Tip Toey Joey Children’s Shoes at Friendly Rooster {Discount, Review & Giveaway}

by Kate on April 20th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Reviews

Friendly Rooster is a fresh perspective to selling high quality kids shoes and accessories online for children ages 0 – 7. The store focuses on unique brands that balance traditional looks with a modern whimsical twist. As a mom, I appreciate that there is also a focus on brands that promote foot development and are healthy for growing feet. One shoe brand that fits the bill for Friendly Rooster is Tip Toey Joey, a Brazil-based company, offering fabulous styles for chic little feet.

Tip Toey Joey Styles

Tip Toey Joey is popular in Brazil, Australia and Europe and we have no doubt it will be popular here in the States, too. The shoes are available for babies (from size 3-6 months) through Toddlers and Little Kids (USA size 13.5).

Check out a couple of our favorite styles for girls and boys. I would love the black ballet flats in my size!

And the boys’ styles are absolutely divine! The moccasins are perfect for summer, don’t you think?

Tip Toey Joey Review

My five year old has been sporting an awesome pair of Tip Toey Joey New Motion shoes. The shoes are made with quality materials – leather, twill and suede – and the craftsmanship is easily apparent. The soles are sturdy flexible rubber perfect for looking chic at cool or playing with kids at the park. The Motion style we received is colorful in blue with red and white details.

The New Motion, and may other Tip Toey Joey shoes, comes laced with an elastic lace and with a traditional lace to tie the shoes. My son can’t tie his shoes yet, so we’ll keep the stretchy lace for easy on and off, but I do love the option of a more traditional tie.

Share Your Love Of Shoes

Stay tuned for big and exciting news from Friendly Rooster. In May, the company will launch Share Your Love of Shoes: a charitable program to donate shoes to a pair of beginning walker shoes to a child in need. From 6 months to 2 years is an important time for children’s feet, and the right shoes can help a child’s foot to develop properly (and the wrong shoe can hinder that development).  Friendly Rooster realizes that the “right” shoe isn’t always the most affordable shoe so they’ll match purchases with donations to children in need. We can’t wait for this program to launch and will definitely let you know when it does!

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… We adore the styles from Tip Toey Joey – the traditional Mary Janes, stylish sneakers and sleek moccasins. The quality and craftsmanship is great using high quality materials and finishes. Friendly Rooster has the best selection of Tip Toey Joey in the States and also carries some of our other favorite children’s shoe brands like pediped, Livie + Luca and Morgan & Milo.

Or Not to Buy… There’s no reason not to invest in a pair or two (or three) of these shoes from Friendly Rooster.

Shop! Tip Toey Joey prices at Friendly Rooster are comparable with other high end children’s shoes and are worth it for the quality. Baby shoes from Tip Toey Joey start at $40 and the New Motion Sneaker is $58. We are delighted to share an exclusive discount code to Friendly Rooster! Use shopmom20 to receive 20% off any purchase of $25 or more through May 6.

Win! Your Choice Pair of Tip Toey Joey Shoes – Girl or Boy!

How to Enter: Visit Friendly Rooster and leave a comment here with your favorite pair of Tip Toey Joey shoes.

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends May 4. Open to US residents only.

Thanks to Friendly Rooster for providing review and giveaway items. 

ShooShoos Clearance Sale

by Kate on February 29th, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

ShooShoos is one of our very favorite brands for baby shoes. Indeed, we named ShooShoos the best soft soled baby shoes of those we tested in 2011. They are well worth the price when you pay full price so we jump at the chance to stock up on these shoes when they’re on sale. And, there’s a GREAT clearance sale going on right now.

Clearance Sale Details

Buy one pair of soft sole shoes for $19.95 or one pair of Smiley sole shoes (for walking tots) for $27.95 and you can get up to 3 clearance style shoes for only $9.95 a pair.

There are so many great styles included in the Clearance Sale. Here’s just a portion of the fabulous baby shoes you’ll find on sale.

Why, oh, why have I not had this baby yet?! Mama wants to buy some new pairs of baby shoes!

Shop! Hurry! The ShooShoos Clearance sale ends Friday.


ShooShoos is providing a pair of shoes in exchange for spreading the word about this sale.

Boon Curl Shoe Rack

by Kate on February 22nd, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  28 Days of Design, Children's Decor

Design: Boon Curl Baby Shoe Rack

Why We Like It: Baby shoes are cute. And hard to resist. And worthy of hanging on the wall like art rather than being hidden in the closet. At least that’s the theory behind the innovative Boon Curl Baby Shoe Rack. Made of coated steel, Curl will hold eight pairs of shoes from newborn through size 5. We love the function of Curl and it’s a fun way to organize and show off your favorite baby accessories.

Shop! The Curl Baby Shoe Rack is available at our affiliate Amazon for $38.

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Check out all our Children’s Décor & Design picks in the 28+1 Days of Decor.

 

pediped New Improved Slip Resistant Leather Sole {Review & Giveaway}

by Malia on February 2nd, 2012  |  5 Comments  |  Clothes, Giveaways, Reviews

I love a soft leather sole for children’s shoes. The soft flexibility allows a child’s foot to develop normally yet still protects it from the grime and sharp thingies on the ground. So, of course, pediped Originals shoes have earned their place on the top of my list for kiddos under the age of two. This spring pediped is introducing a new slip resistant leather sole to their 2012 Spring/Summer collection.

pediped Originals New Sole

pediped Originals are designed for to be a child’s first shoes. As children learn to walk they shuffle their feet and experts say it is important for them to feel the floor. A flexible sole like pediped Originals is ideal when bare feet aren’t practical. pediped Originals also have a roomy toebox to allow the feet to move and grow properly. The child’s feet develop naturally without relying on the support of the shoe and feel comfortable. The velcro fasteners help parents get the shoes on and adjust for optimal fit.

The new slip resistant leather sole features a slip resistant diamond design on the same high quality leather sole pediped has been known for. My little man loved running around in his. I just wish he wasn’t so big (can’t believe he’s two already!) and about to outgrow them. He’d be wearing these for a long time otherwise.

New Sole Review Video

About pediped

pediped® footwear was founded in 2004 by Angela and Brian Edgeworth in their quest for the perfect soft-soled shoe for their first daughter. Exceptional quality, unsurpassed comfort and distinctive styling have made the award winning company the fastest-growing children’s footwear brand in the United States. pediped® footwear has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for the promotion of healthy foot development, and preeminent orthopedic medical professionals, Dr. Mininder S. Kocher and Dr. Thomas W. Vorderer, deem pediped shoes an excellent choice for parents/caregivers who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily. In 2011 Earnshaw’s, the premier media resource serving the children’s market recognized pediped® with Earnshaw’s Earnie Awards for Company of the Year and Best Footwear.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… pediped Originals shoes are some of the best out there and the slip resistant sole just makes them better.

Or Not to Buy… At $33 a pair, little man is not going to end up with a closet full of these shoes, but he doesn’t need one. These shoes last and will be outgrown long before they wear out. His baby cousin will love wearing them too, making them a great value for $33.

Shop! pediped 2012 Spring and Summer Originals shoes are available now at www.pediped.com for $33 a pair.

Win! A Pair of pediped Originals with the New Slip Resistant Sole!

How to Enter: Visit pediped and check out the shoes. Leave a comment here telling us what style is your favorite.

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends February 17. Open to US residents only.

Winner will receive his/her a pair of pediped originals in boy or girl and size requested. Requests for a particular style cannot be accommodated. Thanks to pediped for providing a sample and giveaway prizes. As always, opinions are my own.

Best of 2011: Children’s Clothes, Shoes & Accessories

by Kate on December 31st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Clothes, Reviews

It’s that time of year again… time for our annual Best of the Year lists on The Shopping Mama. We’ve reflected on the products we’ve tried, tested and abused and are sharing our very favorites. These are products we recommend without reservation, use often and generally really, really like. Here are The Shopping Mama’s Best of 2011 in Children’s Clothing, Shoes and Accessories – in other words, the goodies we stock in our children’s closets and dressers.

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Favorite Clothes: Tea Collection. For the second year in a row, Tea Collection tops our Best of 2011 children’s clothing list. There’s just no denying the style, quality or downright perfection of the clothes. We are particularly fond of the Wardrobe Sets – a great way to mix and match and get more wardrobe bang for your buck.

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Basics with Flair: American Apparel. When we first checked out American Apparel for Kids & Babies, we expected to find affordable basics in solid colors – a practical find, but nothing particularly exciting. We were wrong. The collection offers patterns, fun and loads of possibilities all at a very affordable price tag.

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Best Girly Girl: Kangacoo Designs. Ruffles, pinks and prettiness – oh my! Kangacoo Designs clothing offers a distinct aesthetic and look you won’t find anywhere else. The Footless Ruffle Tights and Summer Tank and Shorts sets are must haves for your girly girl.

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Organic Baby Clothes: Finn + Emma. Based on the idea that organic does not equal boring, Finn +Emma creates clothes that balance sustainability and and style. The company uses 100% organic cotton, eco-friendly dyes and provides collections with colors and whimsical design.

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Unexpectedly Perfect Shoes: Crocs. From the color-changing Chameleons to perfect for school Slip-Ons to totally wearable Winter Boots, Crocs has delighted our little feet over and over throughout the year. If you think Crocs is limited to summer shoes with lots of holes, think again. You’ll be pleasantly surprised like we are.

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Most Stylish Shoes: Venettini. Beloved by celebrity moms and us regular folk alike, Venettini shoes offer a modern, wearable twist on classic shoe styles like the Mary Jane. We adore the unique colors, fine quality construction and overall adorableness of these shoes. They are worth the splurge!

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Soft-Soled Shoes: ShooShoos. My kids have enjoyed wearing ShooShoos for years, but this year Malia and Laura’s children also got in on the action. We all agree – ShooShoos are fabulous soft soled baby shoes. They are easy to put on, actually stay on and there’s a great range of cute styles for boys and girls.

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Hair Accessories: lizzie, izzie & james. Handmade with love, lizzie, izzie & james headbands and hair clips pack a style punch in a sweet package. The pieces offer unmatched detail, a keen eye for lovely color combinations and we simply can’t get enough.

New Winter Crocs Shoes and Boots for Kids {Review}

by Kate on December 16th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Clothes, Reviews

We definitely associate Crocs with summer shoes, but the new collection of winter shoes and boots gives reason to re-consider that stereotype. The collection is full of shoes that will keep little feet warm and maintain some great style that moms will love. We’ve had the shoes for a few weeks now and, well, the Alabama weather just isn’t fully cooperating. That, however, has not stopped me from sending my kids to school and out to play in their winter Crocs. I just love them!

Chameleons Crocband Gust Boot

Crocs didn’t want summer shoes to have all the Crocs Chameleon fun. They’ve brought the cool color-changing technology to new boots perfect for winter. The Crocband accent on the Chameleons Gust Boot changes color in cold temperatures.

Bring on winter, chilly temps, and more color-changing fun from Crocs. Our Crocs Chameleons™ Gust Boot has a midsole band that changes color below 50°. It’s like magic!

My daughter has been wearing the Chameleons Crocband Gust Boot. I love the look of this boot! It’s so sharp and screams winter. The inside is lined in a sweatshirt material – in a super fun colorful design, no less – and the outside will hold up to cool, moist weather. One of the hardest things about boots on little kids is that they can be heavy and difficult to walk in, but the Gust Boot sole is made of Croslite material that won’t slow down your little one’s movement. Of course, your kids will love the Chameleon feature – the Crocband around the bottom changes from light pink to red in temperatures under 50 degrees. (I don’t have a picture of that because, well, we haven’t experienced it much during the day.)

Dawson Boot

Send kids off to school with unbeatable comfort and style. The Dawson Boot Kids features all the comfort of our traditional Crocs™ shoes with suede upper, easy-on-and-off zipper entry, and lined foot bed for lightweight comfort and warmth.

The Dawson Boot is an extremely versatile shoe for kids. My son has worn the shoes for school and play and he likes them almost as much as I do. I love the look of the shoe and that there’s a zipper for easy-on and easy-off. We’ve received a lot of compliments on these shoes, including a teacher at my son’s school complimenting him on his cool boots. His reply? “They’re Crocs! Look, you can even see the little crocodile on them,” as he pulled up his pant leg. His teacher was impressed and I was oddly proud.

In addition to being stylish, the Dawson is functional. The upper suede is water-resistant and the foot area is lined for warmth. Just as with the Gust Boot, the Dawson features the Croslite technology making for a very lightweight shoe. The shoe is so light, flexible and easy to wear, in fact, that my son climbs trees wearing them.

While the weather hasn’t exactly been winter-y here, our Crocs boots did make a trip to the North Pole on my kids’ feet via the North Pole Express!

Crocs Gifts for Kids

crocs kids gift guide

From shoes to boots to adorable hats, Crocs has a gift guide for kids worth a look.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… We are loving the new winter shoes from Crocs. The shoes look great, are built to keep feet warm and comfortable and are easy for kids to wear and play. We’ve always had a great experience with Crocs shoes which tells me that these shoes will last and survive several hand-me-downs.

Or Not to Buy… We haven’t been able to test the Chameleons feature. I’ll let you know how they look when we travel up north for the holidays!

Shop! The Chameleons Crocband Gust Boot is available in pink or navy for $49.99. The Dawson Boot is available in pink, brown or black for $39.99.

Thanks to Crocs for providing samples for the purpose of this review. As always, opinions are my own.

Back to School with Crocs {Review} #CrocsBTS

by Kate on September 4th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School

Crocs is synonymous with the summer season, and the company has expanded their collection to include many styles that are perfect for back to school season. My kids both love Crocs and spend a lot of time in them during the summer. But, many styles with the aren’t exactly school friendly. The new Crocs back to school shoes include 13 new styles for boys and girls from Kindergarten through 8th grade are school-approved – and luckily, also mom and style approved.

Summer On the Inside…

Crocs motto for back to school is “School on the Outside, Summer on the Inside” – and I love it. It’s the perfect description of shoes that are up to the standards of school and look the part, but they are also 100% Crocs which means they’re light and comfortable on the inside.

This cute Summer on the Inside video from Crocs is a great way to get a sneak peek at all the back to school shoe choices. You can even click on the animated shoes in the video to get more information about the style.

Did you see the fun Easter egg hidden in the video? No? Here’s a hint for you…

You should definitely find the Easter egg, click on it and see what happens!

Crocs Sneak Slip On Review

Weighing in at just a few ounces, the Boys’ Hover Sneak Slip-on will have kids feeling like they’re walking on air. Part of our uberlight Hover line, lightweight comfiness doesn’t get any better than this.

I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when the new Crocs arrived. We’re used to the typical Crocs-shoe material and I couldn’t imagine how that would translate into a slip on sneaker for school. The Hover Sneak Slip-on is truly a hybrid, mixing materials for ultimate comfort and function.

  • Lightweight, durable canvas upper.
  • Croslite™ material footbed for Crocs’ signature comfort.
  • Non-marking Croslite™ material outsole.

The canvas “upper” – or the main part of the shoe – is reminiscent of Keds or another lightweight slip-on. But, on closer inspection you notice how utterly light the shoes are and that the bottom is not typical sneaker plastic. Rather, the sole of the shoe and the inside where the foot rests are made of Croslite, the material you’re used to on other Crocs shoes.

The Hover Sneak Slip-Ons are perfect for a clean, tailored back to school look for boys. I just these shoes and my son loves them, too. I like them because they look great and go with almost anything. My son likes them because they are so comfortable and he can slip them on and off by himself.

“Sneak Summer into School” Sweepstakes

Crocs wants your summer vacation to last a little longer so they’re giving away an awesome family getaway to San Diego. Up for grabs: a trip for four to San Diego including accommodations at an oceanside, family-friendly hotel, San Diego Zoo or Sea World tickets, $200 play money, and a rental car. Click for more information and to enter!

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Light I said, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from the Crocs sneaker style shoes, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The shoes are lightweight, which is great for a busy kid making a million steps a day. The style is clean, good looking and will go with a lot of clothing.

Or Not to Buy… These styles aren’t available in a half size. Crocs recommends ordering up if your child is in between as my son his. The result is the shoes are a tad big, but he’s worn them without issue. (And, hey, that means he’ll be able to wear them longer, right?)

Shop! Check out the entire line of Back to School shoes from Crocs – you won’t be disappointed. The Hover Sneak Slip-On shoes are $39.95 and available in three different colors.

This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media and Crocs. I received a pair of Crocs shoes for the purpose of this review. I was also compensated for my time investment and work on their Back To School campaign.  As always, thoughts are my own.

Fibi & Clo Beautiful and Affordable Sandals

by Malia on September 1st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Clothes, For Mama, Reviews

I’m a California girl born and raised and I WILL wear flip flops pretty much anywhere. I’d probably wear them to work if it wasn’t specifically forbidden in my job description. But I will admit that there are times when classic flip flops are just not going to cut it (date night comes to mind). Even so, I’m all about comfort waaay over fashion. So I was very excited to try the beautiful sandals available from fibi & clo.

New York Style with Texan Heart

fibi & clo was originally started to help founder AnaLiza bring fabulous New York inspired design from her new home in New York City, back to her home state of Texas with trunk shows. Her dream has now expanded and fibi & clo sandals are also available on-line at fibiandclo.com and from Army & Air Force Exchange Service on-line.

Beautiful Comfort

fibi & clo sandals are available in fun styles that range from very bejeweled, to more subtle designs. The New Star sandals I tried are one of the more understated designs while still providing plenty of glamour. All the little stones combine together to create the perfect pop. I realize they look pretty “blingy” in the photo, but they really are the perfect balance. I love that they can easily be worn with jeans or my favorite skirt. (I would also like to say that I am aware the I do not have a future as a foot model, but in my defense, it’s really hard to take a photo of your own feet.)

fibi & clo are beautiful sandals, but as I mentioned, I’m all about comfort. These sandals do not disappoint. They are very comfortable and fit snugly, so they don’t rub, but are not too tight. The website recommended ordering up for half sizes and I am glad I did because they fit perfectly, but a size smaller would have been too small, especially with my pregnant feet. The bottom contains something that gives it cushion, so they are more comfortable than similar sandals I’ve tried. I also love that the sandals come with a card that reminds you to handle these handmade beauties with care, but also promises to replace any stones that might come loose over time. What great customer service.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… fibi & clo are beautiful, comfortable and affordable sandals that look great every day or on special occasions.

Or Not to Buy… My only complaint, and this probably has to do with being pregnant and being a tad heavier than normal, is that the soles of the shoes are not very thick. They are fairly standard for the style and much (much) more comfortable than fashion sandal I wore in a recent wedding thanks to a padded construction, but I can’t help but wish for a bit more.

Shop! The New Star and other styles are available for $45 at fibiandclo.com along with other cute accessories. Military members and family, we can score an even better deal at AAFES online.


Thanks to fibi & clo for providing a sample.

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