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Style and Comfort – Flojos Glimmer Sandals Review

I’m one of those girls who can’t stand shoes. You know, the ones you have to wear socks with, the ones that I’m stuck wearing all winter long because it’s too cold not to. Yep, I’m talking about those. I would much rather be barefoot or in a pair of flip flops. The thing is though, I’m picky with flip flops. They have to be comfortable and that thing that goes between the toes must be of material that will not irritate me.

~This review was made possible by Flojos~

When I saw Flojos new summer line up, I just knew their sandals were just what I was looking for. There were a few different pair of really cute ones, but the Glimmer really caught my eye. Of course the shimmery fabric appealed to me. But look at the sole. It reminded me of those foam egg crate mattress toppers that help to make a not so soft bed that much softer.

However, I liked them even better after I received them and tried them on. Imagine that! These are the most comfortable sandals that I have ever owned in my life, seriously. I like them even more that a certain big brand that I was flip flop loyal to for years!

“Shine in this sandal with all the best features- slight wedge, comfort massaging foot bed, and wide fabric strap with a sequin design.”

Here’s a close up of the detail on the strap that goes across your foot. I have a thing with feet, so I had to crop mine out as best I could. The sandals are completely adorable though and I’ve received many compliments on them. A few friends have tried them on and think they are quite comfortable as well.

These sandals are perfect for a day at the beach, comfortable enough to walk around in and stylish enough fr a night on the town.

Connect:

You can connect with Flojos on Facebook and/or @FlojosSandals on Twitter!

Buy It!

You can buy the Glimmer Sandals for just $36.

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

Dole California Cookoff Recipe Contest

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~This feature was made possible by Dole~

Dole Launches Fifth Annual Recipe Contest

Grand Prize $25,000

Enter on Dole.com/cookoff to win a chance for Chef Ben Ford to judge your culinary creation in L.A.

The fifth annual DOLE? California Cook-Off contest is now accepting grilling recipes at Dole.com/cookoff. One talented griller will take home a whopping $25,000 in addition to 4 days/3 nights in celebrity-centric L.A. and earn the respect of celebrity chef Ben Ford!

If you?re a fan of grilling and have a special, family-favorite recipe that incorporates a DOLE packaged product, we want to know about it! Submit a bite-sized version in the DOLE 2013 California Cook-Off recipe contest on Dole.com/cookoff and be ready to be judged on your best use of DOLE products, creativity, flavor and taste. It’s that simple!

Three finalists will be selected from around the nation and flown to sunny Southern California in late June, where they will don official Cook-Off aprons and prepare their delectable Dole dish in front of envious onlookers and a panel of judges led by a renowned celebrity chef, Ben Ford of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City, Calif. Hungry for the challenge but nervous about preparing your dish in the lime light? Don?t sweat it! During the final Cook-off each finalist will have a L.A. based food blogger as their Sous Chef, all personally selected by Dole.

Check out these tasty looking Pork Island Sliders that won last year. My mouth is watering as I post this!

The 2013 DOLE California Cook-Off contest launched March 17, 2013 at 12 a.m. ET and closes on May 15, 2013. Submit a delicious appetizer, small plate, tapas, taster, or just a healthier portion sized dish that can be prepared in 60 minutes or less on a gas grill using at least one DOLE product and no more than seven additional ingredients. Participation is simple ? check out Dole.com/cookoff for more information and the official contest rules.

Not a chef but more of a taster, there is a contest for that too!

Are you more of a master taster? Warm up that palate, as there is also a chance to win a spot on the judging panel! If you?d prefer to sit back and enjoy the fantastic presentation by the three Cook-off finalists than fire up a grill of your own, enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win at Dole.com/cookoff.

For appetizing ideas on what to enter in the 2013 Dole California Cook-Off visit Facebook.com/DOLE or DOLE.com/Recipes. You?re sure to find many fun and creative ways to add healthy Dole packaged products to your lifestyle.

About Dole Food Company, Inc.
Dole is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.

I love cooking with Dole products and just reading about the contest makes me hungry. Get out your recipe and be sure to enter for a chance to win. Or you can be more like me and print off a bunch of the recipes to try since they all look so tasty!

Connect: You can connect with Dole on their website and on Facebook.

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

WholePets Commitment to Your Pup with Petco

Blog· Review

A new puppy requires a lot of work and a lot of stuff. It’s almost just like having a baby. You need time to teach it, play with it and take care of it. They require a lot of attention. Luckily, there are a ton of products on the market just for our furry little friends.

~This review was made possible by Petco~

Petco is committed to your pets, which is why they have a WholePets commitment. Through this, they encourage pet parents to take care of the whole health of their pets. Pets have needs for their physical, mental, emotional and social life.

For our new pup, I received some products for our new pup that will help to stimulate these areas.

Physical Health: Chuckit! Kick Fetch Ball Dog Toy

Max loves this toy! It is the orange and blue ball in the photo below. Most of you know that we have 3 dogs and this is their favorite toy to play with in the yard. They all race to get it, then patiently wait for it to be kicked or thrown again. It’s the perfect fetch ball for them all!

Emotional Health: Espree Pupp Shampoo

This shampoo works wonderful, much better than others that I have tried. It lathers well and leaves a fresh, clean scent.

Social Health: Tuffy’s 3-Way Tug and Petco Collars, Harnesses and Leashes

We want to socialize Maxwell as much as we can, with people and with other pets. We got a collar and a leash and a harness to use on our walks with him. The harness is of great quality and he seems to be comfortable in it. I adore the vibrant colors of the leash and it’s the perfect length for us.

The Tuffy’s 3-Way Tug was an absolute favorite of his. He would play alone, with us or with the other dogs. It was his “baby” and he liked to sleep with it. Unfortunately the bigger dogs got rough with it and one of them decided to destroy it. They do that with all of the toys eventually.

Their website offers an abundance of great products for all of your pets. I prefer the in store experience though because of its fun environment. You can bring your pup with you to pick out toys, have him/her groomed and they even have special pet adoption days where they have pets in store that are ready to adopt!

Connect:

You can connect with Petco on Facebook and/or @Petco on Twitter!

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

High Protected Tinted Compact SPF 50 {Avene USA Review}

Blog· Review

~This review was made possible by Avene USA~

I love summer, and now that it’s approaching, I think about how much I’ll be outside in the sun. My makeup routine is so different in the summer than in the winter. A lot of times I’ll wear nothing, I know, I know, that’s horrible skin protection. Now that I’m in my early thirties, and I have young kids, I am much more aware of sun exposure, and the bad effects of sun damage. So with that being said, I am constantly on the search for:

something low maintenance
SPF over 30
light and not too heavy
something for sensitive skin

I think I finally found my summer make-up! I am very happy to share with you the benefits of using Avene High Protection Tinted Compact!

Benefits:
? Available in 2 shades: honey and beige

? 100% mineral sunscreen provides broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection

? Enriched with patented Pre-Tocopheryl (a photostable form of vitamin E) for powerful antioxidant protection

? Soft-to-touch, easy application with matte finish

? Paraben-free, fragrance-free, water resistant

? Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic

The one thing, among many things, I like about this make-up is that it’s a compact. I can easily keep this in my bag for last minute application, and also re-application, because we all know we should re-apply our sun screen quite often.

There are many harmful effects from sun exposure such as premature skin aging and skin damage due to UVA/UVB rays.100% mineral sunscreen with powerful antioxidant protection. Formulated with Av?ne Thermal Spring Water to soothe and soften, this sun-sensitive product helps to protect skin from the damaging effects of UVA/UVB rays.
Skin Type: All Skin Types
Available sizes:
10 g (0.35 oz.)

So I have very sensitive skin, that’s why it’s super important for me to stay protected. Avene has that covered! This High Protected Tinted Compact is for all skin types:

? Intolerant, sensitive skin

? Redness-prone skin

? Post-procedure skin

? Skin sensitive to chemical sunscreens

? Vitiligo

It’s very simple to use, just open the compact, and apply a generous amount to skin with the pad provided. Instead of rubbing the foundation along my face I usually dab, this helps reduce my redness.

So if your looking for an awesome compact tinted foundation that as a high SPF, I would recommend Avene High Tint Protection Compact. It’s easy to apply, low maintenance, and has an SPF of 50. You can’t go wrong with that!

Connect:

You can connect with Avene USA on Facebook, Pinterest and/or @aveneusa on Twitter!

Buy It!

You can buy the High Protected Tinted Compact for $32.

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

Bump Ahead: Mother Tucker Nursing Compression Tank by Belly Bandit Review

Blog· Review

Welcome to our Bump Ahead: An Outnumbered Baby Shower Event! We are celebrating the new lives growing inside of two of our own writers, Anne and Shay; as well as the four {yes, you read that correctly} boys growing inside of my sister in law! From May 1st through July 1st, we will be sharing some of our top baby gear picks and great Baby Shower Gift ideas with you! Be sure to check back often for our latest finds and a chance at some awesome prizes!

~This feature was made possible by Belly Bandit~

Don’t nip it or suck it…just Mother Tuck-it!

Easy pull-side nursing access without the snaps or flaps

Tummy -Flattening center

Smoothes out “Muffin Top”

3 inch anti roll bottom

Ultra soft & comfortable

Perfect alone or under clothes

3 targeted compression zones

I am still nursing my almost 10 month old so when I learned that I was going to review the Mother Tucker Nursing Compression Tank by Belly Bandit I was really psyched. When I received my Mother Tucker nursing tank I couldn’t wait to try out. I ordered the Mother Tucker, love the name by the way, in a size large. I got Mother Tucker in Black, but it is also available in Nude. For reference I wear a size 12, usually an XL top and wear a 38 DDD bra size. Great now everyone knows my secret, hahaha.

The size guidelines according to Belly Bandit are as follows:

SM: 30-34 Bust, B-D Cup

MD: 34-38 Bust. B-DD Cup

LG: 38-44 Bust, C-E Cup

Their sizing seems pretty accurate and the large fit me nicely. Remember ladies this is a compression tank so it is supposed to be tight fitting. This nursing tank has pretty wide straps on the shoulders giving it a more comfortable fit. There is no under wire in this tank, but even without one the Mother Tucker did a really nice job of holding my ‘girls’ up.

Being almost 10 months postpartum I really liked this tank, and would greatly recommend for nursing Mom’s who want something that is going to suck it all in. This nursing tank would be ideal for someone who has given birth even more recently than myself. Belly Bandit says,

When the Mother Tucker is worn consistently, it may help postpartum stretch marks by containing loose skin, as well as perfect your posture.

Here is a side by side comparison picture. In the first picture I am wearing a generic nursing tank and in the second picture I am wearing the Mother Tucker.

Notice in the first picture how my belly seems to hang a little bit more, and in the second picture while wearing the Mother Tucker everything seems to firm up in the belly area. Even my ‘girls’ are more lifted while wearing the Mother Tucker.

Why not spoil yourself after all the hard work you have put in carrying around your new bundle of joy and pick yourself up a Mother Tucker by Belly Bandit today; I am sure you will love it!

Let the Mother Tucker be your secret to a sexy silhouette.

Connect:

You can connect with Belly Bandit on Facebook and their Website!

Buy It!

You can buy the Mother Tucker for $79.95.

I received a sample product for this review. All opinions are my own and/or my family’s, take it or leave it. Click here to view my whole disclosure policy.

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