Dansko Mommy and Me Shoes Review and GIVEAWAY

Since becoming a style blogger a year ago, I've learned that Dansko clogs have a true cult following of women who swear by them as literally the most comfortable shoes on the planet. I know women who will ONLY buy Dansko clogs- That's how much they love them.

So when Dansko contacted me to try out their new shoes out for myself (and my six-year-old daughter), I couldn't wait. Sure enough, our Dansko shoes have been fantastically stylish AND supremely comfortable. I have a pair of stylish Dansko slouch boots that I think I could actually run a marathon in- and my daughter has the cutest pair of bubblegum pink clogs that she's able to wear even in PE because they have rubber soles and they're just. That. Comfortable.

Over the last few weeks, Punky and I have been trying out Dansko's new Sanibel line of shoes that are part sneaker, part clog-- which we're crazy about. I'm wearing these Veda Canvas shoes, which slip on and are perfect with jeans when I'm running around with the kids and am going to be on my feet for a while... Really, a mom will get a LOT of use out of these shoes. There are so many situations that call for comfortable, sneaker-style shoes and these have way more comfort and support than any sneaker I've ever worn.

Punky has these pink floral Vesta slip-ons, which she wears just about every single day. They are perfect for school, and she loves that she can just put them on and go. So do I.




Dansko shoes are worth the money, y'all. I'm a true convert. And if you'd like to try them out for yourself and your daughter/granddaughter/favorite little girl, you're going to LOVE this giveaway.

I'm giving away two pairs of Dansko shoes- one for women, one for girls-- to one lucky Suburban Turmoil reader! To enter, check out Dansko.com, choose your favorite pair of shoes both for you and a little girl, and leave a comment on this post telling me your picks between now and Sunday, March fifth at 11:59pm, CST. The winner will receive both pairs of shoes! Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. You can get an additional entry by becoming a fan of Dansko on Facebook and another additional entry by following Dansko on Twitter. Leave a comment on this post for each additional method of entry.
This contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!!

Disclosure: I received two pairs of Dansko shoes in order to write this review. As always, my opinions are my own.

Umi Shoes Review and GIVEAWAY!!

I could practically get a tattoo that reads Umi.

That's how much I love these children's shoes.

Both my kids have been in them since they started walking and they are consistently among their very, very favorite pairs of shoes. And now, Umi has canvas shoes that we're crazy about. Check these out:

Punky is wearing these Riff Umi canvas shoes right now and we're in love. The Riff comes in several different colors and patterns, but I love this polka dot version because it makes for a great, crazy contrast shoe to just about anything she's wearing.


And here we have the boys Keplar sneaker, which my son is currently sporting at preschool. He looks adorably retro in these shoes- and you wouldn't believe how many compliments we get when he's in them!

As an added bonus, she can wear them anywhere, from PE class to church! The PE factor has come to be a very important one when I'm buying shoes for my daughter. I don't want her to have to change shoes at school, so any shoe we buy has to have rubber soles. Umis work out perfectly- even most of their dressy girls shoes have rubber soles, so she wears Umis at school quite a bit.

Check out Umi's website to see all they have to offer. I'm betting you'll be hooked- just like I am! And while you're there, pick out a pair you'd like to win for your child. Leave a comment on this post between now and Saturday, March 5th at 11:59pm, CST telling me why you'd like to win a pair of awesome Umi shoes and you'll be entered to win a pair of Umi shoes! Be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment so that I can contact you if you've won. One comment per person, please. This contest is open to US residents only.

Good luck!

Disclosure: I received two pairs of Umi shoes in order to write my review.

Managing Our Finances: This is How We Do It (Happily!)

Thank you to TurboTax for sponsoring my writing about household finances.Learn more about how TurboTax can help you find every tax deduction you deserve. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

I'm not very good with money.

I mean, I guess I'm good with it compared to much of the nation-- I've always paid off my credit card each month and never spent beyond my means.

But when I was single, I never managed to save very much either. Not when I lived just a couple of minutes away from the best mall in Nashville.

Fortunately, my husband is good with money, and so he handles our finances. This works out very nicely- He writes the checks, pays the bills, makes the interminable phone calls to dispute the bills, allocates the funds, and keeps everything recorded.

I do the housework, the cooking, and the bulk of the grunt work involved in caring for two small children.

We both enjoy our roles- perhaps that's why we're still married!

I think that the best way we can teach our children about finances is through our example. The reason, after all, that I've never had credit card debt is because my parents never had credit card debt. I was raised to believe that credit card debt was as shameful as having a naked woman tattooed on your arm.

I plan to raise our children the same way, and my husband has taken it a step farther. We don't buy a car unless we have enough money to buy it outright. This has led to some interesting scenarios-- At one point, my husband drove a 15-year-old Tercel with no air conditioning back and forth to work for a year while we saved for an SUV that could fit our family of six. We also drive two older, reliable cars that we could afford to buy at the time, rather than newer models that would have come with payments. Yes, I sometimes see snazzy Volvo SUVs and tricked-out Ford Winstars pass me by and feel a pang of envy.

But I really do think I sleep better at night with a mortgage as our only debt.

And I hope my children can say the same thing when they're my age.