Birthday gift ideas for kids

So, if you are a fellow mom, you will completely empathize with me here...my children have entered the age of never-ending birthday parties! Don't get me wrong, this means loads of fun for my kiddos and a nice opportunity to meet new parents, but it also means a never-ending to-do list of birthday gift buying.

So you would think as the CEO of a children's apparel company, we would just gift our own stuff, but the reality is that most 7 year old girls and 4 year old boys don't get all that psyched when they open their new pair of shorts (or other everyday apparel). I also feel a little self-promoting at times giving out RB goodies. So, I have found a happy blend of the RuffleButts & RuggedButts stuff that always scores major points for my kiddos, along with a few go-to add-ons that fit the bill. I know how tough it is for me to get creative, so I thought I would share my top 5 go-to's here:

Cute and easy birthday gifts for girls:

1. RuffleButts Rash Guards ($26.50-$29.50) are always a huge hit. Want bonus points? Add their monogram. I don't know about you, but monograms are SUPER popular with my daughter's friends at the moment. We offer our swimsuits as small as size 3-6m and go all the way up to size 8. Want to go for the stand-out gift that everyone is talking about? Find a simple beach tote at Amazon, throw in the monogrammed rash guard, add a monogrammed beach towel and a pair of RuffleButts sunglasses ($14.50). While perfect year-round, it's extra perfect for a summer pool-themed birthday party! 
2. For our younger friends, girls ages 2 to 5, we often opt for a RuffleButts Petti Dress. Those were prime dress-up years and their little faces light up at the sight of these massively fluffy and feminine creations! I typically receive cell phone photos within a week of the party with the little lady twirling in her present and the text "she won't take it off!" Of course Aubrey always loves when her friends tell her that she brought their favorite present. I don't know where she gets that competitive side...wink, wink. 
3. This one can be in addition to #2 above, or a part of a collection of gifts. For Aubrey's 6th birthday, we invited their 18" friends to the party as well, and provided each of them a miniature version of the petti dress (above) to take home as a party favor. This was a BIG hit with the girls! If looking for a simple gift, you could pair the RuffleButts doll dress with some Our Generation accessories from Target, all for under $25-30. If you are looking for a more extravagant gift, put them inside this Wooden Wardrobe and cover your ears for the girly scream! 
4. When it comes to 1st birthdays, these are the easy ones. From what I have found, kiddos usually have more than enough toys at this age, so some over-the-top clothes usually work perfectly. Our go-to is this First Birthday Tutu Set ($39.50) and we usually add her name to make it extra special. 
5. For the Southern Girls (we live in Texas now, but it was always a hit in North Carolina too!), seersucker is almost always a winner. For little ones turning age 1 or 2, we usually opt for a monogrammed Seersucker Swing Top ($34 with the monogram) and the matching RuffleButt ($19). For the older girls, we have TONS of new seersucker styles coming in the Spring 2016 Collection! 

Popular and easy birthday gifts for boys:

1. My go-to for pretty much every age is our Rugged Butts Birthday Number Tee. Funny enough, most little guys get pretty psyched to wear their new age plastered on a new tee! Sometimes I'll pair the tee with our Rocker Gray Wash Jeans to make a great outfit, other times I pair it with a sweet lego set. Really depends on the child here. 
2. Legos, legos, legos. I don't know about you, but my little guy is pretty much obsessed with legos and has been for a few years now. This is my easy go-to on Amazon Prime for any upcoming birthday bash. 
3. For 1st birthdays, I am usually thinking more about the parents than I am the kids, let's be honest. So, for the football fans, I usually go this route with themed apparel. From Rugged Butts, I know it will come all wrapped up and ready for me to throw in a birthday gift bag, which works extra well for moms with no time...well, that's all moms really! 
4. One of the best birthday gifts we gave was put together in a mad rush, but the mom raved and raved about how much she loved it. I combined one of our Rugged Butt fedoras with a coordinating bow tie, short sleeve dress shirt and chino shorts. If you are looking to keep it under $30, a fedora and coordinating bow tie works great! 
5. In more of the $50 range (which is more than we spend on just a regular classmate friend), the VTech Kidizoom Action Cam has been a huge hit. Jonas received this as a gift at Christmas and has really enjoyed it. A little pricey for a kiddie toy, but certainly less than a real Go Pro! 

Two years, really??

When I glanced at the blog and realized that nearly 2 years had passed since my last post, I was half embarrassed and half reflective on how fast life truly flies by. Am I the only one that had at least two dozen moms and grandmoms approach me when I was preggers with the "flies by" advice? They all told me how fast it will fly by and to make sure to take it all in. Last week, I opened my mouth and realized that with complete unintention, those words were pouring out at the sweet pregnant lady I had just met. It was a moment that made me feel older, but also a bit wiser.

Seeing that January 2014 date as the last published post was a moment that stung slightly, as I realized how thin I have been spread over recent years, but also a moment of triumph as a mom, wife and entrepreneur that I have survived and thrived. I am filled with such gratitude that my life is so full, but like many other women, it is a rare minute that I don't feel like I am dropping one ball or the other. Writing has always been something enjoyable to me, a way of paying it forward of sorts, sharing my experience, and selfishly a way to chronicle my journey. Unfortunately writing is one of the things that was sacrificed over the past 2 years as it easily fell below the priority of time with kiddos and time at RuffleButts. It is today that I make the conscious effort to move it back up a few notches on the list.

Oh where to begin? How about a plan? So, it is my plan, going forward from today, to share all parts of me. Or at least all parts that I think you may find of any benefit or interest. I will share 1 piece business journey, 1 piece beneficial business tools, 1 piece motherhood and 1 piece life lessons to pay forward. This has been the blog past in general, but I will do my best to share on a regular basis go-forward. If you have any other questions or requested information, please feel free to post questions and comments here and I will do my best to respond. As always, I am truly grateful for your interest and support along the way! 

~Amber

Shark Tank is so much more than what you see on TV

I mean this statement in more ways than one, but the one that I want to share today is the most important. I realized after our show aired on TV that we all tune in every week to see both the business side and the personal side - the people. This is obvious, right? It is a show about people AND their businesses after all. But is it really? After watching I quickly realized that in reality, it is just another reality TV show. There is A LOT that you don't see. The key,  and where the reality comes in, is actually much more important than I ever realized. The part that is realer than real is the support and enthusiasm from people EVERYWHERE. We were truly blown away by the tweets, emails, facebook posts and good old fashion phone calls! We were flooded with kind words from current customers, new customers, strangers, stores, moms, grandmas, dads, fellow entrepreneurs, family members, friends, even old college roommates. It was truly a once in a lifetime kind of moment.

It's 9:10ish on the east coast. The episode is airing, I'm really not even watching (oddly enough I still have not gone back to watch it), as I'm trying to manage the flood of tweets and customers on the website. Analytics just keeps going up, and up, and up...then down. Yep, the worse-case scenario, the website crashed. My worst fear...and I'm pretty sure my phone call to our web team was their worst fear. In moments like this, you have a decision to make. I was determined to do everything in my control to manage the situation, do everything in my power to fix it, and understand that when you can't fix something, you do the very best to make the most of it. I was stressed to the max, to say the least, but amid the stress, my phone continued to pop up message after message of support and congratulations.

I knew there would be some out there with something negative to say...this is "reality" TV after all, but I was amazed by the love that completely overshadowed the few out there ready to criticize. I will be forever grateful that Mark and I were given the opportunity to share our business (and our babies) on national TV in front of 6.5 Million people Friday night! I am literally (and a bit embarrassingly) in tears typing this last paragraph. There are truly not words to describe our gratitude. I am just an average girl who grew up in KY. I had a dream and worked really hard to make it come true, like so many others. I'm still in shock that I had the opportunity to share that dream with so many of you.

What happens now? So, this is the question posed by many. My answer - the same thing that was happening the day before we were on national TV. We have been super fortunate to work with some AWESOME stores before Shark Tank and we will continue to add to the list after. We have been blessed with THE most awesome, supportive, enthusiastic customers (moms, grandmas, aunts, and dads too) from the day I launched this business in 2007. We are still the same people, running the same business, with the same principles, and same customer service. We just have more people to share it all with - what more could I ask for?!

Below is just a small sampling of the super sweet comments that we received. The very first tee that I ever designed for RuffleButts says 'So Blessed' on the front. It is still our best selling shirt today, and I must say that this experience just reconfirms it!

Aurora Maria Garza You guys did great !!!!!! Awesome product ; ))

Amy Price Smith I'm excited for you! My daughter has had her rear covered in RB's for her entire life!!!! Here's to proving quality ruffles only come from one place! RUFFLE BUTTS OR DIE! 

CaSandra Packard I'm a retailer for the both lines and was a customer buying online before I started a store last year. It is one of my favorite brands and one of the first I got in the store, love the products, love the quality, the price, and you have the best customer service of any brand we carry by far! Congratulations and best wishes for continued success! Dolce Vita Children's Boutique

Kelly Simmons Sherman So excited for you guys. You did wonderful. I am so proud to be a long time Rufflebutts customer. Congrats 

Cara Jean Eckerman Yay RuffleButts!!! Been buying and giving your products away since the very beginning .. Love your story and admire your entrepreneurial spirit!! Good for y'all

Heather Bowman Just saw you on shark tank! Congratulations. You were well spoken, smart, and beautiful. So happy for you guys!

KristeenLynnae @RuffleButts @LoriGreiner @ABCSharkTank I love your products! I've been a fan for my 2 yr old and 6 mos old. Loved seeing you on the show.

ZellaRoseBoutiq @ZellaRoseBoutiq loves @RuffleButts Congrats-what a great company! #sharktank

RuffleButts on Shark Tank?!?

I truly don't have the right words to open this blog post...holy moly, seriously?, OMG! I have watched Shark Tank from the very first season. I can pretty much remember every single entrepreneur that I witnessed pitching and ultimately defending their baby, their dream. Some more successful at it than others, but all laying it all on the line. Entrepreneurship is pretty much an all or nothing thing. Some people get that and some people don't, but to take something you've created and put it out there for the world to see has always seemed a nearly-impossible task to me. I cannot tell you the number of times that Mark and I have sat on the couch when the show goes to commercial and I am yelling aloud, "I could NEVER do that!". I know and love my business, but I am not that great at speaking publicly. I don't have an ivy-league education, prefer to be in my office over in front of a crowd and am certainly not clever, so I just knew I would get up there and not know what to say. Well....crazy enough, a single phone call from a Shark Tank producer changed my mind pretty quickly! 

It all happened so fast! One minute we were on the phone, the next preparing our 'pitch' video and just a few short weeks later, on a plane to LA, both kids in tow. Holy _____! What were we doing, it was all just going so fast! What was our company worth?? Well, isn't that a great question, because a 'thing' only has value when you are trying to sell it, and I wasn't! At the same time, our company has been growing quickly for years now. RuffleButts, Inc landed on the Inc 500 list last year and added Neiman Marcus, buybuyBaby, and one other mass retailer to our customer list just this year. With growth like that, cash is king, and Shark Tank could be an awesome place to get it. More importantly, it would be an awesome place to score a high-profile and super experienced investor. Oh how awesome it would be to call up someone like Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, or Daymond John when I need advice on a distributor, new back office computer system, or even to knock on the door of a big box retailer for us! Seriously, does that really happen to people?

Long story short, our trip to LA lasted about a week. Our little 2 year old Jonas spent half a day in Disney Land first aid station and then ended up in urgent care the day before filming. Aubrey was a trooper and definitely helped to keep our mind too fixated on what was happening around us. Mark and I grilled each other with every question we could think of, practicing how we would defend this business that is like a 3rd child to us (born before both of our children). How to keep your emotions in check? What if they didn't like it? What if they thought RuffleButts & RuggedButts were stupid names? What if they picked it apart and made people question our business on national TV? We decided that we believe 100% in what we are doing and it was worth the chance. What an incredible opportunity, and we MUST take it! So there we were, the doors opened and we found ourselves walking down the aquarium filled hallway we've seen a million times on TV and we came face to face with the Sharks. We were honest, genuine and shared our business and dreams that we love so much and have poured so much into. It was only after answering what felt like a barrage of questions that they finally said...

What, did you think I was going to give it all away?? You'll have to watch RuffleButts ABC this Friday, October 18th! I can't give it away, but I will tell you that it is one experience that my family will NEVER forget.

Guest Blogger...My Know It All Aunt Susan

In an attempt to keep this blog freshly updated, we had the whole RB team write a few blog entries.  This is from our Director of ECommerce RJ.

My Aunt Susan is a wealth of knowledge. Need a shortcut to the airport to avoid that messy construction site? Seeking an ingredient substitute? Should you see this movie or that one? No matter the question, she can help. Over the years, she’s kindly introduced me to new products, dishes, restaurants and books among other things. So to Aunt Susan, and all you other everyday experts out there, learning about the newest product lines at RuffleButts & RuggedButts may be right up your alley.

Our design team works hard to bring great-looking and comfortable clothing to our sites that meet our shoppers’ needs. Add them to your shopping bag, and then help other shoppers (and us) by passing on the word of our super cute baby clothing to your friends.

Denim Weekend Shorts $19.50 Certain to be her favorite shorts of the season, these denim darlings are ruffled and cool. Pink Ruffled Mary Janes $24.50 Soft and sweet, these little ruffled shoes are perfect to pair with many RuffleButt outfits. Striped Button Down $26.50 Classic and cool, this red and white striped shirt will have your little man strutting around! Blue Star Diaper Bloomer $17.00 Cool, comfy and cotton…yep, he needs'em! Your lil man will be a star in this patriotic blue diaper cover.

Now that you’re in the know, which of these new products have a spot in your cart? Let us know in the comments below.




~Guest Author, and RuffleButts Employee: RJ

Guest Blogger Wednesday...A Chaotic, Fun, & Rewarding Weekend.

I’m happy to have some of our RuffleButts family members now contributing here at the RuffleBlog. It’s fun to finally have you meet the people that are so very important to me personally, and honestly it’s fun to hear a little from their perspective about this crazy RuffleAdventure! The post below was written by Laura (the same gal that packs your orders with extra care and love) following our Spring photo shoot in Myrtle Beach. It was a whirlwind of a weekend and what Laura politely left out is that she endured not only the wild shoot itself, she also endured 8 hours in the car with me, Mark, Aubrey, and Jonas. Let’s just say, she definitely deserved a raise after that weekend! ~Amber

 Semi recently, I had the honor of joining the RuffleButts entourage on a little trip to Myrtle Beach. Why might you ask? Oh you know, only to help with the photo shoot to launch our 2012 Spring Line!!! It was a very chaotic, fun filled, and rewarding weekend.

First of all, I would like to say that I have no idea how we accomplished SO much in such little time. We had Friday evening through Sunday morning to shoot all the new products (boys and girls), and that time can almost be cut in half due to some less than perfect weather. We kept our fingers crossed for sunny skies and luckily enough had quite a few, good windows of opportunity for some awesome pictures! The cute little models, and their parents too, were very patient and such good sports. When the sun came out and it was time to go, they were ready! The toddlers were excited to try on new outfits and be the center of attention, and the tiny babies did a perfect job of looking absolutely adorable. If you ask me, the parents were equally as thrilled just to see their little ones having fun! All in all, it was definitely an action-packed and successful weekend. We returned to RB Headquarters on Sunday afternoon feeling very accomplished, and ready for the busy Spring Season ahead!

~Guest Author, and RuffleButts Employee: Laura

Guest Blogger Wednesday...Finding That Dream Job

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.” – Howard Thurman




I studied fashion design in college, and when I first moved to Charlotte I searched desperately trying to find my dream job in the fashion industry, but was unsure of exactly what I wanted that to be. In my search three years ago, I found Rufflebutts.
 

When I first met Amber, she was so full of passion and excitement for what she was doing, and really believed in herself and her company. She had found her passion, which is something I was still looking for, and I knew I wanted to learn from her. The company was still small, with two employees working with Amber, and extremely busy as she worked on building her two year old company. Amber was amazing and agreed to give me business advice and mentorship for a jewelry company a friend and I were running, in exchange for me interning for her a few hrs a week! It is so amazing looking back, that she took the time to mentor me, when she was so busy with her new company, and it really shows her desire to give back to other people.



Fast forward a few years... After around 6 months of helping Amber, she moved further out of Charlotte, and I stopped working with her. I have had several different jobs since then, all of which were fun, but not what I wanted to build a career doing. I still dreamed of designing and working in fashion, but wasn't sure I would find that in Charlotte. Several months ago, looking for jobs, and still searching for what I really wanted to do, I thought about Rufflebutts. I had a strong feeling that I really needed to email Amber to catch up, and mentioned that I would love to work for her if there was ever an opportunity. It happened to be perfect timing, or maybe just meant to be, because less than a week later, I was turning in my 2 week notice, and preparing for a career at Rufflebutts!


The changes that have taken place in the past three years are amazing and it is so exciting to see how much the company has grown and changed! To see Amber go from working out of her basement, to having a big office with 15 people on staff and selling her Rufflebutts around the world is a true testament to what you can achieve with drive and passion! I have been back in the Rufflebutts family for less than 3 months, but am positive this is where I am supposed to be! I was invited into an office with an amazing group of people that all believe in the company and themselves, and I love coming into work every day. I finally figured out what that dream job was that I was searching for and can't wait to build my career here... and my favorite part of it? I help Amber with designing, which is what I have always been passionate about!


~Guest Author, and RuffleButts Employee: Liz