A season for everything

Ah, winter. Snow is falling, fireplaces are glowing, and everything is picture perfect.

Unless you live in Alabama.

Then you get rain and 65 degrees or perfect sunshine with a high of 17. And we have a fireplace, but it doesn't *actually* work. [A fact that would have been fun to have known when we bought our house.] None of that is very picture perfect. And it also makes it very difficult to know when to put away warm weather clothes and switch to cold.

I am an avid small shopper. I am also very frugal (gotta be on a teacher's salary!) so anything I can do to extend the life of my daughter's clothing is very beneficial for our budget. One way I do that is I allow her outfits to pull double duty. So many of her warm weather clothes can be layered to create outfits perfect for cooler temperatures.

Here are some of my favorite ways to get some extra winter wear from her summer wardrobe.



1. Layers short-sleeves over long.

These two little outfits are two of my favorites. The flutter sleeve dress (top)  is from a sweet little shop, Mommy and Doodle. I fell in love with this print, and the owner Christine custom made this adorable dress. The colors are bold for summer, but they also work perfectly for fall and winter. To make it last throughout the season, I paired it with a dark red peplum top from WiggleBaby Shop. The colors are perfect together, and it totally changes the whole look of the dress.  Add leggings and a crocheted cap made my by amazing sister-in-law, and the winter outfit is complete.

The tank top was another custom order from 2 Lil Buggs. As a photography-loving, camera-toting mama, the happy little cameras just made me smile, and I knew she needed something in that print. But tank tops can only be worn a few months out of the year. That's why when I saw that 2 Lil Buggs was making leotards, I had to snatch one up! This mustard yellow leo coordinates so well with the mustard yellow in the camera print and allows me to get a few extra months wear out of one of my favorite tops.

 2. Add a sweater.

I said in an earlier post that my grandmother knits the most beautiful sweaters. Adding them to some of Parker's summer outfits is the perfect way to add warmth when the temperature starts to drop. The navy pinafore is another Mommy and Doodle original. In the summer, she wore it with a simple white tee and a pair of mary janes. This January, however, she is wearing it over gray tights, black boots, and a simple white sweater with a precious navy stripe. She wore this outfit just yesterday with a high temperature that was in the 20s and stayed nice and toasty. 

The little floral skirt is also from 2 Lil Buggs, as is the yellow striped top which you will see again in a minute. I love floral. It's so feminine and twirly. My daughter loves to spin around and around while she wears them. And they don't have to only be for summer time. Swapping the striped top for another handmade sweater allows her to wear her twirly skirts into the next season. I could even add tights or leggings to get extra wear. 

3. Finish with a jacket or cardigan.

Layers are SUPER in right now. And as a teacher, this pleases me to no end.  Give me ALL THE CARDIGANS!!!!! But, alas, I dress my child better than I dress myself.  Like with this blue cardi from Shiloh Z Boutique. Oh, how I wish it came in my size! I threw it on over that cute little striped dress from 2 Lil Buggs from earlier. A flannel scarf and hair bow ensure that my Sweet P stays nice and warm while still wearing one of her favorite dresses.

And what closet would be complete without a classic denim jacket? This one over her elephant dress is a lifesaver most days.  Easy to wear, goes with everything, and stands up to preschool playtime. Parker is elephant-obsessed, so not being able to wear this custom dress from WiggleBaby Shop, even in cold temperatures, is not an option. It would also be cute over a white long-sleeved top.


Did I miss any tricks? How do you extend your child's wardrobe? Let me know in the comments!