Scrutiny by the Masses

Danskos - My Favorite and My Best

This is sponsored content. I was provided with a pair of Dansko sandals of my choice and in return for my honest post - I can give one of you a pair of sandals as well. I LOVE Danskos and think and believe every single word of this post. I was not paid in any way - other than a pair of shoes which I will wear every single day it's above 60 degrees.

I first discovered Dansko shoes several years ago, when I was standing on my feet all day, working in the cafeteria. At the end of the day, my legs and feet ached terribly, and a coworker recommended that I try Dansko. The first day I wore them, I was hooked. Why? Because, quite simply, they are the best shoes around. From the website:

Dansko has been a leader in comfort footwear since we first introduced “Danish” clogs to America over 20 years ago! You can recognize a Dansko clog by its iconic shape, clean construction and the use of the highest quality materials from the cushioned insole to the durable outsole. In January 2008, Dansko introduced state-of-the-art footwear innovations to our classic rocker bottom to enhance the comfort, stability and performance of our clogs. Visually other clogs may try to appear similar, but only genuine Dansko clogs provide:

• Improved lateral stability & more secure heel strike (reduced risk of ankle rolling)
• Better shock absorption  (comparable to athletic footwear)
• Softer and more pronounced heel cavity 
• Improved aesthetics. Visually, other clogs may appear similar but to ensure an even better wearing experience, the new Dansko is wider across the heel and has a more stable heel kicker.

Now, almost every pair of shoes I wear is a Dansko. I have a couple of pair of clogs, one pair of lace up clogs, and I own several pair of sandals. Of course, I do own other shoes, but if I have to be on my feet for any length of time, I reach for the Dansko shoes. I know that when I wear them, my feet and legs will not take at the end of the day, and that's worth an  awful lot to me. The older I get <sigh>, the more I know that I need a supportive shoe and I don't want to wear some ugly orthopedic things - the Danskos bridge the gap of comport, support and style.

If you are in need of a pair of great shoes and wonder about the Danskos, check out this video. From clogs to flats, from sandals to flip-flops, they've got almost every need covered. You can buy a pair, wear them around, and at the end of the day, you'll know you looked good and your legs and feet won't be screaming in agony.

Want to win your own pair of Dansko sandals? Check out the selection, and tell me what you would pick. Which pair would be your favorite, and where would you wear them? One lucky winner will be drawn at random from all the entries received by April 7, 2013 at 11:59 PM.

Sheex

Way back when I went to Blogher, way back in August, I went to the expo hall in search of a bed. Now, that sounds like I may have had nefarious purposes, but that really wasn't the case at all.

Every single blog her, Tarrant and I take a picture in a bed. That kind of sounds strange, but it's a tradition that I hold dear. Every year, I find her, find a bed, we jump in and take a picture. Two Bloghers ago, I found a bed, and ended up winning it. So this past Blogher, I wondered if I would have similar luck. Not that I need another bed, but there are other things that you need besides the bed.

I was supremely lucky. I found a vendor that had a bed on display. I jumped in the bed, and immediately realized that the sheets that were on the bed or anything but standard. Further inquiry revealed that these miraculously soft, cooling, and very comfortable sheets were called SHEEX.

Sheex are sheets that are anything but traditional. From the website:

Better Sleep Leads to Better Performance. That's why we have created Sheex, the world's first luxury performance bed sheets. Sheex were inspired by the finest professional-quality athletic fabrics, offering a superior level of comfort and performance to help you sleep better.

I won a pair of sheets, brought them home and put them on my bed. They are my favorite sheets. My husband was a little bit upset that his bed doesn't have them – we have two twin Tempur-pedics that we put together – but that's too bad. I'm in need of sheets that keep me cool, and he definitely is not. They are ridiculously soft, breathable and moisture wicking.

WIN in my book.

Want to win a pair of Sheex for yourself?

One lucky winner will! To enter, click here. You have to click over - you can't enter here - but someone is going to win themselves a set of sheets that will make you want to stay in bed alllll day long.

This year's photo!

Mother Daughter Breakfast Fun

Breakfast. The best part of the day. The most stressful part of the day. It's a time that you can use to jumpstart your relationship with your daughters. And what better way to jumpstart that relationship than with a healthy and delicious breakfast? 

Thanks to the fine folks on the Got Milk? campaign, I'm pleased to be able to offer one lucky reader this wonderful breakfast gift basket. It contains 2 of the nicest coffee mugs I've ever had - seriously, the three of us who drink coffee fight over these mugs every single morning - coffe to fill said mugs, cereal bowls and spoons, blueberry waffle mix, a pancake turner, a milk carafe and two aprons.

You can create breakfast with your daughter and at the same time, create memories for yourself.

To enter, please leave me a comment telling me your favorite use of milk for breakfast. Smoothies, cereal, coffee, rice pudding - how do you like to use milk?

This contest is open to US residents age 18 and over and will close on September 15, 2012 at 11:59 pm. One winner will be chosen at random using random.org. You must leave a valid email and if you win and do not reply within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Happy Breakfasting!

Sam's Club Makes Going Away to College Less Stressful

Well, except for the whole we need to figure out the funding of said college aspect.

I have one child in college, and he lives at home. Next year, I have a daughter who will be going to college, and I can already tell you - she's going away. There's no way at all that I think she will be here one more day than she needs to be - and college is her ticket out.

Her best friend went away this past year, and I was privy to quite a bit of the "Let's get ready for college!" pack up and drama - and one thing that struck me repeatedly was just exactly how EXPENSIVE this entire matter is. Getting ready to let your child live away from home costs an awful lot of cash - and when they are on their own, you know that it's going to be tough for them to make ends meet. Trying to remember everything, running from store to store to try to get the best deal and the greatest value - it can be tough.

 Sam's Club has come up with a new product that I think is genius - just in time for that back to college crush. It's an enormous bundle of all of the personal products that your college student may need - different packets for men and women - and you can even select to ship it straight to your student's door. Sam's Club takes the stress out of heading back to class with pre-assembled bundles that include all of the necessities your teen needs. From cleaning/laundry to school supplies to room organization, Sam's Club provides all of the items on your list in a single, affordable package.

Now you don't have to wonder if he's using soap in the shower or if she ran out of deodorant again. With just a few clicks, the personal bundle is right there.

What's in it? Glad you asked.

 Women's Personal Bundle:

Included in this bundle:
1 TRESemmé Shampoo & Conditioner Value Pack - Moisture Rich - 44 oz. each
1 Gillette Custom Plus Disposable Razor - 52 ct
1 Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash - 2 / 23.6 oz. plus 1 / 12 oz
1 Degree Women Invisible Solid - Fresh Oxygen - 3/2.5 oz
1 Tampax Tampons - Regular - 100 ct. + 5 ct. Tampax Pearl Trial Pack
1 Crest Complete Whitening + Scope Toothpaste - 4 / 8 oz
1 TRESemmé Extra Hold Hair Spray - 2/14.5 oz
1 Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion

And make no mistake about it - college is ridiculously expensive. With the high cost of tuition, room and board, textbooks and more, college is becoming more and more out of the reach of most students. Sam's Club wants to help families this year by offering college supplies at an affordable price - which doesn't do anything about the tuition prices, but at least you can save money in one area.

Check out the Sam's Club website so that you can learn about the different varieties of Back to Class Bundles. Want to learn more? Become a fan on the  Sam's Club facebook page.

I'm pleased to be able to offer to one lucky reader a fantastic prize - an iHome! This would be a fantastic addition to your student's dorm room, a great gift from Grandma - or something nice for you! To enter to win this fantastic prize, leave me a comment telling me which of the new Sam's Club personal bundles you'd be most interested in purchasing.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Sam's Club and received product samples to thank me for taking the time to participate.

INVISALIGN TEEN “SHOW US YOUR BLOGHER SMILE!” SWEEPSTAKES

Please note: this blog post is for the INVISALIGN TEEN “SHOW US YOUR BLOGHER SMILE!” sweepstakes. You may only enter if you have found Carmen at the Blogher 2012 conference, requested an egg, and received it. Your entry is found inside the egg - post it in the comment section - ALONG WITH YOUR TWITTER HANDLE -  and then watch your twitter stream - you could be a winner! There are 3 $100 VISA gift cards and 3 $25 Amazon gift cards to be won - please enter your comment below!

Your smile is one of the first things that people notice about you.

Invisalign is a terrific way to improve your smile. Their smoth, comfortable and virtually invisable clear plastic  aligners gently guide teeth into place and help you get that perfect, camera ready smile you want.They are custom created to fit only you and help you achieve outstanding results.

After all, first impressions are everything. 

If you - or your child - have ever thought about braces, why not look at Invisalign? Find an Invisalign provider in your area, and transform your smile without wires, metal or sharp edges in your mouth. With no food restrictions and no extra dental hygeine efforts at all - there's no reason why you can't have the smile you've always wanted.

Official Rules and Regulations below the fold.

Get an Authentic Taste of Greek Tradition with Olympus Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt

I was provided with samples of Olympus Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

We eat a lot of yogurt in our house. With eight different sets of taste buds, as well as varying levels of nutritional needs, it can be a stretch to try to find a variety that will please everyone. Greek yogurt is a personal favorite of mine - it's thick, rich consistency and higher levels of protein mean that I will be less likely to be hungry within ten minutes of eating it. One of the problems with many brands of Greek Yogurt sold at the grocery is the high amounts of sugar - and this can be difficult to avoid. Not so with Olympus Authentic Greek Strained Yogurt, which is actually from Greece.

Olympus Dairy International,  the largest organic dairy manufacturer in Greece and one of only five companies worldwide that produce Grade A all-natural yogurt, is importing their authentic strained Greek yogurt to the US. Olympus Greek Strained yogurts also contain a high amount of protein, is available in 0% and low fat options, and many people who have lactose sensitivities find Greek yogurt easier to digest, as it is naturally lower in lactose.

That's all very well and good - but how does it taste?

In a word - delicious. And unlike any other Greek yogurt that I've tried. I was provided with an assortment of flavors, many of which contained real fruit, as opposed to a sugary jelly mixture - and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every flavor I sampled. I was also sent a sample of Feta Cheese as well as Goat cheese, and both products crumpled nicely and had good flavor. My mother termed the Goat Cheese "absolutely delicious" and wondered if I'd find her a local grocery that carries it.

Olympus is committed to always providing an authentic Greek yogurt that gives you a true taste of Greek tradition with every bite. The rich velvety texture is proud to be all-natural, non-GMO and Kosher, offering Plain, Honey, Blueberry, Vanilla, Cherry, Peach, Strawberry and Lemon flavors.

My particular favorite was the Cherry, followed closely by the Vanilla. Would you like to try Olympus Authentic Strained Greek Yogurt for yourself? One lucky winner will be provided with coupons for free cups - to enter, please tell me the flavor you are most interested to try!

American Girl Read-A-Palooza

We are big readers in our house. Of course, now that the big kids have gotten to be, well, bigger - the amount of reading that they do has gone by the wayside. My younger kids, though? They always have books around, and I am frequently reading a couple of books at the same time.

My younger set of daughters love the American Girls dolls and, by association, the books that accompany. I think that these books are magnificent - they've learned a tremendous amount of history and count some of these books as their most favorite.

This summer, American Girl is inviting girls and moms to discover the joy of reading while helping a great cause! Read-a-palooza provides girls with fun activities and incentives to inspire them to keep their reading skills sharp and encourage engagement in a variety of different literacy activities! In addition, Read-a-palooza will be contributing to Save the Children through a book purchase donation. Starting May 1 through September 3, $1 from every book purchased from American Girl will benefit Save's U.S. Literacy Program.

This is one program I can get behind.

I'd love to be able to share the wonder of the American girl books with you! One lucky commenter will win a sampling of American Girl books to enjoy this summer. Want to be that lucky winner? Take a minute and browse through the American Girl book offerings - with both historical and contemporary fiction, advice, mysteries and activity books - there's something for everyone! Leave me a comment sharing with me your favorite American girl book. This contest will close 5/15/2012 at 11:59 p.m. and is open to US residents over the age of 18.

Hallmark Does Mother's Day Right

I was recently sent Hallmark's newest Mother's Day offerings. Designed to give Moms and Grandmas a moment in time — a moment they can hold onto and revisit even when their little ones aren’t so little anymore.  I loved the kit, and would love to give one away to a lucky reader! It contains:

Recordable Artwork: Canvas Art Kit, which allows your child to takes a Mother’s Day drawing to the next level by capturing a child’s voice and the story behind the artwork. Equipped with a canvas panel, Crayola washable paints and a big imagination, kids can paint mom or grandma a masterpiece that is then inserted into a 9”x9” recordable frame. For a unique and final touch, kids record a 40-second special Mother’s Day message into the frame and share their unique story behind their art.

As well as the amazing Conversations to Keep: Recordable Book, which is a book in which kids record themselves answering a variety of questions, such as “If you and mom were aliens, what would you look like and what would you name your planet?” Or, “What does Mom do to show she loves you?” We've done this, and it's a total hoot.

In addition, the Mother's Day Kit will contain a variety of cards.

This is a super short giveaway, so your chances are AWESOME. TO enter, please leave me a one word comment describing your favorite gift to give your mom. This contest is open until 11:59 p.m. Saturday May 5 and is open to US residetns 18 years of age and older. Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Don't forget your Mama on Mother's Day!

Beautiful Flowers Make Mother's Day Shine

I'm not a big flower person. I mean, I think that they are pretty, but they really don't enter my daily sight line. I might come home from the store with a bunch, especially if they are brightly colored and more of a eclectic design, but it's not standard for me.

Despite this, I really loved my flowers from ProFlowers.

Super Mom with Amethyst Vase

I've never ordered flowers from a company that wasn't local, and I'll admit that I was skeptical. After all, flowers that are delivered in a box by UPS? How can that be good?

The flowers came well wrapped in an oversize box, and with complete and competent instructions as to the assembly necessary. The directions were clear - remove the flowers from their box (but not the wrapping!) and cut an inch from the stems. Fill the vase with the provided flower food and insert the flowers - but don't remove the wrapping for two hours. At that time, cut it open and enjoy your flowers!

Enjoy them I did. They were beautiful and colorful and did much to cheer up the gloom of my kitchen.

If your mom (or grandmom, or wife for that matter) would appreciate a great Mother's Day Flower delivery, ProFlowers is a great option.

Would you like a $50 gift code to order some flowers for the special lady in your life? Leave me a comment telling me your favorite flower and I'll use random.org to pick one lucky winner. This contest closes on 5/6/12 at 11:59 p.m. and is open to residents of the United States over the age of 18.

I was provided with a gift code to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

V8 V-Fusion Sparkling Juice

If you know anything about me, you know that I am a HUGE fan of V8 V-Fusion. I was lucky enough to go on a trip to their headquarters and it remains as one of my most fond memories in all of the great stuff I get to do as a blogger.

I buy V8 V-fusion by the truckloads. I think, conservatively, we go through 10 bottles a month. Probably more than that. I buy the little cans for the kids to take to school. One thing my kids have asked for, though, is a sparkling juice - something more like a soda. There are always options available, but I am hesitant to purchase them because they are often not healthy choices. Thankfully, V8 V-Fusion has come to my rescue.

V8 V-Fusion Sparkling is the newest addition to the V8 family. This delicious juice drink is available in three flavors— Black Cherry Pomegranate, Strawberry Lemonade and Tangerine Raspberry. I was able to sample these drinks at Blissdom and fell immediately in love with them. As a bonus, not only do they taste delicious, but an 8-ounce can of V-Fusion Sparkling provides a combined serving of fruit and vegetables – all for 60 calories!

To celebrate the launch of V8 V-Fusion Sparkling, the lovely folks at V8 are going to help make your spring sparkle too with a gift pack for one lucky reader. The gift pack includes:

• V8 V-Fusion Sparkling
• Gaiam Yoga/Gym tote with an easy-reach outside pocket for your refreshments
• A  Philosophy Raspberry bubble bath to add some refreshing bubbles to your bath
• A $25 Sephora gift card to help you sparkle inside and out
• An Essie nail polish to add some sparkle to your nails
• A versatile to-go cup so you can quench your thirst with an iced V8 V-Fusion Sparkling on-the-go

I can personally attest to how cool this bag is. We took it with us as a carry on when we went to Puerto Rico and it performed admirably. We use the cup every morning and, of course, the drinks are long gone. You know you want this kit.

To enter, please leave me a comment telling me your favorite flavor of V8 V-Fusion. If you don't have one, take a look here and tell me which one you'd like to try! This contest is open to residents of the United States age 18 or over and will close on Sunday, April 22 2012 at 11:59 p.m.