OOFOS Footwear Review

OOFOS Footwear makes an OOriginal Thong and OOahh Slide. Both sandals are made from their revolutionary OOfoam.  "The patented foot-bed design delivers an unprecedented experience because of its unique energy absorption capabilities." Please visit their website to learn more. I also noticed that the OOFOS family mission is to "Make YOO Feel Better." I can say that I do feel better when my feet are comfortable, so I think OOFOS may be on to something.

I was provided a pair of the OOFOS OOriginal Thong to review on my blog and can say that I'm happy with them. They are definitely comfortable as they cushion my feet. At first glance, they may not appear as stylish as very slim/thin flip flops, but they are actually quite sleek with a more athletic look. The comfort is worth the added thickness of the sole, and because I'm fairly short, the added height is a benefit. I don't normally wear thong sandals, but the OOriginal Thong is very comfortable due to its soft OOfoam material and design. It offers my feet enough support so that I can actually walk around for a day without any pain in my feet, which is something I've never encountered with a thong sandal before.

I'm going to rate these thongs as a 9.5 of 10. I'm very happy with them. If you'd like to get a pair for yourself or would like to try them on, OOFOS retailers are located all around the United States. I am also planning to host an OOFOS giveaway soon, so stay tuned!

I have happy feet now! 

I also have a happy and very cute kitten....

Disclosure: I was sent a free pair of OOFOS OOriginal Thong to review. The review and comments above are my own.  

Abandoned Kittens and Braided Bread

Hello everyone! I have a great story to share today!

This past Thursday evening, I was walking to the store in the rain when I heard a cry and looked down at my feet to see a wet, small grey kitten. I immediately picked it up and looked around. I saw no one. The kitten shivered as it snuggled against me. As I held the kitten and my umbrella, I tried to determine the best course of action. I could call Animal Control then and there, but I wasn’t sure what would happen to the kitten there. So I zipped the kitten into my jacket and carried it back to my apartment where I checked to see if it had fleas – nope!

I then called Animal Control to see if a kitten had been reported missing and also to see what their procedures were for lost kittens. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of her being taken by them, so I decided to hang on to the kitten for the weekend and try to find the owner myself (if there was one). My first step was to run to the store (which I never reached earlier in the evening) and pick up some cat litter and kitten chow. The kitten stayed in my bathroom most of the evening until it started crying around 5 AM and ended up sleeping on my lap for the rest of the early morning hours… I have a soft heart, what can I say. I was also fearful of neighbors complaining of the noise since I’m not supposed to have a pet here.

On Friday I called a local vet clinic and some apartment complexes near where the kitten was found to see if the owner was searching for it, but I had no luck. At this point I was growing attached and decided to call my landlord and see if I could keep the kitten for the last 2 months of my lease and how much it would cost. In less than a few minutes, I was emailed paperwork to sign and asked to pay a reasonable fee – SUCCESS!

It is now Saturday and the kitten is looking better, though still sneezing because of a cold from the rain I assume. I will be getting medication for the kitten on Monday. :-) I’m sure she was abandoned (she’s too tame to be a stray), and I am planning to take her in as my own. When I spoke with Animal Control, they mentioned that kittens and cats are regularly found where I found this kitten. Luckily this kitten found me. I’d say I’m lucky too. I’m preparing for a big life transition when I move away from my many wonderful Champaign-Urbana friends to take a full-time job. It will nice to have a friend to keep me company at my new place. Also, I can’t help but think this is the final step after receiving my MLIS to become a true librarian. Many librarians have cats (the stereotype is based on some truth).

I have just decided on a name for my kitten: Riada Etta. I found her near a stream, and riada means ‘stream’ in Spanish. Riada is also an Irish name, and I have a love of all things Irish. I included Etta so as to name her after one of my favorite jazz and blues singers, Etta James, who passed away earlier this year.

Now for a picture of little Riada (Ria for short):

In other less exciting news, I baked a braided bread for a co-worker. It was lovely and made my apartment smell heavenly.

P.S. Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways to come!

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Recipes and Kitty Pictures

Before I share a couple recipes, I'll let you know how my RAGBRAI training is going.  Yesterday morning I went for my longest ride so far - a 24 mile bike ride starting at 6am... and it went beautifully!  I love early rides as the sun is just coming up over the horizon :-).  I even saw some wildlife including baby ducks, bright blue birds, and a deer.  I wasn't even that sore afterwards, partly thanks to the fact that I chose a VERY flat course - my next long ride will be more hilly ;-).

My first recipe is for black bean burgers... which I'll admit weren't the best... or the worst... they were just all right.  Here's a picture of one I had on a salad topped with salsa and ketchup.  The ketchup was the better topping of the two ;-).

Here's the recipe and nutrition data!

I also made some good homemade granola.  Here's the final product:

And here's the recipe and nutritional data - again courtesy of caloriecount.about.com!

And now for my kitty pictures :-).

Look at all that FUR!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone AND don't forget to enter my 2 giveaways here and here!  There aren't many entries yet, so your odds of winning are pretty high :-).

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CSN Review to come!

CSN Stores has generously offered me a $40 gift certificate to use towards a purchase (I can choose from lights, furniture, exercise equipment, cookware, and MUCH MORE!) at any of their 200 + websites!  I will then review my purchase on this blog for you all.   I wonder what I'll get....

Until then... how about some pictures of my family's new kitten!  I named her Elphaba (Elphie for short) from the musical Wicked!  Elphie is SOO fun to play with :-). 

I'll have a longer post in the next couple of days.  The weekend is almost here!

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Frodo and Sam

Now that I'm at home, I think I should share some pictures of my family's cats with you all.  We have two cats named Frodo and Sam (after The Lord of the Rings characters!).  They are both quite large and fluffy, but especially Sam!  Sam is pictured below.

And now for Frodo!

Aren't they adorable?! 

Now for some food reviews with more Newman's Own Organics and Dr. Kracker.

Newman's Own Organics Protein Pretzels

9 of 10.  They tasted like regular pretzels: very crispy, crunchy, and salty.  I did like how they had extra protein though.  My mom also liked them and said they tasted like your typical pretzel.

Dr. Kracker Seedlander Snackers

10 of 10!  No overpowering flavors, just a delicious seedy and grainy cracker!  I especially loved the pumpkin and poppy seeds - they look pretty too ;-).  These can be eaten with any topping or just plain.  I also enjoyed their hint of sweetness from molasses.

Seeded Spelt Snackers

9.5 of 10.  Very seedy and rich with a complex grainy flavor.  You can definitely pick out the sunflower seed flavor though, which is strong and quite tasty!  These were great with peanut butter and jelly, as pictured above :-).

Question of the Day:  Are you a cat or dog person?  I like both, but I like cats a wee bit more :-).

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