At first glance, it would seem that My Shoe Connection only offers prom shoes, bridal shoes, and other special occasion footwear for women, men, and children.  If you dig a little deeper, however, it turns out that this site also offers some fun trendy casual shoes for both warm and cold weather.  I was so very surprised at the huge selection of fall and winter boots available on this site.  I actually had to talk myself out of reviewing a pair of boots because a small part of me (the part that does not suffer from allergies) is looking forward to the arrival of Spring.


The shoes I selected for myself were these canvas Casual Wedges in Pink Camo.  Since the huge wave of 3d flowers emerged last Spring, I have kept my eye out for a pair of warm weather shoes that I liked.  Many of those sandals had a strappy and severe tribal look to them, but these are fun and flirty.


I have to admit that, while requesting these shoes, I thought to myself, "I might just sprain an ankle chasing after the children in these shoes."  It turns out that these shoes are very secure.  I ordered my true size, which is a 7M and they fit my foot perfectly.  They actually cradle my feet, which do not slide forward or backward in the shoe while I walk.  The sole is rubberized and offers great traction.  The footbed is curved so that your foot rocks forward with each step.  They would work great with any denim, khaki, or canvas pants, shorts and skirts, as well as with a casual dress.

Although this shoe is comfortable, there is not much cushion in them.  They feel very similar to wearing a wedge-type espadrille.  This is fine for anyone like me who has no problems walking around barefoot on hardwood and tile floors.


These casual wedges retail for $42.95 on My Shoe Collection.  In addition to the Pink Camo, they are also available in a Grey and a Red skeleton pattern.  You can view these and their entire selection of shoes, dresses, handbags, and accessories by visiting MyShoeConnection.com.  Remember to take advantage of their Free Shipping on shoes and the rest of your purchase totaling $40 or more within the continental U.S.  Also, 3G2S readers can receive an additional 10% off your purchase when you checkout using Code:  Garnet12.


Thank you to My Shoe Connection for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

This is our seventh "wordless" Silly Monkey Story over the course of 3-1/2 years.  Has it really been that long Gabriel?

If you have a silly photo of your children that speaks for itself, we would love to see it.  Click on this link to view all our other wordless Silly Monkey Stories.

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Last week, we experienced our first snowfall of the fall/winter season that actually resulted in some accumulation.  Although there was not enough snow to build a snowman, it was enough to play in.

The twins' preschool class took so long to get suited up with snow pants and snow boots that day that school was over by the time they made it outside.  Since they were already dressed for it, I just had to let them play a bit after school before we had lunch.

On January 24th, Real Steel comes out on Blu-ray/DVD, DVD, and digital download. Our 8 year old son showed a lot of interest in seeing this film when it was in the theaters, but my husband and I thought we should watch it first to see why it is rated PG-13.

Since I did not pay too much attention to the press about this film, I did not know what to expect.  I knew it had robots in it, but that was about it.  Well, it turns out that this is more of a boxing movie than a techie robot movie.  Although I am not really a fan of boxing, I did enjoy this film, which was centered around the concept of robot boxing.  I also found it interesting that Sugar Ray Leonard was the boxing consultant for this movie.


The "Real Steel" movie trailer . . . 

In this film, Hugh Jackman (Wolverine in the X-Men films) plays a talented ex-boxer named Charlie Kenton, who is heavily into the robot boxing world and always seems to owe somebody money.  Although Charlie is not a con artist, he is always on the road and thinking about what he can do next to make some money.  Even with a longtime friend and somewhat love interest Bailey (played by Evangeline Lilly of ABC's Lost), Charlie just could or would not change his lifestyle.  It took the insertion of his estranged 11 year old son (played by Dakota Goyo of Thor) into his life to make Charlie care about being a better person and to put someone else before himself and before money.


"Real Steel" still images slideshow . . . 





Although Charlie has a love interest, this is definitely not a romantic movie.  The film does evoke emotion as the movie goes on and this is achieved mostly from the father-son bond that is growing between Charlie and Max.  Personally, I think the most moving part of the movie is when Jackman's character fights one last fight.

Even though this is a boxing movie more than a techie movie, the robots had a high coolness factor.  It was interesting to learn from one of the bonus features that each robot was actually built and not solely computer generated.  You can meet several of the robots on the RealSteelMovie Channel on YoutTube, including Atom, Noisy Boy, Metro, Zeus, and more.

Another bonus feature I found to be very engaging is the "Making of Metal Valley."  To see what it took to put together that short, but extremely exciting part of the movie makes the viewer appreciate all the work that went into the special effects and the execution of the stunts.


Video clip from "Making of Metal Valley" . . . 





In the end, my husband and I enjoyed Real Steel, but we will not be allowing our 8 year old son to watch it. Although there is not too much foul language or graphic violence, there is some violence that is not robot-related.  I also think that the Metal Valley scene might be too dark and suspenseful for him.

You can pre-order your copy of this film now or purchase it starting on Tuesday (1/24).  Through 1/19/12, you can snag a $5 off coupon for the Real Steel 3-Disc Combo Pack by visiting www.steelgetsreal.com.


Thank you to Click-Communications for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

This is a super-easy contraption that I created by accident.  I figured it would be a tasty finger food to create for Super Bowl Sunday, so I thought I would share it.  We often make sausages with onions and peppers to either serve whole on sub rolls or cut into pieces on top of rice.  Well one night, my sausages and veggies were almost cooked perfectly, but I did not realize we were out of rice until I opened the cupboard.  I was forced to improvise and this is what I came up with . . .

It is difficult to say how many the recipe yields because I served it to my family as a meal and did not think to keep count at the time.  I must say that my children loved it!  They found it much easier to eat than a whole sausage and peppers on a roll.  If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it.



All ingredients for this recipe were purchased with our own funds and no compensation was received for sharing this recipe with our readers.

Not one, but two of my baby cousins are getting married this Spring!  In fact, I just received the first invitation the other day and thought to myself, "How clever!  Why didn't I think of that when I was planning our wedding?"  This started me thinking about what I would have done differently if I were planning my wedding today.

We had a private ceremony and then a Chinese wedding banquet following it.  This was a very different experience for many of our friends, co-workers, and my husband's side of the family.  We should have embraced that more and made some of the important things, like the cake, wedding invitations, and flowers, less traditional and more trendy.

I asked my husband what he thought we should have done differently with our wedding and these were the top 3 things we would have changed . . . 

1.  At the time, I was thinking that the ceremony and reception were the most important part of the whole event and the invitations were just a formality.  I chose the least expensive ivory invitations I could find and had them printed in the standard black ink.  If I could do it again, I would have selected more trendy wedding invitations, like this Soiree Tri-Fold Invitation.  Its brushed gold metallic color would have tied in so well with the elaborate gold and red atmosphere of the Chinese banquet.  The invitations we sent out were just boring and did not relay to the guests what type of experience they could expect at the banquet.

2.  Since the wedding dress I had chosen was ivory, I just randomly chose teal as the accent color for our wedding.  When it came time to shop for a dress for my Maid of Honor, she expressed how much she did not want a teal dress.  So she ended up choosing a sapphire-colored dress, which looked beautiful on her.  The Best Man coordinated his tuxedo to match the dress.  Now looking back, we should have made our accent color sapphire blue, since it is both my husband's and my birthstones.  I also wonder if I should have asked my Maid of Honor to wear a sapphire blue cheongsam for her dress?  She would have looked stunning in one.


3.  We chose our wedding date for late October because the anniversary of our first date just happened to land on a Saturday.  That is still very special to me and I would not have changed the date for anything.  The problem was that the day was very overcast and windy.  All our photos were taken indoors in front of the arch that we had decorated ourselves for the ceremony.  If we could do it again, we should have found another setting, even it was indoors, to take our photos.  All of our photos are posed traditional shots without very much story behind them.

If your wedding has already taken place, what would you have changed about your big day?  If you are still planning your dream wedding, I would love to know about which parts you are most excited!

Portion control is something many people struggle with nowadays, which was why the brand Yum Yum Dishes was born. Yum Yum Dishes are cute, portion controlling plates and bowls for children and adults alike. This product is based on the concept that moderation is more effective than deprivation when it comes to eating.  Yum Yum Dishes was kind enough to send us a set of four bowls with their lids to try out with my family.

These ceramic dishes are hand painted with food-safe paint and come in blue, red, green and yellow. They are 4 oz, the perfect size for snack portions or to hold dips and sauces. They have the phrase “Yum Yum time is…” around the inside rim and “Over” painted on the bottom. These dishes are adorable and make snacking fun and healthier for both children and adults. I love that they come with lids, so the food can be stored right in their container. Yum Yum bowls are also very well made and dishwasher safe.


You can purchase Yum Yum Dishes on their website, www.yumyumdish.com. This set of four bowls with plastic lids retails for $24.  Through February 29th, 2012, you can receive 20% off your entire purchase when you checkout with Code:  NEWYOU.


Thank you to Yum Yum Dishes for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Last week, I had a very minor procedure done at the doctor's and was given an assortment of drugs for pain management.  Well, one or more of the drugs was making me nauseous and I was for at least a day and a half.  If you are a parent, then you know very well that it really does not matter how you are feeling.  Your children, especially young ones, will carry on like they do everyday.

Our son Luke, who will be turning 5 soon, is rarely happy with what we decide to serve him for lunch or dinner.  It could be something that the actually likes to eat, but if he doesn't feel like having it that day, he will complain and complain about it.

So, even though I was laying on the futon like a lump because I was too nauseous to move, Luke was standing over me telling me how he did not want to eat soup and breadsticks.  After a few minutes, I just had to tell him that I was too sick at the moment to argue with him.  To this he answered . . .

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

This is a super-easy recipe I wanted to share.  It is very kid-friendly and would likely be a huge hit on game day.  It is just something I tried one day to add a little variety to our meals, since our children are a little on the picky side when it comes to food.  One food item I have noticed that they like is Barber Food Italian Style Raw Chicken Fingers.  This is a frozen food item that we purchase at BJ's Wholesale Club regularly.  There is usually 14 or 15 chicken fingers in each package, so one is enough for two meals for us.  I have used it cut into strips on top of pasta or salad and sometimes with melted cheese and red sauce with pasta.

Step 1.  Preheat oven at 450 degrees.

Step 2.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (optional).  Then wrap one slice of bacon in a spiral pattern around each chicken finger and place in a single layer on the cookie sheet.  (Pieces can be placed close together, but not touching, otherwise the bacon will stick together).

Step 3.  If you would like to use cheese, you can top each wrapped chicken finger with the desired amount now, if you like the cheese to brown.  If you do not want your cheese to brown, then add it five minutes before the cooking time is complete.

Step 4.  Bake chicken fingers for 18 to 20 minutes.  (If you did not use cheese or plan to add it towards the end, you can turn the chicken fingers over halfway through the cooking time to make the bacon crispy on both sides.)

This recipe would make a great alternative to the plain old chicken fingers appetizer.  Everything is better wrapped in bacon, right?  If you use all 3lbs of chicken fingers, this recipe will serve 7-14 adults if each person eats one or two chicken fingers.



All ingredients for this recipe were purchased with our own funds and no compensation was received for sharing this recipe with our readers.

For someone who shops so frequently online, it is a wonder why I have never purchased things like pet supplies via the Internet before.  When I received an invitation from MrChewy.com to give their pet supplies site a try, I could find no reason to decline.

If I had not been shopping on MrChewy.com, I would never have discovered Zukes Hip Action cat treats!  Two out of our three cats are over 14 years old. Even though they are in great health, I have noticed that they do not use their hind legs like they use to while jumping up on the furniture or going up and down the stairs.  These cat treats contain Glucosamine, which we had previously given to our elderly dogs.  It seemed like just what our cats needed to feel less stiff and achy in their hips.  Since our eldest cat is a little picky, I was worried that she would not like this new type of treat.  I made sure the treats were soft because she tends not to like the crunchy variety.  It turned out that these cat treats by Zukes were a huge hit with all of our cats.  They actually beg for them each time they see me walk into the kitchen.  For their weight category, they are each only allowed two treats per day and I keep other treats on hand for our younger cat, so she does not feel left out.

Now having shopped for pet supplies on MrChewy.com, I find it silly to not buy products like large bags of cat food and litter online.  The prices are competitive and this site offers Free Premium Shipping within the continental U.S. on orders over $49.  I placed my order on 12/21 and it was delivered to my door on 12/24.  I have to say that taking that 20lb bag of cat food from my front door to the kitchen is much easier than lugging it into the shopping cart at our local store, from the store to the car, and then from the car up the steps into the house.

I am grateful for discovering these Hip Action cat treats for our cats on MrChewy.com.  I am hoping that they will be adding the type of crystal non-clumping cat litter we use to their selection soon.  To learn more about their dog and cat supplies, visit MrChewy.com, MrChewy.com on Facebook, and MrChewy on Twitter.


Thank you to MrChewy.com for providing a gift certificate for us to shop and to experience their website and services.