Treat Your Feet - DIY Foot Massage and Pedicure!

Women are always on their feet. Preparing kids for school in the morning, running errands all day, and making supper in the evening, there's no way a woman's feet don't hurt by the time the day comes to an end. So go get a pedicure, you say? Who has the time??

As a follow up to our 'home spa' post, we'd like to offer a quick and easy way to treat your feet.
DIY Foot Massage:
Soak your feet in some warm water and a lightly scented soap to get started. Dry them off with a towel and place one foot on the opposite knee. Place your hands around your foot and rub the bottom to get it warmed up. Support your foot with the opposite hand, and use your free hand to twist, squeeze, and gently tug each toe individually. This will help make your toes more relaxed and flexible. Now put your two thumbs at the bottom of your foot, supporting it with your remaining fingers on top. Slowly roll your thumbs in a circular motion, pressing down as deep as you can. This will relieve any aches and pains from your long day.

Pedicure:
Trim your toenails to the length that you like. Make sure to file away all rough edges around the nail. If you have toe separators, it might be a good idea to use them. Paint a quick base layer with clear nail polish before you add color. Now, choose your favorite color of Non-Toxic nail polish (our favorite is 'Honeybee Gardens: WaterColors Non-Peel Off Polish) and paint each nail carefully with smooth, quick strokes. Apply two layers.

Now that your feet look and feel the way they should, wear your favorite Jambu's™, which will give your feet the comfort and attention they deserve =)

Meditate Your Way to Relaxation

Feeling stressed or overworked? Take time for yourself especially the moms out there before the school year ends. You may feel like you don’t have the time in your day to fit anything else in. Although for your mental and physical health it is beneficial to take some time for YOURSELF. Don’t worry about everyone else and just clear your head. The best way to distress is to meditate.

There are many different ways to mediate. Since we all get quite busy from time to time, here’s an example of a simple but effective way to mediate. A simple ten or fifteen minute breathing meditation can help you to overcome your stress and find some inner peace and balance.

First, stop all distractions and make clear your mind. Choose a quiet place and sit in a comfortable position. Keep your back as straight as possible to allow your body to stay from getting sleepy. Sit with your eyes partially closed and pay attention to your breathing. Breathe through your nose keeping aware to every aspect of your breathing. Make sure to really be aware of the sensation you get from each breath. With each breath you will become more relaxed. Your mind may seem to be clouded with more thoughts although you are instead becoming more aware of your thoughts.

The key to mediation is to stay concentrated on your breathing; your busy schedule will no longer be on your mind. Your mind will be clear of all the upcoming appointments, and school events and become relaxed and refreshed.

Just taking about ten to fifteen minutes a day to meditate, you will reduce your stress level. You will feel a sense of calmness and a feeling of inner peace and balance.

A Trip to the Spa Without Having to Leave Home

As the school year comes to an end, we thought it would be a good idea for all the hard working mothers out there to take a week for themselves =)

Get ready for a week full of relaxing things to do for yourself or with your girlfriends. The kids are gone during the day, so take this week [while you still can] to sit back and relax!

Here are a few at-home, make-it-yourself, spa ideas: (that's right, you don't have to leave the comfort of your own home!!)

For the Face: Every woman likes to treat herself to a relaxing facial mask. One quick and easy way to get soft and fresh skin is by making an Egg Yolk and Honey Mask. Simply mix one egg yolk with a little bit of honey, and spread over your face until it dries. (Don't forget two slices of cucumbers for your eyes!) Rinse off the mask with warm water, and you'll be surprised at what these simple baking ingredients can do for your now glowing face!

For the Feet: You already have your Jambu™ shoes keeping your feet comfy, but for soft rejuvenated feet do the following:

Mix together (1/4 cup of each)

• table salt
• white (or brown) sugar
• olive oil

Add a squirt of liquid soap for some foam - rub on your feet in a circular motion until for feet feel softer than ever!

For the Skin: To exfoliate dry skin, use this easy home-made mask. It's great for dry elbows and feet! Just mix together 3 tbs of Olive Oil and 1 tbs of Kosher Salt, rub onto dry skin - so simple!

Enjoy these cheap ways to pamper yourself, and stay tuned for more ideas on how to make this week a relaxing one :)

Eco-Friendly Gardening: A Few Tips On How to Keep Your Garden GREEN

Now is the time, ladies! Get out those gardening tools, and start pulling those weeds. One of the best feelings is finishing up a long day of gardening, and then enjoying the results! But how can you make your gardening experience a more eco-friendly one, you ask??

In the spirit of Jambu, and their environmentally friendly shoes, we'd like to share a few easy tips on how to keep your garden green:

1. Make your own compost!

Why throw away those kitchen vegetable scraps when they could be reused? Compost enriches soil fertility by giving it a shot of high-powered, plant-loving nutrients. Aside from the additional nutrients, making your own compost will improve soil texture, aeration, and water retention.

2. Get into some better watering habits.

Adding mulch and compost to your soil will help retain water and cut down on evaporation, two major pluses for this hot weather! Also, did you know??? Soaker hoses and drip irrigation only use 50 percent of the water used by sprinklers. Remember to water early in the day so you can avoid evaporation and winds.

3. No more chemicals!!

Pesticides, weed killers, and chemical fertilizers definitely makes the job a bit easier, by why ruin nature with these poisons if theres a greener way? Hire beneficial insect reinforcements to get rid of those pesky garden pests, remember to pull out those weeds yourself, and stick to compost!

Keeping these tips in mind while gardening will help the environment and your garden! Never forget the four R's - Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Rebuy!

Happy Gardening :)

Meet the Intern's

Hey Readers!

It’s time to meet the voices behind the anonymous blogs and posts. Our names are Kristen and Li-or. We are the new Jambu interns for Summer 2010 here at Vida Shoe Group NYC! We decided that we want to tell you, the readers, something about ourselves.

Kristen will be a senior at the University of Scranton this upcoming fall. (Oh, where did the time go?) She attends their Kania Business School to get her Bachelors in Accounting. Originally from Long Island, NY, she is happy to be working close to home. Kristen loves working in the city, especially in the world of fashion. But then again, what girl wouldn’t?!? She loves fashion and the fast pace life that the city offers her. She loves the shoes that she gets to work with. Just starting the internship last week, she has just personally found that the comfort of Jambu shoes is like no other shoe. It is the one and only shoe she has ever worn that she can wear all day long without even wanting to sit down.

Li-or will be starting her senior year this fall at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, going for her Bachelors in Marketing. Having grown up in the small town of Albany, NY, she never saw herself going to school in the big city. But, after three great years in New York, she is excited to be here this summer working for Jambu and promoting what they stand for. Having joined the Jambu team just a few weeks ago, Li-or already loves the environment she works in and the people she works with.

We have some great plans for our social media sites so don’t forget to keep coming back for the good stuff!

Kristen and Li-or make an unstoppable team.

BarkingDogShoes.com Comfort Shoe Blog on Jambu!

BarkingDogShoes.com is a comfort footwear blog written by a woman who has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis over 11 years ago. Kirsten also suffered from a limited selection of comfortable and supportive footwear. Her goal as a blogger is to share these fashionable yet supportive brands to those in need of comfort footwear.  Jambu was chosen as a stylish supportive brand and received a detailed review that covered everything from the fit to the comfort. Please check out the review at Barkingdogshoes.com!

Jambu Reviewed on Outnumbered3-1.com

Jambu received a great review on the Luxe style by "mom blogger", Melissa, at Outnumbered3-1.com. Melissa had a hard time choosing which style shoes to pick from Jambu, so she reviewed a few different styles to demonstrate the versatility of Jambu footwear. She touched on the materials used, the sleek features, and of course the comfort. Thank you Melissa for sharing your Jambu experience with your followers! Please check out Melissa's blog to read the review, http://www.outnumbered3-1.com/search?q=jambu !