Nothing beats a hoodie when it comes to dressing your kids.  Be it a boy or a girl, they seem to have a real sense of what is “cool” from an early age

While in New York City with my family this fall, I marveled at my teenage nephew who casually wore a hoodie as his outerwear.  “Aren’t you cold, I asked?”  He seemed confused for a minute and then replied,  “But I have a hoodie on!” (My sister has given up.)

Get ready Moms  because that’s all they will want to wear, so invest in a few of these wardrobe staples.   The Hatly Kids Lab Pullover Hoodie is a cute way to start . This pullover style hoodie sports elastic cuffs at the wrist and hem and a sporty kangaroo pocket.  The all-over Labrador print adorns the inside hood and of course what I like best, no ties at the neck. (They’re not necessary anyway.)

This is a perfect back-to-school item that will appeal to a lot of kids.  It is a unisex design, so feel free to pass it down to a brother or sister.  Made of 100 percent cotton, it will wash well and feel soft and cozy for years to come.

Hatly Kids also makes zip-up hoodies for kids that prefer that style, with the same fun appliques to spruce up their wardrobe.

Oh, how I love a Poncho.  It makes me think of crisp fall days and my own childhood. I personally own a few and they are the perfect thing to accessorize a boring pair of jeans and a solid t-shirt.

There are many reasons besides fashion to love a poncho.  For one thing, they keep little hands free (especially important when picking up leaves.) Another thing I like about them, is most of them are “hoodless” which means you don’t have to cut the strings off of them so they don’t get caught on anything at the playground.

These Baby Girls DKPinecone  Striped Ponchos by The Childrens Place are the perfect fall outerwear for the truly fashion conscious little girl. Brightly striped cotton/viscose blend and pullover style accented with tiny embroidered flowers will keep her warm and cozy on her busy days. This is an easy alternative to a bulky jacket, especially when buckling her into her car seat.

If she gets too warm, just slip it off and it stores easily like a comfy sweater. This garment comes minus any buttons or grommets, so there is no chance of her putting any foreign objects in to her mouth and choking.

This simple little cover-up has “mad” style, and comes in two vibrant color palates to choose from.

Now, why don’t they have more products like these? It’s one of those questions that breed a whole lot of other ones like: Why do women wear strapless evening gowns to the same events that men wear a suit jacket? Someone is going to have some issues with climate control! Or why is it that they make skimpy bathing suits that fall off if you dare to go in the water?

Getting beyond that it’s always a bit sad to watch a little girl tugging at her swim bottoms as she chases the boys down the beach or racing to get a towel on which to sit so she can play comfortable in scratchy sand. These Patagonia Girls’ Baggies Swim Shorts solve both of those problems.

These swim shorts are both fashionably cool and well made with mesh pockets to flush out water and grit and an abrasion resistant material. The comfortable elastic waistband wicks away moisture preventing a soggy tummy and the light nylon material dries quickly so she can readily wear them off the beach too.

They are available in a cool ocean blue or bright poppy red. I do wish they had a pink and a purple option too. No need to be completely gender neutral!

Before heading to the beach footwear must be considered. Now, that’s obvious of course since we do consider footwear every time we leave the house, even though we often make terrible choices. (Remember those gorgeous 5 inch heels you only wore once?)

If you have children the issue of appropriate footwear multiplies, since children’s’ considerations are different that adults. Will they find the first mud puddle in which to jump? Are they planning to climb on monkey bars? Do their beloved slip-ons still fit? And my favorite, are they the ones that always come untied?

Going to the beach has it’s own set of concerns including realizing that sand can and will get into any shoes worn there. Though the logical choice when going to the pool is flip flops, these rather flimsy shoes work less well at the beach which is why we always wear water shoes.

These Stay-Put water shoes slip on, not easily but snuggly and give added support for walking on sand. They can be worn right into the water which is perfect if you frequent rocky beaches or those wonderful few still left that feature shells.

You can even wear them to and in the pool where they keep hot pavement off tender soles.

Along with cute costumes, I do like cute umbrellas. There’s something about seeing a child carrying an umbrella with personality that always makes me smile. With Spring just around the corner, there will surely be need for one of these.

This Wild Republic Aquatic Umbrella is expandable and folds down to a handy carrying size, which is particularly important if you expect a child to actually hang on to it. The added benefit is, of course, the chances of him or her whacking another child with it or, if you have a boy engaging in an impromptu sword fight, is less likely when the umbrella is smaller.

Since this is an umbrella that your child will enjoy carrying to school, the bright printed pattern makes it less likely to be lost of forgotten. It’s easily found when misplaced and stands out from the action figures and ponies printed on the other children’s umbrellas.

As I am always looking for long lasting accessories, I often try to find patterns that will grow with my child. This print of sea animals is appropriate for young children, as well as teens. Appropriate that is, not that a teen will always deem to carry it! It’s also educational with descriptions of the animals included in type large enough to read!

Are you freezing yet? If you live in much of the Unites States, you’re laughing as you read these words. It’s been a cold…really cold winter! You’ve bundled your kids up everyday in the wide variety of winter apparel that you’ve bought, scrounged and borrowed just to keep them warm.

And, especially if they are a bit older, they placidly wrapped themselves up according to your directive, early this winter, but as time has worn on they’ve begun to protest. And they’ve begun to slip out the door without the appropriate winter gear. They’ve argued about hats and complained about looking cool.

Well here’s a cool accessory they just might wear that will both keep their ears toasty and warm the cockles (whatever that is) of your heart.

These fleece ear warmers from REI, one of the top purveyors of outdoor gear are sure to keep kids warm and fashionable too. Big enough to cover even teen sized ears and small enough to smash into a pocket, they fit securely around the back of kids’ heads and stay in place even during rough snow play, sledding and even skiing. They work with earrings, sunglasses and helmets and one size fits all. What more could you ask of earmuffs?

Winter’s coming and wrapping up baby becomes a priority. If you can be eco in the process, so much the better! I find myself more and more trying to patronize companies that care about the environment.

This baby bunting is from one of my favorite companies, Patagonia. The Infant Synchilla Bunting has all of the design features you expect from a Patagonia product. In other words – it does a great job of keeping baby warm! Though it’s made of polyester fleece it’s recycled fleece, which makes me feel warm and toasty all over. As we’ve come to expect from Patagonia, it also is recyclable through the Common Threads Program.

This bunting is all purpose with convertible mittens that allow full arm extension – there’s nothing worse than a scrunched up baby.  A snug, spandex hood keeps tiny ears warm and not won’t slip down and let in snow flakes or cold winter winds.

Though it zips up the front, it also includes leg zippers for easy diaper changes. Since these quick changes are simply a part of having an infant I can never understand why any manufacturer wouldn’t include them!

You can rarely go wrong with a Patagonia product and this cute design makes it fashionable as well.

I’m a big fan of classic styles. Maybe I’m just a nostalgia buff or maybe I actually am starting to heed that old adage – classics never go out of style. So, I try to buy classics and wear them for years. Simple skirts, good wool coats and sturdy, yet classic dress boots are standard winter wear.

As small children wear nothing for “years”, with the exception of ripped, torn and way-to-small articles of clothing in which they are forbidden to leave the house, buying classics for kids is tougher. But I try.

So when I saw this very affordable, wonderful pea coat, I just couldn’t resist writing about it. This navy blue wool coat brings back memories of winter days as a child. I remember the wonderful pea coat I proudly wore throughout the ‘70s. Both warm and sturdy, this classic sailor’s coat is made to withstand windy winter days at sea. Since, we have windy days on land, if not gale strength, they often feel like it, in many parts of North America, a thick wind resistant coat is a must.

The simple double-breasted style works well with just about any outfit and is gender-neutral meaning this can be handed down from girl to boy to girl!

This winter accessories features two deep outside pockets for keeping little hands toasty and storing those often errant mittens and an inside pocket for valuables…sticks, tiny dolls and unfortunately sometimes snowballs.

I really love Patagonia brand gear. It’s rugged and will last through several kids and still be suitable to hand down to your favorite little friend. I like the fact that it’s very lightweight which means it can easily be smashed inside a backpack but is strong enough to withstand the autumn storms.

This great lightweight rain jacket features a water repellant and breathable interior and a waterproof finish. I always look for that difference. A water repellant finish just means…enough water and the whole jacket and child inside eventually gets soaked. A WATERPROOF finish keeps the deluge out and the child inside dry.

It has lots of other weatherproofing features too, including a hood big enough to fit over a cap or hat for colder days and a storm flap to protect the chin. The more features in one piece I believe, means the fewer pieces for my child to lose on the way home from school!

I actually own this jacket, in the adult size, and love the zippered pockets and the deep hood that extends out over my face and the elasticized cuffs that keep my sleeves from getting drenched.

Like many parents, I think I’m over buying cheap clothes and toys to repurchase each year. I’m going for quality from now on. So, this is one of my top picks to invest in for my child this year.

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My son has always believed that it’s important to wear a costume as often as possible. I agree. So, we have quite a collection of them – some for dress-up time but quite a few for everyday wear. Mastering pretend play is a key skill that young children need to develop to become creative adults. So, why not extend the time they have to do it? Costumes need not be just for playtime! Anytime a child can wear clothes that transport them to another time or place they gain valuable time to play.

While drab, rugged and serviceable options for inclement weather certainly do the trick; why not let your little one engage in a little fantasy on a rainy day? These Lady Bug Rain Boots are great for the dress up fan at your house. Clomping about in puddles is just a whole lot more fun when you can pretend you’re a ladybug!

Since these boots are pretty sturdy and feature a steel shank to keep toes safe you don’t have to worry when she (or he) feels compelled to jump in every pool of water along the way. The pull up straps I consider a must, especially in group settings where an over burdened teacher…or mom just doesn’t have time to put on multiple pairs of boots.