Protect Your Skin From the Sun While Looking Good with Dorfman Pacific's Tropical Trends Women's Hat {Review}

While I have always been very diligent about putting sunscreen on my children and making sure that they have on a hat when heading out into the sunshine, I have to admit that I have never been all that good at taking care of myself.

I'll remember sunglasses, simply to avoid the pain of squinting, but putting on sun protection seems to always be more of an afterthought rather than a purposeful act.

But did you know that May is Melanoma Awareness month? One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime, with Melanoma as one of the most serious forms, so now is a perfect time to focus on just how important it is for all of us to protect our skin.

For me, one small step was completed in the form of finding a fashionable hat that can provide a good level of sun protection while still remaining stylish: the Tropical Trends Women's Hat LP157 from Dorfman Pacific.

As one of the largest full-line, in-stock headwear companies in the world, Dorfman Pacific knows what it takes to send me smiling out into the sunshine as I head outdoors with this floppy style brimmed hat.

Right away I was attracted to the wide, 4" brim of the LP157 and the four different color options of the trim. By combining the natural color of the main hat with black, tea, turquoise or fuchsia, I could picture this accenting such a wide variety of summer outfits!

Opting to go with a very general color (although I was really leaning towards the turquoise for quite a while!), when the Tropical Trends Women's Hat with Black Trim arrived, I felt as though I was pulling a vacation out of the package along with this headwear.

Once I had the LP157 out of the bag, I was impressed with the lightweight feel and how very well this hat "bounces back" to its original shape when rolled, twisted or flattened. What a perfect hat to store in a beach bag or suitcase for my next trip!

As well as taking this hat along the next time I'm going to be kicking back in a lounge chair on the beach, the overall casual, well-made styling (it is handmade paper braid construction) makes it a great choice simply for heading out for a walk, bringing my kids to the park, playing in the yard, gardening and more.

Pair it with shorts, capris, sundresses, skirts, jeans and a tank top... pretty much anything you pull out of your closet can be accessorized with this hat for a fashionable, safe result. Plus, not only will the wide brim shade your face, the LP157 actually carries the UPF sun protection factor of 50 plus so that you know that you're really protected!

Whether rolled up for travel or dropped into a handbag for daily use, Dorfman Pacific has created the Tropical Trends Women's Hat as a great option for protecting your skin while still looking great. This handy hat (one size fits all) is available now from Hartford York for $25 and is sure to be one that I reach for year after year.

Find out more about this and all of Dorfman Pacific's beautiful stylings by visiting their website and connecting with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Other than the LP157 hat I was provided by Dorfman Pacific in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion about this product.

The Backstreet Boys are Back! "In A World Like This" Album and Tour {Pair of Concert Tour Tickets Giveaway!}

While some fads have thankfully faded into the distant past (anyone else pinch-roll their stonewashed jeans?), one that continues to thrive is the Boy Band.

That's right, no matter if you were a member of the fan clubs or you scoffed at the choreographed dance moves, having a group of 3 — 5 guys crooning together is one thing that is going to make girls squeal no matter the decade.

For many people, myself included, music from particular bands provide the soundtrack to certain time periods in my life and the original boy bands rank right up there. Don't tell me that you don't look back on high school and college and suddenly have I'll Never Break Your Heart or I Want It That Way running through your head!

If you do, however, then you might just be excited to find out that one of the biggest names in the original world of boy bands, Backstreet Boys, are back and are set to release a brand new album and embark on a 24-city North American tour!

For the first time in a decade, all five original members of the Backstreet Boys are back together and their In A World Like This album release on July 30th and the tour will kick off on August 2nd.

If you've been missing Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Litrell, AJ McLean, and Kevin Richardson, you're not going to want to miss seeing the way that In A World Like This impressively showcases the group's preeminent pop mastery with a collection of indelible tracks that surely rank among their biggest and best hits.

Find out full information about the new album and tour at the official press release, and get a glimpse of the Backstreet Boys video rehearsal to head out on tour to get your toes tapping!

Tickets for the upcoming Live Nation-produced tour are on sale now at LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com (click here for tickets!) and tour dates and stops are as follows:

8/02 Chicago, IL

8/03 St. Louis, MO

8/04 Toledo, OH

8/06 Montreal, QB

8/07 Toronto, ON

8/08 Detroit, MI

8/09 Cincinnati, OH

8/10 Cleveland, OH

8/12 Boston, MA

8/13 Wantagh, NY

8/15 Holmdel, NJ

8/16 Camden, NJ

8/17 Virginia Beach, VA

8/20 Raleigh, NC

8/21 Charlotte, NC

8/22 Atlanta, GA

8/23 Tampa, FL

8/25 West Palm Beach, FL

8/30 Dallas, TX 

8/31 Houston, TX

9/5 Phoenix, AZ

9/6 Irvine, CA

9/7 Las Vegas, NV

9/8 San Francisco, CA

As one of the most successful groups in music history, with countless #1 hits, record-setting tours, and worldwide sales in excess of 130 million, the Backstreet Boys are also among pop's most influential. You're not going to want to miss revisiting their groundbreaking dance-pop sound that first made them international superstars.

In A World Like This features classic BSB, bursting with big hooks, unforgettable melodies, and high-energy rhythms that both highlights the group's classic sound and vision while also placing it squarely in the here and now. Get your tour tickets today and be sure to pick up the new album on July 30th!

Plus, thanks to the generosity of Live Nation, one person will be prepared to celebrate with the return of the Backstreet Boys in person, because...

One lucky person will win (1) pair of two (2) tickets to ANY* stop on the Backstreet Boys In A World Like This tour!

*Tickets are extremely limited for each city and, in the event that a show is sold out, the winner may have to choose an alternate city, if applicable. Tickets will be mailed to the winner before the tour date specified.

Entry-Form

A big thank you to Live Nation for providing a pair of "In A World Like This" tour tickets for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Restaurant.com Helps Make Bellini Italian Restaurant Delicious and Affordable {#ReviewCrew}

As is common when it comes to parenthood, deciding to eat out can be much more of a daunting task than I would have ever thought.

Is the atmosphere family-friendly (yet not too loud and crazy)? Will there be food that the kids will eat? Are there items on the menu that my husband and I will enjoy as well? Is the service fast enough that I won't have to listen to whining and complaining while we wait?

After tackling all of those questions (and more), it shouldn't come as a surprise that we often opt to just stay home (or stick with one of our proven few options) instead. Besides, it can get awfully expensive to bring the entire family out to eat to try somewhere new, right?

Actually the answer is no. Thanks to Restaurant.com, it is easy to eat at a variety of different, tasty local sites at incredibly affordable discounts!

The trusted and valued source connecting diners, restaurants, businesses and communities since 1999, Restaurant.com offers savings at more than 18,000 restaurants nationwide with more than 45,000 gift certificate options.

When it comes to getting a great deal at a restaurant, it only makes sense to head to Restaurant.com and pick up one of their gift certificates! Which, with my recent membership as part of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, my family was excited to do.

For the first in our four-part series of restaurant reviews, we were excited to visit Bellini Italian Restaurant in downtown Madison, WI.

Built in 1897, the landmark church that houses Bellini is one of Madison's most beautiful buildings. Right away the whole family was amazed with the unique and beautiful atmosphere both inside and out and the way that this one-of-a-kind setting can provide such a warm, relaxed environment.

While we had already checked out the menu on the Bellini website before arriving, we were still happy to arrive and see the variety of tasty options for adults as well as kids. As a big added bonus, we were eating on a Sunday when, unbeknownst to us, kids eat free!

Our friendly server was quick to bring us our drinks and a loaf of freshly baked bread as we waited for our appetizer, salads and entrees to arrive.

These two were extremely impressed with the folded napkins, which might be an indication of how seldom we take them to eat at restaurants with cloth napkins.

As much as we were impressed with the fresh bread dipped in oil, it was only few minutes later that our garlic bread appetizer and dinner salads arrived, which made our mouths water even more.

Although I was already feeling as though I had eaten a full meal, when my Manicotti Pomodoro arrived, I suddenly had much more room to fit in more delicious food.

Yum! I was nearly digging right in before I realized that my husband's Lasagna Angelina, Big Sister E's Cool's Pizza and Little Sister B's Bajo's Green Pasta looked just as fresh and delectable.

I was extremely happy with my meal but, as with the rest of my family, I was unable to finish it due to all of the previous tasty items I had eaten... which just meant that I was able to take some manicotti home to enjoy again for lunch the following day!

All in all, everything from the homemade salad dressings (gluten-free!) to the locally made pasta made our meal at Bellini a positive one for all of us. All of the staff that we interacted with were very pleasant and I appreciate that the restaurant is accommodating when it comes to varying diets — they state that may of their dishes can be prepared gluten-free (including pasta and pizza) and that their skilled staff is happy to work with customers on any special dietary needs.

By using our Restaurant.com gift certificate ($10 bought a $25 gift certificate!) we were able to feed the whole family for a reasonable price and, considering how happy we all were with our various plates, I have no doubt that we'll be returning again!

For more information about Bellini Italian Restaurant, visit their website and connect with them on Facebook. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Buon appetito!

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Unique, Fashionable Fun Shoes for Kids: Bobbi-Toads {Review}

 

There's no doubt about it, as soon as it is warm enough, all of my closed-toe shoes are retired in favor of my sandals and flip-flops. A coat or two of polish to pretty up my toenails and they're ready to head out and enjoy the warmth and sunshine from now until the temps drop back down in the fall.

When it comes to my girls, it seems that they have inherited my love of open-toe shoes, as they continually reach for their own sandals as often as possible. Which, unfortunately for them, isn't nearly as much as they would like, as both of their schools prefer that children wear tennis shoes (or at least shoes that are closed to protect their feet).

So, when I was introduced to Bobbi-Toads, I immediately knew that these unique, stylish shoes would be the best of both worlds. Sneakers plus embossed toes that can be painted just like real nails? Sure sounds like every little girl's dream to me!

Providing fashionable little girls an innovative way to dress up their tennis shoes, Bobbi-Toads are a line of shoes unlike any that I have seen before. Each of the six different styles (featuring a variety of colors and designs available in both Velcro and lace-up closures) not only are adorable and colorful, but feature "toes" on the rubber end that can be painted over and over again.

That's right, the embossed rubber can be painted just like real nails — and, as with other pedicures, when your little diva has changed her outfit or her mood, you simply use nail polish remover to clean the shoes and she's ready to apply a different color.

Knowing that Big Sister E would be thrilled to show off such a snazzy pair of kicks, when the JacJac Bobbi-Toads arrived, I wasn't surprised when she was immediately pulling them out of the box to try them on.

I love how, from afar, when Bobbi-Toads are "unpainted," they simply appear as adorably colorful, uniquely-designed shoes. I'm pretty sure that Big Sister E would have loved these even if they were just traditional sneakers!

The rubber tread on the bottom leaves behind a distinctive and fun Bobbi-Toad character in dirt or sand!

However, upon closer inspection...

...who can resist the cute toes?

Once given the ability to truly express herself with the polish of her choosing — Bobbi-Toads offers their own non-toxic Bobbi-Polish (and polish remover) in ten great shades — Big Sister E really did show just how much of a great fashion statement these shoes can truly be (even if she does need a little more practice on her nail painting technique).

As removing the polish is just as easy as applying it (we have only used non-toxic polish and have found that it removes easily and leaves no residue or staining), it is beyond easy to change these up in the evening and they are dry and ready to show off at school the next morning.

Bobbi-Toads shoes come in six styles in a variety of sizes, ranging from little girls' 11-13 to big girls' 1-6, and are available online directly from BobbiToads.com for $49.95.

Whether you have a girl in your life that is in love with fashion or you simply want to give her a way to continue celebrating "summer feet" all year long, head over to Bobbi-Toads (and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter) to see if these distinctive shoes are just the thing to make her wardrobe her own!

Other than the JacJac shoes that I was provided by Bobbi-Toads in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion about this product.