Photo by Jo Ann Schneider Farris

One day, when my children were little, I left my husband with my two toddlers and went shopping. He let them open up a child’s makeup set that I had just purchased and let the kids go wild. My daughter, who was three years old at the time, “decorated” her face with every color, lipstick, blush, and eye shadow in that set! To sum things up, she was dressed in a nice birthday dress, but looked like a clown!

Girls of all ages love makeup. Makeup can be put into goody bags for a child’s birthday party. Kids can come to a party wearing the prettiest birthday party dresses and then decorate their faces and hair. Also, since girls love to dress up, children can pretend and play by dressing up in birthday dresses and apply makeup.

Makeup Tips For Kids:

Find the proper fit for baby's little piggies!

We know that finding the proper fitting little girls shoes can be a very difficult undertaking for moms and dads. Often times the size numbers can be deceiving, and you can’t rely on them the same way you can with clothing. An improper fit can also mean disaster – pinched toes, blisters, and other serious foot problems can develop. Shoe fitting expert Kirk Watson of PodiatryNetwork.com offers advice on achieving the perfect fit for your baby girl shoes. Here are his seven steps to help you get it right.

1. First Things First

Know when it’s time for girls shoes in the first place. Watson reminds parents that shoes are only really necessary when a child starts to pull up and cruise around objects.

Also, you must realize that fitting shoes is an art, not a science. It’s a process that involves lots of practice and experience to get it right.

2. Measuring

First, measure both of your child’s feet in a standing position because feet are more flexible and will expand to a true size with body weight. Next, take three standard measurements from a branock device – length, width and arch length. Note that the size the foot measures is not necessarily the shoe size. Differences in construction, materials, form, and sizing systems will determine the actual shoe size.  Lastly, note any differences in the sizes of the feet. You’ll want to fit the largest foot.

3. Length

Generally there is one third of an inch between sizes, and one sixth of an inch between half sizes. Therefore, each one third of an inch a foot grows equal a one size increase. By this calculation, the average infant will wear a shoe for two to three months. However, keep in mind that the growth rate will vary with individual children. Purchasing shoes that are too large is likely to cause tripping of an already unstable walker.

4. Width

The width of a shoe is trickier than the length. The length and width of a shoe are proportional, so the width will increase as length does. Width increases about one-fourth inch per full size. Insert the tip of the first finger between the shoe and foot at the instep to first gauge how well the foot is fitting the width of the shoe. If the finger will not fit then the shoe is not wide enough.

Next, check that there is enough room in the throat of the shoe to allow for forward growth. Then use the thumb and first finger to pull the leather in a lifting motion up from the ball of the boot. There should be enough room to lift the shoe material off of the foot slightly, but not in excess. Finally, check the inside and outside of the foot for pressure points and cramped toes.

5. Heel

If you are fitting a high-top walking shoe on your baby, the heel fit is not a major concern. The heel is covered and the shoe will stay on well. On a lower shoe the heel should stay in the shoe without popping out when the baby walks. Tightness in the heel will cause more problems than if the shoe is a little loose in the heel. A little looseness is permissible, but not a large gap between the heel and the shoe.

6. Walk Test

All fit checks on girls shoes should be done with the child standing. If the child can’t walk alone yet, let him or her pull up on a chair or fitting stool. If the child is walking, let them take a few steps and watching their balance. Take special note on the break in the shoe. It should be straight across the ball of the foot. A deep break (excess wrinkle) or breaking at an angle would indicate that the shoe is too wide. Breaking forward of the ball of the foot would indicate that the shoe is too long. Check the shoe again after the child has taken a walk in them and the foot has relaxed and set in the shoe.

7. Other checks

Make sure the shoe does not rub the anklebone and cause irritation. High top shoes for little girls should cover the anklebone and low tops should hit just below it. If you still aren’t quite sure how to properly fit your child’s feet, don’t be afraid to ask!  Pediatricians and foot care consultants are trained to know proper fit. You’ll be glad you got a second opinion and made an educated decision.

Today’s tips are all about the pageant dress – how to find a beautiful discount pageant gown and how to keep it looking amazing for her turn onstage. First (and easiest) things first. You can find a girls pageant dress from SophiasStyle.com with the greatest of ease. We have more than 400 styles of pageant gowns and dozens of them are $50 or less. You can find pageant gowns for the seasoned veteran or one for the little girl who’s just started to practice her smile for the judges. Sophias Style pageant dresses feature everything from loads of glitz and glamour to simple, whimsical designs.

Once you find the perfect dress you’ve got to keep it that way. No matter how you are traveling to the pageant – by car, plane, bus, taxi, train – you’ll most likely need to pack up the dress in a suitcase or bag. If not stored properly, this can mean wrinkles for the pageant gown, and that certainly won’t impress the judges. You won’t want to mess with a heavy clothes steamer or iron while you’re trying to prepare for the big event.

Here’s how to best avoid wrinkles:

An ideal dress for a "natural" pageant

For simple “natural” pageant gowns and dresses:

Roll the dress like a sleeping bag before placing it in a tote or suitcase. Once you arrive at your destination and begin to unpack your pageant goodies, immediately unroll the dress and hang it in a closet or on a clothes rack. Voila! – nary a wrinkle should be found.

For truly “glitz” pageant gowns:

These gowns are generally too big to be placed in a suitcase. Rather, they travel best on a hanger and covered in either a plastic garment bag or luggage garment piece. You can hang the pageant dress from the hook in the car or on any other available bar or rack.

A show-stopping "glitz" gown.

If traveling by plane:

You can ask the airline if they have a closet or clothes rack to store the dress during flight. If not, another option is to place the dress in a large garment box (you should be able to find them at dry cleaners) Then you can carry-on the box and keep an eye on it during the trip.

No more wire hangers:

Joan Crawford was actually on to something here. Always hang her pretty pageant dress on a sturdy wooden, metal or padded hanger. A cheap wire hanger won’t give the dress proper support and could cause wrinkles.

If you still see a stubborn wrinkle or two, here’s a quick and easy fix, courtesy of Martha Stuart. Hang the dress on the back of the bathroom door, lay towels on the floor and run a very hot shower for 5-10 minutes so that the room builds up a nice layer of steam. Then wrap your arm in a white towel and run it up and down the dress to ease out the wrinkles.

Be ready for a mishap involving birthday cake!

You spend hours preparing your little girl for a special event. You carefully and lovingly choose the perfect dress to celebrate the occasion – a birthday, Christmas, Easter, a wedding. So just how does she repay you? By smearing a double layer of chocolate cake on her new birthday dress, dousing her elegant garment with the entire contents of the punch bowl or smearing a grass stain down the length of her fantastic frock. No doubt we all love our children dearly, but boy do they sure have a knack for making a disaster out of something beautiful!

If you think her dress is a lost cause, or that you’ll have to foot a huge dry cleaner’s bill,  you can luckily think again. Here is a DIY guide for removing stains from all kinds of special occasion fabrics:

Satin

Satin is frequently used as a special occasion dress fabric. All you need is a gentle hand (or washing cycle) to clean it.

Organza

Organza dresses come in both natural and synthetic varieties. There are special instructions for removing stains from both types.

Chiffon

Dresses made of chiffon need lots of extra TLC when cleaning or removing stains, as this is a complicated fabric to treat. Still, with the right amount of know-how and patience, you can work wonders.

A gorgeous chiffon dress

Taffeta

For the best results at removing stains from taffeta dresses, a visit to the dry cleaners is probably in order. If you do decide to tackle the job yourself, there are some tips to help you achieve the best at home results.

Silk

Her silk dress doesn’t have to lose its luxurious luster. Try these tips to make your silk fabrics shine.

Cotton:

Although cotton doesn’t immediately come to mind as a luxurious fabric, it is nonetheless used quite commonly in special occasion dresses, and still has its own set of rules for cleaning and stain removal.

A beautiful cotton birthday dress

Velvet

Velvet is one of the most luxurious, regal-looking fabrics around and should never be washed. Rather, you should spot treat stains gently with a warm washcloth.

Lace

Girls lace dresses made of this very sophisticated, beautiful, and delicate fabric will last for many years if cared for properly.

As moms know all too well, stains are not a special event. They happen on a daily basis. Click here for tips on removing stains from everyday boys and girls clothes.

I don’t know about you, but my pool activities ironically consist of little to no activity at all. I usually prefer to relax on a raft with my sunglasses, a thick layer of sun block and a cool drink. It’s just me, warm sunshine and total relaxation. Of course to kids, pool time is a completely different story! For them going to the pool means a day filled with fun games and activities, not lounging around.

Keep your kids' swimwear looking new all summer long!

Because kids are always on the go, boys and girls swimsuits sure do have hard lives. They must endure sand, sun, salt water, chlorine, sun screen oil, grass stains from endless runs down the slip and slide, and who knows what other wear and tear. As summer fast approaches, it’s important for mom and dads to know how to properly wash swimwear pieces. If not well cared for, kids and baby swimwear will never see it through the summer!

You can read the full article for all the details, but here are some quick tips on how to make kids swim suits (and yours too!) last:

DO soak new swimsuits in cold water and white vinegar to prevent colors from running

DO rinse your swimsuit in cool water after each use and before each washing

DO wash swimwear by hand

DO use detergent specially designed for swimwear fabrics (found in swimwear shops)

DO air dry your swimwear garments indoors


DON’T wash swimwear in the washing machine

DON’T ever use bleach on your bathing suits

DON’T dry swim suits in the dryer

DON’T air dry your swimsuit in the sun

DON’T twist or wring the swimwear to remove excess water

You’ll also get more life out of your girls and boys swimwear if you invest in quality pieces that are made to last. At Sophias Style you can count on our swimwear to be well-crafted and affordable. We have designer swimwear by Kate Mack, Gossip Girl and Hula Star, all for up to 70% off the retail tag!