Weekend Give Away: ShoeMint!

Woohoo! It's the weekend! We're loading up the car today and hitting the road for a little break away from the city. We're hoping the weather brightens up a bit so we can take the girls to the beach. Fingers crossed! :)

Let's kick off the weekend with a give away from one of my favorite shoe-shopping sites, ShoeMint!

Steve Madden makes these fabulous all-leather or suede shoes designed by style mavens Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez. 

I'd gladly take that sofa off their hands... 

New styles come out every month that keep me coming back for more. These sandals are my most recent favorites.

They're super comfy and they look great with skirts and dresses.

Here are some of my other favorites:

To enter to win a pair of gorgeous ShoeMint shoes, hop on over to the members-only site and register (it's free and takes just a sec), and then leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite pair.

Contest ends next Friday, May 31 at midnight. Open to US and Canada residents only. Good luck!

PS If you register here with this link, you'll get 20% off your first order!

Breaking In Tight Shoes

Happy Friday!! What are you guys up to this weekend? We are going to two birthday parties and a couple museums with friends, so I broke in a new pair of shoes to wear and thought I would share my technique. I've seen similar ideas other places online - it's such a good one!

You know how when you try on a pair of shoes in your size that fit, but you just know that they'll definitely give you blisters for the first couple of wears? Shoes like that can be risky purchases, especially when you live in a walking city like NYC. 

I found these red leopard loafers at Century 21 a couple weeks ago. They fit, but they were stiff and they rubbed bad around my ankles. I still bought them though because I knew I could make them comfortable in just a couple minutes.

The basic idea is to wear a pair of really thick socks (I borrowed some from Michael) and then just heat up the shoes with a blow dryer for a couple of minutes. I always get the best results if I'm standing in the shoes while heating them up.

Then let the shoes cool down with the socks still on. After just a couple minutes of heating and cooling, the formally tight shoes will fit like a glove. Promise! Works every time. :)

Happy weekend, friends! Hope it's a good one, full of formerly-tight-now-comfortable, pretty shoes. :) xo

Holiday Give Away: Five Pairs of Shoemint Shoes

Shoemint, the fab collaboration from Steve Madden and Rachel Bilson, has some great new looks that I'm eying for the holiday parties we have coming up this month.  Here are some of my favorites:

 

Today Shoemint is offering FIVE pairs of gorgeous real leather or suede shoes (or a bag!) to five readers. To enter visit the Shoemint site and register (it's quick, and free!) and leave a comment here with your very favorite choice.

Which one do you have your heart set on? I'm obsessed with these gold-toe flats can't decide between the black or green version) and this see-through clutch. I think it would double perfectly as a great laptop sleeve and I love that the little pouch in the front can store a power cord...

Contest ends next Saturday at midnight. Good luck!

PS Don't forget to take $30 off your first order here!

Weekend Give Away: Sole Society (3 Pairs!)

It's the weekend! I'm trying to get ready for Thanksgiving (and trying to talk myself out of buying our Christmas tree so soon!). I've been hustlin' in my new pink booties and they are keeping my feet happy.

Sole Society is giving away three pairs of shoes each to three readers! Here are some of my favorites:

I'm such a loyal Sole Society fan. Every order I place, I'm pleased with the quality and fit (and the free shipping!!). And lately I'm loving that they have an Insider's Picks page, where they ask fashion editors (like Marlien!) and celebrities (most recently Julianne Hough) to share their favorite pairs.

Sole Society asked me to choose my current favorites and they'd love to hear yours, too! For the chance to win THREE pairs of beautiful shoes, simply go HERE, quickly register and then (hardest of all!) choose your favorite shoes.

Three comments will be chosen at random next Friday at midnight. Winners will be emailed. Open to US readers only at this time. Good luck!

PS Use the code LGN20 for $20 off your first order! Good through 12/15/12.

Weekend Give Away: 5 Pairs of Shoemint Shoes

It's the weekend! After the past couple of crazy weeks, I am welcoming the chance to sneak out for a date night with Michael. Plus, I've been dying to wear these new flats from Shoemint (the shoe company that Rachel Bilson works with!). I love the bows, and burgundy is totally the hot color for fall.

Shoemint offers the most fabulous, high-quality leather or suede shoes, all for less than $80. I have a couple pairs and they are all incredibly comfortable. I could walk 40 blocks in the bow flats!

Shoemint is very kindly offering up three shoe closets (which is 5 pairs of shoes!)! To be eligible to win, please register here and then leave a comment on this post with your favorite shoe style. The winner will be chosen randomly and emailed. So have your choices ready. The hardest part will be nailing down your picks! :)

Check them all out here. And lucky you, click through and receive 35% off your first purchase! Those fringe booties are calling my name...

Contest ends Friday, October 5 at midnight. Good luck!

PS The neon yellow tote above is the bag in these photographs. It's really cute. :)

Comments are now closed. The winner will be emailed (so check your inboxes!) Thanks for playing!

Give Away: THREE Pairs of Shoes from Sole Society!

Here's a fun weekend give away! Sole Society is a great new members-only designer shoe site, where new designs are released every single day. Most shoes are just $49.95 with free shipping and free, no-hassle returns.

These flats have been my go-to date night shoes. They are incredibly comfortable and I get compliments every time I wear them! They're all business up front and party in back with blue snakeskin (see #13 below).

Here are some of my other favorites.

For a chance to win three pairs of shoes from Sole Society, go to www.solesociety.com and register to be a member (it's quick, I promise) and find your favorites. Then just leave a comment here. Contest ends next Saturday at midnight. Good luck! xx

PS For $15 off your first purchase, use the code LGN15. Expires September 30th (US only).

So Fresh and So Clean

When I was in college I bought my first dinnerware - eight place settings of really simple Dansk dishes in the prettiest shade of jade/mint. I still have, use and love those dishes. They look great mixed with vintage jadite plates. Green will always be a favorite color of mine, so it's fun that mint is having a major moment right now. So many pretty things to chose from!

ONE - Kelly Wearstler's Hue - the limited edition of this design book comes in the prettiest shades! My favorites are the bright purple and this mint.

TWO - Bench - This Ballard piece is a favorite. The price is right and I love the oak leg option. So pretty with the Suzanne Kasler mint linen!

THREE - Essie nail polish - I usually stick with reds/pinks/neutrals for finger nail polish, but toes are fair game for something really fun. I'm wearing this shade from Essie in this photo. (PS You can follow me on Instagram at jennykomenda)

FOUR - Topshop ballet flats - I've been wearing these like crazy lately. They're not the best made shoes, but they are pretty soft and comfy. Mostly the color is spot-on perfection.

FIVE - Persian style rug - I am so intrigued by this rug! Does anyone have it? It would be so pretty layered on a large natural fiber rug in a living room.

SIX - Mint Fleur Chinoise pillow - A year or two ago, Caitlin and I had street crepes (nutella and banana - my favorite!) and chatted about colors while she was finalizing her fabric designs. I remember talking about how much we both loved mint. So glad the color has a staring role in her textile line! That girl is so sweet, gorgeous and talented. Couldn't love her more.

SEVEN - Necklace - Bauble Bar nails it again with this gorgeous statement necklace. Perfect with a plain white tee and colorful cigarette pants or a maxi skirt.

EIGHT - iPhone case - This is my case du jour. Cheap as can be and a great color! I love that it's bright enough to make my phone easy to find in my purse, which I'll confess is a little on the messy side lately.

NINE - Lidded basket - Thinking my girls need this basket to hold their dirty laundry.

TEN - UO high-waisted jeans - These jeans are super-flattering, but also crazy long - like a 34" inseam. So unless you're a super model, you'll need to get them hemmed. I'd go for ankle length to make them more summer-friendly. 

ELEVEN - Peonies print - Some pretty little art from Minted's new art collection.

TWELVE - Robert Abbey pistachio lamp - I love any of Robert Abbey's lamps. I like the more modern lines of this lamp, especially since the color is a statement itself.

THIRTEEN - Fretwork fabric - Oh, Spoonflower designers, you treat me right!

FOURTEEN - Ikat style cotton fabric - I've never seen this Braemore fabric in person, but it sort of reminds me of the style of Raoul Textiles fabrics, which cost a million dollars a yard, so yeah, I like it.

FIFTEEN - Bud vase - I like vases like this one, with a decorative flower on the vase itself, to be used with greenery or just left empty on a display shelf. Don't you agree that coral and mint were meant to be together? Just gorgeous!!

Three Free Minutes

This post is Sponsored by Clorox. Help stop the spread of germs with Clorox® disinfecting products.

Clorox is putting together an eBook on what busy mothers/women can do with just three extra minutes, and I was super excited that they invited me to contribute! I've never been more busy than I am right now and I'm juggling so many things, but I feel more at peace now than I did a couple years ago when I was a new mom. I felt like I had lost a bit of my identity while I was so buried in the newborn phase with Grace and Claire (it was a little easier with Evie). After surviving three of those phases, I figured out a handful of quick fixes that help me feel more efficient/put together. And they're so helpful now too as I'm trying to find a good balance in my life.

1) Put on your shoes or work out clothes if you're staying home and just trying to get things done. There is something about wearing shoes that puts me in the efficiency zone. I'm cleaning, I'm busting out projects, I'm doing the laundry. It's awesome. Also, don't laugh at me but I started buying old lady shoes for those times when I'm going to be on my feet all day but don't want to wear running shoes. I bought these loafers and these boots from Aerosoles! (yikes!) I feel like I should be embarrassed but they are so comfy and cute!

2) Put on some jewelry or paint your fingernails. Even when I don't have a stitch of make up on and my hair's up in a top knot, if I take 30 seconds to put on some pretty jewelry I feel put together enough to go pick up my kids from school (which turns out is a bit of a fashion show here in NY). I've completely fallen in love with Meredith Jackson jewelry, and all these earrings would do the trick.

I also like to have my nails painted. I don't mind painting my own nails (or using those Sally Hansen sticker packs), but manicures here in NYC are so cheap! Rather than going out for a movie or for dinner, I meet up with my girlfriends for chit-chat and a mani/pedi. My favorite is the shellac manicure. Crazy shiny and lasts for WEEKS without chipping. Not even oil-based paint sticks to this stuff!!

3) Make a list. The fastest way for me to feel organized on a busy day is to sit down and make a list. I use those electronic sticky notes a lot and I still use Teux Deux on my phone and my computer (they sync with each other!).

I use it as an appointment calendar too. If I have an appointment, the entry is made in all caps and I put it at the top of the list for the day. But sometimes an old pen and paper work best for getting my thoughts organized - and it feels a bit more satisfying to write it down somehow.

4) Do something creative! When I had Gracie, my best friend suggested I start a hobby that is easy to pick up and put down - like knitting or playing the guitar or piano. I think it's so important to do something creative every day, especially if you're a stay at home mom. Learn to be a better photographer. Take up pastels or charcoal drawing. Teach your children how to draw a puppy or a flower. Push yourself in the kitchen and try new, tricky recipes. Write a blog! :) I'd love to learn how to better sew clothes this year or make the time to sew presents (like these dolls from waaaay back in the day) for my girls for birthdays and Christmas.

And some time in the future I'd love a little studio where I could pop in for a few minutes to paint every day. The mommy fog starts to clear every time I start using the creative side of my brain.

5) Be still and take time to reflect. My life is SO noisy! The streets are crazy and my kids can be pretty loud. I find myself craving a little quiet time by the end of the day. No sounds. No screens. Just sitting still for a couple minutes to reflect on the day. I've been using one of these Line A Day journals to jot down a little reminder of something that made me smile. It's fun to look back during what I know were hard or stressful times and seeing that there was always something to be happy about every single day. Today I wrote a sentence about how Evie's latest thing is to walk around fake sneezing. "Ah, aaaAAHH, AHHH-CHOOOOOOO!!" It's so loud and so ridiculous, but I hope I can remember it forever.

I have to add, that I'd like to get better at thinking about other people outside my immediate family for a few minutes every day. Helping out a neighbor or someone on the street -- It feels so great to think outside myself every now and again.

I'd love to hear what you do when you have three free minutes in your day. And if you feel like sharing with the Clorox people who are writing the eBook, feel free to head on over to their FB page.