Cape Clogs Review and Giveaway

I think it's safe to say that I am a collector of fine clogs. During a short tour of my home, you will most likely find a pair or two stuffed under my desk, a pair at each door, a few in the hallway and most likely a pair under the bed as well. While some people prefer sneakers and etc as an everyday casual shoe, I find clogs to be a more practical and stylish solution for myself.

I have wide feet yet narrow heels. Unfortunately I have to wear inserts in the heels of most shoes. Wearing open-heeled clogs eliminates the problem and allows me to find a comfortable fit in standard sizing. This is a huge bonus for me. However the number one reason why I wear clogs is that I'm a very busy Mom. I can slip them on and run out the door in the matter of seconds-no lacing and etc required.

My husband's family is from Sweden. His aunt (or "faster" in Swedish) is the only person I've ever met that suffers a clog addiction reviling my own . Instead of encouraging me to seek help, she has furthered my addiction by introducing me to clogs made in Sweden. "Those are not clogs," she once said pointing to canvas uppers and rubber bottoms in shame. "These are clogs," she said pointing to the funky designed leather uppers and wood soles adorning her own feet. I was instantly impressed and decided I need a pair of my own.

The only problem is that my husband's dear "faster" orders her clogs directly from Sweden. Have you ever purchased and paid shipping on item from Sweden? The shipping cost to America from Sweden is extravagant and your choices are limited if you don't speak Swedish fluently-which I don't. Recently, I solved this problem through a company called Cape Clogs. Cape Clogs is a company in America that offers authentic Swedish-made clogs in all the funky designs you can ask for.

I recently picked up a pair in the "Cherry Blossom" design directly from the shop on the company's website. The "Cherry Blossom" features a leather upper with delicate pink flowers on a brown background. I loved the design but I was a little concerned about the comfort of a wood based shoe. Fortunately, it was not a problem after I wore them a couple of times. It now feels as though the wood bottom has molded to the exact shape of my foot-providing a custom and very comfortable fit. I'm thoroughly hooked.

Would you like to try them out for yourself? You can get your own pair of "real" clogs-without the nutty shipping charges or the Swedish fluency requirement-by clicking here. One Lethally Blonde Diary will get a pair of their choice shipped to their home-free of charge.

NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER WILL SOON BE ANNOUNCED ON THIS SITE. Be sure to sign up for Lethally Blonde Diary updates via FeedBurner so you don't miss another great article, shopping review or giveaway. :)

So THAT'S what I have to do to get them to clean!

Lately, I have become addicted to the show, "How Clean Is Your House Your House?" on BBC America. The show's affect on my family has been shocking.

First of all let me explain the show to those who may not be familiar with it. The show originates from the U.K. and stars two sassy lady Brits-named Aggie and Kim-who tackle some of the nastiest houses imaginable in both the U.S. and the U.K. Along the way, they offer funny and often cornball splashes of humor with shining personalities. I must also note that these are two very brave women because they stick their fingers in things I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

After a good verbal beat down of the owner of a selected residence, Kim and Aggie clean and organize the entire home. They also send swabs-taken from the home prior to cleaning-to a lab for testing. They use the lab results to give the owner a sober look at exactly what type of germs and etc they are living with because of their lack of cleaning. Along the way, they show you some of the steps they took to salvage the residence and then they show the results of their labor. Let me tell ya, the before and after shots on this show makes more of an impact then any home design show I've ever seen. Keep in mind, no major remodeling, purchases and etc take place on this show. The shocking difference is accomplished using mainly common household items and elbow grease.

Now let me tell you how it has impacted my family. Prior to watching the show, I felt downright helpless in cleaning my home. As a busy Mom of three kids, a cat and a husband (yes I sometimes feel like his Mom too), I often feel like housework is a never ending and useless battle. I also felt like I had the messiest home in existence. After seeing some of the cesspools on this show, I realized that I'm not so bad after all and the things I do does help make a difference. Call me warped, but I was strongly encouraged and also decided to get off my "bum" and try out some the things I learned from the show. However the bonuses didn't stop there.

On a whim, I started recording the show to see what other tips I could pick up. Incidentally, I watched some of the recordings when my six year old twins were in the room. In one of the shows we watched, the kids of the house did not escape show star, Kim Woodburn's hard dose of reality. My twins unwittingly became targets number two and three. As they watched, they squealed and screamed over the horrors in the homes featured on the show. After watching a couple of recordings, they immediately slammed me with questions like, "could our house really get that bad" and "can I go clean my room now?" I pounced on the opportunity and they went to work right away-no battles, threats, nothing. I kid you not. This seriously happened and at that very moment I realized something. This show has power!!

My husband became target number four. One weekend on his vacation, I started casually chatting about the show. I then told him that I wanted to cuddle up on the sofa and watch some of the recordings with him. A house cleaning show? I of course had to bribe him-cough, cough. We will just leave that one alone. However I will say that it didn't take but a couple of recordings and the bribery paid off. His vacation was over. He started cleaning like a madman.

Feeling the power, I decided to tackle the ultimate challenge: my tween daughter. I can't tell you what a never ending battle her room has become over the years. I had to force her to watch the show under the "guise" of family t.v. time. She didn't say much during the show but even she could not resist the power of Kim and Aggie-bwaaa ha ha! Before I knew it, there was a clear path on the floor leading to her bed. Plates and cups began to mysteriously disappear from her bedside and I found that I could place folded laundry in her dresser drawers without the aid of a machete.

The only inhabitant the show has not affected is my cat Mocha. Now if Aggie and Kim could just motivate her to scoop her own cat box, I would seriously be in business. Kitty aside, I'm still a happy camper. It's been a couple of months since I discovered the show and it's still paying dividends. I make sure to play an episode at least once a week to keep them on their toes. As I type, you would be hard pressed to find a single speck of dust in my house. Now that is something I never thought I would write.

If you want to try it for yourself, you can learn more about the show and check for listings on BBC's website by clicking here.

New Music Review: Curt Yagi's "What's Come Over Me"

Have you ever heard of Curt Yagi? Curt Yagi is a rising musical artist from San Francisco, California. Although he was recently voted the Bay area's "Best Singer-Songwriter" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, I have a feeling that the Bay area won't be able to keep him to themselves much longer.

I'm always the "frazzled Mom" in the morning. Getting three-often cranky and reluctant-kids dressed, fed, organized and dropped off at their respective schools is rarely a smooth task. Factor in a frozen windshield, traffic, rude parking lot attendants and etc and I often feel ready to throw in the towel for the day by the time I return home. However, my return home this morning after the mad dash held a pleasant surprise.

After grabbing a cup of coffee, I threw on Yagi's new CD-"What's Come Over Me." The upbeat guitar rhythms and heart felt lyrics readjusted my entire disposition. Prior to playing it I had entertained the idea of a quick nap before rushing back out to attend a parent-teacher conference. Now I'm awake and feel more like tackling the things I have planned for today.

While it is impossible to compare the band's style in an exact parallel to another group, you can find similarities in various areas. SFBG described the music as possessing the "swagger of Lenny Kravitz and the lyrical prowess of Jack Johnson." In some of the tracks on the new CD, the upbeat, strumming guitar rhythms reminded me of KT Tunstall. In other songs the guitar rifts take on and master the intensity of a classic rock rhythm.

In addition to the fun, the CD's title track-What's Come Over Me-made me reminiscent of the first dance I had with the man I eventually married. In fact, I may have to slap it in again and dance to it with him. Overall his style is what I would simply call "feel good" music.

The video below shows a clip of a live performance of the song "I'm So Alive" at the CD's release party.


If you have trouble viewing this video, click here.

I also found this YouTube video of Yagi having a little fun by performing "Rise Up" using nothing but toy instruments!


If you have trouble viewing this video, click here.

If you are planning a visit to the San Francisco area, you can catch Curt Yagi and his band at various venues. For more information on upcoming performances, click here. Anyone-including cross country residents like myself-can purchase the CD online at CD Baby or iTunes. Lethally Blonde Diary is also giving away one autographed copy of this new CD.
For details on how to qualify for the giveaway, click here.

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed for entry and the winner will soon be announced on this site. Please be sure to sign up for Lethally Blonde Diary updates so you don't miss another great review and giveaway! :)