A Simple Breakfast Smoothie

It's been pretty chilly around here these past few days, but tomorrow the weather is supposed to warm up! While it's still hot, I thought I'd share my favorite breakfast smoothie recipe. It's quick and easy... and healthy too! It will load you up with the vitamins and fiber you need throughout your day, and it's just so good you can't resist! :)

What you need:

• 1 Banana
• 1 and 1/4 cup OJ
• 1 and 1/4 cup frozen berries of your choice. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries - They're all delicious this time of year! (you can mix them, too!)
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 tbs sugar, splenda, or honey (optional)
• A blender

Throw it all in the blender and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

How do you like to make your smoothies? Do share! :)

Jambu™ Himalaya's at the SS Red Oak Victory Ship by Kate McVaugh

Not planning a trip to Nepal, I still figured that my beautifully funky Jambu Himalaya’s would be just the ticket for exploring the SS Red Oak Victory docked in the WWII Historical Region of Richmond, California.

Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, and commissioned by the US Navy in 1944, the Red Oak Victory ship was converted to a floating museum in 1996. I wanted to test the walkability of my Jambu’s over the decks and through the tight passageways of this WWII ammunition carrier.

The first challenge is to ascend the bouncy gangway to board the ship. The Jambu’s had no problem gripping the less than stable metal walkway that leads to the deck. And although the Red Oak is securely tied down, it was a typical cold and windy summer day and I was grateful that I had shoes that were up to the task of keeping me from blowing overboard.

Outside decks of a ship are no problem for most types of footwear, but those narrow, steep stairways are a different story. The real test was descending on a metal ladder at nearly a 45° angle into the bowels of the ship. True, I was gripping onto the railings for my dear life, but my feet tread confidently and without catching on the uneven surface. I really could have been scaling narrow mountain trails in the Himalayas.

There are lots of places to stub ones toes on a naval vessel, particularly going through those doorways which have a raised portion at the bottom. I was cautious enough to avoid that hazard but even if I had slipped up, I knew the sturdy construction of my Jambu’s would have come to my rescue.

Meandering in and out of narrow crew quarters, the communications office, mess hall, and a labyrinth of steel corridors, my feet felt cozy and happy. It seemed fitting to be wearing shoes made partially of recycled materials on a ship that was built at a time when nothing was tossed out and everything was reused. I didn’t even notice my feet, which allowed me to reflect on all the men and women who had built this ship and of those who had served on it. And that is what shoes should be; a complete afterthought.

A walk through history was absolutely the best way to try out my new Jambu’s.

Thank you Kate McVaugh for the great review on our Jambu™ Himalayas! Check out Kate's travel blog at http://katerambles.blogspot.com/

Think Outside the [Lunch] Box ;)

When Mothers think of a quick lunch to send their kids off to school with, they oftentimes think of one thing - PB&J. Choosy Moms choose Jif.. right?? Your regular peanut butter and jelly sandwich makes a great lunch...sometimes, but the truth is it's easier than you think to come up with creative, and healthy lunches for the school cafeteria. Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling :)

1. Strawberry and Cream Cheese Sandwich - Use reduced fat cream cheese (it really tastes just as good!) on whole wheat bread. Spread around the cream cheese and add slices of strawberries on top. If your kids complain about the bread getting soggy, pack up the berries in a small container and let them do it themselves.
2. Sesame Noodles - Asian sesame noodles can often be your kid's favorite meal. They're good hot and cold, so pack them up in a container and send your child off with this tasty lunch (easily made the night before without them having a clue :)
3. BBQ Chicken Sandwich - Any leftover chicken in the fridge? Shred and mix it up with some BBQ sauce and grated carrots. Add a leaf of romaine and put it onto a whole wheat bun for a quick and healthy sandwich.
4. Hummus Wrap - Slab on some Hummus and add grilled or fresh vegetables to a large wrap. It's a great healthy choice, and your kids will be coming back for more!
5. Peanut Tofu Pita - Bake some tofu and toss it with your favorite store bought Thai Peanut Sauce (a little goes a long way). Stuff it into a fresh pita and add some vegetable. They won't even notice the veggies, once they take a bite of this delicious tofu.

Don't forget to pack some healthy snacks with your kid's lunch. Such as: granola bars, sliced veggies with ranch dressing, popcorn, fruit kebabs, or chips. Throw in some cookies and a juice box, and your favorite student is good to go :)

What's your favorite lunch to pack for school? We'd love to hear from you!

Back to School!

Our spring/summer season was really great one, but the Fall 2010 styles are quickly making it into stores! You know what that means... summer is coming to an end, and it's back-to-school time!

Going back to school shopping was always one of my favorite times. My mom would take us from store to store and we'd all get

what we needed for the upcoming school year. I think Staples, Walmart, and Target were my three favorite stores as a kid.

So before your kids go back to school, we'd like to share some helpful ways to stay prepared and organized.

The more prepared your children are walking through those doors, the more confident they will feel, and the better they will perform in school.

Check lists are key - Make a list for everything! What they need, what you need, who you need to contact, etc. As long as you're keeping track, lists are a mom's best friend :)

Start collection coupons - there's nothing better then saving on all your back to school necessities. Come prepared to all your favorite stores - you'll be amazed at just how much you can save this time of year.

Get organized at home - Make copies of important documents coming in from the school. Putting important notices and letters from teachers into folders for your children can be helpful throughout the year.

Mark up your calendar - Get all the important dates down onto a master family calendar. Make sure to include all parent-teacher meetings, as well as sporting events and extra curricular. An easily accessible calendar for the family is great to keep everyone updated.

Get the medical stuff out of the way - No one likes getting calls about how they're kid missed a random shot somewhere along the line. Take care of all medical needs before the year begins. Sure, things will come up, but at least you'll have what the school needs done :)

Buy what they need - It's hard to say no, but put your foot down so your credit card bill doesn't make you crazy.

Don't forget to have a great time! Like I said, back to school shopping can really be a great time for you and the kids. Happy shopping! :)

The Crow Pose

When I first started Yoga, this pose was one of my favorite. A bit challenging at first, but fun and relaxing too! It is a continuation of the Downward Dog pose, so if you've got that one down - you're good to go :)

The Crow Pose AKA Bakasana

Beginners:

Helps with strengthening your wrists, forearms and abs. Improves balance.

1. Start off by getting into the Downward Dog pose. Make sure your palms are pressed into the mat.


2. Walk your feet forward until your knees touch your arms.


3. Bend your elbows, lift your heels off the floor, and rest your knees against your outer upper arms.


4. Keep your toes on the floor, you abs engaged and your legs pressed against your arms. Hold for 5-10 breaths.

Advanced:

1. Start in the beginners position and slowly move your body forward until the weight of your body is balanced over you hands.


2. As your upper body is tilting forward, slowly lift one of your legs toward the ceiling.


3. Squeeze your glutes, spread out your toes, and hold for 5-10 breaths.


4. Repeat with the other leg.

We hope you've enjoyed Yoga Week with Jambu™ - Have a great weekend :)

The Extended Triangle Pose

The Extended Triangle pose is one of the best poses for beginners, but can also be altered for the experts - so if you've already signed up for yoga, don't worry - this pose is good for all levels.

The Extended Triangle pose AKA Utthita Trikonasana is good for strengthening your legs, stretching the groins, hamstrings, and hips. It will also help with back pain.

Here's how it's done:

1. Begin by reaching your right arm forward, drawing your right thigh upwards and tucking your hip as you come forward.
2. Drop your right hand down onto your shin or ankle, or if you are more flexible, onto the floor inside or outside your right foot. Do what feels most comfortable.
3. Your right shoulder will stack on top of the left one as you open your chest reaching your left fingertips upwards while keeping your right shoulder rooted in its socket.
4. Take your gaze up toward your left fingertips.
5. Draw your right thigh muscle upwards, deepening your right hip crease.
6. Stack your left hip on top of your right hip.

Repeat on the left side

We hope you find this pose as relaxing and rewarding as we did! :)

Yoga Week!

Here at Jambu™, we know it's important to keep your feet healthy. All Jambu™ shoes come with a memory foam footbed that allows for maximum comfort and stability throughout your day. But why stop at the feet? we all know how important it is to keep your whole body healthy and in shape. And so.. we introduce -Yoga Week!

Yoga is a great and relaxing way to stay healthy. It allows you to become more flexible, and tone your muscles with simple and fun poses. It also improves health disorders such as high blood pressure. The list really goes on and on.

So this week, we come to you with different Yoga poses that are sure to keep you happy and healthy:)

The Downward Facing Dog AKA Adho Mukha Svanasana

Benefits: stretches and strengthens entire body, helps to relieve back pain.

1. Get on your hands and knees with your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
2. Stretch the elbows and relax the upper back between your shoulder blades, it will give you the feeling that your arms fall into your shoulder blades.
3. Exhale and lift your knees and draw your back backwards from the pelvis, so that your arms and back form one line.
4. Stretch your legs so that it feels like someone is behind and is pulling your legs and hips backwards from the top of your upper legs. Let your head hang down in a relaxed sort of way.
5. When you have placed your back and your legs correctly, stretch out your arms. This will result in a stretching from two sides of the back: a stretching from the pelvis and a stretching from the arms. When the back and the chest are placed correctly, you will notice that you can quietly breathe in and out through the belly. Take your time to work out the stretching further and further.

Dress a Girl Around the World...

Its been a crazy week and with the raffle winding down, we at Jambu have been doing a lot of thinking about GIVING. Jambu gave away shoes, umbrellas and totes but today we are thinking a bit outside of the box for todays blog.

This blog was inspired by one of our team member's mother's, she had surgery yesterday and we have been thinking about her a lot. Karen, her mom is doing great, but she couldn't help but think about all of the good Karen has brought not only to her life, but the good she has brought to others- some of them she doesn't even know. Karen, like most mother's out there, she is one of the most selfless people we know. She is always thinking about everyone and what she can do with her time to help others. In the past few months Karen and her sewing circle of friends in Rochester, New York, have been participating in "Dress a girl around the world" which is a division of Hope 4 Women/Hope 4 Kids International. This organization encourages sewing circles around the world to volunteer to make pillow case dresses for little girls in need- wether from third world countries, poverty stricken, or victims of disaster. These dresses are even made out of recycled fabrics- old sheets and pillow cases. Karen's circle is sewing these dresses for little girls in Haiti. They collect old sheets and pillow cases from friends or family members and make "pillow case" dresses for these special young ladies. So far Hope 4Women/Hope 4 Kids has delivered 7,260 dresses to twenty countries and people from 35 States, Canada, Uganda, Hong Kong, Australia and Malawi continue to make dresses. They are right in saying "Together we really will dress the girls around the world".

Not everyone can sew, but we can all help out where we can. If you do sew check out the links below to see how you can help these little ladies with your sewing circle. If you can't sew... well then maybe there is someone near by you that you can donate any old pillow cases or sheets to.

www.dressagirlaroundtheworld.com

Jambu Raffle Winners!

First of all I would like to thank ALL of you for participating in the Jambu Raffle! Your tweets, the pictures of you all in your Jambu shoes, becoming fans and friends, and leaving comments on our blog were all accounted for. This raffle has really pumped us up about the launch of Jambu's second season. I would also like to thank the Jambu summer interns, Kristen and Li-or for making this raffle possible, they have handwritten over 1,200 raffle tickets over the last couple weeks and have been tracking every interaction and follower Jambu has. With the amazing response to the Jambu raffle we decided to pick 10 winners instead of 3! Hooray!

Now for what you have all been waiting for... Drum Roll Please....

Grand Prize Winner for the Jambu Shoes is... Congrats Amy Wagner!

We have picked 2 Second Place Winners for the Jambu Umbrella, 1 Jambu tote, 1 Jambu shoulder bag, and 1 Jambu notebook... Congrats Paris Prissett and Laura Neill!

For the Third Place winners we have chose 5 people to win 1 Jambu Umbrella, 1 Jambu Tote, and 1 Jambu Notebook... Congrats Aimee Dars Ellis, Char "Emma" Vandenbesque Carriere, Jo Anne Rice Thompson, Barbara White, and Deborah Walmer Basembe!

We decided to pick 2 Winner for a 4th place prize of 1 Jambu Umbrella and 1 Jambu Notebook... Congrats to Heather Roets Meade and Carla Wilson!

Thank you all for participating in the first ever Jambu raffle, keep following us for new and exciting things coming from Jambu! Winners- we will be contacting you via facebook to get your personal emails to gather your shipping information.

Be you with Jambu™!

Jambu™ First Ever Raffle - EXTENDED

That's right ladies - We're extending the raffle for ONE MORE DAY! Now is the time to show your love for Jambu™ - it's your last chance!

We will be entering fans/friends/followers in until 12AM tonight! The winner will be announced TOMORROW - August 2nd, 2010

Don't forget the entry system -

• You get 1 entry for adding us on our Facebook pages, Twitter, and Blog - so if you're not following, thats 4 easy entries right there!
• You get 5 entries for commenting the amount of people you've invited to a site (just don't forget to comment on the corresponding site!).
• You get 2 entries for ANY type of interaction of Facebook, 4 for an @Jambufootwear Tweet, 6 entries just for leaving a comment on our blog, and a whopping 10 entries when you post a pic of you in your favorite shoes !!(Jambu™'s of course;)

GOOD LUCK and may the best Fan WIN!!