v 3 issue 23: Summer Style

Summer is here and time for stylish outfits that are practical as well as comfortable and fashion-savvy.


Cover by Angelica Johnson Smith










1 Caspian sea blue fabric is printed with a dotted design which tricks the eyes into seeing a bounty of sealife...hence, the name-the Oceania Dress. A braided pearly neckline halters the dress to a large bow in back. Visit cutelittleclothes.com to find this and other Luna Luna Copenhagen classics. Enter Code: tot-freeship-75 for Free shipping on orders $75+

2 Cargo shorts are the staple of every summer wardrobe. They go with almost anything and you can wear them almost anywhere. Kapital K has improved the look of the short by adding an impact-Kapital K graphics and an embroidered patch. Comes with a matching belt. Available at lilswanky.com Enter code: ttw20 for 20% off purchases.

3 My Vintage Baby revamps a menagerie of vintage prints into hip, fresh outfits for the summer of 2010. Green, pink, and flowered prints complement each other nicely in this ruffled summer dress full of flair. One of many wonderful outfits! Buy one item, get the second half off thru 6/30/10.

4 Protect your kids from harmful UVA and UVB damage that will penetrate through normal clothing. Sun Smarty apparel is 50++SPF fashionable all day fun in the sun protection. We adore their superman and Graffiti Love collection. Available in Sizes 0-12. Highlight Tot Trend Weekly in “where did you hear about us” for a FREE sunhat with purchase!

5 The sea-inspired Sailor's Knot Collection from Flowers and Honey Fashion of New York ties together bold polka-dot prints with red, white, and blue stripes. Big white bows and lots of flair hoist the collection to truly feminine heights. Enter code: TTW15 for 15% off your purchase thru 7/11.

6 The slip on comfort of cotton shorts gets spruced up with a faux fly, two cargo pockets, and an elastic drawstring waist. Boys Cotton Cargo Shorts from Daily Threads combine two basic American styles for one improved casual look. A nice compromise between the wants of Mom & her finicky son. Enter code: ktwfreeship for Free Shipping.

7 Snug fitting pajamas in a variety of funny styles are now available at My Baby Pajamas in a short style. Perfect for warm summer nights. The LazyOne Turtley Awesome print comes in sizes 2T all the way to 10. Enter code: TOTTRENDS for 15% off purchases.


This weeks mom tips
Cleaning Tip: If you have stainless steel appliances, you'll love this cleaning tip. Simply take a small amount of baby oil, apply to a cleaning rag, and rub onto your stainless steel, top to bottom. Tried, tested and true, this trick will get rid of those annoying streaks other cleaning solutions leave behind!

Greening Tip: If you're a mom, you know the value of plastic Ziploc bags! Perfect for snacks, crayons and lunch money...but terrible for the environment. So, try reusing those Ziploc bags. A simple gadget called the Bag-E-Wash allows you to put used bags right in the dishwasher for easy cleaning and disinfecting.

Financial Tip: For all you mom's who haven't checked it out yet, the new eBay is Craigslist. Simply choose your state (listed on the right hand side of the site), and then visit the 'For Sale' section for lots of great finds!

Parenting Tip: Teach your kids about the importance of writing Thank You Notes, and make it fun so that it becomes a life-long practice! For younger kids, talk about why you are writing a thank you note, and then allow them to draw a picture for the person they are thanking. Allowing them to place the stamp on the envelope and help you put it in the mailbox will add to the fun. For older kids, fun stationary that's all their own will do the trick. We love ruvacards.com.


Summer Camp Without the Camp
Camp can cost $1500 per week per child, not really affordable for everyone, have summer camp at home instead. Maybe ask neighbors or friends if they want to join in. Even better when you can include the little ones.

Make a schedule just like a real summer camp has, pick a day, or days of the week to be “camp days” depending on your schedule.

Buy craft kits inexpensively from places like Oriental Trading or Michaels. Make jewelry, dream catchers, bracelets, charm bags, zen gardens, painted pebbles and other cool projects.

Tie-dye t-shirts and use fabric paint to make your own official camp home t-shirts.

No pool? Who needs a pool or a lake, grab a bag of water balloons or squirt guns for some water fun. Run through the sprinkler with your child, you will feel like a kid again.

For the little ones: Cube on a string...Freeze cotton string inside, colored ice cubes (use fruit juice for flavor) and turn them into cool little boats to play with in the water. They will float and move around as your little ones reach for them.

Plan a special “trip” for your little camper, even if that trip is just around the yard to look for caterpillars make it fun, grab an empty jar and see how many different kinds of bugs you can find.

Camping is a wonderful activity for families, and it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be as simple as pitching a tent in the back yard.

Grill hamburgers and hot dogs and have “camp food” on camp days. Make fruit salad, a fun summer camp activity and snack all at once everyone adds something to the bowl.

Picnic Lunches: Break out the blanket or table cloth, and picnic basket. Pack an actual picnic lunch and spend the afternoon at your local park. Fill the basket with all sorts of fun and healthy snacks.

We recently had the opportunity to sample these on-the-go snacks from Revolution Foods that will keep your kids away from the junk food this summer.

Mashups - Fruit you squeeze and eat right out of the pack, yummy at room temp or frozen overnight to make a cool treat for the midday heat! Mashups are made with no added sugar, no artificial ingredients or HFCS.




Jammy Sammy - Each individually wrapped snack sized bar is made with nourishing ingredients and packed with whole grains that help kids sustain their energy throughout the day.