Can you believe Christmas is less than three weeks away? I can’t — especially because I haven’t done ANY shopping at all. ¡Auxilio! If you’re anything like me, then you’ll like what I’m about to tell you…

For a couple of years now, we’ve been wanting to put together a gift guide and I’m happy to announce we’ve finally done it! The thing with our Ultimate Gift Guide for Bilingual Kids is that it’s really not only to get gift giving ideas during the holidays. It’s really for any time of the year when you’re looking for that special something to give to a bilingual kid or family.

In our gift guide, you’ll find our favorite picks in terms of book, music, clothing, toys and a few other things we love and feel they best represent our Latino culture or are worth having if your child is growing up bilingual. I must say I’m very happy with how much things have change and how much we have available today in comparison to when we first launched SpanglishBaby four years ago. This is particularly true when it comes to book choices, but others are noticing the need to have products that speak to Latinos and I love that!

So head on over to our Ultimate Gift Guide for Bilingual Kids and take a peek! We hope you too will love what we’ve picked, that you find the perfect gift for #BilingualKids and that you share the guide with others!

¡Felices Fiestas!

{Photo by asenat29}

If you are looking for something new and exciting for your girl to wear this fall you need to check out Masala Baby, and get your Raani ready for her first day of school. What does Raani mean? Raani is an Indian term for princess, and Masala Baby’s new collection plays on this.

Masala Baby is a fun clothing line that derives its inspiration from Indian roots and plays on India’s love for color to create a unique yet global style.

This fall they are introducing their new collection: Raani Masala. This collection features a variety of styles and vivid colors to match your little ones lively personality, and of course celebrate her royalty. Each piece seems to tell a story; the Bolly Bow Dress in spirit of the Bollywood cinema sets, the Pez Medallion dress inspired by vintage persian textiles, the Jaipur dress in homage of the architecture of the pink city in Rajasthan, and their Gypsy dresses are totally twirl friendly. All of these can be paired with Jodhpur pleated leggings to finish her fun back to school look. Because what kid doesn’t feel extra confident on their first day when they’re wearing something they love!

This collection is sure to get your little princess excited about her new school wardrobe. And to get you excited, we are giving one of you the chance to win a $50 gift card to pick out something special at Masala Baby! 

THE GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner: Leah!

Masala Baby is giving away a $50 gift card reedemable at their on line shop to one lucky winner.

To enter just visit the Masala Baby Raani collection here and come back to leave a comment telling us which piece you would get for the Raani in your life.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post and @SpanglishBaby. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Wednesday, September 14 at midnight EST and is open to U.S. residents over 18 years of age.  Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Disclosure: We received a sample to review the product. All opinions are our own.

I was recently lucky enough to recieve a Fofos handmade sweater to review for my six-month old baby, Lucia.  Before I sing the praises of the lovely sweater, I’d like to quote from www.fofosbabyboutique.com to highlight one of the things that sets this company apart:

“Fofos Baby Boutique is excited to have partnered with the Obra Social Legaria in Mexico City, a not for profit association that helps low income Mexicans raise themselves out of poverty by giving them the tools and training in new skills to promote their personal and professional development.  Fofos sweaters are hand knitted by a group of women at the Obra Social Legaria with a strong commitment to quality  and attention to detail. By purchasing a Fofos sweater you are not only purchasing an exclusive handmade design, but you are also making a difference in the lives of these women and their families.”

Not only is Fofos baby boutique a mom-owned company, it is a company with a social conscience. For me, that makes their products immediately more attractive.  I like to think that my money will go towards supporting communities that I care about personally.

Now, as for the sweater: It was lovely. That is the perfect word for it.  Everywhere we went, people asked who knitted the sweater, assuming a friend or relative.  It is apparently hand-knit by a very talented knitter.  It is simple and sweet, and very very soft.  It feels exactly like baby clothing should feel–cuddly. The style is classical and not trendy. Their sweaters, like all of the Fofos designs, won’t go out of style and could easily be passed down from one sibling to the next.

Each of their styles is a classic, and many of the “boy” styles could be worn by a girl because they are all made in very soft tones and are absolutely precious.  One of my favorites is the Matteo, even though it is in the boy section.  The delicacy of the yarn and coloring would look adorable on a girl, although they do offer the same style in pink, named the Carolina.

The price point for these handmade sweaters, between 40 and 50 dollars, is certainly not cheap, but it is a bargain considering the price of comparable items in stores like Jacadi or Nordstroms.  Unlike those chain stores, Fofos also accepts custom orders.

If you are shopping for classically-styled baby clothing I recommend Fofos Baby Boutique. 

The Giveaway

We’re giving a way either a Matteo or a Vivianna sweater to one lucky winner. )Sizes subject to availability. Both are currently available in 0-12 mos). To enter this giveaway, please visit Fofos Baby Boutique and come back here to tell us which one was your favorite sweater, who you’d get if for and why.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post and @SpanglishBaby. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Sunday, May 22nd at midnight EST and is open to everyone over 18 years of age.  Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Disclosure: We received a sample to facilitate the review. All opinions are our own.

Elsie Rivas Gomez is a mother, wife, teacher, and writer living in Pasadena, CA. She was born in El Salvador and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her first collection of poetry, Swimming in El Rio Sumpul, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. You can find her blogging over at MamaFeminista.