Skinted Vs Minted - Aldi Girls Fashion Shoes - Review

This year I got badgered by Isla for a pair of Lelli Kelly Shoes. I only gave in when I was able to get them in the sale for £32, which felt okay considering they usually retailed at £44! She loved those shoes as they had sparkle and she wore them to death until they were worn through. 

I do believe that Lelli Kelly's are overpriced and so when Aldi offered to send me a pair of their version of the most popular fashion shoe I was intrigued. We received them and I could tell the difference. They are clunkier, not quite as finely made, but the important test wasn't what I would think of them, it was what Isla made of them. And the verdict was a thumbs up! She loves the gems and beads they are decorated with. They are slightly too big for her, so they haven't had a wear yet but she is chomping at the bit to strut her stuff in them. We were sent the black version, which if she'd been give the choice I know she would have plumped for the pink - her favourite colour. For my part I actually like the fact they are black because they won't show all the dirt in the way her white Lelli Kelly's did! 

The shoes come in store on the 19th December, and are part of the Aldi Specialbuys range. So when they're gone, they're gone people! I fully intend to go to our local Aldi and try and get the pink pair too because when they only retail at £8.99 per pair you can afford to buy two pairs.

We were sent a pair of shoes in exchange for this review. All opinions are honest and our own.

High Quality Leather from Clarks

Since having the kids spending on me has dwindled considerably and if ever I run into trouble on a shopping trip with finding myself something to wear then my default shopping habit is to buy something for the children instead. I've also recently discovered through a shopping trip for kids footwear that not only do Clarks sell well made shoes for children, the high quality leather from Clarks also extends to the adult ranges. A few months back I went to the sales to see if there was anything that would be suitable for Isla and wonder of wonders I didn't actually buy anything for her, I bought these fabulous Clarks shoes. FOR ME!

I ummed and ahhed over them. Firstly, I don't buy shoes very often, my feet are ginormous at size 8 and generally anything I like isn't available in my size. I am almost a giantess at 5 foot 11 inches, so anything with a heel is out too, so I tend to stick to the old faithful choice of trainers most of the time. On this day however everything I liked was available in my size and the only thing I had to get over was the fact that I felt a bit weird wearing shoes. In the end I realised that I couldn't leave the shop without them. But then what followed was that it dawned on me  that I had absolutely nothing to wear with these fabulous shiny new shoes, so I then *HAD* to buy 3 new dresses to go with them (I don't usually do dresses either!). In effect during that one small shopping trip I had initiated a complete overhaul (yes 3 new dresses constitutes use of the word overhaul - I don't own masses of clothing!) of my wardrobe and usual style.

I wore these shoes and one of my new dresses to work and for once I felt 'grown up'. I'm very casual at work usually but for at a week solid I was rocking my new shoes paired up with dresses and Isla also loved this change in her Mummy - she loves dresses and is most pleased when I'm donning one in the morning. This pair of shoes was the jog I needed to get my act together and try and make more of an effort with my appearance. Shoes like these insist on wearing something smarter and it had an effect on my mental attitude as well. I felt altogether more productive. Money well spent for so many different reasons!

Funny how I didn't set out to buy anything for myself that day, I only thought that Clarks shoes were good for kids. How wrong could I have been?

This is a commissioned post

New Shoes!

I love the stage when you buy the baby their first pair of shoes! Noah got his first pair at the weekend and I love them! He is a 4.5 G, which seems enormous to me for a 9 month old. We got them from Clarks as we did with Isla when she got her first pair. The only difference being that for her they did this really sweet thing of taking a polaroid of her in her new shoes and putting it in a little card frame to mark the occasion. They didn't seem to do it this time round which is a shame but I took this picture as soon as we left the shop and they look so cute on his feet!

I ♥ Isla's New Shoes.....

The Year that was 2010!

Last year was predominantly a year of getting to know my baby some more and a return to work from Maternity leave. Here are some highlights of my year. 

In January it really felt like the countdown was on to my return to work and on reflection I think I spent too much time worrying and thinking about going back than making the most of the time I had left!

I always hate February, given that it's the shortest month of the year, to me it always feels like the longest. Always so dark, dreary and gloomy that I like to get it over and done with as quickly as possible, so lets move on to....

March: This was the month that Isla started nursery and how I hated those early days! The first day that I left her there for any length of time my hubbie and I went into town to do some shopping. I thought it was meant to feel like freedom and that I'd feel like the old me, but instead I just felt rotten! In the car on the way there I cried continuously. I walked round the shops in a daze with tears in my eyes and to make myself feel less guilty for being away from her I bought her some new things. I practically ran up the 45 degree angle hill to the nursery to fetch her to find that of course she was fine and had a better day than I had!

April: Back to work and it was like I'd never left!! I reduced my hours from 5 days to 4 days, with my day off being mid week so I didn't have to be parted from my little imp for more than 2 days - this fitted in perfectly with my best friend who also adopted the same work hours and so we have lovely Wednesday's together with our children playing together.

I also completed a swimathon for Marie Curie Cancer Care (see blog post The Big C) - 2.5km of breast stroke, back stroke, front crawl and by the end doggie paddle (!) in a time of 1 hour 9 minutes.

May: Isla's first shoes from Clarks. I loved that shopping experience - they take a photo of your child in their first shoes. It made it feel quite special.

June: More fund raising with my sister this time for Race For Life. In total raised over £800 with both of my efforts combined, so I was extremely proud of myself and as was my Dad!

July: The eagerly anticipated 1st birthday! Her homemade birthday card made with my own fair hands was shown on CBeebies much to my excitement!

We had a couple of get togethers planned but Isla was ill on the day (made for a bit of an anti-climax!), so we ended up with a small get together a bit further down the month. She had a lovely time and me and the OH felt very proud of ourselves at having survived the year.

September: Our first holiday abroad with a child on a plane! Hmmm, I'm not in a hurry to repeat that experience.....more on that at a later date....lets just say I learnt that holidays will never be the same again.

December: The month of snow (what a drag!) and Christmas! Our second Christmas as a little family and we were also in the knowledge that another baby is on the way. Good times!

Here's to a healthy and happy 2011 for everyone! Our baby girl is growing into a real little lady and I can't wait to see how she grows this year and adapts to life as a big sister!

This post also features on SuperAmazingMum pop over there and check her out, she's a lovely lady!