Shoes, Fashion, Fitness

How safe are our roads?

2013-08-03T06:00:00.001-03:00

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

It's time to stop distracted drivers!!

Did you know that 8 out of 10 accidents are a result of a distracted driver? From texting, to programming your gps, or talking on the phone, when people are driving, the road should be their focus!

You can set your gps before you leave home, and for goodness sake put away your phone! How many times have you seen someone playing with their phone while on the road? I am sure that text asking what you want for dinner can wait until you get to your destination!

I myself have been in a couple very minor fender benders due to the offending driver being distracted. While stopped at a stop sign we were bumped lightly because the woman behind us wasn't paying attention, and another time while we were backing out of a spot a man directly behind us started to back out too. We stopped but didn't have time to get out of the way. I have also been in a more serious accident where a man came OFF an ON ramp! How do you do that? By being distracted and missing the correct off ramp! We ended up in the ditch, barely missing on-coming traffic and a pole.

Insurance Hunter encourages you to drive safely and keep yourself free from distractions while you are driving. It might not seem like much to send a quick text, or set up your gps, but your family will thank you for being safe on the road!

You can read this fantastic info-graphic on how to Stop Distracted Drivers to find out more. You should also visit Insurance Hunter's blog and website.

I joined a #biggestloser competition!

2013-02-04T11:11:00.001-04:00

I decided to kick my butt into gear, I would join a biggest loser challenge with a few other bloggers. There is no requirement to actually post a blog post but I decided to give myself a little more motivation and share it on my blog... Intimidating!

My current BMI is 26.2, a healthy BMI for me is between 18.5-24.9. I AM currently 'overweight', which is scary to me... My goal weight is about 130pounds, I have just under 30pounds that I would like to lose.

My 'plan' is to do 45minutes to an hour on the treadmill, along with alternating days of strength training, on top of 4 days of Tae Kwon Do.

I'm going to be eating 5 small meals a day, 250-300 calories each, LOTS of water! At least 8 glasses, and at least 5 fruits/veggies a day. That is the tough part, I am so picky when it come to fruits and veggies!

This challenge starts today, February 4th to March 4th. I'm hoping to be under 150lbs by the time we are done!

52 Week Challenge Update!!

2013-02-02T20:16:00.000-04:00

Are you still doing the 52 week challenge? If you haven't started you can still easily jump in! Click here to find out how this works.

So right now your piggy bank/savings account/whatever should have $10 in it for you to be on track for the end of January. $10 may not seem like a whole lot right now but we are off to a great start and soon our little savings challenge we'll grow!

If you haven't started yet there is still time! You only need $10 in your saving to get on track for next month! Take it one week at a time and at the end of the year we will have saved a whopping $1,378!!

30 Days of ME - Day 2!

2013-02-02T12:05:00.000-04:00

Day 2: The meaning Behind your Blog name.

This is pretty self explanatory... I love shoes, fashion, and fitness. I thought for awhile about a name for my blog but ultimately settled on Shoes, Fashion, Fitness. Sometimes I wish I had come up with a better, more original name but in the end, Shoes, Fashion, Fitness describes me pretty well! I don't post ONLY about shoes, fashion, and fitness but it's still pretty accurate!

30 days of ME!

2013-02-01T12:05:00.001-04:00

I found this 'challenge' a few times, I have no idea who the original poster is, and I have tweaked it a little... Let's jump right in, shall we?

Day 1: A recent picture of you, and ten interesting facts.

This picture is from September and it's the most recent picture I have... I think there might be a few from Tae Kwon Do testings floating around but I don't have them!

Anyways, I did a post at the beginning of January that had 50 facts you might now know about me... It was surprisingly difficult thinking up those 50 facts... So here you go, the 15 most interesting ones are:

I love to read
I'm a Green Stripe in Tae Kwon Do
There is a 16 year difference between me and my brother Zac
I love mmorpgs!
I love Minecraft
I'm obsessed with shopping
I love shoes and handbags
My favourite author is John Green
My favourite singer is Ed Sheeran
I have a tattoo on the bottom right of my back of a Leo sign
I have my nose and lip pierced.
I can't tell my left from my right
I will never get my drivers license
I love dogs, I have 5
I am picky about how I drink water, and what brand it is

Day Zero Project Update

2013-02-01T09:20:00.000-04:00

Who's doing the Day Zero Project with me? How are you doing?

I didn't focus as much as I would have liked on some of the goals. I started on a few of the goals that will take the longest, and I also failed on some of the goals I wanted to complete this month! Like the pushups, crunches, and squats challenge. I did them for about 10 days...

Anyways!! Here are the goals I did complete this month:

Donate old clothes to Charity - I went through my closet and drawers and donated a bag of clothes I don't wear anymore, or clothes I knew I wouldn't wear.
Write 50 things you might not know about me - You can find that post here!
Bake 5 Things in 1 day - The recipes I used are coming!!
Inspire some to take the Zero Day Challenge - My sister started her list!!
Read a book in 1 day.

How are your goals going?

Hello Dolly Squares

2013-01-30T10:58:00.001-04:00

I think there are many different names that this recipe goes by but in my family we call them Hello Dolly squares and they are SO good, and very easy.

Ingredients:

1&1/2 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1&1/2 cups Chopped Pecans
1 Package of Chocolate Chips (I used mint accidentally.)
1&1/2 cup Mini Marshmallows
1 Can Condensed Milk
3 Squares Bakers Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. First, line your 13x9 pan with aluminium foil. Next add your graham crackers crumbs, and pack them in well, and evenly on the bottom, then spread out the pecan halves.

Then layer your marshmallows, and chocolate chips.

Finally spread on the condensed milk, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degress.

Finally, once your squares are done in the oven, drizzle 3 squares of melted chocolate over top.

Let cool before cutting the squares and enjoy!

Gift Ideas for Valentines Day!

2013-01-28T13:56:00.000-04:00

Did you know Valentines day is only 2 and a half weeks away? So maybe you have started thinking about gifts for your significant other... (or potential significant other.) Let me give you a few ideas!

Okay ladies and gentlemen, this first part is for the lucky lady in your life, let me give you a few suggestions:

JustFab - Either buy her a giftcard, or buy her a pair of shoes, (find out her shoe size!) a handbag, or some jewellery! You can't go wrong here!
Shoedazzle - Just like above, you can get her a gift card, or buy her something on the site. Girls love shoes and shopping!
AdoreMe - Something for after dinner... You could buy her a gift card or pick her out something pretty!
Julep - For the nail loving girl! You can buy her a mani/pedi box for just ONE cent! You read that right! Click here, at the top left click 'Become a Maven' complete the short survey and you can get her a gorgeous gift for just 1 cent!

Now some gifts for the gentlemen:

dollarshaveclub.com - Get cheap razors in your mail every month, you could end up saving hundreds for dollars every month!
Monthly Clubs - You can get a tool of the months, BBQ sauce of the month, camping item of the month club and more!
Giftcards to buy a game they've been wanting. You can't go wrong with a Playstation Network card or Microsoft Points for the xbox!
LootCrate - A monthly subscription box for geeks!! (*I* want this!!)

Leave your suggestions below!

Effortless Ways to Help Change the World for FREE! Part 3

2013-01-25T12:59:00.000-04:00

As the third part of my Change the World for FREE series, I would like to talk about, and introduce you to some sites where you can 'click to donate'.

I was introduced to these sites a year or two ago by my sister and did them every day first thing in the morning. I re-formatted and lost my links and forgot about them. I was really excited when I found them again when researching this series!

goodsearch.com - You can use this search engine and with each search you help donate to charities. There are also 'goodshop' and 'gooddining'. When you shop online through the site, or go to a restaurant the companies will give a portion of your purchase to charity! They have a huge selection of stores and restaurants! Bookmark it and check it before you buy online!
Charityusa.com - This site has a list of different sites you can 'click to donate' with. From animals, to kids, to literacy, there are a lot of different organizations. By click some links it even tells how much you helped to give, for example theanimalrescuesite, 'Your click gave the value of 0.6 bowls of food for rescued animals.' theanimalrescuesite is the website I have set as my homepage, and I can click through all the sites along the top and donate to each.

The bar along the top allows you to easily click through each site.

care2.com - Another site that has a list of different things you can click through and donate. There is even a check mark after you complete each site!

These sites are able to donate to charities through their ad revenue, the more clicks, the more money goes to help those in need! Even clicking through just once a day can help and it takes under a minute to complete each site. Using goodsearch instead of your regular search engine is a simple change too.

The Harry Potter Alliance and Child Slavery

2013-01-24T10:22:00.000-04:00

There is no way any sane person can argue in favor of Child Slavery, it's just not going to happen. It's a horrifying thing that no parent or child should ever have to think about, let alone deal with. Sadly it is the reality for many children and families. I don't even want to think about if it were someone in my family, it's terrifying and it happens way too often around the world.

Recently my eyes were opened to the child slavery and labor revolving the cocoa plant. Children are kidnapped and forced to work 12 hour days, and beaten regularly.

This year one of the campaigns The Harry Potter Alliance is focusing on is child slavery, and as part of that they are urging Warner Brothers to use fair trade chocolate when selling products under Harry Potter's name. The HP Alliance received a report from Free2Work that states that Harry Potter chocolate received an 'F' in human rights, Warner Brothers of course denied this and stated that they have their own report proving they don't actually have an F, but refused to show it. The HP Alliance is asking that people sign a petition asking Warner Brothers to show this report. You can click here to sign it!

I may not be an HP fan, but I know MANY of you are, or your children are. I urge you to sign the petition, and buy only fair trade chocolate! I will never eat chocolate again unless I know it is free trade, I can't eat it knowing it may have affected the rights of children. It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that a simple decision like this will affect children just like my own brother around the world.

Click here for a list of Free Trade Chocolate in the US.
Click here to find products if you are in Canada.

Cute and Comfy Sleepwear

2013-01-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

I am a sucker for a great pair of slippers and a house coat (or robes, whatever you want to call them). During the winter months here in Canada, especially in the maritimes, you need to keep bundled up! During the cold months, slippers and house coats are what my family wears all day while lounging around the house! I'm always looking for my slippers though, one of the dogs always seem to drag them off!

With that said... I think that's a great idea for gifts! Valentines day will be here before you know it and what better way to show the special someone in your life you care then by giving them a little something comfy and cozy! (hint, hint to my boyfriend!!)

You could pamper him or her with some cute pyjamas, housecoats, slippers, sleepwear... Dearfoams has a great selection of women's sleepwear, and everything else you need to keep your significant other comfy and warm! They offer a huge selection of styles and colors for you to choose from, as well as accessories like mittens hats and scarves! Another winter staple! I suggest you check out the sale section too, grab something cute for a great price!

*This is a sponsored post, written by me on behalf of DearFoams. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Yummy Breakfast Sandwiches!

2013-01-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

The hardest part of eating healthy for me is that fact that I am completely addicted to Tim Horton's breakfast sandwiches. If I could only eat that everyday, all day, I would be perfectly fine with that. The problem is that they are 380 calories each, and 20 grams of fat. Plus the fact that if I go to Tim's I have to get an Ice Cap, and my boyfriend has to get an Ice Lemonade and a Raisin Bran Muffin.

I have tried alternatives. They do sell frozen breakfast sandwiches in store and I have tried two different brands and didn't like either, and of course I can always cook them up myself... The problem with that is I am lazy. I don't mind running/exercising for an hour or more a day but I hate cooking for myself. Finally my mother suggested I make a batch of breakfast sandwiches myself and freeze them, then microwave them one at a time when I want them. Home made food is always better then store bought, right?

I made a small batch of only 4 sandwiches the first time, here is what I used;

4 Large Eggs
4 English Muffins
4 Slices of light cheese
a little bit of butter for the frying pan
4 pieces of paper towel

I beat up the eggs in a bowl with a bit of butter and basically made a big flat omelette. I cooked it thoroughly and cut it in four slices. While the omelette was cooking I toasted the four english muffins. I then placed a quarter of the omelette on an english muffins, and then a slice of cheese. Wrap each muffin separately with a piece of paper towel. Make sure the cheese is cooled so it doesn't stick to the paper!

Now the paper towel was my mom's idea. When I had tried the store bought egg sandwiches they were a bit soggy after I had taken them out of the microwave! The paper towel helps prevent soggyness!

They were good, however the next time I made them I used poached eggs instead and I liked them waaay more, I'm not a big omelette fan! I plan on trying fried eggs next! The best part is they took only 2minutes in the microwave AND they are only 260 calories! Yum!

Shoe cushions make your feet feel heavenly!

2013-01-20T20:42:00.000-04:00

I think I have been pretty clear about my love for shoes. I can't even count the number of posts I have done in the last year that revolve solely (pun intended!!) around shoes! Every month I browse through the new selections of shoes on line and treat myself to a couple pairs. But what happens when I get a pair that is a little too big, or too uncomfortable? I really hate having to send back a gorgeous pair of shoes. (especially when I need to pay for return shipping!)

need an insert? by shoesfashionfitness on Polyvore

I have tried several different brands of shoe cushions to help ease the pain in a pair of heels that are just a bit too high. You can even get a snugger fit if you happen to have bought a size that's a bit too big. Most of the time I need a ball of the foot cushion and it will make a shoe ten times for comfy!

You can get shoe cushions in a bunch of different styles to help you customize the fit of your shoe. There are full shoe inserts, arch inserts, ball of foot inserts, heel inserts, and much more. With the proper inserts you can make your cutest pair of heels comfy, and prevent blisters too!

*This is a sponsored post, written by me on behalf of FootPetal. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Lots of free coupons!

2013-01-20T15:44:00.003-04:00

Every one is a couponer these days and I have often wondered HOW people find all these great coupons! Clipping coupon after coupon out of a stack of papers just seems like so much work! By clicking the banner above or below you can get tons of FREE coupons for food, restaurant, and more sent right to your home!

Military Trends - Always in style!

2013-01-20T10:14:00.000-04:00

I don't think any one would argue the appeal of a great Military styled outfit. The trend has been in style for quite a while now and I myself have often rocked a Military inspired jacket or pair of boots. I hope this trend is here to stay!

Military Inspired by shoesfashionfitness

That's just a few examples of some outfits I would love to own! While my wardrobe doesn't include all the pieces I would love to have in my closet, I am always on the lookout for a great Military inspired jacket. In my hunt I have found what I think to be a perfect (and gorgeous) jacket for the fashionable, military outfit lovin' boys! Of course these jackets would also be lovely and a warm addition to any fashionable ladie's closet too!

Let me introduce you to this a2 flight jacket. (which are also currently on SALE!) They come in regular sizes, as well as 'Tall', 'Big', and 'Big and Tall', so they have sizes for everyone! The jackets come in brown or black.

The jackets are gorgeous and are identical to authentic military jackets. They are made with 100% leather, offer two pockets on the front, a pocket on the inside, ribbed cuffs, and feature the US Flag on the inside.

*This is a sponsored post, written by me on behalf of LandingZone. All opinions are 100% my own.*

Superhero name....?

2013-01-18T09:02:00.000-04:00

Friday, January 18, 2013
What would be your superhero name and why?

Oh my goodness, are these superhero questions almost over? They are killing me here! My superhero name would probably be something like 'Shoe Woman'. (obviously!) It would have nothing to do with my powers and everything to do with my collection of shoes!!

I'm writing this on the fly because in an hour we are leaving to go to Crystal Palace for the day, I'm rushed for time but wanted to get this done! My mom, brother, sister, and I are all going so it should be lots of fun, although I can see us just continuously riding the swings because that's my brother's favorite ride. There will probably be some intense laser tag matches too, sisters vs. mom and lil bro!

Have a good day!

How would you save the world? #nablopomo

2013-01-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

Thursday, January 17, 2013
How would you start saving the world if you woke up tomorrow with superhuman powers?

I feel like that would be so difficult. I would have all these powers and no way to help everyone all the time. I think superpowers would be more responsibility then I could bear. For example, how would I figure out which problems would have priority? How do I determine WHO needs my help the most? What if I chose to help one person/community and in doing so something horrible happens to a community I neglected?

One thing I can say for sure though is that I wouldn't only use my powers to save the world. I would help influence others to do their part in saving the world! I would hope that other people would look up to me and they would in turn want to do their part to help save their communities and the world.

What is your kryptonite? #nablopomo

2013-01-16T09:52:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, January 16, 2013
If you were a superhero, what would be your kryptonite, draining your energy?

These superhero prompts are tough. You wouldn't think it would be, but I have never been a big fan of superhero movies/cartoons/whatever so thoughts like these have never crossed my mind!

If I were a superhero... My kryptonite would be... (Have I mentioned these prompts are hard?) I guess my krypotonite would be onions. Yeah, I'm going with onions. I don't like them at all, and of course when chopping them up they make me (or most people) cry!

extreme strength or extreme speed? #nablopomo

2013-01-15T09:20:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, January 15, 2013
As a superhero, would you rather have extreme strength or extreme speed?

If I was a superhero I think I would prefer extreme strength, as long as my speed doesn't go down depending on how strong I am... Does that make sense? I don't want my strength to make me slower then regular non-superhero people, and vice-versa! I wouldn't want to be really fast but really weak.

If there were no downside to the super strength, I would choose that.

What would your superpower be?

2013-01-14T10:28:00.002-04:00

Monday, January 14, 2013
If you were a superhero, what would be your hidden superpower?

Gosh, I don't even know. Hmm... I guess if I had to choose I would want something that would help people... Help save lives, help communities grow, help those who are less fortunate? I guess that would be asking a bit too much. I would want an ability that would allow people to see each others side of an argument, and understand it. Wouldn't things be amazing if every one knew where people were coming from? They wouldn't have to AGREE or like it, but just to understand... I think that would make things a lot easier.

Do you know Fairy Hobmother?

2013-01-14T09:47:00.002-04:00

You will NEVER guess who visited me the other day.... I will give you a hint!

Recognize the picture? It's the Fairy Hobmother!! Fairy Hobmother visits bloggers spreading joy in the form of amazon gift vouchers! I have seen many other bloggers getting visits from the Fairy Hobmother, I hoped it would be my turn some day! The fairy Hobmother lives with his 'Fairy Overloards' in an online appliance store, neat isn't it?! Who would have thought!! I have always loved fairies you know...

Maybe if you comment here, YOU will be the next lucky blogger to receive a visit from the Fairy Hobmother! GOOD LUCK!

How do you find Energy? #nablopomo

2013-01-11T09:31:00.000-04:00

Friday, January 11, 2013
How do you find the energy to write when you're not in the mood?

When I am not in the mood to write I try not to force it. I typically write posts about a week in advance so most of the time I already have posts scheduled and ready to go. I feel that if I force myself to write then I will end up with no enthusiasm about my post or resent blogging, and I do not want that to happen!

If I am writing something that I really want to get done but have kind of lost my energy or spark I will listen to some music. The type of music I will listen to depends on the topic of my post. If music doesn't help I'll take a break for a bit.

I try not to write/blog during the weekends when everyone is at home. I have a hard time wanting to write when people are around and talking to me.

SUPER Easy HEALTHY Vegetable soup!

2013-01-11T07:33:00.000-04:00

I'm sure everyone knows how to make a simple Vegetable soup! This soup is GREAT if you are trying to lose weight, or trying to get your veggie servings! Vegetable soup is healthy and a great comfort food!

Here is what I use for my Vegetable soup:

3 Celery Stalks

5 Carrots

2 Onions

Half of a Cabbage

Half of a Turnip

1 Box of Vegetable Broth

Chop 'em all up! Doesn't it look delicious?

It's still steamy!

It takes about 10 minutes to chop everything up and then about 3 hours cooking it on Medium-Low, until the carrots and turnips are cooked thoroughly. Voila! Grab a bowl and store the rest for later ;) I know this is insanely easy but I hope I can inspire someone!

What blogging task takes up the most energy? #nablopomo

2013-01-10T13:29:00.001-04:00

Thursday, January 10, 2013
What blogging task takes up a lot of your energy?

The task that takes up the most energy for me would be coming up with new post ideas. I absolutely love to write, and research things, and give my opinions on my blog! When I am writing out lists of new post ideas, or thinking about what I want to write for the day there is a little voice in the back of my head that says, 'what's the point?' or 'who will read THAT'? I am not very confident, so thinking of new ideas and how to introduce them is what takes up the most energy for me.

52 Week Money Challenge

2013-01-10T07:22:00.000-04:00

I've seen this photo circling facebook quite a few times and I was intrigued. Since one of my Day Zero Goals is to have $500 in a savings account, I talked it over with my boyfriend and we decided to go ahead and do it.

The 'Amount' column shows the total you will have in your account each week!

Every week you deposit (or put it in a piggy bank) the same amount of money that the week number is, make sense? For example, the first week of the year you put in $1, the second week of the year you put in two dollars... The last week of the year you put in $52! At the end of the year you end up with a total of $1,378!

I'm planning on using this money for Christmas shopping so I'm going to stop at week 48 and I will have $1,176. I'll have plenty of money for Christmas plus a little extra to use for groceries and donating!

The best part is at week 31 I will have JUST under $500 and have one of my Day Zero Goals completed!