Let me begin by saying, if grades were given out, I’d get a ‘C’ at best. I’ve been collecting baby clothes since I was 13. A friend’s mother sold exquisite vintage lace and linen at Camden Passage: an antiques market close to our house in London.

(True fact: the friend was Freud’s great-granddaughter.)

Every time I saw a pretty christening gown for 3 quid, or a hand crocheted, 100% goofy woolen – with only a tiny wee moth hole – I’d snap it up.

I found my stash recently: it included a hand-hooked bright green baby duck-emblazoned rug and was as tremendous as when I’d girlishly parted with my pocket money in the 80’s. However, the Mommy part of me laughed scornfully at my pre-kid naiveté. The rips, stains, infestations and dangling mother of pearl buttons – choke hazard, duh – are as patently unsuitable for a real baby, as they are dreamy-fabulous for an imagined future one.

Which brings me to my dressing policies for almost-3-year-old, Sheba.

Dear Babyscooper: I am a rube. Till recently I lived in a fool’s paradise where piles of preordained Sheba-clothes fell literally into my lap every time I opened her closet. I never had to do anything as humdrum as buy her anything because lovely women came forward with bags of pre-edited gear. Even now that’s ended, the need is low because her Grandpa goes twice a year to John Lewis in London and mails her divine little pieces for her birthday and Christmas.

But with the overall supply dwindling, I am stumbling.

My therapist, for goodness sake, broke down and bought Shebes a suitable ensemble: organic cotton hoodie-tunic and matching leggings from Mini Mioche. They suit Sheba’s current cultivation of her masculine side (‘I not a good girl. I big boy!) (Freudianize that) because I was able to swiftly rebrand the tunic from ‘dress’ to ‘fleecy hoodie’. She’s comfy, she’s warm, she looks like a girl, and she thinks she looks like a boy: boxes ticked.

So why couldn’t I have figured that out? I walked past the very same outfit a month ago and deemed it ‘too expensive’. What the hell? The delicious mail-order woolens that come from Cambridge Baby in England, attract shocking duty charges and shrink because I wash them too hot, aren’t expensive? The little brown roman sandals we go out of our way to purchase every time we’re in Berlin aren’t expensive? (And deliciously bizarre, but that’s for another time.)

All in all, if I had to choose one word to define my policy, it would be: unfocussed. Gendering my daughter, sweatshop and fair trade issues, washability, affordability, warmth, sun protection, Dufferin Mall-avoidance and my own secret desire for Shebes to look like a drawing from a vintage children’s book, tend to overwhelm.

Feel free to share your tips, successes or parallel unfocussiosity in the ‘comments’ section below.

About The Abi Chronicles:

As our in-house blogger, Abi reports on the full spectrum of parenting – from the searching, essential questions to the quirkier territory all families sometimes inhabit.

With babies spending 2/3 of their first year sleeping, few things are as important as a really good mattress. Nook has clearly taken this into close consideration with their line of beautiful non-toxic mattresses for babies and toddlers. The highly coveted Nook Pebble, a natural crib mattress (albeit premium at $599), is rife with features parents love: a unique pebbly and colourful surface, natural materials (organic wool and cotton), no off-gassing, and nano-level particles that make it stain and water resistant. And the bumps actually do serve a functional purpose – they help facilitate better airflow and temperature regulation, so baby sleeps better. Besides, it looks so good, you don’t even need a mattress cover!

For those wanting to spend a little less, take a peek at the recently launched Nook Lite. Lite comes with the same great look (pebbles and great colours), but a few things have changed: the materials used aren’t organic and they use a non-toxic foam core instead of natural latex. But like the pebble, it’s comfortable, hypoallergenic and washable. Dual-sided too, so it’s firm for babies, and softer for bigger kids. But the end result is a mattress that weighs and costs less!

Above: Nook Pebble Organic Mattress -$545-$599

Above: Nook Pebble Lite Crib Mattress - $295

Above: Inner Nook Pebble Crib Mattress

Above: Nook Pebble Twin Mattress -$695

Above: Nook Lilypad Playmat -$120

Looking for some helpful mattress buying tips? Check out BabyCentre.

Photo Source: Nook.com

4 moms (with 15 kids between them), is actually a five woman company who have combined their experience and incredible smarts to great effect. Simply put, they make products that make things easier for parents. Their newest addition, the Origami, is the world’s first power-folding stroller. You might have to see it to believe it, but this gorgeous little machine actually folds itself.  The generator that’s stored in the rear wheels is busy at work charging the stroller while you stroll. Little luxuries abound – you can charge your cell-phone, and count mileage while you walk. Plus, the Origami has daytime running lights, pathway lights for low-light conditions, and sensors that detect when a child’s in the seat (so it’ll never fold by accident). Talk about easy.

Available through 4moms.com for $849.99

Photo source: 4moms.com

For anyone who has tried to cram a regular sized crib into a wee room, or spent countless hours putting up/taking down a crib, the foldable mini crib from babyletto will seem highly appealing. The Grayson sports a hip, modern design, and is incredibly light at only 62lbs, but it’s real magic lies in it’s portability — it collapses easily into a compact flat so it can be stored behind a dresser or under a bed (for those lacking in closet space). With two adjustable mattress levels, it works well as your baby grows. Made of zero-grade MDF, the Grayson is available in espresso, grey, navy, and white. And at $240, it won’t break the bank!

Babyletto minicrib

Babyletto minicrib

Collapsible

Stores Easily