Do You Think I Got My Money's Worth?

I ordered new flip flops today. I have a pair of black ones that I've worn for quite a few years, but they're not quite as comfortable as they once were. Oh, I can still wear them, but I wouldn't want to walk a mile in them. Not anymore, but I definitely used to walk miles in these flip flops because they are the most comfortable ones I've ever had. I would gladly buy another pair just like them, but of course, they are not available anymore. Why does that always happen when I find something I like?

Never mind that it's been 7 years since I bought them. 7 years! I just found the order confirmation email because I knew it had been at least 5 years, but I wasn't exactly sure. And, since I tend to keep everything and never delete the email that I should delete, I found the email when I went searching for it. On June 9, 2010 I spent $12.74 on a pair of Crocs flip flops - the most I'd ever spent on a pair - and I've been wearing those flip flops every summer since then.

So, even though they don't have the same style anymore (Wake - another thing I learned from the order confirmation email), I thought I'd see if I could find some more Crocs to replace them.  I'm not usually worried about brand names, but since my current ones have been so good, I'm hoping some new ones will be as good. 

Today was the day because several styles on the Crocs website are 30% off right now, and you know how I like saving money. I grabbed a couple pair at 30% off and then added another coupon code (EXTRA10) for an additional 10% off, and got two pairs for about $27 including tax, which is not much more per pair than what I spent 7 years ago. I just had to buy two pairs because shipping is free on orders $24.99 and over, and who wants to pay for shipping when you don't have to?

I wonder if these two will last another 7 years. Each. Which would be 14 years.

But first I need to get them and see how they fit and feel. I hope they're as comfortable as my old pair.

Rugged Heavy Duty Mats

Ever since we built our first house and my brother walked from the front door, across the (brand new) living room carpet and into the kitchen, tracking mud all the way, I have had a no shoe policy in my house.  That means shoes come off at the door, and we don't track whatever our shoes may have come in contact with into and through the house.  And, I expect the people who come to visit to take their shoes off, too.

Of course, for stores, offices, and other places of business, a no-shoe policy is not possible.  People are going to be walking in and out all day long, and they are going to be wearing their shoes.  Dirt, water, snow, and other debris will be tracked into the building on the soles of all those shoes, unless something is done to stop it.  The proper entrance mat is specially designed to stop that debris at the door and maintain a clean and welcoming entrance.  Not only that, but entrance mats help protect flooring, and they protect guests and employees from slips and falls.

There are a wide variety of rugged heavy duty mats to choose from.  Here are two kinds that you've probably seen:

• Grip Rock
  This is the original non-slip matting made from crushed garnet and ceramic beads with fiberglass in the middle. The highly textured surface provides maximum slip resistance and secure footing, promotes safety, resists fungal and bacterial growth, maintains employee performance, and decreases time off related to injuries from accidents and possible workers compensation claims and litigation. Comes in standard sizes, rolls, or custom cuts and is available unbacked for glue-down applications.
  It is commonly used in restaurants, food preparation areas, beverage stations, washing areas, freezers, kitchens, stairways, under thresholds, on incline ramps, in industrial areas, hospitals and more. 
• Poly Weave
  This carpet in heavy duty polypropylene is available in five patterns, many color options, and in rolls, tiles or custom cut sizes. The unique and rugged carpet is popular with its blend of 18-240 dpf solution dyed heavy duty UV stabilized olefin fiber (polypropylene) with a synthetic non-skid rubber backing. It is used indoors or out on the surface or recessed, is UV fade resistant, has a thickness of 7/16”, and more.

I still believe shoes have no place in the house, but these are some good options for places that can't have such a policy.

If the Shoe Fits...

Beth wanted to see a movie tonight with some of her friends, so she asked if I'd watch Jason.  How could I say no to that?  It's been a while since we've hung out.  We read books, scribbled with colored pencils, played 'catch' with a ball, ate dinner and animal crackers, danced, snuggled, and Jason tried on all my shoes.  Well, several pairs of them anyway.


I guess in the end he decided that none of them were the right pair after all.  Goofy little guy!  Gotta love him.

Back-to-School Shoes at Famous Footwear

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's time for back-to-school shopping.  School supplies, school clothes, new school shoes - it can all add up.  Famous Footwear wants to help you get the shoes your kids will want, without having to run around all day and without breaking the bank.  Famous Footwear has hundreds of brand-name shoes in thousands of styles, all in one store, so you're bound to find the shoes your kids want.  They've got the Converse and the Skechers that the kids want!
 

Right now Famous Footwear has a BOGO sale going on.  Buy one pair of shoes and get the 2nd pair for half off. PLUS, be sure to print the coupon available on the Famous Footwear site, and you'll save an additional 15% off your purchase.  Rewards Program members save 20%, which is even better, so take a moment to sign up.  Benefits inlude, not only saving an additional 5% on your back-to-school shoe shopping, but you'll also:

• Earn 1 point for every $1 you spend in-store or online
• Accumulate points to earn certificates up to $100 a year
• Discount offer just for signing up
• Other special inside discounts and perks

Did I mention it's FREE?   So there's really no reason NOT to sign up and plenty of reasons to do it!
Be sure to take advantage of the BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon by August 18.  Print and use the coupon in-store or use the promo code to shop online at www.famous.com.  When you order online, you can have your shoes shipped directly to your home or get them shipped for free to your local store.  Either way, Famous Footwear should make back-to-school shoe shopping easier because you can get all the shoes you need in one place.  Combine that with the sale and the coupon, and you might just have enough money left over to treat the kids to ice cream after all that back-to-school shopping!
 
If only the rest of your back-to-school shopping was so easy . . .

Review: Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles

Overview:

• Helps prevent foot pain caused by high heels
• Proven to improve the way you feel in heels
• Unique ultra-soft FabuSTEP^® gel arch shifts pressure off your ball of foot
• Immediate and all day comfort
• Stays firmly in place
• Removable without damage to shoes
• Slim design won't make shoes feel tight
• Practically invisible, even in strappy heels

Available in: Women's (sizes 6-10)

Designed to fit: All high heels, 2″ and higher

I've seen these Dr. Scholl's® For Her High Heel Insoles advertised and even got a sample in one of my magazines once, but I hadn't tried them until now.  The magazine sample - perhaps you got one too? - was just one insole, not a pair.  I'm sure the idea was to try the insole in one shoe while wearing the other shoe normally, with no insole, making it really easy to see the difference.  Come to think of it, I really should have tried that...

Anyway, I recently received a set of these insoles from BzzAgent - an entire pair - so this time I tried them.  I put them into a pair of heeled sandals and wore them to a wedding reception.

First of all, these really surprised me because I thought they worked by giving me a gel cushion under the balls of my feet, which is where my feet always hurt when I wear heels.  Yes, there is a slight cushion there, but it's the gel arch that shifts pressure off the ball of your foot that really makes these work.  It lets the arch of your foot take some of that pressure and spreads it out over more area - meaning less pressure and less pain in one place.  The insoles are clearly marked so you get the left one in the left shoe and the right one in the right shoe, so that the arch support is in the right place. 

I did not dance the night away or spend the entire night on my feet at that wedding reception - because my husband was the DJ - but I was on my feet quite a bit, helping him unload stuff, walking around, etc., and these insoles definitely made a difference in the way my feet felt by the end of the night.  I wore the shoes again yesterday, all day long, and I was again impressed by how well these insoles worked.  I don't think I would want to run a mile or be on my feet all day long, even with the insoles in my shoes, but I do think they help a lot to make heels more comfortable. 

The insoles have a good adhesive that keeps them in place, which is very important, but it doesn't stick so tightly that you can't adjust the placement to get just the right fit.  They're also supposed to be removable without any damage to the shoes, which is also very important - because I'm not sure comfort is worth ruining a good pair of shoes.  It would be nice if I could move the insoles from one pair of shoes to another - so I can always have them in whatever pair of shoes I want to wear - but I'm afraid the adhesive would stop working before long from being stuck and unstuck, and then they wouldn't stay in place.  I guess I'll just have to start by buying a few at a time and putting them into the shoes I wear most often.  Be sure to grab the $2 coupon available on the Dr Scholl's website before you run out and buy some of your own.

Disclosure: I received a product sample from BzzAgent.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions are mine.

Reebok Class Action Settlement

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Reebok Settlement for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you bought any of the following merchandise from December 5, 2008 through October 12, 2011, you may be eligible to receive payment from this Reebok settlement.

• Eligible Shoes:
  Easy Tone, RunTone, JumpTone, SlimTone, EasyTone Flip, TrainTone, and SimplyTone 
• Eligible Apparel:
  EasyTone Capri, EasyTone Shorts, EasyTone Sleeveless Shirt, EasyTone Pants, EasyTone Long Bra Top and EasyTone Short Sleeve Top

 A lawsuit alleged that Reebok violated certain state laws regarding the marketing and sale of toning shoes and apparel. Reebok was charged with making claims about EasyTone and RunTone shoes that the company couldn’t support.  Reebok has denied all wrongdoing. The Court didn't decide which side was right.  Instead, the parties have decided to settle, and Reebok has agreed to pay $25 million for refunds to people who bought Reebok toning shoes or apparel.

You can read the full Press Release or call 1-888-398-5389 toll free for more information about the EasyTone Settlement and to see if you are eligible for a refund. (click to enlarge)

I personally didn't buy any of these products, though I was curious about whether using the shoes would strengthen and tone leg and butt muscles like Reebok claimed.  I did have a pair of Reebok shorts I used to wear all the time when I went walking, until I completely wore them out and had to throw them away.  But that doesn't qualify me for any Reebok refunds.

Sharp Dressed Man

David Tennant (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)Cory came home for the weekend, not because he wanted to see us, but because he wanted to go shopping.  He's been wearing all his jeans for a while, and they're starting to wear out and wear thin in some very bad, potentially embarrassing places.  And I think he did want to see us just a bit, too.  He hadn't been home for a couple weeks. So we picked him up Saturday evening and got to hang out with him all evening at home while he got his laundry going - another good reason for coming home.  Beth & Tim and Jason came over for a while, too, so we had the whole family together for a bit.

Then today we went shopping for jeans.  Cory found some he liked at Target.   They weren't on sale, but he liked them well enough that he got them anyway.  Hopefully they'll go on sale in the next few weeks so we can get a price adjustment.  He also got two pair he liked at Penney's.  They were on sale and we used the $10 off coupon from the front of the ad - $10 off a $25 or more purchase.  One pair was eligible for the coupon by itself, and I found some really nice bracelets to add to the other pair so it was eligible, too.  So we rang up two transactions in order to use two coupons and save $20.

Besides jeans, Cory got a nice pair of dressy boots on clearance at Kohl's.  We also went to Goodwill where he got 3 pairs of Converse shoes, two of them leather, another pair of jeans, a nice shirt, and a new suit - brown with stripes he says looks just like the suit worn by David Tennant's Doctor Who and that he has been looking for for ages.  The pants need altered a bit, but since the whole thing only cost about $10, he just couldn't pass it up.  He's going to have a nice suit for a little bit of nothing - pants, jacket, vest.

The great thing about Goodwill is that you can get all these great things, Levi jeans, Converse shoes, marmot jackets, etc. for such good prices.  Cory was especially happy with those Converse shoes, because he always wears Converse, and he usually pays about $25 for them at the outlet store.  The $25 is still a good deal compared to regular retail, but Goodwill was even better.  He looked up one pair that he got online, and they retail for $75.  $75 for shoes?  Yeah, we're too cheap for that.  These cost about $5 after all the discounts - I had a 25% off coupon, and I also got 5% off because we spent over $25.  The other two pair cost about $7 each.  It was quite exciting to find all those Converse there - and every one of them in his size!  Seriously, they must have been sitting there waiting for him.

All in all, I think the boy came out pretty good.  He's going to be looking quite sharp!

Too Many Shoes?

Usually I agree with the sentiment, "You can never have too many shoes."  No matter how many shoes I have in my closet, I still have to look at shoes every chance I get - just in case there's a pair that needs me to bring it home.  Of course, any pair of shoes that wants to come live in my closet must not only be cute but reasonably priced as well.  I just don't get the whole designer shoe thing - no shoe is cute enough to justify some of those prices.  NO.  SHOE.

And it's not all about how cute a pair of shoes is.  Comfort and practicality is important, too - more so as I get older wiser.  I'm not going to wear ugly shoes just to be comfortable, but if the cute shoes aren't comfy, I'm not going to buy them.  When it comes to walking or running shoes, comfort is all important.  Nobody's looking at them, but they have got to carry me for a lot of miles, without making my feet or legs hurt.  While my other shoes get worn once in a while, the walking shoes get worn practically every day, until they're worn out, and I have to replace them.

Recently I was trying to find a particular pair of shoes, and I starting thinking about actually getting rid of some of my shoes.  *GASP*  But honestly, there are shoes in there that I haven't worn in ages, and I'm not even sure I think they're cute anymore.  I can't even remember how comfortable they are.  I'm just in the mood to purge.  Of course, if I don't get in there and do it soon, while I'm still feelin' it, I may not be able to bring myself to do it after all. 

I'll just have to remember the end result - if I get rid of some shoes I don't like or wear anymore, I'll have room to bring the new ones home when I find them!

Cory's Shoes

Practically from the time he bought these white Converse, Cory has wanted to paint them. Tonight he did it, and they turned out AWESOME:

The boy is so talented and creative! And now he has these one-of-a-kind shoes.

Huge Sale - UGGs 80% off

I just got an email this morning telling me that 6pm is offering 80% off UGGs during Labor Day Weekend Sales Event - no joke. I admit that I haven't really paid much attention to UGGs - heard of them, but that's about it - but the 80% caught my eye, because you know how much I love a deal! So I looked, and I found a few pairs I wouldn't mind having, like those pictured here...

I hadn't heard of this website - 6pm.com - until recently. It's a one-stop, online source for brand name shoes, apparel and accessories for women, men & kids - all at up to 75% off retail prices. Great deals for anyone who wants the brand name but doesn't want to pay the price. I have never really paid that much attention to brands and designers, and I honestly can't see how a pair of shoes or a purse can be 'worth' over $1000 - yes, there are some MSRPs listed here that are over $1000, but taking up to 75% off of it brings it down a little closer to a reasonable price. (even 90% off $1000 wouldn't be in my price range unless I absolutely fell in LOVE with a pair) I'm am seeing some very cute shoes here that fall into my price range, though.

Anyway, the big news is that, in addition to the everyday savings, 6pm.com is running some great sales this Labor Day weekend. If you've been wanting a pair of UGGs for yourself, be sure to shop on Tuesday, September 8 (the day after the holiday!) because 6pm is offering ALL UGG footwear at 80% off the MSRP! Other special offers this weekend, starting tomorrow, include:

Friday, 09/04/09

• Vaneli Footwear, Select Styles $24.95
• Patagonia Apparel – 60% off
• Chinese Laundry Footwear - $19.95

Saturday 09/05/09

• Steve Madden Footwear - $27.95 Select Styles
• Nine West Footwear - $29.95 Select Styles
• Baby Phat Eyewear - $14.95
• Roxy BLOWOUT: Apparel, Footwear & Accessories - Select Styles 60% off

Sunday 09/06/09

• Nike Apparel - Men's, Women's and Kids - All Apparel 50% off
• Vaneli - $24.95 Select Styles
• Gretta Footwear - $14.95

Tuesday 09/08/09

• 80% off MSRP all Uggs!

Shipping is just $6.95 no matter how much you order. Will you be shopping?

Flats in Manchester

I'm from the US, so when I read about flats in Manchester, I think about shoes. I'm thinking probably there's a lot of walking in Manchester, and it's best to wear flats instead of heels. Of course, that's not what they mean at all. In Manchester, a flat is a place to live, what we would call an apartment here. Sometimes I wonder why we even claim to speak English when we have such different words for the same things. Sure, we can understand one another, mostly, butsometimes it's like we're speaking a completely different language.

Of course, now that I bring it up, I can't actually think of any. So I'll leave that up to you - how many things can you think of that we use different words for here in the US than they use in the UK?

Oh, and if you want to see a really cool website (or you're looking to rent a flat in Leeds), click the link. I had a lot of fun playing with the spinning cube. Some of those flats look really nice, too - and this time I'm not talking about shoes.

New Premium Denim from A|X

Beth was looking through a catalog we got in the mail today and found some really neat stuff for closet organization. She pointed out a really nice shoe organizer and said that I needed that for my shoes, and then she said, "You probably have too many shoes." I said you can't use 'too many' and 'shoes' in the same sentence. There's no such thing as too many shoes. And she said, "Oh, you're one of those girls. I'm like that with jeans. You can never have too many pairs of jeans."

She does love her jeans and could probably have fun looking at the denim at Armani Exchange. I like a good pair of jeans, too - though I usually buy my jeans on clearance or at Goodwill. Beth likes her jeans to be a little better. Not that I don't find good jeans, it's just that labels are more important to her than they are to me.

A|X is the youthful label created by Italian designer and entrepreneur Giorgio Armani. New Premium Denim starts at $98, which sounds a little rich for my blood, but I'm sure it's a good deal for designer jeans. So, just for fun, pretending money really isn't an issue, and refusing to let go of my youth, I picked out a few pairs I'd like. I particularly like the Indigo Destruction Skinny Leg jean (pictured here), also the Rhinestone Skinny Flare Fit, and the A|X Pocket Boot Cut. I'm liking those shoes with the jeans, too. What did I say - I'm a shoe girl. I should probably wear heels with my jeans once in a while. I know my husband would appreciate it. And I can believe I would look just like the picture in those jeans.

There's promotion going on at Armani Exchange right now. Customers who purchase a full price pair of denim from Armani Exchange, either in store or online, from now until 7/19/09 will receive a gift card of $20 off their next purchase of $100 or more. The gift card will be valid from 7/30/09 through 8/15/09. There's also a text A|X Contest going on where someone will win a pair of denim every day for the month of July by texting the keyword "DENIM2" to ARMANI (276264). Free designer jeans - it would be hard to beat that! I promise to wear heels with the jeans and even take some pictures if I win.

Shoes!

We did a lot of shopping on our trip to New York. A lot of the girls bought new purses. I guess you can get really good deals on designer purses if you talk to the right people, but purses don't really excite me much. Now, find me some cute shoes, and I'm a happy girl. I'm not girly in very many ways, but I love my shoes! I have a whole closet full, but that doesn't mean I'm not always looking for that next cute pair I just need.

However, I do not believe in spending a lot of money to get a cute pair of shoes, and that's why I am truly excited to find out about Ami Clubwear. They have so many cute shoes, I haven't begun to look at them all. Of course, being cheap always on the lookout for a good deal like I am, I immediately clicked on the link that said 'Heels under $15' and I have already found so many shoes I want. They really are under $15! And they're so cute!

I'm thinking the red ones, because I really do need a new pair of red shoes. I had to throw my old pair away recently. The gold ones because my gold shoes are broken. I still have them because I love them too much to throw them away, but I can't wear them any more. So, obviously I need a new pair. And the last pair? They're just hot! At $12.99, $12.99, and $14.99, I don't have to pick just one favorite pair, either.

In fact, I need to find at least another pair so I can get the free shipping on orders over $50. Since I've only just begun to look, I doubt I'll have a problem with that. Check this out. If you like shoes, I bet you'll find some you like, too. I'm off to browse the Clearance page.

Overstock Coupon Codes

Jeffrey finally made it back to the Christian book store to return the Bible we bought for Cory, the one we bought at the store and then I found a better deal online. I just can't help myself. I'm always looking for a way of saving money. Every little bit helps. In the future we might get a better deal at the same book store because I'm on their mailing list now, and just yesterday they sent me a catalog and some coupons. I've mentioned how much I like coupons, right? Sale prices are good, but sales prices and coupons are even better.

That's why these Overstock coupon codes are important. Overstock.com already sells everything at discount prices, which is good, but discount prices and coupons are even better. For instance, I found some boots I really like. They're similar to some I've seen advertised recently, but they cost less at Overstock.com - combine that with a coupon code, and I get an even better deal. I found one for 10% off any order over $45, which means I'd need to buy something besides the boots to use it. Luckily http://www.savings.com/m-OverStock.com-coupons.html also gives a link to all the clearance deals, so that makes it easy to find something to push my total up a few dollars, and then I can use my coupon. In the end it comes out cheaper, and I get more, too. I love a good deal.

Too Many Shoes?

I have a thing for shoes. I don't think it's possible to have too many shoes. Sometimes my husband and my closet disagree. The closet overflows, and the husband tells me I should get rid of some. Then again, he's the one who always looks at shoes when we're out, just to see if there are any cute pairs I need. Silly guy! He makes me look at shoe websites, too.

He really doesn't have to make me, though, because when I see a website that sells shoes, I can't help but click to see what they have that I won't be able to live without. Today I visited Infinity Shoes. I had never heard of this site before, so I was anxious to see what they have. Oh yeah, I found a thing or two. Browsing seychelles shoes, I found an adorable pair of boots. Of course, it is Spring now, so I'm thinking more along the lines of sandals than boots. Still, I browsed through the minnetonka boots anyway. I've heard these are really comfortable, and I always look at them when we go to the Dells. I never thought to look for them online.

Beth is just now getting interested in cute shoes. Now that her feet have stopped growing, she could have several pairs of shoes. She also needs comfortable shoes for work, and they can't be tennis shoes. I thought maybe I could find her something she would like. This, of course, is wishful thinking on my part, because, if I like it, she's pretty much certain not to. Still, it's worth a try. The Infinity Shoes website is organized by brand, and since I'm not really familiar with the brands (I shop by cute not by brand) I just started clicking the different brands to see what was available. I was looking through the tsubo shoes, and I found a cute pair of sandals - again, for me. I did eventually find a very cute pair of shoes that might work for Beth.  Of course, my idea of cute and her idea of cute are usually very different, so I should probably let her look for her own shoes.

What's nice about the Infinity Shoes website is that, when you find something you like, they suggest others that you may also like. If she doesn't like these, there are some other, similar styles she might like better. There's enough variety here, that there's bound to be something she will like, even if it's not something I would pick out.

My Favorite Shoes

Or at least they are my most worn shoes. These are my walking shoes. I wore them from right after Memorial Day 2006 until February 2007 - and walked 360 miles (or so) in them. They still looked nice and new and white on top, but the bottoms were completely worn out. So I got a new pair of shoes for walking, but I couldn't bring myself to throw these out. So I kept them to use out in the yard for gardening and mowing. Now they don't look so good. The grass turned them green when I mowed! I still love them.

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I bought these walking shoes last Spring. I've been walking in them ever since - 5 days a week, 2 miles a day. Doing some calculations, subtracting a couple of weeks for rainy days and vacations, I figure I've walked 360 or so miles in these. They still look like new, not even very dirty. ... See my Tabblo

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Why am I talking about my shoes? Bridget over at ..."And Miles To Go Before We Sleep..." posted pictures of her favorite shoes and her husband's boots. She thought it would be fun to see the shoes we all wear most or love most. I think she's right, and I'd already made this tabblo with my shoe pictures, so...

If you decide to post a picture of your shoes and let everyone know why you love them, please let her know - and me too.