Summer Fun with Kids Fashion: Chooze Shoes

 *I was sent a pair of shoes for my review, all opinions of this product are completely my own.

Creativity and uniqueness are encouraged in our house. I am a mom who is not concerned if everything matches, I think mismatching is a fashion statement in itself. My son seems to have inherited my outside the box style and I love that. I have found a company that also feels the same way about choosing to be different with style. Chooze is a company that purposely mismatches its shoes and other items to foster uniqueness in kids. I think the idea is awesome!

This summer my family created a Summer To Do list and one of our items is plant a container garden. We want to have the choice to put in our own soil mixture and plant foods that are organic. Plus how fun is it to eat food you have grown yourself. My son is in charge of watering the plants each day and it has given him a confidence in watching something he nurtures grow. Just like the choice he made with his shoes, to have ones that do not match give him the confidence to wear something unconventional. A kid at the park mentioned his shoes did not match and he smiled so big and said "I know, I love them". The kid smiled back and they both took off running to playing.

I consider myself well informed about kids shoes. I know that flexibility and lightweight are key to shoes for little feet. I would definitely say these shoes are good for both of those. Many casual slip on shoes on the market are too stiff and heavy for kids. Its like they are adult shoes just made smaller. Chooze shoes are made for kids being lightweight and having the flexibility needed for playing at the park and going out and about. They also have an anti microbial removable padded insole and 100% vegan materials. Your child can be comfy and fashionable all summer long by giving them the choice to have Chooze.

The box the shoes come in are called art boxes that are made of recycled cardboard. Your child can color the pictures and designs on the box to make it uniquely there own. My son has decided his will be the new box he stores his crayons and markers in. I look forward to the other summer adventures we will have as we do more of our Summer To Do list and my son will be rocking his cool "Space" shoes as he calls them.

You can order Chooze shoes online directly from them or Nordstrom also carries them. Following them on Facebook and Instagram you can see the newest products and sales. They have just introduced backpacks, lunch boxes and this Fall, leggings.

Summer BBQ with Jarlsberg Cheese and Contest

*I received complimentary items to facilitate my review, all opinions are 100% my own.

This year my family and I have made a Summer To Do List. One of our activities is BBQ at the lake. We picked National Hamburger Day to kick off our start to our list. We went to our local grocery store to look for a cheese we have not tried, Jarlsberg. They are having an Extraordinary Grilling Contest and we were happy to help spread the word by having our own BBQ day using their products.

I love cheese added to food and eaten by itself as a snack. I like a variety of types from blue cheese, swiss cheese, goat cheese and many more. I like the cheese to have a distinct flavor and add a unique quality to the everyday foods I make. For our hamburgers I selected Jarlsberg lite pre-sliced cheese for ease of use outdoors and fewer calories. The cheese added a sweet nutty flavor to our hamburgers and the way the BBQ sauce was squishing out the little cheese holes was perfection. There were no leftovers at this BBQ!

 Jarlsberg® Cheese Extraordinary Grilling Contest.  Jarlsberg® Cheese is giving away a professional grill week starting May 23, 2015  and running through August 31, 2015.

Since summer is the perfect time to enjoy a great burger on the grill, Jarlsberg® Cheese is celebrating the no-fuss season with the season’s perfect contest. Topping your favorite burger, chicken or grilled vegetables with a variety of flavors from Jarlsberg® Cheese has never been easier.  Jarlsberg® Cheese,  Jarlsberg® LiteCheese and Jarlsberg® Smoked Cheese add flavor to any grilled recipe and is available nation-wide.

What better way to enjoy the summer grill season than to win a free, professional grill, in the Jarlsberg®Cheese Extraordinary Grill Contest? Every week, Jarlsberg® Cheese will give away a professional grill to one winner. Entering is easy. Simply enter to win by filling out the Jarlsberg® Cheese Extraordinary Grilling Contest form on the Facebook/Jarlsberg USA site. You may enter one time every week, from May 23, 2015 through August 31, 2015. Each week one winner will be randomly selected, and be notified by email.

Jarlsberg^® Cheese is available nationwide in the deli grocery retailers and club stores. There is a Jarlsberg^®Cheese for every palate:

·         Jarlsberg® Cheese, is a mild, semi-soft skim cheese made from cow’s milk. Jarlsberg®  Cheese is famous for its characteristic mild, mellow and nutty flavor. 

·        Jarlsberg® Cheese Lite has the same great taste as regular Jarlsberg® Cheese  with 50% less fat and 30% fewer calories, than regular Swiss cheese.  

·    Jarlsberg® Hickory Smoked Cheese has a piquant smoky taste, and like most smoked foods has a darker, browner surface.  Jarlsberg® Hickory Smoked Cheese is cold smoked over smoldering, hickory chip embers, this Hickory smoked flavor will enhance your cold or hot foods, with its deep, smoky charms.

If you are looking for Recipe Ideas for your own Summer Adventures you can check out Jarlsberg Blog and Twitter.  Below is a recipe from Jarlsberg Cheese website that would be a delicious addition to any outdoor grilling adventure. 

Jarlsberg® Grilled Fig Pizza

Ingredients:

2 cups Shredded Jarlsberg® Cheese

 1 pound of dough (buy at your local pizzeria)

1 can crushed tomatoes

Olive oil spray

Toppings as desired

Figs – fresh and as many as you desire

Salt, pepper and basil to taste

1.    Before you light the grill, spray olive oil over grill, being sure to cover well. Once grill is hot,        gently lay the dough, stretched out already, on the grill.

2.     Cook for 3 minutes or until crust starts to brown slightly, then flip.

3.    In a separate bowl, mix crushed tomatoes, adding in salt, pepper and fresh basil to taste.

4.    Lay tomato mixture and Jarlsberg® Cheese on top of crust, and scatter some fresh, sliced figs.

5.    Cover for 4-5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Use a large spatula to remove pizza from grill.