Year: 2015

Customer Highlight: Little Sergio in our Justin Gown

Today we’re featuring an adorable little man in our Justin Baptism Gown on our customer highlight series. Sergio’s gown was embroidered with our gold name and date embroidery option. His Godmother also purchased the Boys Christening Accessory Set for Sergio’s big day.

-How did you find One Small Child?

I found One Small Child via another person’s Pin on Pinterest and then Google’d them further to see what the store had to offer in regards to Baptism clothing.

-Was the purchasing simple hassle free?

The purchasing process was very hassle free online and also over the phone. When I had called to rush the order, Christine had supported all my requests and changes with immediate attention and did an amazing job!

-Did the adding embroidery create the special touch you were envisioning?

Yes, absolutely! It was even better when we were able to select the different color options for the embroidery.

-Did you use a professional photographer to capture special moments?

No.

-Did you have pictures of Sergio in his Justin Gown?

Yes, we did a mini photo shoot at home. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of photos of the celebration or food.

-What was the planning process like for his special day?

It was a real rush. We only had 10 days to get everything organized and planned. The baptism courses didn’t end until Jan 29th. At that point we were allowed to book a date. The problem was we couldn’t baptize during Lent, which this year started on Feb 18th. After Easter our Godmother will be overseas. The only day that worked for all of us was Feb 8th. I utilized Pinterest and created a board for food menu, décor.

-What did you want it to feel like/theme to be?

We just wanted an enjoyable celebration that was elegant with family and friends.

-Did you provide a meal to friends and family afterwards? If so, what was the menu?

Yes, we hosted the celebration after the ceremony in our log home. We had everything from traditional Portuguese cuisines to modern comfort food. Portuguese fried chicken, roast beef, Bacalhau (traditional Portuguese cod and potato dish), meatballs, pasta salad, shrimp, scallop potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrot salad, chef salad, corn, fresh Portuguese sweet bread, veggies, fruit, cheese and cracker trays, Caldo Verde (traditional Portuguese Kale soup), rice pudding, cheesecake, and celebratory cupcakes.

-Was there one particular moment that was very memorable on that day, aside from the event itself?

Keeping the Portuguese tradition, we had his Godmother arrive early to dress Sergio in his gown. It was memorable watching him getting dressed and seeing the gown for the first time.

One moment that does stand out was during the ceremony, standing up at the front of the church, when Father Thomas went to bless Sergio’s mouth, Sergio couldn’t help but try to bite his fingers… I guess everything is a teether to him. Everyone in mass laughed, including the priest. It was very adorable.

Another moment was the photo shoot. Here Sergio was playing with his personalized Christening Set he received from his Godmother from One Small Child.

-Are you going to preserve and frame your baby’s gown/suit?

We will be keeping the gown. It holds a special value being personalized with his name and baptismal date.

-Was there anything that you would do differently in hindsight?

More planning. Unfortunately, because of the last minute notice, we didn’t have enough time to send out invitations. Invites became a personable via mass text messages and Facebook private messages. And a lot of family and friends already had commitments for that day.

-What resources did you use?

Pinterest and One Small Child’s Christening Gift Set; gifted from his Godmother. The set is just beautiful. The quality is excellent and having it personalized with his name adds a real special touch. Our son can grow with it during his faith-filled years and it’s something that can be passed down to his children.

Newborn Quote: I love you more than all the stars

{Download Free Printable Here}

A sweet newborn quote for your weekend. Happy Friday from One Small Child!

Background on Bamboo Clothing

Bamboo is all the rage right now, especially in the clothing industry. So, why all the excitement? You may have heard that it’s super soft, and has been compared to cashmere and silk. But there’s so much more that makes it so amazing. We’ve done our research and thought you might like to know why we’ve added bamboo to our selection of fine fabrics.

Why we love it:

So Soft: This is the first test we put materials through at One Small Child. Our baby clothes have to be soft! Bamboo passes with flying colors. The fiber structure is smooth and round, making it perfect for sensitive skin.
Durability: Studies have found bamboo fabric to be much more resilient and durable than cotton and polyester.
A Natural Fabric: Bamboo is a natural fabric, refined, from the plant itself. This means it offers many fringe benefits that synthetic fabrics can’t. Many of those benefits are listed below.

Why babies love it:

Stretchy: Bamboo has a high breaking tenacity, so it’s super stretchy. This means it has a long-lasting fit and is super comfy.
Moisture Control: Studies found that bamboo fabric wicks and absorbs moisture 3-4 times faster than cotton, so the baby’s skin stays dry.
Thermal Regulating: It’s important to keep new babies at just the right temperature. Bamboo clothing helps keep little ones cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
Breathable: We can all agree that a breathable fabric keeps us much more comfortable throughout the day.
Anti-Static/Anti-Cling: This means no painful static shocks to tender skin. Definitely a plus when dressing infants.

Why mommies love it:

UV Protection: Moms know how important it is to protect their newborn’s delicate skin from harmful sun rays. Bamboo fabric offers protection from UV rays.
Anti-Fungal/Anti-Bacterial: Due to its natural properties, the growth of fungus and bacteria on bamboo fibers is minimal. Everyone’s happy when the baby is healthy!
Easy to Launder: Bamboo material is naturally wrinkle-resistant and is machine washable. Talk about easy care!

{Shop our Girl and Boy Bamboo Layettes and Swaddle Blankets}

Source Links: Source #1 | Source #2 | Source #3 | Source #4

Newborn Swaddling

Swaddling is a great way to comfort newborns. It also helps them sleep better. They feel safe and secure when they’re all wrapped up. Who doesn’t?

Newborn swaddling must be done correctly to ensure baby’s safety and comfort. We found this great video from BabyCenter.com. {learn about swaddling from BabyCenter.com} A pediatrician shows you different swaddling methods and how to do them correctly. It was super informative!

In the video, they explained how to choose the safest swaddling blankets. They suggest lightweight, breathable blankets. You don’t want baby to get too warm or be in danger of suffocation. This can happen if the blanket is too thick or heavy. Here are some blankets by Aden and Anais that are perfect for newborn swaddling. They’re made from a lightweight and breathable bamboo material. Each are 47″ by 47″ and gets softer with each wash. (Don’t worry. You can throw them in the machine!) The ultimate swaddling blankets!

Diwali Swaddle Blankets-top | Azure Swaddle Blankets-left | Pyara Swaddle Blankets-right

Bamboo Layette Sets

We’ve been working on something special at One Small Child. We’re so excited to now offer these amazing bamboo layette sets! Bamboo is super soft and stretchy. It’s perfect for newborns. Your little one will be all wrapped up in comfort. We love these adorable sets, and we know your little darling will too!

Four-Piece Bamboo Layette Sets:

Our new four-piece layette sets come with a fun kimono-style top with ribbon tie closure. Aren’t the elbow patches adorable? The pants have a stylish slit on the leg opening and a cute pocket on the seat. So fun! The set also comes with a comfy hat and stretchy blanket that’s great for swaddling. These boys sets are available in white or blue.

The girls set features beautiful ruffle details on the kimono top, a double ruffle on the pant legs, and a ruffle-edged blanket. We love all the frills! The four-piece set includes the kimono top, pants, hat, and blanket in your choice of pink or white.

Three-Piece Bamboo Layette Sets:

Our boys three-piece set is also available in white or blue. The comfy gown has fold-over sleeve cuffs and a gathered bottom so your precious little one will stay snug and warm. The set includes the gown, hat, and blanket.

The girls three-piece set offers the same luxurious features but comes with an adorable ruffle-edged blanket. Fit for a little princess!

Do you love bamboo as much as we do? Our Camisole bodysuits are now available in bamboo too! Add a layer of warmth and ultimate comfort to all your little one’s outfits.

Customer Highlight | Lauren’s littles in Francis and Jessa

Today we’re featuring one of our customer’s beautiful babies! Lauren was so gracious to let us show off her adorable children! Her handsome little guy is wearing our Francis Romper, Shoes and Jacket. Doesn’t he look like a little gentleman? And can you believe all that hair? So sweet!

Her little princess is wearing our Jessa Gown in white. What a precious little angel!

Lauren chose Paula Schifano Photography.

If you’d like to be featured on a customer highlight, e-mail us at [email protected].

Irish Christening Blessing

We love this sweet Irish Christening blessing! Enjoy the free printable using the link below.

{Download Free Printable Here}

An Irish Blessing

For Your Baptism Day
May God grant you always
A sunbeam to warm you
A moonbeam to charm you
A sheltering angel
So nothing can harm you
Laughter to cheer you
Faithful friends near you
And whenever you pray
Heaven to hear you.

Irish Christening Traditions

We love a Christening that includes special traditions! Sentimental family traditions connect you and your little one with previous and future generations. Even if you’re not continuing a heritage, it’s never too late to start your own! Your little darling will appreciate that you planned to stay connected with your posterity.

Today, we’re sharing some sweet Irish Christening traditions that we adore! Guests can’t help but feel like part of the family when witnessing these fun customs.

A Special Handkerchief-Irish brides are given a special white handkerchief to carry on their wedding day. This handkerchief is turned into her firstborn child’s Christening bonnet. Then, the bonnet is unstitched and given to the bride to be at the baby’s wedding.

Wedding Cake to Christening Blessing-Newlyweds keep the top layer of their wedding cake for the Christening of their firstborn. At the Christening celebration, the parents sprinkle pieces of the cake over their little one’s head, wishing their child a long and prosperous life.

Irish Christening Gown-Shamrocks or Celtic crosses are often embroidered on the wee one’s outfit for good luck. Traditional Irish Christening gowns are made from Irish flax linen and lace.

A Sleeping Beauty-For added luck, baby will sleep in his baptism outfit the night before his Christening.

Coin Charm-To ensure a prosperous life, parents put a silver coin in their little one’s hand to hold during the ceremony.

An Irish Blessing-Irish blessings are a big part of tradition. These can be said during the ceremony, as a prayer, at the reception.

My St. Patrick’s Day Tradition

Growing up I knew what our St. Patrick’s Day tradition was. There would be green everywhere I turned. Green decor, green milk, green biscuits at dinner and of course green clothes. But something that never happened on St. Patrick’s Day was my mother wearing green. Ever.

My mother is half Irish and just so happens to have green eyes. (Being adopted that never was an excuse I could use). She took great pride in trying to keep up Irish traditions even though her mother died when she was 16 and her father just after she enlisted in Vietnam as a nurse. Her source for family traditions was gone so early in her life that she kind of had to improvise and come up with something new to make the holiday fun for the kids.

Every year she would prepare breakfast with as many items she could put green food coloring in. When I would come home from school I could always smell the Corned Beef and Cabbage cooking. Do I like Corned Beef and Cabbage? Not even close, but the taste and smell will always bring me back to my mom. She served it with vinegar, green biscuits many years and sweet iced tea, being that not only was she half Irish, but she was also from the South. There is just something special about the nostalgia that comes from sitting down to a meal you’ve had so many times over.

But there is also something exciting that comes from changing those traditions just a little and making it into something new with your own family. I love to cook to celebrate holidays, like my mom, and always look for something new and fun to try. The best kinds of recipes are the ones the littles can help with because you can talk while you cook, teach them a skill and get a wonderful treat out of it!

One of my favorite places to get recipe ideas is the blog Oh So Delicioso. They have several recipes for St. Patrick’s Day but by my favorite is the Neon Green Punch since I have small children that love the color! Electric green is a head turner and since it’s not too sweet I don’t have to worry about giving a second glass to my kids. Another one of my favorite sites for recipes is Weelicious as well (you can see the natural green recipes here).

I have found that with modern traditions, it’s not necessarily about having the exact same thing each year but that you do something each year so your kids know about the holiday and what fun you can have with it. My kids are all preschool age and younger so the big school parties won’t happen until this coming fall. Until then we have the opportunity to make each holiday unique to us and what we love.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Irish Christening Wear

Irish Christenings are beautiful! We love the heart-felt tradition they all possess. We feel privileged to help make these events even more meaningful to you and your family. Today, we’re highlighting some of our Irish Christening wear. These delightful dresses and accessories will add Irish charm to your little lassie’s religious debut.

Our Christening Dresses is hand-crafted from dainty shamrock-embroidered organza. Sheer puffed sleeves and just the right amount of ruffles add a feminine touch to the design. A shiny satin ribbon sash ties it all together.

Add these matching accessories to complete the Elise look: Shorty Slip and Bloomers, Elise Bib, Erin Slippers.

The Faye Christening Dress is hand-made from combed broadcloth cotton. It’s super soft and comfy for baby. A scalloped embroidered overlay creates the illusion of a v-neck. It’s embroidered with adorable shamrocks. The neckline meets a feminine satin sash with rosette bow embellishment. The same bow finishes the look on the simple matching headband, which is included.

Complete the Faye look with these matching accessories: Day Length Slip, Erin Slippers, Shamrock Ruffle Bib.

Looking for boy’s Irish Christening Wear? Our Shamrock Bib is embroidered with this traditional Irish symbol of luck. You can add a shamrock embroidery in your color choice to any of our personalized Christening outfits, gowns or accessories! Simply select a product that states ‘Can Be Personalized’ and follow the prompts on the product page.