Gifts for your Prima-Ballerina | Christmas Gifts and Birthday Gift Ideas for Girls who Love to Dance

Ballet Gift Sets for Your Prima-Ballerina
at Sophias Style Childrens Clothing Store.

Do you have a little girl who loves to dance? Then, we have the perfect gifts for your prima-ballerina! Whether she is a newborn or
a tween, SophiasStyle.com has wonderful gift ideas for birthdays, Christmas or any special occasion. Start with our selection of dance leotards, including our Pickled Hippo hand made dance set. Or perhaps she just wants a dress up set, complete with a tutu, wand and wings.
Pair any of these styles with our exquisite hand made ballet shoes. Or, try our ever popular ballet socks and leg warmers.

Make a complete gift box by adding a personalized ballet door hanger (perfect for girls of any age) along with a ballet backpack. Add personalized embroidery for a special touch to make her gift uniquely her own.

Be sure to check out our ballet clothes! Our Baby Baubles ballet set, complete with a jacket and skirt, is easy to wear over her leotard on the way to dance class. Our ballet dresses are perfect for a 'night on the town.' The Mis-Tee-V-Us ballet pants and skirt sets are absolutely adorable for any girl who loves to dance!

Our gift wrapping service makes gift giving easy, saving you time and money! Just purchase gift wrapping along with your order and specify what you want your personalized greeting to say when you check out. It's that easy!

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The Reindeer Dress by Sweet Potatoes - The Perfect Christmas Dress for a Baby, Infant, Toddler or Little Girl

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So sweet! She will be a sure a hit in this soft velvet reindeer dress by Sweet Potatoes. Adorned with a reindeer appliqué and a dangling gift, this dress is a unique style fit for a princess. The bottom of the dress is layered with super soft pink tulle, complimenting the pink accents on the reindeer. Add some matching tights, a pretty pink hair bow, and your little girl will be set for the season.
Want it wrapped? SophiasStyle.com offers gift wrapping, as well as a plethora of gifts, perfect for Christmas, Birthdays or any special occasion.
Find affordable boutique childrens clothes, kids clothes and baby clothes at SophiasStyle.com. Shop today!

Baby Shower Primer - Hosting Baby Showers for the Second Child

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Though one might argue that by the second or third child, parents already have all the supplies they need for a baby, this should not be a valid reason for skipping the second baby shower, because every baby deserves to have a celebration in order to greet his or her arrival with excitement. There are also always supplies that parents continue to need, including but not limited to diapers, baby wipes, new baby clothes (Especially if the baby is born in a different season, or a different gender than the first), fresh nursing supplies, formula, pacifiers and new items that wear easily, like socks, bibs, pajamas and wash cloths.
It is also perfectly acceptable to give parent-oriented gifts at a baby shower, as sometimes the parents need a treat too. Consider giving coupons and gift certificates for spa treatments, and services like baby sitting and household chore or yard work help, or gift certificates for pizza places and video stores.
When the shower is a second, it is also sometimes beneficial to include children in the festivities. It only takes a little bit of extra planning to ensure a fun time for both the children and the adults at the party. Make sure that adequate supervision is present at all times for the children. You can also prepare easy craft projects for them to make, especially cards and other gifts to welcome the new baby. Make sure that snack options are available for the little ones as well, they may not necessary be interested in eating what the adults have.
It has also become commonplace to involve fathers in the festivities, for both bridal and baby showers. Gifts for dads’ wishing well may include blank video tapes and film, a dad’s journal, photo albums, aspirin, books that are father-specific, etcetera. Including dad will make him feel more connected to the entire experience, and less left out. After all, dad’s deserve to celebrate too!

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How to Have a BIG Birthday Party for a Small Child

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How much is enough, when it comes to throwing a party for your child?

Though it is common practice to throw very large parties for very small children, we have always been conflicted about the idea. These enormous parties involve between fifteen and fifty kids in an attempt to not leave anyone out. Articles in parenting magazines often note that the number of guests at a party should be equal to, or at least around the number of the child’s age. This makes us wonder which way to go—Following the experts’ advice by inviting three children for our three-year old child’s party, or inviting the fifteen or twenty kids that are invited to a typical blow-out birthday party.
The next conflict? What type of party to host---Growing up, a nice birthday party was comprised of a small handful of friends, cake and ice cream, and silly party hats and games. I remember playing pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. Parties these days are a kid’s dream come true, with live entertainment and impressive events at fancy places. These parties involve a great deal of food, both for the kids and adults, and one heck of a grand finale in the form of an oversized birthday cake, perhaps large enough to feed an army.
What is the best kind of birthday party for a small child? What will make them happiest, a simple party with ice cream and cake, minimal decoration and a few good friends at home, or a large enough party to encompass everyone your child comes in contact with on a day to day basis?
The best option may simply be to compromise, to go big in some areas and to stay small in others. The guest list does not have to be huge, especially not with slumber parties, or a casual get together. But if you are planning a pizza party in the park, it may be exciting to invite enough friends to eat ten pizzas. For children who are too small to really understand the idea of a birthday party, try to keep the guest list small, and the party intimate. There is no real need to go all out when your child likely will not remember much of the party a few years later.
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How to Make Baby Food and Have a Happy, Healthy Baby

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It can be greatly beneficial to prepare your own baby food, as you will save a significant amount of money, in addition to always knowing exactly what is going into your baby’s body. The food’s you prepare at home generally have a lifespan of about a month if frozen after being made.

Materials:

Fruits and Vegetables

Storage Containers or Plastic Freezer Bags

Plastic Wrap

Blender or Food Processor

Steamer Basket or Stand Alone Steamer

Ice Cube Trays

Step by Step:

First, make sure to thoroughly wash any fruits or vegetables that were purchased from the store, to remove dirt and other nastiness from them beforehand.

Boil whichever fruit or vegetables you’ve chosen. If your baby has just started to eat solids, you will want the food to be as mushy as possible. You can cook the food until it is easily pierced but still solid if you have a baby who has been eating for a few months already.

Puree the food in either the food processor or the blender, until the food resembles the right consistency to match your child’s eating stage.

Strain the food in an attempt to remove stray peels. If you don’t want to do this, consider completely peeling the fruits and/or vegetables before cooking the food.

Spoon the food into ice cube trays, covering it with plastic wrap. When the cubes have frozen, they can be placed into zip lock bags or freezer containers. Be sure to identify the food type with a name and date.

Things to Consider:

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, fresh is always best but alternatively you can opt for frozen or canned instead. These are especially helpful when fresh fruits are out of season.

As your baby learns to eat solids, introduce one food at a time in order to identify possible allergies. Once you know which foods are tolerated well, you can start to blend two or three different flavors together.

Avoid additives like salt and sugar, as your baby does not need them. Some additives, like lemon juice, is known to cause an allergic reaction in very small babies.
For a detailed ‘How To make Baby Food’ Book, we recommend Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron.

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How to Prepare for a Baby Baptism

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According to Roman Catholic beliefs, Baptism is the first sacrament of the Catholic Church. Infants are usually baptized with the idea that both their parents and god parents will teach them the religion. By being baptized, we are being given an open window in order to build a relationship with Jesus Christ. Here are some things to consider when preparing your child for his or her Baptism:
Your local Parish more than likely offers courses in order to prepare you for the Baptism. Some classes can be taken even before the baby is born, so look into them early.
Make sure that you thoroughly understand the concept of Baptism, and what to expect during the ceremony.
When choosing God parents, go with who you believe will do the best job teaching your child about Catholicism.
Plan a celebration party, and involve the community as much as possible. Invite everyone that you know.
When choosing a baptism garment, check with your family members first to ensure that there isn’t already a garment in the family meant to be passed along. Although you ultimately have the final decision on what your baby wears, family traditions should not be broken.
Tell all of your friends and family members about the baptism so that they will all send prayers for the baby.
Write your own Parents’ prayer for the Baptism, and pray often for your baby.
Save as many mementos as you can, including photographs, heirloom baptism gowns, and candle, so that you and your child can look back on them in future years.
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Unique Baby Shower Gifts - How to Bake a Diaper Cake

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Though you may not want to eat this cake, it will be well-appreciated by Mom-to-be. If you're hunting for a creative baby shower centerpiece, consider a diaper cake. This cake will serve both as form and function as it will be a cute centerpiece, and a large supply of diapers as soon as the baby is born. Storks and bunnies do not have very useful purposes after the party, so if you are looking for a gift that lasts, create a useful cake that will be easy as peas for anyone to make, even the baking-challenged.


Here’s what you need:
48-50 medium sized disposable diapers. The cake can typically be finished with 48 diapers, but based on the size differences between brands, it is better to keep a few extras on hand just in case.
A large platter to serve as the diaper cake’s base. You can purchase 16” disposable cardboard platters at most party outlet stores.
At least seventy feet of narrow ribbon, something that is easy to tie. You will use this ribbon both to tie up each individual diaper, and also to tie each separate tier together.
At least 8 feet of 1” ribbon to finish each tier.
(1) Tall baby bottle.
Small candies or favors to fill the baby bottle.
Adhesive tape.
Assorted extras, “baby necessities” like pacifiers, combs, rattles, bibs, brushes and teething rings.

Then step by step:
Cut the narrow ribbon into lengths of one foot. Only cut forty-eight of these lengths, the rest of the ribbon is for a separate purpose.
Roll each diaper up, either with all of the decorations facing out, or all of the decorations facing in. This can be done depending on your preference, it does not affect the cake in any way.
Tie each diaper roll with a foot-long length of narrow ribbon.
Begin with the top cake tier, filling the baby bottle with candy and favors.
Stand five or six of the diapers around the bottle and tie them tightly together with another length of ribbon.
Use approximately fifteen rolled diapers to create the second tier. Tie this tier together with another length of narrow ribbon.
Use approximately 27 rolled diapers to create the third and largest tier. Tying this layer together will be easier if you stand it up around the inner circle and tie it that way.
Next, place the largest tier on the platter and use several pieces of tape to tack the diapers to the platter. You don’t want the diapers to rip when the cake is disassembled, so be careful when applying the tape.
Place the next tier on top of the base, attaching it to the lower tier with tape.
Place the smallest tier on top next, attaching it in the same fashion.
Tuck baby accessories into the ribbons on the cake, taking care that they fit snugly so that they will not fall off in transit.
Finish the cake off with one-inch ribbon, wrapping each tier to bind in the accessories and provide a more finished look.
Eat up! Rather, give it to the mom-to-be, and wish her well!
For more unique baby gifts and girls clothing, visit SophiasStyle.com now!

How to Choose a Flower Girl and her Flower Girl Dress

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Typically a flower girl is a young child between the ages of four and eight, who is connected somehow to the bride and groom. She may be a niece, a family friend, cousin or even a daughter in some cases. Her job is to follow the bridesmaids down the aisle during a wedding, carrying a basket of flowers or flower petals, and to scatter them down the aisle as she walks.

In many cases, it will be very easy to choose a flower girl for your wedding, but for others, it will be a case of choosing between several very different candidates. Remember, it is possible to have two or even three flower girls, which will both improve upon the girls’ confidence, and add significantly to the “cuteness factor” of the wedding. It is more important for you to choose the right aged girl, as girls who are too young tend to be afraid, and do not understand their duties, while girls who are too old may be better suited for a position as a junior bridesmaid, or a reader. Additionally, there’s no reason that you have to have a flower girl, so leave the position out all together if there are no suitable candidates.

One of the best ways to prepare a new flower girl for her duties, is to give her a book that describes her role, in order to get her excited about it. Make sure that her parents are seated on the aisle, near the front, so that she can see them while walking down the aisle. It may also be wise to assign a bridesmaid “buddy” to her, to make sure she is comfortable, and has used the bathroom before the ceremony begins. You should not worry about the flower girl messing up too much, because the guests will find her antics cute, no matter what she does.

Oftentimes, a flower girl is dressed to resemble a miniature version of the bride, or similarly, in a white dress with a sash made to match the dresses on the bridesmaids. This does not mean that you cannot pick any flower girl dress that suits you, and ties in with the theme of the wedding. Just be sure to consider the following points:

• Make sure that the flower girl dress is comfortable and not too long. This will keep the flower girl from pulling at, or tripping over, her dress.
• If the flower girl is not into dresses, a formal pantsuit can be used as long as it is as sophisticated as a flower girl’s dress normally would be.
• Save by purchasing your flower girl dress online at SophiasStyle.com girls clothing store.
• Try to choose something affordable, as the flower girl’s parents typically pay for the dress.
• Be sure to check out SophiasStyle.com for adorable flower girl dresses at affordable prices!