12 OF THE BEST KIDS PAJAMAS (FOR ALL AGES)

It's that time of year where the sun sets earlier and the crisp air means cozy nights inside become a must. Snuggling the kids while reading books in their pjs is one of the most treasured moments of motherhood (am I right?!).

As my girls grow out of toddler sized pajamas, I have found the search for beautiful, quality, natural pajamas for ages 6+ an ongoing project for the best part of the last year!

If you've had the same experience (lack of good pjs!), you're in luck. Each time I came across a new company that fit this description, I jotted a note down and after hours of searching, I am now ready to share my findings with you all!!! Most of these companies cater for a wide range of ages, so even if you are in the baby stage, read on!

Please note: this post is NOT sponsored. This is advice from one Mom to another based on a real lack of pajama choice for our little ones in Canada.

Here is my criteria: 

• Natural fabric - Both 100% cotton or merino wool are my go-tos for keeping little ones cozy and safe.

• Aesthetics - I wanted designs that I liked and the kids would too. Cute animals? Yes. Giant sequin slogans? No thank you

• Fit - For this particular time of year, I was looking for 2-piece pajamas that fits close to the body

1. Mini Mioche

Mini Mioche is a Canadian owned brand who make super soft t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants and pyjamas. The quality is high, the patterns are so sweet and you can shop directly from their online store.

Fabric: GOTS certified 100% cotton
Sizes: 2 - 12 years

2. Lake Pajamas

These 100% pima cotton jammies are available in so many fun patterns and with the softest pima cotton you have ever felt. My kids describe wearing them like being on a cloud!

Fabric: 100% cotton
Sizes: 2 years - 12 years

3. Petit Bateau
I was recently reminded about this 100% cotton pajama brand (amongst other clothing) on a recent trip to London. With adorable designs (think classic stripes and holiday stars), these pjs come in a wide range of sizes that are not only cute but incredibly great quality too. The material has to be felt to really get the idea!

Fabric: 100% cotton
Sizes: 2 years - 14 years

4. Parade Organics

You know how much I love supporting local brands and this Vancouver name has a flagship store at Granville Island, which is walkable from our house. Made from GOTS certified organic cotton, the material is noticeably thick/warm and the pajamas hit the mark on both price point and cute factor.

Fabric: 100% GOTS certified organic cotton
Sizes: 12 months - 6 years

5. Chasing Windmills

I fell in love with merino wear as a teenager and my love of its' versatility for sleep and play has never stopped. I love the designs and the fabric, these pajamas would also be perfect for base layer ski wear.

Fabric: 100% merino wool
Sizes: 3 months - 10 years

6. Sleepy Collection

These printed pjs have serious style! Whether you love monochrome or dark and moody, they are cotton pajamas that come as the two piece basic set and also other variations. I love the way they drape and also that you can twin with your little.

Fabric: 100% GOTS certified organic cotton
Sizes: 12 months - 9 years

7. Wilson & Frenchy

If you are a nature lover like me, you are going to LOVE these. They are one of my favourites and the cotton they use truly is the softest! They fit large to size so there is room to grow for your little ones and the quality is lovely so would be perfect to hand down through multiple children.

Fabric: 100% organic cotton
Sizes: 2 years - 7 years

8. Simply Merino

We wrote a previous post featuring this local Vancouver company and our kids still adore these merino wool pajamas. They fit close, are warm and cozy for night and perfect for base layer ski gear.

Fabric: 100% merino wool
Sizes: 6 months - 12 years

9. G.Nancy

Another gorgeous organic cotton pajama line, this one also uses ethical water-based ink and high quality dye as well as being from one of my favourite countries, Australia! I love the classic star pattern but there are lots of colours and patterns to choose from!

Fabric: 100% organic cotton
Sizes: 3 months - 9 years

10. Mabo Kids

These thick and warm pajamas seem to have a huge following, maybe due in part to their fun spot design that can be passed from older child to younger sibling. I love that there are gender neutral options, the cotton is organic and they are made ethically in the USA.

Fabric: 100% organic cotton
Sizes: 3 months - 13 years

11. Burts Bees Baby

Organic pajamas for US$16.95?! Yes please!!! These jammies are soft, cozy and seriously cute. The fit is close to the body and there are so many options, there's something for everyone. Go check out their adorable picks for the holiday season. Sadly for us Canadians, they are currently only shipping to the US. 

Fabric: 100% organic cotton
Sizes: newborn - adult

12. Sleepy Doe

Ethically made in the UK, Sleepy Doe's whimsical line of sleepwear extends beyond children to women too. With new designs each season, the prints are fresh and aesthetically beautiful.

Fabric: 100% cotton
Sizes: newborn - 9 years

I hope you find a pair of pjs your kids can sleep peacefully (and safely!) in and that you are happy with style-wise. Many of the larger retailers have started using polyester as a material for pajamas which is not breathable in the same way as cotton or merino. If you know of any other brands that would be a great addition to this list, please let me know in the comments below so I can share with everyone!

HAPPY THURSDAY + WHAT WE'RE READING

It's that time of year again where we are reading more books. We read books at bedtime every night all year but now they start to creep into our routine at other times too (waiting in the car, after school downtime, weekend mornings). It Starts with a Seed is a new favourite book in our house this Autumn that we are all in love with!

With both magical illustrations and lovely words, the book walks through the journey of how a tiny seed becomes a home to creatures, grows leaves and becomes a beautiful tree. The colours and stages scream Autumn but truly this book captures all of the seasons and lasts throughout the whole year. 

You can find this gorgeous book on Amazon in the US here or in Canada here. You can also find at your local neighbourhood bookstore. Happy Thursday friends!!

OH MONDAY!

Every Monday I will be sharing some random things. They will be shared as a simple list and I'll be including different things each week with a bit more personal content. I hope you like it! 

1. When they think back to childhood, I hope treasure hunting at the beach is one of their fondest memories. I love these moments. With the first grey weekend signalling fall has truly arrived, it seemed fitting to add an extra layer of cozy with these gorgeous ponchos from Kindhood.

We hunted for sea glass, found the whitest shells, bright coloured rocks and enjoyed the quiet that is Kitsilano beach when the crowds of summer are gone. Kaia's little arm around Xavier makes my heart explode with happiness. These three are truly the best of friends.

2. Keva. Do you know it? It's a lifesaver in our house and entertains all three of our kids (sometimes at the same time!). The maple planks are so perfectly the same, I am in awe of the precision! 

3. I know it's going to start raining (and raining and raining!) soon. I stumbled across these super cute rainboots this weekend from Alice + Whittles. 

4. I pinned this quote over the weekend and thought it was a great one to start the week with. 

Happy Monday!

WINTER DAISY PICKS: BABY CRIBS!

They say love is all you need, but a baby crib is pretty handy too! Creating nurseries are the most special rooms that I get to have a part in because they are the space that you will bring baby home to and the space that you will spend countless hours rocking, feeding, holding and singing to your baby. So many memories are made right here in this special place and the crib is one of the first items you think of when you find out you're pregnant and your little one's first significant piece of furniture.

Plain white? Wood? Iron? Vintage? The options really are endless.

Today I've rounded up my favourite cribs that are gorgeous, functional and the perfect fit for your little one.  I love the detailing on number 8 and the four open sides on number 2. Which one is your favourite? 

01. // Casual baby crib; 02. // Gold baby crib; 03. // Modern baby crib; 04. // Iron baby crib; 05. // Lind baby crib; 06. // Wood baby crib; 07. // Upholstered baby crib; 08. // Mid-century crib.

YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE TOO...

PINK & GOLD NURSERY

CANOPIES FOR KIDS

BOYS SHARED ROOM

5 WAYS TO TACKLE KIDS ROOM STORAGE

image from rafa + leo's room

Do you find it hard to keep your kids toys tidy? Are they sprawled all over the floor and do you feel overwhelmed by the mess? Storage is SO important in the way our homes function and I thought it might be helpful to walk you through some key ways to keep the crazy stuff kids need (and often don’t need) under control in a way that is both functional and pretty too.

Back in the day (aka pre-kids), I used to have a tidy house. I remember feeling organized with a tidy kitchen, papers organized, clothes hung up and everything else hidden neatly away. I remember managing with a basket of toys and an orderly house with 6-month-old twins...AND THEN THEY BECAME TODDLERS!!! Even if you are of the more minimalist nature, with kids comes STUFF! If you were organized in the baby stage, wait until you have toddlers! With toddlers comes clothes, toys, books, gear, artwork, more clothes, more toys, more books and more and more stuff. One of the first questions my clients ask is, “how are we going to store all of the stuff that we have accumulated with the kids?" I tell them that there is a way. That we will find a way. So much so, that we will test my five minute rule when the room is done (keep reading). 

In my own home and in the rooms I design, I like to use the five-minute rule: Can the room be cleaned up in five minutes or less? If yes, then storage is doing its job well.

Here are my top 5 ways to store things in kids rooms. 

1. Use shelves:

image from xavier's room

Wherever possible, use the vertical space you have on the walls. Think about whether there is space above a window, even under a window, or a wall where a shelf could fit. With so many options for shelving, you can choose simple slim shelves like the ones above for books and toys (from IKEA) or deeper shelves that can be used to store almost anything, like the ones below left. Making use of the vertical space a room has will mean fewer toys to trip over. You can style shelves so many ways too and change what’s stored on them with the changing needs of your little one. I particularly love the vertical shelf below as it has both open and closed storage space meaning that you can still keep a few things hidden while allowing little ones to see and pull out the toys that they want to play with.

images from leo + rafa's room

2. Use baskets, baskets, baskets!

By now you probably know that I add baskets of some sort to almost all of the rooms I design. They are so incredibly versatile to quickly store larger toys or stuffed animals and if you pop a lid on top, you won’t even see the mess! I love baskets so much that I have an entire board devoted to them over on Pinterest where you can find lots of suggestions for pretty and practical storage, baskets and bins.

3. Make the most of the closet

image via Olives and Belle

image via Monika Hibbs

This may seem obvious but there is so much you can store in a PROPERLY organized and space maximized closet. The key is to have space allocated for folded items, a few drawers, hanging space and space that you can store items you use infrequently up high (ideally all the way to the ceiling). Of course bars for hanging clothes at the right height (if your child dresses themselves) is necessary too. If you don't have a dresser, using baskets for socks, tights, etc works well right in the closet. The main benefit is that you can just close the doors!!! ;)

4. Double (or triple!) task your dresser

image from Ella's room

A dresser is a key piece of furniture for more than just clothes! If you are having a baby, I often recommend saving on a change table and buying a dresser that can last through the years. The top drawer is perfect for diapers, wipes, any lotions or wash clothes. The middle drawer can then have lots of folded clothes and I recommend using the bottom drawer for toys that a child can access themselves and which you can simply close the drawer on! It's a simple system that seems to work really well for lots of clients. The hanging items then go neatly in the closet and linens, etc can be stored in their too.

5. Add hooks

Hooks are an easy way to encourage children to clean up by themselves (hurray!) and for you to find a place for loose items with a strap. It is handy to have a few at child height for items such as sweaters, morning robes, bags, dress up clothes, toy cameras, backpacks, etc. Any toy with a strap can be hung on them too.

A well organized room should be able to be tidied away in 5 minutes of less. Quickly pop books back on the shelves, bigger toys go in the covered bins, clothes in the dresser and closet, blocks and smaller toys in open baskets on shelves with little accessories hung up. This is a great system for little ones to start when they are young and learn and grow into with guidance. 

I'd love to hear of any other ways that you manage storage in your kids room. Tell me in the comments below.