Tween Turning Point: Spring is in the Air

Now that we’ve turned the clocks ahead and have a little bit more daylight, get your daughter out for a walk. Yep, just the two of you. Tell everyone else in the family that you two are taking some time together. In fact, if you’re not already doing so, you should be taking time with all of your kids, but especially so with your tween daughter. Now is the time to connect with her – she’s got a lot on her mind, and having alone time with her will give her the opportunity to open up and feel like she can talk to you.

If you already frequently take family walks together, that’s great. But this time is just for you and your daughter. Try to mix it up. Take a different route and walk somewhere neither of you are sure where you’ll end up. It may surprise the both of you. Take note on the different things you see on your way – the trees and plants you haven’t seen before. I know when my daughter and I do this, we’re amazed at how even a different neighborhood can seem world’s away when we decide to turn left instead of taking our usual path to the right.

Taking a walk and focusing on where your feet lead you will give your minds time to clear and you’ll be able to free them up. You can play silly games on your walk – imagine what kind of people live in the house on the corner, or what kind of family might move into the house that’s for sale? This conversation could lead to anything, or it could just be for fun, but spending time with your daughter is the main idea here, letting her know that you’ve always got time for her, whenever she needs you! You can try to make your walk a nightly event or even once a week. The fresh air is great, as is the exercise, and spending special moments with your daughter is always something to be cherished!

About the Author: 

Stephanie Elliot, in no particular order, is a wife, writer, blogger, book reviewer, editor and mother to three kids, two who have already been tweens, and one who is right smack in the middle of his tween-ness. Her oldest son is almost driving and her daughter survived her tween years so Stephanie must be doing something right. Find out more at

Tuesday Fun: How true is this?

I saw this on Facebook this morning and it totally made me smile…

… because really, how true is this!?

And not only for ourselves, but for our tweens, too!!??

5 April Fool’s Day jokes you can play on your kids

It’s April Fool’s Day!

Are you ready to prank your kids?

My mom and dad used to have a blast pranking me and my siblings when we were kids.  I had to (literally) be on my toes throughout the whole day.

I thought it would be fun today to share some ways you can pull off an April Fool’s Day prank/joke on your own kids.  The point is to just have some fun and allow your kids (and you and your husband!) a good laugh and memory.

Here are 5 April Fool’s Day jokes you can play on your kids:

1) This can be done in the morning or in the evening… sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on toothbrushes in your house.  It will be just enough to make them go, “UGH! What is that!?”

2)  Turn your milk a different color with some dye.  Innocently ask your child to grab the milk out of the fridge… then just wait for the funny response!

3)  Make breakfast for dinner.  Brew a pot of coffee and everything!  Believe me, everyone will be confused and then realize, “Oh… it’s April Fool’s Day!”

4) Tell your kids they have an appointment with their doctor and they *may* need to get a shot (this is really for kids who are older!). Take the time to drive to your actual doctor’s parking lot. As soon as you’re about to walk in simply say, “Oh… it’s April Fool’s Day! I’m just kidding!”

5) Before your kids get home from school, quickly switch around the clothing in their drawers. Move the shirts to where the pants are. Move the pants to where the shirts are. Move the underwear items to where the socks are. Really have some fun with this one!

The Importance of Empowering Young Girls

This is a wonderful and powerful blog post from Alanna – a designer on our FashionPlaytes merchandising team – on the importance and the beauty of empowering young girls. We’re very excited to share this with you.

A friend of mine runs empowerment workshops for 11-13 year old girls. The workshop starts out with one of my friend’s asking the girls present to close their eyes and sit like a teenage boy. Invariably the girls open their eyes to find that they are all sprawled out… arms everywhere, legs splayed in front of them. The girls crack up at their imitations and then the girls are asked to close their eyes once more and sit like a  teenage girl. When they open their eyes, the girls are sitting with their legs closed up and close to their body and arms folded over their chests, essentially taking up almost no space. My friend tells the girls to look around and see what kind of physical space they are taking up. She then encourages them to take up more physical space…that it’s their space to take, just like the boys that they had imitated.

The rest of the workshop focuses around empowering these girls to take up their space and really, truly own it. Whenever I think of these images, I think of my 5 year old daughter who is happy to take up her space (plus her brothers too, to be honest).

When does it happen… this shrinking, this loss of self confidence?

I am unsure, but I’m hopeful that just knowing it is on the horizon for us will keep me vigilant for signs. I am hopeful that together my daughter and I can navigate these waters so she can truly have a voice, take up her space and own her body. What I love about designing for FPGirl is our commitment to positive messaging and empowering our girls. We foster a safe, fun environment and encourage the girls to interact in a positive way.

When a 10 year old Tylie posted on our site last week “How do I show myself? I am really shy and I really want to show who I am. How can I do that?” the girl community was quick to comment and offer beautiful words of encouragement to her.

Some comments that touched my heart were:

“Stand out and don’t be afraid to say what you’re thinking! Hope it helps.”
“Take one step at a time. Don’t rush yourself. Show them you are a beautiful intelligent girl.”

“Each day I set a goal for myself, saying, ‘Today I will talk to the new girl’, or, ‘Today I’ll raise my hand in class’. It helps me to be more outgoing and it makes me feel good when I accomplish my goal.”

These comments, written by girls who have never met 10 year old Tylie, make me proud of who we are and what we are doing every day for these girls.
To help empower our girls, we have developed some beautiful graphics for them to use in their designs, “Be bold, be bright, be YOU”, “Dream & Design in COLOR” and an inspiration grid that includes phrases like “be a friend”, “be original”, “learn everyday”, “dare to dream” and many more.

Our hope is that these graphics will help these girls take up their space and be empowered to be exactly who they want to be.

Our girls are our future, and we love our FPGirls madly.

Tween Turning Point: Breakfast with your Beauty

We’re so excited to introduce the column – Tween Turning Point – by our Contributing Editor, Stephanie Elliot. Whether your tween daughter is your oldest or your only, your middle child or your youngest, it’s important to give her quality one-on-one time, especially during these formidable years. She’s dealing with emotions, body changes, challenges with her friendships and so much more during her tween years. In Tween Turning Point, we’ll suggest great ideas on ways to connect with your tween daughter so you can create lasting memories while instilling the values you want to bring into your daughter’s life as she grows and matures into the young woman you want her to become.

We’d love to hear from you too! Where are some unique spots you and your tween go to connect and chat? Are there special places that you take her where you know you can get her talking, where she feels she can open up and be herself and not feel like she’s talking to Mom?.

We know the importance of one-on-one time with your tween daughter and getting the opportunities to have her really open up to you in easy-going, non-confrontational ways. We’ll be bringing you suggestions on how to do this through Tween Turning Point.

We’re thinking breakfast – what better way to chat with your tween than over a stack of fluffy pancakes piled high with whip cream and syrup. Surprise her by waking her before the rest of the family gets up and head to your favorite breakfast spot. Sure, she might not be too happy about an early-morning date, but let her order a hot chocolate or something she usually doesn’t get to have when the whole family is out for breakfast. It’s a special morning for you and your daughter.

You don’t have to talk about anything that’s too heavy, and you can let her lead the conversation – sometimes it’s nice to check in with her to see how school is going and if things are okay with her friendships. In a relaxed atmosphere like your favorite breakfast place, she might feel like opening up to you and really letting you know how things are going with her friends, classes and other social situations that she might not usually share with you.

If there are some important topics you have been meaning to talk to her about – family issues, puberty, whatever might be on your mind – gently ease these subjects into the conversation. You’ve got her across the table from you, happily eating her favorite foods, and you have her attention, it’s a great time to talk about any weighty matters you need to discuss.

Whether you want to share a special morning with your daughter and just catch up on what’s going on in her life, or you have some crucial things you need to discuss with her, a morning breakfast date is a great way to spend some one-on-one time with your tween. And pancakes and hot chocolate… not a bad way to start out the morning with your little girl!

Related:

• Nature Walk With Your Daughter

Stephanie Elliot

Stephanie Elliot, in no particular order, is a wife, writer, blogger, book reviewer, editor and mother to three kids, two who have already been tweens, and one who is right smack in the middle of his tween-ness. Her oldest son is almost driving and her daughter survived her tween years so Stephanie must be doing something right. Find out more at

Fashion Alert: Girl Talk Embellishments Encourage FPgirls to Live Out Loud

Fashion Alert!

We announced a NEW line today and we’re so excited to share it with you… our “Girl Talk” collection features inspirational messages, today’s lingo and new BFF add-ons in bold patterns exclusively relevant to today’s Generation Z girls.

An outfit is not complete without making it one-of-a-kind, and the new Girl Talk embellishments allow just that. With catchy phrases, sparkly detailing and metallic exclamation points, FPgirl provides a fun and fashionable way for girls to express themselves and show off their unique style.

A sample of the new line of embellishments includes:

OMG
LOL
BFF
Live, Love, Dance
<3

(Moms and Dads – Do you know what these mean? It’s Girl Lingo!)

The Girl Talk line is inspired by FPgirl’s user community of more than 600,000 girls who are not only customizing their own clothing, but are also learning about the fashion design process, expressing themselves with colors and prints, and engaging with other tweens about style, a subject they love. At FPgirl, we’ve seen that giving girls this power helps them build confidence in their choices and social capital among peers. Girls interact with the site and with each other by asking questions and responding to those asked by other members of the community, participating in polls, commenting on style posts and entering design contests. It’s a positive, empowering experience.

Related:

• The Importance of Empowering Young Girls
• OMG! What Your Kids are Really Saying

Beauty Alert: 5 Spring Beauty Trends for your Tweens

Beauty Alert: Spring Beauty Trends for your Girls

I’m absolutely obsessed with all things beauty – hair, makeup, lotions, soaps and shampoos… you name it!

With each new season, I always change up my beauty routine. Right now with the winter fading into the spring (thank goodness!), I’ve been having some fun going for some bolder and brighter colors for my eyes, my lips and my nails. I’ve also been changing my hair a little, too (gone are the days of just wearing it down!).

But what about for tweens?

I’ll be honest… I know a lot of moms who don’t want their tween girls wearing lipstick or eye makeup yet (and I have to agree with them – there’s a time for everything), but tween girls can still have fun with the changing beauty trends of the season. It all comes down to just helping them find the “right” beauty products for them to have some fun with this spring!

I wanted to share with you 5 Spring Beauty Trends for your Girls:
1) Loose waves for your girl’s hair!

Oh, yes… waves are in and your little lady can have some fun with them. I remember being a little girl and sleeping on wet braids to accomplish this look. It doesn’t matter how they get it – sleeping on braids, curling iron, wand (by you) or rollers – let them have some fun this spring with wavy hair.

2) BRIGHT nails!

The brighter, the better! Yellows and oranges and peaches are going to be very trendy this spring and summer for tween girls. Let them have some fun adding some true pops of color to their nails with these vibrant and gorgeous colors.

3) Glossy lips for little ladies!

Glosses are great because they’re not bold, they just add a nice clean, crisp shine to your lips. Glosses are extremely trendy right now. I love a gloss because you’re also getting a nice moisturizer, too. If you want to let your daughter having a little makeup this season, bring on the gloss. It’s definitely subtle, but so much fun for them.

4) Low ponytails!

I know girls love to wear their hair back… it’s all about wearing low ponytails. Gone are the days of the high pony, it’s all about gathering the hair at the back of your neck and banding it. I love how easy it is for anyone to accomplish this look (even for dads!).

5) Hair chalking!

It’s still trending! For the daring fashionista or beauty-ista… hair chalking is still very popular among tweens. Add a pink or purple or green chalk streak through your daughter’s hair. It’s super easy to do, and believe me… so much fun for them to show off!

Related:

• See what fashion trends our girls are talking about in the FPgirl Style Mag!

BeTween the Pages: The Sisters 8 Series by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Reading is an important part of everyone’s lives and if your daughter has already found a love within the pages, then consider yourself lucky. If not, you’ve come to the right place to get her on the road to reading. At BeTween the Pages, we’ll offer suggestions of today’s bestselling tween reads, along with classics and some obscure books that both you and your tween will love to discover. You’ll also be able to share your favorites along the way! In fact, what are some books you’ve read with your tween recently that she’s loved? Are there any classics you’ve read together? Is there a book from your childhood that you can’t wait to share with you tween daughter? We’d love to hear about the books you can’t wait to read with your daughter!

I first discovered Lauren Baratz-Logsted years ago when I read a contemporary adult novel she had written. When I found out she wrote for young readers, I was very excited because by then, I had a young reader too. What thrilled me even more about the series I’m about to introduce you and your tween to is that Lauren Baratz-Logsted is not the only writer of this series. Her husband, Greg, and her young daughter, Jackie, are also co-authors!

What better way to kick off BeTween the Pages than a tween series that is actually co-authored by a tween!?

FPgirl.com got a mini-makeover — What do you think?

Makeovers aren’t just for us!

“Sorry Mom, you’re not my fashion inspiration.”

“Yay!” to you for fostering an independent spirit in your daughters!

Too bad that often means that your tween daughters don’t look to you anymore for fashion inspiration.

We asked the FPgirl community,

The March Design Contest

Every month FPgirl hosts a design contest asking girls to submit their drawings to the current months theme! For March, we’ve decided to celebrate one of our favorite months by launching a ‘LUCKY You’ Charm Design Contest. Think St. Patrick’s Day, Lucky Charms (cereal) or really anything that you find lucky! We want you to use your imagination, then show us your stuff by designing your very own Lucky Charm. 

Enter now through the end of the month!!

Announcing FPgirl Spring Fashion Pinterest “Pin it to Win it” Contest

Do you love Pinterest as much as we do?  Check out our boards showcasing our new spring line and be sure to enter our “Pin it to Win it” contest!

Four lucky winners will receive a $100 gift certificate good for FPgirl customizable spring fashion!

Enter today and good luck!

Congrats to our Simple2Swag January Design Contest Winners

Every month FPgirl holds a design contest to highlight the amazing creativity of our girls.  In January, we held the first ever  Simple2Swag fashion design contest. Over 300 sketches were created by FPgirls using the classic “Alex” dress as a backdrop to create designs that shimmer, shine and showcase their swag and passion for fashion. The designs were voted on by the FPgirl community, with the top 25 reviewed by our guest judging panel of leading mom and retail media including: Ashley Lutz, retail reporter at Business Insider; Liz Gumbinner, Editor-in-Chief at Cool Mom Picks; Ebony Smith, designer at Tween Girls Style Magazine; and Jessie Marr, Chief Blogger at MomVantage.

The top 3 entries not only won a $50 FPgirl gift card, but the FPgirl apparel team is bringing the top three creations to life in the form of one-of-a-kind couture dresses for the winners to show off as part of their everyday style.

“I am constantly amazed by the creativity and eye for design our girl designers possess,” said Sarah McIlroy, founder and CEO of FashionPlaytes.com. “The Simple2Swag design contest showcased how our young designers are taking control of their own style and delivering designs with a flair for fashion that would make any designer at New York Fashion Week proud. The three winners showed incredible talent and depth to their designs, and we can’t wait to showcase them as part of FPgirl’s product line.”

Congratulations to our Winners!!!

1. Peacock Dress by Jessica 

2. Spring Vine Dress by Terra

3. Owl Dress by Riley

Founder Notes – Kicking off the new year in style!

Happy 2013! We’re looking forward to another incredible year as we continue to build a fun community where girls can express themselves through creativity, fashion, style & design.

Over the last year, we’ve learned a lot from our girl designers and community members. In fact, they’ve inspired many of our top selling garments, graphics and jewelry through design contests and voting! We’re so excited to empower this new generation and give girls a chance to make their mark by designing great products. We love featuring them, showcasing their creations and hearing their stories of how they wear their FPgirl designs with pride!

We are thrilled to announce some new ways for parents and your girls to become more involved and enjoy all that FPgirl has to offer:

Parent’s Blog

On this page, you will see all new content that focuses on how you as parent’s can help your girls become more creative, learn about fashion and fun content and activities that you can do with your girls.  Guest bloggers and experts from our team and the industry will share their opinions and thoughts around fashion, our community and other relevant topics.

Style Mag

Our Style Guide has been relaunched as “Style Mag” and we have received a tremendous response from the girls! Here, girls can tell us what’s cool in their school, what they like and what they don’t.  As always, girls can customize clothes, jewelry and accessories in our Design Studio — and in the coming year, we’ll continue taking their recommendations to heart, bringing in some new girl-recommended (and mom-approved!) products.

Of course, we’re all about creating a fun, safe environment online, and are delighted to see so many girls sharing their thoughts and engaging with others in such positive ways. Let’s encourage their voices! Designers can share their thoughts by sending videos, commenting on trends and polls and offering their perspectives on style and fashion.

Style Mag Weekly

After many requests to start an e-newsletter for girls, we’ll be rolling out our first weekly message in just a few days: the “Style Mag Weekly for Girls”. We won’t include promotional offers or advertising, just fun content we know your girls will like, including fashion tips from our community, as well as DIY activities, contests, trends and more. The newsletter will come to your email address, so you can decide when, and if, to pass it on to your girls.

Here’s to our girls developing their own sense of style, having fun and hopefully building new confidence and friends along the way!

Sarah
FPgirl, CEO
Where girls are designers & set the trends

A Holiday Message from Sarah, our CEO

Happy Holidays!

During this busy time of year, it’s often hard to find a moment for ourselves to actually appreciate the season and what is so meaningful to each of us.

It wasn’t until I had children that I realized how quickly time flies and the need to capture these fleeting moments because each one is so precious. As almost a tradition, I ask my kids at each birthday to stay little and not to grow any more. The truth is each year continues to be more meaningful and fun than the last, and I absolutely adore watching them blossom into the amazing people they are today. Yet, it is so hard to see the close of each passing year.

I had a moment to reflect over the past week after all the wrapping was complete & dinners were made and enjoyed. Although my kids are delighted by the gifts they receive, I believe even they realized that it’s not about the physical gifts we get. It’s about the memories we make.

I hope you make some wonderful memories with your family and friends this season.

As a member of our extended family, I’d like to thank you for your support. Just a few short years ago, FashionPlaytes was a mere concept and with the help of friends and family we’ve launched and grown our business. Thank you.

I’d love for you to share your thoughts with me. If you have any feedback regarding

A Holiday Message from Sarah, our CEO

Happy Holidays!

During this busy time of year, it’s often hard to find a moment for ourselves to actually appreciate the season and what is so meaningful to each of us.

It wasn’t until I had children that I realized how quickly time flies and the need to capture these fleeting moments because each one is so precious. As almost a tradition, I ask my kids at each birthday to stay little and not to grow any more. The truth is each year continues to be more meaningful and fun than the last, and I absolutely adore watching them blossom into the amazing people they are today. Yet, it is so hard to see the close of each passing year.

I had a moment to reflect over the past week after all the wrapping was complete & dinners were made and enjoyed. Although my kids are delighted by the gifts they receive, I believe even they realized that it’s not about the physical gifts we get. It’s about the memories we make.

I hope you make some wonderful memories with your family and friends this season.

As a member of our extended family, I’d like to thank you for your support. Just a few short years ago, FashionPlaytes was a mere concept and with the help of friends and family we’ve launched and grown our business. Thank you.

I’d love for you to share your thoughts with me. If you have any feedback regarding

Trend Report: Pet Graphics!

DIY: Beautiful Wrap Bracelets!

Kiki’s Corner: How to Draw Shoes!

Love to draw? Love fashion?

Drawing dresses, t-shirts, skirts or more is totally fun & easy to do. BUT, shoes or feet are a little harder! Read the latest from from

Kiki’s Corner: How to Draw Shoes!

Love to draw? Love fashion?

Drawing dresses, t-shirts, skirts or more is totally fun & easy to do. BUT, shoes or feet are a little harder! Read the latest from from