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Stuff I’m Digging: Emu Boots For Kids

I tend to be pretty bare bones when it comes to my kids’ wardrobes. (Especially my son’s because, yeah, girls’ shoes!) In any given year he’ll have a good pair of runners, winter boots and some sort of Croc knock-offs for summer. We buy dress shoes only when they’re absolutely needed. And that’s it.

In fact, I may or may not have just purchased a $12 polyester dress for myself from a store that starts with a “W” and ends in “almart.” Shhh! I swear it’s cute. We’re not fancy people.

So when the Australia-based Emu company sent me some kids’ boots to review I wasn’t quite sure where they’d fit in. They’re warm and water-resistant, but not quite up to hours-long snow fort building in sub-zero temperatures. They’re not Canadian-winter boots. They’re also definitely not runners or sandals, so, hmm.

Emus are, however, incredibly soft. Made of 100% soft sheepskin with solid rubber soles, the boots were originally designed to keep surfers’ feet warm. They’re water resistant and, like anything made from wool, they’ll keep you warm even when it’s wet, so it makes perfect sense. I keep picturing those cold nights at the cottage when you just want to pull on a sweatshirt and cozy up to the fire. These would be so perfect.

They are a complete luxury, really. I don’t think I can possibly impart just how soft they are! Clearly many families cannot afford to buy another pair of high-end footwear that’s not completely necessary. (The Emus retail for about $100.) We certainly can’t. But, oh, if you can. I keep superimposing these boots on my own childhood memories of beach vacations and cold and stormy summer days and trips to friends’ cottages and the last days of summer as it blurs into fall. Heaven.

And, really, my kids will probably wear these boots on cool and wet summer evenings, yes, but also right through the fall into winter. They won’t be sufficient for snow ball fights or tobogganing, but can’t you just see pairing them with a party dress, a sweet little overcoat and matching hat and scarf set? Because they’re just that pretty.

Or, you can just stand in front of your house pretending to be a surfer. That’s good enough for Colum.

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Stuff I’m Digging” features some thing or things that I like. These are often things that have been sent to me to review or that I received at a PR event. They can also be things that I bought myself or perhaps even something I crafted! (It could happen!)

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The Month in Review Photo Post Thing, 01/12

I thought a photo recap at the end of every month might be fun. This could easily go the way of this blog’s advice column, weekend in the city video series, event listings, attempt to review every single playground in the city (yes, I did), and the list goes sadly on. But I still have to try, so … ta da! The inaugural month in review photo post thing! Currently accepting naming suggestions.

Two major Mary milestones happened around the new year. She moved from cradle to crib (but is still in our room), for one.

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And we broke out the Jolly Jumper! Her staying power is still a little weak, but we’re working on it.

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And then I dressed her like an elf, a Christmas elf in January.

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I bought a cheaper sewing machine because I didn’t want to spend fifty bucks on a sleep sack when we have so many blankets that could be easily sewn together. And then I sewed one! All it needs is velcro. Actually, nearly a month later, it’s fine without the velcro. So $100 for the machine minus $50 for the sleep sack plus $20 in flannel, elastic and velcro that I may never do anything with and … I made my own sleep sack for only $20 more than the retail value. Yay me!

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I got a fancy new Blackberry with a decent camera, so now my pictures won’t suck so hard. (Because I’ve decided I will never actually hook up a camera to upload pictures the old-fashioned way on any sort of regular basis and I’m just rolling with that.) (They will still suck somewhat because I’m still the one taking them.)

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There were boardgames with Grandma and Grandpa (and we all know where that led).

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Irene started calling all elastic bands Silly Bandz and wearing them around like so many rubbery bangles.

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We watched playoff football as a family and I was so proud the kids were mature enough to finally let me watch a game in peace. Er, we watched football as a family for ten minutes and then Colum and Irene started playing football, slamming into the couch and tackling each other on the carpet in front of my game. (Giants for the Superbowl, yo!)

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We attended the funeral of Ed’s mom’s cousin, a good woman taken long before her time. Unfortunately it was the only occasion even remotely formal enough for Mary to wear this beautiful dress, a gift from one of her many great aunts.

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Colum played hockey first thing on Sunday mornings and practiced outside on Monday evenings, even in a snow storm.

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Irene decided to raid the too-small clothes boxes again and squeezed into a size 18-month white dress. She paired it with an OshKosh hoodie, striped leggings and winter boots. And she pulled it off, for crying out loud. She pulled it off.

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