A look at Pediped + Giveaway!

I don't know about you but this summer has been crazy!  First it took forever to get here (any other Hoosiers here that completely missed spring thanks to our crazy weather?) then once it got here it's been a flurry of activities and appointments and running every which way.  I've been dying to write this post for months now and I'm finally getting around to doing so.

Why have I been itching to write it?  Because I get to feature and GIVEAWAY one of my all-time favorite products! Seriously y'all, we are lifetime customers.

[Disclaimer: I have received free product in exchange for writing this review.  However, as always- all opinions are my own and I am in no way required to give a positive review.  Giveaway items are sponsored by PediPed and administered by Cut, Craft, Create]

pediped is a shoe company for babies, toddlers and big kids that practices their slogan "the next best thing to bare feet".  As a barefoot fan, this first caught my attention. But a couple years and three pairs of shoes later- I have a lot more reasons to love them.


Here's why:

1- Barefoot (or close to it) is good for kids!  Bare feet strengthens and promotes agility from the feet all the way up to the hips.  When we don't wear shoes our feet are able to feel the ground beneath us better and thus learn to respond in a healthier way.  Those tiny adjustments add up and over time improve our balance, movement and posture.  (I mentioned this in my last pediped post here) Sometimes though, we have to wear shoes so this is literally the "next best thing."



2- These shoes are quality.  I'll admit, I'm generally a "buy cheap stuff" gal but when it comes to everyday shoes for the kids, I want quality.  These are shoes the kids play in, climb in, even hike in! I LOVE how flexible they are while also being sturdy.  My kids climb over rocks, scale trees without slipping and simply do everyday play in their pediped shoes. 

[He's checking out the flexible grip design.  Really!  He commented about how they 'bend' ha! Even kids notice!]

3- They are machine washable.  It sounds silly but this is something specifically that I look for when children's shoe shopping and both pairs we currently own are completely machine washable. (I don't believe our baby ones were though so double check before purchasing!)  I've washed both shoes pictured on this post multiple times in our regular washing machine!

[It's hard to see but the silver on these shoes is SPARKLY!  And they continue to stay sparkly after lots of puddle jumps and runs through the washing machine.]

4- They look really nice. There are so many options avilable on their website that you are bound to find one, or two.. or a dozen that you love! The easy to navigate website allows you to shop size (baby/toddler/big kid) plus special deals, gifts and sizing help.  Within each category you can choose the style of shoe you want or even shop by gender or search bar!

[This is the pair we had when my son was about 18 months old]

5- They are easy to put on.  My daughter has the 'silver glitter' "Minnie" shoes and is 2 years old.  She is able to put them on quickly by herself with no trouble.  The elastic strap is not only easy to close but she can even get it through the loop if it comes all the way undone.  I love that she is able to do it all herself because she is Miss Independent in everything she does and this has eliminated a lot of meltdowns from mommy "trying to help".

6- Last but not least- They are a GOOD company. They run all sorts of fun events and giveaways throughout the year.  We actually WON the Dani Grey/Orange that my son is wearing during their online Easter egg hunt for only 1 penny! They gave away dozens of pairs of shoes over a couple of days!  Even more amazing, they send out shoes to customers simply for the sake of 'paying it forward" called the Serendipity Program.  They also offer a ton of vegan material-made shoes so you can buy quality without harming animals!

 [Screenshot taken directly from pediped Instagram story]

If I haven't made it clear yet, I love these shoes and this company.  I think it's a worthy company to support but if you'd like to snag a FREE pair while you shop around- then enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 


Contest open to residents of the US ages 18 years of age and older. No purchase necessary. Must complete prompts using widget above.  Winner picks "girl or boy" and size of shoe and Pediped will send a style of their choice to the winner free of charge.

My Favorite Baby Shoes- {Review & Giveaway}

Have you ever received a gift and thought it was cute and then after actually using it you became obsessed with it?  That happens with me all the time. Or sometimes I think I'm going to love something and end up hating it.  It just goes to show that I don't know what I like!   These days I mostly buy products for my kids because, well #momlife.  When I find something really really good, I like to share it with you because I know a lot of you are moms and dads too.  Even better? When the company lets me give away a pair!!! Guys, I'm in love.

[Disclaimer: I have received free product from Clamfeet in exchange for an honest review.  I only collaborate with companies that I personally use and trust.  All opinions are my own and from my own experience.  Giveaway items are a gift from Clamfeet.]

So here's the deal. I received a pair of these adorable baby shoes (in the gwynth style) as a gift when my daughter was born.  I'm not big on putting babies in shoes but I gave them a shot when the weather got cool.  That's all it took. I. was. hooked.  She just recently has started to outgrow them so I looked up their website to see about getting more. Upon scrolling through all the beautiful prints and reading the backstory about this amazing small business I loved them even more! I'll keep it brief but let me tell you why I like them so much and what makes this company extra special:

Why I like them:

Number 1: They stay on babe's feet. Obviously this is a big deal.  We've only owned about 2 brands of shoe that actually stayed on our baby's feet.  This leads me to my next point:

{Moccasin style elastic at the ankle keeps these little shoes on and ready for action!}

Number 2: They are half the cost of the other "stay on their feet" shoe that we own.  I used to be a big advocate for the other company- that was until I found these. I'm never going back.

Number 3: They are machine washable. That's right. I literally toss them into a regular load of laundry and they come out good as new. I've washed ours multiple times and they look amazing, especially considering how dirty my daughter gets them!

{Same shoes about 1.5 hours apart after being washed in the machine with a load of kid's clothes}

Number 4: They're cute!  I'm shocked at how many cute fabric prints they have available for boys and girls.

{These are the 2nd pair we've owned, in print style June... my daughter's name! It was a sign I had to get them!}

Here's my top 'boy' prints:

And my top 'girl' prints (that I don't own... yet):

Of course, lots of these prints are actually pretty gender neutral.  They also have more solid colored options if you aren't looking for a wild print!  Check out the full list of options (because I don't have room to share them all here!)




So what makes them so special?

Not sold on them yet? How about this:

Number 1: This business is owned and operated by a woman named Julie.  I don't mean she's the big CEO that oversees everything I mean, she literally sews your shoes.  This is a true small business success story and my heart is melting over it!  (check out her instagram to see her setup!)

Number 2: All of her patterns are either created by Julie herself or independent artists (and printed in North Carolina!) How's that for unique product?

Number 3: I know I said this in the previous bullet points, but they are WASHABLE!  If you have kids already, you'll know this is enough said.

Number 4: This is a biggie.  These shoes are made from completely vegan materials and lined with an organic lining.  Do a little research on the other shoes you are buying and you will see that few use sustainable resources like Clamfeet does! Cute shoes. Great price. Good for the environment. It's a win-win-win.

{I love how flexible these shoes are! I'm a big believer in the idea that kids should go barefoot but that's just not possible sometimes. That's why I love shoes that give my child some protection while also allowing for foot movement and being able to feel their surroundings better than with a standard hard sole}

Is there anything I don't like?

Of course, no product is perfect.  I do have my complaints.  Although it says that "baby shoes" (sizes 1-5) are indoor/outdoor, the larger sizes are meant for indoor use only.  (This is because the smaller sizes are more of a moccasin style where as the bigger ones are more of a slipper sock style). I would LOVE to get a matching pair for me that I could wear out and about!  I may have to get some with a grip bottom and wear them outside anyway... be a rebel and all.  She will substitute any size shoe with the "grip" bottom though if you ask- so don't worry about your little walker sliding around!

(For the record, my daughter walked for a few months on the faux suede bottom and had no trouble sliding around as she walked- although she did have a little trouble climbing the plastic slide!) but we have mostly carpeted floors so if you have any doubts, ask for the grip bottom!

{This is the grip bottom. See my "before & after" picture above for the faux suede}

I bet you are pretty psyched about these shoes now aren't you?  Well hold on to your hats folks (I've always wanted to say that) because we're GIVING A PAIR AWAY!!!  It's easy to enter, just follow the Rafflecopter prompts below and complete the tasks.  One lucky winner will be chosen randomly on March 30, 2018.  Make sure you are following Cut, Craft, Create on facebook because I usually post some "bonus entry" options for my giveaways that you wont want to miss!

Giveaway is for (1) pair of Clamfeet shoes in the size of your choice (in sizes 1-4) and fabric of your choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pediped [Review + Giveaway]

Ah spring... a time when the flowers start to bloom and the air gets a little warmer.  A time when we all start dreaming of the days to come where we can swim, hike and run barefoot.  Does that sound like you?  My husband puts on shoes as soon as he wakes up and doesn't take them off until it's time for bed.  Me?  I would go barefoot literally everywhere if businesses would let me.

Let's take a little quiz, shall we?  Which is better for you: shoes or bare feet?  Did you guess bare feet?  That's right!  It's true and not just because that's my preference.  Being barefoot isn't only good for adults either- it's great for kids, especially ones first learning to walk.  Bare feet strengthens and promotes agility from the feet all the way up to the hips.  When we don't wear shoes our feet are able to feel the ground beneath us better and thus learn to respond in a healthier way.  Those tiny adjustments add up and over time improve our balance, movement and posture [Read more about this here and a variety of other online and paper sources.]

That's great!  But wait, we have to wear shoes almost everywhere except our home (and the beach!)  That's where these awesome little shoes come in...

[Disclaimer:  I received free product for review from pediped in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own and in no way am I required to write a positive review.]



pediped

What is pediped?  It's a company that specializes in making shoes that provide protection for your feet while encouraging healthy foot development.  How you ask?  By making shoes that are the "next best thing to bare feet"  (that's actually their slogan!)  Pediped has shoes for young boys and girls (and 'tween and women sizes too) with three separate categories to best fit a child's growing needs- Originals, Grib n Go, and Flex. 

I asked if I could have the Originals Norm Grey for my son to try.  I love that they look like little boat shoes and the color is perfect!  But how does he like wearing them?  Here is a little video of him testing them out for the first time...

He was able to run from grass to rocks and back to grass again without missing a beat.  I really feel like the flexible sole helped him do this as I have watched him "trip himself up" more than once before in some of his hard-sole shoes and sandals.  They also didn't come off when he ran which is of course always a good thing!

So here's the deal with these shoes...

-They are made from a soft leather, have a flexible sole and a soft foam insert in between the layers of leather.  The particular style we tried is part of the "Originals" collection which is made for babes that are first starting to walk (available in size 0-24 month).  If your littles are a shade older than this read here for information about the larger stages.

{FYI my son can walk over these rocks no problem in these shoes because they move and bend as needed}

-They have a velcro closure which I love!  Once I even mention the word "outside" my son is so ready to go that he has no time for shoe laces. I can whip these shoes on him in seconds flat!


-Each shoe is made with hand-stitching which helps their little feet breathe.  And let's admit... it's totes cute- am I right?

You can see in the photo above how the darker grey has a textured look to the print.  I love the small details that really make these shoes look nice.


-The soles also have a surprisingly good grip.  They are made to be slip resistant and as you can see in the video below, my son didn't have any trouble climbing up this loose gravel which really did surprise me.

Did I mention that they come in a nice box?  Maybe that's just exciting for me...

We don't store the shoes in the box but we will use the box for lots of other things.  My son likes to carry it by the handle!  It's the little things in life.

If you have a little girl, make sure to check out their collection of girls shoes because oh. my. gosh. cuteness overload.  If I ever have a little girl I'm buying those floral ones!  Of course, you know I love the boys shoes too- boys clothing/accessories has really improved in the last couple of years!  It's all so precious.

Want Your Own?
Pediped is sure you are going to love these shoes and wants to offer one of you a pair for your little one as well!  Winner will receive a pair of Originals shoes and will be able to choose "boy or girl" and size but not style.  Each style is unique but holds the great qualities that I've mentioned already.  Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest open to residents of US and Canada 18 years of age and older.  See Terms & Conditions for more details.

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

{Tutorial} I upcycled my shoes into a bracelet!

This weekend I am finally getting around to having a garage sale at my house.  I have way too much stuff and absolutely no reason to keep it.  Anyone else like that?  It was hard to let a few things go (like my Beatles Posters) but I have decided that it is time to move forward with my life and get rid of everything I don't use.  One thing that I was planning on selling were these darling shoes that sort of looked like moccasins... with heels!  They hurt my feet anymore to wear them but I just couldn't let go of the fabric that was on them.

I had a choice to make: sell these shoes for 50 cents or...

Make a bracelet out of them!

I know, I know... but I love jewelry and I couldn't bear the thought of getting rid of these shoes entirely.

Here's what they looked like before:

They were super easy to make and took just a few minutes...

 The shape of the fabric was perfect for this project.

First, I cut all the brown straps off of the shoe and pulled them out of the eyelets.  Then I cut the two pieces on each shoe apart from each other.

To make the fabric piece fit comfortable around my wrist, I got it wet and placed it around a gift wrapping tube that was roughly the size of my wrist. To hold it down, use a rubber band or a piece of ribbon.  Let dry before removing.

Next, I took the wider piece and hot glued (that's right, you don't have to sew it if you don't want to!) Braiding Cord onto each end.  I chose to put two cords on each side, but that is personal preference.  Make sure to allow room to go around your wrist and to tie.

I finished it with a small piece of spandex fabric so that it was smooth against my wrist and was less likely to come apart.

To tie the ends, I made a slip knot.  I don't think I have ever made them the proper way, but it seems to always work out!  

Trim off any excess cording and voila!  I can't believe how cute this bracelet turned out.  I am so happy that I did not sell these shoes at the garage sale.

 

Your Turn!

Is there anything lying around your house that could use a new look?  Consider turning it into a new piece of jewelry in just a few minutes.  What do you think about this sort of upcycling?

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

Day Six of "I could make that" March!

It's Day Six of "I could make that!" March and today we have something even better than Cinderella's glass slipper- Newspaper Heels!

Of course, this idea was inspired by an image I pinned on Pinterest:

{via}

Apparently this idea came from Michaels (LOVE Michaels!).  I actually like the Superhero look a lot, but since I'm not much of a comic book reader, I thought it would be a bit of a lie for me to sport these amazing heels. 

However, if you've been following me for very long you know that I LOVE newspaper.  I've made newspaper mason jars, decorative glitter sticks, Easter eggs and more- all from newspaper!  So why would these heels be any different?

I bought those silver heels at Goodwill several years ago.  There are large clear beads attached at the toe, which I kept on the shoes.  Small strips of newspaper were cut and placed in between the beads.  Because the shoes were originally silver, any gaps in the paper are non visible from eye level.

Not bad, huh?

This could be pasted in several smaller pieces as well, I just chose to make the side strips long.  It's entirely up to you!

I didn't change a thing from the original instructions listed on the Michaels Pinterest image except for using newspaper.  Just cut, Mod Podge, stick and cover again with Mod Podge!  That's it!

{Your Turn!}

Forget about the glass slipper, you wont want to leave your newspaper heels behind!  Can you think of another material pattern to use (other than comic or newspaper)?  Anyone else willing to try this out?

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann