BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR KID'S HAIR CUT 2006 | Snip-its | Shopping & Services | Phoenix
Navigation
Support Us
Search

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR KID'S HAIR CUT

Snip-its

Sophie doesn't like to get her bangs cut, and don't even talk to Annabelle about her tangles. Sometimes, a parent is the worst person for the job when it comes to kid grooming. That's why we head to Snip-its when Sophie can't see, or Annabelle's locks are approaching the dread stage. Okay, so really, if we were nice, we'd comb our kids' hair out first, but we leave the nice part to the Snip-its stylists, who ply our kids with candy and specially created Snip-it kid videos (sounds creepy, but trust us, once you see your kid go into that TV daze, you'll be begging for a punch card at the front desk). Speaking of the front desk, when you check out, your kid gets to put a card in a special machine and claim a prize. The prize is free, unlike the irresistible hair accessories and other small toys, but the price you'll pay is worth it for a well-groomed, happy kid. Now, if someone would just open a salon where you could get your newborn's nails clipped.

BEST MALL EXPERIENCE WITH THE KIDS

Chandler Fashion Center

The key to a pleasurable mall trip with the kids? Baby steps. Don't try to tackle the whole place. Save that for a day you've got a sitter, or give up entirely and shop online in the middle of the night, like we do. If the A/C and bright colors of the mall beckon, head to Chandler Fashion Center and follow our simple instructions for a great time: Enter through the Barnes & Noble. Immediately stop at the Starbucks inside. Fortified, you can find yourself waylaid for quite a while in the children's section, and if you work it right, you can grab yourself a book or magazine from the adult aisles. Or let Junior hand you something fun to read. The children's section here even features a small wooden stage perfect for cuddling up to read or clearing off to perform. From B&N, you'll be led directly to the small playground, limited to toddlers and open enough to guarantee you can watch your kid the whole time (other local malls' indoor playgrounds include closed slides; you'll drive yourself nuts making sure Junior's okay). Do be careful there are no escapes into the elevator the playground's one design flaw. The best part? You can go to Build a Bear or the candy store if you choose, but neither is visible from the playground itself, ensuring that the parent gets to make that call. We're pretty certain the mall planners didn't do that on purpose, but we're grateful nonetheless.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE A CRAFTY KINDERGARTNER

SAS Fabrics by the Pound

The other day, our kindergartner announced she was in pre-production on a play, and desperately needed material for costumes. We know from experience that even a trip to JoAnn's can result in a bill over $20, for gauze and sequins that might never leave the bag. So we satisfied our thespian's thirst for threads with a trip to SAS. For $6.71, we left with a bag packed with multicolored gems, lavender lace, ribbon, and even a few couldn't-resists for mom. Don't forget the play's the thing!

BEST TOY STORE

Kidstop

Our 5-year-old is obsessed with Calico Critters. If you've never heard of them, skip this category, and consider yourself lucky. These little pieces of fur-covered plastic are the bane of our current existence, and they're damn hard to find, which is why we're so lucky to have Kidstop, which stocks them in several varieties from the Calico Critters Marmalade Bears to the Calico Critters Pigglywink Pig Family, complete with their homes and furniture. Sure, those learning-centric toy stores are all good and you can find plenty of that stuff at Kidstop but the reality of child rearing is that sometimes, you need a Groovy Girl or an Ork Waghar (we have girls, so honestly, we don't know what that is, but Kidstop has it and it looks scary and totally not the type of thing one of those creepy parenting magazines would tell you to buy your child) to really make the kid's day. And who are we fooling? Isn't that what parenthood and, certainly, grandparenthood is all about?

BEST PLACE TO BUY A KID BIRTHDAY GIFT

Bears & More

Walking through the door of Bears & More is like taking a trip back in time to an era long before Nintendo and Bratz dolls. Hundreds of lovable teddies perch on the shelves, each one with its own distinct personality. And we're not talking blue-light specials here. These are high-quality mohair collectibles from industry names including Canterbury, Steiff, and Cooperstown. You can even customize your teddy without having to visit one of those mall shops where they cram the bear's ass with stuffing and staple it shut. Just choose a cuddly plush toy and spruce it up with a pink parlor dress or a fireman's uniform from the wide selection of outfits. The shop provides instructions on how to hand-make your own basic teddy if you're handy with a needle and thread although we'll just leave that one to the pros.

BEST PLACE TO BUY A BABY GIFT

Crismon's Baby Boutique

There are three categories that baby gifts fall into: essential, practical, and just plain cute. Crismon's Baby Boutique has it all. For new mothers, there are comfy gliders to rock you and your infant to sleep. Grandparents-to-be will want to check out the store's huge furniture inventory, from shaker-style pine changing tables to a black mission crib with smart green plaid linens. Mom will love the practicality of baby furniture as a gift, and the new Nana and Pop can subtly influence the room's decor. For the bundle of joy, there are pastel layettes, a nice selection of onesies for comfort, and christening outfits that haven't changed in more than a century. Yup, those long white wedding dresses or knickers and frilly button-up tops are still chic for baby's first big day. We think the best gift at Crismon's is the toddler-size rocker. As soon as baby's old enough to hold her head up or crawl, she'll love the custom-painted, cute-as-a-button chair personalized with her picture.

BEST PLACE TO BUY KIDS' CLOTHES

Petite Ch�teau

If dressing for success gets you ahead in this world, then kids outfitted at Petite Chteau are destined to be doctors, lawyers, and maybe even president. The shop carries True Religion jeans, Lucky Brand, and tons of Juicy Couture. Sure, not everyone is willing to pay $40 for a layette, but this is the kind of place you go to splurge, not to pinch pennies. We can't get enough of Chteau's boys' line. It can be difficult to find trendy boys' duds that aren't preppy, so check out Italian designer Rare's edgy, modern tees and pants, which hover in the $40-to-$60 range. Screen-printed tees and layettes with clever sayings are really hot this year, and Petite Chteau is right on top of that trend. Our favorite is the "Does This Diaper Make My Butt Look Big?" onesie by Haute Stuff. Who knows what's on baby's brain before she can communicate, but if it's anything like her Mommy, that question is already on her mind.

BEST SIGNATURE CLOTHING LINE FOR KIDS

This Little Piggy Wears Cotton

We want the kids to look cute, but all those buttons and bows and tulle and don't even get us started on the challenges of Juicy Couture can get in the way of play. That's why we love the "piggy brand" at This Little Piggy Wears Cotton. Indeed, our little piggies wear it whenever we can get our hands on it (hint: this place has great sales), and our favorites include the piggy logo, splashed all over a cotton dress or tee (they've even expanded to adult boxers and PJs). This season we are also coveting the bright blue apple print and the yellow with roses. There's even a toile specially designed to celebrate Santa Barbara, This Little Piggy's original home turf. We'd love to see a Biltmore toile. 'Til then, we're happy to dress the little ones in the rooster print.

BEST PLACE TO BUY KIDS' USED CLOTHES, EAST SIDE

Once Upon a Child

A lot of moms scoff at the idea of buying used children's wear, picturing moth-eaten sweaters and stained onesies. Don't feel bad; we did too. That is, until we found this gem of a kids' shop hidden in a Chandler strip mall. The store is packed with rows of neatly hung apparel, from cute-as-a-button pink dresses to overalls for rambunctious toddlers. Everything smells fresh a hard thing to find in a resale store and all of the toys have been cleaned and repackaged in plastic for safety. You can find designer duds for a fraction of the price here if you look. There's a huge selection from Baby Gap, and you can occasionally find a Baby Phat tee or an Apple Bottoms onesie hidden on the rack. Our special tip? Sometimes the best picks are hanging in the storefront window. Pink Easter dresses with white fur muffs. Winnie-the-Pooh embroidered coveralls. Kids grow up too fast, but Once Upon a Child will help keep them in cute clothes as long as they're still little.

BEST PLACE TO BUY KIDS' USED CLOTHES, WEST SIDE

Other Mothers

Okay, admit it you love to get a slamming deal on your kid's clothes just as much as you love them looking cute, but you don't have the time to scour through piles of semi-gross used clothes at the Goodwill or hit the garage sale scene every Saturday at 6 a.m. Never fear: Other Mothers is one of the largest spots in the Valley to sleuth out the chichi-est of kiddy clothes for the least amount of scratch. The real perk is the trade-in you know you have bags of old clothes you'll never use again and Other Mothers pays better than most stores we checked out, giving you credit to burn. Go for the "get 10 outfits for 10 bucks" challenge (we made that up, but we tried it with success!) or buy a killer stroller for $30. Prices are generally 50 to 80 percent less than their retail price. With a rotating selection, and new product in almost daily, it pays to check in early and often to score those killer Guess Kids pants for $3. Other Mothers also resells a wide selection of women's clothing, baby furniture, and toys at prices equally dirt cheap everything but men's clothes. Don't worry; tell your man to stay home and put away the money you'll save for that 60-inch HDTV he's been dreaming of. Score!

Best Of Phoenix®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy The Phoenix New Times may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Phoenix New Times, LLC. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation