Ski Holiday at Easter - What Fun!?!

the girls on piste

Well it finally looks as though Spring has arrived!! And boy am I glad, the weather brings a lovely feeling to life in general doesn't it? I have to say I'm feeling really well rested after a week in the Alps where it was also really sunny and warm! 21 degrees on one afternoon!!

Skiing with our family and another family is such a good idea, share the kids, share the babysitting, divide and conquer on the piste! The four children aged between 2 and 8 had a ball - every morning they went to ski school while we went out for a pootle on the slopes. The two older girls were in the same class so had each other for company, the 4 year old boy made lots of friend and my 2 year old girl went dragging her heels to creche. (read Kicking and Screaming for dragging her heels)

our group - minus the 2 year old who is in creche

Now I felt as though the holiday ought to be for everyone so almost everyday I collected my youngest before lunch so she could have time with us in the afternoon and maybe take in a swim. The older kids would all gather and feed - it was a bit animalistic as they were so famished after ski-ing all morning,
and then before you knew it we were being pestered to go back out on the slopes.

After a few days the kids got really confident and as we were situated right next to the nursery run, they begged for us to let them go round and around on the button lift. Of course we were being all sensible about it and taking it in turns to watch every little move closely, but after a while you can get a bit distracted, especially as I was standing next to a rather inviting petite luge, (baby toboggan). So the next thing you know I'm 20 Euros lighter and the proud new owner of a Ferrari red toboggan, so I gather up the 2 year old and the 4 year old for a spot of skidding around. The older two are by now just left on their merry-go-round of a button lift and shooshing down the nursery slope so they are fine.

The 4 year old getting his certficate

Well you'd have thought it would have been plain sailing or should I say sledging, as it was all enclosed with an inflated rim a la bouncy castle style, but the first time the boy went down the slope he literally went through and under the inflated enclosure. Luckily they had a bit of netting too otherwise he'd have been off down the piste. Well, after seeing his face crumpled with tears the 2 year old was understandably reticent about her turn on my snow Ferrari! After a bit of coaxing, I managed to get her to put her feet in the sled and let the break go, so off she went with a little push from mum to send her in her way. Well no-one had noticed the snow hole in the area (when I say no-one I mean of course, me) So in the sled went sending her flying out and over in to the snow. Which she is of course petrified of because it's cold and wet! This of course ended up with the 2 year old in tears too. Anyone having fun yet!!??

the girls again - everyone say fromage!

 There was only one thing for it, Mum would have a go to show everyone it really was a lot of fun and then we were all going to run the gauntlet again! So I squeezed my bottom into a sled designed for a child, I held on tight and got someone to give me a push!! Oh what fun! Until I realised I was careering towards the ESF ski school chalet, so to avoid collision I launched myself off in full flow only to land unceremoniously in a pile of slushy snow just under the window of the ESF ski-school where there was a group of dishy cool ESF instructors gathering for the afternoon session - who noticed. SHAMED!

There was only one thing for it, I picked myself up, collected my toboggan and tried to style it out as all a bit of a laugh for the benefit of the kids! The kids had of course stopped crying and were laughing too (and pointing) so it wasn't a complete disaster and they could then be persuaded to have another go. At this point the older girls had finally tired of shooshing round in a loop skied over to us demanding their turn and making the little ones cry for completely different reasons. It was time to go in, everyone was completely shattered. So we trudged to the chalet with all our gear and as we walk in through the door, the girls pipe up, "can we go swimming now??", "yeah shouted the other two, We want to go swimming!" - relaxing holiday anyone??

Hi-Tops!!

Pippo hi-tops

Ok now I know I said I wouldn't write about stuff we stock in the shop because it's boring, however I can't help a little mention when it comes to hi-tops and rules are made to be broken!




Is it me or have you noticed that hi-tops are all over the press at the moment? I noticed a double page spread in Style Magazine et al! 




Now, I am a woman who lives to be comfortable so I have been personally working the hi-top look since the 80's - remember Nike Air Jordans? Anyone??? So it's nice to see that the hi-tops I booked for the shop have come in on-trend - and they are particularly lovely leather shoes in funky colourways for the kids - so I felt all proud of myself **pat on the back**

The Flash Converse

Anyway, so my nanny comes to work in Ltd Ed Batman Converse hi-tops which I immediately start to covert. So she tells me that they do a Flash design - so I duly go online to hunt them down. So after many hours trawling the interweb for The Flash Ltd Ed Converse hi-tops I finally find a stockist in Kansas who have a pair roughly in my size (i.e. too small probably) so just in case I order 2 styles - Superman and The Flash come to momma!!

Jnr Batman Converse

So that weekend I take the family to Westfield **making vampire repelling cross with my fingers** and go to Schuch where upon I find Gorillaz have released Ltd Ed Converse too, those sneaky deakies - so the long and short of it, my 7 year old ends up with Air Jordans (who knew I'd be able to buy her the same trainers I had at school?) and Ltd Edition Batman Converse Jnrs, my 3 year old has smart pink and grey leather hi-tops from Pippo, I am now the proud owner of cartoon camouflage Gorillaz and I also persuaded my sister-in-law (who is old enough to know better) to buy cartoon Gorillaz Converse too! 

Gorillaz Ltd Ed Converse

Don't you just hate it when a trend you needed no persuading to buy into, comes around so it make you really impulsive when out shopping because the powers that be are telling you it's fashionable!?




I think I might have a lie-down now. Lets just hope the airmail from Kansas isn't delayed! Oh and if anyone finds The Flash Converse in womens size 39 email me????

How to check the fit of shoes for baby and child.

As you are probably aware we at Little GEMs take pride on making sure that the fit of our shoes to your child's feet is the best it can be while allowing ample growth for their feet. We do measure feet in store, and we are ALWAYS happy to double check your child's shoes whether you have purchased them from us or not, however as we also sell shoes online I thought I should write a little guide for you so you can feel confident in what we do, why we do it and if the shoes you have at home or newly bought are in fact a good fit. Obviously this is just a guide - the best way for us to tell is see the shoe on the foot, and feet do vary considerably, but at least this give you some guidelines to feel confident in using.

Children will probably not tell you they need a new pair of shoes until they are hurting them so check your child's shoes regularly or pop in to a shoe store to get feet measured. A good shop will be happy to measure a child's foot without obligation. 

Signs of needing a new shoe:

• When your child is standing, press on the toe from the front of the shoe - if the toes are at the end of the shoes - time for a new pair!
• Look for significant wear especially in the same area i.e. the heel is worn down completely on one side.
• Wear on side seams or bulging on one side more than another can also be a sign of needing a new pair.
• Blisters or red marks - like pressure points - on the foot when you take off the shoe.

Techniques for checking for a good fit:

• Always check a shoe fit when the child is standing - ideally in the afternoon as feet swell up during the day.
• Look at the fit around the ankle - it should look snug and not gape.
• Press on the toes, there ought to be a about half an inch (representing about a half size) from the end of the toe to the end of the shoe. Much more and you will risk the shoe slipping when worn causing blisters or a tripping hazard - especially with toddlers.
• Rub your thumb across the foot with pressure in a single sweep action (where the toes meet the foot) this is the widest point of the foot, the shoe should 'give' and you should be able to see a shallow ripple of leather - if this does not happen the shoe could be too narrow for the foot and could rub.
• Get your child to walk away from you - look at the back heel of the shoe - it should not move up and down  - this will cause blisters.
• Check for the foot bulging - if it does then it's not a good fit - this happens for example if your child has a high in-step and is trying on a Mary Jane style you will notice the foot bulging up in the gap of the top of the shoe with a Mary Jane style so try a t-bar instead - you will find some styles work better than others for you child, but as they grow feet change a lot.

Urban Myths and bad advice:

• "Buying a shoe that is a size too big will mean they last longer" - shoe brands and feet vary considerably - even if you have been given a measurement for you child's feet you are best to fit the shoe to the foot rather than get too hung up on what the size is on the measure, as foot measures are really only true to the brand that provided them. That said buying a shoe that is clearly too large for foot will make your child walk differently to compensate, may cause blisters and create a tripping hazard. Follow the above tips to get an optimum fit.
• "A finger down the back is room enough to grow" - this was a new one on me when a mum did this on advice from her own mum, however I can't see the logic in this. The room needs to be in front of the toes to allow for growth and spreading of the foot - a finger down the back of the shoe doesn't really show this - how can it?
• 'Breaking in shoes' - this is not a good idea for anyone as it means the shoes don't fit well, but you should never need to do this for children, they need to be able to wear the shoes comfortably from the outset - blister and rub free!

Babies, Toddlers and Children have very different needs from their shoes. 

Babies who are not walking need something to protect and keep their feet warm which are not too tight but not much else. As they learn to crawl and cruise they will probably need a shoe of some sort to enable them to go outside or stay warm. For this stage you will need a a pre-walker shoe. This type of shoe will see you through to walking confidently and the next stage shoe which is a first shoe.

Children need shoes that fit well and allow the foot to action and grow normally without damage to their feet. 

There are lots of different brands on offer boasting different reasons for purchasing them. You have barefoot brands such as Vivobarefoot which advocate the foot being shod in it's most natural state as can be allowed - typical features include a very thin soft flexible sole coupled with extra room in the toe part of the shoe which allow the foot to move as though it's unshod with enough room for the toes to spread out naturally as though barefoot. 

Then you have a more traditional brand such as Startrite which have been making childrens' shoes for over 50 years who offer a more structured shoe, in breathable materials and have wealth of experience in shoeing children. Some styles have arch support and almost all styles have structured heel offering support to the ankle.

Or Bobux which have a bit of both, they are moving towards a more barefoot approach, they create individual lasts for each size which is tweaked for each stage of development, they only make baby and childrens' shoes so all their R&D is on childrens' feet and they use natural breathable soft materials and leather to make a really good quality shoe.

Pre-Walkers:

These need to be very soft and flexible. Think about your baby learning to walk. When your baby/toddler learns to walk it is all in the micro movements and the foot-to-brain feedback that enables them to learn this new life skill, learn their balance and learn to take steps - so the softer the more flexible shoe is, the better, as this doesn't disrupt this essential feedback. If possible I always think that barefoot is best!

Toddlers/Walker:

A good comfortable fit is essential whatever style you go for. Enough growth but not too much that the foot is 'swimming' otherwise they will trip and walk differently to compensate for the ill fitting shoes. 

Walking Children:

In older children it's tempting to chose fashion over comfort, however their feet are still growing and changing so make sure the fit is paramount. Avoid heels which are detrimental to feet development.

Our advice is to try on lots of different shoes in different styles to get one that has the best fit for your child. Get their feet measured regularly and wherever possible - don't put them in shoes! Let's face it we are the walking ape, and so it's best especially for small ones, to let nature works it's magic un-molested! Yes I am aware that it's odd advice for a shoe shop, but it's my mantra!!

Busy Week!

As this is fairly new I thought I'd give you a bit of background on the writers of this blog. I am a mum of 4 kids, a 7 year old, a 3 year old and 14 month old twins!! I have 2 businesses (with business partners) Little G.E.M.s and Green Eyed Monster Clothing and have a tendency to get involved with all sorts of community matters when clearly I don't have the time! My partner in the shop has 3 kids aged 7 and under, our oldest girls are in the same class and we've known each other since they went to nursery and it was friendship that led us to open Little GEMS.  We are both hands on mum's and are really happy to share our parenting experiences and knowledge to anyone popping in the shop and on-line and do so quite a lot. We love it when new parent pop into the shop with their tiny newbies - it's lovely to chat 'kids & babies"- although it doesn't make us broody!

Well it has been an eventful week! We went to Top Drawer on Monday which is a trade fair for gifts and they had a 'homewear' section. I really liked a lot of the interiors products for kids, but I'm not sure where we'd put it if we branched out into interiors. I think we probably need to get the clothes and shoes really nailed before we think about expanding. It has been really refreshing to see some of our new spring season items arrive though - I think we were all getting a bit fed up with looking at the same things.

Its been a a toughy this week personally. The girls have all had a lovely tummy bug which has just moved on to the twins which has been rather unpleasant for all!! I've had practically no sleep what with everyone tag-teaming me during the night due to various reasons. It's like having a newborn again!!

On Wednesday I decided that the twins were old enough to enjoy Piccolo at the Hackney Forge, so we got everyone ready and took Tabby, Bella and Charlotte to the chaotic fun that is Piccolo. It was very funny because Tabby decided she was going to lead the twins - to show them what to do. So she very danced the Cho Cho Wah very enthusiastically! and the twins didn't take long to get into the swing of things. If you've not yet tried Piccolo then I would thoroughly recommend it. I discovered it when my oldest was a baby (she's now 7) and we've been going on and off with the rest of the kids ever since!! I ought to get a loyalty card!! Anyway if you fancy a high volume singing and dancing 45 minutes for babies and toddlers then do give it a whirl! I found it a really nice place to meet other mums too, what with all the cafes and the Lauriston in the village a post singing cuppa with croissant is very tempting!

Piccolo singing, music & dancing.
45 fun filled minutes - drop in - featuring action songs, puppets, story, bubbles and musical instruments.
£4.50 per child - additional £2.50

I also just heard about the campaign to save the One O'Clock club in Victoria Park. Apparently their current building is earmarked for demolition but he new building in the V&A Playground is not suitable to house them. We have used the One O' Clock club a lot - I think it's poor show on the part of the new development to make them homeless especially now that Sure Start schemes are no longer. If you would like to get more information please contact Victoria Park Friends Group @ richarddesmond@victoriaparkfreindsgroup.co.uk or Becky Alcindor at laratara@hotmail.com.

And finally while I have my soap box out, for those of us that live North Side of the shops in Victoria Park Village then we will not be consulted on the proposed Controlled Parking Zone to be implemented by Hackney Council. I hear on the grapevine that they probably have support for the implementation on Gore Road and the surrounds, which will of course have knock on effect on the half of the 'village' which is not being consulted. I wold really like to see if we can all get our head together and support a 2 hour resident only parking window between the hours of 8-10am which will in effect knock on the head the commuter and long terms parking issues whilst still remaining a light enough restriction to allow for customers and visitors on legitimate business to park for free in Victoria Park. If you would like to get any more information on this matter then please email Alex at alex@green-eyed-monster.co.uk

With half term up it would be great if anyone had any decent suggestions for half term activities! If so please post a comment or two!

Alex
x

Victoria Park

Well I finally got my hands on a copy of Living etc after hearing that we had a little feature and it was really great to see our village highlighted in such a quality publication! I for one have loved Victoria Park for many years! I do think the village feel of the place makes us stand out from the rest of London. It would be great to get the empty shop in the village leased, and I can't wait to see what will develop when the building works starts on the corner of Lauriston Road/Southborough - you can get a feel from plans but it will be great to see what the building will look like in the flesh so to speak!!

hello - fancy joining us?

Now we're very new to blogging - in fact - some of us haven't even got Facebook profiles!! LMAO However we thought we may possibly have common interests with parents in our community, or parents per se given we (the lovely owners of this fine establishment) have 7 kids between us and a kids boutique! So we thought we could share the benefit and frustrations of our lives, loves and shop with anyone who cares to drop by either via cyberspace or in the shop! So feel free to spread the love and we'll do our best to write something worth reading!