girlymama

Now you know how my Gracie is super-dooper girly, loved ruffles and dresses and wears flowers in her hair almost every day, right?

I have no idea where she got this from.

Now my oldest, Ellie, is a different story. Wearing a dress is cruel and unusual punishment. Tights are torture. And the last time I bought her something with ruffles, the look she gave me made me shudder at the thought of her being a teenager. You could almost hear her eyes rolling. I swear. Now she will wear pink, but that's about a girly as it gets.

(disclaimer: She read this before I posted it and said, "MOM! I DO have a shirt with ruffles." And she does. Have one single shirt with a teensy-tiny ruffle on it. I stand corrected.)

So I have a really hard time finding clothes for her. Grace is easy. If I love it, she'll love it. If its a dress, she'll love it. If it has ruffles, she'll really love it. But Ellie.... I've returned more clothes that I've bought for that girl... Even stuff that I think isn't that girly, she'll reject.

Luckily, I've found a few stores that I can almost always find things for her. There are several kids clothing stores that I refuse to shop at. I firmly believe that 8-year-old girls should look like 8-year-old girls, not tiny pop stars or reality show contestants. No inappropriate slogans on tshirts, no super revealing outfits and nothing written across their bottoms, thankyouverymuch.

77kids is American Eagle for kids and one of our favorite stores. I've found a ton here for her - that casual surfer girl style is perfect for a kids like her. And my favorite - their slogan is "Good for 77 washes" - their stuff not only lasts, but gets softer with age.

I love this flowy bright stripe pocket tank. The flowy-ness makes it a little feminine and modest, but its still 'cool' enough for her.

Ellie loves graphic tees and is obsessed with peace signs, so this graphic t is perfect! This is her new favorite shirt. I love how long it is!

Oh, she'll love these rip stitch denim shorts.

Crazy 8 is another store I usually do well at for her. Crazy 8 is owned by Gymboree, so you know its good stuff. And when you hit the sales, its crazy cheap. (Even when you don't hit the sales they have good prices!) The outfits we fight the most about are outfits appropriate for church. I don't think they need to get decked out, but nice clothes are a must (like jeans without holes). But Crazy 8 is saving my sanity with these cute outfits!

This would be perfect for church. Dressed up enough to make Mom happy, but casual enough that Ellie won't be uncomfortable. Gingham tunic shirt ($8), Bee tshirt ($5), Denim skirt ($10) and flats ($12).

Now this I love!! And since its a skort, Ellie will too! She actually loves headbands, so that will win major points! Butterfly tshirt ($10), plaid skort ($10), headband ($4) and sandals ($10).