Skechers Hot Lights | Review & Giveaway

When I was a kid, summer was way too long, I was a bit dorky and during two months I was left to my own devices I spent a lot of time riding my bike to the library and a longing for September to arrive.

Aside from school starting back up, the other perk of summer ending was 'Back to School Shopping'.  We were a family of five living on a single, self-employed income, so budgets were tight, but we always got a little bit of money to buy a few key wardrobe items including a pair of runners for the new year.

If you are still looking for shoes that will satisfy your little ones need for style and excitement and your need for value and quality construction, check out Skechers Hot Lights for boys and Skechers Twinkle Toes for girls.

Being a mother of boys, I had the chance to review the Hot Lights, Manifold equipped with both LED headlights and running lights and I'm certain any car-obsessed little man is going to love them.  From a parents perspective, the lights are not too bright and distracting and the shoes are laced with bungees and secured with velcro making them easy to pull on and off.

From a construction point of view, Skechers Hot Lights are made of synthetic overlain leather, a cushioned insole and a wraparound flexible rubber traction outsole.  As you may know, I'm a firm believer in buying a single pair of quality shoes for my kids, I refuse to buy into the consumerism that more is better and at $53 a pair Skechers Hot Lights meets my need for quality while catching the attention of my little racer.

We're giving away a pair of Skechers Hot Lights or Twinkle Toes to one lucky Momma Stuff Blog reader, check out the Rafflecopter after the jump to enter!

pediped® footwear review

We have received many pairs of shoes for the boy, some new and many used but I have only bought three pairs.  All three pairs have been worn daily until they were outgrown and all three pairs were pediped^® footwear.  I did a lot of research before I bought the boy his first shoes, I wanted something soft and natural, not restricting around the ankle but still durable, supportive and well-made.

Pediped^® footwear has three collections 'The Originals', 'flex' and 'couture'.  We have only tried out the Originals, but they have definitely met my expectations.  Given the track record, our next shoe purchase will definitely be a pair of pediped flex.  Pediped Originals are a soft leather soled shoes that resemble the shape of the foot.  Without the thick rubber sole I didn't have to worry about the boy tripping as he learned to walk, or even when he was crawling.  The elastic faux laces, velcro and generous width all make it super easy to fit the shoes onto the boys feet.

The sole itself feels smooth, but despite my concerns, they truly are slip-resistant, I found that when the boy was just gaining his balance, he actually seemed to be more stable with his pediped^® footwear on.  Now that he is walking, running even, I'm happy to report that I have yet to see him slip as a result of his shoes.  And even though he has been wearing his current pair of pediped footwear during his foray into walking over the past two months, the soles show no sign of wear despite their regular use outdoors.

Most importantly the boy seems comfortable in his pediped^® footwear, he has never really pulled or tugged on his shoes (until his recent obsession with velcro) and he rarely, if ever, fights us when its time to put them on.  In fact I sent the boy to my Mom house the other day wearing some second hand sandals that were a bit cooler, but he still came back home in his pediped footwear.  My Mom informed me he was much more comfy in his Brady pediped^® sandals.

I love that the inside of the shoes feels cushy, like memory foam.  I remember my delight the first time I stuck my fingers in his sweaty little shoes and could feel the boys toe indentations.  He had just learned to pull himself at the time and as I ran my fingers over the grooves in his shoes, I relished in the moment hoping to keep the memory with me forever.

In addition to all of the other great features, pediped footwear is podiatrist recommended, and reasonably priced for the quality of the product.  Did I mention they come in tons of adorable styles and are super cute?  If I had a little girl I would definitely have more trouble buying only one pair per size.  We love pediped^® footwear at our house, and I truly have no complaints; in my eyes, an absolute 5/5!

Stonz Booties - Review & Coupon

With Spring just around the corner, you only have to glance in a store window, or browse your favourite online shops to see that retailers are bringing out the cute little sandals, shorts and tee-shirts, convincing us that hot, lazy days will be upon us shortly.  I live in Vancouver, BC and although the sun shone for the Olympics, we get a lot of rain here.  Seriously, a lot of rain.  I personally don't plan on picking up sandals for the boy anytime soon.

What I did pick up recently [ok I admit it, I ordered them online] is a pair of Stonz Booties for the boy. Stonz Wear is a local company, created by mothers, for mothers.  Stonz Booties are water and wind resistant, fleece lined with a skid resistant sole and machine washable.  My son doesn't walk on his own yet, so what that really means is that when I'm helping him walk across the backyard, or park I know that his little feet are warm and dry and its pretty unlikely that he's going to lose his footing.
 
What's particularly great about Stonz Booties is the wide circumference of the bootie; it doesn't narrow down much at the ankle.  I admit that I initially thought this feature made the booties ugly, but practicality quickly took over when I realized just how much easier the wide opening made it to slip my son's flailing foot into the bootie.  The two toggle system (one around the ankle, one at the top of the bootie) allows Momma (or Daddy or Gramma or Aunty...) to quickly tighten and secure the booties while ensuring a nice snug fit for your little one.  These boots are staying put!

As booties, they of course come midway up the calf and combined with the snug fit of the toggles, Stonz booties keep my son's legs protected from the elements even when he is crawling like crazy, exploring grass, rocks and everything that is nature. They also keep his legs covered while in the baby carrier, and they are much quicker to put on than babylegs - my old solution to bare legs in the carrier.

Stonz Booties come in sizes small through extra-large and are designed to fit little ones from newborn through three years.  The extra-large size is a fairly new addition to the line and not all sizes are available in the larger sizes.  That being said, Stonz bootie sizing is generous; I have a size large intended for children aged one to two and a half and at this point they fit great with shoes on.  That's right, I just slip his feet, shoes and all, into the booties when its time to go outside.  I have had absolutley no problems fitting the shoes into the booties, or having his feet slip around inside the booties.  By buying the larger size and wearing them with shoes now, and without later, I figure I am maximizing the boy's wear and spreading my dollar a little farther. 

At a price of $46.95 CDN a pair, it seems worthwhile to purchase Stonz Booties early and ensure your little one wears them lots.  They are well constructed, sturdy and absolutley worth the price.  I am very happy with my sons' Stonz booties, he wears them in the backyard, in the park or even in the stroller on particularly wet and windy days.  Truly, I have no complaints about Stonz Booties and give them a 5/5!

Coupon Code:
Since the people at Stonz Wear are totally awesome, they are offering readers of The Momma Stuff Blog an opportunity to save 10% on their purchase if they order between now and April 19.  Keep in mind this discount applies to your entire order, so be sure to check out the Linerz, Hatz and Mittz as well as the Booties!  To get your discount, type in promo code mommastuff when you checkout!

Special thanks to Stonz for providing The Momma Stuff Blog with our very first promo code!