Sorry To Burst Your Bubble... But Let's Talk Feet For a Minute | Life Love and Hiccups: Sorry To Burst Your Bubble... But Let's Talk Feet For a Minute
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Monday 11 January 2016

Sorry To Burst Your Bubble... But Let's Talk Feet For a Minute

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Brought to you by Nuffnang and Clarks

I know you are probably not going to want to hear this... especially since we are smack bang in the middle of enjoying our leisurely carefree days with no arguing over homework, or piles of school uniforms taunting us about how they need to be ironed, stinky school shoes and sports shoes trying to suffocate us with their stench and lovingly packed lunches left uneaten just begging for a lecture (that no one will pay any attention to) about homeless people who are starving and would hand over their left kidney to be able to eat that lunch etc etc

I almost feel kinda bad shattering your relaxed state of mind by saying this but ummm sorry to tell you -the school year is sniffing at your tail.



Then again maybe you are ready to pluck your eyelashes out if you have to hear Im bored one more freaking time, or perhaps you are at the point where you are seriously contemplating renting your squabbling children out to a Family Planning Clinic for a new age teenage birth control experimental program.

Maybe you are SO ready for school to go back that you have had to physically stop yourself from driving the kids to school and banging on the door begging for someone to spare you.

Either which way, school is on the horizon whether we are ready or not.

It only seems like last year that I arrived at the school gates with a fresh little newbie in his shiny new shoes, an oversized uniform and a backpack that threatened to topple him if he dared to stand still for mere seconds. I remember reluctantly allowing myself to be led from the classroom in a blubbering mess to leave him to begin his educational journey.

It didn't help that I was eleven months pregnant which meant my hormones were raging and it took a good seven days for the swelling to ease around my eyes and at least three months before I managed to get through a day where I didn't do a drive by stalking at lunch time in the hope I might spot my little learner playing happily in the playground.

The years have flown by since then, and I now have all three squids at school, the fresh little newbie is heading into year nine (hold me) and still not a day goes by that I don't ply them with the usual end of day questions - Who did you eat lunch with? Who did you play with? and Did you learn anything new today?

I cant help myself, and despite knowing full well that the responses Ill get will be nothing more than a ferocious eye roll from the teenager, and a chorus of I dont knows, I cant remember and nothing much from the other two, I still insist on asking them pretty much every single day.

For two of my kids, going back to school is no biggie. In fact they kind of look forward to it because HELLO - Social life and all that.

For the youngest though, hes not entirely thrilled about the prospect. Motivation isn't exactly oozing from any part of him in fact motivation is kind of non existent all together and so for the few weeks before school goes back we use the old back to school shopping as a form of bribery to convince him that it isnt all that bad.'

I was pretty much the same as my youngest when I was a kid. Whilst I cant actually remember my first day of school, I do recall that school wasn't really my favourite way to pass a day and the only thing that would give my parents any relief from the back to school suffering I put them through towards the end of the Christmas school holidays was the annual trip to buy our school supplies.

This is when I would play them hard and insist that only the cutest smelliest erasers, pens and pencil tins would do and I would simply die if I was forced to go back to school in anything but these


Of course there was no way in hell either my parents or my strict catholic school for that matter were going to let me rock up to school in a pair of Doc Martins and so I resigned myself to the fact that the only thing my wide platypus feet would fit into were a pair of sensible no nonsense lace ups.

I couldn't even go for the petite Mary Jane style buckle ups that were my back up choice because my hideous hoofs were anything but petite.


Thankfully, for both us and our kids there are loads of choices these days when it comes to school shoes and what if I told you that there is even a clever shoe that has the almighty power to keep your kids feet looking and smelling fresh?

Its true! Seriously no more stench suffocation thanks to Clarks Fresh Steps. These clever shoes have a built in hi-poly antibacterial footbed that helps reduce odours and prevent bacterial and fungal growth! These shoes also come in a range of sizes to fit any foot; music to my ears for this mum of boys.

Clarks shoes are school proof and have a shoe to suit every size and shape of foot and a style to appease even the fussiest of schoolies. With over 170 years of caring for our kids feet, Clarks specialist trained fitters can carry out a 10 step check to find the Perfect Fit for your childs feet.

From the Mighty Tuff - designed to minimise scuffs and last longer than standard leather shoes and the Machine Washable Cross Hype to the Dual Fit Sports  - an all purpose leather shoe that is designed for both playground play and classroom style, with velcro straps that have a removable innersole so that as your child feet grow, so do the shoes, a visit to a Clarks store will allow you to cross one back to school chore off your list with the minimum of fuss.
Clarks totally get it, they understand what school shoes are all about and they understand the struggles that often play out between parents wanting the best for their kids feet and quality for their money and kids wanting comfort and style and whats on trend. Consider them as a reliable mediator who are not only known as the original school shoes in Australia, but have the reputation as the best and for good reason too.

FYI, Clarks has got an Instagram and Facebook competition thats so simple and gives you the chance to win a pair of Clarks for your childs entire class! This is what you have to do:

1.      Follow Clarks on Facebook or Instagram
2.      Share your School Proof Tip with them and tag @clarksaustralia and #SchoolProofTips for your chance to win!

Its that easy!

Rightio, I have to go pack... we are heading away tomorrow for a bit of a getaway. See you at the beach!

Do you have a newbie starting school this year?
What can you remember about your first day of school?

I Smell Change In The Air