Birthday Coordination: Winter Outerwear

 Posted by Ethne~

My KD LOVES to dress up.  When she’s not playing dress up at home, she’s coming up with some dressy outfit concoction to wear as a daily outfit.  I usually let it pass because dressing herself is a good way to express her creative side.  Plus, if I don’t fight her on her outfit selections every day, I can use that as leverage for getting them into outfits I want on the days I want them to look respectable (at a minimum) or even super-duper glam (if I really want to push my luck).

I picked these outfits out for their 5th birthday.  I think the knee-high socks are adorable.

Though they have cute clothes, let’s just say it is a RARE DAY INDEED that my girls look like models from a Baby Gap ad.  I even told their daycare providers not to be concerned if the girls look neglected in mismatched clothes, it’s just that I let them pick out their own outfits.  True story.

One day recently KD dressed herself in the below outfit.  She thought she was especially glamorous.  I had no words: the colors did not match, nor did the patterns.  Here’s what she said: “I am going to be so stylish at school today.  Say it Mom, stylish.”  Me, deadpan: “stylish.”

I coordinated with the family on some of the gifts.  I suggested to some that activity stuff would be a good idea.  To Grandma D, Auntie Heather & Auntie Whit, I suggested clothes and pj’s.  I stressed practical clothes like jeans so we didn’t have fights over dresses on cold winter mornings and then I went and bought them dresses for gifts from Shaun and me.  They came through like champs and the girls have a great new wardrobe.  I want to have a birthday like that.  KD cheered on each item of clothing as thought it was a new toy.  That child is a diva.

KD said, "It's a rat on your shirt."

KD has a twinkle in her eye over this dress

I was especially glad I coordinated Grandpa Paul, Grandma Connie and Thrifty Nana when the following conversation took place last Thursday: 

Me: KD, you can’t wear that, it’s not summer anymore.

KD: ^%$%##$%&^%&*^%!!!!!! [not actual swear words, but really mad]

Me: I’m really sorry, honey, it’s just not summer anymore, it’s fall now, so we can’t wear summer clothes.  This weekend I’ll clean the summer clothes out of your drawers so you won’t even think about those dresses.

KD: But I’ll wear two pairs of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt under this [sun]dress.

Me: [in my mom serious voice] No.

KD: *&**^*&^%^&%$#$%^&%!!!!!!  You can change the weather back to summer!

Easy Mac: No, KD, only God can do that.

We coordinated a complete winter outwear ensemble.  The girls think it’s the greatest thing ever.  Dad and Mom Connie ordered winter parkas from Land’s End, which have great, reasonably-priced clothing for adults and kids.  I buy a ton of my clothes there (not that I'm a clothes horse or anything, we're talking over history of my wardrobe), and if you get on their email mailer, you can get discounts and free shipping pretty much anytime.  And their customer service and live-chat online-purchasing is tied with Amazon for awesomeness.  Anyway, I also ordered fleece hats and winter boots for the girls from Land’s End because I had a 30% off + free shipping for my whole purchase coupon.

The sleeves extend as the girls grow - GENIUS

I’ve been crocheting scarves, so I crocheted pink infinity (connected circle) scarves for the girls.  I figure that way there will be no ends to fall off of them.

Thrifty Nana got the girls winter mittens and great snow pants.

Do you like Easy Mac's vamp make-up?  Shaun said they looked like street walkers but I reminded him that vampires are probably slutty because of their eating habits.

And Dad and Mom Connie are really into everyone having a good fleece jacket, and the girls have outgrown the last Columbia jackets they got them, so now they have gorgeous size 6 jackets to grow into.

I am EXTREMELY jealous of the pink fleece.  Shaun is EXTREMELY annoyed that Land's End did not provide black as a color option in those boots so I was FORCED to purchase pink.  I was more concerned with the water-proofing, but pink is the requisite feature as far as the girls are concerned.

The girls are really excited about it.  Now we have to wait a while for it to snow, but since it snowed all week when Shaun was up in Bemidji last week on business, it would appear we’re not that far away from snow!