When we’re designing our personalized baby gifts, 1st birthday shirts, big brother shirts and big sister shirts, we can’t help but think about the wee ones that will be enjoying them and the memories they’ll become a part of. It motivates us and inspires us, which is why we love the Petite Lemon in Real Life feature on our blog.
So when Cara (IG @caramhanson and www.vienieavolare.blogspot.com) tagged us in a picture of her son Ian wearing our Color It Up Big Brother T shirton Instagram to announce her second pregnancy, we were just so thrilled and completely honored. Of course we had to ask her to be our next Petite Lemon in Real Life feature!
Here’s Cara’s responses to our line up of questions:
How old is Ian?:
Ian is 18 months old and will be turning 2 two weeks before our new little one arrives.
What is your due date with #2?:
I am due October 15, 2014.
What brought you to Petite Lemon and to purchase Ian’s big brother t shirt?
I saw an Instagram post by @thriftylittles when you first joined Instagram. It was for a giveaway which I entered but didn’t win…boo! Shortly afterwards we found out we were expecting our second and I knew for sure I wanted a Petite Lemon big brother t shirt to make the announcement to family and friends.
What are your favorite Petite Lemon products and why?
Everything is soooo adorable, but I think the tees and personalized onesies are my favorite. I loved his “promotion” tee and absolutely plan on getting personalized shirts for both children for photos this Fall.
What are you enjoying most about having one child?
Naptime…haha! I’m joking…although I never knew how fast I could work when you have to make that hour really count when it comes to staying on top of the chores. On a more serious note, I love having the time to devote solely to Ian. I’m lucky to be a stay-at-home-mummy and we do everything together. He’s getting super helpful now and I love having my little man around!
What are you looking forward to about having two?
I’m really excited to have a little one again. Although I love having a toddler who is more independent and running all around, I do miss those sleepy snuggles with a tiny baby. I’m also really looking forward to seeing the sibling relationship develop!
Anything you are nervous for?
I’m a tad nervous about how I’m going to juggle a two year old and a newborn…not going to lie! I know I’ll figure it out, but I’m sure it will be a bit of a learning curve. I have a very supportive husband and a great friends group, many of whom are having their second babies as well. My best friend is due three days before me, so we’ll all be going through it together.
What kind of big brother do you think Ian is going to be?
I’m hoping he’s going to be a loving, caring big brother. He really is very sweet, gives hugs and kisses all the time and is generally very thoughtful. He does love to pull hair though…still working on curbing that not so delightful behavior! I really do think he will be great though J
What is your favorite blog right now:
Oh I have sooo many blogs that I love! I’m going to have to do a top three…can’t just pick one! For food: Gina at www.skinnytaste.com, for home and life: Ashli at www.maillardvilllemanor.com and for fun: www.whatkatewore.com. Being English, I have to get my Duchess of Cambridge fix somewhere!
What is your favorite Instagram to follow right now:
I fell in love with @2sisters_angie after their recent social media discovery. Her daughter’s paper dresses and adorable poses always make me smile when they come across my feed!
Define motherhood in one word:
Love! It may seem cliché, but even on those hardest days, love is still the reason why we strive to be the best mothers we can be.
Awww, thanks for participating Cara! We just love all of your answers and are totally motivated to keep designing the best personalized baby gifts we can.
Have you used our 1st birthday shirts,big brother shirtsor big sister shirts to celebrate a special moment in your child’s life or mark milestones of their personalized growth chart? If so, please let us know if you’d like to be featured in a future Petite Lemon in Real Life. Email us at buzz (at) petitelemon.com.
Earth Day Inspired Personalized Baby Gifts
Have a baby due around or on Earth Day (April 22)? Our beautiful planet makes a wonderful inspiration for a baby shower. Here are two ideas for Earth-inspired baby showers with décor, sweets and personalized baby gifts ideal for bringing this worldly theme to life.
Show some love for planet Earth with green and blue colored cupcakes, personalized onesies, and décor. (Shown: Graphic Fun and Modern Name personalized onesies; cupcakes by Sweet Treats by Susan, décor by One Charming Party)
Incorporate nature-inspired treats, décor, and personalized baby gifts to celebrate Mother Nature (and the mama-to-be). (Shown: Hoot Hoot personalized growth chart; pudding treats by Martha Stewart Living; décor by On To Baby)
Our personalized baby gifts aren’t just adorable, we make sure they’re good for your little ones, as well as the planet. You can read our Three Ways We’re Green blog post to learn more.
Spring DIY Round up!
As you know, we often create fun freebies in addition to our line of personalized baby gifts, 1st birthday shirts,big sister shirts, and big brother shirtsand have stored the newest ones on our Fun page. Over the years we’ve been asked about different projects, like the Month-by-Month Printable Onesies and the Burp Cloths How-To, which had been archived. Well now we’ve updated the Fun page to showcase all of the various freebies we’ve created so you can take advantage of all our DIY goodies, games, and more whenever you want.
Celebrating a kiddo’s birthday? The Fun page has several projects to help make a birthday party really festive, from hats to interviews to printable infographics, all inspired by our collection of1st Birthday Shirts.
Planning a baby shower or just want a fun project to do with the kids? You can’t go wrong with the DIY Flag Pennant, Crayon Bag Tutorial, or Easy No Sew Tutu.
The DIYs for moms, like lunch notes and planning forms, make treasured keepsakes, because we know how fast time flies and wee ones change and grow. That’s one of the main reasons we love creating personalized growth charts, 1st birthday shirts, and big brother shirts, as well as freebies.
Check out our new and improved Fun page and let us know what you think!
What We Love Now: Pastels (+ Link to Yummy Recipe)
When designing our line of personalized baby gifts, big sister shirts, andbig brother shirts, we look for inspiration everywhere, including in the kitchen! When we saw this amazingly delicious (and super pretty!) recipe for Bunny Bark by Bakerella on People.com, all we could think was, “Wow, we love pastels!” Ok, our first thought was “Get in ma belly!” but you know what we mean.
Pastels may not be bold, but these happy hues work just as well for boys as they do for girls, especially when mixed in with bright colors. Our big brother shirtsandbig sister shirts are proof of that!
Pastel blues and greens!
(Shown: Whale of Fun Big Sister Tshirt and Big Brother T shirt; Love to Sketch Big Brother T shirt and Big Sister Tshirt)
Pastel pinks, purples, and more!
(Shown: Chic Style Big Sister Tshirt; Modern Fun Big Sister Tshirt; Kids Play Big Brother T shirt)
Want some more pastel inspiration? Click here to check out last week’s blog where we found adorable pastel colored nurseries and showed each with a complementary personalized growth chart.
2 Easter Basket Gift Ideas for Big Siblings
If your kiddo looks forward to the Easter Bunny’s arrival as much as Santa’s and/or recently became a “big,” you’re probably looking for ideas for a special Easter basket. We have two ideas to make them great without relying too heavily on sugary treats.
Baby birds and animals abound in the springtime and look adorable adorning big brother shirts and big sister shirts. Add a stuffed animal and some Peeps and your basket is complete. (Shown: Tweet Tweet Big Sister Tshirt and Merry Menagerie Big Sister Tshirt and Big Brother T shirt)
A chocolate bunny, a few decorated eggs, and an equally colorful big brother t shirt or sweet big sister tshirt makes for an awesome Easter basket for a big sib. (Shown: Taped Up Big Brother T shirt, Sweet Treat Big Sister Tshirt, Patterned Delight Big Brother T shirt)
What other treats would you pair with big brother or big sister shirts to make a unique Easter basket?
Signs of Spring!!
As busy as we are parenting our kids and designing our line of personalized baby gifts like big sister shirts and big brother shirts, we know how important it is to stop and smell the roses – sometimes literally! And after this particularly rough winter, we’re more than ready to look for signs of spring wherever we can.
Here are three things we love about spring:
- Longer days! Sure it messes with the kids’ sleep cycles, but we can’t help but love seeing the sun for a few more hours each day. It almost feels like we have enough time in the day to get everything accomplished – almost! See our post on bright Freesia colored personalized baby gifts here for a big dose of sunny goodness.
- The little ones get to run around and play outside! Whether it’s hide n’ seek, baseball, tag, etc, it just makes us happy to see them outside enjoying the fresh air. (Shown: Kids Play Big Brother T shirt and Big Sister Tshirt; Batter Up Big Brother T shirt)
- Oh, did we mention how much we love flowers? And the clean smell of cut grass and the many shades of green sprouting up everywhere. (Shown: Flower Power and Sunny Flower big sister shirts; One Child Expiring and Chic Style big brother shirts)
What’s your favorite thing about spring?
Personalized Baby Gifts: Fun with Freesia
When we see personalized baby gifts in Freesia, one of Pantone’s top colors for spring, the Beatle’s song Here Comes the Sun starts playing in our head. And now that the days are longer and spring has almost sprung, we’re seriously in love with this bright, juicy hue and can’t wait for baby showers and birthday parties to give personalized baby gifts with sunny shades of Freesia.
As initials, like the Classic Monogram or Modern Monogram personalized onesies, or adorable animals, like the Joyful Elephant or Gentle Giraffe personalized onesies, Freesia is one fun, fresh choice for personalized baby gifts.
Infuse big sister shirts and big brother shirts with a burst of sunny yellow for an uplifting look for spring, summer, and beyond. (Shown: Sunny Flower Big Sister Tshirt, Super Big Brother T shirt, Taped Up Big Sister Tshirt, Taped Up Big Brother T shirt, Blooms Big Sister Tshirt, Around the World Big Brother T shirt)
What do you think of Freesia? Does it brighten your day as much as it does ours?
What We Love Now: Aquamarine
March babies have one of the prettiest birthstones, the aquamarine. We love this beautiful blue which reminds us of the ocean, and not be coincidence, as the name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning the sea. And when it comes to personalized baby gifts or décor, it works just as well for boys as it does for girls.
(Image: Gemstone Buzz)
Choosing personalized baby gifts in shades of aquamarine is a great idea for kiddos with March birthdays.
Aquamarine hued personalized onesies that show some love to the future mama and/or dada make awesome baby shower gifts. (Shown: My Dad Rules, I Love Mom, and Heart 2 Heart Mom and Dad personalized onesies)
If you’re welcoming baby #2, 3, etc in March, consider giving their new sibling(s) a big sister tshirt or big brother t shirt in baby’s birthstone color to create an extra sense of connection between the new sibs. (Shown: Chic Style, Playful Owls, and Whale of Fun big sister shirts and big brother shirts)
Wee ones will love wearing 1st birthday shirts in their birthstone color on their big day. Consider adding in a pair of aquamarine stud earrings, hair ribbons or headband, (Shown: Chic Chevron, Foxy Fox, and Happy Confetti 1st birthday shirts and onesies)
We just love aquamarine, don’t you?
Coordinating Outfits: Onesies With Big Sister Shirts & Big Brother Shirts
As much as we like it when our little ones wear matching outfits, sometimes they want to express themselves and be a bit different. That doesn’t mean they can’t coordinate though. To help we’ve put together some outfit ideas with personalized onesies and big sister shirts and big brother shirts.
For sisters, pair the Colorful Big Sister Tshirt and Modern Name onesie with matching colored pants.
For a big sis/little bro combo, we think the Love to Sketch Big Sister Tshirt and Chummy Crayon onesie is a nicely complementary outfit and both would look cute with blue jeans.
For brothers, the Under Construction Big Brother T shirt and Baby Builder onesie with mini cargo pants would be beyond adorable.
For big bro/little sis outfits, we love the Superhero Shield onesie and Super Big Brother T shirt with colored leggings (and maybe a cape too!).
Do you prefer matchy-matchy outfits or do you like the idea of coordinating outifts, like these onesies with big brother shirts and big sister shirts.
Where to Wear a Big Brother T shirt or Big Sister Tshirt
Designing our line of personalized baby gifts every day, you would think we’d know all there is to know about personalized onesies, 1st birthday shirts, big brother shirts, and big sister shirts, but we learn from our customers all the time that we don’t. They’re always surprising us with wonderful ways their wee ones proudly use their personalized baby gifts.
We’re big believers in having big siblings wear their big brother t shirt/big sister tshirt to the hospital to meeting their new “little,” but we recently heard from a customer how much her son loves wearing his big brother t shirt to school. He’s very proud to show his classmates that he is a “big.”
That got us thinking. Where else can kiddos proudly display their sibling status by wearing their big brother shirts and big sister shirts? Here are three fun ideas:
- When traveling on vacation with the family
- A friend or family member’s birthday party
- At an after school activity, like gymnastics, ball practice, music class, ballet, etc
(Shown: 1. Around the World Big Sister Tshirt and Big Brother T shirt; 2. Modern Fun Big Sister Tshirt and Big Brother T shirt; 3. Kids Play and Rock On big brother shirts and big sister shirts)
Please tell us, where do your “bigs” love to wear their big brother shirts and big sister shirts?