Personal journals are not just for keeping diaries anymore – they have infiltrated our busy lives in every other aspect. Keeping work notes, recipes, grocery lists, appointment dates and schedules are an important part of everyone’s week. It’s tough to keep up with everything from kids’ soccer and baseball practices to your hair appointments, unless you’ve got a handy way to keep track of it all.

Hatley Gardening Journal

You may be asking – why not just use a calendar app on my latest smart phone or tablet? If that works for you, then – great! But to be realistic, many of us prefer to have a “visual” of our notes and schedules… Apps can be a bother to use, have inadequate room for all the notes, and we end up using three or four apps just to keep up with all the tasks we’ve got going on during the week.

Unlike apps, a journal is a blank slate – you organize it however you want. Write in all the important appointments and check things off as they get done. Take note of interesting things that happened to you that day (so you can later Tweet about them), and keep things easily organized. Need to write something down for someone else? Just tear out a sheet of paper and scribble away.

Hatley makes their journals fun and versatile, so that they can be used by men, women, and even kids. Like cats? Check out this “Scratch Pad” Journal that features a cute design with playful kitties. Like to garden? We’ve got you covered there too, with our beautiful, one of a kind Gardening Journal.

There are two main reasons to own a Hatley Journal: First is their size – each journal measures 6 x 9 inches, and has a hard cover. This means you can take it everywhere you go without worrying about wrinkling the pages. Second reason is each journal’s unique design that cannot be found anywhere else. You can even get one for every hobby you have – from wine tasting notes to gardening, bird watching, poetry and beyond. Everyone should own at least one journal – once you have it, you will use it all the time!

Baseball hats to men is what shoes are to women. The hats, worn by baseball team players for over 150 years, have quickly spread to the populace, and eventually made their way into every man’s life. Do you know any guy out there who doesn’t own at least one baseball cap? We thought so.

At first, this was an excellent way for baseball fans to show off their team spirit – both in season and after the season was over. Then, slowly but surely, wearing baseball hats became an “everyday thing” as men discovered that they could get away with not styling their hair, covering up any bald spots, and also – keeping the sun out of their eyes (let’s not forget the functionality aspect here!).

Hatley Bear X-ing Adult Baseball Hat

Today you will find baseball caps for pretty much every popular sports team on the planet. In addition, you can find hats in any color you want, with any pattern you want, and if you don’t – you can have one made especially for you!

An ideal baseball cap will fit well, look attractive and unique, and feel good when it’s on. Take our Bear X-ing Adult Baseball Hat for instance – it has manly colors, a fun outdoorsy design, and is sure to be loved by its wearer. Since it’s made out of 100% cotton, it will be durable and feel great on – we all know how good cotton feels on our skin. For men, a baseball hat would really make an ideal gift for any occasion…is there a certain anniversary coming up, hmm?

Last year’s baseball caps may still feel comfortable, but look drab. They have likely faded, worn out, and have lost their original shape. Women tend to forget how much guys like baseball caps, but this essential part of their wardrobe is quite important and should not be forgotten. Equip your man with all the new caps he will need this summer – it’s only a couple of months away!

Have you got a 2-year old running around the house? Oh, that blissful age when they figure out how to open all the drawers, pull out all your socks and underwear and spread it everywhere they can…has this not happened to you yet?

After your kids are done exploring all the nooks and crannies of your home, they will eventually make their way into the back yard. At this fragile age, when a 2-year old gets exposed to all the natural elements, you have to be extra careful in making sure that they don’t get sick. Anything from bacteria to cold weather can have a negative impact on their health.

Hatley Dinos Infant Bundler

To prevent your kids from getting sick, here are a few simple tips that you can follow:

1. Make sure they get enough veggies and fruits – a good diet will naturally boost their immune system.

2. If they refuse to eat their veggies, you can get chewable vitamins that are just like candy – kids love them! Alternatively, you may be able to find dissolving vitamins that can be mixed with drinks – ask your pediatrician for more information.

3. Keep them warm from head to toes, especially outdoors. Infant/Toddler bundlers are an excellent choice of clothing for keeping the kids warm and dry – each bundler has a hood, adjustable boot straps at leg opening, and waterproof material on the outside.

4. Start teaching your son or daughter to wash their hands frequently with warm water and soap.

5. Play with your kids outside – walking and tossing the ball are great exercises that will keep them strong and healthy.

6. At this age, everyone wants to give attention to your child! If you have friends or relatives over, make sure that they are not sick before they hug and kiss your kids. Same goes for any babysitters that you hire.

Follow these simple rules and you will be helping your little ones to remain healthy and happy! And be sure to check out our fashionable Dinos Infant/Toddler Bundler – it’s made with a cozy terry lining, is seam sealed, and waterproof. The zipper runs full length – from the neckline down to the left ankle, covering almost the entire length of the body. With an outfit like this, your infant is sure to stay warm and dry! Here is what it looks like in action:

We think the story of the oven mitt should have started like this:

“The oven mitt was invented in 1884 by a man named Francis Mitts. He owned a small bakery in Jersey City, where every day seamen and dockers would drop in to get their fill of Frank’s freshly made breads and coffee. Frank’s daughters were helping out in the kitchen and were working in direct contact with the ovens. In order to keep his young daughters’ hands from getting singed, he designed heavily insulated mittens, which evolved over time into what we know today as the oven mitts.”

In reality, however, mittens have been in use for over 1,000 years for a wide range of purposes – including those of protecting your hands from hot ovens. Today, however, technological advancement has allowed an incredible amount of heat resistance to be built  into each mitt. The outer layers are typically made of cotton, while the inner layer is filled with an insulator-type material.

Hatley "Making a Moose in the Kitchen" Oven Mitt

Think about when you use an oven mitt – it is either around a special occasion, or when you are in the mood for cooking up something amazing. Whether it be a dinner party pot roast, a Birthday cake, poolside BBQ, friends gathering or simply an evening with your family – every time you use the oven, the unassuming little mitt makes its appearance to help you get the job done.

So, let’s see what your mitt looks like… Sure, it’s always been there for you – taking all the heat while you are busy preparing a delicious feast. But over time, it started to fall apart, lose its shape, become singed and stained from all the wear. So why not get a brand new mitt or two to help your creative juices flow next time you are ready to cook up a storm? We’ve got a few unique designs that are both fun and functional for you to choose from – like the “Making a Moose in the Kitchen” Oven Mitt that is sure to give you a few laughs.

These mitts also have a matching apron, pot holder and teal towels, which will bring even more inspiration into your kitchen. Remember that these are great as a gift too – grab a set for yourself and one for your girlfriend or mom!

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing that drives me crazier as a parent, than whining kids! After doing a little research, I discovered that this is a learned behaviour and we have a lot to do with it……yikes! But what it really means is that they are trying to get our attention for one reason or another. Yes, it is a fact that we cannot give our children our undivided attention 24/7, but what we can do – is control our reactions to this attention seeking behaviour.

Okay, so what to do with a whining kid? Since it is illegal to lock your child in the trunk of a car to get them to be quiet – whatever you do, try not to give in! It only teaches them that this annoying practice works, so consistency is key. Ask them to ask you their question in a normal voice and perhaps give an example of what you mean – I find exaggerating the whining will at least get you a laugh. What my mother used to do was tell me that my whine was silly and to really put some soul into it, a little reverse psychology yes, but useful? Yes, as I would laugh at myself which is a valuable lesson in and of itself. Emphasize tone, as sometimes your child is unaware of just how annoying they sound.Once they ask you in a ‘normal’ voice you don’t have to say yes to their request but do praise them for dropping the whine! Often whining can increase or rear its ugly head with a change in environment, a new sibling, or just a lack of being able to properly express him or herself. A hungry or tired child does not help matters either! What not to do is react out of frustration and freak out – as attention is attention – whether it be good or bad and again this practice will prove useful. So just know that ‘this too shall pass’ and take the advice of my 4 year old who tells me: “Mommy, please wait for your patience”!

What are some tricks you use when it comes to whining kids?

To ensure that your child is comfortable for the night in order to get a good sleep, put them in our soft cotton Hatley PJs. Comfort is key, and with so many styles to choose from you are bound to find a winner. Give your child the attention they are seeking by having some one on one story time with them – try Big Bear Hug by, Nick Oldland, and their matching PJs.

Hatley Bear Hug Kids' Book Pajama Set

When it comes to buying adult and children’s clothing, different brands fit differently. Since it is nearly impossible to have a child (and even more so an infant!), actually try on garments before purchasing, a reliable, easy to use size chart is a must. This is especially important when purchasing on-line. For this reason, Hatley has re-designed our size chart to be as user friendly and as accurate as possible. Our rain boots run a size large and now with a printable foot chart, buying the accurate size for your child should be easier. As a mother I know how different brands fit my child – which ones run large and which ones run small and just how quickly she seems to grow out of them all. I personally throw everything in the dryer, therefore I tend to buy a bit larger so that not only can my daughter wear the garment longer but they are easy to take care of. Let’s face it, life is tough enough, shopping on line should be made easy! For an accurate fit please follow our sizing chart when taking body measurements. For best results use a soft (material) tape measure.