Perfect Pediped

In my house, we have a love/hate relationship with shoes. On the practical side, we all hate to wear them. At any given moment, you will likely find at least 2 out of 3 of the occupants of this house without shoes or socks. Plus, the best I can muster in the extremely hot Louisiana summers is a pair of fashionable flip flops. I'll never forget how disgusted my Italian Professor was in college -- seeing us all in these casual flip flops (mine at least had some sparkles) and commenting on how they would never wear "zees zchoos een Eee-tayl-ee". However, on the fabulous and fashionable side, I am in love with shoes of all kinds, and have been known to buy a great pair of shoes and then find an outfit to match them.

With that in mind, Little AG and I were fortunate enough to be able to try out a pair of these fabulous Pediped shoes. I have to tell you, they were awesome. I love the soft-soled leather bottoms, yet they look so sophisticated on the top (not like slippers). The little velcro closure is perfect -- these shoes actually stayed on. And I don't just mean for a minute -- I'm talking ALL DAY. We played outside, inside, she crawled on pavement and stumbled through the grass. We even went to the grocery store in them and managed to leave without ever having to retrace our steps for a missing shoe. I'm in love.

Pediped shoes were developed by two parents in 2005, Angela and Brian Edgeworth, who were desperate to find the perfect soft-soled shoe for their baby daughter. Well, they did it right! Pediped shoes also meet both US and European (more stringent) standards for children's products, meaning there is no chance of lead or any other unhealthy toxins being ingested by your child, even if they choose to lick these shoes (hey, kids do strange things). You can purchase them in more than 35 designs and the original Pedipeds come in 4 different sizes (0-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-18 months, and 18-24 months). Too small for your child? Try the brand new Flex line from Pediped -- which has sizes from 6-12 with a soft rubber sole. The designs for both lines are precious -- my favorite is the "Giselle" for girls (pictured top right), and the Liam in Chocolate Brown and Baby Blue for boys -- (pictured bottom right). Prices on the Pediped website range from $30-$48 dollars per pair, so go check them out!

Want it? Use discount code hapr08 for Free Shipping at www.pediped.com!

Baby Bella Maya Booties

Woohoo! I finally got my darling computer back. I have been using a PC in the meantime, and while it has served it's purpose, I'm so very ecstatic to have my mac back. (my mac back? how do I always manage to rhyme?) Anyway, on to the shopping!!!!

I was browsing various online stores today (because, uh, that's what I do) and I fell in love with these adorable Baby Bella Maya Booties. They are so inexpensive at only $10 a pair, and they come in cute patterns for boys as well. But, being a girl, and a girl who loves all things animal-print (mirror, mirror on the wall -- I'm my great grandmother after all) I swooned over this adorable "Lollipop Leopard" design. My other favorites are "Zoe Zebra", "Ocean Mist" and "Beary Blue Stripe Boy". Oh so chic and sweet -- they come in sizes 0-6 months and 6-12 months, so they are perfect for the set that has a hard time finding great shoes! Je les adore!

PS -- What an inexpensive baby gift add-on! Don't you think these look more expensive than they are?! Go grab a pair -- you'll be the hit of the baby shower!

Kai's Kool Kicks

I have so many favorite styles of shoes over at See Kai Run that I can't even pick one! These handcrafted shoes are sturdy enough for outdoor play, but flexible enough for developing feet (and feet of those 15 month olds who have yet to walk, ahem, like Little AG). I can't help but love these little boots -- I love "adult" items in smaller sizes! They look so adorable on little feet! These boots are called "Lillian Grace" and I can't wait until it cools down again (so, like, in January here in Louisiana, and then it will only last for 3 weeks) to buy her some of these! Boots are $42 at See Kai Run, many other styles start as low as $26 (like these adorable "Gretchen" shoes).

Mini Toes

Yay for Etsy! I love these adorable soft-soled leather shoes, handmade by Etsy seller "minitoes". There are a bunch of different designs, but this pair is one of my favorites. They look so sporty! These are perfect for Little AG because she (still) isn't walking, and when I put her in hard-soled shoes she freezes in place because she can't move in them. Plus, these are made to stay on baby's feet -- so it solves my problem of losing shoes in stores and parks, never to be seen again! The owner of Minitoes also has a summer line of sandals for the hot weather, so check them out by heading over to her Etsy store "Minitoes". Most pairs are only $18, though a few are cheaper.