Cleatskins

For anyone with kids who play sports (and I believe that covers approximately 85% of people reading this blog), you will absolutely love this invention, Cleatskins.

Place these rubber shells over your cleats and you will be ready to hit the streets. You can bop from the field to the car to the house without depositing dirt with every step. Moms, you won't need to worry when junior runs across your new hardwood floor with his Cleatskins covering his cleats. No scratches will be left on that shiny surface! Or when little Lucy comes off the dirty soccer field and hops in the car. Moms, your car will stay nice and clean! Can you even imagine? It's like the days of yore - before your own kids were "invented".

Not only do these nifty covers keep surfaces clean, they protect those expensive cleats as well.
"Cleatskins are a revolutionary footwear accessory for athletes on-the-go." (And let's face it, if you are an athlete, you are always on-the-go.)

"Cleatskins is the perfect fit for cleats worn for a variety of outdoor sports, including baseball, football, soccer, and golf. Cleatskins are versatile enough to match any shoe, team uniform, or outfit in youth, kid, and adult sizes, and the unique machine washable material makes them easy-to-care for and always looking new." Whoa, wait just a minute there, Mr. Rick Kay, inventor-of-the-Cleatskins-man, you mean you can throw these in the washing machine? SOLD!

Actually, my son already has a pair of these in red. I love that they come in an array of colors, even some girly colors like the pink camo (shown above). My son thinks he is pretty dang cool when he dons his fiery red Cleatskins. And I'm proud to say, I found yet another use for them. My son also plays basketball. Believe it or not, we've actually had a tad bit of snow the last few days up here in Minnesota. So when my son had practice, instead of getting his shoes all wet walking through the parking lot, we slipped on the Cleatskins before we left the house. When we arrived at the gym, we slipped them off and his shoes weren't slippery or squeeky! It reminded me of when I was little and my father used to slip on his rubber overshoes - over his shoes so his good shoes would be protected from the rain or snow. Remember those? (These are even better.)

Currently, Cleatskins are sold at select Dick's Sporting Goods, Shoebuy.com, and SoccerGarage.com. However, their own online store is coming soon to an internet near you.
(Side note: if you buy a pair and they seem too difficult to get on, go to their FAQ section and read number IV.)

Do you want a pair? Enter their contest here and you could win a free pair!

This is an amazing product. Boy tested, mom approved!

Groovin' On Giraffes

I've posted a few things this year with giraffe print. It never goes out of style! I bought these Bandolino Women's Jenkins Flat shoes a couple of months ago. They are perfect for sprucing up a pair of jeans. Not to mention the giraffe print purse you bought - you will look coordinated and put together without overdoing it. The shoes feature a haircalf upper with a patent leather buckle and 3/4" heel.

If you love the style of the shoe, but aren't so hip on the giraffe print, it does come in a variety of solid colors. I paid full price, but it looks like they are on sale now (of course). If you don't see your size, google it!

Next week: I'll be starting our Holiday Gift Review and Guide. Be on the lookout for some wonderful finds and amazing giveaways!

A Nod To The Oval Crib

Sometimes you just need to throw the word practical right out the door. Round/oval cribs are impractical because you have to use the mattress and sheets shown with the crib. What if you use the crib for your second child and you don't like those sheets anymore? Not to mention the cribs are always well over $1000. But they are adorable and a fresh perspective on the crib, not to mention everyone will always comment on how fun and different it is. Plus, because they are a bit spendy, you can bet your bottom it is made well and will last.

The crib pictured above is from Land of Nod and called the Stokke Sleeep Sleepi System 1. You don't necessarily have to throw the word practical out the door when using this system. As my youngest would say, "It's magic." It conforms from a bassinet, to a crib, to a toddler bed. It sells for $1249, but this crib includes 2 mattress sizes - one for use as a crib/toddler bed and one for use as a bassinet. Now that's a deal! To use as a toddler bed, you simply place the mattress position on the lowest level and remove one of the side panels (shown below). And to use as a bassinet, you move the matress position to the highest level and remove both side panels (becomes a circle bassinet, not shown).

I also need to mention it has wheels. If you've never purchased a crib before, make sure you buy one with wheels. Trust me the first time you try to change those sheets, you will be thankful you have those wheels to easily move that crib away from the wall. If you have someone who changes the sheets for you, think about making their life easier and get the wheels!

• Beechwood construction
• Eco-friendly
• Four adjustable mattress heights
• Lockable wheels
• Assembly required
• Stained Espresso or painted White

Land of Nod. Love that store.

411 + Giveaway

These wristbands by Mabel's Labels could be a life saver, literally. Imagine yourself and your child(ren) at the park, the mall, the amusement park, on a field trip, or at Disney World. Now imagine yourself digging in your purse for your wallet. Where is it? You can't find it. And you dig some more. You know it's in there. There's your sunglasses. There's your lipstick. There are your keys. There are some wipes. "Uggg, where is it?" You mumble to yourself. "Oh, there it is." You look up from your purse and say, "found it, Sarah, let's go honey. Sarah?" You look around and you can not locate Sarah. A few minutes pass while you are frantically looking, looking, looking. Just then your cell phone rings. "Mrs. Anderson? I have your daughter, she is safe. We are outside of the Starbucks. Great idea, by the way, to have that wristband on her." You can image how you feel now.

Yes, it is a scenario I hope you never have to live through. And I know you'd rather not think about it. So, instead of thinking about it become proactive and check out the 411 wristbands from Mabel's Labels. The concept is smart and useful; they are resistant to water, sunscreen, chlorine and perspiration You can label your wristbands with "If lost, please call:" and list your phone numbers. And you can always add any pertinent allergies or special needs your child might have.

Some people might argue they don't like putting their child's name on anything for fear of the worst outcome from the scenario described above. It's a personal preference. You decide what to put on your labels. My two favorite are the Treasure Hunt and The Summer Day designs.

They have a ton of other labels on their site that are very useful. Another great asset to this mom-run business is 10% of all wristbands sales goes to the organization Autism Speaks.

Giveaway Alert!

The kind people at Mabel's Labels are giving away one set of 30 wristbands to one lucky Emily Allyn reader. You get to pick your design and you get to decide what you want on the label. Woo hoo! It's worth $21.00, but it's yours for free!

What you need to do:

Easy. Go to our Tell A Friend page and tell at least one friend about our Emily Allyn shopping site. That's it! The only thing I ask, please tell a "real" friend (do not use another email address owned by you). And of course you can tell as many friends as you like! As always, I will not contact that friend unless they sign up for our newsletter.

The giveaway will end Tuesday, October 28th at 11:59 pm. The winner will be notified by email. (I will have your email from the telling a friend form.)

Good luck!

Umi Shoes + Giveaway!

Remember when Elefanten shoes were the "it" thing? They were one of the first companies to hit the U.S. market with quality and fashionable shoes for babies and toddlers. Everything in life seems to come full circle, and the people behind Elefanten have done it again. In 2004, they launched Umi Shoes - the new "it" shoe for the 21st century.

My 5-1/2 year old wears the Jet Shoes (pictured above). Now, my son gets excited about video games, playing with his friends, Bakugan, and Pokemon cards, but not shoes... until these came in the mail. He took one look at them and couldn't get them on his feet fast enough. Then he ran all over the house and made some comment about looking like his super-cool-dude-self in the shoes. (He just may have inherited my shoe fettish, poor kid.) I'm just happy they fit well and have lasted through dragging his toes on the ground at a break when using his scooter. Do you see that reinforced toe in the picture? Love it!

The shoes are handcrafted using drum-dyed, breathable leathers which make the shoes vibrantly colored and extremely durable and comfortable. The heels and collars are padded for a soft and comfortable fit. My son agrees! And the easy closures make it easy for moms to put them on the little tots or for the bigger tots to do their put on their own shoes.

But enough about how well they are put together, check out all the beautiful styles for girls and boys. Even the soles are adorable. The soles of the Jet Shoes we have remind me of planets and our solar system. Another pair (shown below) have pink and black soles and remind me of a sun and some flowers.

For those who are turning to the green side of life, they are also made from environmentally friendly materials and sold in packaging made from recycled goods.

Side note: you may have noticed some styles are out of stock. Some styles are limited and new styles will be arriving the end of October!

Giveaway

The best part!
The extremely nice people at Umi Shoes would like to give one lucky winner a free pair of the ultra cute black leather Ithica Shoe. I have a size 10 USA (27 EUR and 9 UK) sitting here waiting to be worn by some fortunate little girl. Keep in mind if the size 10 is too big, your little girl will grow into it. Or if you don't have a little girl, this would make an unbelievable gift to a friend who does. (And then just drop a few hints about how it would be nice if she returned the favor by buying you a little something-something... or isn't that how gifting works?)

What you need to do to become the winner:

Click the link below and answer a whopping 2 questions. One of two questions asks for your email. The only purpose for the email is to notify you if you are the winner.

Click here for your chance to win!

The giveaway will end Tuesday, October 7th.
That's only 9 days away, so be sure to enter now!

Graffiti You'll Love

I love quotes. They can be clever, witty, sad, meaningful; and they can even inspire. I have a rock which reads simply, "Courage." But the box it came in reads, "Feel the fear and do it anyway." I love it!

Wonderful! Graffiti places all your favorite sayings, ideas, wishes, definitions, monograms, and expressions on a removable transfer. The words look as though you painted them on the wall. The transfer is made from a very thin piece of vinyl. I've seen it, you can't even tell it's vinyl.

There's an array of ideas to choose from, it might get a little overwhelming, in a good way. And you can create your own personalized graffiti. Be creative, let the juices flow. Use their ideas for inspiration.

Surprise your husband with this one in his closet or somewhere he will see it everyday. Even after a month if he doesn't "see" it anymore because he's so used to it, you can easily take it down and replace it with a new little message!

Someone needs to send this one to Obama since his campaign is based on the word Change.

If you love quotes, start here.

If you are a man reading this, do not, I repeat do not buy this one for the wifey.

If you have a daughter who has moved out on her own. Be sure to give her this. Subtle, I know.

All I can say is cool, cool, cool. I love this product. What an exceptional idea.

The Toadstool

The Toadstool table and chair set screams creativity. How cute is that? It's like an image you might find in a Disney Pixar fairytale movie. Can you picture your little girl sitting around having a tea party with the other neighbor girls. (And the boys in forrest steadily creaping up behind them ready to scare the daylights out of the little princesses!) But first your little enchanted princess needs to be sporting her Enchanted Forest Fairy Outfit. She will be the envy of all her little lady friends.

Another great find from Chasing Fireflies.

fabMap (TM)

I'm driving to Northern Wisconsin this weekend for a family reunion. I think I'll be bringing along my trusy new Rand McNally fabMap™. Oh, wait that's the Manhattan map. Whoops, that won't do me a lot of good. Hmmm... maybe I'll skip the family reunion and go to Manhattan instead. Right... better not. Ok, back to earth.

I thought fabMap stood for fabulous map, but it doesn't. The map is quite impressive actually. Get this, "It’s tear-proof, wrinkle-proof, waterproof, and requires no folding." Now try and get your brain around that for a moment. You can't can you. You are thinking to yourself, how do they make a map that doesn't have to be folded? And the image stuck in your head right now is you trying to figure out how to fold a map. No, the crease goes this way. No, the crease goes that way. Crease-no-more. The fab in fabMap stands for fabric. (Ahhh, ancient Chinese secret, eh.) Genious. A map made of fabric. You can just crumple it up or you can fold it however you want to fold it. (Not how the manufacturer thinks it should be folded.) Fabric and waterproof. Does it get any better than that? For maps, I mean.

And the 2008 Best In Show Award goes to fabMap™.

Oh and the family reunion is a whole other story. Which reminds me. I'm off for the remainder of this week. Tune in next week for more fabFinds. (And I don't mean fabric finds.)

Ickle, Pickle, and Tickle

Me: Ickle me, Pickle me, and Tickle me were sitting on a fence. Ickle me and Pickle me fell off. Who was left?
You: Tickle me (now picture my arms coming out of your screen to reach out and tickle you).

It's one of my favorite kid jokes. Yes, the ones they say over and over and over again.

The picture above reminds me of this joke. Ickle me because my first reaction is just plain ick. Pickle me because it's green like a pickle. And Tickle me because when you sit in it, I can only imagine the hairs would constantly be tickling you. Plus, I must admit, it reminds me of Mr. Snuffleupagus. Aside from all that, I will say it is funky and a bit fun.

You can find the Baby Hairy Bertoia chair at Genius Jones. And if you have $850 burning a whole in your pocket, it can be yours. I can't imagine there are many people in your circle that have this chair, therefore it would truly be a unique find for you.

Pathological Charmers

No, no, no I'm not referring to the Mr. Wrong we all seemed to find during our dating years (for some, over and over again).
In fact, this Charmer is the perfect follow up to the post from yesterday regarding the Lubber Totes...

These little charms, from Shoe Charmers, can decorate your Lubber Tote or any number of those rubber shoes you have strewn about the house. The pictures above highlight only a few of the many whimsical and adorable charms.

The upper left image is a glow in the dark skull. I can just see my boys spending hours in a dark room checking out each other's skulls. (For those of you who already think my boys are in the dark - well, take off, eh.)

Or you could buy all beach related charms and go with a beach theme, the sunglasses, beachball, sailboat, palm tree, seashell, flip flops. Heck they even have a coconut drink and suntan lotion bottle!

The boys can opt for a sports theme. They can fill their holes with basketball, soccer, football, baseball and tennis charms.

A little shameless self-promotion (hey, it's my blog): see the crab pictured above? It would match nicely with the Emily Allyn Crabby Cakes apparel. Picture the Crabby Cakes shirt and the adorable little crab shoe charmers; both on that "little character" of yours.

But alas my work is done. As if those aren't enough choices, you can visit Shoe Charmers to witness the mass of options.

Landlubber Minus the Land

For those of you in love with Crocs (or any rubber shoe), and I believe that covers about 1/2 the world, you will love the Lubber Tote. It's a tote that will carry almost anything with the look and feel of those special rubber shoes. Even the "footprint" of the tote is similar to the shoe!

"The clog tote can be taken to the beach, rinsed, and dried just as you do your clog shoes." Now that is convenient. Think how often the bag you take to the beach gets sandy and dirty. The lubber tote makes it easy - simply hose it off!

The Lubber Tote comes in an array of colors - perfect to match those clogs of yours. Just in case you need more ideas for things to do with your fun bright tote, the website lists several. All this and only $16.99.

Don't forget to decorate your new tote with the ever-popular charms.

Designer Diner

Admit it. There are only a few places you like taking your kids out for dinner. And you've been to those places so often, your kids could do their coloring placemats with their eyes closed. I mean, come on, spend the extra few dollars to mix up the maze once in awhile and make new copies. And who knows where those crayons have been if they aren't in a brand new box.

If this sounds like your story, you need the Designer Diner at Bella Tunno. It's a nice size portable placemat (18" x 11"). On one side you can wipe-clean the placement and on the other side there is a reusable chalk mat. "It’s a portable imagination station for little artists and a traveling table for little eaters! Includes a 12 piece box of non-toxic colored chalk and a detachable chalk pouch."

Bronze

I saw this in a Posh Cravings newsletter and wanted to pass it on.

American Bronzing is offering up to 50% off in order to bronze your child's first shoes - for a limited time. Parents used to do this all the time and then the trend kind of faded. But now it's back! And to bronze your child's first pair of shoes for only $39.95 - how great is that? You can also choose to have them mounted for a little extra cash. Those cute, oh-so-tiny shoes will be remembered for a lifetime. And how many times will you say, "I can't believe you used to fit into those shoes at one time"? Uh oh, here come the crocodile tears, open the flood gates.

Crewmutts

I'm not one to dress up a dog, but there are plenty of people out there who do. So many in fact, I have played with the idea of starting a line of dog shirts with my characters on them. But enough about me.

J.Crew has started a new line, crewmutts. You have to check out these pictures at J.Crew. At the moment, I don't even own a dog, but I would consider buying one of these just because the pictures are so dang scrumptious. This deserves an OMG!

And the sherpa dog hoodie... you could wear your own J.Crew Sherpa hoodie out for walks with your dog. Kind of like how some moms buy mom and daughter outfits.

They have more items arriving in April, so be sure to check back then. I think I could stare at these dog pictures for hours.

Bag it, Lady

While I would probably never actually say this to someone ("Bag it, Lady"), I am very interested in this bag for ladies by Boden. Isn't it fantastic? I love the green. The orange is fun too, but I think the green is fabulous. And check out the lining in the green bag, super fun.

Follow this specific link to Boden (not the one above) and receive 10% off your order along with free shipping and free returns. The offer expires June 20th, 2008 at 11:59 pm EST.

Here is some of the fine print from Boden: This offer is not valid in conjunction with any other Boden, Mini Boden or Internet offer. Boden sale items are excluded from this offer. This offer can be used once only. Free shipping and free returns apply only to deliveries within the USA.

Color Me Crazy

I don't think there is one little girl out there who wouldn't think this is super cool (probably not even one little boy either). Color Your Own Umbrella sold at Hearthsong. You can choose from two styles. Fun has 5 permanent markers (for ages 4 and up) and Glitter has 6 glitter paint pots and paintbrush (for ages 7 and up). Now when it rains, you tell your little girl to go out and have some fun... just don't watch her jump in the muddy puddles over and over again, and have a towel ready when she comes in.

Tub Chair

I'm an adult and I would love to have this chair - in the right room, of course, not my living room! The Tub Chair from Pottery Barn Kids swivels 360 degrees and looks cozy, like you'd be hanging out in a pocket. But a nice pocket at that, it's made of top grade, rich red leather. You will probably want to place this chair at least 3 feet from the nearest wall(s). You know your child will get his little friend or sibling to spin him around and around and around. Heck why not! Spin me, I'd love it. At $499, not a bad price for a piece of furniture and some entertainment.

Fakes Are Never In Fashion

I was on ebay one day looking for a fabulous new purse. I came across an incredible authentic Gucci. I starred at the description, looking for anything that might be a clue if it was fake or not. I couldn't believe it, it seemed legit. I bid on it! But the whole time, I just kept wondering, "What if it's fake?" Then I told myself, "If it is, so what. I'm probably the only one who will know it's fake." I felt better.

Then, I won it! Part of me was thrilled. Part of me not so thrilled. It was an odd feeling. The bag came in the mail. I ripped open the box and just gazed at my new authentic Gucci. I placed it on a chair in my office. Something just didn't seem right. That handbag sat on my chair for a few days. The thoughts going through my head were all over the place, "This is crazy, you just paid good money for this bag, use it will you?!?" and "It's fake, I know it is. I won't feel right carrying it. Even if nobody knows, I know".

So, I hopped on the trusty internet and did some research. I couldn't believe what I found and neither will you.

Here is an article on ebay everyone should read, How to Avoid Counterfeit Purses and Handbags. Incidentally, this is how I discovered my purse was probably a fake, a pretty good one at that. However, here is where it gets interesting. Within this article is a section titled, What's the big deal about buying counterfeits anyway? And here's the quoted answer:

According to the International Anticounterfeiting Coalition:
1. Counterfeiting is illegal and purchasing these goods supports illegal activities.
2. Counterfeiters do not pay taxes, meaning less money for city schools, hospitals, parks and other social programs.
3. Counterfeiters do not pay their employees fair wages or benefits, have poor working conditions and often use forced child labor.
4. The profits from counterfeiting have been linked to organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorist activity.

I couldn't believe my eyes. Numbers 2 and 3 made sense. Sadly, I just never linked people buying fake purses and those problems. But number 4 blew me away. My first thought, "Ok, this is one source. You need to find more before you believe it." But I knew it was true. And, yes, I found many sources.

There was a reason that "authentic Gucci" sat on my chair without being used. In the back of my mind, I knew something wasn't right. If you care how the story ends, read on. Otherwise, go get rid of all those fakes right now!

I contacted the seller and stated that I was pretty sure this was not authentic as she claimed. If she could provide proof to me that it was authentic, I (of course) would keep the bag. However, if she could not provide proof, I wanted to return it. By the way, sellers know it is illegal to sell fakes on ebay, so she knows she would have been in big trouble. Sure enough, her reply only stated where I could return the bag, nothing else.

I learned my lesson.

Harper's Bazar magazine is devoting a whole site to Fakes Are Never In Fashion. There is a fashion contest and information on fakes. If nothing else, it is quite interesting.

Ouchies

We've all been there. You get to Target, get the kids situated, get your list out, and you are off... only to be stopped at one of the first isles. Your child needs those Spider-Man, Dora, or Cars band-aids. Next time try Ouchies bandages. Your budding little artist can create whatever kind of bandage she wants with their Make Your Own-Ages. There's 20 bandages in 5 colors. The tin comes with a pen, so your little Monet can design-away. That should keep the tot interested for a few minutes anyway. And for the boys and girls who are a little above that, they do offer "boy bands" and "girl bands". Clever.

Endless Enticements

Have you heard of Endless.com? They carry shoes and handbags.
I have been searching for a pair of shoes for a wedding this weekend (not to mention a dress, but that's another story). Let's just say I spent quite a bit of time on the internet comparing shoes at Zappos, Piperlime, Shoes.com, Nordstrom, and Endless.com.

Zappos - four little words: rip off, big time
Shoes.com - a tad better prices than Zappos
Piperlime - a tad better prices than Shoes.com
Endless.com - best deals (by far), plus free overnight shipping and free returns. And for a limited time they are deducting $5 off your order when you use overnight shipping (which is already free).

I have been so impressed with this company, I can't stand it! First, I love free shipping. Like many of you, I have a hard time paying for shipping. I have the Mall of American and tons of little neighborhood shops not too far from me. But there's a but. But with kids, as you all know, it's not easy to get to those stores. And of course being able to shop at 10pm or 8am is huge.

One thing all of the above online shops have in common is free shipping and free returns. Which is great, however with lower prices and free overnight shipping Endless.com is the clear winner.

I ordered 5 pairs of shoes from Shoes.com and Endless.com. The packaging by Shoes.com was rather sloppy. The packaging by Endless.com was neat, looked like the shoes had never been tried on (a.k.a. returned), and included a little bonus. Right now, when you buy shoes from Endless.com, you also receive a little package of Godiva chocolates. I'm assuming it's a Valentine's Day thing, so I don't know how long it will last.

How cute are the shoes pictured above?
Joan & David, $115.
Go ahead, buy a little something for yourself. It will arrive in time for Valentine's Day. Just be sure to check the countdown clock displayed toward the top of the page to order in time.

Endless.com - Tony.