I first discovered Tees for Change in December of 2009. I wrote about them on isthisREALLYmylife.com simply because I love t-shirts and love t-shirts that support a cause even more.

When I was approached to “officially” review Tees for Change on Boutique Cafe, I jumped at the chance. I still love a comfy tee and love supporting a cause. A bit about Tees for Change:

Tees for Change is an inspirational apparel company dedicated to spreading positivity, making a difference and giving back. Our message is positive thinking and our medium is the t-shirt. Why a t-shirt? Because everyone can relate to a t-shirt and everyone has something to say!

Tees for Change’s mission is to “inspire you to express yourself and live life with passion, purpose and positivity.” The company believes “practicing mindfulness and loving kindness throughout daily life can enhance our whole being – body, mind and spirit.” Are you loving this company yet? You should!

Why can Tees for Change call their t-shirts sustainable? Because all tees are fair trade, made under sweatshop-free conditions and use 100% organic cotton or a blend of 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton. Plus the cotton is cultivated without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, while bamboo is fast-growing, needs no pesticides and is 100% biodegradable. That is a lot of coolness packed into one little t-shirt!

Tees for Change sent us their Embrace Change cap-sleeve tee in a yummy green. Unfortunately the medium ran a bit small for me, so I passed it to my oldest. And she wore it immediately. And it looked fabulous! The tee was super soft, and I mean SUPER soft, and Madison said it was really comfortable. Plus I love the positive message —a great reminder for all of us. (I didn’t snap a photo; lame, I know.) I did find the tee ran a bit short for my taste, and I think I’d prefer the short-sleeve style over the cap-sleeve, but it would make a fabulous go-to t-shirt no matter the style.

My other faves are their long-sleeve tees for winter with sayings like “today matters,” “choose happiness” and “seek balance” (a never-ending goal of mine!). Tees for Change also has a line of unisex tees, perfect as a meaningful gift this holiday season.

How meaningful? Along with giving the gift of inspiration, you’ll also give the gift of a tree. Tees for Change has partnered with Trees for the Future and will plant a tree for every tee purchased: “Trees for the Future plants trees in Asia, Latin America and Africa and our last tree planting helped plant over 5000 trees in Cameroon. We’ve planted over 10,000 trees since we started our company in Spring 2007.” Awesome.—Emily

***Giveaway! Tees for Change is giving away one tee, winner’s choice (a $42 value)!***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit TeesforChange.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite t-shirt.
•   “Like” Tees for Change on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•  Follow Tees for Change on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•  Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•  Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: November 25, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Valerie M., the winner of the Tees for Change giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

If you’re going to rescue an animal, you might as well do it in style—sporting a super nifty tee from iRescueRover. The company designs graphic tees for men, women and children along with a line of doggy tees, totes and even cute dog walking yoga pants. And it’s this awesome collection that helps save the lives of animals.

A little bit about iRescueRover:

We provide fabulous and hip graphic tees along with other selective, animal-themed items, while simultaneously generating support for needy animals. We value contributing to the world economy and we adore bringing people together to do good deeds in the world. ... We are dedicated to rescuing dogs and other animals; to loving and caring for them, to providing food, medical care and emergency assistance, to promoting spay and neuter for dogs and cats, to promoting adoption, and to educating people to help in these efforts.

Don’t you just love this company already? iRescueRover sent me a couple shirts for George and Livi to review. While both tees are super cute, I am in love with George’s red Chihuahua Fuerte tee. (We looked up “fuerte”—it means “strong.”)

Of course, Olivia’s Lace Wing Dainty tee was super cute too. I did have to play up the critter a bit; she wasn’t sold on the non-dragonfly (or non-butterfly) creature. But she did look pretty dainty wearing it!

I can speak from personal experience when I say George’s Fuerte tee is a high-quality, super soft tee. He’s worn it a TON and I’ve washed it a TON. That shirt is still as good as new, if not softer than new. It’s holding up extremely well considering what a five-year-old can do to a shirt.

Though $32 might be more than you’d typically pay for a children’s tee, keep in mind your purchase is actually helping save the lives of animals. And that tee is going to last through more than one child, even if he is a boy! I may not stock up on iRescueRover tees, but I would definitely consider buying one for each of my kids and even for myself. I love supporting a worthy cause!

With the holidays around a very close corner, why not put a Fuerte tee for your little guy—or your little dog—under the tree? Or heck, a Tattoo Cat tee for yourself!—Emily

I adore children’s tees with a sense of humor—and I’m not talking about your typical run-of-the-mill, cutesy tees you find at big box retailers. I prefer a unique, tongue-in-cheek, the “where did you get that shirt!” kind of tee, and that’s what Kitsel offers with its new Wacky Package collection.

A little about the Wacky Package collection:

Wacky Packages, a series of collectible stickers featuring parodies of consumer products and well-known brands and packaging, were first produced by the Topps Company in 1967 and were a collecting phenomenon in the 1970s.

When it comes to children’s apparel, retro—if done well—is one of my favorite styles. Kitsel sent my little George the Gatoraid short-sleeve tee. Unfortunately my little guy is a bit on the scrawny side; sadly, the tee was too big for him so I don’t have any cute pics of him sportin’ that fab Gatoraid tee.

Let me tell you, it makes me really sad because that Wacky Package tee is awesome and I want him to wear it now! Not only is it super soft but its unique design, vintage look and humor make it one of the coolest tees George owns. I’m tempted to wash it in super hot water and dry it on the regular setting to see if it shrinks, but since 10 Again’s t-shirts are vintage washed I doubt it will do much good. DANG!

My other favorites in the collection are the Triks and Slacker Jack tees. Of course with the older kids I’m sure the faves would be the Kentucky Fried Fingers and Burpsi Cola tees. Along with the Wacky Package tees, Kitsel has a fabulous collection of children’s apparel, accessories and baby gear. I’ve done a bit of browsing and I love some of their infant onesies…almost enough to have another baby…almost.—Emily

* Promotion! Kitsel is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off their purchase. Simply use code “boutique” when checking out. This offer is good on all orders over $25 but cannot be used on furniture, jewelry or Petunia Picklebottom items and cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires April 23, 2010.

If I were a pet person I’d own a dog. We actually tried the puppy thing once but it only lasted about three months. (The first trimester of a pregnancy trumps puppy ownership. Sorry, Jack.) Though we don’t have any four-footed animals pattering around our home, I’m a sucker for those “free puppy” signs and have to steer clear or quickly get sucked in. Puppies are just so dang cute…just like the clothing line from Lucky Puppy.

Lucky Puppy is an “innovative lifestyle brand with a focus on children’s fashion” designed for dog lovers and enthusiasts. But the company isn’t just about cute clothing:

While Lucky Puppy is cute and adorable, the real heart of the brand is what makes it irresistible. Created with the idea of giving back, each online purchase of Lucky Puppy helps to rescue a homeless dog. Lucky Puppy is dedicated to matching strays with loving families and they succeed by partnering with various animal foundations on a local and national level.

Currently Lucky Puppy is donating 15% of the company’s online sales to Paws and Learn Humane Education Center. Super cute clothing that also supports a cause? Pretty “dog” gone terrific!

Lucky Puppy sent George their blue burnout tee with crest design and Livi their aqua heart paw tank dress. As you know I love to snap photos of the kids as they “review” products for the Daily Dish, but since we don’t live in Phoenix, it was a little chilly for Livi to try out the tank dress. And due to a laundry situation here at home (i.e., my avoidance of said laundry), I didn’t have a layering tee for George to throw on with his Lucky Puppy tee.

I will say, the tank is super cute and will be great for summer, especially as a fun swimsuit cover-up to and from the pool. And the burnout tee is seriously so dang cute! Even though it’s blue I’m looking forward to handing it down to Livi after George is done sporting it around town.

Lucky Puppy also offers hoodies, hats, onesies and a line for puppy-lovin’ adults. They even have a “Darling Doggie Contest” happening right now. Submit your photo of your super cute puppy or vote on your favorite canine.

Lucky Puppy clothing is about as hard to resist as those heart-stopping puppy dog eyes!—Emily

* Promotion! Lucky Puppy is offering Daily Dish readers 10% off their purchase! Simply enter code bcafe10 when checking out. Offer expires March 20, 2010; don’t wait! *

I don’t know about you but the whole multiple layers thing gets old. I still throw on a cami when a shirt’s length is too short, but usually when I wear a cap-sleeve tee under something it’s for the neckline and sleeves, not the midsection or length. And under some dresses a full-length cap-sleeve or cami gets all bunchy and bulky around my waist after only a short time. That’s where Halftees come in: cap-sleeve and long-sleeve layering tees that end at the bodice. They are basically “half the shirt” but with “all the style.”

Halftees sent me their cap-sleeve tee in black to review for our readers. Unfortunately the size I chose was a bit too small to wear comfortably so I passed it to my oldest daughter. She wore it under a cute v-neck babydoll style shirt the very next day. It looked great and she didn’t have to worry about the tee riding up in back. (That’s one thing that drives me crazy about multiple layers—the constant pulling down in back.)

For those of you who are expecting, Halftees are a wonderful option for layering. Clothing can get bulky enough when you’re pregnant, and adding a second layer bumps up your already warmer body temperature. With a design made to end just below the bodice, Halftees are the perfect option for expecting moms.

I did notice the band around the bottom of the tee is a bit wide, which means it’s more likely to be visible when layered under tighter fitting clothing. When my daughter wore it under her babydoll tee, I didn’t notice it but it was also a thicker fabric and the band of the babydoll tee coincided with the band of the Halftee. I will have to wait and see how it looks under a simple, thinner t-shirt. I do love that Halftees offers a long-sleeve option, which is great way to transition your tees from summer into fall.

You can buy Halftees online or visit their kiosk outside Victoria’s Secret in University Mall (Orem, UT).

*** Giveaway Halftees is giving away one of their layering tees, winner’s choice!***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit Hafltees.com and leave a comment telling us which style/color you’d choose.
•  Become a fan of Halftees on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•  Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•  Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: March 9, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Julie L., the winner of the Halftee giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Tees are the basics every gal needs.

Plain tees are nice but it’s always fun to spice up an outfit with a vibrant color or a cute content tee. Don’t get me wrong though… I’m not about to advertise myself with a shirt that yells out a brand on the chest or silly and ridiculous statements across the front.

That is why I like retroink tees. Their classy vintage content combines any look into a stylish statement. My fitted elephant tee is not only a hit in the classroom full of 1st graders but adults in the college classroom find my shirt very “cool!”

The cotton isn’t anything amazingly soft, but, with enough washes the shirt has become more worn in and more comfortable and seems to fit me better.

The tees are an affordable way to supplement your wardrobe with just a few pieces that could add variety and style to your closet.

Tees are available at retroink.com
-amber

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.

Not sure what or who Primo is? Let me fill you in: Primo is a kid with “an extraordinary spirit, a huge heart, and a zeal for life. ... He’s wild, he’s fun, he’s spontaneous, he’s daring and he’s a real go-getter. ... He may struggle, battle self-doubt, and nay sayers but he will persevere and defeat. If he believes it, he will achieve it.” So I ask you again, have you found your inner Primo?

If you answered yes then count yourself among the few. For most of us we are constantly looking for that inner Primo, and even when we find it’s a daily struggle to hold on to her. Our lives are full of nay-sayers and self-doubt, so what’s a girl or guy or kid to do? How about sporting a positive message so you and others can remember how to believe in themselves.

Primo Activewear is all about spreading the positive message of hard work, perseverance and self-confidence through their line of tees for men, women and children. From their “Persevere-Believe-Win” tee to their “Find Your Primo” tee, the company celebrates trying your hardest, doing your best and most importantly, believe in yourself.

Primo Activewear sent George and I coordinating “Persevere-Believe-Win” tees, mine in pink (a very happy, confidence-boosting color) and George’s in black (a very cool, sophisticated toddler color). Though George will need to grow into his tee (just in time for kindergarten when a kid can use a good confidence boost!), I have worn mine often and for two reasons: one, it’s extremely soft and extremely comfy; two, somehow the “believe” part of the tee works its magical powers and I find myself a bit more positive about life…even when it comes to moving from one home to the other. I wore that tee a few times during our move and week of furious unpacking and I tell you what, I persevered, worked hard and definitely found my inner Primo. The house was pretty much unpacked and we were settled in within about two weeks!

These days we could all use a little inspiration and Primo Activewear is one way to be inspired while inspiring others. Use them for team shirts, a winner’s tee (“First 1 Up Wins” is a perfect one for that!) or as the perfect tee for helping your little guy or gal find his or her inner Primo. At the age of three George finds his more often than not, but who knows that 4 and 5 will bring. I’m glad we have a Primo tee just in case he needs a little confidence!—Emily

*** Giveaway Primo Activewear is giving away one t-shirt, winner’s choice! Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•Visit PrimoActivewear.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite product.
•Become a fan of Primo Activewear on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you’re their newest fan.
•Follow Primo Activewear (@Primolady) on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: September 24, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

* Promotion! Primo Activewear is offering Daily Dish readers 20% off their order! Simply enter code BOUTIQUE17 when checking out. Now go and find your inner Primo!

• Congratulations to Dee, the winner of the Primo Activewear giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

...or was so good for the environment! Rebel Green is a company all about eco-conscious fashion that is “chic, edgy, rebellious and eco-friendly” and their products are not only made in the USA but also “specifically designed to minimize waste and motivate a fundamental shift in thinking about our impact on the planet we share.” I love that last part—there’s a power behind the words “motivate a fundamental shift in thinking” and if any company can do it, and fashionably to boot, it’s Rebel Green.

Rebel Green’s product line includes apparel for men, women and children, reusable shopping and produce bags, reusable lunch bags, zipper totes and even a fruit and veggie wash. They offer a variety of designs that make becoming a “green” rebel a heck of a lot of fun! The company sent us a sampling of their tees and though the ones for George and Livi were a bit too big for them to wear, my girls and I have totally loved ours! I feel super cool going for runs while sporting my Peace Girl tank and Lauren’s Bubble Girl short-sleeve tee is now her favorite shirt. Even at her age I have to remind her to wash it once in a while—she wears it as often as she can!

For some of you school has already started and your school shopping is done, but is it ever really done? Did you check off “eco-friendly lunch bag” off the list? Waste-free lunch kits are the newest, greenest trend for school. It’s all about learning your letters and everyone should know about the three “R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle). Rebel Green has taken the boring organic cotton lunch bag and made it super cool with designs that appeal to both kids and adults.

Did you know the average school age child generates more than 70 pounds of trash a year when he packs a disposable lunch? Each Rebel Green reusable lunch bag comes with a reusable, organic cotton napkin with a coordinating design that can be tucked into the bag’s outer pocket and the bag rolls up easily to fit in your child’s backpack when he’s done with lunch. And get this: all the designs are numbered so if you have a child who’s as into collecting as my daughter, you’ve just taken the cool factor up a notch! Throw in a couple Rebel Green organic cotton, small produce bags and you now have sustainable sandwich and snack bags.

Style has power and our goal is to get people to become fashionably eco-conscious. ... Let’s start with the simple reusable shopping bag. We are not convinced the whole world wants cutsie bags with polka dots, hempy looking sacks with preachy green slogans, or worse, the dreaded polypropylene bag shouting ‘Buy Local’ though the inner tag says it’s made across the ocean. We wouldn’t carry any of those and we think we’re not alone. ~Ali Ruvin and Melina Marcus, Co-creators of Rebel Green

No, Rebel Green, you’re not alone. I believe there’s an eco-conscious rebel inside each of us and now we have a perfectly edgy, hip, cool way to let our greener side show. Being a rebel truly never looked so good!—Emily

** Giveaway! Rebel Green is giving away one lunch tote and one tee, winner’s choice! Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit RebelGreen.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite product.


• Join the I Love Rebel Green group on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.


• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.


• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 28, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Kristen C., the winner of the Rebel Green giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

Before all you non-golfers out there see the headline and pass up this review because you don’t golf-STOP! This attire is not just for those that swing the irons.

Shi-golf is INSPIRED by golf to create a preppy apparel for all, but, the quality and classy threads can be worn on or off the greens.

Urban leisure at its best really. The sweaters are soft and form perfectly to your body. Sometimes with sweaters they are too bulky with wide lines, but, this collection has shapely cuts that have a great fit. They aren’t snug, yet, they shape you. Perhaps it is the tailored lines and amazing fabric that make the sweaters fit so well.

I like the vest sweater the best. It goes perfectly with t-shirts or button down shirts. The color is a beautiful muted color that can go with just about anything. It is a bit longer which makes it nice for comfort and style. It is nice knowing I won’t have to pull down my shirt to cover that 1 inch gap I always seem to have between shirt and pants. It gives me great comfort knowing I won’t have to tug it down all day. This vest sweater is great for casual or dress up—depending on what you wear underneath the vest.

The other sweater I tried was the 3/4 sleeve length black and white sweater with white piping down the side. This sweater can take you into all seasons with its basic black & white color and comfortable fabric. The dropped scoop neckline and 3/4 sleeve make it a very universal sweater. You can wear it alone during the warmer months, and then when the colder months hit just layer it up!

Both sweaters were easy to wash and kept their tailored lines wash after wash. Sometimes things stretch and don’t fit quite the same after you wash it, but, not here. Looks like the sweater was tailored just for my body. I was curious about the fit on someone else, so I had my sister try it on and though our bodies are different-it looked great on her too…looked like she had her own tailored made sweater as well. You too can have your own tailored fit sweater, just go to Shi-golf.com.

Now I think I’ll be taking up golf seriously, because now I look the part…and isn’t looking great on the greens half the fun?!-Amber

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