Life in Pajamas

Pajamas: The Perfect Gift

Shopping for just the right gift is stressful. Getting through traffic, finding a parking spot, and fighting the crowds are all small parts of the problem, but the real issue is simply that the best gifts have at least two jobs to do. First, they must make a statement about your friend or loved one. Second, they need to communicate how much you value their presence in your life. That is a lot to ask from a product, and frankly, most things you find on the shelves of your local department store just cannot deliver. Fortunately, there is a solution. The next time you need the perfect gift for someone in your life, consider buying a wonderful set of pj's from www.ThePajamaCompany.com.

Think about it: Giving loved ones a soft, warm set of flannel pajamas is like wishing them ease and comfort every single day of their lives. When they open that package, they will know that you want only the best for them. They will realize that if you could, you would give them a peaceful, relaxing Saturday morning everyday single day of the week. And when they take a moment to look more closely at the pajamas and see that you have chosen a set in their favorite style or color, they will know that you understand and value who they really are inside.

Shopping for a child? Give them pj's featuring vibrant colors and a fun print. Want to wish an adult some childlike fun? Consider a nice pair of footie pajamas for an unexpected gift they will love. If you are trying to find something for an entire family, consider buying matching flannel pajamas for everyone. It is a great way to build family spirit and to encourages everyone to spend some time lounging together before they have to go their separate ways for the day, once again rushing about their busy lives. In a small way, you can help them build memories that will be the topic of conversation on holidays and at family gatherings for many years. No matter who you are buying for, there is a pair a pajamas to fit your need. And rest assured, the people you love will remember your thoughtfulness and care every time they snuggle into the perfect gift you gave them.

Snowed In? Make It a Pajama Day and Make Some Memories

When the snow is piling up outside, nothing beats staying in—preferably while lounging in your pj's and cradling a cup of hot chocolate. If you are lucky enough to find some solitude on a wintry day, time can suddenly stand still. The rush of life recedes and the terrible weather means that responsibilities will have to wait. Tomorrow it may all begin again, but today you have the luxury of wrapping yourself in the warmth of your favorite flannel pajamas and doing what you love.

On the other hand, a day snowed-in with the family is every bit as wonderful as a quiet day alone. Knowing that there's no commute ahead of you and no classes ahead for your kids means that you can focus on what matters most—each other. Playing board games, watching old movies, and sliding around the hardwood floors in your favorite fun pajamas and footies is just as magical for parents as it can for children. On typical days, the children may retreat to the solitary world of their video games and their MP3 players, but a day of pajama fun will capture their full attention. It is the kind of moment that your kids will talk about for years to come.

Street clothes—whether a sharp business suit or plain jeans and t-shirt—are not meant for these kind of relaxed  winter days. When you dress in everyday garments, you are dressing for the outside world. School and work may not appear on the day's agenda, but by dressing for them, you are playing their rules. Staying in your pj pants and letting the little ones pad around the house in their footed pajamas makes everything more special. Let the world have the other six days of the week; keep this one for yourself.

You could settle for just any kind of sleepwear, but fun pajamas—the kind that express your personality and bring a smile to everyone's face—are the best on a cold, stormy day. That's important, because a pajama day should be all about who you are.

So the next time the weather report calls for a foot of snow to land just outside your door, smile. Make sure everyone has a great pair of pajamas. Let the sun wake you up slowly. Enjoy being together. Tomorrow there will be plenty of time for a breakfast on the run in your business causal attire. Today—well—today is different.

We Need a Little Christmas (Pajamas)...Now

For many families, Christmas Pajamas is well...just part of Christmas. A lovely tradition.  For some it's Christmas Eve, for some it's Christmas morning.  Matching pajamas for the family make everyone smile. Who doesn't love seeing Dad in footies? We love the Christmas Eve pajamas because everyone can jump into bed in warm new pj's, all snugly, anticipating Christmas morning.  But, is there a time,  maybe sooner on the calender than Christmas Eve when Christmas pajamas might just be a wonderful and unexpected treat?  We think yes.  Remember the classic song from Mame, "We Need A Little Christmas...Right This Very Minute"!  Consider breaking tradition this year and surprise everyone with Christmas pajamas now or if you must wait consider some of these suggestions of when to give pajamas this year:

• On Thanksgiving Day
• On the Day After Thanksgiving (considered to be the beginning of the Christmas Season)
• On the Day of the first Snow of Winter
• On the day you decorate the home for Christmas
• On the day you make those first Christmas Cookies
• On the day you wrap presents
• On the day you take the Christmas card photo (and make it a pajama photo!)
• 12 Days before Christmas
• On December the 1st
• On the day the Christmas Tree is Decorated
• On Saint Nicholas Day (usually December 6th)

The gift of pajamas for Christmas is a wonderful tradition for many.  Is it one for your family?  This is the perfect time to begin.  Kids love to see their parents and grandparents wearing pajamas.  It's just happy.

New Matching Family Pajamas...We Know You Love Them!

Today we launched our "Matching Family Pajamas" category on our website over at www.ThePajamaCompany.com  We know there is something about winter and something about the holidays that makes it wonderful to just relax at home together in pajamas. Kids just love, love, love to wear pajamas that match Mom and Dad. It's fun to see families all in pajamas and all matching.  It's just happy, and isn't that what the holidays are all about?; We really love our footie pajamas for the family from Big Feet Pajamas and our collection of PJ sets, PJ Pants and Sleepshirts from Hatley Nature. How fun for kids to see Mom & Dad in matching footies. We've heard our customers tell us that they love footies and love the fun of reclaiming a bit of childhood with footies. We know many families have the "Matching Pajama" tradition for the holidays. For some it's Thanksgiving, for others it's Christmas Eve, Christmas morning or the first night of Hanukkah. Always popular are bright red flannel pj's with snowmen and our Papa Bear flannels are just that and perfect for the entire family. Here are a few of our new matching goodies. Let us know what you think and take a moment to share any of your matching family traditions.

"Christmas Animals" Flannel Pajama Pant from Hatley Nature  $34

 

"Merry X-Moose" Kids Pajama Set from Hatley Nature $30

 

"Christmas Animals" Flannel Pajama Pant for Women from Hatley Nature  $34

 

 

"Red Snowman" Flannel Set for Adults up to size 3XL and Kids from age 2-18 from Papa Bear

 

 

Red Fleece Footie for Adults from Big Feet PJ's $48

Kids Red Fleece  Footie from Big Feet PJ's  $36

 

"Making the Moose Out of Life" Women's Sleepshirt from Hatley Nature  $29

 

"Making the Moose Out of Life" Kids Pajama Set from Hatley Nature  $30

 

"Making the Moose Out of Life" Flannel Pajama Pant for Men from Hatley Nature  $34

 

Time to get matching!

 

 

Make Today A Family Flannel Pajama Day

There is just something intimate about the coziness and comfort of flannel that transforms pajamas into a springboard for family bonding time. Your favorite flannel pajamas are so fun to wear and adorable as can be. Whether the pj's are footies, sets or just comfy pants and tee,  we think a family pajama day is a perfect means to connect with your loved ones, summon your relaxed self, and demonstrate that nothing is going to pull you from the sacred cocoon of intimacy that flannel creates. When the entire family is in flannel pajamas, you can plan your day with relaxing activities.

Eat a Big Breakfast

Breakfast tastes better in flannel. Pajamas are a poignant reminder that there is nothing on the schedule more important than enjoying each others company. Eating a big breakfast together becomes a relaxing way to savor the moment without watching the clock. One person needn't do all the cooking. Pancakes and waffles are easy to prepare, and children love to measure and stir the mix. An easy meal to make, breakfast frees you from a recipe book, furthering reminding you to get back to the basics.

Play a Board Game Tournament

When Mother Nature presses the pause button on everything, follow her lead and turn the electronics off, at least for the day. Play a variety of board games for a lighthearted tournament. Board games are bonding at its best. Kids learn how to win – and lose – gracefully. Parents learn to laugh at themselves. Most importantly, kids learn that fun comes before competition.

Slow-Cook Dinner

When the cold months seem to slow everything down, take the cue and do the same for dinner. Pull out the slow-cooker for a tasty stew or juicy pot-roast. When dinnertime approaches, you won't have to pull yourself away from the family fun to cook a meal.

Spend the Evening Watching Movies

Have some family movies and popcorn on hand to enjoy on pajama day. When the game tournament is winding down and dinner is done, it's time to gather in the family room and turn on the television. Instead of everyone heading to a separate room to watch their favorite shows, have some enjoyable movies on hand that the entire family can enjoy. Making popcorn on the stove top can recreate the cooking fun you enjoyed during breakfast. When the popcorn is made, snuggle up on the sofa together and enjoy watching a movie together.

Flannel pajamas are cozy, warm and, much like a warm hearth, compel the family to congregate together. Flannel pajamas inspire relaxation and matching family pajamas inspire fun.  They are a springboard for the imagination to create meaningful and memorable activities.

Happy Bedtime Routine=Happy Child

No matter what the day has been like, a fun bedtime routine gives us the opportunity to end it on the right note. It's our snuggle time with our kids, when their busy bodies shift gears. Our little ones are most angelic in the moments before they drift into innocent sleep.

Some parents, though, have to wrestle with little devils to uncover the darlings within. For these families, there doesn't seem to be enough glasses of water, a long enough bedtime story, or enough favorite teddy bears to transform bedtime into the relaxing wind-down time it should be. If dreams of slumber-time bliss have mutated into images of nightly strife in your home, try these tips.

Make bedtime special. Create a special game that you only play at nighttime. The "I love you" game will plant positive images in your child's mind and reassure her of your love. The parent starts by saying "I love you more than...," then completes the sentence with something yummy and good, like chocolate chip cookies. The child replies with the same sentence with her own ending. As the game goes on, is gets bigger and more imaginative, like "I love you more than the stars," or "...more than dinosaur-shaped clouds."

Figure out the time that your child gets tired, then put her to bed just before. There is a healthy range of sleep for each age group, but individual children can fall anywhere within that range. Learn the signs that tell you your child is sleepy. Then, aim for a bedtime right before. If you wait until your child is too tired, she'll be more likely to throw a tantrum or get a second wind making it harder for her to fall asleep. When choosing a bedtime, allow for the half hour or so it takes to complete the bedtime routine. A favorite comfy pair of pajamas can help your child look forward to bed.

Light is your ally when it comes to getting your child on a bedtime routine. As bedtime comes nearer, dim lights and close the shades. Turn off the television. When the lights around us are dimmed at regular times, our bodies begin to produce melatonin, a key hormone for healthy sleep. Are the lights in your child's room too bright? Invest in a small lamp to be used when it's time to put on pajamas. Alternately, try to get your child into the sunlight in the mornings. Doing so will help her body regulate sleep and wake cycles. 

Bedtime is a special time for your family when you can bond and relax without the distractions of the world. The daytime brings spilled juice, broken toys, and a tantrum or two. As parents, we don't always act the way we know we should. When nighttime comes, the preoccupations of the world recede into the shadows and we have the opportunity to focus on each other. When you get a handle on your child's bedtime routine, you're helping her end her day with positive thoughts and the security of your love.

Pajama Company CEO stand Up For Pajama Clad Teens

Recent trends of teens wearing pajamas to school have got some administrators up in arms.  Teachers, principles, and parents are saying students coming to school in flannel pants or even slippers look sloppy and inappropriate. 

However, Ellie Badanes, CEO of website thepajamacompany.com says this is a perfectly acceptable trend.  “I love seeing pajamas at school,” she says, “Nothing sloppy going on, no, we call it trendy.”

She advises teens and tweens who are looking for a perfect combination of trendy and comfortable to pair a pajama pant with their favourite tee-shirt and flip flops or comfy boots.

Those timid or unsure about the idea she says should check out the teens and tweens section of her website www.thepajamacompany.com for some examples.

“Pajamas aren't just for sleeping anymore.  They go where you go and if you're a teen or tween we've seen them going everywhere!”

 

Baby, It's Cold Outside...and Inside!

Today there was a chill in the air.  It was that first chill of autumn.  It was fresh. It invoked images of cozy pajama nights, of cozy pajama days.  Images of holiday fun just around the corner, images of holding a warm mug and nestling by the fire.  There's something good about wrapping up in wonderful flannels, robes and snuggle socks to stay warm.  Forget the boxer and tee shirt.  It's time to switch to flannels, fleece, thermals!  Better yet, footies!  With high fuel costs, there is a temptation to turn that thermostat down a few degrees.  Let's put the kettle on, nestle in and face the coming months of chill.   Maybe winter isn't so bad after all.  Pajamas just make everything better and something tells me that this winter, pajamas might be more important than ever.

The Fine Art of Lounging

 

I like to think of myself as kind of an expert in the fine art of lounging.  Lounging doesn’t come easy to everyone, I know some who have to work hard to lounge but fortunately for me, lounging has always come easy.  I remember one summer day in-between my 6^th and 7^th grade year when I managed to lay on the floor in the same spot in front of a teenie weenie black and white TV for seven hours straight.  It was beautiful.  Never once did I leave my spot.  I couldn’t get enough of “Password”, “Concentration”, “What’s My Line”, “Bewitched”, “Gomer Pyle”, “That Girl” and more.  Today, many many years later, I still have a great feeling remembering that day.  No guilt, no “wasting my life” angst, none of it.  Just pure happiness.  And things haven’t changed that much today.  My TV has just gotten bigger, better and is now in glorious color.  Oh, and has a zillion more choices but given the chance at a channel from 1968 TV, I might still choose that one today.

 

Back to the fine art of lounging.  Lounging is simply plopping yourself down in a comfy spot and not leaving it.  There is a little preparation required for ultimate lounging.  You need a few basics, any of the following pieces of furniture (or just floor, beach or grass) will do nicely depending on your preference:  a great chair, a great soft rug with pillow, a great bed with stacks of pillows, a great sofa that fits you just right, a lounge chair, hammock, or blanket if you prefer to do your lounging outdoors.  Lounging is not about good posture, it’s about slunking into your chair, and it’s about sprawling on your bed, ground or sofa.  Lounging is having your legs hanging over sides of furniture or propped on pillows.  Perfect lounging is actually about not being perfect.

 

Clear the way for your perfect lounge time and space.  Get the lighting just right.  Soft or dim for TV/DVD watching or music listening, stronger for reading.  Surround your lounge space with things you love.  Perhaps candles, flowers, TV, music, books, newspapers, magazines, laptop, DVD’s, your phone, iPod and of course your remotes.  Food and drink are also very important elements to perfect lounging.  Whatever your comfort food or drink might be, have it accessible.  Remember the first rule of lounging is:  NO GETTING UP!  So we have now covered the required furnishings and space for proper lounging.  We’ve covered the props.  Let’s get down to another particular expertise of mine, what to wear when lounging.  I began my pajama business www.ThePajamaCompany.com  four years ago because I love to lounge and because I love to lounge in pajamas.  Something told me that I wasn’t the only one with these quirky loves.  I know now that there are thousands just like me who love their lounging and who love their pajamas.  To be a happy lounger requires comfortable clothing.   I love pajamas because of the great fabrics, the fun prints, the drawstring waist, the comfy tee shirt tops or menswear type tops but that’s just me.  The point is to be totally comfortable.  Be it sweat pants, boxers, robes, footed pajamas, nightshirts, workout shorts, swimwear, oversized shirts or nothing at all, comfort is key.  You may have that favourite tee shirt that always makes you happy; by all means throw it on for your perfect lounge.  Again, the key is comfort so work hard to find what is truly comfortable for you. 

 

I’ve discussed here the “things” required for perfect lounging but let me say for many “nothing” might be all that is required for perfect lounging.  The thing about lounging is that for some, perfect lounging might just be grabbing that feeling of quiet and calm.  It might be lying on the perfect sofa with closed eyes clearing the cobwebs of the day, the week, the month and finding a place of calm and creativity. Lounging can be the place where great ideas brew.  When in a world of noise, stress and turmoil…the perfect lounge might just be a totally quiet place. Doing “nothing” may take some work at first but work you must because truly doing “nothing” for even 10 minutes is perfect lounging.

 

Is it OK to nap while lounging you ask?  The answer is yes.  A power nap (anywhere from 2 minutes to 20 minutes) has proven health benefits including lower stress, cell repair, heart health, improved memory and mood.  Ever notice how fresh ideas seem to bubble up after a nap?  So if you nod off during your lounging, not a problem.  Let your mind and body rest.

 

Lounging isn’t just about “me” time mind you, it can be “us” time at its very best.  Perfect family moments can happen while lounging.  A family TV or movie “Pajama Day” is an event I have long promoted.  “Pajama Days” are Lounge Events.  Get the kids involved in planning the perfect “Pajama Day” and see how many hours you can lounge.  (Remember my record is seven.)  Lounge Events promote family fun and take away a little of the day to day stress from one and all. Desperate for date ideas?  Make it a “Movie Night” a “TV Night”, again a Lounge Event.  Pull out that DVD and watch episode after episode of your favourite old TV show.  The beauty of old TV series is that the show takes you back to your childhood, the show brings back memories and fun.  Old Disney movies are always winners as well. We’ve all had that favourite Disney movie that came along in our childhood.  Put it on and sing along with every song.  You will love it. Again, the perfect Lounge Event.

 

So here’s to the art of perfect lounging.  Follow my tips and you will only have lounging success.

 

 

 

Do Superhero Pajamas Prevent Nightmares?

I just read a blog post from a Mom saying that Superhero pajamas prevent nightmares.  She says that her son hasn't had a nightmare since he began wearing superhero pajamas.  Can this be true?  It's great to hear about pajamas solving life's problems yet again!