Announce Your Pregnancy With Big Brother Shirts & Big Sister Shirts
We know we’re biased, but we love our big brother shirts and big sister shirts and feel they are an ideal way to announce a new pregnancy. Several of our team members, friends, and family have dressed their kids in a big brother t shirt or big sister tshirt to break the news, either in real life or in pictures posted on Facebook. And as much as we love that, we’re especially thrilled when we hear from a customer who has purchased one of our big brother t shirt or big sister tshirt designs to do it.
Our customer Tiffany recently sent us some pictures of her 2.5 year old son wearing his Dig In Big Brother T shirt and posing with a sign showing the month of his new sibling’s expected arrival. Tiffany tells us Mason loves to show people his big brother t shirt and gave the pictures to his grandmas and grandpas to announce he has a new big job. She say, “He really got a kick out of it! The shirt is awesome! It was everything I wanted and totally surpassed my expectations! Thank you!”
No, thank you Tiffany for sharing this story with us! It truly warms our hearts and inspires us to continue to create the best personalized baby gifts.
Want another pregnancy announcement photo idea?
Let the tees do the talking! Pose your kiddo in a tshirt that says it all and have them hold the ultrasound picture.
(Shown: Color It Up Big Brother T shirt, Something to Say and Only Child Expiring big sister shirts)
Inspirational Quote!
The Benefits of Siblings
Have you seen Real Simple Magazine’s new Instagram account @WomenIRL? It shows those not-so-perfect, messy moments we all experience but rarely share on social media and it makes us love Real Simple that much more. Another reason to love this resource of smarts and simplicity? Their recent article, “Why Siblings Are Good For Your Health.” As creators of big sister shirts and big brother shirts, not to mention parents and siblings ourselves, this scientific research reminds us that even when the two (or three or more) of our kids are fighting each other or working together to drive us up the wall, it’s all totally worth it.
You can read the whole article here, but here’s a quick overview of the benefits:
Having a sibling may make you more selfless.
(Shown: Something to Say Big Brother T shirt; Tweet Tweet Big Sister Tshirt, Over the Rainbow Big Sister Tshirt; Taped Up Big Brother T shirt)
They may improve our mental health.
(Shown: Under Construction Big Brother T shirt)
They make us happier.
(Shown: Bold & Bright Big Brother T Shirt, Big Sister Shirt, and Little Brother Tshirt)
Siblings keep us physically fit.
(Shown: Super Big Brother T shirt; Kids Play Big Sister Tshirt; Colorful Big Sister Tshirt)
They could help you live longer.
(Shown: Delightful Lettering Big Brother T Shirt and Big Sister Shirt; I LOVE You Pick tee)
So thank you to our own siblings and parents for making us better people, and one day we think our little ones will thank us for their siblings too.
Personalized Baby Gifts: Designer Picks
If you’re on the hunt for some personalized baby gifts, we’re always happy to help! And today we’re offering some ideas for personalized onesies which were created by our awesome Creative Director Hillary, with a dose of design inspiration and mommyhood reality thrown in.
In general, where do you find design inspiration?
I find design inspiration everywhere….cereal boxes, magazines, Children’s books, hiking in the mountains, television commercials, blogs, Pinterest, Target, clothing…. I love looking at the world around me. I have 2 little girls and they have taught me to look at things at a different angle…which is fun and gives me a new perspective as well.
You designed the Charming Hello, Modern Name, and Playful Hello personalized onesies. What was your inspiration for each design or what do you like most about it?
Charming Hello: This chalk trend is everywhere. I love putting my own twist on a fun trend.
Modern name: This design was a lot of fun to create. I love that it reads vertically and has a lot of impact.
Playful Hello: I LOVE the hand lettering here. This design is so simple, but has so much personality.
What’s a typical day like, how do you juggle designing, finding inspiration, and being a parent?
There is no typical day. Every day is an adventure….balancing/juggling work/life I am still trying to master this. I have a 3 year old girl, 9 month old girl, Chihuahua and a husband with an online shop. We have a nanny come in during the week so we can get our work done and our kids don’t just watch TV and eat cheerios all day long.
What ideas/designs/fonts are you working on developing now?
We are just finishing up our Christmas Card collection for Shutterfly. It’s always interesting to be working on Christmas cards not during the holiday season.
Thanks Hill! We know you’re a busy working mama, so we’ll let you get back to designing more adorable personalized baby gifts now.
Welcome Brand Enthusiasts: Merely Mothers
As parents as well as designers of personalized baby gifts, big sister shirts, big brother shirtsand 1birthday shirts, it’s important for us to connect with other parents who are just as excited about parenting (and being creative too!). That’s one of the reasons we’ve started our Brand Enthusiast program so we can also introduce our readers to these inventive and oh so special mamas and daddies.
This week we’re here to welcome Merely Mothers! Read on to hear more about this dynamic duo:
What is MM all about?
Merelymothers is about helping moms and dads press the pause button on their parenting. Why do we do the things we do with our children? We write about the little things, the big things, and the things that make us women and wives…not “just” mothers.
How did you get your start?
We used to take daily walks around our neighborhood when our oldest children were about a year old. During these walks, we’d talk about all the parenting decisions we made, no matter how trivial. We realized bringing our analytical side to parenting made for a lot of interesting questions and debates! It seemed like we just had endless topics to cover and never enough time to cover any topic fully.
One day, Sarah, who had some experience with freelance writing, asked Evanthia if she wanted to start a blog on parenthood. And after a few girls nights, a few glasses of wine, and a few phone calls debating the name, merelymothers was born.
What do you love most about blogging?
Sarah: I love that I can go outside of my house with my kids and see a 700-word essay manifest itself in the smallest things. I love that I can come home and work through what happened in writing, something I’ve loved doing all my life. That is my favorite part of merelymothers: writing and analyzing the things that happen on a daily basis, the little things that over time become the backbone of my children’s childhood. But I also love watching the blog grow. I love working with Twitter (@merelymothers), creating more social connections, watching our social media numbers grow, and seeing new commenters and new dialogue. I don’t even want our readers to always agree; I just enjoy the conversation.
Evanthia: Blogging has been a really unique way for me to connect with other parents about the things that matter most to me, whether it be how to handle a two-year-old who laughs in the face of any punishment I throw at her or how to reconnect with your spouse after you welcome a baby or what it looks like to create “me time” when you’re a SAHM. I love sharing a part of my story and hitting on a topic that it turns out lots of parents want to discuss.
How has it changed your lives as women and mothers?
Someone once told Sarah that blogging would “change your life.” She had no idea what this could possibly mean; it was just a small corner of the internet, right? But now, after two and a half years, we completely understand. Not only has merelymothers created a forum for constant dialogue and analysis on parenting decisions, but we’ve had the opportunity to partner with national brands, hone our writing, design, photography and technology skills, and turn the blog into a business. We’re even carrying our own products now; we just released our branded tote bags, handsewn by Evanthia!
What opportunities has blogging opened for you?
Sarah was actually contacted by a publishing company who found her through merelymothers, and she was asked to author a parenting book, called Making Kid Time Count: The Attentive Parent Advantage: Ages 0-3. The book is a conversational overview of the most recent research on 0-3 year olds, explaining how they are developing emotionally, cognitively, physically, and how we as parents can maximize the time we spend with them. Each chapter includes 10-20 easy activities we can do with our young ones to help them grow and give them the connections they need for a strong future. These early years are critical for future development, so we must use this time as wisely as we can!
We also have made some amazing friendship, through other bloggers and brands!
What do you love/enjoy about Petite Lemon?
Petite Lemon products capture something special about childhood, whether it be a major milestone—a birthday, a “promotion” to big brother or sister—or a simple moment in time.
Sometimes motherhood can get so busy that we forget to slow down and enjoy the small stuff. But having things like personalized growth charts in our kids’ rooms gives us a visual reminder (a stylish one at that!) to pay attention to how much they’ve changed. We notice it in how fast our kids outgrow their clothes, but to see the marks inch upward on the wall really captures the fleeting time of early childhood.
Describe motherhood in one word.
Love.
Thanks Sarah & Evanthia, we’ve loved hearing more about you and MerelyMothers!
Do you have a mommy or daddy blog and are a fan of our personalized baby gifts, big sister shirts, big brother shirts and/or 1birthday shirts? If so, shoot us an email at buzz @ petitelemon (dot) com to talk more about becoming a Blog Ambassador.
Introducing our Brand Enthusiasts! One Happy Mama
In addition to writing our blog and creating fun freebies, personalized growth chart designs, big brother shirts and big sister shirts, we’re also parents that look to mommy and daddy bloggers for inspiration, information, and of course, sheer entertainment. So we thought it was a great idea to work with some of our favorites and invited select bloggers to join us as exclusive brand enthusiasts! These fantastic mamas and daddies will be opening up their lives to us — sharing their personal stories about their children’s celebrations and life’s special moments throughout the coming months. We are so excited to welcome them into the Petite Lemon family!
Our first Brand Enthusiast is Kristina of One Happy Mama! Kristina, a married mama of three homeschooled kiddos, founded One Happy Mama in 2008. One Happy Mama blog is all about Kristina’s life and her loves, which include documenting memories through photography and scrapbooking with Project Life, all things craftiness and design with her shop Baby Bird and Bub Bub, using essential oils in her life, and Caylin’s Cure, a fundraiser she started for her daughter who has Type 1 diabetes.
One Happy Mama is a GREAT place to find inspiration for life!! Kristina is such a delightful, fresh, real mama and we love working with her.
(Shown: Sunny Flower Big Sister Tshirt and Colorful Little Brother Tshirt)
And how cute are her little ones wearing their complementary big sister tshirt and little brother shirt? Jack was recently promoted to a big brother after baby #3 has recently joined the family — so a big brother t shirt was in order.
(Shown: Stitched Style big brother t shirt)
Little brother Luke Oliver arrived in August and your mama says you have the BEST smile ever and we sure LOVE watching you big grin on your Mama’s Instagram and Facebook!
(Shown: Graphic Fun personalized baby onesies)
Do you love Petite Lemon too?! Share your love and let us know by using #petitelemon when posting pictures of your kiddos in their big sister shirts, big brother shirts, birthday tees, etc.
And if you have a blog and would like to be considered for a blog ambassador, shoot us an email at buzz@petitelemon.com.
What We Love Right Now: Gray & Yellow
As designers, we tend to get obsessed at times with certain colors or patterns, and right now we really love the combination of yellow and gray together. This color combo can be soft and sophisticated, bright and cheerful, or rich and chic, not to mention it works just as well as a gender neutral palette as it does for feminine or masculine designs.
In addition to our personalized baby gifts, we’ve pulled together some gorgeous yellow and gray décor ideas for nurseries, baby showers, and 1st birthday parties.
Personalized baby gifts (Shown: Chic Chevron Cake Time 1st Birthday Shirts; Heart 2 Heart Mom & Dad personalized onesies)
Nursery décor (Buy Modern Baby; Our Life as Newlyweds)
Baby Shower décor (On to Baby; Oh Sugar Events)
1st Birthday party décor (N.Brynn; Hostess with the Mostess)
Do you like yellow and gray together? How have you used it, for personalized baby gifts, party décor, etc?
1st Birthday Party Theme: Red, White & Blue
If your kiddo is celebrating their 1st birthday during the Olympics (Feb 7-23), why not show your support of Team USA with a red, white, and blue theme. It’s super easy to pull together décor ideas, as well as personalized baby gifts that fit with this color scheme.
We’ve used some of our red, white, and blue colored 1st birthday shirts as inspiration for party décor ideas.
The layered birthday cake featured on the Cake Time personalized onesies deserves a yummy real life multi-tiered cake to match. (Pink Cake Box)
What’s a party without a festive hat? Double the fun with the Play Party Hat tee and a fun topper. (LittleBlueOlive)
Utilize the number one in your party décor and personalized baby gifts, like with this awesome dessert table and the Fun to Be One tshirt. (The Laws of My Life)
We hope our red, white, and blue 1st Birthday shirts and onesies inspired a few party ideas!
One Little Word for 2014
Each and every year we take time to reflect back on our personal lives. We step back from our work selves — where we’re busy designing personalized growth charts, lost in the land of big sister shirts and big brother shirts, and when personalized baby gifts are always on the brain. It’s time to breath and meditate, and choose our word to focus on for 2014.
Our Petite Lemon family has been choosing a word to “live by” for the year since we started this adventure, 3 years ago. You can read our personal word journey’s here: 2011, 2012, 2013. Does it make us better? Are we always successful? Who knows — but we know that taking the time to reflect on our personal lives, our families, our priorities — what we want out of this life is what matters. So we choose words to help guide us for the year, to keep us on track, to bring us back into balance when things get a little swervy.
And so we begin …
Last year Paula selected the word EMBRACE.
Embrace this stage of life (2 kids, growing up before my eyes!!).
Embrace the chaos and fullness of life (work, kids, family, house!!).
And learn to pause during the day and EMBRACE all of the wonderful things in my life!
This year Paula chose the word PRESENT.
I am a full time working mom — life is CRAZY!! The kids don’t stop growing, the activities, the homework, the play dates, the sports, it’s non stop and I know it will only continue to get busier. Petite Lemon continues to grow, my family continues to grow — so this year I am going to focus on being more present in the different roles I play. Being present in my work life and then shutting down that part of my brain when I’m with the kids and being present with them, being present on a date with my husband, or spending time with my girlfriends. Our time and energy, especially as mothers is so valuable — I want mine to be rich, joyful and be present in it.
For this year, Hillary chose the word HEALTHY.
I really want 2013 to be all about developing HEALTHY habits. I don’t want to have to make the HEALTHY decision. I want to have it be automatic for me. I want HEALTHY to be my way of life, focusing on all aspects of HEALTHY including foods, exercise, mental, work/life balance, relationships etc.
This year, Hillary selected the word LEADER.
I am a “get it done” type of person. I feel like if I want it done, I know how to do it and I can just do it. Then it’s on my timeline and I know it gets done because it’s on my personal checklist. The problem with this is I get bogged down with all of these tasks and I am overloaded. I don’t have time to do things I want to do. This year I need to delegate and LEAD people in my life. I am figuring out which tasks I can have someone else do. I am figuring out how to be a LEADER and LEAD efficiently.
Last year, Ruth chose the word COMMITMENT.
I am new to Petite Lemon, and one word for 2013 is new for me as well. I am choosing the word COMMITMENT. About this time 3 years ago, I set a goal for myself to loose an enormous amount of weight and to improve myself towards a healthier way of living and lifestyle. After nearly one year of increasingly hard workouts, changed eating habits, and COMMITMENT I successfully achieved my goal. But that commitment didn’t stop at reaching that goal, it continues each and every day of my life to stay committed to this healthy lifestyle. Commitment is so much more than this to me as this word touches every area of my life. It encompasses my jobs, all my relationships with God, family, and friends, with everything I take on each day to do my very best at everything I do. My newest commitment is to Petite Lemon, and I am excited what the future holds and my commitment to this group I work with. May 2013 be a year for me to hold strong to all of my commitments.
This year, Ruth chose the word CHANGE.
After one year with Petite Lemon I am excited to what is a head, and this year I am choosing the word CHANGE. I am choosing the word CHANGE for several reasons. I enter a new phase in my life where I need to incorporate various changes that will be and have begun in my life. While working at Petite Lemon, I will need to also take on personal challenges that go along with getting older. I have an aging parent that needs to be cared for. My youngest child I will complete my responsibilities with raising and caring for and celebrate his entrance into adulthood, the work force full time upon graduation from college, and enjoy him taking on family responsibilities while gaining a new daughter-in-law. I am very excited to see where these changes take me and what I experience through them. I pray with each change this year I accomplish the necessary task to make each one a joyous and memorable experience and for those involved that they are content. One newest change is the addition to our home of a new kitten who came in shotly after our yourngest cat passed on. You would think that after growing up children you would never have to go back and feel like there are children to raise in your home. Not so. Aging parents and new kittens are just like having children all over again. And the responsiblilites are endless and different. May 2014 and the CHANGES be handled successfully.
Last year, Catherine chose the word PERSPECTIVE.
per·spec·tive
1. A way of regarding situatio
2. The proper or accurate poin
3. A mental view or outlook: “It is useful occasionally to look at the past to gain a perspective on the present” (Fabian Linden).
With a 2.5 year old, a newborn, and a growing business, I know this year will be all about patience (and juggling too, but that’s more of a skill and less of a personal/emotional trait I need to personify!). Being a mom and being able to work from home doing what I love are two of life’s biggest blessings, but both can be draining and take a toll on my patience level. Having a great husband helps, but making sure to take care of myself is important and will help me stay focused to be the best patient, loving mom, as well as efficient, professional businesswoman that I want to be.
Last year, my word was CHOICE.
I think the main reason why this post is finally being put together mid-way through January is because I’ve been procrastinating. I just haven’t felt inspired. The past two years, my words have just appeared to me. The past few months I’ve been reflecting on this past year — probably the most defining year of my life after experiencing brain surgery and the death of my beloved Grandmother. What do I want for myself in 2013? I’ve picked out a few words the last few weeks, trying to see if they’d stick — but nothing has until this morning. It finally came to me — 2013 is going to be all about CHOICES. This year, I’m choosing to win the hand I’ve been dealt.
This year, my word is LOVE.
Every year, it kind of comes to you — it’s fitting, your word. It’s naturally defining for where you are at in your life. Putting this post together, chatting with my colleagues, learning what their words are — when they share, I think their words are so right on for where they are at in their lives. When I go back and look through the last three years — reading our words, seeing our photos, each year our changes, our growth, what our words mean for each of us, babies growing up, life events and changes — I really see that ultimately we’re still just big kids who are growing up too. The past few years, I’ve chosen to do a lot of reflecting on my life. I live with a chronic illness. My life isn’t what I thought it would be, or where I thought I would be I guess. I live a beautiful life, a very happy, fulfilling life. I’m extremely grateful. It’s just that things are so different than the blue print that I had hanging up in my mental picture for so long. Looking back at my previous words — they’ve ultimately been about fixing or adjusting myself. Faith. Adapt. Choice. Not in a bad way. But I just have been wanting to find a solution, to deal with where I’m at. I’ve been searching for new ways to cope. This year I say screw it! I’ve decided to throw all of the mending out the window and I’ve just decided to be. Just to love. Love myself, as is, however I am today, tomorrow, whenever.
Cheers and Happy 2014!
Jessica,
and all of your friends at Petite Lemon