If you’ve got a tween girl, you know that flip-flops are the shoe of choice in the summer months (at least in sunny Colorado this year).  If she had her druthers, my nine-year-old would wear thong sandals daily. Her newest pair?  These Fabric Flip Flops in Fabulous Pink from Little Miss Matched. Intentionally, the straps don’t match — one’s got periwinkle blue stripes, the other dots. They’re just silly enough for my sort-of-goofy daughter to adore them.

I like the price — they retail for $16, but they’re on sale now for $10 on the chock-full-0f-cute-girls’-clothing-and-accessories site. Since they’re made of cotton fabric footbeds, they’ll likely discolor within a season from sole sweat. After just one day’s use, I noticed dark imprints where her big toe rests. But that’s okay — at that price, I’m fine if she gets just a half-year’s use out of them.

There are also sandals that come in bendable plastic, which might be more practical if you’re buying for regular use around the pool or on a beach vacation. The girls’ flip flops come in small, medium and large, and an online chart will help you buy the appropriate size. And if you’re coveting your child’s colorful and fun sandals, fear not. They come in women’s sizes, too.

While you’re browsing for shoes, check out the brilliant way Little Miss Matched’s brightly patterned socks are packaged: three to a pack and none of them match! Each one complements the other, so they absolutely “go together,” but each is distinctly different. If you lose one of the three socks, it’s no big deal! (And you know how often that happens when traveling — or when the clothes dryer eats them.) With collections named “Kooky” and “Zany,” this company embraces irreverence. I love that!

Note, too, the activity books that look like they’d be for travel. The skateboard offerings are totally random, but again, the entire site is upbeat and a little silly, so the mix of products, I suppose, isn’t that bizarre.

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