We’re still knee deep in snow here (and will be for quite some time), but these shoes make us think of spring…

The women’s Ahnu Karma shoe is a super unique looking shoe, drawing from a classic ballet style. An enclosed toe and heel are connected only by the sole and two criss-cross straps on the instep. This incredibly open design allows for maximum flexibility and allows intense ventilation of the foot.

Karma, by Ahnu features:
Genuine leather uppers
Rubber outsole
Elastic in ankle collar opening
Criss-cross straps across instep to help cradle foot but allow movement
Swirl stitching accent on toe.

The shoes pictured above are “plum,” and they come in a variety of bright, happy colors.

As I’m sure you’ve heard, Jason Wu’s collection debuted yesterday at Target (both online and in stores). You can buy the Jason Wu designs now – all the way through April 28.

Jason Wu is a 29 year old designer who is perhaps best known for dressing the First Lady for her Vogue cover as well as for the Inaugural Ball.

At his Target collection, you’ll find modest designs – pleated dresses and trench coats and fancy little frocks.

Shop the entire collection here: Jason Wu Exclusively for Target – Shop The Collection Now

Check here for Target coupons and savings before you buy.

Tiny Revolutionary has just launched its “Giving Tee” line of tees fashioned with charitable giving in mind.

All of the styles you see below are available in all sizes, from infant to an adult size XL. They are produced sweat-shop free and with non-toxic and waterbased inks.

“We want to make super cool fashion tees that mean something,” says founder BreeAnne Clodus. “Whether it’s to promote education in countries affected by the AIDS virus or provide musical instruments and lessons to homeless kids, our goal is to make the world a better place for all, through enriching the lives of our kids.”

Check ‘em out:

Save a Child’s Heart: provides life-saving heart surgeries to babies and children in poor and war torn countries. $44 retail price with $20 donation with a sale of only 500 shirts that can fully fund a child’s surgery and save a life.

One Village at a Time: to provide education and support to struggling communities in Africa, particularly those hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. $30 retail price with $10 donation that provides food, medical care and education to children orphaned and infected by the AIDS virus.

Hands to Hearts International: makes the world a better by sharing critical knowledge about early childhood development to communities compromised by poverty and conflict. $35 retail price with $20 donation that pays for all materials to conduct a thorough training session for an entire village of caregivers, who eventually save lives as orphanages who receive this training report a massive decline in infant mortality and illness.

Tiny Revolutionary also has a “Tiny Bucks” program for charity. When you make a purchase, you earn one dollar per item and you get to choose the recipient (from a short list of approved partners) at checkout.

For more information and to see lots more styles, visit www.tinyrevolutionary.com

And for more great gift ideas, visit Momscape’s Favorite Gifts Blog.

There’s something very satisfying about finding a great gift or something for your home – and then knowing you can feel good about the purchase because it benefits someone else.

File this one under Gifts that Give Back: Indego Africa uses the power of the internet to bring gorgeous fair trade accessories and home decor products to market in the United States, as well as Canada and the UK. These items are crafted by talented women in Rwanda.

Indego Africa pays its artisans in Rwanda a fair trade wage. And 100% of Indego Africa’s profits go back to the artisans for training programs in literacy, business, and computers.

The items available at the Indego Africa shopping site are some of the same items featured at more than 40 high-end U.S. retailers – from Ralph Lauren and Anthopologie to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Purchasing from Indego Africa allows you to directly empower artisans in Rwanda. Through their site, you can shop online or learn more about purchasing Indego Africa items wholesale.

Another thing we love: each item comes with a hangtag featuring the name and signature of the artisan. Your artisan’s photo and biography are available on the Indego Africa website.

Featured at Anthropologie in Fall 2010 and in the NY Times Style magazine, the Knit Hood can be worn loosely as a cowl, closer to the neck as a scarf, or can be pulled over the head to act as a hood.

Crocs are my kids’ go-to shoes in the summertime. My daughter desperately needs a new pair so we were browsing the Crocs website and found some that are extra fun: They change color in the sun.

They’re called Crocs Chameleons Translucent Clogs and they transform from one color to another almost instantly when exposed to sunlight, so your kids can watch them change color before their eyes.

The White clog changes to Pink Lemonade. (These are the shoes I just ordered for Calliope.)  The Celery Clog changes to Sea Blue. The Yellow clog changes to Lime Green.

Just like the kids’ Cayman sandals, these clogs have ventilation holes so your kids’ feet can breathe (and so water can drain away.) The Croslite foot bed responds to your child’s body heat to give a form-to-the-foot fit. Circulation nubs on the foot bed provide a massage-like feel. And the strap can be worn on the back for a snug fit, or sling it forward for a slip on shoe.

Plus, the Chameleons Clogs have holes on top as well as on the strap to accommodate Jibbitz. (Until June 30^th, you can get a free Jibbitz with your order of Chameleons. No coupon code required. Details are on the crocs site.)

The only place I could find these shoes online was on the Crocs website. Sitewide coupon codes are fairly rare at Crocs.com, but the site does offer free shipping on $69 or more.

Here’s the selection of the kids’ Chameleon Clogs from Crocs.com today:

Crocs Oyster / Pink Lemonade Crocs Chameleons „ Translucent Clog Shoes $39.99 Oyster / Pink Lemonade Crocs Crocs Chameleons Translucent Clog. Comfortable Color Changing Kids' Clogs Available in size C4/5,C6/7,C8/9,C10/11,C12/13,J1, J2, J3 Crocs Celery / Sea Blue Crocs Chameleons „ Translucent Clog Shoes $39.99 Celery / Sea Blue Crocs Crocs Chameleons Translucent Clog. Comfortable Color Changing Kids' Clogs Available in size C4/5,C6/7,C8/9,C10/11,C12/13,J1, J2, J3 Crocs Lime Green / Yellow Crocs Chameleons „ Translucent Clog Shoes $39.99 Lime Green / Yellow Crocs Crocs Chameleons Translucent Clog. Comfortable Color Changing Kids' Clogs Available in size C4/5,C6/7,C8/9,C10/11,C12/13,J1, J2, J3

Every year, I look for the perfect summer shoe.

Here are my criteria: It has to look nice with my dressier capris – or even a sundress – but it has to be comfortable enough, “meaty” enough, durable enough, and with enough traction – so that I can keep up with my kids. That means, it has to endure entire, long days of impromptu bike rides, multi-mile walks into town, and hikes in the alpine forest near our home. Plus, the camping and traveling and whatever else the summer has in store.

I’ve long resigned myself to the fact that all those cute strappy sandals are out. But I don’t want to walk around in sneakers or water sandals either.

Two years ago, I found a pair of J41s, and I promised myself never to wear anything else in the summer. So comfortable. So ready-for-anything. So non-stinky. I could walk and walk forever and ever – over any kind of terrain.

But, alas, they are a little expensive, and I wore them out by the end of that summer. So I tried a few (many) substitutes and none were as comfortable. Not nearly. So I decided to bite the bullet and order the shoes again this year.

I soon discovered that a few things have changed: J41 is now Jambu. Several of the shoes come in both mesh and leather, and this year I’m opting for leather. I don’t do much river wading in my shoes, and I am hoping they’ll last a little longer, though I did put many-a-mile on those poor shoes.

Jambu makes shoes that are downright dressy, as well as shoes that are a little more casual than what I like. But they also make the perfect shoes that fall right in the middle. And they are environmentally-minded, too.  Jambu outsoles are made with partially recycled and re-usable compressed rubber. Many shoes come with a memory foam footbed, which enhances your comfort all day long.

Now, it’s pretty hard to find these on sale. (Trust me!) Occasionally, you can find them on clearance at 6pm.com, but generally only in obscure colors and sizes. For me – a size 9 who wants ‘em in black – I’ve never had any luck.

The best you can do, usually, is to order them from a site where you can find a shoes coupon code (shoes.com) or a site that offers free overnight shipping (endless.com)

Here are four of my favorites from the summer Jambu line.

Jambu Women’s Plum Slip-On
Love the contoured insole and breathable leather upper, plus the rubber traction sole.

Jambu Women’s Taurus Sandal
The leather upper features cutouts and contrast stitching, and the Velcro ankle strap holds your foot in place.

Jambu Women’s Cherry Sandal
Available in leather and mesh, in a variety of colors.

Jambu Women’s Stingray Fisherman Sandal
These are the shoes I just ordered from Endless (except mine are black). So they’ll ship overnight for free.

Now if it would just stop snowing in the Colorado Rockies, I’ll be able to wear them! We can’t wait for summer around here!

The Tea Collection offers a beautiful collection of baby clothes, as well as clothes for girls and boys  (and now – women’s clothing as well.) Tea Collection clothing can be found in Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Takashimaya, as well high-end boutiques across the US, Europe and Asia, but what I love most about this store is the idea behind it.

From the website: “Tea, the drink, is shared in nearly every culture around the world — offering inspiration, warmth and mindfulness. Through children’s apparel, we offer parents clothing that reflect these same sensibilities, celebrating the beauty found in cultures around the world.” The Tea Collection partners with a number of local and national organizations by donating time or clothing to support their missions.

Tea Collection has just launched a new spring clothing line for women and children. This colorful collection is Catalonia-inspired and has a distinctively urban, modern feeling. The Barcelona Beach collection has a nice coastal vibe. These pieces, inspired by bright art nouveau tiles, breezy plaids and fun graphics, are beautiful and wearable.

Of special note

The Jardin Ruffle Twirling Dress for girls is adorable and sells for just $29.

The Surfer Stripe Hoodie for boys has a laid back, beach feel. ($27)

Browse The Tea Collection >

Get Free shipping on orders over $150 at The Tea Collection
No coupon code required.
Shop through link above.

Tween girls love to express themselves, and FashionPlaytes.com allows them to design and create their very own clothing line.

Girls ages 5 to 12 can design and order clothes online, which then get shipped right to your doorstep.

It’s a simple online interface designed just for tween girls. First, she’ll choose from a variety of dresses, T-shirts, and hoodies in her size and choice of color, and then she can add embellishments, such as rhinestones, ruffles and ribbon. Girls can even create a custom label for their own clothing line.

A Fashion Playtes gift certificate makes a great gift for tween birthday parties, too.

Momscape visitors save $10 on your first $35 merchandise purchase with offer code CJ10

$10 off $35 or more
Shop through link above and use code: CJ10 at checkout.
New customers only.

Get FashionPlaytes gift certificates here.

Iris Satchel by Prana

We love this satchel. Its Edelweiss embroidery is reminiscent of a sweet summer day in the alps. Made of hemp and recycled PET, it has faux suede straps and an internal pocket.

From Prana and available through one of our favorite online retailers, Athleta.com

Momscape publishes the latest Athleta coupons and promotions here >

Make It Your Own Dress

This simple dress can be worn 7 ways. And with the simple accompanying style guide, you’ll be able to create a dress that is perfect for every occasion.

The dress is fashioned from two long bodice pieces and a sweeping, ankle-length skirt. And that means you can wear it as a halter, one-shoulder, strapless, tie-waist, cross-back, or backless. A styling guide is included, or available online, and it shows instructions to create the following: twisted empire dress, twisted front halter dress, halter dress, belted skirt, strapless dress, cap sleeve dress and one-shoulder dress.

This is a versatile essential that you’ll want in every color. The fabric is a soft and fluid poly/spandex.

Here’s a link to the guide (which comes with the dress) that tells you, very simply, how to create the 7 styles.

This dress comes in blue, black and a black/white print. And it comes in petite and tall, in addition to regular misses sizes 54′ long.