For Halloween last year, my son, Owen, was a robot. I made his costume from duct tape, parts of old electronic equipment, LED Christmas lights, and dimmer switches. It was comfortable and safe for him to wear, it stood up to lots of abuse and monkey-like toddler behavior, and it only cost me about 15 bucks to make. Here's how I did it:

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Once upon a time I knew a little boy ( who is now a big boy and would die if he read this) who wouldnt leave the house without a manky old receiving blanket tied around his neck as his "cape." After years of teaching preschool, I realized he wasn't the only one, and that girls like capes too…

Enter the Blankie Cape by etsy seller frankandme. Cute mod prints on one side, soft minkie on the other, in bold colors. Love it! Of course, many of you may be saying, "Well, I could make that in about 5 minutes" — and I say, go for it and do just that! But I don't sew. I do many things but sewing is not one of them, and thus, I see these blankie capes as just delightful and well worth my dollarinis!

Ok, so since we're talking about princess phases … clearly, I'm still stuck in mine. This is one of those outfits that makes me regress a little. The zebra-print ribbon? The skull applique? The ridiculousness of the tulle?

So, until I find out if my unborn son likes tutus, trucks, or both at the same time, I have to ask: this pirate skull tutu — can it be made in maternity sizes? PLEASE!?

When my daughter Violet was a young toddler, she had no use for dresses. She screeched and flailed around if I tried to put her in one. She was extremely physical. She walked early, she climbed anything in sight and she had no fear.

I liked it and dare I say, I was even “in your face” about it! She was an aggressive monkey, climbing around on everything, wearing her hair very short and always running ahead of everyone including the boys. “To hell with these people who raise the foofy-girly girls,” I told myself.

I have a picture of her on Santa's lap when she was 2 with a tear-stained face. I had cajoled her into wearing a fabulous red vintage hand-smocked dress for the occasion and she immediately threw a fit, demanding her pants. I felt guilty and I didn’t do this to her again, but I secretly did occasionally pine for putting her into a dress.

Continue reading "Saying goodbye to the princess phase" →