A Shoe Review: ja-vie Flats

This post contains affiliate links.  I received a pair of shoes in exchange for my honest review.

I had received these Shimmering Black Lurex flats from  ja-vie just before we moved, and somewhere in the moving craziness they were misplaced.  I was very excited though to find them just in time for my college reunion trip.  It was a great trip, although a little bit of a whirlwind, and these shoes were perfect.

We were away from home for just over two days.  The trip included two flights, guiding two children through the airports, middle of the night car rentals, a reunion luncheon, a fancy alumni reception, dancing, church, the Homecoming football game, ultimate frisbee, and more.  I wore my ja-vie flats for everything -- except for frisbee.  These were the only shoes I brought with me, the frisbee shoes were graciously loaned to me by a friend.

Generally speaking, it's certainly a good idea to break in a pair of shoes before you wear them for two days straight -- especially when there will be lots of activity!  I didn't do that.  The first time I wore them was on the way to the airport.  Did I end up with blisters?  Nope.  Were my feet screaming for release?  Nope.  One baby toe got a teeny-tiny bit sore . . . but that could have happened while dancing or playing frisbee, I'm not exactly sure.

What makes these shoes so special?  As the website states, "these flats combine the softest double-ply mercerized cotton knit "sock" with lightweight jelly out-sole and cushioned leather insoles".   Guess what!  These shoes are machine washable!  (Not the leather insole, but the rest of it is!)

April 2016 Update: I still wear these shoes constantly.  Sometimes after church on Sundays the family and I will visit one of the Disney parks for a couple of hours.  These shoes are perfect for that!  (Although, I wouldn't recommend them for an all day visit at Disney -- while they are an incredibly supportive flat, definitely go with super-supportive athletic shoes for an all day visit!)

These awesome flats can be purchased directly from ja-vie, or from Amazon for faster shipping.Three cheers for Prime shipping, right?  Join Amazon Family 30-Day Free Trial

Navy Khaki Baby Dots

Black Cap / Cranberry

Parrot Green Cap/ Bluebird

My New Shirt from Allied Shirts (A Product Review)

I received a shirt in exchange for this review.  Everything in this post is my own honest opinion.  

Here I am sporting my new shirt courtesy of Allied Shirts!

Catherine, age 4, took this picture of me and Dominic.

Shirts start as low as $3.54, but price is determined by number of shirts and how many ink colors you need, so it will be a bit more for a single shirt.  I think mine would have been over $30.  However, I don't think you would ever have to pay full price, because they are constantly having sales!  (This morning I checked and they are having a 30% off sale.)  BUT, they also have a Low Price Guarantee.  Additionally, they have free shipping on standard orders!  Free shipping is a huge plus, however, keep in mind that it does take a little while.

I am happy with this t-shirt.  The shirt is the "Unisex Classic" in Ash.  I generally am a ladies medium, but since this is a unisex shirt I ordered a small.  I think the size is perfect.  The shirt is 100% preshrunk cotton.  There are lots of colors to choose from in this style.

I must admit, the grey shirt is the second shirt that I received from Allied Shirts.  The first shirt had a quality control issue with the shirt itself and I was disappointed with how the printing turned out.  (The image wasn't vibrant at all.)  When I informed them of my concerns they immediately started working on solutions.  I can attest firsthand that they are serious about customer satisfaction.

The printing options are just about endless, but you will want to keep in mind some images won't work as well on some colors of shirts.  Here's my original image:

This image looks good on the shirt I'm wearing in these pictures, but it didn't look as nice on a black shirt.  Just something for you to keep in mind when you create your own shirts.

I can think of a lot of great reasons to make a custom shirt: family reunions, class trips, school (traditional, non-traditional, or homeschool!), advertise your blog, and more.  How would you customize yours?

Disclosure: 

Like I said above, I received a shirt for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own. 

HALO SleepSack (A Product Review)

I received a SleepSack in exchange for my review. This post may contain affiliate links.

The Halo SleepSack is a wearable blanket for babies.  It was developed by Bill Schmid, who tragically lost his daughter to SIDS.

I received a size small, which is for 10 to 18 pounds.  This is perfect for Dominic for this summer!

Features:

• Arm and neck opening sized for a safer fit.
• Use over regular sleepwear instead of loose blankets.
• Inverted zipper for easy diaper changes.  Won't pinch baby's chin.
• Sleeveless to help reduce risk of overheating.
• Premium fabrics.
• Unique, roomy sack design recognized by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as "hip healthy".

Here's Dominic in a regular blanket.  He's a master escape artist.  As a newborn he loved being swaddled completely, but after a few weeks he really wanted his arms to be free.

Here he is with the SleepSack.  He can have his arms free, which he loves, and still be just the right amount of cozy and safe.

The SleepSack that I received to review has happy little blue and green alligators.  Aren't they cute?

I just have to finish with another picture of my adorable model, who (along with mommy) gives this product a thumbs up! 

You can purchase your own HALO SleepSack at a variety of retailers including Amazon. 

All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way.  I received a product in exchange for this review.  Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and any and all other social media are not affiliated with this review. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

My Dress from eShakti

I received the below dress in exchange for my honest review. 

I must say, I was very excited when eShakti contacted me to see if I'd be interested in a review.  At the time I was nine months pregnant and very much in the mood to look at pretty non-maternity clothes!

I chose the Paris Dress.

The eShakti experience is a pleasant one.  I really like how they help you customize and make sure the dress really fits!  They have measurements clearly listed for the size on the same page as the dress.  They also ask for your height.  Additionally, it's easy to customize the sleeves and the dress length!  (I love that they offer the length option.  As someone on the *ahem* shorter side it's nice to be able to make sure the hem will hit on a flattering part of the leg.)

I love the full and flowing skirt!  The v-neckline is flattering, and so pretty with the feminine ruffles.  The side pockets are handy, and they're deep enough to actually be useful.  (If you aren't a pocket person, that's alright, because there is a free option to remove the pockets!)  The dress is machine wash and dry -- which is always a plus in my book!

Officially the color is "yellow", but in my humble opinion is has a bit too much green to call it a true yellow.  The picture of the dress online is much more of a yellow color than the dress that I received.  If you have kids (or just like to color sometimes) pull out the box of crayons and the color is pretty close to "Green Yellow".

The dress comes with a sash, which is a great length to tie in either a square know or a bow; however, there are no belt loops of any kind on the dress.  Personally, I like that the option is there to wear the dress sans sash, but when I want to have the sash on I'm afraid it will shift a bit.

Honesty time.  You probably noticed that while most of what I say here is positive, I'm not actually wearing the dress in any of these pictures.  I'm a month postpartum with my son and (even though I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight) my body isn't quite ready to do this dress justice.  Once it is I will be sure to share some pictures!

Here is a special coupon code for 10% off: pwrfes. It is valid from now until 05/09/2014. Here's all the fine print and other details: Code has to be entered in the ‘promotional code’ box. It is not case-sensitive. Code can be used any number of times until the validity period. It can be clubbed with any other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order unless explicitly specified otherwise in the offer conditions. This discount code is not applicable on clearance/sale, gift cards & overstock categories. Not applicable on previous purchases.

Connect with eShakti:

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All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way. Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and any and all other social media are not affiliated with this review. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

A New Product for You & Baby: Latch Bottles by Munchkin

I received the following products in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Have you seen the new Latch Bottles from Munchkin?

I received a package of bottles so that I can share my experiences with my readers.  I haven't actually introduced Dominic to them just yet.  I had nursing troubles with my daughter (I ended up exclusively pumping for her) so I want to be entirely sure that the breastfeeding is going fantastic before introducing any bottles.  (No matter how awesome they might be!)

I still want to tell you all about these bottles though!

The bottles, with their unique accordion-style nipple, are specially designed to be similar to the breast -- which is super helpful for someone who wants to be able to nurse but also use a bottle.  Further, they mimic the "pumping" action Baby uses while breastfeeding.

Another feature of the special nipples on these bottles help reduce the intake of air while feeding.  This should help with colic and gas.

There are three stages of the nipples: Stage One is for newborns, Stage Two starts at three months, and Stage Three starts at six months.

Like most bottles you need to boil them before your first use.  After that you just need hot soapy water or you can put them in a dishwasher!  Now that I finally have a dishwasher I am a huge fan of anything that doesn't need hand-washing.

If you have any more questions, check out the Latch Bottle FAQs.

Starting May 1, 2014 you can purchase your own bottles from Target and other retailers.

All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced in any way. Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and any and all other social media are not affiliated with this review. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Perky Jerky Review

Do you want an all natural, low calorie, high protein AND energizing snack?

Then you should try Perky Jerky. 

(Sorry, if you're vegetarian, I can't really help you today.)

This awesome jerky is the genius result of a happy accident.  You can read all about it here, but in a nutshell some guys were hanging out, something spilled, someone ate it, and it was good.

I was very excited to receive six small (1 oz) packages of this ultra premium jerky to review--three each of the beef and turkey.  My husband, being the bigger jerky lover of the two of us, was also very excited about this opportunity!


Nutritionally speaking, these are pretty great!  The Turkey Perky Jerky only has 50 calories per 1 oz package and the beef only has 90--which is great for a snack! Personally, I love that there are no preservatives or nitrates.  I'm not a heath nut by any means, but it is kind of scary all of the extra "junk" that is in the typical American diet.

We only had one extremely minor complaint (if you can call it that): one of our packages of Turkey Perky Jerky had significantly less flavor than the others.  Don't get me wrong, it was still good--just less flavorful.

(Just curious, how many times can you say Turkey Perky Jerky fast without messing up?  I made it to five.)

Jerky is just a great snack to have around.  It doesn't take up much space and it weighs so little!  It's perfect to toss in a purse or diaper bag.  Or if you don't have either of those it fits into a pocket pretty well, too!  It makes fantastic traveling food because its no mess and no fuss.

You can order your own Perky Jerky at their website.  They have a variety of size options.  You can buy a 1 oz package for $2.99 or get a 12 pack of 2.2 oz packages for $59.88.  If you really want to show your love for Perky Jerky you can buy a Perky Jerky T-Shirt or baseball cap.  Of course the ultimate fan of Perky Jerky will get the JerkMan Suit.  (Seriously, this is too funny!  You have to check it out!)

While you're at it, you should check them out on Facebook and Twitter!

Product Review: Melissa & Doug 20 Animal Magnets in a Box

My highly energetic toddler loves her magnets.  This past Easter she received a box of magnetic fish that were, and continue to be, such a hit that her Daddy and I decided to get her some magnetic animals for her birthday.  We spent some time browsing the internet and settled on the Melissa & Doug 20 Animal Magnet set.  The price, while not a steal, wasn't too bad.  (It has since gone up--Amazon is constantly changing their prices!)

We've really only heard good things about Melissa & Doug products and have been very happy with the few that Catherine does have.  (Her Melissa & Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Puzzle is a favorite!)  I especially appreciate the hardy wooden construction that tend to characterize the M&D products that I've seen.  

These magnets are cute, although the actual artistic quality of the animals leaves something to be desired.  The fish set that Catherine has is from Shure Farm MagnaWheels and those pictures appear to be of a higher quality--i.e., less cartoonish and more realistic.  Obviously, this doesn't affect the quality of play.


Catherine is out of the chewing on everything stage, but if she weren't I would keep these away from her.  I would be afraid of her destroying them very quickly.  While they are wooden they are not very chunky or "heavy duty" like the before-mentioned Large Shapes Jumbo Puzzle.


I believe the biggest negative of this set is that the "storage" box doesn't have a lid.  As a Mommy that is constantly losing the battle against clutter I would prefer all toys to be able to be packed up nicely.  There was a cheap plastic packaging piece under the original shrink wrap, but it certainly wasn't a lid and wouldn't work to keep any items inside!  It's a shame too, because the box is a very nice wooden one.  


Overall, this is a very nice product.  The animal magnets have been, and I am sure will continue to be, a great learning tool.  Most importantly, Catherine enjoys playing with them!

All views and opinions are exclusively my own.  
I did not receive any form of compensation for this review.  This product was purchased by me as a birthday gift for my daughter.  Some links on this page are  affiliate links.  
Click here for more information on my disclosure policy.