Oct 27, 2009

Tester #5

Here is the product review from Tester #5 about her first impressions of the new-for-fall TinySoles gear that she received to test out (shown to the left).

Name: Erika
Children:
Savannah, age 2 and a bit, size 7
Wyatt, coming soon!

"I wanted to let you know we got the package Monday before last - thank you so so much! Savannah was THRILLED. She kept saying "let's open my present!" and the funniest thing was that she was most enamored with the infant smart wool socks you sent for Wyatt. She was bound and determined to try to get them on her big ole foot, thankfully she gave up and moved onto the shoes instead! My apologies for taking so long to write this - I had every intention of trying to get it out to you before we left on vacation last week but our life was suddenly filled with multiple events that seemed to consume us; the worst was finding out our beloved dog was full of cancer and we had to put her down 2 days before we left town. So anyway...here are my first impressions - sorry for the tardiness.

Hatley Farmer Jill Rain Boots: Savannah admittedly has a bit of a boot fetish so the Hatley boots are by far her favorite. As with all Hatley boots the quality is very good and I like that they are still flexible despite the thick rubber - flexibility is super important to me. The inside is lined in what feels like a knit fabric which I expect will keep Savannah's feet toasty on cold rainy days and well... also on hot sunny days when the child puts on nothing more then her boots and runs naked through the yard (I swear I do not encourage this!). I also like that the print we received (Hatley Farmer Jill) can be viewed asunisex (although Farmer Jack is very cute as well) so we'll get use out of these for both kids. Robeez Tredz Cupcake Party MJ Brown Patent: I am so thrilled that Robeez changed their sizing and that Savannah can wear Robeez again, even if this will be the last season for her as she is rapidly approaching a size 7. When I first looked at the shoe I actually doubted it would fit but upon putting her foot against the sole, it looks like it will but probably not for long. I think the sizing on these may run smaller (maybe by 1/2 size?) then the other brands thatwe usually purchase. The Mary Jane is super cute - these are a bit funky in that the colors all have an irridescent/metallic look to them but it's subtle enough that they can easily be used for dressing up or dressing down. I like that the back of the shoe (the part that surrounds the ankle) features a "gathered elastic" that keeps the shoe on the childs foot but will also "give" if needed and adds an element of protection around ankles to keep blisters/rubbing at bay. They'll also go with a lot of Savannah's outfits this fall - just waiting for the temp to drop to break out all the fall shoes!

Country Kids Socks: Considering that I admittedly go a bit overboard on clothing and shoes for Savannah, socks have not been something I've given much thought too - it's been more like "oh you don't have socks that fit...I'll just grab some from Target" but with the arrival of the country kids socks in our tester box, I've decided I've (or rather Savannah) has been missing out! These come is such great colors and prints. They're super soft and these will fit her for a good long while as I feel they run big. I love the pair we received - the plum/pink colors are going to be perfect for fall. My only wish is that they had "grippy's" on the bottom to keep lil ones from slipping.

SmartWool Baby Bootie Batch Blue Mist Heather/Cobalt: How did I not know about these before!? I've decided that these are the perfect babyshower/new baby gift! I can't wait for Wyatt to arrive so we can test these out but I just know they are going to be perfect. They are so so soft, warm & fuzzy...heck I wish they made them in adult sizes! Savannah was a spring baby so I hadn't given much thought to the fact that I needed to find something to keep my lil guy's feet toasty when he arrives in December - this is the perfect solution! I like that the top of the sock is a bit tighter - they look like they'll definitely stay on which is important and the colors and designs are just too cute. I'll definitely be picking up a few more of these in other colors. Thanks again for all the wonderful goodies - we look forward to reporting on our findings as we break everything in!"
~Erika

Thank you Erika and Savannah, and we look forward to seeing pictures of Wyatt!

Oct 15, 2009

TinySoles Giveaway

Its that time again.......now's your chance to win a $30 Gift Certificate to TinySoles to buy whatever it is you have your eye on! We have decided to make it a MONTHLY giveaway deal and reward one lucky person with the gift of choice!

October Giveaway: Our product review/tester giveaways was such a big success and we loved what you shared about our products, so we thought this would be a great place to start. All you have to do is go to tinysoles.com and leave a product review for any and all products you have ever personally used that are sold at TinySoles. It doesn’t even matter if you didn’t buy it from us! The more you review, the better your chance. Then come back here and post a comment or email marketing@tinysoles.com letting us know your reviewer name and all the products you left a review for. You can post all at once or as many times as you need to. ALL review submissions for this giveaway MUST be NEW reviews posted on TinySoles.com from today onwards (no using old reviews!). **CAUTION**- if you are logged into your TinySoles account while leaving a review it WILL publish your email with the review. You do not need to be logged into or have a TinySoles account to leave a review. We will select a winner from all product reviews submitted for this giveaway on October 31st at midnight PST, so please have your reviews submitted by then.

Congratulations to stlmommy, She has won the $30.00 Gift Card to TinySoles! We are really impressed with all the great quality reviews left by all. Thanks to everyone who participated, it really makes a difference to the staff here at TinySoles and to shoppers having a hard time deciding what shoe to go with. Stay tuned for our November Giveaway!

Sep 20, 2009

Tester #4

Tester #4 recently sent us her first impressions of the new-for-fall TinySoles gear that she received to test out (shown to the left). Here is what she had to say:

Name: Nikki
Children:
Emmie, age 15 months, size 4/5
Addie, age 3, size 8/8.5
Products Tested:

"Hi, Tinysoles friends and fans! So sorry for the delay, but here are my first impressions of the FREE tester items I received last week.

First of all, a huge shout out to Tinysoles for once again amazing me with their customer service. I was almost embarrassed to email them and tell them that the shoes they sent (for FREE, I remind you) for my younger daughter were borderline too small. I’m sure they matched up to the measurements/sizes I originally sent, but the little bugger had a growth spurt in the past couple of months (her dr.’s appointment on September 3rd confirmed this), and her feet were no exception to the all-over growth. So they graciously sent me the next size up – thank you, Tinysoles.
J
Smaller by SKR OliviaThese shoes are adorable. The size we’re going with is the 12-18 months, and she turned 15 months today (Sept. 3), so I would say that’s pretty accurate. As soon as I put them on her chubby little feet, she took right off in them. Love the leather circles sewn on the toes – hopefully those will stay securely in place as the shoes get worn this fall. I like how the sole comes up over the top of the toes – definitely makes sense for babies who are just starting to walk, as they often still spend a good chunk of time on all fours, and when they do walk, they frequently scuff their toes. On these particular shoes, the soles are nubuck (or maybe it’s suede?), so you can kind-of wipe the soles in one direction to remove the marks. I’ve heard that nubuck can also show dirt easily, especially in a light color like the pink, but we’ll see. The leather uppers are so soft and supple, and the nubuck sole is soft and firm at the same time. My first impression is that it’s going to be a great shoe.

Country Kids Organic Infant Stripe tights Pink/Stone - I have not had the fortitude to wrestle these on my 15-month-old yet, as our weather here in NC has still been in the 70’s & 80’s, but they feel VERY soft, and they will look adorable with the Olivia shoes. I’ve found Country Kids products to be really great, so my guess is that these will be no exception.

Pediped Emily Pink Pearl Hair ClipIf you’ve read any of my reviews, you know that I’m a huge pediped fan, so I was thrilled to be able to try one of their bows. Typical of No Slippy bows, this stays put like a champ – great for scooping my baby’s hair out of her eyes really quick, as getting a bow in place is often like trying to hit a moving target. Now that her hair is a little longer, I’ve actually been putting the top of it in a Pebbles-style ponytail with a small elastic hairband, and then clipping a bow at the base of the ponytail, under the hairband. (I do this while she’s distracted with eating, in case anyone was wondering. J) I wasn’t sure I’d be able to slide this bow in very easily because of the velvet, but it didn’t take much maneuvering to get it in. So if you like pediped and you like No Slippy Hair Clippy, these bows are winners.

Umi Praline Deep Red/Amber - This is our first pair of Umi shoes, and my first impression is that I LOVE them. If you look at this particular pair on the website, please know that it is MUCH cuter in person. A great, deep red color, coupled with the brown trim, and the sweet leather flower details – I think it will go with a lot of things this fall – jeans, skirts & tights, etc. Tinysoles had mentioned that the Umis might run a little long, and I would say that’s true. But they hug my 3-year-old’s foot very nicely, even though there’s plenty of room to grow. She walked around in them for a while, frequently looking down to admire her feet. I think the previous two reviewers mentioned an odor to the Umis – I guess there was an odor of new leather, but I didn’t find it overpowering. Then again, I kind-of like the new-shoe smell.
So, there you have it. I’ll send more info as time passes and shoes get worn. But again, thank you so much, Tinysoles. This is so fun!!
Nikki

P.S. Some photos attached. I’ll take more as the opportunities arise."

Thank you Nikki, Addie and Emmie for your review!

Sep 19, 2009

20% OFF - 3 Days Only

Celebrate our new Fall arrivals with a deal you won't want to miss! From now through Monday, use coupon code FALLDEAL to receive 20% OFF ALL orders over $30. With tons of new shoes, boots, rain gear, socks, tights and more in stock, now's your chance to get your fall fave's for less. Throw in our FREE shipping to the US, APO/FPO and Canada, and this is almost a steal. Hurry, this offer ends Monday, September 21st at Midnight PST. Click here to shop now

Cannot be combined with any other offer or used on Daily Deal items. Coupon limited to in stock items only.

Sep 9, 2009

Tester Review #3

Tester #3 recently sent us her first impressions of her TinySoles loot that she received to test out (shown to the left). Here is what she had to say:

Name: Sara
Child: Lilly, size 4/5
Products Tested:
"We got our package of shoes and tights today and had such a good time going through them. My daughter unpacked and packed the box for about an hour. She loves her new treasures, but I think her favorite part might have been the pink tissue paper!

See Kai Run Jennifer Lee: It was love at first sight with these two tone Mary Janes! The gold and bronze will be perfect with fall colors, and the faux fur is a fantastic detail. I can see how they will work as well with jeans on a trip to the pumpkin patch as they will with a party dress for Thanksgiving dinner. This versatility is one of the things I love about See Kai Run, and the Jennifer Lee could easily end up as our go-to shoe for fall.

Robeez Mini Shoez Moccasin Boot: These shoes are quite a bit larger (in the length and width) than other size fives we’ve tried, and my daughter can hardly walk in them. She has rather chubby feet and ankles, and these boots have more than enough room. I can’t get them secured tightly enough, so they’re probably just too big right now. At the rate her feet have been growing, they might be just right by the time it’s cool enough to wear boots. These Robeez have great styling, and my daughter seems to love them. They are also really, really easy to put on. Although the soles are a non-skid, waterproof material, there doesn’t seem to be much padding to protect her feet from rocks and sticks, so we’ll probably just wear them to play inside.

Country Kids Double Trouble Striped Tights in Plum: My daughter has never worn Country Kids tights before, but I can’t wait for the temperature to drop enough to try them on her. In multiple shades of pink and purple, these tights will pair perfectly with dark fall colors, and the varying width of the stripes is really fun. These tights are undeniably adorable, so I have really high hopes for them!

Thank you for such a wonderful selection of items. We’ll have a lot of fun trying them out!"
Sara

Thank you Sara and Lilly, we look forward to hearing more :)

Sep 6, 2009

Klean Kanteen

We just received a NEW shipment of Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles and with it came this bold new RED color! For those of you looking to grow your sippy bottles into a fully fledged big kid bottle, TinySoles now carries the Sports Cap 2.0. The sports cap is a high flow pop top that is compatible with all Klean Kanteen bottles. It features a quick attachment loop for connecting your Klean Kanteen to anything imaginable. We also picked up 3 NEW colored Thirsty Totes by Built NY. They keep your bottle insulated, help little fingers to grip the bottle better and add a little extra protection against drops. Snap the tote's grab loop over the top and you've got a comfy handle and the perfect way to hang your bottle from strollers, car seats, diaper bags, or whatever else is handy. Plus the Tote is not just limited to Klean Kanteen, it will fit all kinds of bottles and sippy's.

For those of you heading Back-to-School (or already have), the Klean Kanteen is a must have on your supplies list. You all know about the potential health concerns of BPA in plastics and there are not many schools that allow glass. Klean Kanteen bottles are made from 100% recyclable, high-quality, food-grade stainless steel so it doesn't need a special lining like some other metal bottles. It's completely BPA-free and won't leach chemicals, toxins, or funky flavors into your child's water or juice. The 12oz Klean Kanteen Sippy comes with a specially designed BPA free adaptor and 2 Avent sippy spouts made of pp#5 that are also non-leaching and toxin-free. It's designed for small hands, making it easy to hold. And the large-mouth makes it easy to clean too - just scrub it out with soap and water, or toss it in the dishwasher. Another bonus to the Avent top is that I have even swapped it out with an Avent bottle top (nipple) and it worked well!

Going stainless isn't just a health issue, its also a major environmentally friendly choice. Klean Kanteens are the stainless steel alternative to plastic bottles. Plastics in landfills and oceans are one of the most alarming of today's environmental stories. I recently read an article about a "plastic island" floating in the north Pacific Ocean (north of Hawaii) known as the Pacific Gyre that is estimated to be twice the size of Texas. The article mentioned one of the big contributor's to this plastic mess was plastic bottles. That was enough for me to get our whole family on Klean Kanteens and trying to make more "sustainable, less waste" choices.

But do they leak? We have kid tested a bazillion of the 12oz sippy's and we promise you that we have NEVER had one leak outside of bad installation (which is easily fixed!). 2 of our 3 known leakage cases were because they did not have the silicone gasket installed on the bottom of the Avent sippy top. Once they popped it on, their leakage issues were solved. With our 3rd case we had the defective bottle returned to us and we could not get it to leak no matter how hard we shook it (and believe me, we tried!)? The top is not hard to put together, but if you have any leakage issues from it try these steps. Make sure the silicone gasket is ON the Avent top. When installing the top make sure you push the green piece through the top ring so that it "pops" tightly into place. If this isn't pushed all the way in it can leak but it is usually of the slow dripping kind. Also check the adaptor top is aligned correctly when screwed together. If you aren't aware, we stand behind everything we sell 100%. So if you ever have an issue, please contact us right away and we will take care of you.

You may not have expected to find Klean Kanteen at TinySoles, but as parents it is one of our favorite products for our children. So we thought it was only natural that our customers would want them too. Check out all 6 fun colors!

Sep 5, 2009

New BabyLegs!

New Fall styles from BabyLegs are NOW in stock at TinySoles! Check out these super hip and modern designs that make up the new Modish collection from BabyLegs. The new Fall Modish designs feature pinks, purples, greens and blues all combined with chocolate to create a matching collection of argyles, stripes, dots and camos! There are also a few soloists worth a mention, such as the chocolate Soul with colorful hearts and the pirate themed Argh. New for this Fall, BabyLegs has added super comfy cotton sock sets made to match the Modish collection. These cute little sock sets are available in sizes 0-4 years. Keep an eye out as we add even more sock sets to the list and some super cute stripey BabyLegs tights! Shop BabyLegs now.