When my newborn arrived on the scene, I was over prepared in many areas and under in others. For months, people had been telling me not to buy too many clothes, because they grow out of them so quickly. I never could have imagined, though, the sheer volume of poop, spit-up, breast milk and other unsavory stain-makers that would soil her clothes throughout the day. One afternoon I even got chocolate that I was eating from my husband’s hand on her only pair of white leggings. Darn it!
Willow rocking out in a headband from Etsy and H&M bodysuit.
Needless to say, the endless cycle of laundry makes me super-thrilled that we live in an apartment where everything is on one floor and our washing machine is industrial-sized. However, more clothes needed to be purchased. I wanted everything to be cute for obvious reasons, but who has hundreds of dollars to bleed out on clothing basics that will only be worn for a few weeks? Time to shop my favorite sales, going on right now for baby.
Available in multiple colors and patterns, sizes newborn – 24 months. $3.50 each!
TARGET
Not only are they offering free shipping now through Christmas, but there’s a huge selection of infant and toddler duds on major sale. We’re talking leggings for $3.50 (Willow has almost every color of these, and I can guarantee they will be your favorites — fitted but comfy, with a little ruched detail on the ankle, they’re awesome and hold up through multiple washings). I also scored a fleece jacket for under $5 (newborn outerwear is so hard to find!), a little Christmas onesie and matching tutu-detailed leggings for $10, and so on. The baby boy stuff is equally cute, so fret not, mamas of little dudes. Stock up and save — and ship it all to your house for free. Saving this new mom a headache, some gas money, and a ton of money on cotton basics? Total lifesaver of the season.
OLD NAVY
Generally speaking, I don’t find Old Navy to be as affordable in reality as it is in theory. When stocking up on maternity stuff there, for instance, I didn’t save much over the Gap. But endless long-sleeved bodysuits, great little fleece dresses, functional pants for boys, unisex cardigans, and more are currently dirt-cheap for your babies and small kiddos. And they’re also offering free shipping, if you spend at least $50. Willow is super-excited about her flouncy, floral-print dress that Mommy got for $9. In-store sales seem just as promising if not more so; if you aren’t house-bound with a newborn I recommend heading to your local brick-and-mortar Old Navy too.
H&M
As always, this affordable go-to offers up some super-chic stuff at awesome prices. If you haven’t checked out their baby and toddler department, now is the time. Their basics are always on stock-up sale, so the more you buy, the more you save. But clearance items also abound this time of year, so head to your nearest location and scour the racks accordingly. I love that they offer lots of organic options in prices that don’t break the bank, and while their specifically girl- or boy-only pieces are beautiful, they have plenty of unisex duds for moms like me who don’t want every item of clothing to be overly gendered. Bonus: H&M’s neutral clothing options are great for mamas-to-be who are not finding out the sex of the babe before birth. Trust me, you’ll want to ignore those people who tell you not to buy newborn clothing. You’re going to need it — and lots of it!
PS. Would it be horrible of me to tell you that all of the above retailers have lots of cute, seasonally priced items for you, too? Just saying…
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