As a mother to a growing toddler I know the importance of obtaining a good fitting shoe for my little monsters developing feet
So, when the guys at SKEANIE shoes contacted me asking if I’d like to review a pair of their beautiful shoes and run a competition (which I’ll come to in a bit) I was very willing to uptake the offer and put these much talked about shoes to the test.
SKEANIE shoes & boots are beautifully hand-crafted in the softest of leather (eco-leather). They have been specially designed to nurture and protect your little ones feet
SKEANIE shoes understand how delicate and soft our little ones feet are and how this therefore makes them more prone to damage from abnormal pressure caused by ill-fitting shoes
I read some really interesting information and facts on the SKEANIE’s website as well as discovering some really beautifully crafted shoes and boots, such as these trendy little loafers that I had to have for my 2 year old toddler, ‘Harley’
Yes, these are the business and very affordable at £34.99. Plus having used the printable sizing chart that SKEANIE’s provide on its website, these fit him perfectly.
Here’s what SKEANIE’s state…
“As well as providing room for natural growth, SKEANIE’s soft soled shoes allow sensory feedback from the ground, which is especially important for little ones learning to walk and getting to know their surroundings. Research shows that young ones who wear flat, soft soled shoes have improved proprioception, balance and foot and ankle strength”
I can honestly say that these shoes are incredibly soft and I’ve not heard a complaint from the toddler while wearing these (no rubbing or friction whatsoever)!
The quality of the shoe is fabulous, plus they are incredibly trendy too. Since Harley has been wearing these beautiful shoes I’ve received such lovely comments from others stating how lovely and smart they look.
Excuse the mop of hair lol
One of my favourite features is how the back of the shoe is elasticated which allows them to expand throughout the day. This is a fantastic feature because as many of you will already know our feet expand as the day wears on.
I just wished I knew about SKEANIE shoes years ago. My son with Aspergers who is now 11 years old used to has a real issue with shoes and socks for sensory reasons! Given the choice my son would rather walk bare foot up the street if given the chance, either this or for support he ties his laces so tight they almost cut of the blood supply. He was also a tip toe walker for a while during his toddler days, which hasn’t done his toes any favours! I think SKEANIE shoes would have been perfect for his needs.
So, there you have it! It seems that SKEANIE shoes have thought of everything when it comes to designing the perfect shoe for the littlest feet!
I think they are truly awesome and would recommend them highly.
Fancy giving SKEANIE shoes a try? Then your in luck as SKEANIE are offering “A boy with Aspergers” readers the chance to WIN a pair of their choice.
Visit the SKEANIE online store & Leave a blog comment telling me that you liked the facebook page and which pair of shoes you would like to win.
NOTE: SKEANIE Infant range is designed for babies from birth up to three years, while the junior range can be worn by children from six months and older (up to a size 28) Refer to the SKEANIE Sizing Chart for exact measurements.
Extra entries: Remember to leave a separate comment for each action taken.
Tweet: “I want to win a pair of SKEANIE shoes with @clairelouise82”
Please leave an email or twitter handle so I can contact you in the event that you win.
Competition will be open for just one week so I suggest u all hurry 🙂
Closing date: 31st May 2012 (midnight)
T&C: UK only, all rules must be abided for entry to be valid. Contact must be left when entering and winner must respond within one week to claim there prize. For more info on terms and conditions please refer to the “PR and Disclaimer” section of this blog.
Disclaimer: I was not paid to write the review but did receive a sample pair of shoes as to provide my honest opinion. All views are that of my own.
At the beginning of the year I wrote a two-part post covering all the stuff that had happened during 2010 (yes, seriously this took two post and most of it was nothing but bad happenings). So, looking back through 2011 and realising just what an amazing year’s blogging I’ve had, I just had to do it all again.
So here it is, the busiest year on the blog so far, A boy with Asperger’s 2011
January: Not the best month to be honest, we finally get that all important statement of special educational needs for Little man, only toilet paper would have been worth more. Nonetheless we fight to the depths of the earth and it’s amended later in the year and thankfully contains everything he needs thanks to those all important independent assessments & reports.
February: We finally get some good news, which I document in the post, “The end of a chapter” The mainstream school in-which Little man used to attend finally holds up their hands and we get that all important apology in writing, we therefore settle on the Disability discrimination case only weeks before the tribunal hearing. Another great high to February was the invite I received from Cadbury that saw me and a friend attend an excellent Adult only event (no not in that way) we actually tried to set world records doing normal household chores with a twist (making a bed, unravelling toilet rolls and more besides). This was also the month that I got to interview Colin an adult with Asperger’s who had a very interesting message for Mr Cameron.
March: This was a terrible month, the month that saw my eldest Little man (AKA, A boy with Aspergers) get punched in the stomach by a much older youth of eighteen, while playing at the park with a friend and his mother. Little man was just ten at the time and had said “The wrong thing” to a group of older kids, you can read the post “How could that hurt my little boy” for the full story. March was also the month I shared my concerns on the pending Green paper in the post “Aspirations or clever financial alterations”
April: I’m contacted by the lovely Anna Kennedy in regards to her ‘Autism and bullying’ campaign, as a result of this little man appears in an ITV news report which I wrote about in the post “Little man’s television debut” which was perfect timing, what with it being autism awareness month. I also highlight how appearing on the television went to his head a little resulting in him asking everyone and anyone “Do you know who I am”
May: It was this month I wrote one of my favourite post to date “I’m no Vicky Pallord” I also discover that I’m nominated for a Mad blog award shortlisted in two categories, “Most inspiring blog” & “Blogger of the year”
June: Brings with it a fresh start for the Little man when the local LEA crave in before yet another tribunal, agreeing his place at his independent special school for children with autism and aspergers. This was also a really exciting month in the world of blogging, I was featured in two local papers, making front page news in “The Southlondon press” with the Headline “Mum sets blogging standard” & I was also featured in the “Newshopper” both highlighting the news that I had become a finalist in the Mad blog awards 2011. I also got to attend my first ever Cybermummy (blogging conference) and with it the blog received it’s first ever sponsor Londontown.com who paid for me to stay in a beautiful hotel on the night of the conference.
Nonetheless, although the above is all fabulously exciting, June was also a very emotional & overwhelming month, what with Little man adapting to his new routine and little sleep, it resulted in me writing this very open and honest post “falling apart”
July: This was the month I started the Santa’s little helpers feature resulting in me working with some pretty spectacular brands, we were also invited to the multimedia screening of Mr Poppers penguins in London’s , Leicester Square. Alice-Sara brings her friend who are both excited by the odd celeb spot. In the middle of the month me and the children attend the Pandemonium festival in Northampton to celebrate the release of kung-fo panda 2 as VIP guest of Cadbury. The children get to test the new mini games, Harley becomes obsessed by the panda himself and we eat lunch next to the ambassador of china (Yer, I was praying that Little man didn’t treat the guy and his family to a demonstration of a meltdown, “Asperger’s style”)! Myself and Harley my youngest also attended the Boots bump to Baby event in London’s beautiful Haymarket hotel where Harley took a shine to the lovely Rachel Stevens and the boots clothing range (from the pic below who would think his only 18 months here). July is also the month I treat readers to an up-date on the amazing progress Little man is making at his new school.
August: A busy yet crazy month as I celebrate the publishing of my three page article in the SEN publication (please check it out by clicking HERE if you haven’t already). Myself, youngest Harley, sister and her daughter get invited to the tots event of the year, “The lollibob” where we go VIP and the kids have a blast meeting the likes of Bob the builder, Peppa pig and Ben and Holly from the Little Kingdom.
August was also the month that saw chaos unfold in the devastating London riots. I organised a Lewisham riot cleanup on twitter with the use of the hash tag #lewishamriotclean and from then on everything went a little mad, what with being interviewed for the BBC breakfast show by Gabby in the back of a taxi on the way to Lewisham following a sleepless night due to the sounds of rioters looting the supermarket directly across the road. Then as myself and Little man (yes, he cleaned Lewisham too) stood in Lewisham with a dust pan and brush waiting for fellow locals who I’d rounded up with the help of social media to join us, I’m shocked to discover the BBC are there to greet us. Yes, they interviewed me and followed my progress throughout the day, I later cringed watching myself on the 6pm news, in a report that seemed to go on for ever. My use of the quote “Lewisham is cleaner than usual” following the councils own operation seem to be something of a hit and spread across the papers and internet like wide fire! The images of Little man clearing up outside JD Sports still melt my heart and make me mighty proud.
August saw us working with some great brands, Micro Scooter & Meccano to name just a few. Little man also has great fun testing sensory toys this month and I try to raise awareness for child mental health by opening up and writing “Just a Little girl”
September: This is a month that holds some great memories for me, not only did myself and some of the other Mad blog award finalist find ourselves invited to TKMaxx London’s flagship store to choose evening dresses and accessories for the for the Mad blog awards ceremony but I also went on to win ‘Most inspiring blog 2011’ at the awards itself, which was held at the fabulous Talk-Talk experience centre in London’s Soho. Not only did I win, get to meet a host of other fab bloggers but I also experienced a great working relationship with my mad blog awards sponsor ‘OptiBac Probiotics‘.
October: was a month that saw the blog working with some pretty big brands such as Sainsburys & Argos, I make two local papers again having been interviewed by the SouthLondon Press and the Newshopper on winning a Mad blog award! Little man takes over the blog, (well, kind of, he finally says how he feels in his first interview, for the blog) where he talks about his Asperger’s, discrimination, bullying, feeling different and acceptance, click Here to read.
November: I’m delighted to become a judge at the BBC Christmas ideal home show for the face of Argos competition which was an amazing experience. I’m invited to lunch by Sainsbury’s at the BBC NEC Winter food show where I also get to watch a live Master chef cook off, I have a great time and meet some awesome people at Liberty’s London when I attend a charity event and I also start working with the wonderful ‘John Crane’ and ‘When I was a kid’ check out the post ‘Joining Forces‘!
December: The last month of ‘Santa’s Little helpers’ I therefore launch the ‘Santa’s Little helpers, the big christmas countdown’ we feature loads of fantastic competitions with awesome prizes up for grabs. I also get invited onboard P&O ferries to take a trip from Dover to Calais alongside the lovely “Romanian mum where we shop till we drop, and to end such a fabulous year’s blogging, I’m lucky enough to be invited by the fabulous Tots100, to it’s big Christmas party at Butlin’s Bognor Regis where myself, friend and children get to stay in the beautiful Ocean hotel, though Little man finds the change a bit hard to bear.
Wow, there it is, what a year!
There’s been some massive ups and as you can expect one or two downs (what do you expect, this isn’t a fairy tale you know!) But you have to admit, it’s a massive improvement from 2010 that sadly along with 2009 saw much stress and heartache, which just proves, you never know what’s lurking around the corner!
I really do hope that ‘A boy with Asperger’s’ has provide readers with smiles, laughs, entertainment, inspiration, awareness and more!
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all my amazing loyal readers
We love yer!
With ten sleeps left till Christmas day, I’m feeling more festive than ever, and as promised this December is going to be packed with Christmas cheer and that means lots of Christmas inspiration and fabulous competitions.
Image via Wikipedia
Arm & Hammer have launched a fantastic creative competition as a celebration of it’s all new MyWay Spinbrushs. These fab brushes launched in late July are battery operated children’s toothbrushes and have been designed to make teeth brushing fun, they are the perfect addition to any child’s stocking this Christmas.
Arm & Hammer have also donated two awesome Spinbrush’s (one in each colour) to our awesome Christmas Countdown, giving you lot the chance to win one!
Firstly let me tell you about this awesome competition they are running over on the CartoonNetwork.com till the end of December.
This is a free interactive game that inspires creativity and a little healthy competition between boys and girls. Boys can compete against the girls to design the best looking virtual toothbrush and each week the top 5 designs are showcased in a specially designed gallery with each artist winning them self not a virtual but real MyWay Spinbrush that they can design at home.
How it works
Just like the real thing, Little ones can decorate a Spinbrush with the use of stickers, the difference is that this is a virtual brush and to create such a masterpiece children simply drag and drop their chosen stickers onto their virtual brush. With a choice of 141 decorative stickers the possibilities are endless and they can really unleash their creative flare.
Stickers can be used to spell out names or any other words plus decorate with animals, rainbows, cars, instruments and so much more.
Just visit the CartoonNetwork.com and let your child have fun displaying their creativity! Remember, this competition will close at the end of this Month (December) so you have to be quick.
So would you like the chance to win one of two Spinbrushs?
Let me help you decide!
Arm & Hammers MyWay Spinbrush is a battery operated brush that comes in pink or blue. With each brush a range of stickers are supplied to allow your child to unleash their creativity and decorate their own brush.
This helps make brushing their teeth (what often feels like a chore to many children) a fun experience while helping parents to create a good bathroom routine for their children.
Being a parent of three and having a child of 11 with Aspergers Syndrome I know just how hard this can be! My son has sensory sensitivities and really finds this a difficult task to undertake. This may prove a good distraction and make a difficult experience more fun.
The brushes can be brought for around £5.99 each from stores such as Boots and Tesco’s
So… Are you convinced?
As part of our Big Christmas Countdown the lovely Arm & Hammer have donated one pink and one blue Spinbrush.
I will therefore draw two winners at random, to enter just follow the instructions below.
Compulsory actions
Share with me one fantastic parenting tip, it can be anything you like, just share it in a comment here.
You must leave a contact (twitter or email) so I can reach you if you are lucky enough to win.
Additional Entries
For additional chances to win, just use the share buttons in this post. IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEAVE AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH ACTION TAKEN
IF YOU ONLY COMMENT ONCE YOU ARE ONLY ENTERED THE ONCE!
Competition closes on the 3rd January 2012
T&C
UK only, all rules must be abided in-order to be validated. The winner will be drawn at random on the 4rd January 2012 with the competition closing on the 3rd January 2012 at mid-night, no one will be entered after this time. Winner has 72 hours to respond once notified that they have won. Postal address will be passed to the appropriate representative in-order for the prize to be dispatched and their name will be published on this blog.
Disclaimer
I didn’t receive anything for this post but was donated two MyWay Spinbrush’s as a competition prize for my readers.
As some know, I’m now also doing some reviews on the blog what with Santa’s Little helpers and anything else that I feel could benefit the children and readers, its been going Ok. This week I’ve been reviewing some items from Boots that are for those with sensitive skin. As the products are sensitive they are great for children with Sensory sensitivity especially those sensitive to strong-smelling perfume that is often used in some products.
Having been speaking with the lovely Poppy (representative of Boots) following the Cybermummy 11 conference I was delighted to receive an invite to the Boots Bump to baby event hosted at the very beautiful Haymarket hotel in London.
It was a lovely event where I got to eat far too much lush cake and chat to celebrity mum, ‘Rachel Stevens‘ who my 20 month old took a liking too. She was very nice and came to say hello to my little monster who was lapping up all the attention. I was shown around and Poppy talked me through some of the items. I jokingly commented that the pregnancy section had no interest to me (No….. Way!) They had some great stuff on the home safety section and that of the bathing and feeding section. They also had a selection of clothing from their Mini Club range that as you can see, My toddler loved (Taking after mummy there I think) They currently have 50% off the summer range in store. The new Boots “Pregnancy, Bump, Baby” catalogue Is available in store now or visit the Boots Mother and baby section on their site by clicking HERE
Before attending the event I had shown an interest in the new boots baby sensitive bath range and that of the children’s sensitive sun care range from Soltan. This was not only because I have a toddler who of course has very delicate skin but also due to my own needs and that of Little man and his sister. I tend to get some eczema on my hands where my daughter tends to get it in different areas . Little man just tends to come out in a rash with certain perfumed products and what with his sensory needs we find that some products are just to overpowering in terms of the scent they let off.
I was sent a range of different things to try.
a section of items from the boots baby sensitive range (head to toe wash, baby oil, conditioning shampoo, moisturising cream and wipes)
The sensitive baby range way fantastic. It was used by the whole family and left skin feeling soft while looking clean and fresh. It’s non perfumed so suited Little mans sensory needs. The head to toe wash was turned into bubbles if poured under running water much to the delight of my children. It lasted a good week between four of us, which isn’t bad in our household. The shampoo was just used on the children and it left their hair looking beautiful. We have many issues with hair washing in our house. Little man will avoid it if he can. He tends to be a child who loves the sensation of a power shower but hates sitting in a bath full of water. We haven’t got a power shower (nanny has, but he can’t wash at his grandmother’s house everyday) this means a lot of compromising and often begging. The fact the products were sensory friendly meant we didn’t have this to worry about once his finally in the tub so it was a much welcomed bonus. The oil was lovely and soaked into the skin well. Even with its little scent, little man wouldn’t go near the stuff as he hates it being on his skin. I used the Oil on both my toddler and daughter as well as myself. The tube of moisturising cream was much better suited to little man! He hates his skin becoming dry after a bath especially that of his hands and he used this a lot. Like the Oil, it left the skin really soft. As for the baby wipes, these left my 20 month old rash free and weren’t bad at removing eye make up either 🙂 Prices star from £2.05 and are currently on 3for2 till the 24th August.
Soltan Kids sun protection range (Soltan baby factor 50, kids water play factor 50, Kids spray after sun, kids Soltan spray factor 50).
This sun care range is especially designed for babies and children. I used the Soltan baby on my youngest. It came in handy with this very hot weather and the last thing I needed was a burnt toddler It did it’s job and also left his skin lovely and soft. My daughter used the Soltan Once Kids water play as it was high in factor yet water proof. She has been in and out of the neighbours padding pool all week and isn’t burnt in the slightest. The Kids After sun really did come in handy when Little man got burnt. He refused to put sun cream on when he was out with a friend and his mum which left him a bit Red. The after sun is in a spray form so it was easy to apply even with him running away. We have since been applying the Soltan Kids Spray and although it does have a slight scent it wasn’t over powering meaning little man could deal with it! I did have one complaint, it did leave the skin a little sticky but this was just for the first few minutes. All products went on well and provided really good protection against the sun. The Soltan Once Kids water play was especially good and would go a long way. The range vary in price but starts from around £7 all items are currently half price.
Home safety starter kit
We needed this to stop the youngest from getting into places he shouldn’t such as cupboards with cleaning products stored in and under the sink where he has been known to crawl and sit. The set consists of socket covers, corner cushions, cupboard locks, draw locks, door stopper, toilet lock and multi purpose locks. We have tried all but the toilet lock so far. The socket covers fit well and are especially good for them sockets that a) don’t have switches and b) are often left unused but in a toddlers reach. The door stopper was strong enough to hold back the heavy kitchen door that has hurt a few little fingers over the years. The corner cushions are a must if your toddler is like mine… bump, bump, bump! The kit is priced at £10.25
If you are a brand/PR interested in working with me, please request my Media Kit by sending me an email to...
pageabwa@yahoo.com and for the Santa's little helpers feature contact threesantaslittlehelpers@yahoo.com
"A refreshing look at Aspergers and a real lifeline for parents (me included) and siblings who lives have been touched by someone special. I loved the layout and it was easy to navigate through the site. I thought the autism and art page was brilliant!"
"This is a beautiful site and love and appriciate the awareness that this site is spreading and it create such an outlet for people. Thsi site is inspiring."
"Wow, what can I say, this is a very heartwarming, touching and informative site on the experiences of a family coping with Aspergers. I've spent quite a bit of time reading the posts and comments from readers and even left one myself! :) Keep up the excellent work on helping others to understand this condition and the way your family is coping, it will be an inspiration to others going through the same experience. "
"I truly found your site to be excellent and beautiful. It speaks a lot to your character. As an individual in the health field, I have been in contact with a few patients with ASD and they are very special individuals. I wanted to thank you for taking the time to let the world know about ASD. "
"There is one word to describe this blog: WOW. I love the name and the concept. I love the writing. This is going to sound wrong, but I love reading about the struggle. As a mom struggling with a son who has ADHD and bipolar, this blog touched my heart. Informative, intense and intimate. It's a wonderful read - and I dare you to read just the first page and not learn something. It isn't possible. Great blog!!"
A boy with Asperger's 
Recent Comments