kids shoes – Motherhood after IVF

I’ve been busy looking for gifts for Dorothea- so thought I’d come up with a gift guide blog. Dot is nearly 4 at Christmas so that’s the age group these would be suitable for.

I’ve based this on the 4 gift rule- Something they want, need, wear, and read. It’s an easy way to teach your children that they can’t have everything they want.

This is a mix of things I’ll probably get her, or things she already has and loves that your little ones may love too.

I’ve tried to stick to the more ethical/eco brands or items from small businesses. Hope you enjoy.

Want- they’ve probably asked for similar

The perfect pram.

The Neo Vario from Bayer design is a Combi pram- so easily converts to a pushchair; it can also be set up child facing or world facing. Dorothea loves the swivel wheels, meaning it’s easy to manoeuvre and great to run with. You little one won’t be disappointed with this beauty

Playset of your favourite book

Dorothea loves ‘we are going on a bear hunt’ so she adores this linked play set from Small Eco steps – it’s a great way to make a story last longer. Other story playsets are available. Use ‘ivfninja’ for discount.

Rope doll basket

Dorothea adores her babies- but doesn’t have anything like this- it’s such a reasonable price too.

https://www.nordicstork.com/collections/imaginative-play/products/rope-doll-basket

Need- these are my must haves for 3-4 year olds

Peg Doll

We love our Peg Dolls from Little Rainbow Play they can be made to order; so to look like your family, or your little ones favourite characters. Small enough to pop in your bag to amuse them at dinner, but a good chunky size for small hands. Great to support a small business too.

Balance board

A great investment is a Balance board- wonderful for all sorts of play. Dot loves hers to rock on, as a slide, or to grab a blanket and chill out on it.

Use ‘ivfninja’ for 10% discount Capikooa shop

Dorotheas favourite Doll

Dot loves her dolls- this is one of our faves. Dinkum dolls come in a diverse range of skin tones- you can also buy cute clothes and accessories. This would make a fab gift for any little one.

https://www.babyandthegang.co.uk/collections/dolls/products/olli-ella-dinkum-doll-sprout

Wear- our go-tos for an awesome wardrobe

Pigeon Organics

We love Pigeon Organics year after year they are one of our favourite brands. They wash and wear really well and the classic designs and fabrics will never go out of fashion.

Buy preloved

You can’t go wrong with good quality preloved; you get more for your money and you get to be smug for shunning fast fashion. I love preloved, as it means I save on half of Dots wardrobe, meaning I can splurge on new items from the brands I love.

My favourites are Peachy & Birdie and Kidclo give them a try.

Frugi at Small Eco Steps

We love Frugi’s values and always adore mixing up their bright colours and funky prints! For Christmas or parties their skater dresses are always a winner. Shop at Small Eco Steps and use ‘ivfninja’ for discount.

Shoes from Colourful Soles

Don’t worry grandparents; you can grab a voucher so they can go for a fitting. Colourful Soles (based in Lutterworth) stock a wonderful range of brands and styles; we rarely leave the shop with just one pair. The experience for your little one is also just awesome; a colourful shop with toys and Peppa Pig on repeat- no stress here!

Read- our favourite books

Books by Joanna Hutchinson

If you love the rhymy style of Julia Donaldson with colourful and cute illustrations- then these are the books for you. Your little one will love the cute characters, such as Hettie the Yeti, and also love guessing the rhyming word. The tales are perfect for true story lovers- as talk about other favourite stories, and are a great length for bedtime. Books by Joanne Hutchinson

Personalised Christmas book

We love this stunning book from Personalised book shop – it has so many cute touches- you can make the character look just like your little one, add a photo and a message too. Use MMMAIVF20 for discount.

Usbourne Christmas books

Every year some of our favourite Christmas books are from Usborne books- this year is no different. Great story’s, activity books and sticker books Katrina’s reading corner is my distributor- mention ‘ivf ninja’ for discount.

I’d love to know if you chose my recommendations- please drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @ivf.ninja

I’m a mum of 2 wonderful and spirited children, from the minute my daughter was born my perspective on life changed completely. This changein me inspired the opening of our Independent Children’s shoe shop in Lutterworth, Colourful Soles.

Our mission is to support the development of children, support our local economy and communityand for me personally I want to be able to read a story to my children, Ella and Thomas every night.

Colourful Soles is a Children’s shoe shop, inside we are a team who are trained to measure feet and fit shoes correctly. We want shoe shopping for children (and those with them) to be an enjoyable experience and for them to go away with a pair of shoes that fits their individual and unique feet and personality.

Up until November 2012 I had spent all my working life dedicated to a large ‘Blue Chip’ business and became accustomed, if not somewhat addicted to, the long hours, travelling the world, discovering new experiences, the people (not all of them particularly nice) the salary and the rush of landing new contracts. On the 22nd of November my daughter, Ella was born and from that moment on I knew I had changed.

I went through the motions for 5 years, going back part time after maternity leave, working long hours, answering e-mails @ 1am, being away from home for numerous nights, knowing deep down though that my heart was not in it. Being a mum was my priority and the compromise was getting too much for me.

When my son Thomas was born, I decided there and then that I no longer wanted to be number in a big business, I wanted my family to come first. I started training and learning about the development of the foot inspired by the fact that I couldn’t find the right shoe for my daughters’ narrow ankle and foot. Re-enforced by my sons’ wide foot and high step and inclination to pronate I decided I wanted to offer shoes for children that I couldn’t find.

Finally 2 years later the perfect unit turned up and we made an offer, I handed my notice in and started contacting companies that I trusted and believed in. 6 months later the icing on the cake I found the perfect partner, Sarah, to work alongside me who has experienced a very similar journey. Now I love coming to work and I love what I do, I like meeting new wonderful customers and having time for family and friends without secretly checking my phone for an e-mail or message. It’s fun! Don’t get me wrong it doesn’t come without worry but it is absolutely worth it. My family and friends have been more supportive that I could’ve hoped for and without making you want to reach for the sick bucket, couldn’t imagine better.

Couple of facts you might not be aware of…

By the time a child is 8 years old they’ve already walked, on average, 11,500km which is the distance from London to New York and back! The right shoes for all that walking is so important, allowing room to grow and supporting those soles!

The bones in the foot don’t stop forming until 18 years old, the right shoes will help those bones form properly.

Loving life…loving work and of course loving shoes! X

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Tag: kids shoes

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