Shoppers Rule Blog

Babyville Boutique is a Do-It-Yourself cloth diaper sewing line that has just about everything you need to make cute diaper covers, diapers, and accessories. It is the perfect choice for diaper-making moms and all those choosing to make adorable, unique, and eco-conscious coverings for baby’s bottom.

The waterproof diaper fabric comes in sets of 3 – two prints and one solid or three solid colored fabrics. The packages come in boy, girl, and non-gender specific choices. Fabric is machine washable and dryer safe. Coordinating elastic, snaps, buttons, and appliqués ensure adorable results.

Two Babyville books provide the tools for creating wonderful items for baby. Cloth Diapers Made Easy features a variety of diaper styles and accessory items; while Baby Essentials Made Easy has many cute projects including changing pads, bibs, diaper bag, toys and more, all using Babyville Boutique products.

Shoppers Rule offers a wide variety of Babyville Boutique items.  To see our entire selection, please click here: Babyville Boutique

Happy Shopping.

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The weather is turning cold. So, it is time to make sure our loved ones stay warm. Fleece blankets and throws are perfect for added warmth on a chilly evening or at an outdoor event.

We have super-cute baby blankets – solids, polka dot, scalloped edges, reversible, thermal, and more.  Adorable chenille baby blankets are so soft, you’ll want to keep them for yourself.

For older children, there are great no-sew kits, where the kids can easily make their own throw – from soccer balls to funky stripes, pastel animal prints, florals and swirls, there is sure to be a design to suit any kids’ taste. Kids will have so much fun making this throw themselves and showing the finished product to their friends!

Fleece throws come in dozens of colors and patterns that are great for snuggling on the couch on a cold winter’s night or for staying warm in the great outdoors.

For football fans, there is a great stadium blanket, available in ten colors to coordinate with your favorite team’s colors. If it looks like rain (or snow), you may want to go with a waterproof blanket – The Colorado Trading Waterproof blanket has a nylon backing on one side, plus it is available in both solid and plaid variations.

To view Shoppers Rule’s entire blanket and throw collection, please click here: Blankets .

Happy Shopping and stay warm this winter.

ShoppersRule.com

Making Travel a Little Easier

I don’t fly often. And when I do, it is usually a short trip, so one carry-on bag will do. Therefore, my recent two week vacation has opened my eyes – hence the creation of a “Luggage and Travel” category at Shoppers Rule. Here are a few of my air travel recommendations:

1. Get a luggage scale. My really big duffel bag crammed full of clothes and souvenirs was 3 pounds over weight.
2. A really large duffel bag is great to cram lots of stuff in.
3. Colorful luggage is much easier to spot at baggage claim
4. If you don’t have colorful luggage, at least have a colorful luggage tag.
5. Wheeled luggage is awesome.

Travel solutions and a variety of examples of this top five list can be found at: Luggage .

And of course, your sewing machine, embroidery machine, and/or serger definitely need to be protected and packed in a bag (preferably with wheels) designed especially for them. To view a selection of sewing/serger trolleys, please go to: Bluefig .

Happy travelling.

ShoppersRule.com

I’ve found that personalizing items with embroidery can be quite addicting. Clothing, curtains, tote bags, even my shower curtain – numerous solid colored canvasses simply must be embellished! But what is a person to do if the item can’t easily be embroidered? Like an insulated lunch bag or a backpack (you wouldn’t want to sew a pocket closed)?

The answer is to find another way to personalize: iron-on appliqués, crochet shapes, hot-fix crystals, fabric paint, pom-poms, and more.

The Embellishments
category at Shoppers Rule features a wide variety of ready-to-use items (like crystals) and tools/templates for making your own yo-yos, bows, and more.

Plus, we’ve just added a section dedicated solely to Iron-on appliques .  An advantage to iron-on appliques is the accessibility to a huge variety of designs, including Licensed characters – one of our suppliers has Disney!  Check out Winnie-the-Pooh, Mickey Mouse; and Pixar favorites such as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story” and Lightning McQueen and ‘Mater from “Cars”. 

I hope you’re inspired.  Create something extraordinary!

Happy Shopping.

ShoppersRule.com

Lovie blankets have always been a popular item at Shoppers Rule.  A cross between a stuffed animal and a security blanket, they make a great gift for the new baby in your family.  Plus, they are easy to personalize by embroidering baby’s name and birth date, an “I love you” message or favorite Bible verse.

From pink bears to blue bunnies, a cow and a pony, lambs and dogs, even frogs, Lovie has always provided a great variety of animals to coordinate with a nursery theme or a toddler’s preference.

So, we are very excited to announce that Lovie now has licensed characters.  Each of the characters are based on a popular children’s books and/or television series.  We are thrilled, and your favorite toddlers and pre-schoolers will be, too!   

Introducing:

• Paddington Bear
• Peter Rabbit
• Max & Ruby
• Olivia
• The Wiggles (Dorothy the Dinosaur & Wags the Dog)
• Yo Gabba Gabba (Muno, Foofa & Brobee)

Every Lovie is approximately 24” tall and 14” wide at the base.  They are machine washable, dryable, and approved for all ages.

To see the entire Lovie collection and/or to learn more about a specific character, please click here: Lovie.

Happy Shopping!

ShoppersRule.com

Junior fit is a term for feminine apparel that is generally slim fitting and designed to bridge the gap between youth sizes and misses’ sizes. 

This clothing comes predominately in “skinny” cuts that fit the body snugly.  There is less chest room in shirts and less hip room in pants, than in standard ladies/misses clothing, as it is intended for very slender women and/or teenagers whose bodies are still maturing.

Junior clothing is often trendy and form-fitting – the preference of many teenagers.  So, it is only fitting, that this slim-fit clothing have its’ own section on the Shoppers Rule website. 

To view our new “Juniors only” section, please click on: Juniors.

Happy Shopping!

ShoppersRule.com

Moisture management / wicking fabric

Wicking fabrics are fabrics that pull moisture away from the skin.  Regular fabrics, like a cotton t-shirt, soak up sweat and you end up with a heavy, soaking wet shirt that sticks to your skin.  Clothing made of wicking fabric has a special water-resistant coating with fibers that actually transfer the water to a drier part of the shirt without absorbing it.   Typically, this would be the outside of the shirt where the water will then evaporate.  Thus, the shirt stays drier.

Usually made of polyester, these fabrics are popular with many clothing manufactures and are marketed as “moisture managing”, “high performance”, “wicking”, “dry-fit” or other such terms. 

Of course, wicking fabric is great for professional and amateur athletes who want to stay cool and dry during a workout.  A drier fabric doesn’t stick to your perspiring skin and doesn’t impede your performance.  

Moisture managing clothing is also fantastic for anyone engaged in a job or activity requiring them to be in the hot sun or performing manual labor.  Wicking t-shirts are great for military personnel, construction workers, farmers, road crews, lawn care specialists and other physical occupations.  

Wicking fabrics aren’t just for hot weather settings, either.  Think about the benefits for a snow boarder or skier.  In below-freezing temperatures, wearing a wet undershirt can not only be uncomfortable, but also dangerous.   As a person’s activity level slows down,  damp skin can make someone very cold quickly.  This problem is largely avoidable by wearing an under-layer made from a wicking fabric to pull the sweat away from the body.

Likewise, anyone who’s ever woken up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat can easily see the advantage of wearing a wicking night gown or pajamas.

There are many kinds of garments made of moisture wicking fabrics – sport shirts, t-shirts, undershirts, sports bras, even running pants and shorts.  To view Shoppers Rule’s moisture management clothing selection, click on:  Performance Clothing.

Happy Shopping!

ShoppersRule.com

In recent years, there has been much concern expressed about our consumption of plastic bags.  One report claims that an average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.  Sound like a lot?  What is your loaf of bread in?  Open your cereal box – more plastic.  One place, where you have a choice is the check-out line. Perhaps you switched to paper.  It is easier to recycle and/or decomposes faster.  But paper bags actually require more material per bag in the manufacturing process than single-use plastic bags.  Plus, paper comes from trees – and lots of them!

So, what is a savvy consumer to do?  Bring your own re-useable totes, of course!   Choose from a multitude of options.  We have solid-colored grocery totes in a variety of colors, such as natural, black, lime, red, royal, even denim. 

Need to keep your groceries cool for the trip home? There is an insulated tote (#T1651) with top zip closure to keep your cold items chilled on a hot day. 

There are even eco-friendly totes made from organic and recycled materials - such as the Anvil 100 percent organic cotton boater tote (#431) and the recycled cotton tote (#A505).

In addition to shopping expeditions, a tote bag is great for a trip to the pool or beach.  There are totes with cats, dogs, “dots” or “floral” patterns  – so cute, you’ll want to take them everywhere.   

These pictures feature a sampling of options for your next shopping trip.  To view dozens of additional style and fabric color options, please click here:: Shoppping Totes.

Happy Shopping!

ShoppersRule.com

Remember how mom always said to wear a hat in the winter to keep your head warm?  Take her advise, but do it your way.

Hats come in every style and color of the rainbow, striped, plaid, camouflage, embellished, structured, unstructured, mesh, even organic. Caps for men, women and kids. From one supplier alone, Shoppers Rule gets over 100 styles of caps and hats. Consider that each style comes in multiple colors….. that’s a lot of headwear!

Of course, we have traditional solid color hats, caps, beanies, and visors.  But this article is about making a statement.  So, all items here have “attitude“.

A beanie will keep your head toasty, especially one with “flames“ on it.   No boring solid colors here – stripes and camouflage abound.

A bucket hat can be quite dapper. 

Caps are not just for baseball season and sunny weather.  They complete an outfit, make a statement, and can be just plain fun. 

Some caps are made with fun fabrics, like the Peter Grimm sister Cadet Cap #PGA2065, available in 12 plaid and/or striped fabrics.

Others have distinctive embellishments, like the Magic Fire caps, with “fire” on the brim, side, or even a checkerboard pattern.

Some target specific interests,  such as fishing, hunting, and wildlife. Even endangered animals have found their way onto our hats.

Want a camouflage cap?  Would that be green, tan, grey, black, blue, crimson, navy, orange, pink or red?  There’s traditional camouflage, mothwing camo, woodland scenes, even bright orange hunter’s caps.  How about woodland camo with an American flag accenting the bill?   

So whether you are looking for a practical gift and/or a unique conversation piece for someone else; a piece to complete a special outfit;  or you simply want to keep your head warm.…I’ve put together a page on Shoppers Rule with dozens of options.  Simply, click here.. Headwear with Attitude.

Happy Shopping and stay warm this winter.

ShoppersRule.com

Here’s a product you don’t want to miss: a first of its kind eco-sweatshirt made from a blend of recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton.  Anvil’s Earth-friendly fleece in three styles.  Nine colors.  One great way to stay warm…and green.

Soybu, eco-friendly fashions are also an exciting option.  Soybu uses innovative and sustainable fibers to make their hybrid fabrics.  This includes soy, using processed organic soybeans to make a soft fabric with a cashmere-like feel and bamboo, one of the most sustainable plants on earth.  They also incorporate organic cotton, recycled polyester, and other sustainable fibers.

To view the Eco-friendly Fleece collections of Anvil and Soybu, please click here: Eco Fleece.

Happy Shopping.

ShoppersRule.com