There are so many cute clothes you want to buy for your tots, but since they’re constantly growing, it can be hard to justify getting each and every piece. Bergdorf Goodman’s sale couldn’t come at a better time! Adorable Oscar de la Renta summer dresses and little boy polos are the toughest to resist. The pale blue mod-style A-line ($116) in particular. Pair it with some tiny Mary Janes or go full-on ‘60s with boots. For more casual events, the pink printed shorts ($82) will keep her looking sharp. And girls aren’t getting all the deals – dress your boys like daddy in a simple check shirt ($56) and elastic waist shorts ($51). The white polo ($48) and plaid shorts ($56) will get even more wear – to school, on weekend trips to the coast, to parties, etc. They’re definitely worth splurging on, but since they’re on sale, you don’t have to! Available at Bergdorf Goodman.
Of course new parents need diaper bags, but the less they look like diaper bags, the better. Armani Junior’s glossy disguises your accessory as a cute, summer tote! Don’t worry about having a white bag with kids – with a coated vinyl exterior, it’s dirt-resistant, lightweight, and basically indestructible. Black bags can feel so oppressive, especially for sweet, little babies. The zany multi-hued ones are even worse. In the midst of Technicolor tot gear, you want something clean and minimal.
The bag is sturdy and large with comfy canvas straps. On the outside you have your essential pockets – a zipped one for your phone and side compartments for bottles and wipes (when a crisis strikes, you’re going to want those readily accessible). And there are just as many pockets inside – you can never get enough with all of your little one’s necessities. The bag even comes with a changing pad! Then once your tot is all grown up, you can keep using this as a beach tote or laptop carrier. Who knew diaper bags could be so versatile? Available at Bergdorf Goodman for $290.
We think of our tots as little cherubs, so what better to dress them in than Barefoot Dreams’ cloud-like CozyChic knit. The specially designed fabric was made to keep your baby’s skin baby soft and is used to make everything from stuffed animals to ponchos to towels. When it comes to little girls (and frankly, a surprising number of grown women), you can’t go wrong with Hello Kitty. The famous cat adorns an adorable toddler hoodie ($74) that will quickly become her favorite. For the boys there’s the Little Royals infant hoodie ($62). Crowns just aren’t comfortable – have your little prince show off his stately status in this regal blue softie (available in pink for princesses, natch). While you’re at it, get them the matching receiving blanket ($59), too. It’s nice and big – perfect for wrapping them up snug as bugs! Available on Barefoot Dreams.
Your little girls are angels no matter what they’re wearing, but being able to dress them in these enchanting Tutu du Monde pieces is the icing on the cake of parenting. My tots just had their first ballet recital last week, and I could not have been prouder. While a little disorganized, they were full of the grace and confidence that only comes when you don’t care whose watching. Seeing them prance around onstage was one of the best moments of my life, so maybe these precious tutus and caplets are my attempt to relive the recital. Can you blame me?? Available on ShopBelle.
Rosebud Caplet ($108): With the rows of sequins, this rose petal-colored caplet is just the girly style tots love to don. While the look is dramatic, it’s surprisingly wearable over regular dresses.
Centre Stage Onesie ($168): Your little star in a star onesie – could it be more perfect? Made from silk and tulle, this is exactly what every young ballerina dreams of dancing in.
Sugar Plum Fairy Tutu ($164): The best part of being a tot is that you can wear tutus whenever you want (as Björk famously showed us, adults cannot get away with this indulgence – that might’ve also had to do with the giant swan attached to her dress, but the point stands).
Curtain Call Caplet ($108): For the price, though, a caplet would serve her better. They’ll fit her longer and are just as decadent.
BabbaCo creator Jessica Kim knows that we’re always trying to come up with new, more creative ways of entertaining our tots, so she developed the BabbaBox. This set of fun activities for ages 3-7 is mailed to your home each month (May’s theme is “Deep Sea”) and includes everything from arts and crafts to games to books to science kits. One of the best things about this is that everything you need is in the box, saving parents the time of planning out playtime and running around town trying to find all of the required materials. There are different types of subscriptions – the digital ($6.99/month), regular ($15.99/month), and premium ($29.99). I recommend the regular – it comes with four fun activities, and if your tots finish all of those, they can find more to do online with the included digital membership. Learn more on BabbaCo.com.
While some board games are only amusing to tots (I’m looking at you, Candyland), the LEGO Creationary game actually is fun for the whole family. It’s basically Pictionary with Legos, which is great because some concepts can be hard for kids to depict in drawings. Not everyone is an artist, but everyone knows how to use Legos. You roll a die to find out which category (vehicles, buildings, nature, or things) you’ll be building from. There are three levels of difficulty, so don’t worry about tots (or you!) having a tough time. LEGO just recommends that players be seven-years old and up. Since the game is designed for three to eight players, it’s great to have around when you have a bunch of tots over for playtime. The guessing game aspect will keep all of them constantly entertained, and the building allows each one of them a moment to shine. Turns go surprisingly quickly because there aren’t many Legos. Your imagination is really put to the test when you’re limited to so few pieces. It’s interesting to see all of the things your kids come up with! On Amazon for $26.99.
