destination for kid’s shoes. The selection just can’t be beat.
8. Naartjie: Unique kids’ fashion for sizes 0-10. The store can be a bit poorly organized but some great, high quality stuff.
9. Hanna Andersson: Most of the clothing is bright, very colorful, and looks inspired by Scandinavian designs. We also like the holiday outfits, which are quite cute, and the matching Mom and daughter outfits make us laugh. I once received a Christmas card where everyone, including the Grandparents, were dressed up in the exact same Where’s Waldo outfits. Totally hilarious and memorable!!
10. Olive Juice: Although on the expensive side, this classic clothing line is especially suitable for special occasions and the all important holiday photo.
11. Costco: Strange place to pick up kids’ clothes, but it’s a great for basics and PJs. Our local Costco now carries organic cotton stuff, though there selection varies by location and is very limited. I love quality cotton and go nuts for pima so I tend to go overboard in stocking up!
12. Whole Foods: Out of the ordinary place but I end up buying some cotton PJs and t-shirts here. Earth friendly and when they change seasons, the stuff there is actually reasonably priced.
13. Janie and Jack: Though the girl section is ¾ of the store, they still have the cutest outfits for boys. Good sales too!
14. Amazon: It’s truly a one stop shop for me. I have found some amazing children’s deals on all my favorite brands, including, Keeka, American Apparel, Robeez, Trumpette, etc. Wonderful deals but you have to check the site regularly.
15. Etsy: I always try to order locally when I can. Etsy has wonderful designers with very unique silk screened tees, great prints for the nursery, and even hair clips. Support artists!

Tip: If you do find good sale, remember to purchase bigger sizes using your child's sizing chart so you get seasonably appropriate clothes in the correct size at the right price. Easier to justify buying things if they are on sale, right?!

Stay tuned for the next posting when I cover where we like to shop for our kids locally. If you have any suggestions that we might have neglected on our list, we'd love to hear about some of your favorite places. Happy shopping!

-Thuy

Shopping Ahead

No one loves a bargain more than me. Nobody!! Francesca and Kacey are probably chuckling at this statement because it's so true. In fact, if people paid me a compliment on what I wore or what M wore (more often the latter case these days because I definitely put more thought into his outfits than mine), I find myself blurting out how little I paid for it. It's a rather embarassing habit! I need to just smile and say "thank you."

What can I say?! Aside from M's kisses, nothing leaves me feeling more warm and fuzzy than a good bargain. And with some careful planning, I'm beginning to master the art of bargain hunting.

As everyone knows, to get a good deal on anything, your best best is to buy off season and in the case of children's clothings, it does take a bit of planning. So, I geeked out and made myself a spreadsheet of what age and season I'd need to shop ahead for M. Unfortunately, I didn't start this habit until January 2008, but it would have been much more helpful during pregnancy and the first six months when M seemed to outgrow everything at an astronomical rate.

It's happened quite a few times where I'd like something but it's in the wrong size. Since I print this out and put this in my purse, it's a great reference to check to see if it will be seasonably appropriate for M for later on. Don't be tempted to stock up too much though because it will get buried in the closet and you'll inevitably forget about it.

Here is copy of the spreadsheet for you to modify for your own use. Happy bargain hunting!!

-Thuy

I Heart Bargains!

Okay, so I'm a bit obsessed with bargain hunting...A little too much, maybe?! It's a good thing we don't have a garage; otherwise, I'd be stockpiling all the good deals that I've found. Here's the latest website that I found and love. It's like Woot but for baby stuff: BabySteals.com

Here's how it works:

At 9am MST Monday - Friday, they bring you one new bargain item. It's available all day until they run out of stock of course. Saturday and Sunday are dedicated their families (they are a family of Moms, afterall) so often they change the steal when chaos is low, sometimes more than once a day.

Is it wrong to check it first thing in the morning?!

Happy Saving!

-Thuy