BABY SHOES

Now that cooler temps are here, I'm so glad to have warm booties for Trey to wear during the winter. Highlighting some warm ones and other teeny tinys today.

Clockwise from L to R

Tane Organics. Fair trade, hand knit, fleece lined, so soft.

Donsje Booties. Love these. Leather outside, fleece inside, and hand made.

Freshly Picked. A classic, these stay on thanks to the elastic design.

Donsje, in a different color combo. You can also buy their laces individually too to create new looks.

Pediped. A soft soled line, designed to help with learning to walk. They released a special edition earlier this week, details here.

RISING

PREFACE: I understand that by voicing my opinion here, I'm setting myself and the comments section up for disagreement and potential arguments. We, both individually and collectively, do not need any more reason for division. I am simply voicing my opinion here because this is my platform, it is a way for me to process and move on, and because I refuse to be silent.

It's a tough time to be a woman in America.

It's a tough time to be a lot of things in America.

From Michelle Obama earlier this year:

The measure of any society is how it treats women and girls.

This is not normal. This is not 'politics as usual'. This is disgraceful. It is intolerable. It doesn't matter what party you belong to, no woman deserve to be treated this way, none of us deserves this kind of abuse. This isn't about politics, it's about basic human decency.

We need to recover from our shock, and depression. And do what women have always done in this country. We need you to roll up your sleeves. We need to get to work. Because when they go low, we go high.

From Hillary Clinton:

Never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it.

And to all the little girls watching this: never doubt that you are valuable and powerful, and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.

From Mother Teresa:

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin.

From me:

I am deeply saddened, shocked, and embarrassed for our country. Continuing to process. Still proud to be a woman. Still trying to see the good. Focusing on what I can control today, by trying to raise kindhearted people who respect differences. Together we rise.

HOW HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DRESS

I read an article recently about the fact that many highly successful people, including CEOs and presidents, wear some type of "uniform" everyday to simplify the getting ready process. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Obama shared: "I only wear grey or blue suits. I'm trying to pare down decisions. I don't want to make decisions about what I'm eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make."

Makes sense to me. My husband Daniel is not a presidential candidate but subscribes to a similar style philosophy, in that he wears a rotation of suits Monday though Friday, and a grey v-neck and jeans on the weekend.

To stay within the "uniform" idea but add a little flexibility to his wardrobe, I added a few accessories and casual/workout wear to his options. Sharing my fall picks for him here:

Casual wear by Cariloha. Once I discovered bamboo fabric for Trey, I wanted all our clothes to be made out of that soft material. Cariloha carries a ton of bamboo options, beyond clothes too. Pictured: hat (on sale) | shirt | shorts

More bamboo: hoodie | shorts. gym bag by Baggu.

Sweatshirt by Gray Label. All three of us have this one in black, it comes in mini to adult sizes. So soft.

Brown Wingtips by Nisolo. An exceptionally well made pair of shoes, and ethically made as a bonus. Love the detailing on these and the color.

Chukka Boots by Nisolo. A favorite new addition for fall. Can easily be dressed up or down and go with everything from jeans to suits.

Ties by Dazi. I love the selection here of colorful, fun, skinny ties at a great price. (Plus how cute are those contrasting backings?) Use code ALLIEAPPROVED for 15% off your entire order. They're having a great sale currently as well.

Tie by Dazi. Belt by Mission Belt. Recognize this from Shark Tank? It's the no-holes belt on a mission to give back. It always fits, and a dollar from every purchase benefits Kiva, a micro-finance company that aims to alleviate poverty and hunger, that Daniel and I both have supported throughout the years.

Tie by Dazi. Belt by Nisolo. Ethically made and a perfect match to the wingtips.

Glasses by EyeBuyDirect. These have a cool wood-like design on the edges for something unexpected. Lots of cool options at a good price.

Dopp Kit by Nisolo. This beautiful, buttery leather kit is just the right size for holding all kinds of items. It works for home or travel and as a bonus it's ethically made. Such a great gift idea, which can be the hardest thing ever to buy for men.

Shared in partnership with all companies listed. Style choices are my own.