Review and Giveaway: Footzyrolls Foldable Flats

Ballet flats are all the rage right now, as is any shoe that will give your achy feet a break and also look stylish. Footzyrolls is a company formed by two sisters that were tired of having no cute options for when their heels made their feet hurt like nothing else. When you just can’t walk any further, you definitely don’t want to rip your shoes off and go barefoot. Well, you do, but not really outside. You don’t know what kinds of germs lurk out there. So, the sisters put their heads together and came up with shoes that you could throw in your purse that fold up to nearly nothing and really give your feet that comfy feeling of being barefoot, but still giving them a bit of support and a lot of style.

Of course I jumped at the chance to review something that is both on-trend and also a fantastic option to throw in your travel bag that won’t take up much room. My first thought for these foldable, rollable shoes was for long plane rides. I don’t know about you, but I’m the first that wants to kick off their shoes and settle in. People will give you dirty looks when you do it, and walking down the aisle to the bathroom in socks or nothing isn’t a particularly appealing option either. You aren’t at home, after all, and sometimes that bathroom linoleum can feel like a movie theater floor. Ick! Cue, Footzyrolls! Ditch your shoes and slip your feet into an attractive pair of flats. You’ll feel like you’re wearing your favorite slippers, but still look put together.

I was able to test out a pair of the white Boston style of the Luxe line. With the basket-weave look, they are quite striking and would go with almost any outfit you wanted to wear them with in the spring and summer…and if you throw caution to the wind and break all rules about white in the winter months, you could wear them the rest of the year, too, though probably not if you’ll be hiking through the snow.

 Look! Great with a dress or shorts, too.

They are well-constructed and also have a bit of a cushioned foot bed, which I was surprised at for this kind of shoe. Many I’ve seen have no padding, except on the bottoms, so you can wear them outside. This is nice, because it gives you a bit of support and doesn’t make you feel like you are walking on rocks. In fact, I wore them out to dinner and strolling down the street was a pleasant experience, making me think that if you wanted to wear these out sightseeing, they would be a great choice.

They come in this handy pouch!

If you’ll be doing some serious walking around town, you may want to test these out before you leave home, but they would be fabulous for going out and making you look great whether you have on slacks or a dress. They also will take up way less space in a bag than heels or wedges and won’t torture your feet after a long day out walking.

Fold 'em!

Roll 'em!

I’m loving these as an alternative to flip flops, as they look a lot better and don’t make noises when you walk. They go with everything, be it shorts or a frilly skirt. No matter what you do to them, they won’t lose their shape either, so stuff them in your travel bag or toss them in your day bag for when you need a break from your other shoes. They fit snugly and come in size ranges, so if your feet swell while in flight – or after walking 6 miles at the theme park – they will still slip right on and off. You can sport delicate looking Footzyrolls, loafer-esque styles, sporty ones or even cozy, lined winter flats.

3 more styles I'm jonesing for: Komfyz, Hamptons and Gigi

  

Additional information

Where you can buy them: On the Footzyrolls website.

How much they cost: $22-45 - and they ship internationally!

Colors they comes in: All the colors of the rainbow…and some fun patterns, like gingham and animal print.

Sizes they come in: Select from Small up to Extra Large. Footzyrolls fit ladies US sizes 5 to 11.5.


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Disclosure: I was given a pair of Footzyrolls for the purposes of this review, but all opinions are my own.

Budget San Antonio with SAVE

This post brought to you by SAVE . All opinions are 100% mine.

So, you’ve always wanted to go to San Antonio, Texas! Wait, no? You think the tagline “Everything’s bigger in Texas” must also encompass vacation costs? Well, guess again. I’ve been told about this fabulous new website called SAVE. I mean, I like it already just based on the name, but going there, I was bombarded with a whole site full of awesome discounts to help families plan their own affordable San Antonio Vacation Experience. You’re going to love the ease of using the SAVE – San Antonio Vacation Experience website to save on everything from hotels to activities. You can’t find these discounts anywhere else, as they are exclusive to the SAVE program and you can also save huge with Limited Time Offers.

You know how much I enjoy planning trips, so using this fabulous site, I found a whole bunch of things I would do if I were going to take a trip to San Antonio (and, of course, this makes me say “I want to go to there.”)

Using the Deal Map, I found several hotels that I could fit in my budget, including the Microtel Inn & Suites Airport by Wyndham. I love the Wyndham properties I have stayed at (which have been many) and this one includes a free hot continental breakfast – Woo! DIY Waffles! – free Internet and a BBQ area where I can save some bucks by grilling out. If I get a suite, I can also take advantage of an in-room microwave and mini-fridge. Rates through SAVE run just $59-89 per night. That’s at least a $20 difference from the cheapest rates I found online, which really adds up when staying multiple nights. {{You may want to spend a bit more when it comes to your hotel. With that in mind, you can find them in all price ranges. SAVE partners include: Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Hyatt Regency San Antonio on the Riverwalk, San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk Hotel, Hilton Palacio del Rio, The Westin Riverwalk San Antonio and many more!}}

With my lodging out of the way, I can get down to business. What I want to do when I get there! With so many attractions to choose from – including SeaWorld, Six Flags, Schlitterbahn – it may be hard to narrow down your list to how many days you will be in San Antonio. I decided to plan for a six-day trip and want to save on anything possible.

• Day 1 – I have to hit the theme parks, so we’re going to head to Six Flags Fiesta Texas to ride all the thrill rides we can handle. We can use the BOGO coupon and only pay for one of us and spend that second admission fee on food or another activity! That’s a savings of $58.99, which is even better than the deal you can get for purchasing your tickets ahead of time online ($43.99/each or 3+ day advance purchase at $38.99/each)
• Day 2 – Since the last time I visited San Antonio was when I still needed to hold an adult’s hand to get around, I certainly want to see the sights. We’ll take advantage of the convenience of the hop-on, hop-off trolley and also take $2 off the $19.95 rates thanks to SAVE. Our guide will take us on a relaxing tour of the city, where we will see The Alamo, Tower of Americas, the Mission Trail and River Walk, among other things.

• Day 3 – My husband, Eric, loves waterparks and because I’ve heard such great things about the one in the Midwest, we are going to pack up our swimsuits and check out Schlitterbahn. It’s full of awesome looking water rides and is also fun to say! Regular entry is $69.97 and SAVE gets you $2 off up to 5 admissions. {{If you are looking to go way more budget, do Splashtown instead, where you can save $7 off their much more affordable $29.99 admission prices.}}
• Day 4 – I love a good creepy and weird museum, so Eric and I are going to get a $1 off coupon to visit Ripley’s Believe it or Not! and Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works Museum, where I might chicken out and freak out at the lifelike celebrities and historical figures. This is a twofer, because there are two museums in one location and only costs one admission price. At $19.95, that’s a pretty good deal, especially with that dollar off.

After we grab lunch, we’re going to head over to the Texas Transportation Museum which houses a train depot, fire trucks, horse carriages, cars, tractors and a full-size train we can ride on! SAVE gets us $1 off admission and we’ll go on a Friday to save even more off regular admission ($5 instead of $8).

• Day 5 – We’ve decided to learn more about the Texan life and history today by hitting up the Institute of Texan Culture. Through exhibits, stories and live demonstrations, we’ll be brought up to speed on how Texan culture has evolved from its beginning. We’ll also keep $8 in our pockets by using the SAVE buy one get one free coupon.

Our feet our tired so we'll take the rest of the day to relax in our room or hang out by the pool and recharge for the last day of our trip.

• Day 6 – We’re going to spend our last day going back to The Alamo and taking a stress-free sightseeing tour that includes a riverboat ride, a visit to the Japanese Sunken Gardens and more cool stuff. At $54.50, it isn’t cheap, but then how can you put a price on seeing some beautiful sites and having a tour guide take you around the city and tell you about the places you visit for a whole day? Well, apparently you can, and it’s $54.50, but with SAVE, you only have to pay $49.50!

If you add it all up, SAVE discounts made our trip so much more affordable! We could have spent $1,202 on our hotel and sightseeing (that’s over $600 per person!), but with all the deals we found, we actually saved $200 overall. Woohoo! If we stayed in a standard room and substituted Splashtown for Schlitterbahn, that easily could have been almost $300 still in our bank account. Imagine how much you could save if you brought your whole family.

There’s still time to plan a summer getaway, so why not check out a city in your own “backyard” and see how SAVE can help you create the perfect budget vacation for you and your family! See for yourself how easy it is to find activities and get discounts on your perfect San Antonio vacation.

You can also follow SAVE on Twitter at @SAVEinSA to keep up with new deals and Limited Time Offers.

Shakespeare with Sno-Cones 7.25.12

I love theatrical performances, but those costs can really eat into your budget, whether you’re on vacation or not. Over the weekend we took time out to grab a blanket and some beverages and take the dog to the park to catch some Shakespeare. She loves to run around before and during intermission and then while the performance is going on, she watches the action or the people in the audience. I love Shakespeare in the Park, because it combines my love for the Bard with my husband’s love of being outside and spending little to no money. I enjoy those things, too, but if we could get by on spending nothing, he would be thrilled. 

The show was a little different, and not just because it was the most people I’d ever seen at a park to watch old English being performed. First of all, the play was not rehearsed. The company performed it as they would have when it was “first run” and had their own parts on scrolls – which included a little bit of the line before and after theirs so they could keep pace – and, to make it even more interesting, they had a referee off-sides to help actors if they got off track, but also to throw the actors off track to make the play as funny and interactive as possible. Now, this is the first time I have ever witnessed this during a show at a park and I enjoyed it very much.

Throughout the performance, the actors would wander through the audience, plucking picnic foods from offered containers and then would have to do a little improv when prompted. Being that the play was As You Like It and it takes place 90% in the Forest of Arden, eating “found” food made quite a bit of sense. An actor rushing to answer an onlooker’s cell phone, not so much. Still, it made for a unique evening out. Over the course of the play, the ref called for the actors to engage in a high-five race when a plane flew overhead and they couldn’t be heard, to entertain a baby in the front row that was getting antsy and to pretend to do yard work when a lawnmower started in the background. He also sent out an audience request to bring him a Sno-Cone from a nearby vendor, which was so funny that many were purchased and all the actors then were trying to act while incorporating either a Sno-Cone or cotton candy into the scene.

So, why am I recounting my tales to summer activities? Because Shakespeare in the Park is a national (and possibly international?) phenomenon and summer is the time to take advantage of your local theater company’s free performances. It’s a cheap way to get out and enjoy some culture – though Shakespearean songs done to the tune of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine probably counts as more than some – and introduce your children to the Bard. If they get a bit fidgety, it’s okay, because you’re in a park! Go run off that excess energy during intermission or, if they really aren’t into it, you can leave without lamenting the $20+ you paid for each ticket.

If you’re off vacationing and looking for something to do that won’t break your budget, so you can either save money or splurge on that fancy schmancy restaurant, jump on Google to find nearby performances. Most shows happen on Saturdays and Sundays, but there can be some special shows on other days of the week. You never have to dress up, you can bring a picnic if you want, get comfortable and show up any time before start time to get a spot on the lawn. Don’t forget to bring a couple of bucks for concessions (if there are any) or to donate for a particularly good performance.

Have you ever enjoyed your local Shakespeare in the Park?