Spenco® PolySorb® Total Support Sandals

I came across a vendor during this event prior to the Half Marathon and I scored BIG. The universal argument with shoes is comfort versus style. I'm somewhere in the middle, wavering between super practical/hideous box-like items (I got heckled at work one day for wearing these) and sexy/I'm-going-to-break-an-ankle items. For example, after scoring the deal of a lifetime ($39) at TJ Maxx for these chic, comfy and high-quality slingbacks,


I wasn't quite satisfied; I created a justified excuse with an upcoming wedding combined with my continuing quest to find the sauciest nude pumps and purchased the highest shoes to date:



Which, I might add, come in at a towering 4 1/2 inch heel and a 1 1/2 inch platform. Just trying to keep up with the youngins, I guess. They are quite flattering to the leg (seeing that I'm 7 inches taller).

OK, so the reverse...practical, maybe-my-life-will-be-longer-because-I-made-the-sensible-safe-shoe-choice shoe, where I nearly passed by the Expo display (because most of them are quite ugly) but I pulled one down and tried them on and OMG they are comfortable. Here's why (from their website):

Spenco® PolySorb® Total Support Sandals combine the support and stability of our best-selling insole with the comfort and simplicity of a slip-on sandal. Great for after sports or training or just kicking back indoors or out. Unlike some other slip-ons, Spenco® Sandals are designed with orthotic-quality arch and heel support. Superior impact cushioning and motion control help reduce pronation and supination—common problems associated with flat, slab-style sandals.

From the time I got home from the race and pulled my little, cramped toes from my running shoes, these were on for the rest of the weekend...also a 3-day trip walking through Downtown Minneapolis and not one bit of soreness. I got the Caramel/Coffee color (shown above) mostly because they would go with the most outfits and frankly, they have to be comfortable or no one would buy them. They had a $10 discount at the Expo, so I got them for $32. You can buy them at a local store but they also have a directory of online retailers. They have gotten a bit dirty from the typical sweaty feet, but I don't wear them to the beach, so mostly they've held up pretty well. There are a few dings in them, so I imagine whatever the soft material is comprised of isn't as tough as a traditional outdoor sandal. I am considering buying some of the insoles...I could conquer the world in work pumps/boots with this kind of technology...

Organicville (Pomegranate) Salad Dressing

Last year for my birthday, CB sent me this amazingly large box full of GF goodies and this salad dressing was the dark horse of all of the contenders. As you can see, there are a ton of other flavors (I've tried sun-dried tomato, herbs de provence, and dijon mustard) but by far this is the best one I've sampled. It's the perfect tart, citrus-y (with some orange juice/essence thrown in) for a summer spinach and feta/mozzarella salad. I'm typically a savory girl when it comes to dressing my greens, but this is sweet without the saccharine overkill. Also, all of their dressings are made with agave nectar, which is less refined than other forms of sweeteners.

Frog Tape

A woman of precision or accuracy I am not. However, I've determined my husband and I are the perfect painting duo because I like the paint the details--trim, doorways, tiny little nooks I can only reach with a brush--and he likes the large walls he can knock out with a roller. Despite all of the HGTV education I've collected, I still cannot get the @$*# tape to actually create a clean line. Granted I don't typically clean the walls or use alcohol like they recommend, but it's getting quite annoying when there's bleedthrough on your nice wooden trim. I decided to spend an extra dollar over the blue painter's tape and try it. They actually provide their own suggestions, tips, etc. and I did a little web searching. I "practiced" by putting the tape line inside the closet (which was more work to clean out and paint than I could muster at that point) so when you opened the doors you could mostly just see the new color, and also so if I screwed up royally it wouldn't really show. Voila, literally one minor touch up and the rest was amazingly clean. No paint (that I left) on my door or window trims or baseboards.

I didn't pick the widest roll, but the medium-wide roll. Completely worth the $7.