Category: Fashion

I’ve been meaning to write a review for PLAE shoes for years at this point. That’s how long I’ve loved them and how long I’ve personally recommended this brand of shoes to friends and acquaintances.

I don’t know why I haven’t written a review in all that time, but it’s definitely long overdue.

I am a big advocate of flexible soles in footwear for pre-walkers and young children. I’ve featured baby moccasins several times on my blog, for that very reason. But, as kids get older, they need more protection and support from their footwear.

However, flexible soles still remain essential to healthy foot development. Not to mention that, with the amount of running, jumping, and climbing that kids do, flexible soles allow them to stay connected with the ground or surface they are climbing on.

Ever since Max graduated from moccasins, I have only bought PLAE sneakers and boots for him to wear. We are on our 4th or 5th pair at this point.

ty the sneaker

So, why do I love this brand of shoes so much?!

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It’s time for me to talk about my favorite baby and toddler moccasin company again! That’s right, it’s Freshly Picked. I previously raved about their moccasins when Max was 11 months old. Looking back on that prior review makes me feel incredibly nostalgic – he’s grown so much since then!

Freshly Picked sent a pair for Max the Toddler to try on and I chose the color “Stone Suede.” Honestly, I really, really wanted “Starry Night” (a gorgeous metallic color) but I had to remind myself that the moccs weren’t for me 🙁

I opted for suede because Max already has two leather moccs from Freshly Picked so I wanted to see what their suede was like. I was not disappointed. The suede is thick and feels durable yet remains soft and supple. Their moccs are no longer handmade but the quality and craftsmanship is still impeccable.

The reason I am such a huge fan of Freshly Picked and their soft moccasins is largely because, for babies and toddlers who are learning to walk, moccs do not hinder healthy feet development. Barefoot is best whenever possible. But when they are walking outdoors those tender feet need protection. I think soft moccasins are the next best thing.

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I first saw Freshly Picked moccasins on a friend’s Facebook post. I immediately fell in love with the array of colors, multiple patterns, and cute, yet simple design. At the time, Max wasn’t even born yet, so I made a mental bookmark and then promptly forgot all about it.

After Max was born and started cruising, I looked into potential shoes for him to wear (plus, who doesn’t want to dress their baby up in cute baby shoes!) I then learned that it is actually best for babies to go barefoot. During a time of rapid growth and development, walking barefoot helps the baby to develop the muscles and ligaments of the foot, to increase the strength of the foot’s arch, and to contribute to good posture.

However, although there are a host of benefits to walking barefoot, there also comes a point in time when a baby starts walking outdoors and their precious feet need to be protected.

I decided to put buying shoes for Max on hold until he was actually walking. That was a few months ago. And even though Max is still only cruising, we are now planning a trip to Japan and Taiwan. I wanted Max to have a pair of shoes to protect his feet during travel so I started looking into shoes again. And since Max is not yet fully walking, I learned that soft-soled shoes were best for baby’s foot development.

That’s where Freshly Picked moccasins come in. Their moccs are handmade, in the USA, out of supple leather (or suede) that stretch and conform to the baby’s foot. Because the soles are made of leather (as opposed to rubber), they still provide tactile feedback from the ground to the baby’s feet. Essentially, it’s the next best thing to being barefoot while still protecting the baby’s tender feet.

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Max wearing the amber teething necklace at five months old

Max has been wearing an amber teething necklace since he was about three months old. I purchased it when he began to drool excessively, which is one of the first signs of teething.

The number one question I get from people is: Does he or is he supposed to chew on it? The answer is: No.

Amber is a natural resin that, when worn against the skin, releases natural oils which contain succinic acid. Succinic acid is reported to have analgesic properties that can help alleviate teething symptoms and pain. Now, not all amber is created equal, with Baltic amber containing the highest concentration of succinic acid.

So I will be the first to say, there isn’t actually any scientific evidence that amber helps with teething. None. I don’t know if wearing amber for teething is completely bogus (which it may very well be) but based on the amount of anecdotal evidence in favor of it, I figured, it couldn’t hurt to try. Therefore, all of my information is based solely on anecdotes and nothing truly scientific.

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