Red Shoes! YES! Hotter Shoes Review and Giveaway

As everyone knows by now I have a love affair with shoes! Its my one thing that I do not bat an eye to spend money on and indulge in. Its a functional habit after all since we all need shoes for our feet!

I have a shoe must have list and a pair of comfy red shoes is on it. Sure I can buy some cheap heels and have red shoes but part of looking good is feeling good too. If you have on shoes that are not comfortable you can see it on a woman's face and how she walks. A woman that is rocking a pair of red shoes that are comfy is just awesome!

Being on my feet all day at work and chasing a toddler around on my days off I knew I needed some flat red shoes that I could feel cute in and run, jump and play in. I found a great UK company, Hotter that offers cute and comfy shoes for every occasion. I love being able to have online shopping connect me with companies I might not have found if not for the net. Hotter has many styles for heels, wedges, sandals, boot, flats and even a Men's line. Plus they even carry cute shoes in wide widths!

Since Red Shoes are on my shoe must list I selected the Lulu shoe in Chili Red. I LOVE the fit of this shoe. It runs true to size and is so comfy it feels like your not wearing any shoes at all! The red is a nice pop of color to any outfit. The design I liked for being comfy with the top strap and the side having a design cut out for air venting. I can wear these even without socks into the summer on days I do not feel like wearing a sandal. They are cute, feminine and sooo comfortable  I love that they were comfortable from day 1, no wearing them in or anything. The toe box is spacious allowing for perfect comfort. I wore these to work and my co-workers loved them. I am on my feet all day so comfort is a must.

A few other styles I liked are:

Chantel Shoe

Amethyst Shoe (shock absorbing heel)

Valetta 

GIVEAWAY
Since we LOVE shoes we are hosting a Giveaway for one winner to win their choice of shoe from Hotter shoes. So many stylish shoes to select from just one will be hard to pick! :)

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 9 2013 and ends on Feb 17, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

For the Love Of #Cbias #LuvSoFab

There are many loves in my life. My son, my husband, my family and friends. But one I never thought I could say is my place of work. I can't really even call it work I love it so much! The community of bloggers I belong to at Collective Bias / Social Fabric is like none other I would even think could exists  The women and men there are the kindest, most helpful and happy people you will ever meet. Being a part of Collective Bias has changed my life in ways I did not think were possible.

The two woman that invited me into Collective Bias I hold near and dear to me as friends that were a part of that change. The woman I have met since being there have changed my life for the better as well. I consider them all friends that I would help any time they need it. Some have helped me in my life outside of the blog world that has moved me to tears since without her help I have no clue where I would be ( THANKS Christy your sparkles of joy changed my existence!) The woman I have taken into Collective Bias with me are just as special too. I have had the honor of being able to bring my Mom with me into Collective Bias. She rocks her campaigns and I am so proud of her. Collective Bias has made us closer as Mom and daughter. We are able to talk about blog work, share laughs about things and grow as writers  and photographers together. I have also just seen a great friend enter Collective Bias and how it has changed her life for the better. Collective Bias is not a place of co-workers and friends but we are one big happy family!!

I have been able to experience things in my life that are amazing since being a part of the community.

My son and I met the Chef and TV star Jeff Mauro this summer at the Seattle's Best Coffee Competition.

We met local teachers and community program directors for donations to local charities  We have always donated but it was to a drop box. To be able to go into my own town and in person see the change my donation makes is amazing. Through Collective Bias I have learned yes indeed one person can make a positive difference in the world!

Donating Books for the Nickelodeon Book Drive to Roseville Home Start Program

Donating School Supplies to a local Elementary teacher for the Elmer's  Bag It Forward

Collective Bias has helped me see I have so much potential as a person and that there is extraordinary in the simplest everyday things. How awesome is that!!!

Collective Bias I say to you Happy Valentine's Day your are one of my LOVES!! xoxoxo 

DIY Personalized Valentine Chalkboards

This year I am on the hunt for fun and different ways to give gifts to my little ones. Along with the candy and treats, I wanted to give them something personal and useful. With both of the boys drawing and learning letters I thought these personalized Valentine chalkboards would be a great idea! Here are the step by step instructions:

Here are my supplies to get started: Clip boards bought at the dollar store, chalk board paint (I already has this from another project), tape, and a sponge brush.

I taped off the top to give the board a nice smooth edge.

I gave the board three coats each, and made sure to let them dry in between each one.

When they were dry I removed the tape to get them ready for the next step. Then to give them a "Valentine flare" I cut a sponge into a heart, grabbed red and purple paint and stamped each board with the same amount of hearts in each boys name.

The hearts at the top also helped to hide the tiny blemishes from where I pulled the tape :)

After they dried I took a white paint marker and wrote the letters of their names inside the hearts. To finish the look I put some chalk and a little eraser (sponge) inside a little bag covered with hearts,then tied it with red ribbon. I love how they came out and can't wait to give these to my boys on Valentines Day!

Tsukihoshi Kids Shoes Review and Giveaway

Finding the right shoes for kids can be rough. Things are too tight, too loose, too big, too small, it feels weird or they just agree with what you say then when you get home it turns out the shoes don't fit at all. But that's normal when it comes to kids and shoes. For them its harder to know if a shoe fits right so us as parents have to start out by giving them good choices when it comes to the brands we have them select from.

Plus they need to look cool not only to me but to my kid. My son at 3 is staring to get an opinion on what he wants in the way of shoe and clothing color, I think its so cute! I have done a lot of research on kids shoes for fit, durability, light weight and colors available. One shoe company that is at the top of my list is Tsukihoshi.

Tsukihoshi is a Japanese brand that has been around 1873. These shoes have proper arch support, flex at the toes of the foot allowing for running and jumping in comfort, barefoot like comfort (great for little developing feet)
light weight, easy on and off, and two great features that I LOVE an anti bacterial removable insoles and the best of all they are MACHINE WASHABLE!!! How awesome is that!!

I really do love these shoes and so does my son. He picked out the orange ones, he loves orange. Even my husband who is picky about style loves them. I was impressed by that! They are so easy to put on my son can do it himself. It has a Velcro top and fake laces. So they look cool and not like a typical no lace shoe.

My son was running so fast all over the mall yelling "Super Cool" and showing people his shoes I had to put him back into his stroller! He has a several other pairs of shoes but since he got these he insists on wearing his orange shoes. I love how great they fit his feet! They are a true to size fit and sizes range from Baby to Toddler to Youth.

I even saw that many celebrities kids are wearing Tsukihoshi too. Tori Spelling, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sandra Bullock, Adam Sandler, Julie Roberts, Jack Black, John Stewart and so many more celeb parents buy these shoes for their kids.  They come in several styles for boys and girls including a mary jane one that is so cute.

You can find Tsukihoshi (when you say it the T is silent) at Nordstrom, online and other high end kids shoes retailers. A great investment in the foot health of your little ones!

Here are some other fun styles I like:

For the Girls:

You can learn more about Tsukihoshi on their facebook and twitter pages.

GIVEAWAY
For our Valentine's Day event we are hosting a giveaway for one pair of shoes from Tsukihoshi for the little Valentine in your life. Winner's Choice of style.

Enter in the Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway




 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 6,  2013 and ends on Feb 15, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

A Preschool Activity

 

Getting anything done around the house is nearly impossible with my 2 1/2 year old always on my coat tails. I am always trying to think of ways to keep him busy even for just a little while so I can get a few things done without my little shadow. 

The other day while cleaning out some craft supplies I found two bags of brightly colored rice and some equally as bright buttons of all sizes. I thought it would be great to have him sift and sort is way through the buttons and rice. I mixed the bags of rice together added the buttons and set him free. He sorted them by color, shape and size and even taste tested it a bit :)  The buttons were a bit tricky to find in the colored rice so it kept him busy for a while. Not only did it give me a moment to myself but I loved that he was learning through play, my favorite way to teach!!  

I am always looking for ways to keep the kiddos entertained around here. Do you have any tips or tricks to keep your little ones occupied? I would love to hear them.

Love Your Feet: Shoes for Crews Review and Giveaway

Love style? Love your feet! The perfect gift for the working Mom in your life from Shoes for Crews. Having to be on your feet all day while working can be so rough. Having good but also cute shoes is a must. I work in an environment where comfort is key but you still need to have them be stylish. I have worked in the restaurant industry as a teenager and knew about Shoes for Crews but did not know they made cute shoes! 

I have wider feet than most regular shoes so sometimes finding cute shoes can be difficult. Looking online seems to be a great answer for me and my shoe needs. Shoes for Crews has developed a line of dress shoes called the Black Label line. They have shoes with heels, wedges and even in brown! There were many to select from and I finally decided on the Shoes for Crews Mary Jane style. 

I have been needing some basic black dress shoe mary janes for my wardrobe and I thought these would be great for comfort since they can be ordered in a wide width. I read a few reviews that said the shoes run a little big and wider than most shoes but I thought to be on the safe side I would get my size and in the wide. Now that I have worn them a few times to work I should have ordered the half size down and not in the wide. Maybe my feet aren't as wide as I thought :)

They are super comfy to work in. Padded on the inside and the strap was comfy. Being a little big on me they did get a little squished on the toe area when I would go up and down from being on my knees to then standing. They are very soft and maybe I need something with a tougher toe. I do see these being great for days we do inventory or stocking so I can be on my feet constantly with comfort. I even mentioned to my husband I could walk all over a theme park and look cute in these. They hold up to many hours of walking while still looking cute! I wore them with dress pants one day and the other with stockings and a skirt, looked super cute! I even wear them with jeans on my days off.

I saw a few other styles I liked as well.

When you order a pair I would recommend a half size down, unless you plan to wear thick comfy socks with them.

You can learn more about Shoes for Crews on Facebook and Twitter

GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the LOVE of your feet we are hosting a giveaway for a pair of shoes from Shoes for Crews (winners choice)

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 5, 2013 and ends on Feb 12, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Disney Diamond Edition Peter Pan on Blu-ray TODAY!

Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Disney’s Classic Adventure Peter Pan for the First Time on Disney Blu-ray™.  Available For Purchase TODAY February 5, 2013. New Digital Restoration and Unparalleled High Definition Picture and Sound!


I was thrilled when I heard Peter Pan was coming to Blu-ray! As a kid we loved this movie. I think I have seen it atleast 1000 times! But never with the crisp clarity of Blu-ray. My son loves Peter Pan too, we had it on DVD but its not the same as a Blu-ray. As kids we would watch this movie over and over. We would jump off the couch trying to think happy thoughts in hopes we would fly but knew without Tink's Pixie Dust it would more than likely not happen. I enjoy the ideal of Peter Pan that no one wants to grow up, its sweet since there is a little kid that feels that way in adults.

Peter Pan is available for purchase at major retail outlets including Walmart and Target.

Fun info below about if there really is a place located at the second star to the right and staight on till morning:

Since it first debuted in theaters in 1953, Walt Disney Studio’s animated classic Peter Pan has long captured the imaginations of children and adults around the world with its tale of an enchanted place where fairies, Lost Boys, mermaids and pirates live and adventures never cease. But what if somewhere beyond our world such a place actually exists? Peter Pan says it's "past the second star to the right and straight onto morning," but is Never Land real?

Before the advent of modern space science and technology, most Earth-dwellers assumed outer space was just a wasteland of stars. But astronomers are learning that the night sky isn’t just full of stars; it’s full of planets.

One team from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena recently made a new estimate of the numbers of planets in our galaxy and came up with a whopping 100 billion. The team made this exciting discovery using NASA's Kepler space telescope to look at class of red stars called “M dwarfs,” which are the most common stars found in the Milky Way. The study suggests, in fact, that for every star there is, on average, a corresponding planet. With an estimated 100 billions stars in the sky, that’s a whole lot of planets. Could Never Land lie around one of these stars?

Another study, led by researchers at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., used Kepler data to estimate the number of Earth-size planets orbiting other stars. They found that an estimated 17 percent of stars have Earth-size planets in orbits closer than Mercury is to the sun. When they looked at orbits at about the distance of Earth, the number of stars with Earth-size planets is at least 70 percent.

Of course, not all planets in the galaxy are habitable. Just as some planets in our solar system fly too close or too far from the sun to be inhabited, only the planets orbiting at the right distance from their stars are considered “temperate,” meaning they’re the right temperature for liquid water, an essential element for sustaining human life and, of course, keeping mermaids and sea-faring pirates afloat.

The Kepler space telescope continues to hunt for those "just right" planets -- Earth-size worlds that orbit in the habitable zones of stars like our sun.

But until our planet’s top space scientists find a way for us to travel safely in search of a real life Never Land, Disney invites us to rediscover their wondrous animated version of it on February 5^th, when Peter Pan soars onto Diamond Edition Blu-ray™ and DVD.

*I was provided a copy of this movie for my review.

A Valentine's Day Redo: A Romantic Evening at Home with La Romanella Pasta

When I think of Valentine's Day I can't help but feel a little sad then giggle about one of the first few Valentine's my husband and I had when we first were married. It was about 10 years ago I tried to create my version of an Italian restaurant for my husband. He was working as a chef at the time constantly cooking at home and work. I wanted to surprise him and have a big Italian dinner ready for him when he arrived home from work on Valentines. I decorated the dining room to make it look like my version of a romantic Italian restaurant. I used sheets to make a cute little enclosed area, had a hand written menu with what I was serving, picked out the perfect movie, had candles lit, it was perfect.

When he got home he was sick! He had the stomach flu from work. Throwing up, dizzy, so sick it was sad!! He came in saw all my stuff said it was beautiful, that he was sorry and then went to bed. I sat there alone eating my spaghetti, bread, appetizers and watched a movie by myself. Saddest Valentine's Day ever lol.

We have had many great Valentine's Days since then but I have not attempted to cook a romantic Italian dinner for him since that failed attempt. I thought this year would be perfect to make him a dinner like that again since he is now a stay at home Dad that cooks and cleans all day while I work.

We love spinach and artichokes in our house so I found a recipe that I knew would be perfect for making a Valentine's Day redo. I adapted the recipe to our tastes to make it even more special. I headed to Smart & Final to do my shopping since I knew that had La Romanella Pasta Sauce that I like. I picked up items for my Baked Ziti with Spinach, Artichokes, Olives and Pesto for the main dish and Salami-Ricotta Crostini as an appetizer. Since I was planning a big hearty dinner I decided to have dessert be simple and light. I bought a First Street Vanilla Pound Cake, banana pudding and bananas. One of my husbands favorite things to eat are bananas.

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Artichokes, Olives and Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 pound La Romanelle dry pasta (Ziti or Penne Rigate)
• One 26-ounce La Romanella  jar tomato pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 6 cups  loosely packed  spinach leaves
• One 6.5 oz  jar artichokes, drained
• 1/3 cup finely chopped black olives
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 3-quart baking dish and lightly grease with butter. Bring a large pot of  water to a boil then add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Before draining, save about a 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the side for use in the recipe. Then, drain pasta.

While the pasta cooks, heat the tomato sauce and set aside. In a small bowl, stir the basil pesto and cottage cheese together, and then set aside. Add drained pasta to a large bowl then add spinach, drained artichokes,  olives, hot tomato sauce and about the 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Then, toss.

Add about half of the pasta and spinach mixture to the baking dish. Then, spread the cottage cheese and pesto on top. Scatter about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pesto and cottage cheese mixture then add the rest of the pasta on top of that. Press everything down into the baking dish then scatter the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for  about 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. Let the baked ziti cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Salami-Ricotta Crostini

Ingredients:

1 Baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 1/2 cups of La Romanella Ricotta Cheese 

15 slices of your favorite salami 

1/4 cup of Olive Oil to brush the bread with for cooking

Cooking Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees (if you are making the Baked Ziti the oven will be at the right temperature to bake them at the same time.) Brush the tops and bottoms of the sliced baguette and sprinkle the top side with salt and pepper. Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan for 15-20 minutes in the oven, turning the pan around in the oven half way through. 

Once cooled add the La Romanelle Ricotta Cheese on top of the Crostini slices, sprinkle top of the cheese with salt and pepper. Cut the slice of Salami in half and place both pieces on top of the cheese. Serve and enjoy! 

I added a few romantic touches with white candles, red place mats, a chocolate rose, box of Valentine's candy, sparkling cider in wine glasses, Valentine's Day decor and little pink marshmallow hearts. I pushed the dinner table into the corner of the dining room to give it a cozier feel. It is a simple set up that made a big difference in feeling like it was a romantic night in. 

My husband LOVED the dinner I made and the effort I put into to making the dining room romantic. He even said I should do that more often! He cooks way more than me and I am lucky for that. I will definitely be making more of an effort to create a romantic evening in our own home. We finished up dessert then snuggled up on the couch to watch the movie we rented. I am so happy I decided to redo the Valentine's Day from 10 years ago and have it turn out perfect!

You can find more recipes and information about Smart & Final by visiting them on their Facebook and Twitter pages. 

You can create your own Romantic Evening at Home with Romanella products from Smart & Final this Valentine's Day and also enter the 2013 La Romanella Sweepstakes. When you buy any 1 La Romanella product and enter your register reward online at SmartandFinal.com/LaRomanella2013 to be entered to win a Weekend in Las Vegas or a $50 Smart Cash card! Dates of Promo 2 / 5 - 3/6

Grand Prize Details:

WIN 1 OF 4 WEEKEND TRIPS TO LAS VEGAS!

Purchase any La Romanella item and enter your register receipt information for a chance to win one of four (4) Grand Prize weekend trips for two to an Italian-inspired resort in Las Vegas!

The package includes:

-Roundtrip economy air transportation for two from gateway city nearest the winner’s home to Las Vegas

-Two nights accommodation for two at an Italian inspired resort

-Meals and other entertainment activities

Additional Prizes:

Win one of (10) $50 SmartCash Cards® Like cash, only smarter!

One Grand Prize will be awarded each week between February 6 and March 5, 2013. In addition, three

SmartCash Cards will be awarded each of the first two weeks; and two SmartCash Cards awarded each

of the last two weeks between February 6 and March 5, 2013. No purchase necessary. See rules for details.

Sweepstakes valid February 6-March 5, 2013.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smart & Final #CBias #ChooseSmart #SocialFabric All opinions expressed in this post are my own.