This month, I'm focusing on the transitioning into the summer - particularly getting ready for camp with a camp list. Camp Season brings a time of change and I think I have a way of preparing my girls for a great summer.

In honor of my daughter Syndey, flip-flops are the WVK Hot Pick of the Month and are on sale 25% off. As you read my article below, you will see why.

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See you next month!



Camp Season brings a time of change - sunny long days, moving winter clothing to the back of the closet & no more school.

For some kids, this transition brings anxiety. I'm anticipating that both of my daughters will react very differently. Gabriella is open to trying new things; basically it doesn't bother her if her schedule will change and that she will meet new kids. Sydney on the other hand needs more handholding.

To help both of my girls' transition into summer, my husband and I decided to give them swim lessons. Gabriella loves it & talks about it all the time. For Sydney, it's another story. Every morning, she wants to know if we are going swimming, because she is "scared & can't swim" We both believe swimming is a life skill she must learn.

As I tried to figure out a way to try to ease her anxiety, I sat with her at the computer and we went shopping for a special Submarine swim suit & new pair of flip flops. My thought was if she had a bathing suit with MAGICAL powers she would not worry about the water as much. (Yes, we could have walked into my stockroom, but with all the choices I had in her size, this was an easier method for me when cleaning up.)

Well it worked! When she went swimming today, she told all her new friends at swimming that she has a new bathing suit & flip-flops on (which turned out to be a good distraction). When she saw the pool, she only screamed for 30 seconds & she was laughing and kicking, all on her own.

In honor of Syndey and swim lessons, flip flops are the WVK Hot Pick of the Month and are on sale 25% off. When you type "flip flop" in the search feature, you will get a bunch to choose from..

After my fabulous experience with Sydney, I started thinking how I could ease her transition into camp & away from her 9-month familiar "school" schedule. By involving her in the process, I felt she would be less apprehensive and able to get excited. So, shopping for camp stuff is what came to my mind.

As I started to think about camp, I began to remember when I was little, my mom would take out her camp list & we would be dragged around town to go shopping. Now we can easily sit our children in front of the computer (how many times have you bought something for your child & they don't want to wear it) & they will love to see the pictures of the kids & they will feel like they are really being helpful.

These days' kids have more sophisticated activities in camp, which means you need more than just STS (Shorts, T shorts & sneakers). Some of my girl's activities include a wide variety of sport games, Karate, Drama, Music & Creative Movement, Swim lessons, Rock climbing & Art workshops. It's never too early to talk about all of these new activities & the new friends they will meet, which they maybe anxious about. But, if they are wearing an outfit that love & helped pick out, it may ease additional tensions.



I want to start with shoes because you need to get so many different styles. I never skimp on my kids' feet. I believe there is a difference between shoe quality and I have found an even greater difference between Pom D'Api and "other" high quality shoes. If the shoe is too big, the foot will not be supported well. If it is too small, development of the foot can be thwarted. As you can figure out, I'm a VERY big fan of Pom D'Api. When comparing Pom Dapi sizing to other high quality shoes, you should always go one size up, for example, if your child wears a size 26, you should order a size 27 in Pom D'Api.

Canvas sneakers for both girls & boys are lightweight and great for the entire summer. I always have my girls wear their canvas sneakers with socks, then by the time, the summer's heat reaches its peak, they can remove there socks & now have space in there sneakers. And, guess what, the Kiddy sneakers are machine washable, just use cold machine & no heat in the dryer.

When fitting your kids into sandals, please don't buy them one size bigger, just so you hope that it will last throughout the season. Sandals really have to fit to your kid's feet, no more than 1 cm larger than their foot. They can easily fall & twist their ankle if their sandals are too large. When you see the soles of the Pom D'api's Mary Janes, you won't believe how durable they are, they will outlast any sneaker. Flip flops are must for the pool, lake or beach. And at 25% off, we have a lot to choose from.

Another very important item for summer & you must have loads of them are T shirts. At WVK, we have many adorable T shirts for boys & girls. Don't forget sleeveless T's for very active kids. One of my favorites is this amazing IKKS tank for boys By the way, all of my T shirts are made of high quality cotton (unless mentioned elsewhere), so they breathe well.

Submarine carries a line of girl T shirts that are made of a Lycra Blend. They are cottony soft; shrink & fade resistant & dry faster than any T shirt you will own (you won't believe it). You can wash this shirt over & over & it will never seem old. You will love the quality and will want to get it in every color.

Some of my favorites for girls in shorts are these blue lightweight, comfy flower shorts from Cakewalk and I can't wait to see my Gabriella in these Jean Bourget's green light weight denim short shorts They will go with everything! For the boys, anything with an elastic waist or drawstrings will fit the bill.

Don't forget to leave a long sleeve sweater, a sweatshirt, raincoat or windbreaker to leave in your child's cubby. Check out these great zippered hooded sweatshirts for boys. One of my favorites is this Jean Bourget sweatshirt. It's red with knitted edges (I'm a big knitter so I really appreciate the amazing knitted detail.)

Cakewalk makes a very stylish Raincoat and if you are looking for a Wind breaker, we have some amazing ones that are both hooded & lightweight. We have two styles that are a 2 in 1 combo. It's a wind breaker on the outside & a sweatshirt on the inside. Just type "wind breaker" in the search field.

Every child needs a bunch of hats and should have on plenty of sun protection. Many of you have already purchased our hats, as we are mostly sold out. Check out this adorable baseball cap from Jean Bourget. Hurry up and order it before it's too late.

It's only May, but yes, you will soon need loads of swim suits, I only carry swimsuits for girls. Submarine has GREAT style & are long lasting. While it may still be a bit to spring like to think about swim suits, don't forget to have it on your list. When you are ordering swimsuits by Submarine, they run one size small. So, if you need a size 6, please order a size 4.

I recommend that you use Stuck On You personalized labels for each garment. They are microwave safe, UV resistant, Waterproof and dishwasher safe. There iron on labels and clothing tattoos are washing machine and dryer safe, visit them at www.stuckonyou.biz. They even have them for shoes!! If you select West Village Kids at the end of checkout where is asks "Where did you hear about us?" you will receive for FREE a Storage Box (only available for US customers).

I hope my camp list and suggestions has helped you as you begin to get ready for summer. Please keep sending the photos of your adorable children. I love seeing them in their new summer outfits.