Here’s why authentic Keds Sneakers are better:

• Keds have an actual structure inside the shoe, rather than just a poorly constructed sole and upper.   That means that the Keds actually support your foot, with tons of cushioning. We all want comfy shoes, right?
• The lining allows your feet to breathe. No one likes gross, sweaty shoes. If your Keds do get sweaty or otherwise dirty, you can toss them in the washer. 
• The double-needle stitched canvas stands up to tons of wear. 
• The Canvas upper follows the natural curves of your foot. This helps avoid rubbing on your foot. 
• Keds have been around since 1916. That’s a whole heckuva lot of longevity. They also introduced the term “sneaker” into the lexicon! Why? Because Keds are quiet, and you can sneak around when wearing them. 

              

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I hate to do dishes. Hate  hate hate it.  Normally, I’d say that hate is a really strong word, and you shouldn’t use it, except in extreme circumstances, but, ehhh….I hate to do dishes.  When I move into a new place, I make sure that there’s a dishwasher. 

My current dishwasher is old and creaky.  It’s not the best in the world, but it beats the heck out of doing dishes by hand.  One of the ways that I make sure that my dishes are clean is by using Cascade and the new Cascade Platinum packs. 

About 8 months ago or so, the soap compartment stopped popping open during the cycle.   Oh noes…what am I gonna do now?  That was about the time that I started using the all in one soap packs.  I just drop one in the silverware caddy and it’s all good.  With the Cascade Platinum packs, I rarely have to run a dish, a pan, or a plastic storage container back through Ol’ Creaky.  That wasn’t so with the other detergent. 

I’m not the only one that think Cascade Platinum is pretty great.  Nope, Gail Simmons thinks so too.  Yes, THAT Gail Simmons, the one of Top Chef and Food and Wine magazine fame.  Why does she like Cascade Platinum?  Because it makes your food shine on super clean dishware.  PLUS – Cascade Platinum gets all the food, sauces, caramels, and coulis off of your dishware. Want more of Gail?  Of course you do.  Check out the Cascade Facebook page for additional videos. 

Are you like me?  Do you need to replace your dishwasher?  Well, then, you’re in luck!  Cascade is giving away two Whirlpool dishwashers every week.  As if that wasn’t enough, one lucky winner will get a Platinum Kitchen makeover! It's easy, too.  Just sign up, then Instagram a photo that fits with the weekly theme.  Check out the contest landing page for all the details. 

This post brought to you by Coastal.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are so many choices of designer glasses these days.  How do you choose the right glasses – the perfect pair for you?  You want something that suits your personality, but it’s also important to flatter your face. 

Face Shape

What shape is your face?  Faces generally fall into a few shape categories: round, square or rectangular, heart shaped, and oval. 

For a heart shaped face, try a rimless style.  Glasses frames generally tend to accentuate the broad part of your face. 

If you have a round face, like me, you’ll want something that helps give some definition to your face.  A rectangular shaped frame will do this without adding any more curves. 

If you have a square or rectangular shaped face, a half frame is a great choice.  This style helps to give your face a softer, more round shape. 

For those with an oval face, you can usually go with almost any shape.  Anything except a super round frame.  Try a style that has some flair, like the cat’s eye frames from Derek Cardigan Eyeglasses. 

Style

What’s your personal style?  If you’re really traditional, you probably don’t want a pair of edgy frames.  By the same token, if your style is minimalist, a big, bold frame probably isn’t the best choice for you.  

The Derek Cardigan glasses line from Coastal.com is a great choice for those that love the mod look with frame styles that are right on trend.

Color

Another factor to consider is the color of your frames and your lenses.  For your everyday glasses, you want something that’s fairly neutral.  Generally, I would recommend a color like brown, black, or tortoiseshell.  Of course, tortoiseshell is my go-to for everything, and I feel you can never go wrong with it. 

Of course, for extra pairs, you can go with a fun color.  Pinks, purple, blue, and even patterns like skulls, roses, and argyle have been seen in designer eyewear lately.

As for lenses, I like to keep them clear, possibly with a non-reflective coating.  If you’re getting sunglasses, go ahead and get any fun color of tint that you’d like.  As long as the tint helps protect your eyes from UVA/UVB rays, there’s no reason to stick to the plain old smoky brown shade.

Use

How are you going to use your glasses?  Are they going to be your main pair or are you selecting a fun spare pair?  Perhaps you’re blind as a bat and need a pair of sports goggles. 

 If you’re wearing them for daily use, like reading, computer work, or the like, get something that’s super comfortable and that you can see out of really well.  I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised.  A friend just bought a pair of glasses where they have no peripheral vision.  Of course, they didn’t think of this while choosing their frames. 

Hopefully, these tips to find the right glasses can help make your next Designer Eyeglasses purchase a successful one!

Please Pardon our Mess while we have a touch of a makeover in honour of our upcoming birthday., 

Thanks for your patience!

How to Ombre Dye a Shirt was sponsored by Joann as part of the Summer of Joann series. 

Recently, Joann Fabric and Crafts contacted me to see if I was interested in taking part in their Summer of Joann Crafting with Kids series.  Ummm…let me think about this.  I spend half a day a week wandering around the store, picking up odds and ends for my projects.  Absolutely I want to participate! 

The challenge was to choose a project from the Cape Discovery series and recreate it.  Hmmm…what to choose, what to choose…

Once I saw the How to Dye an Ombre Shirt project, I knew what had to be done.  I chose to do some hand-dyed projects.  Why?  Because I loooooooovvveee to dye.  There’s something mystical and magical about choosing colors and seeing how they blend.  Then, when the project is finished?  It’s like a total surprise!  And even if it doesn’t come out looking the best, it’s still beautiful to you. 

For this project, we’re doing an ombre dye.  Multi color dyeing will come at a later date.  If you’re nice, that is.  I was watching TMZ one day, and Harvey Levin had on this gorgeous ombre dyed tee.  It was turquoise at the top, and faded into aqua around the chest area.  The rest of the shirt was white.  I had originally planned to re-create that shirt, as I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while.  However, since we were dyeing with kids, they wouldn’t leave the planned white part of the shirt alone. Before I knew it, we had little dye fingerprints on the white part.  So, I dyed the whole shirt.  I also used a regular blue shade instead of turquoise.  Obviously.

How to Ombre Dye a Shirt

Supplies needed for Ombre Dyeing

White or light colored items.  Fabric, yarn, t-shirts, tote bags, pillow cases are all great items to play with.   Natural fibers like cotton, rayon, or silk work the best and will provide the most vibrant colors.  Polyester and other synthetics will give you a much paler result.

Dye.  I used the tie dye kit, which came with everything we needed, and we just had to add water to the dye. 

Rubber bands
Plastic gloves
Cups or squirt bottles for the dye
Foam paint brushes if using cups
Water in a basin or tub
Something to put your dyed projects on.  I used the lids of plastic shoebox bins. 
Plastic shoebox bin

1 Launder your shirt.  Wash & dry it to get rid of any residue from the manufacturing process.  DO NOT use fabric softener, as it may interfere with the dyeing process.

2 When you’re ready to dye, get your shirt wet.  You want it to be fairly wet, but not dripping wet.  You may need to wring it out a little. 

3 Fill a plastic shoebox bin with one color of your mixed dye to a depth of about 1 inch. 

4 Place the part of your shirt that you want to be the darkest in the bin.  Let sit for about 30 mins

5 Place the next part of your shirt in the bin.  You may need to add some water to make sure that your shirt is fully submerged.  Let sit for about 15 minutes. 

6 Decide if you want to dye the rest of your shirt or leave it it’s regular color (ie white).  If you want to dye it, place it in the bin.  Let sit for about 10 minutes.  Again, you may need to add some more water to cover your shirt. 

After you’ve let your shirt sit, and let the dye work its magic, it’s time to rinse.  I have to admit, this is my favorite part. 

7 Pour off the excess dyebath.  You can dump it in your yard, pour it down the toilet, or wash it down your drain.  Beware, it can stain your fixtures, especially porous ones. 

8 Rinse under warm, running water.  Keep rinsing until the water runs mostly clear.  Sometimes, I do this in stages.  I’ll get most of the dye out, let it sit for a while, and have another go at it. 

9 Once your pieces are mostly rinsed, you can wash them.  I generally wash them in a tub with a detergent.  I like Synthrapol, as it helps to pull out the excess dye and set the color at the same time.  For this shirt, I used my regular laundry detergent.  I keep rinsing until the water is mostly clear.  This generally takes three to five water changes. 

10 Now, you can wash your dyed fabric items as you normally would.  Wash in the washer, dry in the dryer.  If you dye yarn, you still want to hand wash it.  Mainly because it’s delicate!

Wear your shirts with pride, and when someone asks, you can say “I made it myself!”

This Demeter Fragrance Library feature was made possible by press samples.  All opinions are my own. 

I like different perfumes and unique scents.  I don’t know why, I just always have.  And while I really like fine scents and eau de parfums, if you give me a scent that’s supposed to smell like something else, I’m all over it! 

When I found out about Demeter Fragrance Library and their unique scents, I was all over it! The company specializes in perfumes that smell like other things in life.  The Demeter scent collection consists of more than 250 different fragrances inspired by everyday objects and experiences.  Some of the scents include things like baby powder, cherry blossom, and mint mojito.

A person's fragrance "wardrobe" should include more than just designer or classic perfumes. Having a fragrance wardrobe of just designer perfumes is like having a wardrobe of nothing but evening clothes – beautiful but not what you might want for everyday life. You need the comfortable clothes as well.

- Christopher Brosius, Founder – Demeter Fragrance Library

How right is that statement?  I had the opportunity to test out a few of the Demeter Fragrances.  After much thought, I chose the following:

Pipe Tobacco – A spicy blend of sugar, woods,  and with some smokiness.   It reminds me of walking by the cigar shop in the mall, but less intense. 

Rain – You know how everything smells clean and earthy after a rain shower?  That’s what this smells like!  It’s clean and fresh, but not too earthy.  A fantastic every day scent. 

Salt Air – This reminds me of a day at the beach.  It’s not super beachy, but is pleasant.  It’s a touch suntan-y, sandy, and sea-ish. 

Grass – This smells like fresh grass and sunshine.  I have to admit that grass is one of my very favorite scents, so I kind of love this one.  I also think that the Salt Air and the Grass work really well together. 

While these perfumes  sound more like a scent that you’d find in a candle, they don’t smell like you’re wearing a candle scent.  They’re totally body-wearable, and it’s not like “Oh, that guy smells like grass.”   

Most of the  Demeter scents are unisex, too.  While Dad or your guy may not want to smell like Peach, Freesia, or Pink Lemonade, there are tons of scents for him to choose from. 

Socialize with  Demeter Fragrance

Connect with Demeter Fragrance Library on Facebook or Twitter, too. 

This salad & vinaigrette recipe was shared by Holly Clegg.

I think everyone know that I love salads.  I mean everyone.  I stop random people on the street and tell them "I LOVE SALAD."  Yeah, they may think I'm strange, but it's ok!  When I find a new and unusual recipe to try, I just have to make it. 

Wasabi Vinaigrette adds punch to this great crunchy combination of slaw and spinach topped with toasty almonds.  Combine salad mixture, make vinaigrette, refrigerate and toss together to serve. 

 Tossed Asian Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Makes 4 (1-cup) servings

 Ingredients

2 cups baby spinach

2 cups coleslaw (found in bag)
1 (8-ounce) can  water chestnuts, chopped or sliced, drained
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Wasabi Vinaigrette, (recipe follows)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted  

 In a large bowl, combine spinach, coleslaw, water chestnuts, red pepper and green onions.  Toss with Wasabi Vinaigrette (recipe follows) to lightly coat. Divide on plates and sprinkle with almonds.

Wasabi Vinaigrette

Awesome Asian-style vinaigrette great on any salad.

 Makes 1/2 cup vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon wasabi 

1/4 cup seasoned rice-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil

In small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth and well combined.

 Tidbit: Wasabi can be found in a small tin can in the Asian section of the grocery store or fresh where sushi is sold.

Calories 180 Calories from Fat 57% Fat 12g Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 313mg Carbohydrates 17g Dietary Fiber 6g Total Sugars 9g Protein 3g, Dietary Exchanges: 3 vegetable,

2 1/2 fat

If you wanted to make this a meal, I'd add some drained mandarin oranges and a protein like grilled chicken or salmon.  It would also be tasty with marinated tofu and perhaps some type of cheese, like Feta.

Recipe is from Food 101 by Holly Clegg.  Watch for a review of the cookbook coming shortly.

This post brought to you by Southwest Airlines Vacations. All opinions are 100% mine.

Las Vegas is a fantabulous place to visit.  There was a time that it was full of questionable people and shady dealings.  No longer.  It’s not somewhere you can feel safe to bring your family, whether it’s your kids or your granny.  However, this Las Vegas Vacations post ain’t about that.  It’s about partying and adult trips to Las Vegas.

When I lived in SoCal, one of our favorite girls’ getaways was to head to Vegas.  We could fly cheaply on Southwest Airlines, get a room at a fab hotel, and have a good time.  A really good time.  Even if we didn’t decide to fly, it was a fairly short road trip of about 3 ½ hours. 

Sometimes we would party at one of the fab pools.  Sometimes those are risqué, and sometimes it’s like all out debauchery.  I mean, there’s a reason that the slogan was “What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.”  Other times we’d just go to one of the amazing clubs, restaurants, and/or bars in town.   A couple times, the other ladies have had their bachelorette parties in Las Vegas.  I can’t tell you about that, though.  Partly because this is a family rated blog, and partly because details may or may not be a little hazy.  *cough*

It doesn’t all have to be shady, sketchy details you vaguely remember.  Las Vegas has gorgeous golf courses, exquisite spas and salons, and some of the best shopping in the world.  Personally, I *always* hit up the fabric and bead stores when I visit.  If they have supplies to make the showgirl costumes, that’s where I wanna be.  I’m totally attracted to the sparklies. 

Southwest Airlines has always been known as a budget airline, but in recent years, they’ve stepped it up. Maybe it’s partly the fact that other airlines have started cutting back on services and nickel and diming you at every turn.  Whatever it is, Southwest has become one of my top airlines of choices recently. 

Now, they’ve decided to get in the game of vacation packaging.  Southwest Vacations has the best deals on Las Vegas Vacations.  For example, you can save $100 + 25% on a stay at Bally’s Las Vegas.  Southwest Vacations has lots of other fantastic deals too.

When I was a wee tyke, we lived in Hawaii. It was there that I was introduced to King’s Hawaiian bread. I ate it any time it was offered, and I do believe it was in the top five of my favorite foods. By the time we moved back to the mainland when I was 10 or so, King’s Hawaiian had also made the journey. I was very happy, as I would still have access to my favorite food, and it would help alleviate the homesickness.

Fast forward, like, 20 or so years. In the past couple of months, I’ve started seeing King’s Hawaiian bread products pop up in my local store. The first time I saw them I was all like “Whhhaaaaa?!?!?!?!?!” Could it be? Could this slightly sweet, utterly delectable treat have finally found its way to my Midwestern town?

For a while, King’s Hawaiian bread would be there, and then it would be gone for a while. I’d think I saw it, then it would vanish. I started to think that my mind was playing tricks on me. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared the first time, I saw it on a regular basis. I knew what had to be done. I had to introduce my friends to this wonder. Oh yes.

To do this, I decided to invite them over. We’d have some hot dogs and burgers, and they’d be introduced to one of my favorite things. It would be glorious!

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. With the outbreak of tornadoes in Oklahoma and Missouri, not everyone was able to come over. Why? Because lots of us work for non-profits and they were working this weekend, coordinating various efforts. That’s ok, though. We had a few people over, and they tried the delicious sandwich buns and hot dog buns from King’s Hawaiian.

Since, y’know, it is King’s Hawaiian bread, I went with a loose Tiki tropical theme. I started to go waaaayyyy overboard, but managed to reel it back in. Everyone thought the bread was delicious, and added a great layer of flavor to their sandwiches. Of course, my favorite was the way I dressed my burger. I took a veggie burger patty, added smoked provolone, ripe, locally grown tomatoes, avocado, homemade mustard, and mayo.

Now that I know where they’re hiding this delicious tastiness, I will be on the lookout for it!

King’s Hawaiian® wants to know how you bring people together. Reply below for a chance to win a $200 gift card! Sweepstakes Rules.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kings Hawaiian. The opinions and text are all mine.

This post brought to you by Allstate. All opinions are 100% mine.

There's a ton of discussion about unemployment and underemployment.  But, what is the real difference? 

You take the good, you take the bad.  You take them both, and then you have the facts of life.  I loved The Facts of Life as a kid, and connected with Natalie.  But that’s another post for another time.  Sometimes life hands you lemons and you have to figure out what to do. 

About a year ago, my hours at work were cut.  They were cut from 50+ hours to a hard and tight 25 hours a week.  Why?  I’m not really sure, but I have my ideas, all that are based on spitefulness and misplaced revenge by a co-worker.   

What the heck was her problem?  Who knows, other than she’s a control freak and was losing her control in the office.  Anyway, I went from working 5 looooonnnngggg days a week, often coming in early and skipping lunch, to working 3 short days a week and taking my full lunch. 

To add insult to injury, they wanted me to come in a half a day every single day, and one full day a week.  Ummm, let me think about this.  How about a big fat “NO!”  Seriously, how much would that suck. 

I wasn't unemployed, as I still had a job, albeit a part time one that didn't pay the bills.  And the 25 hours?  Yeah, that was added insult to injury.  It meant that I couldn't collect partial unemployment benefits.  I suddenly found myself underemployed.

While I didn’t think so at the time, it really turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I had all kinds of extra time to do what I wanted.  Wanna go somewhere for the weekend?  No problem!  I have a 4 day weekend, every weekend.  I visited a bunch of new places in my area that I either didn’t know existed, or could never manage to stop by when they were open.  I reconnected with people I hadn’t seen in a while.  Went to trivia night, visited friends, attended parties, met new people.  It was nice. 

Perhaps the best thing of all, I stopped bringing my work home with me.  There’s a problem when I’m off?  Oh well.  Have a question about something?  Too bad!  It’ll have to wait until Tuesday, when I’m back in the office. 

Granted, I was lucky, as I had some money saved up, and my set expenses are pretty low.  Even with these low expenses, my income still didn't pay the bills, though.  I did some freelance work for extra income, so I wouldn’t deplete my entire savings.  I also used up some of the things I had at home.  In the mood to do a craft project?  Then go through your mountain of stuff and do something. 

Allstate believes that the Good Life is inherently social.  While bad things happen, it’s our spirit that helps us to not just persevere, but to thrive. That's why they're introducing the Allstate Good Life.  Accident forgiveness, roadside assistance, and local people to help guide you through life's bumps and bruises. 

What is your best story of thriving after a setback?  Share in the comments.