Tag: kid

Splay

In all of my recent shoe research, I came across Splay Athletics. These minimalist, barefoot shoes are just perfect for kids feet. Their affordable price is like music to a parents ears and the fit allows kiddos to move, run, jump, and skip freely.

Splay shoes are a great addition to our shoe collection. The affordable price of these are attractive and many of the colors are neutral so the shoes can be worn and worn again, even with different genders.

My kids feet are not hindered in any way when wearing these shoes, which is so important for little, growing feet. They are super flat and have no arch. This feature allows feet to build strong muscles in order to walk properly.

I love these shoes for our kids because of the flexibility of them. They move so easily and mimic the foot shape and movement of my kids. Whatever foot movement my kids do, the shoe moves right along with them. I just love this design because I really believe this is how shoes are supposed to be.

Splay Athletic shoes are super lightweight. That is the first feature that stood out to me; I really couldn’t believe it. This is great because they aren’t ‘clunky’. So often I feel that kids shoes are big and bulky and the weight of many of them just seem overpowering on a little foot. These shoes are quite the opposite of that.

The Splay shoes are completely machine washable, so if your kids are like mine and get dirty often, this is music to your ears. I haven’t had the need to wash the shoes yet, but I have seen before and after photos of other kids Splay shoes and it’s pretty incredible how clean they get. This is for sure a perk of these shoes.

There is just one thick, Velcro strap on the top of the shoe that allows for easy off and on access. My three year old who has trouble with many other shoes can put these on with no problems!

On the toe and heel of the shoe there is a microfiber strip. This really creates a barrier and offers lots of protection. These parts of a children’s shoe are often the first to go, so the reinforced strip is great.

I have noticed that these shoes are great for kids with low volume feet and not so great for kids with high volume feet. My three year old has very high volume feet.

This means that from the top of his foot to the bottom of his foot it’s tall. In comparison, someone who has a low volume foot will have a short measurement from the top of the foot to the bottom of the foot. High volume feet would need shoe laces to be loosened much more than low volume feet, whose shoe laces would need tightened so the foot is secure.

Because of the high volume of his feet, these shoes do not fit his foot super well. They really bend upwards because of his foot shape. This causes an issue because the Velcro strap doesn’t close and secure very much. If I help him get a good closure, they work, but if he does it on his own the shoes often times fall off.

Something to keep in mind.

Connect with Splay Athletics

Facebook          Instagram          Twitter

A downside that we are experiencing with these Splay shoes is the fraying of the tongue of the shoe. I have noticed that on either side of the tongue there is quite a bit of fraying occurring. This is happening on the outside of the stitching, so I hoping that the fraying will not go beyond that.

These are such great shoes and I’m thrilled for my boys to have them to wear this spring and summer. I love the versatility of them. They can be worn with or without socks which is great, and I really feel like they can be dressed up or down.

The price tag on these shoes is very affordable and in the price range of most other children’s shoes. I do think that for the price, these Splay Athletics shoes are well worth it.

Splay is offering free shipping right now, so hurry up and grab a pair for your kiddos!

 

The Chair that Grows

Hey Mamas!

We wish you the happiest of Mother’s Day and hope it is spent doing what you love best!

I love this day of celebration mostly because I get a chuckle out of watching my husband take on the impossible task of independently feeding and clothing two kids for church and brunch. I can’t help intervening to inform my husband our daughter isn’t wearing shoes or my son yet again took off his dress pants and switched back to pajamas.

That’s why Mother’s Day always involves brunch right? Dad’s can’t keep the kids alive and clean all the way to dinner so we have to get the celebration out first thing in the morning!

Then nap time rolls around and exhausted dads everywhere finally find the time to sit and praise their wives with the common phrase

“I don’t know how you do this all day, everyday!”

Moms are a special beings because we do it all day every day…and love it.

Yes we love the drama, kissing ouchies, sweeping a forever dirty floor, and even dare I say it, changing diapers. We love the chaos because it’s OUR chaos brought to us by OUR kiddos. We love our kids unconditionally and want nothing but the best for their lives.

Which leads to my husband getting a chuckle from my Mother’s Day want list. You see the word “want” has lost a lot of value since being a mother. Why waste money on things I want when there are two little humans with a ton of needs. But the funnest part is I actually geek out over baby and house wear items! One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was an avocado tool.

So my husband struggled yet again between finding a balance between getting me something beautiful and getting me something I wanted for our house.

But if you geek out over baby gear like I do, you will agree the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair is not only practical its a beautiful piece of accent furniture for your home.

Meet Stokke

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

 

Tripp Trapp Chair 

  • Brings baby closer to the family

My family is a huge supporter of family dinners. I think it is important to have everyone in one place at one time with no distractions. Family dinners is also one of the reasons we chose to introduce solids with baby led weaning. We want our children eating what we are eating and engaging in the same healthy habits we choose for ourselves. The Tripp Trapp Chair was specifically designed to fit comfortably against a table. An infant, toddler, and adult can all find a perfect fit up against any table with the adjustable seat and diagonal design.

We love having our children at the table and using our Stokke chair for meals, crafts, games, and baking.

 

  • Adjustable seat

Any little one can find maximum comfort by having the perfect height and depth combination with the adjustable seat and footplate. The goal is to promote correct body alignment for a seated child by getting their feet to rest squarely on the footplate. A 6 month old and 60 year old can both find the same comfort and support in the Tripp Trapp Chair.

I love that my 3 year old can easily climb onto this chair and be at the perfect height to reach his food.

My 6 month old nephew can be supported and secure in the Tripp Trapp and still have the benefit of eating at the table with the family.

And I actually love using this chair when I am sewing! I adjust the seat so that my foot rests perfectly on the sewing pedal. The leveled seat and angled backing supports my postures and prevents me from hunching over. It is encouraging to know that once my kids eventually stop using this chair it can still find use in our home.

  • Safe and Secure

I truly appreciate the ingenious design of the Tripp Trapp Chair! We use to have a lot of chair battles with our kiddos. My 3 year old son liked to push against the table with his hands and consistently got disciplined for sitting on his knees. My 18 month old daughter liked to push against the table with her feet and watch me have a panic attack.

The concave design of the chair back helps me scoot my kids’ lower half under the table; preventing their legs from escaping.

The Tripp Trapp chair extender gliders provide increased backward stability. Meaning pushing, rocking, and backward arching isn’t going to tip this chair. Our first dinner using the Tripp Tripp my daughter was being ornery and pushed the table with her hands to try and rock backward. Her chair scooted away from the table and didn’t rock in the slightest bit. I was amazed and my daughter was defeated and frustrated her little “trick” only made her food unreachable.

 

Also included with the Tripp Trapp chair is a 5-point harness. The straps are durable and very easy to clean.The back of the straps includes a fastener that can be adjusted to keep the straps from slipping off baby’s shoulders. My 6 month old nephew felt very secure strapped in and my 18 month old could not escape.

 

 

  • Easy to clean

Yes! My favorite part of this high chair! I had a fancy chair with a cushion for 2 months. 2 MONTHS and then I gave it away! Personally I thought it was the dumbest baby product in our home. Even with a toothpick and toothbrush I couldn’t completely clean the cracks and crannies of our highchair, which resulted in mold!

The Tripp Trapp Chair is pretty straight forward when cleaning. The solid beach wood is easy to quickly wipe down with a wet cloth and there is no place for food to hide. I am confident our chair is clean and there isn’t dingy food bits wedged in crevices waiting to mold.

  • Variety of colors

Check our the variety of woods and colors the Tripp Trapp Chair comes in. You can easily find a chair that accents your kitchen, matches your dinning set, or is a bold vibrant pop of color in your house.

 

Tripp Trapp Baby Set 

One accessory you can buy for your Tripp Trapp Chair is the baby set. The environmentally friendly plastic accessory easy attaches to any Tripp Trapp chair. The set was made to support children from 6 months to 3 years.

   

For my newly sitting 6 month old nephew, the hi-back and seating rail supported him from loosing his balance.

He was able to sit at the table without the risk my face planting into our oak table top. He was certainly happy to be sitting at the table with his older cousins.

Although my 3 year old does not need the baby set to sit securely in the Tripp Trapp chair I appreciated he can fit in it. We have the baby set on our chair to keep my 18 month old safe and secure. My son eats multiple snacks a day while I work, clean, or tend to his sister. He thinks it is awesome to sit in her cool chair while I appreciate the assurance of his safety while I am multitasking. With the baby set my son can’t get down without my help, he can’t sit on his knees, he can’t fall off a chair, and he can’t tip the chair back. So if you have multiple little ones under 4 you can use the Tripp Trapp with the baby set without having to remove baby set to fit the older ones.

Tripp Trapp Cushion 

For an extra splash of style and comfort Stokke makes cushions for the Tripp Trapp chair. These lush comfort cushions prevent babies from slipping down during meal time and provide extra support on little backs from 6 month to 3 years. The 100% polyester material comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

We loved our cushion was able to to fit on the baby set as well as directly onto Tripp Trapp chair.  The versatility and durability make it a practical addition to our chair.

My sister was completely impressed when she started to wipe down the cushion after her son “ate” an avocado. Everything cleaned up perfectly without staining or scrubbing.

I personally loved how waterproof it felt as my daughter dumped her cup on herself. Baby can be ready to sit back on the cushion without having to let it dry, which also means the inside stuffing is safe from molding.

More from Stokke

If you love the ingenious deign of the Tripp Trapp Chair then chances are you will love Stokke’s other baby products as well!

 

We hope you have a beautiful Mother’s Day and you get spoiled on this special day!

Heres to many more years of wishing for clean floors and geeking out on baby products!

 

Usborne Books with Haley – a Review

Usborne Books with Haley – A review

What are you putting in your child’s Easter basket? Candy? Trinkets? Books?

basket

Haley Strong is a mom just like me. She loves her children, and cares about their growth and development. A large part of a child’s development comes from their exposure to books. Maybe I should look into book scanners more and use one to share fantastic books with those who don’t have access to them. But anyway, she recently became a rep with Usborne Books so she can supply her child and other children with amazing, beautiful books. We all have heard that reading to your children, starting at birth, is key to their development. Here are ten reasons why books are pivotal in your child’s life:

  1. A stronger relationship with you.
  2. Academic excellence
  3. Basic speech skills
  4. The basics of how to read a book
  5. Better Communication skills
  6. Mastery of language
  7. More logical thinking skills
  8. Acclimation to new experiences
  9. Enhanced concentration and discipline
  10. The knowledge that reading is fun!

(For more about these 10 reasons please visit here)

easterKnowing the wonderful benefits of exposing your children to books, you are going to want to increase your home library. Books are available everywhere. We see them in big box stores, grocery stores, toy stores…the list goes on and on. When it comes down to it, what matters is content and price. Haley is able to help us get books with both wonderful content and at a great price. Usborne Books and More is a company which holds “book parties” where you can attend a party in person, or the newly popular online party. If you are on Facebook then you have received an invite to some type of party. Nails, candles. beauty products…they are all fun (I mean I know I buy from them) but they don’t fill our children with the knowledge and love that a book can.

“Usborne Books & More is a division of Educational Development Corporation (EDC), a well-established company that has twice been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of The 200 Best Small Companies in America and three times by Fortune Magazine as one of America’s 100 Fastest Growing Small Companies, and has been in existence for over 20 years.”

truckHaley started selling Usborne just this January after attending a party herself. As a mom and a special education teacher she instantly saw that this business has so much to offer to parents, schools and home schooler’s. Usborne has a great book fair program giving which gives 50% in sales in books, and a grant matching program. As a consultant, you can earn up to 30% in commission, earn free books and other cool prizes, earn trips, and of course get a great discount on the books! If you are looking for a way to make extra income and earn free books for yourself then contact Haley at hrstrong811 @ gmail.com and visit her Facebook page. If you email Haley and mention MamatheFox she will send you a FREE activity card! 🙂

 

You are able to place an order at anytime here. No need to wait for a party to be open. Usborne wants you to get books into easter to doyour child’s hands as fast as possible. One of the best parts about Usborne is their shipping. They have a “5 day” typical turn around, but most people that Haley knows have gotten their books even fast then that. You are now wondering, what is the shipping? Like $30?! Nope, a solid $6 flat! No matter how big or small your order is.

usborne-books

I was given 2 books to sample from Usborne. Secrets Of The Seahorse (Shine-A-Light) and That’s Not My Fox Touchy-Feely Board Book.

Secrets Of The Seahorse (Shine-A-LightDorothy words)

This is such a cool book! I have never, in all my years, seen a book like this. This book has special pages which, when held up to a light, you can see through to the other side. Every page has this feature. The story shows children creatures of the sea, their habitats and the food they eat. My daughter (2 years old) was amazed at the special secrets on every single page. We have a tiny flashlight she uses for comfort at night in bed. We used that because it is small enough for her to hold and control while being powerful enough to reflect the hidden picture. If you don’t have a flashlight you can simply hold the book up to natural sun light or the light from a lamp. This keep my busy, I mean busy, 2 year old sitting still for 10 solid minutes. This is a must for the toddlers in your life.

max words

That’s Not My Fox Touchy-Feely Board Book.

This is the perfect touch and feel book for infants. We all have seen the touch/feel books before. Most, in my opinion, are lame and fall short of any real ‘touch’ engagement. I have been blown away with the quality of Usborne’s touchy-feely books. Each page has an engaging touch feature which captivates your readers and explorers senses. All are relative to the story, large enough for small eyes to spot and have a significant textile distinction to be considered a true feely experience. The story features the quest to find the readers fox. They keep finding other foxes with different qualities but not ‘their’ fox. Will this elusive fox be found!? Grab a copy for yourself to find out.

With Easter approaching us and baskets needing to be filled, what better thing to fill them with then books! Candy is fun and toys come and go, but a book can leave a positive and lasting mark on a child. With book levels from newborn to middle school you are guaranteed to find what you are looking for. They don’t limit their buyers to books alone, they also offer flash cards, sticker books, drawling resources, puzzles and more! For the inquisitive toddler and pre-tween they have a huge selection of non-fiction books to broaden minds and answer questions. These are books that homeschoolers are eating up.

Click here to see more books from Usborne Books and More.

Visit Haley on Facebook.

Try to win a $25 credit to Usborne with Haley (Open 3/2/15-3/16/15 to US and Canada)