I love a non-cheesy personalized children’s tee as much as the next mom but this type of tee can be hard to find. Fortunately for you–and your little one–I discovered Hopscotch Tees on Cool Mom Picks and knew I had to feature them on Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish. With a tee that said “Pirate {enter your son’s name here}” how could I not?

Hopscotch Tees sent George their Roboman t-shirt and I should’ve paid to have them overnight it. Once George had picked out his tee he asked me “Is that my robot shirt?” every time I grabbed the mail. When it finally arrived that kid had the package open (with a little ribbon help from me) in no time. I wish I could’ve captured his expression when he pulled his “robot shirt” out of the package but these photos will have to do:

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Did you see the super cute lollipop? Yeah, I thought so. Yummy treat packaged with an equally yummy shirt. George couldn’t wait to wear his shirt but I made him save it until he could show it off at school, but the wait was well worth it (see photo at right). The shirt held up well at preschool and equally well after multiple washings. The shirt is super soft, which is perfect for a little boy who doesn’t deal well with shirts that might be even the least bit itchy. It’s definitely one of George’s favorite tees (and mine)!

Hopscotch Tees has styles for both girls and boys on its site, my favorite girl tee being Sugar Shop. And if (when) we order another one for George we’ll definitely add the Tackle Shop tee to his collection! –Emily

* Promotion! Hopscotch Tees is offering Daily Dish readers free gift wrap AND a crystal or long-sleeve upgrade on their orders! Simply mention Boutique Cafe when checking out. Roboman powers, activate!

Even at the age of thirty-something I find myself saying things like, “When I grow up I’ll travel all over the world,” or, “When I grow up I will drive something other than a ‘95 Odyssey.” I obviously have a lot of growing up to do if those are the grown-up things about which I’m most concerned. Don’t get me wrong–my parents taught me what’s important in life but somehow that gets lost somewhere in my grownup life. What I need is a little reminder, and thanks to When I Grow Up, I get one every time George wears his new Value Statement tee.

When I Grow Up offers a line of tees reminiscent of our childhood years when we found wonder in simple things like nature, make believe and laughter. With an emphasis on what’s most important no matter what stage of life you’re in, When I Grow Up’s Value Statement tees for children reinforce four strong core values using very simple phrases:

• “i will…plant a tree” (Earth)
• “i will…walk in someone else’s shoes” (Compassion)
• “i will…eat my vegetables” (Health)
• “i will…give” (Charity)

Who knew something so simple could be so powerful? The inspiration for the tees came from Randy Pausch’s Journeys lecture, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” Kat Henderson, the mom behind When I Grow Up:

In his lecture he talks about his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others and how we can do the same. Immediately, I thought how easy it is to go through everyday life without defining what matters most to us. Then, I thought of my son and my responsibility to be sure he grows up with strong core values.

It’s not surprising When I Grow Up is an environmentally friendly company. The clothing is certified 100% organic cotton and uses water-based inks, while all of the company’s paper products and shipping supplies use recyclable and recycled materials.

Though George enjoys wearing his Earth tee (I wanted to snap a photo but totally spaced it), I am probably the bigger fan. I love that it causes me to stop for a moment and think about the environment. I find myself more conscious about my recycling efforts that day and wondering if when I finally grow up I will be nicer to our earth than I am now. For George it’s all about literally planting a tree; for me it’s a reminder that I can make a difference…and should make a difference. Like it says on When I Grow Up’s site: “Wear it. Teach it. Live it.” George is going to wear it, I am going to teach it and we will both live it! –Emily

* Promotion!!! When I Grow Up is offering Daily Dish readers free shipping on their order. To receive the free shipping discount, email design name and size to info{at}whenigrowupiwill.com.