Category: Fashion

1. Vionic Shoes with innovative FMT technology

   Posted on 10:05am Tuesday 15th Mar 2016

   Shoes, shoes, shoes. It is no secret that I have a love of shoes so when I was recently invited to an event by organised by Vionic UK, I couldn't resist going to find out more. We were told that Vionic Group LLC is one of the leading global makers of consumer and medical footwear, so I was intrigued to find out how stylish shoes could be good for your feet too. 

   

   I was therefore thrilled to find a collective of likeminded bloggers, including some of my favourite bloggers Emmaand3, Pink Oddy and Parent Blogger News  at the event held at Marco Pierre Whites in Birmingham. We were treated to a delicious lunch and then a talk from Tony Linford who eloquently conveyed the benefits of the Vionic range of products, from the innovative FMT technology which helps reduce over-pronation to the ability to relieve common associated pains such as plantar fasciitis (heel pain), knee pain and back pain. 

   Tony said that women get to around 40 and realise that their shoe choices were having an affect on their join pain (I obviously cannot comment on this as I am not "quite" at that milestone yet!) but with age being something that I can't control, having the ability to control my shoe choices is something that I need to reconsider.

   From the Antonia Wedge shoes (shown above) that are perfect for work, to the Islander Toe Posts which are ideal for the summer, there is a range of shoes for every woman and every ocassion.

   

   The shoes are designed for good health and wellbeing, they are not sports or running shoes but they do actively encourage walking and being active. They have a great article on the Vionic blog called Find30 about how studies have shown how 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough to boost metabolism and improve one’s mood, providing cardiovascular, metabolic and cognitive health. Sounds good to me .... I just need to find those extra 30 minutes.

   I was gifted some Vionic shoes and I have to say that they ARE very comfortable and Vionic have been even more generous and given all my readers a 30% off code that is valid until 30th April. All you need to do is shop on the website here and use the discount code VIONIC30 at the checkout stage.

   The event really made me think about me footwear choices and if you want to read what the other bloggers throught about the event, there is a link to a round up of the event from Myriad PR here. 

   Did you realise that your shoe choices can have such an affect on the rest of your body?

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2. Back To School : The Mums Guide

   Posted on 11:10pm Monday 17th Aug 2015

   We have seen lots of back to school guides detailing where you should buy your uniform or how you can prepare your child for school but what about Mum? How do you prepare yourself for your child starting school?

   I see many of my friends with their children starting school this September and them never having experienced the school run, the playground politics, the missing cardigan(s), the endless birthday parties and the emotional separation. So here is my guide, from a mum who has been there, for preparing yourself for the first year of reception.

   

   Uniform can be expensive but children wear it every single day.

   The Schoolwear Association states that, on average, schoolchildren wear their uniform for ten hours a day, nearly 2,000 hours a year, but parents spend more on clothing that their children wear less – only during school holidays, weekends and in the evenings. On average, families shell out £63 per child on outfits for the six-week summer holidays. The research puts the average price of a full primary school uniform in the UK at £33.48 with secondary school uniform at £88.05. Adding PE kit put the figures up to £42.32 for primary and £127.32 for secondary. It is worth getting the best quality that you can afford .

   Tip : "Easy iron" clothes are not always "non iron", choose wisely.

   Label, label, label.

   Uniform gets lost, alot. 

   It is much easier to lay claim to your childs jumper or cardigan if it has a name label inside it. 

   Tip: Don't automatically put the label on the inner label as these can be cut out by unscrupulous people. Not suggesting this has happened but it *could* do!

   Be prepared for their social calendar to become busier than yours.

   During reception, while friendship groups are forming, it seems common practice for every child in the class to be invited to every single birthday party. Depending on your class size, this can mean a lot of weekends taken up in a variety of soft play, activity, entertainment or disco parties. Don't book yourself anything for a Saturday afternoon for the next 12 months.

   Tip: Buying presents for 30 children can become expensive, so buy GREAT presents in the sales. Check out the department stores too, such as House of Fraser Toy Department have some great sales on, which means that you can stock pile presents and not have to rush out on the morning of a party and spend much more than you want to. This *may* have happened to me once, trust me you don't want that panic buying frenzy on your bank statement.

   

   You will get a new circle of friends too.

   There will be cliques form in the school playground because that is what happens but you may also find some great friendships along the way too. Of course any new social situation can be intimidating but it's worth remembering that if you're worried about making friends lots of other mums will be feeling exactly the same way! There is nothing like sharing important life moments with someone who is going through the exact same things as you, at the exact same time. I have really good friends that I met in the playground some 6 years ago and the bonus is, our girls are still friends too.

   Tip : It is useful to get the phone numbers from a couple of mums. This is handy when your child comes home with a strange request, such as "bring in white clothes on Friday" or "wear your own clothes tomorrow", validating this with another mum always gives me peace of mind!

   It is okay to cry.

   You know this is the time you become that embarressing mum? The one that kisses your child in front of their friends, tells them that she loves them for all to hear and after you have waved them off into class with a big smile, it is okay to turn around and have a little cry. It is a big day for you too! 

   Tip: Having tissues to hand will score you brownie points with your new mum friends in the playground.

    

   The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) conducted research in 2014 to help understand parents’ anxiety around the start of school. It found that over two-thirds of parents feel anxious about their child starting school with half believing that they are, in fact, more anxious than their child.

   Starting school is a new chapter for both the child and Mum (or Dad of course) and the school day is much shorter than you think. 3.15pm comes around really quickly when you are not looking!

    

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3. Can you resist a summer sale?

   Posted on 9:49am Thursday 6th Aug 2015

   There is no question that I love shopping and the bargain hunter in me loves sale shopping even more. In my mind, if something is half price I can buy twice as much! I am terrible when my favourite shops email me with sale notifications but I am not so much a fan of standing queuing in shops, so when Vertbaudet emailed to tell me about their BIG sale with up to 60% off, I had to go and check it out online. Surprisingly for me, I was not all about the clothes (which is most unusual) and was quite taken with their home collection, which is perfect for children's bedrooms and fantastic prices in the sale.

   

   
   

   Vertbaudet Sale Shopping by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   
   

   3-box Library / Bedside Wall Unit / Coat Stand / Bedside Lamp / Set of 3 Bow-Shaped Handle / Heart Shaped Rug

   Sale shopping can give you a thrill like no other, especially when you find that dress you have been coveting or a pair of shoes at a price that you simply can't resist. There are obvious pitfalls too, so here are our top tips for sale shopping!

   Do you really need it?

   Do go with a VERY level head. Yes, your eyes will be on stalks at all those reduced tickets – but with everything you pick up, consider whether you really like it. Would you have considered saving up for it if it hadn't been reduced?

   Buy bigger sizes for next year

   Children don't stop growing but that doesn't mean that you can't be savvy about their clothes. Buy bigger sizes this year in the sale and put them away for next year.

   Check the returns policy

   Clearance buys are often a great deal, but it’s important to read the fine print. Finding a top for £2 is great, but not if you can’t return it if it doesn’t fit.

   Shop online to save more

   Shopping online can sometimes means even more savings – websites like KidStart offer members money back for their children on online shopping from loads of major stores, so it is worth checking out prior to clicking buy now!

   And finally ....

   Set a budget

   It is worth making a list of the things you actually need and want to look for and decide in your mind how many more you’re prepared to buy so you have something to aim for. Getting a bargain is great but not if you can't actually afford it in the first place so set a budget and decide how much are you prepared to spend in advance.

    

   With sales popping up everywhere this summer, it is a great time to grab a bargain. Now I really must go and look at that Vertbaudet sale again ......

    

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4. Tween Fashion : Vertbaudet

   Posted on 9:25pm Monday 20th Apr 2015

   Anyone who has had the pleasure of "owning" a pre-teen girl will understand the difficulty of trying to juggle their changing shape, their frequent change in taste, attitude and fashion and certainly their change of mind. So with the warmer weather on the horizon, we were delighted to get the chance to look at some of the new summer range from Vertbaudet.

   In my mind, a denim jacket is a wardrobe staple whatever your age (unless you wear denim on denim and then I may have to question our friendship). The tween is suddenly a fan of a scarf or a snood with an outfit and with the addition of the shorts, this makes a winning combination in her eyes.

   I have always shopped with Vertbaudet, ever since she was a little girl is it great to see how the brand is evolving with current fashions but retaining the original quality and unique-ness that the brand has always had. 

   

   
   

   Tween Summer Fashion from Vertbaudet by littlelilypadco on Polyvore

   
   

   

   The jacket (£20), Scarf (£9) and Shorts (currently on offer at £8.10), make a whole outfit for just under £40, (I wish I could put an outfit together for myself for this amount) which means that it is not only on trend but affordable too, until she announces she can't decide between Havianna flip flops or Vans trainers!! Nevertheless, I have always found that Vertbaudet clothing comes up a little small so it maybe worth plumping for the next size up if you want it to last all summer.

   I loved that the shorts have an adjustable waistband inside with elastic and buttons (I can never understand why clothes designers don't do this in adults clothing, as my husband would love an adjustable waistband after a large meal!). This means that you "could" buy a slightly bigger size and the adjustable waist would make them last longer! White shorts are great key piece for a pre-teen ..... unless of course your little sister happens to have post-Easter chocolate covered hands. So as a mum, I adore that it is all machine washable at 40 degrees and as a long term customer, I know that they retain the colour, shape and design after countless washes. 

   I would love to show you images of her in the outfit but unless she is pulling a pouting selfie for her instagram feed, she simply isn't interested in posing for photos for her mums blog post (again the perils of having a tween). I will try and catch her when she isn't looking ..... and in the meantime, I am linking up with this weeks Wednesday's Wardrobe to share the great choices available on Vertbaudet this summer. 

    

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