NFL Goes Pink

Last Sunday, I took my husband to see his favorite football team, the Buffalo Bills, play their 4th game of the season against the NY Jets. How could he be a fan of a team who has won 0 out of 5 games this year, you ask?.... beats me.

Football was never my thing. I don't know the rules, and I spend most of the game wondering how badly that last tackle must have hurt that one player. Even though I couldn't really follow the game, and my husbands team lost, it turned out to be an extremely fun experience.

First of all, if any of you know Buffalo NY, you know that it's freezing. I was so glad to be wearing my brown Valencia boots, not just cause they're adorable.. but they provided the heat the my feet needed throughout the game.

As the game was about to start, I noticed the "Jills" (the Bills' cheerleading team) were in pink. I may not know a lot about football, but I do know that the cheerleaders should be wearing the team colors (in this case, red, white, and blue.) It wasn't until my husband reminded me it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, that I even made the connection.

So I thought... Oh.. how nice that the females representing the team are wearing pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. I think my jaw actually dropped when the team ran out, and I saw that the men were wearing pink too!

This year, the NFL joined with the American Cancer Society to raise awareness for breast cancer. The players, as well as the coaches and refs will all be sporting (no pun intended) pink game apparel  throughout the month of October. So if you're watching the game with your man, look closely, and you'll see everything from pink sneakers to sweatbands to mouth guards! After the games, the apparel will be auctioned off, and the money will be donated to the ACS.

I think it's so great how a sport as "manly" as football can take the time to come up with a thoughtful and fun way to support breast cancer.

How are you staying aware this month? Do share! 

A Lil Something About Parrots!

There is more to Parrots than just being a talking bird, they can live up to 60-100 years old depending on the species.   These birds live much longer than your dogs and kitties, it becomes a part of your family.  Word has it that Winston Churchill's parrot is still alive, can you believe it?!  If it is true, it will be over 100 years old. So this week our wordless wednesday is dedicated to these lovely birds! :)

My Jambu Adventure

I recently went camping in The Forks, Maine; it was my first time in Maine and over 10 years

since my last camping trip. While packing the only thing on my mind was "what shoes will I be wearing?" A fashionista at heart, for a 4 day camping trip I brought 4 pairs of shoes; the common denominator, (I later realized) they were ALL Jambu! I thought to myself, I'll wear the Cherry for white water rafting, Vermont -Waterproof for hiking, Himalaya for lounging and I'll bring my Allure's just in case we come across a party.. I don't know what type of party in the woods people dress up for but I was prepared.

It rained the day I hiked Mosquito Mountain. My Vermont waterproof proved to be an excellent choice, not only did they provide great traction getting up the mountain but they were also slip resistant getting down and my feet

were kept dry. This was my first hike and I was praising my Jambu shoes for getting me through it.

The first time I'd been whitewater rafting was the last time I'd been camping, so it had been a while but I was so excited about experiencing that thrill again. I signed up to raft the Kennebec River, a level 4 and that day there was going to be a water release of 8000cfs, we're talking huge waves!! I felt so prepared with my Jambu Cherry's in red. I figured I should wear a bright color in case I fall over someone can spot me by my shoes. Because these sandals are fisherman like the water drained easily. We all definitely got wet that day and with water getting in our raft, no need to worry, my shoes were non slip. I jumped in the river several times for a dip, one of the key instructions is to keep your feet up so they don't get caught on anything down under; I received so many compliments on my cool shoes.

The Himalaya's were perfect for everyday walking and lounging and needless to to say that the Allure's were not needed on this trip.

I had an amazing time in The Forks and Jambu made my journey comfortable and definitely adventurous!

Slightly Out of Focus

We really need to see clearly through things in life, but we don't always have to take a clear picture. Try to get your vision slightly out of focus and see what magic is going to happen on your photograph for your wordless Wednesday!

The Perfect Recipe for Fall: Butternut Squash Soup

As the weather gets cooler, and the leaves start falling, I thought I would share one of my favorite fall recipes for Butternut Squash soup. This recipes is so quick, easy, delicious, and nutritious!

What you'll need:

• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 pounds prepared peeled, cubed butternut squash
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or 2 frozen crushed garlic cubes)
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

How to:

1. Throw all ingredients into a 6qt pot. Cover, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to simmer, and cover. Allow to cook for 30-40 min (until butternut squash is soft).
3. Use an potato masher or fork to purée or mash squash and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Let us know how it came out, and don't hesitate to share your favorite fall recipes! :)

Wordless Wednesday... How to create long term exposure photography!

Continuing our Wordless Wednesday's...

Longterm Exposure Photography:

Experiment with with long term exposure with your family, friends, or pets!

-All you need to do is, set your camera on a tripod, deck or any where will make it stable.

-Turn the flash off.

-Next you have to set your camera's exposure time to the longest setting (for example my camera is 8 seconds)

-Turn on the self timer and you are all set! Be creative, it's showtime!

Below are some examples from our intern's personal collection, what a hobby!

Say Goodbye to Those Bad Hair Days

It happens to the best of us.... we wake up in the morning, and our hair is wayy out of whack. Usually, there is no time for blow drying and straightening before you rush the kids out to school and race to work, so we thought we'd share a few easy hair styles that will tame that

wild hair.

1. A Low Ponytail: After you brush out all those knots, and your hair is nice and smooth, simply gather your hair into a low ponytail. You'll be surprised how cute yet professional this look can be!

• How to spice it up: grab a small piece of hair out of the ponytail (about 1/2 inch thick) and wrap it around the ponytail holder you've used. Once it's wrapped, secure it with a bobby pin under the ponytail in an upward direction.

2. A Messy Bun: This style is so

popular, and takes just about no effort :) Quickly brush the top of your hair to make sure there will be no bumps after you make the bun. Grab your hair in one hand and have a ponytail holder ready in the other. Pull the hair through once thro

ugh the band and then mess around with it until it becomes a bun - it's that easy!

• How to spice it up: If you have bangs, pull that back with a bobby pin on top of your head. If you don't another alternative is wearing a headband with this style. Instant style!

3. A Low Side-Braid: This look is so easy. You'll see it all over magazines and TV shows - the celebrities love this style! Brush out your hair until it's manageable. Once it is, pull you hair to the side and plit into three event parts. Braid (right part over middle, then left over middle, then right again...) 3/4 of the way down and secure with a ponytail holder.

• How to spice it up: Tie a ribbon over the ponytail holder. It adds a lot to this already adorable look!