Winter outerwear for mother and daughter

In this week’s baby bargainista column, Jenny goes shopping for a winter maternity coat and outerwear for her big sister to-be...

Even though we’ve been enjoying unseasonably warm weather, this week I couldn’t ignore the long-range forecast or the fact that I am, very soon, going to be in need of winter coats. One for myself to cover the growing belly, as none of my current coats can button up over the bump anymore; and one for my 4-year-old because I know as soon as the snow flies she’ll want to be outside rolling around in it.

I’d heard about the M coat – a marvelous creation by Canadian Spirit Downwear that adapts to the 3 stages of maternity thanks to a zip-out A-line front panel. Worn with the panel zipped in an “A” shape, it snugly covers a bump; worn with the panel zipped in a “V”, you can squire your newborn around town in a baby bjorn and keep them snug. And of course, with the panel zipped out, it’s a lovely parka for when I’m (hopefully) back to pre-pregnancy shape.

Unfortunately the only place I’ve been able to find that is currently stocking the M Coat is Sporting Life – and it’s very expensive! At $480 I can’t help but wonder if I’m better off just buying two different coats, one A-line maternity number and a parka for afters. What’s making me lean towards splurging is the ability to zip my baby into the coat when in a front carrier and avoid having to push a stroller through the snow in order to enjoy the great outdoors.

I still haven’t decided whether to go for it – partly because I’m still waiting for my chosen size and color to come in stock at Sporting Life. Maybe the delay is a blessing – an opportunity to comparison shop. (If anyone has any hot tips, let me know in the Comments!)

I had much better luck finding a coat and snow pants for my little girl. After some comparison shopping at various stores (Sears, Zellers), I couldn’t find anything that was up to my standards, so I went straight to my old standby: Gap Kids. I know, it belies my “babyBargainista” title but I love their coat and snow pant combos and in 3 years of buying winter gear for my daughter I’ve yet to find anything comparable.

I like that Gap Kids offers a selection of separates in various colors that you can mix-and-match (brown, pink, white, and silver). Their sizing and fit is perfect for my extra-tall girl. And the construction is impeccable – inside cuffs on both coat and pants, inside layer snaps on the coat so it won’t ride up, detachable hood and detachable fur trim, fully height-adjustable snowpants (very important for growing kids), a side zipper on the pants for easy on-off – all these elements make the combo well worth the $120 (combined) price tag.

What’s your go-to for winter gear?

Cheap clothes for kids

In this week’s column, Jenny Bullough share’s her thoughts about shopping on a budget for young kids.

Now that fall is really upon us, my thoughts naturally turn to outfitting my 4-year-old for the colder months.

After a few years’ experience of digging through last winter’s long-sleeved shirts, pants, and jackets and finding more than half of them no longer fit, I’m prepared for a massive shopping explosion in order to make sure my girl is adequately clothed for the coming chill.

Nothing says “mommy guilt” like seeing the disapproving glances of the other daycare/preschool/JK moms and dads when they see bare ankles and wrists exposed because last season’s pants and shirts are suddenly a size too small! I speak from experience, unfortunately.

I hope you won’t think I’m a negligent parent when I tell you that when it comes to buying my little kindergartner clothes for everyday wear, I am *supremely* cheap.

Again, from experience I know that anything she wears to daycare or school is doomed to come back home stained with play-doh, paint, food, or old-fashioned mud, and most likely missing buttons, fasteners, and any fancy doo-dads sewn onto it, so spending a lot of money on daily wear is just not worth the investment since by the time she’s done with it, it won’t even be fit for passing on to future siblings or younger cousins.

For cheap kids’ wear, my first stop is always Joe Fresh. There’s a section conveniently located in our local Loblaws, which makes it easy to check out their clearance racks every week; and their kids clothes are inexpensive and surprisingly durable. Plus their pants often feature adjustable waists, which is a key ingredient to longevity in the kid wardrobe.

If I can’t find what I need while grocery shopping, Old Navy or Zellers will often have good stuff on their sale racks, and their regularly-priced merchandise isn’t too costly. For durability, go with Old Navy first; for items bedecked with your child’s favorite cartoon characters, Zellers is your best bet. I have occasionally had issues with the fit of some Zellers clothes, but as with all HBC properties their no-hassle return policy makes it easy to buy two sizes and return the one that doesn’t fit.

And finally, I always love to drop into Once Upon a Child at least once a season and I’m rarely disappointed. This chain of consignment stores scores high marks with me for their constant rotation of high-quality, gently-used kids clothing. I’ve gotten some tremendous deals there on barely-worn name-brand designer kids clothes like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren.

Those are my top tips for durable, cheap daily kids wear. What store is your first stop when your little ones need new school clothes?