This is Gigi a few days ago, modeling and generally reveling in a pile of new clothes from Great Grandma.
I feel generally surly about the prospect of buying brand new kiddo clothes, possibly to the point of being negligent.
First off, Gigi is a lucky little girl. She has had up until now 4 sources of hand-me-down clothing. Before I gave birth, I bought a huge lot of used clothes from a mama in West Seneca. I mean huge. 5 boxes all the way up to a few 24 months items, plus she threw in Avent bottles, sheets, some toys, tons of shoes, binkies- you name it. Plus, Gigi has a few important little girls (generous mamas) who contribute really cute stuff to her wardrobe and I am very grateful.
Second off, she has Grandma. Actually Great Grandma. Grandma Detkos has always been a "shopper" from what I can gather. She scours the aisles at TJ Maxx and the like, sweeping the grid like The Terminator looking for Sarah Connor. I need only to have mentioned that Gigi needed socks than she recieved all manner of them. I am grateful. I used to actually begrudge Gigi the deluge of non-essential clothing back when she was 6 months, but now that we actually go places and get dirty it's pretty cool. Now I just feel guilty for the kids in... well, not Africa. They're starving, yes, but it's hot there. I guess I don't know where, but the poor kids with only 10 things to wear is what I mean. They may live just minutes away for all I know.
Lastly, I just dont want to spend the money on new clothes. I have other stuff I want to spend our money on. Or not spend at all would be best. And I dislike TJ Maxx and Marshall's so much that I would actually endure real (minor) physical discomfort as an alternative to shopping there.
What I do is look for second-hand stuff. I want really good condition Pedipeds and Robeez for $15 a pair (still looking)! I want an EUC (excellent used condition) Patagonia snowsuit for $30 (got it)! I want some kind of fleece or wool hat that ties and covers Gigi's ears for $5 (working on it). I don't want a Ralph Lauren jumpsuit for $30 because it used to be $60 (got it from Grandma, though, and it's super-di-cute!).
So it pains me to admit that I'll be buying brand-new slippers for Gigi. And anything that is going to breathe, protect against hardwood slips, last for the next kiddo and not be the cartoon character du jour is $20, minimum. And that's a deep-discount Amazon deal on an Austrian brand called Giesswien that is usually priced at $60.00. For slippers!
This whole clothing thing is a balancing act for me. In attempting to live green, I try not to encourage additional production with my dollars, sweatshop and otherwise. Not to mention my general dislike of shopping. Also, I have many, many bags full of clothing separated by size and season in storage already, too small now. I could open a consignment shop at this point. And it's hard to reconcile what they claim are the "must-haves" with what really are. For instance, does Gigi need slippers? Are they a "must-have?" Shouldn't I just be chasing her down every 10 minutes and putting her socks back on? Or should I just let her navigate the hardwood and ceramic with bare feet after I get tired of the chasing?
It's hard to tell sometimes if these ideas of what she needs come from me or the media that has targeted me as a middle income, stay at home mom that wants the best for her little bundle and is willing to pay for it. And I do get targeted - even without the benefit of television, which I do not watch.
So...
Best I can tell, the girl should have some slippers. They're in the cart, ready to go. Of course, I can get Super Saver Shipping if I just spend $5 dollars more...
First off, Gigi is a lucky little girl. She has had up until now 4 sources of hand-me-down clothing. Before I gave birth, I bought a huge lot of used clothes from a mama in West Seneca. I mean huge. 5 boxes all the way up to a few 24 months items, plus she threw in Avent bottles, sheets, some toys, tons of shoes, binkies- you name it. Plus, Gigi has a few important little girls (generous mamas) who contribute really cute stuff to her wardrobe and I am very grateful.
Second off, she has Grandma. Actually Great Grandma. Grandma Detkos has always been a "shopper" from what I can gather. She scours the aisles at TJ Maxx and the like, sweeping the grid like The Terminator looking for Sarah Connor. I need only to have mentioned that Gigi needed socks than she recieved all manner of them. I am grateful. I used to actually begrudge Gigi the deluge of non-essential clothing back when she was 6 months, but now that we actually go places and get dirty it's pretty cool. Now I just feel guilty for the kids in... well, not Africa. They're starving, yes, but it's hot there. I guess I don't know where, but the poor kids with only 10 things to wear is what I mean. They may live just minutes away for all I know.
Lastly, I just dont want to spend the money on new clothes. I have other stuff I want to spend our money on. Or not spend at all would be best. And I dislike TJ Maxx and Marshall's so much that I would actually endure real (minor) physical discomfort as an alternative to shopping there.
What I do is look for second-hand stuff. I want really good condition Pedipeds and Robeez for $15 a pair (still looking)! I want an EUC (excellent used condition) Patagonia snowsuit for $30 (got it)! I want some kind of fleece or wool hat that ties and covers Gigi's ears for $5 (working on it). I don't want a Ralph Lauren jumpsuit for $30 because it used to be $60 (got it from Grandma, though, and it's super-di-cute!).
So it pains me to admit that I'll be buying brand-new slippers for Gigi. And anything that is going to breathe, protect against hardwood slips, last for the next kiddo and not be the cartoon character du jour is $20, minimum. And that's a deep-discount Amazon deal on an Austrian brand called Giesswien that is usually priced at $60.00. For slippers!
This whole clothing thing is a balancing act for me. In attempting to live green, I try not to encourage additional production with my dollars, sweatshop and otherwise. Not to mention my general dislike of shopping. Also, I have many, many bags full of clothing separated by size and season in storage already, too small now. I could open a consignment shop at this point. And it's hard to reconcile what they claim are the "must-haves" with what really are. For instance, does Gigi need slippers? Are they a "must-have?" Shouldn't I just be chasing her down every 10 minutes and putting her socks back on? Or should I just let her navigate the hardwood and ceramic with bare feet after I get tired of the chasing?
It's hard to tell sometimes if these ideas of what she needs come from me or the media that has targeted me as a middle income, stay at home mom that wants the best for her little bundle and is willing to pay for it. And I do get targeted - even without the benefit of television, which I do not watch.
So...
Best I can tell, the girl should have some slippers. They're in the cart, ready to go. Of course, I can get Super Saver Shipping if I just spend $5 dollars more...
