Flip Flops Can Seriously Injure Your Feet - Beware!!!

Flip flops are fun, and right now they're so popular.  Creative spins on how to make a pair of very basic sandals unique abound - buy them, make them - and they're a great choice of summer foot wear for the whole family. 

Except flip flops can seriously, seriously injure your feet and cause you major pain. 

Dear Reader, it happened to me.  I had a beloved and growing collection of flip flops.  Different colors, shiny, sequined, bowed!  Here in San Antonio, it's perfect flip flop weather -- for almost the entire year, these shoes are a footwear option.  Heck, all year long when you're indoors. 

And, they're so simple.  Not expensive (tho you can pay a high price for some, if you choose to do so).  Unique, creative.  Fun.  And, your pretty toenail polish gets to show itself off, to boot. 

Until last year, when my excessive Flip Flop Fashion resulted in foot pain so intense that I had trouble standing - my mother would have diagnosed "fallen arches."  You may recognize the condition as "plantar fascitis." I had torn ligaments in my right foot by walking for so long in poor footwear.

Choosing Summer Sandals - You Can Have Flip Flops, But You Must Be Picky

Recognizing the greatness of the Flip Flop, the American Podiatric Medical Association hasn't prescribed an outright ban of this type of shoe.  Instead, they've issued a Tip Sheet on which Flip Flops to buy, and they even recommend a brand or two:  SOLE and Orthaheel. 

When I was in such pain (and I'm talking PAIN here, folks - Plantar Fascitis isn't for sillies), Birkenstocks were recommended to me.  I was sold on them the minute I walked - make that hobbled - into the local Birki store, and tried on a pair.  I could feel the support immediately.  Amazing difference. 

I've been sold on Birkenstocks ever since, just from the store experience, but I've gone on to learn much more about the brand.  They originated in Germany back in the 1700s, and they've been around ever since.

Sure, some Birkenstocks are ... well ... ugly.  I love them, but that Arizona model is just Not Cute.  Have horrific foot pain, you don't care.  Get to feeling better, and you miss those Glow-in-the-Dark Floral Flip Flops of old....

Luckily, Birkenstock has come out with a lot of variety, and I'm pleased with the newer versions.  And, I found an online store where I can get Birkis for a great price -- Birkenstocksd.com.    Such great deals that I almost stopped from sharing this link with you Dear Reader -- but that would be wrong.  Right?

Image:  Oasis Flip Flops, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

How to Dye Your Hair at Home - and How to Touch Up the Roots, Too

I've written about my friend, S, before.  She and hubby E brought home an adorable puppy a little while ago, and now the house is filled with little kids and a baby dog.  And a hub that works from home.  And S, who works from home, too.  It can be loud, it can be crazy.

When leads us to the morning that S missed her hair appointment for blonde highlights, decided she'd had enough of spending $100s at the salon, and drove her bad self to CVS.  There, with the help of sales clerk, she bought a box of L'Oreal for less than $10 and went back home -- where at her convenience, late that night after the kids were in bed and the hub was happy surfing the TV channels, she returned herself to her natural brunette color.

And she is so happy with the results, she's telling everybody that they should do this too.  Time saver, money saver. 

So, Dear Reader, here are two videos that show you not only how to dye your hair at home, but a great video that explains how to keep up with those roots once your hair starts to grow:

Here's a Great Video on How to Dye Your Hair at Home

Here's a Fabulous Video on Touching Up your Roots at Home

Designer Fashion at Very Low Prices

Target may be considered the frontrunner to "affordable fashion": Isaac Mizrahi and Mossimo have had lines at Target stores for awhile now. This has been so successful that Target is increasing its designer fashion by offering ninety-day windows of opportunity to scarf up clothing, accessories, and shoes by the likes of Luella Bartley and Sophie Albou (Paul & Joe) in its GO International Collection.

This fall, Target spotlights Behnaz Sarafpour. Sarafpour is known for feminine designs, including flowing dresses each priced in excess of $2000.00. Her Target collection will offer jackets for under $80.00.

Kohl's has a deal with Vera Wang for a line called "Very Vera." Payless has entered the race with Laura Poretzky’s Abaeté line, to be sold as the "Abaeté for Payless" shoe collection.

Walmart is doing things a bit differently. Walmart is offering its Metro7 line, which imitates existing fashion lines. It's being taken seriously enough that Walmart partnered with ELLE magazine to open this year's NYC Fashion Week with a Metro7 show in Times Square. Walmart also formed a distinct marketing campaign for this "cheap chic" line to entice a fashion-conscious clientele that would otherwise distain shopping at its stores.

Walmart appears to be succeeding. Reports Samantha Smith of England's News & Observer, "some of the best items in the collections were the handbags and shoes. Both were surprisingly good copies of the trendiest looks around. Most notable were the oversized, slouchy bags in black, tan and white with tassels and faux gold hardware, and the faux patent leather pumps and chunky cork heels that looked remarkably like those by Christian Louboutin."

Shown above: Walmart's Lock Doctor Bag, sold online today for $12.00, regularly $17.50.


Sources: Target.com, Walmart.com, businessweek.com, Marketwire.com, CNN.com, MSNBC.com, Behnaz Sarafpour.com.