Kids Shoes Archives - Globetrotting Mommy

Top 10 Must-Have Items for …

June 9, 2020 By admin

Welcome back from the 2020 Corona virus hiatus! Now that summer travel is becoming more of a reality, I think we are all looking forward to some close to home family trips. While you dip your toes back into summer travel, be sure to check out these must-have items for summer travel.

1 – Waterproof Footwear – Summer footwear is important since slippery pavement and hot sand are never fun. For water parks, pools, lakes and beaches you’ll want to pack comfy, waterproof footwear for the whole family. For water parks, swim socks and rubber-soled beach shoes are great because kids can wear them all day. For rocky beaches and lakes, be sure to get a waterproof shoe with anti-slip sole, or Crocs. For strolling around town, Salt Water Sandals, Birkenstocks and Tevas will provide more support than flip flops.

2 – Waterproof Phone Case or Dry Bag – Water and cell phones are never a good combination so invest in a waterproof phone case, wearable pouch or dry bag. If you want really great underwater shots and movies, bring a GoPro.

Top 10 Must-Have Items for Summer Travel: Master Lock SafeSpace portable safe is perfect to store small valuables.

3 – Portable Safe – I’m a paranoid New Yorker who hates leaving anything valuable out of sight so I travel with a Master Lock SafeSpace® Portable Personal Safe. With this portable safe, I can safely lock up my keys and money, secure it to a lounge chair or table, throw a towel on top and jump in the pool.

4 – Floats – For kids who haven’t fully mastered the art of swimming, be sure to pack a floatation device. I recommend the Stearns Kids Puddle Jumper Life Jacket Vest (one of the few coast guard approved devices) for toddlers or a backpack type device like the Water Gear Back Float 4-Color Split Back Float for older kids.

Top 10 Must-Have Items for Summer Travel. Don’t forget to label your water bottles.

5 – Water Bottle – Bring along a labeled water bottle for each family member so everyone stays hydrated and be sure to refill them with ice water throughout the day. My favorite leak-proof bottles include Camelbak, Contigo, and Nalgene.

6 – Skin Protection – Don’t forget to reapply sunscreen throughout the day. Kids know the drill but packing some easy to use sunscreen sticks will make the process less painful. Don’t forget to bring sun protection lip balms as well.

Top 10 Must-Have Items for Summer Travel. 2020 summer travel. Globetrotting Mommy.

Water Parks 101: Bring quick dry towels.

7 – Quick Dry Towels – Some water parks and pools provide towels so be sure to find out before you go. If you need to bring your own, try a lightweight microfiber towel.

Top 10 Must-Have Items for Summer Travel. Don’t forget the cover-ups.

8 – Sun Protection Clothing – For summer travel, you’ll want to bring rash guards, sun hats or visors and a cover-up for each member of the family. Be sure to label your clothing with waterproof labels like Mabel’s Labels.

Top 10 Must-Have Items for Summer Travel. Don’t forget the goggles.

9 – Goggles – If your kids have never been to a water park, be sure to bring along some goggles. Some kids are sensitive to the splashing water so goggles help on rides and in the splash parks.

10 – Sunglasses – Last but certainly not least, be sure to bring along UV protection sunglasses for kids and adults.

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Top 10 Must-Have Items for Summer Travel - Summer 2020 Travel. Globetrotting Mommy

Happy travels…

Summer Shoes Kids Will Love …

May 8, 2019 By admin

Summer travels call for shoes kids will love wearing. So toss out those old smelly school sneakers and stock up on some cute and comfy summer shoes.

Summer Shoes Kids Will Love Wearing

For girls who love glitter:

My daughter loves dresses and I usually cringe when she pairs them with sneakers but no more! These rose gold Champion Glitter Keds for Kate Spade are the perfect dressy sneaker that works on the playground and at a fancy dinner. Best of all, they come with two sets of laces (regular and satin ribbon) so you can easily dress them up or down.

For girls who love rainbows:

Rainbows are so fun for girls of all ages and these adorable blue metallic platform espadrilles from Target’s Cat & Jack feature an elastic rainbow strap so they will match everything in her closet.

For sporty kids:

We are huge fan of Stride Rite’s made2play Phibian waterproof sneaker sandals and their new lighted version marks my daughter’s fourth pair! The easy-to-clean exterior, comfortable interior and velcro closure make them an easy option for every day. These sneakers are lightweight and can go from sidewalk to sprinkler park.

Kids will love wearing Salt Water Sandals all summer long.

For kids who like classics:

Salt Water Sandals come in so many unisex styles (and colors) its no wonder they’ve got a cult following among kids and moms. For summer sightseeing trips or walks at home, these classic strappy sandals are a great option that can easily go from day to night. The chunky sole options are nice for younger kids and the strap and buckle closure means little fingers can’t easily take these off. These sandals are waterproof and easy to clean making them a great option for beach vacations and amusement park trips.

For trendsetters:

I’m a big fan of Birkenstocks for their ease and comfort so this year I bought my daughter matching metallic silver Gizah sandals. I love how sturdy they are compared to flip-flops. And, most importantly, the slip-on style means my daughter can get out the door quickly.

What shoes do your kids love to wear when traveling? Tell me below in the comments.

Some of these shoes were gifted for review purposes and this post contains some affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

Top 10 Tips for Visiting …

April 18, 2019 By admin

Furry Sesame Street characters, musical shows, water park rides and amusement park fun await junior travelers at Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. My daughter first visited Sesame Place when she was three and enjoyed it even more as an adventurous six-year old.

Sesame Place is a great choice for toddlers and big kids as it can be done in one day or spread over a few days. If you’re looking for a quick amusement park getaway before school starts or this fall, here are my Top 10 Tips for Visiting Sesame Place, PA.

Top 10 Tips for Visiting Sesame Place, PA

TOP 10 TIPS FOR VISITING SESAME PLACE, PENNSYLVANIA

1 – Go Early

This is my usual advice when visiting any amusement park. The temperatures are milder, the lines are shorter and the parking spots are closer so definitely try to get there as early to opening as you can. You’ll also be able to claim lounge chairs in busy areas which fill up quickly.

Meeting the Sesame Street Characters is a must at Sesame Place.

2 – Meet the Characters

The Sesame Street characters can be found throughout the property (with minimal wait times) and in the 1-2-3 Smile With Me! area. The photographers are great at getting little kids to smile and some will also take photos with your camera which is nice. My favorite character backdrop is the hopscotch area in Sesame Neighborhood where you’ll find Bert and Ernie.

Get ready to get wet at The Count’s Splash Castle

3 – Start dry and get wet

The park features a mix of traditional amusement park rides and water park attractions. Unless its a super hot day, I recommend starting with the dry rides (on the right hand side) and finishing with the water park. There is one “big” rollercoaster (Vapor Trail) near the entrance and the rest of the dry rides are pretty tame – except for the Honker Dinger Derby which my daughter made me ride twice…For the water rides, most are very little-kid friendly with a few more adventurous water slides near back of the park. Aside from water rides, there are some great areas to splash around – The Count’s Splash Castle has lots of waterslides and a gigantic bucket that spills over (as The Count counts backwards), Ernie’s Waterworks is an interactive water area great for younger kids and the Teeny Tiny Tidal Wave Pool is fun for all ages.

Top tips for visiting Sesame Place. Don’t miss Sesame Place’s Neighborhood Street Party Parade

4 – Stake your spot for the parade

The Neighborhood Street Party Parade is a must see so be sure to get there early to claim your spot. Kids will really love seeing their favorite Sesame Street characters singing and dancing while they watch all the colorful floats go by. The best viewing spot is in the middle of the route and you can lay down towels for kids to sit on in advance. There is usually an afternoon and early evening show but check the daily schedule or website for exact times.

Water shoes like Crocs are a must-have for visiting Sesame Place in the summer.

5 – Wear or bring water shoes

The pavement in some areas of the water park area is very hot and bumpy. Be sure to protect little feet with slip on water shoes or swim socks kids can wear on the rides. Crocs, Keens, flip flops and any other water proof shoes are good options and you can leave them in cubbies at the ride entrance/exit areas.

Top 10 Tips for Visiting Sesame Place – The green tube line is much shorter than the blue tube line.

6 – Go team green on Big Bird’s Rambling River

There are two entrances to Big Bird’s Rambling River – a lazy river ride perfect for families – one with blue tubes and other with green tubes. The green tube entrance is a bit hidden away so the lines are much, much shorter over there. Life jackets and kid sized tubes are available.

7 – Do bring a stroller for young kids

If your kids still nap, you’ll definitely want to bring a reclining stroller with a sun shade. An umbrella stroller also comes in handy for older kids since you can use it to cart around the towels, water bottles, sunscreen and change of clothes as you travel around the park.

Be sure to take in a show at Sesame Place.

8 – Take in a Show

There are three Sesame Street shows and they are all entertaining for young travelers. Only one (Elmo The Musical Live!) is air conditioned so be sure to see that one when you need a break from the heat. For kids who like to interact with the characters, try to find seating as close to the stage as possible. And for the Let’s Play Together show in Abby’s Paradise Theater, try to sit around the sectioned off areas around the stage or in the first few rows.

This Master Lock SafeSpace portable mini safe is a great way to store your valuables at Sesame Place.

9 – Store your valuables

There are lockers are in several areas so that is definitely an option. A more affordable solution is to bring your own Portable Personal Safe or just store your items in the stroller while you are in the water park and hope for the best.

10 – Designate a meeting spot

If you’re splitting up (which you will likely do if you kids range in age) agree on a time and place to meet. Be sure your kids can identify the uniformed staff members and if they are too small to know an emergency phone number by heart, have them wear this info on a personalized safety bracelet.

Read my Top 10 Must Have Items for a Water Park Trip for more helpful tips.

Have you visited Sesame Place? What was your favorite memory?

This post is not sponsored but does contains some affiliate links. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

Introducing WellieWishers™ …

April 17, 2018 By admin

My daughter and I love visiting NYC’s glamorous American Girl Place in Rockefeller Center so when they invited us to an exclusive WellieWishers™ from American Girl footwear launch, I knew we’d be in for a fun afternoon.

New WellieWishers™ from American Girl Shoes…

We loved the flower headbands and pink carpet photo-op as we made our way into the American Girl cafe.

Excited for the launch for WellieWishers™ from American Girl Shoes

There were lots of “ooohs” and “aahhs” from the girls (and moms too) as we saw the WellieWishers™ dolls on display with their coordinating shoes. The shoes are not sold in the American Girl store but can be purchased at KidsShoes.com and Nordstrom (coupon below!). Such a pretty display, right?

In case you don’t already know, there are five characters in American Girl’s WellieWishers™ line including Willa, Kendall, Ashlyn, Emerson and Camille. As with all American Girl dolls, these little ladies have their own individual personalities and I love that the character shoe pairings reflect each of the doll’s styles. The shoe details include butterflies, flowers, seashells, glitter and more while the styles range from sandals and slides to sneakers and hi-tops. Check out some of the cuteness…

My daughter received a Willa doll and two pairs of WellieWishers™ shoes – a pair of silver butterfly sandals and a pair of pink slides with coordinating velcro patches. So exciting!

We all enjoyed tasty treats including the cafe’s signature tea sandwiches as we caught up with friends.

American Girl, Doll, Wellie Wishers, Shoes, Discount

Showing off the new WellieWishers™ from American Girl Shoes

WellieWishers™ from American Girl shoes are exclusive to KidsShoes.com and Nordstrom. The sizes vary from toddler to big girls (up to size 3) and styles are a great mix of dressy and casual. Check them out and save 20% off the WellieWishers™ from American Girl collection at www.KidsShoes.com with code: AG-LYL123.

Haven’t been to the American Girl Place yet? Read on for Five Cool Things to Check Out at NYC’s New American Girl Place.

Happy shoe shopping!

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Introducing WellieWishers™ from American Girl Shoes

We were invited to the launch event and gifted a doll and shoes but all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!

Cool for School – …

August 25, 2017 By admin

September is almost here and back-to-school mania is in full swing. If you’re shopping for the elementary school set, check out my Cool for Back-to-School must haves for September and beyond.

Cool for School – Back-to-School Must Haves for September and Beyond

BACK-TO-SCHOOL MUST HAVES – STUDENT NECESSITIES:

Cool for School – Back-to-School Must Haves for September and beyond. A sturdy backpack is a must.

Backpacks:

One of the most essential back-to-school items is a backpack so be sure to help your kids choose one that will be a good fit. I specifically look for a roomy interior, adjustable shoulder straps (plus for chest-straps), dual zippers, exterior compartments and side pouches for water bottles. My daughter uses a backpack when we travel so styles that wear well are a plus.

For third grade, my daughter chose this fun World of Disney Emoji backpack because her favorite vacation destination is Disney World (surprise, surprise). Some other backpack picks I like this year include JanSport Superbreak Backpack in Prism Pink Sparkle, J. Crew’s Glow-in-The-Dark Snaggletooth Monster Backpack, and Pottery Barn’s Mackenzie Navy Solar System Backpack. Don’t forget to grab some fun backpack charms like Whiffer Sniffer’s awesome scented foodie clips.

Cool for School – Back-to-School Must Haves for September and beyond. Lunchtime won’t be boring with these colorful lunch boxes.

Lunch boxes:

We’ve got a collection of lunch boxes and my favorites are the ones that don’t leak and clean up easily (think spilled yogurt). This year we’ll have these four on rotation. The coordinating World of Disney Emoji Lunch Tote, All Change London Tube Stations Bag we got in London, a rugged Bentology Kitty Lunch Tote which includes a bento box and a cute Bixbee Owl lunch box.

Cool for School – Back-to-School Must Haves: Cool School Supplies

Supplies:

Depending on the ages of your kids, you’ll need to stock up on pens, pencils, markers, desk supplies and other fun items. My daughter’s teacher sends a wish list for class items but I love to have some fun supplies at home. This year, I choose some fun pencils from FlyingTiger, Crayola Silly Scents washable markers, indestructible Mabel’s Labels Back to School Combos with emoji designs, and a Bright Pink Poppin Stapler.

Cool for School – Back-to-School Must Haves: Fashion Picks

BACK-TO-SCHOOL MUST HAVES – FASHION AND ACCESSORIES:

Shopping for Back-to-School fashions is either fun or torturous depending on your child’s preferences. I choose to do a lot of my daughter’s shopping online so I can easily return items she doesn’t like.

This year’s styles are full of bright colors, shiny sequins and lots of emojis sure to please every girl in class. For sneakers, my daughter chose these bright emoji Stride Rite Phibians which are light weight and double as a water shoe making them great for travel. Customized denim is all the rage and my daughter had a great time decorating a vest with colorful sequin patches. So cute, right? My daughter hates when other kids have the same things so one-of-a-kind upcycled dresses from Courtney Courtney and hand crafted tanks, t’s and hoodies from Playdate NYC are great options for kids like her. And, don’t forget to stock up on accessories like kitty-cat headbands and giant “Jo Jo” hair bows.

Extra credit items for back-to-school season.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL MUST HAVES – FOR EXTRA CREDIT:

A good night’s sleep is a must for students (and parents) so snag new pillows like the Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury Kool-Flow® bamboo shredded memory foam pillow that can be customized for the perfect fit. I can’t talk about school without mentioning lice prevention so now is the time to stock up on these yummy scented Rosemary Repel products from Fairy Tales Hair Care. If you are having trouble getting young kids to listen (or do homework, or get to school on time, etc.) get rid of the sticker reward chart and try the new Kudo Banz which rewards kids with bracelet charms they can proudly wear. And last but not least, another awesome item to buy now is Hero Clean Odor Eliminator because even tiny shoes get stinky.

What’s your favorite back-to-school item? Tell me below in the comments.

I received some of these items for review but all opinions are mine. This post contains affiliate links. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!