With two weekends of college football already under our belts, its time to get ready for weekends tailgating and cheering on your favorite football teams.  Don’t let your spirit attire blend in with the crowd.  Show your individuality and don’t compromise your personal style by wearing the same boring t shirt as the guy standing next to you.

The same rules apply to the little guys in your life.  With little to no collegiate attire for boys other than t shirts and jersey’s, JV Clothiers offers quality pieces for the little guys in your life that allow them to join in on game day fun while looking adorable through it all.

Offering looks for LSU, ULL and now NC State and Baylor making it easy for for parents to include the entire family in on planning out a game day look that is sure to score!

Check out my favorite looks for both ULL dads and little guys and LSU girls and their sweet boys.

A vintage washed tee and red chino shorts are a great casual way to cheer on the Cajuns.  Finish the look with Toms and cold beverage and dad is sure to be the coolest guy at the game.  For the little guys pair comfy chino shorts in solids or gingham with a cute Ragin Cajuns polo and branded belt.  Red sneakers and a cute messenger bag make it easy to carry along gear all day long.

Saturdays in death valley don’t have cramp your style…literally. Cheer on the tigers in s super cute purple tiered dress with gold accessories and comfy yet fabulous sandals.  Tiger moms, make sure your little guy is a great compliment to the rest of the family’s attire in sweet yellow or purple gingham or solid chino shorts and coordinating LSU polo.  With LSU and Tiger logos on even the belt, your little guy is sure to love his new gameday outfit from JV Clothiers.  Finish up the look with a pair of Sperry’s and a cap to keep it casual.

What do you think of these looks? Have you picked up you and your families game day attire yet?

JV Clothiers is a high-end clothing company specializing in preppy boys’ university apparel : Children’s University Apparel at its Finest!

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With college football season right around the corner, the south is buzzing with excitement and anticipation.  People running around purchasing season tickets, tail gating spots, talking trash about who is outplays who and collecting all of the gear needed to make for a memorable season.

Thanks to a pair of parents from Lafayette, LA, LSU and ULL alums will have a completely new type of gear to purchase this year; quality boys collegiate apparel.  When it comes to collegiate attire for boys, options are limited.  We are stuck putting our sweet little boys into over sized jerseys or simple t shirts when the rest of the family is dressed to the nines in golf polos and smocked dresses.

JV Clothiers offers high quality “preppy” separates for boys who want to keep their style intact while cheering on their favorite team. With a great line of polo shirts, chino style shorts and even belts everyone at the game will wonder where your little guy got his  game day look. From solids to super cute gingham, the pieces are made to mix and match so pair a solid yellow polo with purple gingham shorts for this week’s game but easily rework the purple gingham LSU shorts with a white LSU polo the next for a totally new look for your little guy.

Not only do these pieces look great, they are made to last using only the best quality materials known to withstand the wear and tear and multiple washes that come along with having little boys.  The creators of the line are parents and no one knows how rough little boys can be on clothes than moms who do laundry.

So don’t let your little guy miss out on a cute comfortable look for this fall’s Saturdays.  Visit one of their many retail locations throughout Louisiana or purchase online to stock up for the LSU and ULL football seasons.  The shorts and polo shirts come in sizes from 2T all the way up to 14-16 (Large) so boys of all ages can stay cool and comfortable during game day with a few items from JV Clothiers.

So what you do think? Will your little guy be rocking an LSU or ULL outfit this football season? What is your favorite look? Make sure and tell us on our Facebook wall or tweet it to us @dramafilledmama. Not a fan of the Cajuns or Tigers? No need to worry, JV Clothiers recently added Baylor University and NC State to their lineup for this Fall.

Don’t forget to sign up for the JV Clothiers Newsletter for the latest news and updates and make sure to stay connected on  Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to be in the know for any new product releases, new retail locations and more, make sure you let them know Drama Filled Mama sent you!

Can’t wait to see you guys at Cajun Field, just look for my stylish little blonde boy rocking his Ragin Cajun look from JV Clothiers!

-Drama mama out

JV Clothiers is a high-end clothing company specializing in preppy boys’ university apparel : Children’s University Apparel at its Finest!

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The time your kids spend at school will account for a large proportion of their early years. They will learn much from school – both in the classroom and out – but they also stand to learn a lot at home. In order to help your kids get the most out of school, there are a number of things you can do to prepare them.

Before school age, your children probably aren’t ready to enter any poetry competitions or perform any strenuous mental arithmetic, but their brains are still very highly developed. How you stimulate their minds will influence their later development.

Literacy

It’s rare that children learn to read before they reach school, but that’s not to say that reading with them is a waste of time. Familiarizing your kids with written language by showing them the text as you read to them aloud is a great way to prepare them for school.

Even from a very young age, it can be hugely beneficial to explain to your kids the meanings of words you are reading to them. Your children are likely to take a lot from the environment in which they’re brought up. If you are able to create an environment where language comes alive, this is sure to be taken on board.

Colour and Symbol Recognition

Even when very young, children can respond to different colours and symbols. Providing them with interactive toys like VTech baby gear is a great way to help them develop the problem-solving part of their brain.

Your children can learn the effects of their actions through the toys with which they play – this requires an advanced level of intelligence which should be nurtured carefully.

Encourage them to Socialise

Whether or not your children have siblings, it can be great for them to mix with other children from a young age. There is ample opportunity for youngsters to mix before school age and doing so can be a great way to prepare them for the social side of school when they arrive. Socialising is a large part of kids’ school experience and can have a big impact on their academic performance, so seriously consider how you can help them to prepare.

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I was introduced to this amazing little blog over the weekend.  It is the bucket of a 5 month old little girl name Avery with SMA.  Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness. The disease generally manifests early in life and is the leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers.

Avery began a blog in her own voice (typed up by mom and dad ) that went through items on her bucket list.  Her parents wanted her to have the fullest life possible and documented it in the sweetest, funniest and sometimes saddest blog.

Avery lost her battle with SMA yesterday very unexpectedly and in her passing “she” wanted to spread the word about SMA and promote awareness of the disease and how easy it is to be tested prior to getting pregnant.

One in 50 people (approximately 6 million Americans) are carriers of the SMA gene. SMA is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, meaning that a person must have two copies of a defective gene to have the disease. SMA carriers do not exhibit SMA symptoms, but do carry a defective copy of the SMN1 gene. If both parents are carriers of the SMA gene, then each of their children has a 1 in 4 chance of having the disease.

So honor Avery’s memory by getting tested with a simple blood test prior to conceiving to make sure that you do not pass on this terrible disease and thank God every day for healthy children.

Click here to donate to Dr. Kaspar’s SMA Gene Therapy through Sophia’s Cure which is a non-profit organization so all donations are tax deductible.

You can also make donations to www.fightsma.org in Avery’s name.

-Drama mama out

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So, your precious little boy or girl is about to turn a year older, and you want to plan the perfect birthday party for him or her to celebrate. Unfortunately, you may be wondering how you’re going to avoid that birthday party. Finances are tight for just about everyone, and throwing extravagant birthday parties for kids just isn’t realistic anymore for most people. Luckily, there are ways to save money on planning a birthday party for your child. Here are some of them:

• Choose an Affordable Location for the Party – Hosting the party at your house will probably save you some money in comparison to hosting it at a party and play center like an indoor moon bounce arena. Plus, the kids can have just as much fun at your house. If your child has his or her heart set on a party at a party venue, call around to figure out what your most affordable option is.

• Send Out Electronic Invitations – Paper party invitations aren’t very expensive, but they do still cost some money. Most people prefer email invitations anyway, and these types of invitations are usually free. You might as well cut corners and skip the paper invitations.

• Make Your Own Decorations – A birthday banner you make yourself and some confetti you make out of construction paper can look just as nice and festive as the store-bought stuff. Making your own party decorations will cost you some time, but it can save you some money. Additionally, opting to not buy paper plates and plastic utensils will save you a little bit of money, but it will mean that you’ll have to spend a good amount of time cleaning up after the party.

• Make the Party Food Yourself – Having the party catered or buying store-bought food is simply not a great use of funds, especially when you can make the food yourself. So, look up some snack and cake recipes online, and don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen.

How much money you spend on your child’s party doesn’t matter. What matters is that your child feels loved, special, and happy!

Author’s Bio: Melissa is a guest post writer on the subjects of children’s self-esteem, family relationship building, and how to plan a Mario birthday party and other types of parties for kids.

Related Article:

• Luna’s Valentine’s Day Party

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My children are 4 years and 4 days apart, so to say that the end of January and beginning of February are busy for us is an understatement.  This year we decided to do Luna’s party at home with mostly family and with the date being so close to Valentine’s Day I thought what a cute way to celebrate without having to buy a cheesy matchy matchy birthday set online.

I was quite thrifty in my purchases and I was super proud of the results.

Decorations – I got super lucky by shopping at Target fairly close to the beginning of January when they had their Christmas stuff at 75% off.  So I was able to snag a number of things that worked really well for Valentine’s for super cheap.

Red Tinsel Wreath – $8.00 at 75% off
Felt Hearts Packs of 3  - (11) $1.00 75% off
White Tinsel Garland (2) - $3.00 (2) at 75% off
Red/White Paper Lanterns (2) -  $3.00 at 75% off
Tulle – Free
Heart Wreaths (2) – $1.00
Tablecloth $4.99
Decorative Plates (3) – $1.99
Fishing String – $2.88

Total: $23.59, this is shocking for how “decorated” my house really looked.

Food and Serving Utensils – I knew that I wanted to do all sweets for the party, so I ordered a king cake (traditional Mardi Gras desert) with red, pink and white icing rather than the traditional Mardi Gras colors, cupcakes for the kids to decorate and I made some homemade heart jello jigglers and heart shaped rice crispie treats.  Everything came out so well and I was finally able to use 2 of the cookie cutters from the 100 pack that I got for my wedding.  As for utensils and serving plates etc I purchased 4 packs of plates from Target to match my tablecloth and 2 packs of napkins…they were so cute and we have tons left over.  As for cups and forks I had some left over from another party so the only ones I bought were kid sized heart cups from Wal Mart

King Cake – $25
CupCakes – $6.00 for 12
mini marshmellows (2)- $1.00 Rice Crispie Cereal – $2.89
Jello – Free (already had in my pantry
Pink Lemonade – $1.17
Plates (4) – $1.50
Cups (2) – $0.97
Napkins (2) – $1.50

Total: $48 and we had some left overs

Activities – Because its was a home birthday and the weather is usually terrible this time of year I wanted the kids to have something to do.  I planned cupcake decorating and Valentine’s themed color sheets and activity pages.  I did have to purchase a few things for these activities but the cost was minimal and I was able to utilize free printables which is always nice.

Heart Marshmallows (2) – $1.00
Conversation Hearts – $1.00
Sprinkles (3) – $1.00
Cupcake Picks – $2.99 30% off
To Go boxes – $4.99 40% off
Crayons – $2.32
Candy Containers (2)- $0.97
Activity/Color Pages – Free Printable

Total: $15.36

Goodie Bags – Every kid loves to get a little sussy for coming to the party.  I purchased most of my items from the Target $1 section which had great little heart shaped bracelets, pencils and more. I did also have a number of things left over from Bailor’s goodie bags from a few weeks ago so that was a score!

Bags – $1.00
Tissue – Free in Gift Wrapping Closet
Tulle – Free in Gift Wrapping Closet
Heart Bangles – $1.00
Heart Pencils – $1.00
Ring Pops – $1.00
Pixie Sticks – $1.00
Bubbles – Free Left Over
Playdoh – Free Left Over
Magic Wands – Free Left Over
Candy Jewelry – Free Left Over

Total: $4.00 to make 12 Goodie Bags…not too bad!

Luna had such a great time at her party and go so many adorable things.  I will definitely do another holiday themed party again! I loved the freedom it gave me to work with what I had and really make the party something special and “home made” feeling rather than un packaging a themed birthday set from a store.

What did you guys think about my party? Would you ever throw a holiday themed party?

-Drama mama out

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