If you are looking for eco-friendly choices in attire there are numerous options out there.  Below are 6 ways to add a little green to any wardrobe (big or little) without sacrificing style.

1. Look for Sustainable Materials:  Items made from sustainable materials such as cotton, bamboo or hemp are grown in soil that hasn’t been treated with pesticides.  These are natural fabrics which are breathable, kid friendly and are nice staples in any wardrobe.  Since sustaiable fabrics are treated with low impact dyes, they are typically found in soft and neutral tones which makes them easy to mix into with current styles and colors.
2. Wear Recycled Wool:  It is still cold in many parts of the world which makes it the perfect time of year add a recycled wool scarf, gloves, sweater or socks to your winter esssentials.  It’s naturally warming and can be found in a rainbow of colors to please everyone in the family.
3. Denim is always green:  You cannnot go wrong with recycled denim! It’s always in fashion, wears like iron and gets better with age!  LoobaLee has some wonderful kids denim options from skirts to shorts to classic jeans.
4. Fair Trade:  When shopping for eco-friendly items, be on the lookout for Fair Trade Certified Apparel.  The sale of these items directly benefit the farmers who grow the cotton and the workers who sew the garments, offering consumers an unprecedented opportunity to positively impact lives. Find Fair Trade Certified Apparel here
5. Repurpose:  There are numerous ways to repurpose worn out clothing in to other wearable and/or usable items.  Make pants into shorts, turn old t-shirts into a blanket, Make puppets out of old socks, the list is limited only by your creativity.  Repurposing doesn’t have to be difficult, it can be as simple as using old fabrics as cleaning rags.
6. Donate or Resell:  If the items are still in great condition and you hate to repurpose them, donate or resell on LoobaLee.  This is a great way to give your old clothes life with a new owner and that is always good for the earth!

You don’t have to replace your entire wardrobe to show your Eco-conscience side.  It only takes a little attention to detail and Mother Nature will thank you.

Lilly Pulitzer is an excellent children’s clothing investment.  Resale is typically high on Lilly items, especially girl’s dresses and especially on spring/summer prints.  It wears very well.  And, it just never goes out of style. While the clothing styles change slightly, the consistent print designs keeps each piece going year after year.

Learn more about Lilly P. on their “colorful blog”. See what’s new for kids at “Little Lilly’s“

If you have a boy who is perfectly content sleeping in the clothing they wore all day, we have a few ideas to get him to re-think his night time duds.

Re-Purpose: Consider taking a few of his favorite t-shirts (especially those that should no longer be seen in public) and turn them into sleep shirts.  He still gets to wear his favorites and you don’t have to fight with him to not wear them out of the house.  The same concept can be applied to an old pair of sweat pants.  If his tried and true sweats are tattered or have holes in the knees, cut them off just above the knee and viola… instant sleep shorts.

Renew: If he’s gotten too big for his britches, how about a pair of dad’s old pj’s? If you’re a sewer, you can always take them in a the waist and take them up at the hem.   Dad’s old t-shirts also make nice nighties for pre-teen girls (if that doesn’t gross them out that is).

Upcycle:  Instead of buying a brand new set of pajamas, just purchase pajama bottoms or sweats to pair with the re-purposed tee’s mentioned above.  Size up in the pants so he’ll have room to grow and don’t skimp on quality.  Your return will be higher when it’s time to resell if they are well made.  Pajamas always sell well on resale.

If you are a savvy parent, you can change your son’s outlook on sleepwear ensuring he’s comfortable and well rested and so are you.  Who knows, he might actually wear the pj’s at the next sleepover with his buddies too.

Your thoughts?  Do you like your son to wear designated sleepwear to bed every night? 

Astonishing!!  Since Moms make up a large percent of the population, apparently a lot of us are contributing to the problem.

I literally do not throw away clothing (at least not intentionally).   And, maybe you don’t intentionally either.  But, its inevitable that even in our best efforts to donate and recycle, receiving organizations will dispose of things that can’t be used.

The best way to avoid this downstream affect is up front by buying, wearing and caring consciously.   The clothing that most quickly ends up in our landfills is that which was cheaply made in the first place, and doesn’t hold up to a lot of wash and wear.

Then, don’t be part of the statistic. Be part of the solution. Trade, donate, resell, upcycle, and/or recycle your kids old clothing. Help prevent unnecessary waste and teach your kids the value of buying second hand and the ingenuity of resale.

LoobaLee is proud to be a resource to help you reap the rewards of buying and selling online and get the most out of your children’s apparel.

So, the first place I look when its time to de-clutter their room is their closets.  Helping kids’ keep their rooms organized and uncluttered is a great step towards getting your children to actually help you and want to keep a “conscious” closet.

And, as you can see, I don’t have beautiful, perfect built-in closets to show off.  I don’t have walk-ins or large closets with a lot of space, so I make use of every nook and cranny with everyday helpers available at low cost.

I have used relatively consistent methods to stay organized through each stage of my girls’ growth: baby, toddler, preschool, and school-aged children (I even have a tween, now!).

Here’s a few things I do to keep clothing clutter in their closets under control (and their closet doors usually wide open!):

1. Stacking Bins.  I use handy stackable bins (like this) across the bottom of the entire closet.   It’s a better use of space than hanging short things on the bottom rung.  They are reachable by kids and encourage them to dress themselves.  They also keep miscellaneous things from being thrown onto the closet floor.   I designate a bin for each type of item, and teach the kids to respect the folded clothes.
2. Drawers.   This is the same concept as the bins, but are used for small things:  Socks, underwear, leggings, etc.
3. Small Bins & Organizers.  These work wonders for collections of hair accessories, nail polish, collectibles (like my daughter’s latest obsession with Bath & Body Works “pocket bacs”)
4. Hooks.  I can’t afford to waste any space, so I use the 2-3 inches of space I have remaining to hang belts, small purses,  scarves  on hooks within easy reach from a hanger.  The 3M Command Strips work great (and they’re available in a lot of fun colors).
5. Hanging Organizers.  Great for a variety of things, like jewelry and small things (a large portion of my daughter’s is dedicated to her Squinkies collection — seriously!).  But, hanging organizers can be a life saver.  Try the larger ones if you need more shelf space, have no place shoes, etc.  And, they are fabulous if you like to lay out a week’s worth of clothes.
6. Step Stool.  Essential for kids who still can’t reach higher hanging items.  Without a step stool, they will try anyway.  This results in calling Mom for help all the time, or a mess at best (at worst, torn clothing).
7. Shoe Storage.  Again, squeaking out space here.  I only keep slippers and dressy shoes in my girls’ closets.  They fit perfectly under the the stacking bins.
8. Too small, too big, rarely worn.  At the rate kids’ grow, its inevitable there will be things that don’t fit to deal with.  I keep them in the far reaches of the closet, out of site/reach and ready to be rotated soon (see Quarterly Review tip, below)

And a few general tips:

• Quarterly Review.  Sort out the unworn, too small, and out-of-season clothing quarterly.  Twice a year is not enough.  I do Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall rotations.  This keeps things manageable.
• Out of season  – out of closet.  I completely remove out of season clothing from their closets.  How I sort and store is another post!   If you don’t have this luxury, be sure it is pushed aside and not mixed in with in-season clothing (hanging dividers might help).
• Size Dividers – For young kids, size dividers work great since babies grow so fast, and you’ll usually have a collection of outfits on hand to grow into.
• Laundry System. Even toddlers can be taught to put their dirty clothes in the laundry hamper.  I also do their laundry once a week, on the same day.   I stumbled on this one, and learned as my children got older that a consistent laundry day helps them to feel organized by knowing when things are coming out of the hamper and back into their closets.

Need ideas for a really small closet?   Check out this inspiring organization post from “Your Home, Only Better”, by Susan Jensen Smith.

How about you?

Are your kids’ closet doors open or closed all the time?  What do you do to help keep them from getting out of control?

Check out Little Miss Matched where you currently can purchase a drawer full of socks, an outfitted Little Miss Matched doll or a Fiat full of socks.  Yes, I said a Fiat!  This sure would brighten up the winter in my gloomy little town!

Purchase 3,333 socks for $15,000.00 and LMM will throw in a 2012 Fiat 500 with customized Little Miss Matched decals for free.  If that’s too pricey for your pocketbook, how about 99 socks for $133.33 or save $26 on a  sweet doll with several outfits, which will thrill any sock lovin’ little girl.

Or, what I did … I bought a bunch of kids’ sale socks to have on hand for birthday gifts.  Stock up on socks for $5.12 during the Zany sale at LittleMissMatched!

Feeling lucky?  Enter to win a 20 inch bike miss matched style and a $100 gift certificate.   One lucky winner will be chosen on February 28 to win the bike and $100 certificate and five second prize winners will receive $100 gift certificates.

Another reason to love the fun at Little Miss Matched!

What will they think of next!?

Dig out those capris, spring dress and Easter duds that your kids no longer fit into and list them on LobaLee. Selling on our site is quick, simple and always free!

Don’t miss out on prime Selling season. Buyers are already looking for Easter outfits and spring jackets. Recycle and make a few dollars to help build your children’s wardrobe for the upcoming season. It’s good for the planet and good for you!

February 14th is not one of the biggest of celebrations but it can be rather fun for kids and an occasion for parents to make their children feel special with just a little effort.  Of course it’s easy to find red clothing, hairbows and Valentine socks to suprise the kids with Valentine’s morning.  LoobaLee is the place to shop for eco-friendly children’s Valentine apparel.  The bonus of heart themed clothing is that it never goes out of style.

When it comes to the process of gathering up Valentine’s to send to school with the kids, think outside the box (or typical candy card).  Be creative.  If you google homemade Valentine’s cards and you’ll come up with endless ideas to work on with the kids like the Smartie airplane pictured left (from Family Fun).  This is a fun, easy, inexpesive and a clever way to put a spin on the typical heart shaped card and the whole family can get in on the action as well.

While we don’t need a special day to show our family how much we love them, it’s always nice to have a day dedicatied to just that to remind us of what is important.  Start thinking pink and red because February will be here in a heart beat! 

Choose outfits the night before.  It’s a seemingly simple concept but if you take a few minutes with your child to lay out what they will wear the next morning, not only will the morning be more pleasant, your child will be happy knowing what the plan is for the next day.

Give them options.  If you have an indecisive child or one who doesn’t like to plan ahead, giving options to choose might work well.  Choosing two outfits that can easily mix and match is a fun and ingenious way to satisfy their need to be in control and your desire for them to look put together.

Only buy what you approve.  If you don’t want your child wearing short skirts, shirts with inappropriate verbiage or jean with holes, don’t buy them.  Until your child is of the age where they can afford to purchase clothing on their own, you hold the purse strings.  Don’t be afraid to exercise a little parental control but be mindful of what they will and won’t wear.  Buying clothing you like and they don’t is not penny wise if it sits in their closet.

Give them latitude.  You may have a completely different style when it comes to clothing but kids need an opportunity to express their own sense of style especially during the tween and teen years.  As long as their clothing is not offensive to the majority of the population, give them the latitude to wear what they choose.  They’ll eventually see the light (we hope).

Don’t make wardrobe conflicts put a wedge between your relationship with your son or daughter.  Kids are constantly testing their boundaries and its your job to help set them while allowing them the creative freedom to make wise choices.

While you are in the midst of organizing your kids closets and starting fresh for the new year, think like the retailers do and start preparing for the warmer months.  Below are some ideas on how you can upcycle common clothes in your kids current wardrobe into practical favorites for the season ahead.

Jeans:  If your kids have a favorite pair of jeans that they can’t seem to part with that still fit around the waist but are too short, consider hemming them into capri length pants for girls or shorts for boys.  If you are a creative sewer, add fabric to the pockets or patches to the knees for a cool updated look.

Long Sleeve Tees:  The same concept can be put into action with long sleeve t-shirts that still fit in the body but have sleeves that are getting short.  If you are good at sewing, turn those long sleeves into short sleeves simply by cutting and hemming.  You can also turn the top into a permanent layered look by shortening the sleeves and adding the appropriate length of contrasting fabric.  Don’t be afraid to use the sleeves of an outgrown button down shirt.  This is a cool look too.

Dresses:  Turn your daughter’s favorite dress that is getting a little too short into a longer one by adding a fabric ruffle or tulle along the hem like the dress pictured above (from Makeit-loveit.com).  This is a great way to create a whole new look for her without disturbing the “It’s my favorite dress” vibe.  You can also change the length of the sleeves to accommodate warmer weather if necessary.  Add a little contrasting pin to tie it together and voila!

Think a little outside the box before getting rid of clothing this year.  Upcyling or repurposing is a smart choice for the environment, an economical choice for your budget and a clever way to get the kids involved in thinking about the greater good.   kids.