HUGE Holiday Review and Giveaway: Bei Bambini CLOSED

I love being a boy mommy. Even though I'm a girly girl at heart, there's something endearing about dump trucks, monsters, dirt and puppies. But the one main struggle I have is finding little boys' clothes that I like. It seems like little girls have entire boutiques devoted to them while boys have just a few racks of tee shirts, track pants, jeans, khakis and hoodies. It can be downright frustrating, especially around the holidays when it's family-Christmas-card-photo time.

I first came across Bei Bambini a few months ago on a fellow blog that was giving away a gift certificate. I perused the site and fell in love with some of their summer polos and rompers. I didn't win the giveaway *tear* but I jotted down a few items for Nate's my holiday wish list. Imagine my delight when I was invited to review and host a giveaway on their behalf!

Bei Bambini, Italian for "Beautiful Children", is an exclusive Jeanine Johnsen Children's Clothing online retailer. Founded in 1999, Jeanine Johnsen children's clothing is a complete line of year round outfits for your little ones. Ranging from newborn to tween, the collections are made from the finest Egyptian cottons, Liberty of London prints and soft, high quality corduroy. To keep the lines fresh, Jeanine continues to spend much time at the European fabric shows and tracking the trends of retailers throughout Italy, France and England. From classically hand embroidered and smocked to vivid, funky patterns, you are sure to find something wonderful for any beautiful child. We aspire to share this high quality collection to shoppers around the world. Jeanine Johnsen products are gorgeous, comfortable, fashionable styles adored by children everywhere. We stand by and guarantee the quality of all products sold on Bei Bambini Online.

For my review, I was sent the Benjamin Button Down Shirt and Chris Embroidered Top/Pants Set.

The Benjamin Button Down shirt is preppy, versatile and best of all - it's seasonless. It can be worn as a traditional long-sleeve button down in the fall or you can roll up the sleeves and button for a shorter sleeve in the spring. The fabric is thin enough that you can wear it alone or layer it with a vest or sweater in colder weather. The Liberty Race Cars pattern we received was fun and really captured the spirit of my always-moving, busy-body munchkin. It was a grown-up shirt with a kiddie feel. You can dress it up with some khakis or corduroys, as we did, or you can dress it down with some jeans.



The Chris Embroidered Top and Pants Set is absolutely adorable. I loved that we received the Navy/Blue Crab pattern since we are Marylanders - so fitting! The embroidery was beautifully done and added a touch of whimsy to an otherwise elegant set. It has the comfy look and feel of pajamas, although it is not intended for sleepwear. It will be great for those lazy mornings when I drink my coffee and fix breakfast as he watches Saturday morning cartoons. All I need to find are some little slippers for him and he can be completely dapper :)



In our experience, both pieces fit true to size, which was a relief. I ordered a size larger (2T) since Nate currently fits well in size 18 months and I was afraid that, as with most original boutique clothes, they would be cut a tad small. However, happily, that was not the case here! The Benjamin shirt was a little big but we could get away with wearing it now. He swam a bit in the Chris pants-set but it should fit him perfectly next year.

The clothes from Bei Bambini may be a bit of a splurge compared to my usual budget-friendly spends at Target or Carter's. But considering the picture-perfect style, high quality and year-round versatility, I think they are well worth the cost. Bei Bambini almost always has a sale going on so you can score some great deals. For example, the fall collection is now 40% off so you can get this sweet Kayla corduroy dress for the special little girl in your life for $30 or this long-sleeved Peter polo for a lucky little guy for $22.

Bottom line: I would highly recommend checking out Bei Bambini if you want to dress your child in a classic, fine yet functional style. The clothes are well-constructed and are perfect for the holidays - or everyday.

BUY IT: You can find the Benjamin shirt (ARV $21.60) and Chris Embroidered Set (ARV $40.80), as well as other Jeanine Johnsen designs, exclusively online at www.beibambinionline.com.

WIN IT: We're starting December with a bang! I've been hinting around at a HUGE giveaway and it's finally here. Are you ready? You may want to sit down for this one...

One lucky winner is going to win the gift bag of a lifetime for a lucky little boy (sorry, baby girls, you'll have to sit this one out this time) - worth over $600!!!! Here is what is included in this fantastic lot:





Boy 6-12m Winter

5 Overalls:
Navy Cord/Embroidered Red Lobster $58
Cocoa Velvet/Ice Blue Cotton Lining $58
Burnt Orange Cord/ Embroidered Mallard $58
Navy Cord / Embroidered Light Blue Elephants $58
Red Cord / Embroidered Snowman $58

2 Cargo Pants:
Navy Cord/ Embroidered Blue Whale $44
Khaki Cord / Embroidered horse $44

7 Shirts:
White Turtleneck/ Embroidered Red Lobster $28
White Turtleneck/ Embroidered Horse $28

(2) Ice Blue Buttondown Shirts $30 each = $60

Ice Blue/Embroidered mallard Buttondown $36
Ice Blue/Embroidered Navy Whale Buttondown $36
White/Embroidered Blue Elephant $36

Total Retail Value: $602

I can't think of a better holiday gift for a little man or soon-to-be boy mama! I know you want to win this so here's what you gotta do.

MAIN COURSE (MANDATORY ENTRY): Visit Bei Bambini and tell me your favorite outfit - for boy or girl. It's that easy! Remember to please leave your email address in your comment if it isn't visible on your profile or if you are not a blogger!

SUGAR ON TOP (BONUS ENTRIES): To maximize your chances of winning, you may do any or all of the following. Be sure to complete the above mandatory entry or your bonus entries will not count!

1.) Follow my blog or subscribe via reader or email. Comment telling me which method you chose. If you already follow or subscribe, that counts! (1 entry)

2.) Follow me and Bei Bambini on Twitter and tweet about this contest. You can do this daily! Just leave me a comment with your tweet link. (1 entry per day max)

3.) Add my blog button and/or my holiday button to your site and leave a comment with the link to where I can find it. (1 entry for each)

4.) Sign up for the Bei Bambini mailing list (see bottom of homepage) and comment with the email you used. (1 entry)

5.) Enter any of my other current giveaways and leave a comment telling me which one(s) you entered. (1 entry each)

Giveaway will end on December 15, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. Open to U.S. only. Winners will be chosen via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to congratulatory email or prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: As noted above, I received the Benjamin Button Down Shirt and Chris Embroidered Set from Laura at Bei Bambini to facilitate my candid review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The opinions expressed in this review are purely my own. Your experience may differ.