And so it begins

This year, my daughter will be attending preschool. Next year it'll be preschool again, and the year after that, kindergarten. My husband seems to think that back-to-school shopping consists of buying a new backpack, getting new sneakers and a hair cut, maybe a new jacket for the fall, and some school supplies.

HAH. He's in for a real treat. Sure, our daughter will be getting all of that... and then some! Back to school shopping is all about new fall clothes. I did it all throughout my childhood and teen years, and my daughter will too. Only my mom made me shop for new clothes at K-Mart and the like (but still, five or six pairs of jeans and three or four tops can quickly add up!), and I can definitely see my daughter wanting only the best and demanding designer kids clothes. And sucker that I am for everything fashionable, I'll probably give in. God help our checkbook!

I love having a girl to dress in childrens clothes!

The best part of having a daughter is being able to dress her up in all of the great little girls clothing! I have a son as well, and I must admit that the selection of boys outfits is never as nice as what I can find for girls! Don't get me wrong, I can find nice childrens clothes for both of my kids, but the good boy stuff is few and far between. My biggest complaint with boys clothing is that everything is dark and dreary, camouflage or sports themed, or plastered with tacky illustrations and television and movie characters. Is it so wrong to want to dress your little boy is nice, sweet little boy apparel?

Now girls clothes on the other hand... a walk in the park! Last week alone I was able to find my daughter a pair of metallic silver jeans, dark blue denim jeans with silver sparkles all over them, and some great tights in the baby clothes section at Babies 'r Us.

Where do you shop for clothing for your children? I know that Gymboree and The Children's Place are often recommended, but there have to be some other nice stores as well! I love Carters clothing, but sadly their sizes don't go beyond babies!

Childrens clothes on sale right now!

If the barrage of commercials on your TV and the aisles stocked sky high with pencils and binders haven't clued you in, it's back to school time! This means that it's time to stock up on school friendly snacks, batteries for alarm clocks, school supplies and... new clothes! Sandbox Couture has a terrific sale going on right now for their childrens clothes. The back to school sale offers you some great deals on a lot of clothes.

My favorite pick for girls heading back to school this fall is the Small Paul Frank Pink "Wanda" jacket. Red and pink plaid complete with pockets topped with stylish pink bows is a must have to match with dark denim jeans and corduroy skirts. Take advantage of the current back to school sale and save 15%!

I never got to shop for bridesmaids gifts

I am the first to admit that my wedding was not what I thought it would be. As a child and young teen, I imagined a traditional wedding. What I got was a justice of peace wedding. It was out of necessity -- I was pregnant. And not just a bit pregnant, but VERY pregnant. My husband and I married exactly seventeen days prior to the due date of our first child, our now almost four year old daughter Alyssa. Needless to say, we didn't choose to have such a rushed, informal wedding. We had gotten engaged in August of 2001, and planned on having a late summer or fall wedding in 2005 or 2006. My pregnancy with Alyssa was unexpected, but we wanted to be married before she was born, so we moved things up and tied the knot the quick and somewhat tacky way -- in front of a judge.

I don't regret marrying my husband. I do regret the timing, and hope to someday have a "real" wedding. I can only imagine how exciting it would be to have a wedding wishlist and countdown on Wedding Wire, and to pick out the perfect bridesmaids gifts. Oh well. All in due time, I'm sure.

Technology & Wedding Planning!

I know that a lot of weddings are held this time of year, but, that doesn't mean I'm getting married! Maybe someday down the road, I will have my dream wedding! Including all the work that goes into it! From choosing the rings, wedding dress, flowers, and, Bridesmaids Gifts! I know the list could go on forever! No wonder people plan wedding sometimes years in advance! With the help of online shopping, I think the technology has helped tremendously in planning weddings. Who knows maybe by then you can literally do your entire wedding from behind the computer screen!