My friend’s wife went on a buying spree prior to moving into their first house. Unfortunately, it ended up just being more for us to move.

I recently helped a friend move from an apartment to a house. In every group, there is always the “first” couple to make the leap from renting an apartment to owning a house. For our group of high school and college friends, this was the couple. I only mention this because helping someone move from an apartment to a house can be a much different experience then purely moving someone from one apartment to another.

The reason for this difference is because people who are moving into their first house tend to go a little bit crazy buying stuff in preparation for the new house. My male friend was pulling his hair out for a few weeks prior to the move because his wife was buying a variety of stuff for the new place. She even dropped money on a variety of baby clothes for a baby that wasn’t due for six months (she later said that it was done during a clearance sale and that in retrospect she wasn’t very proud of the purchase). What was so infuriating my male friend is that she was buying all of this stuff prior to the move which meant that all these new purchases had to be moved along with their already wide variety of belongings (they lived in a three bedroom apartment). It didn’t help that his parents also decided to buy them a new crib BEFORE their move.

There seems to be something that comes over people when they move into a larger dwelling. There is an automatic need to fill every single inch of the house even before it is even inhabited. I will freely admit that this seems to be a womanly impulse. Maybe it’s because women are much more interested in making their house a home then men are. Men are interested, but inherently they could live with a mattress on the floor and a mini-fridge and not bat a lash. Something seems to come over us when we find that we have extra room to fill. It’s happened to me before. But if you’re going to do it you should probably wait until you’ve moved before you purchase anything. That way you and your friends will be done moving in time for pizza at noon. That’s right, you have to provide pizza.

Author Kimberly Green was able to organize everything well with tubs prior to her move. This made things much easier. From moving toys to baby clothes, it was easy on everyone.

Chances are unless you have a baby or have someone close to you who has just been blessed with a child of their own, you probably don’t pay a lot of attention to baby clothes and accessories.

While they have their own sections at stores like Wal- Mart, Target and K-Mart, chances are if you’re not specifically looking for baby clothes or gifts you’ve consistently skipped that section on the way to electronics or bathroom supplies. Because of this, you’ve probably missed the fact that baby clothing has been getting pretty fashionable lately.

Gone are the days of plain colors and cookie cutter designs, children’s clothing has been getting serious attention from some of today’s hottest designers. It’s not just for the celebrity mom either, fashionable prints and interesting color schemes are showing up everywhere from high-end baby clothes boutiques to your favorite mega stores.

This is good news for both new parents as well as those looking for baby gifts as there are now many more options to match both the a parent’s and child’s personality. By just scanning the website of a baby specialty store you’ll noticed a large and intriguing selection of clothing for babies. A few of the options include:

-    A onesie featuring soft florescent colors with the words “punk rock” on it.
-    A onesie featuring a Japanese style tiger with a leaf background.
-    A full line of fashionable shirts featuring such phrases as: “all natural”, “fat and happy” (my personal favorite), “uber snuggler”, and “peas out” with green peas on it.

Clothing such as sundresses and pajamas have also modernized by utilizing new and exciting colors and styles while continuing to feature such classic patterns as polka dots and straight lines. Colors like black and white are now being paired with pinks and purples to make contrasting designs that really stand out from the crowd. One of the more adorable dresses I came across has a repeating pattern of pink and green flowers.

On the accessory fronts, those looking for a new and exciting gift have much to choose from. Bibs come in all different fabrics and colors and many companies have coordinated the colors and designs of their baby clothes and their bibs. In fact, most companies offer matching towels, hats, bedding and even diaper bags so parents can plan a color scheme and stick with it. Even hair clips, pacifiers and footwear are now designer made and make really wonderful gifts for any occasion. There really are so many cool ideas when it comes to finding baby gifts!

So there you go. If you ever find yourself in a position to buy a gift of baby clothes or accessories you can use your full fashion sense for your purchase. Next time you find yourself near the baby aisle at your favorite shopping center take a look inside, you might be shocked at what you see.

Kimberly Green can always come up with cool ideas when it comes to getting baby gifts

Buying the correct size of baby clothes can be intimidating if you have never done it before or do not do it often. Most clothing lines are not true to size, making the best of intentions of shopping for clothes for your own baby and gift-giving a frustrating and sometimes financially wasteful experience.

First, let me say that babies grow so fast during their first year that the baby clothes sizes will likely span from newborn probably up to 18 months within the first year for the average baby. In fact, most babies are not in 0 – 3 month sizes for very long so do not stock up on those. While the tiny sizes are adorable and hard to resist, they will not be useful for very long. In fact, many outfits sit in drawers never to be worn and end up in garage sales and mom-to-mom sales.

When I buy baby clothes, very rarely have I found clothing to be true to size. I generally buy a size up from what their age is. For example, if the baby is three months old, then I buy six month sizes or if the baby is 12 months old, then I buy the 18 month size.

If tags show height and weight guidelines, I consider those over the age of the child. They are generally more accurate.

You also have to be aware of the seasons while shopping ahead to ensure proper fit. For instance:

• If you are shopping for winter clothes in September for your three-month-old baby, your baby will be 6 – 9 months during the cold, winter months. Remember to buy a step up in size from what their age will be during those months, not the age they are when you are shopping. For winter items, remember to leave enough room for layering onesies underneath tops and bottoms.
• When buying jackets and snowsuits, remember that there will likely be at least two layers underneath in the form of a onesie and an article of clothing such as shirt and pants. Remember to leave room for bulkier clothing underneath such as sweaters.
• If you are shopping in March for summer outfits for your six-month-old child, your child will be 9-12 months during the hottest months. Purchase clothing one size up in age from what your child will be during the months you are shopping for.

Of course, size accommodations should be made if the baby is smaller than average or larger than average in growth. These recommendations are for the average size baby.

Buying baby clothes doesn’t have to be difficult. Unless you find clothing lines that are true to size, utilize the height and weight guidelines on tags. If the tags do not have height and weight guidelines, going a size step up in age generally works well.

Kim Green has lots of family whom she has bought baby clothes for so she definitely has the experience in getting the correct sizes!

Babies grow so quickly and their clothes tend to accumulate and cause clutter.  Don’t get rid of outgrown baby clothing though, there are many ways to get years of use out of them.

In the first year of a baby’s life, the rate at which they grow seems to be expedited. Parents often find that they are shopping for new outfits every few months, unless they have purposely bought clothes that are a size bigger for their child.  However, even the baby clothing that has been worn in that first year are still in usable condition because they are often not worn out at all.  You can make good use of these baby clothes instead of feeling the frustration of not knowing what to do with the baby clothing that has suddenly accumulated and has taken up much too much space.

If you hope to have more than one baby, than by all means, keep outgrown baby clothing in storage! Keeping clothes for younger siblings is a sure-fire way to save money. An expanding family means an expanding budget.  This works especially well with baby clothing because most baby clothing consists of all in ones, sleepers, undershirts and booties or socks.

To store them properly, keep your baby’s clothes in zip-lock bags and label them according to their age groups. You may specify the appropriate seasons for wearing them too, if you are living in an area that experiences the four seasons. By storing the baby clothing in this fashion, you can be assured the clothes will remain clean and in order for easy access when the next baby comes along. Place the zip lock bags into a plastic box and label that box too, just for easy reference.

If you do not plan to have more children, lend or give the baby clothing away to family or friends. This is greatly appreciated by siblings, close relatives, friends or colleagues who find themselves needing to buy baby clothing.  You can help alleviate their financial burden!  Always make sure you ask if they would like hand-me-downs. Most parents love receiving them but there are those who are particular about buying new baby clothing for their own babies.

If you do not know anyone who needs baby clothing, donate what you have to charity.  Unfortunately, the orphan population is growing exponentially around the world. An easy way to find out where to take the baby clothing is to run a Google search for orphanages and adoption agencies. Donating to the nearby orphanage or shelter for single mothers is a wonderful act of charity.

If you have the time and you can sell them as second hand clothes. This is a good way to earn some return on the beautiful baby clothing you purchased for your growing child. You can opt to sell clothes online through eBay or other second hand exchange sites. You can even set up your own personal site and manage your second hand store from your own home.  If you don’t have time to sell clothes online, check your area for second hand stores. Selling them to these types of stores is also a possibility.

Author Kim Green is a frugal shopper and knows how to get the most use from the baby clothing that is bought.

When a baby is born, or about to be born, family members and friends love to give baby gifts to commemorate the occasion. However, this is not the only time when baby gifts are given.  This article will cover the significance baby gifts.

There are many occasions to give a baby gift. The new arrival of a baby, a baby’s christening, baby birthdays and celebrating special milestones that a baby achieves are just a few of these occasions. Baby gift giving usually starts with a baby shower before the baby even arrives.

The first few baby gifts are usually those that are given to assist the baby’s parents. A baby shower is a traditional event that is held some period of time before the baby’s arrival. At a baby shower, many traditional gifts are given, such as; baby blankets, diaper bags, lotions and powders, sweaters, hats, all in ones, sleepers, socks, and baby booties. These baby gifts are much appreciated by the parents to be because they help the new parents get ready for their baby’s arrival and prepare them for bringing their baby home.

Baby gifts can have a significant meaning to the family as they commemorate a special day in a baby’s life and can become cherished family heirlooms. There are any keepsake baby gifts such as; a bracelet with the baby’s birthstone, a beautiful music box that will delight the baby for years to come, or even a handmade blanket. This also applies for baby’s christening gifts. These types of baby gifts are cherished family mementos, kept for years by family and many times are passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter, grandfather to father to son or between siblings.

You can find baby gifts that are perfect for any occasion. Baby gifts can be educational or a soft and snugly toy that will comfort baby. It is also a good idea to occasionally give baby gifts that are purely practical, such as baby clothing or gifts that are beautiful and decorative, such as an embroidered baby blanket. Those gifts too can be heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation.

You don’t need a reason or an occasion to give a baby gift.  Babies and parents appreciate baby gifts at any time.  Babies grow at a fast rate; therefore they outgrow clothing rather quickly. Babies are continually developing and exploring the world around them and educational baby gifts are always welcome no matter when they’re given.  Babies also have basic needs that must be met and practical gifts such as diapers and bibs are needed constantly.

Remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re a new parent, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, a next-door neighbor or friend of the family, baby gifts are a great way to tangibly demonstrate your love and affection for the baby.

Author Kim Green has children as well as nieces and nephews and has experienced not only receiving baby gifts but buying them as well.