Back to School AKA Happy Halloween!?!
One day into the school year and Halloween stuff is already lining the shelves at most big stores around the city. Don't panic! The stores like to pretend that Halloween is just around the corner so you stock up on treats (that you inevitably eat in the weeks preceding halloween & then have to replace), but really we still have 8 full weeks to prepare...
One day into the school year and Halloween stuff is already lining the shelves at most big stores around the city. Don't panic! The stores like to pretend that Halloween is just around the corner so you stock up on treats (that you inevitably eat in the weeks preceding halloween & then have to replace), but really we still have 8 full weeks to prepare. Totally doable, and yet I know I will blink and it will actually be Halloween. Time flies these days.
I try not to go too overboard with the refined sugary treats with my little ones (3 years & 11 months), but I love to make homemade treats & find great costumes for our whole family to have fun with. This week Benny asked if he could be a Lion for Halloween and it made me realize that I better start thinking about what I need to prepare for this year. We usually have a family costume (DIY) for parties, as well as individual costumes for trick or treating & kid's parties. This year is Benny's first year at nursery school so he's pretty pumped for his own kid's costume party.
Buying costumes, especially for a whole family, can be down right expensive and when they're only worn once our environment pays the real cost. That's why I'm proud to partner with Eco-Outfitters Online for The 3rd Annual Toronto West Costume Swap!
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The Details:
1. Drop off your clean, gently-used costumes at Eco Outfitters Office between Sept 2, 2014 & Oct 2, 2014. Be sure to pin your name & email address to your costume so they can confirm your trade in.
2. Return to Eco Outfitters Online on Saturday Oct 4th 10am-6pm and shop for a FREE gently-used costume for your little one.
*If you don't have a costume to trade in you can still shop the costume swap from 12pm-6pm with a minimum $5 donation to The New Mom Project.
While looking through our past Halloween pictures I realized that Ben has been a lion several times...maybe time to trade in some lions for a new animal. Can't wait to see what we find!
Trick or Treating 2012 - Roar!
Trick or Treating 2013 - Roar The Sequel!
So grab your gently-used costumes & drop them by Eco Outfitters anytime this month to save money and the environment while still getting your kid an awesome Halloween costume.
Have any questions? Contact Rebecca at Eco Outfitters Online via email for more details.
Top 3 Ways to Save Money & The Environment While Dressing Your Kids - Part 2/3
Last week on the blog I told you about one of my top 3 ways to save money and the environment while shopping for our kids - Local Parent to Parent Sales. These sales are such a great resource for families, but since most are held only once or twice a year it can be difficult to get to them. Plus sometimes it's nice to be able to shop on your own schedule in a less chaotic environment.
Last week on the blog I told you about one of my top 3 ways to save money and the environment while shopping for our kids - Local Parent to Parent Sales. These sales are such a great resource for families, but since most are held only once or twice a year it can be difficult to get to them. Plus sometimes it's nice to be able to shop on your own schedule in a less chaotic environment. Not that I ever shy away from a good sale ;)
As a regular go-to for gently used clothing and gear I rely on kids consignment stores. These are an excellent way to get name brand items that still have lots of life left in them. Sometimes you'll even score brand new items with the tags on! The only draw back is that consignment shopping can be time consuming, and as a busy parent and business owner I don't have a ton of time to go out and browse the stores for deals. That's why I was so excited to find a new local online kids consignment store called Eco Outfitters Online.
Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with Rebecca Saha the Owner of Eco Outfitters Online, who specializes in high-end, gently used, baby & kids clothing & accessories. In addition to owning her own new business Rebecca is a wife, a mom of 3 kids, and a kindergarten teacher. What a woman! She is also a proud environmentalist and loves to help families learn how to make more green decisions in their daily lives, including purchasing clothing.
Eco Outfitters Online provides families with 2 great options for purchasing their hand-curated line of high-end gently used clothing.
Low flat fee shipping, or even the option of free pick up if you live locally.
2. Book a Personal Shopping Appointment online
Meet with Rebecca & check out the goods in person at the Eco Outfitters Boutique located in her West Toronto home. It's a great space with lots of beautiful stuff to browse & choose from.
I couldn't help myself and ended up buying a few items for our little Lucy :)
Luckily our toddler Ben is still living off of massive piles of hand-me-downs thanks to our extremely generous friends and family, so no need to buy him anything. (Huge shout out to Auntie Meagan, Auntie AnaBela & Auntie Margaret for clothing him for the last 3 years!)
Check out Eco Outfitters Online website for full details and to view some of their adorable clothes currently available www.ecooutfittersonline.ca. Enjoy shopping from the comfort of your own home or book an appointment to visit the boutique in person to find some great stuff for your little ones.
*Eco Outfitters Online offers Full Refund Or Exchange on all purchases (tags still attached). Plus a great Referral Rewards Program & Trade In Trade Up Program.
Stay tuned for the final instalment in this 3 part series next week to learn how to save money and the environment when choosing to buy New.
- Care
Top 3 Ways To Save Money & The Environment While Dressing Your Kids - Part 1/3
Constantly buying new kids clothing & gear is really expensive and harmful to the environment. Keeping up with the seasons, your kid's ever changing body, and their personal preferences can put a big dent in your family's budget, and often means that parents rely on cheap disposable clothing in order to get by.
Constantly buying new kids clothing & gear is really expensive and harmful to the environment. Keeping up with the seasons, your kid's ever changing body, and their personal preferences can put a big dent in your family's budget, and often means that parents rely on cheap disposable clothing in order to get by. The consequences of such fast fashion include human rights violations for labourers, as well as serious environmental damage. (Important topics for another post)
In an effort to save money and decrease our impact we buy a lot of gently used clothing and gear for our little ones, and also think a lot about what we purchase new. Friends and clients often ask how we save money and where we get our best deals, so in this 3 part series I'll lay out my 3 favourite ways to save money & help the environment while dressing our kids. (besides free hand-me-downs...they are obviously the best!)
Local Community Parent to Parent Sales
These sales are a great way to get amazing deals on kids clothing, gear & toys. Every year I hit up a few of these sales to stock up on our most pressing needs.
In our area of the city, Bloor West Village, there is a semi-annual sale called "Children's Pillage in the Village" put on by community families which is happening TOMORROW!
Sat. May 24th from 1pm-3:30pm at Swansea Community Center (15 Waller Ave)
I can't wait! Last fall I managed to get baby Lucy a very gently used Mountain Equipment Co-op fleece snow suit for only $5!! As well as an almost new Maya Wrap Ring Sling for only $12!! So many amazing deals to be had on clothes, accessories, gear and toys.
*Most sales do not allow children or strollers inside. So leave the kids at home & have fun shopping for some great deals with your laundry hamper!
*I strongly encourage you to make note of your kid's shoe & clothing sizes & what you need most, so you can go directly to those areas of the sale first. These sales are extremely busy & not for the faint of heart!
Below you'll find links to some of the sales that happen around the city each spring & fall. Hope you check some of them out, so you and your family can save some moola and stay green while dressing your little ones.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week to learn more about dressing your kids on a budget with the environment in mind.
- Carolyn
Local Parent to Parent Sales