Little Boots

I'm currently in Chicago, which is deep in the pocket of a "polar vortex": cold air that usually settles over the arctic circle but is for some unexplained reason hovering over the USA. And when I say cold, I mean COLD. Currently it's -11 F (which is about -23 C), and it feels a lot colder. One thing that I've been searching for to get me through my visit here is a pair of fur-lined boots to keep my feet warm. But the only ones I can find are black or brown, and are not as much fun as the gorgeous flowery Joules wellies Santa brought for Christmas, which I have to say are not even half so cute as this adorable pair Joules sent Billy to test drive this fall:

We've had bad luck with kid wellies in the past... My children wear half sizes, so boots tend to either be too big or too little to accommodate thick socks, and the foot sizing often bears little relation to the fit of tall shaft. The incident of stepping right out of a borrowed too-big welly boot and into the mud while on holiday shall never be mentioned again. However, these adorable little tractor wellies (now on sale!) fit perfectly in the foot, have a warm cotton lining and don't gape on the leg, so they are a perfect companion for sloshing through the puddles and stay put during a little go on the swings. Billy had a great time taking his tractor shoes sloe picking in the hedgerows with daddy, and they stood up to mud, leaves, twigs, rain and whatever else the autumn days threw at them, leaving this little customer dry and happy.

Having worn our Joules wellies over and over again this past winter, I have to say, hand on heart, that I'm a total convert. Not only are the designs cute and the fit comfortable, but the high-quality rubber is thick and supple, the lining warm and cozy, perfect for little toes in inclement weather. Perhaps not for a polar vortex, but certainly ace for whatever a British winter will send our way.