He is Risen!

Easter traditions really vary from one family to another, I’ve found – although I do think either a ham or lamb supper unites us all. This year we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior and baby’s first easter together with my family. We had an Easter egg hunt, but we always include a few numbered eggs … a dozen to be exact. Those eggs have special meaning as they’re resurrection eggs! It brings meaning to the traditional egg hunt since it tells the story of Christ dying on the cross to save us from our sins, and then rising again. The kids aren’t disappointed about not having a candy filled egg – they’re thrilled to be able to participate in the story.

Your turn: What are your Easter traditions?

Resurrection Day in Charlottesville

It’s been one of those weeks where I’ve had more on my “wish I could do list” than was truly realistic.  Well, the list was realistic, but other events in real life kinda came up.

I had to keep shoving things off until tomorrow.  And then, tomorrow came, and well . . here we are–it’s Resurrection Day!

My husband is in the kitchen happily preparing our lamb roast.  He makes a scrumptious lamb roast!  The aroma of the roasted rosemary and garlic is so mouth-watering delicious.

My son has already biked through the lawn . . .Picked pretty flowers . . .

(that I arranged into a centerpiece with two small glasses) . . .

Had a pretend tea party, read several books, and he peeled all the paper off of his crayons. He stopped for a few moments to taste homemade hummus and carrots and a pitted date (an ingredient in the raw peach cobbler).

Even though I need to catch up on some serious sleep from the past two weeks, I was able to finish cleaning my floors, and the surprise of the evening was that I did indeed finish making my son’s first bow tie.

It was the first thing he wanted when he awoke this morning. Mommy!  Bow tie!

I started to make one from a lime green dragonfly print with a contrasting brown bias tape, but the extra work involved on that project just meant I needed a few more days weeks to complete.  So, I decided to create a brand new one (sans bias tape).

The finished one is a great complement to his sweater vest, don’t you think?

Thankfully, I practiced the bow tie-tie method on Calvin’s stuffed Snoopy at least 10 times, so I could quickly do it for a restless toddler this morning.

Apparently, I wasn’t fast enough.

Calvin kept tucking his chin to his chest saying “All Done!  Off!” But, I persisted, and he was more than pleased with the final outcome.  He called himself dapper.  Indeed he was.

After church, he didn’t want to change into more comfortable clothes (a.k.a. I didn’t want to deal with grass stains on his white shirt).  But, he did sneak in a few kicks in the backyard before I made him change.

It was also a great opportunity for a family photo shoot (long overdue since last fall!)

Happy Resurrection Day from my family to yours.  We’re so thankful for the Lamb who bore our sins and rose again to conquer death, disease, and destruction.  Enjoy this special day with your loved ones!

Top three considerations when purchasing children’s footwear

Spring is here!  It’s almost Easter, and I’m pretty excited to celebrate Resurrection Day.

Remember when I told you I’m making Calvin a cute bow tie for Easter?  Well, I printed out the pattern and picked out a fabric (it’s just leftovers of fabric I already have, and something I know he likes).  So, that’s as far as I’ve progressed on this project.  My hope is to get it mostly completed on Wednesday when I have time to breathe.  Can’t wait to share photos of the project with you.

Meanwhile, I’ve decided I’m going to dress him up for the special day in a crisp, button-down white shirt and brown corduroys, because they will look great with his fabulous bow tie that celebrates spring.  Oh, and let’s not forget the shoes.  Calvin’s going to wear my favorite children’s shoes by Pediped, the chocolate brown Kyle with the khaki stripe accent plus Pediped organic cotton ribbed trouser socks (so soft!).

After reviewing several styles and brands of toddler shoes, I’ve settled on a checklist of the top three considerations when purchasing shoes for children:

1. Shoes for babies and toddlers should have a soft and flexible sole that doesn’t restrict the development of a child’s feet.  It’s the next best thing to barefoot–the way feet were meant to walk and develop for form and function.  Pediped’s new Memory Foam Technology that allows the shoe to mold to a child’s foot creating a custom insole that provides the ultimate in comfort.
2. Functional shoes for kids need not scrimp on style.  Kids (and parents) want fun styles that don’t bear yesterday’s faddish character.  A child’s taste in shoes may be as fickle as his appetite–pick out a style that will  last the long haul–or at least as long as his feet fit them!  For the record, I think Pediped set a benchmark standard for little girls’ shoes with their Couture department.
3. Durability is essential for children’s footwear.  I love flexible and cute shoes, but if they look like they lost a fight with the garbage disposal after one outing on a gravel driveway, then they’re not very practical for an active toddler. Period. I want a pair of shoes that can handle a mud puddle and a run around the yard and still look fairly sharp.

Durability shouldn’t mean lack of flexibility or style.  I want the whole enchilada, all three wonderful features.  Pediped combines well-constructed flexible design with durability and cute styles for a 1-2-3 winning combination.  By far, I think Pediped shoes are the best kids’ shoe on the market, and well worth the investment.

Pediped styles vary in price from $34 to $52 and sizes range from 0-2 (age 0-3 mos) to 5.5-6 (age 18-24 mos) in the Pediped Originals (for babies, cruisers, and beginning walkers) to sizes 5 (12 – 18 mos) through 12 (age 5) in the Pediped Flex.

YOUR TURN: What features in children’s footwear are most important to you when you’re making a purchase?  How often do you encourage your child(ren) to walk barefoot?

Note: I received a pair of Pediped shoes and organic socks to facilitate this review.