A day with etnies

Living in Southern California not a day goes by when I don't see kids-young, old, and every age in between, riding a skateboard. Until Tuesday I had never thought about the technology that went into the shoes. Helmets, yes. Shoes, no.

I was invited to the Sole Technology headquarters in Orange County to learn about their company, their biomechanics lab, and their line of skateboarding and action sports shoes.

Sole technology is the parent company of the etnies, Emerica, es, thirtytwo and Altamont brands. The company, founded in 1986, was the brainchild of Pierre Andre Seinzergues, when he couldn't get skate shoes that would last more than a few hours at a time. Skateboarding is extremely hard on shoes!


My favorite part of the day was visiting the Sole Technology Institute. From their website:

The Sole Technology Institute or "STI" is the world’s first and only scientific sports research lab dedicated to the study of action sports.

This is Ryan, and he is a lab rat. Seriously. That's what they called him.


He gets to do this for his job.

He lands on the square, it is called a 'force platform' and it measures how much force is exerted on the body. This lab has measured up to 17 times body weight in force on the human body. In comparison, running only exerts about 5 times the force. That's some serious force.

STi has used these measurements to develop better shoes to protect a skater's feet. They developed a machine to test the fabrics used in the shoes and their patented esuede stands up to grip tape better than other fabrics that they put on skate shoes. So cool!

For the moms of little ones, their new Grow With Me fit for toddler shoes is genius. They meticulously measured toddler feet and found big differences from adult feet-and made shoes to grow with your child. Instead of keeping a pair of shoes for just a few months, the removable insoles help your toddler's shoes last for a whole extra size.

So here's the good stuff for you!

If you live in Southern California:

During the time of the promotion (Nov. 17- Dec. 4) selected etnies retail partners will be giving an etnies tote away as a gift with purchase of each pair of etnies shoes. The following local retailers will be participating in the promotion:
• Orange County
Newport Shoe Bootery (Shoe Box)
41041 Newport Center Dr.
(Fashion Island)
Newport Beach, CA
92660
• Los Angeles
Urban Feet
329 W. 6th Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
• Inland Empire
Powder & Sun
16210 Bear Valley Rd.
Victorville, CA. 92392

For all others interested in purchasing etnies shoes or apparel:

etnies exclusive promotion includes $10 off for every $40 spent on etnies.com and free
shipping. The promotional code is “ETNIES FAMILY,” and this promotion will run from Nov.
17 – Dec. 4.

So take advantage of this great opportunity to get great shoes for your little skater at a great price. Believe me, I'm the cool mom right now!

Is Your Washer Smelly?

You know, it's bound to happen. After a few years and several thousand loads of laundry your washer gets that musty smell. Don't worry, it happens to all of us, that dirty little secret and the reason we never open the door to our laundry rooms while giving a house tour.

Recently, the people at Smelly Washer.com asked me to try out their product and sent me a sample bottle. After a summer of hot days and a fall of stinky football clothes I was glad to oblige.

It's recommended that you use a full washer and hot water only on the first cleaning, which I did. I did not smell much difference after the first run, so I decided to try it with some old towels that also had a musty smell. I ran two loads of towels according to their soak/clean/wash instructions (Easy Peasy!) and THAT'S when I noticed a huge difference. No more Smelly Washer or towels! And even better? It has lasted for over a week. Even with temperatures hovering in the 90's.

The Smelly Washer website also has a great page full of odor removal tips that you should definitely check out.

Smelly Washer would like you to have the opportunity to try their product, and here's 2 ways:

• First, comment here, and I will be giving away one bottle to a reader. You may tweet this giveaway for a second chance to win (leave the link to your tweet in a second comment.) I will keep this contest open until November 20th. I will use random.org to select the winner and you will have until the evening of Nov. 23 to get back to me or I will choose a new winner. Contest open to readers in the US or Canada only.
  
• Second, Smelly Washer is offering my readers a 10% discount on their product through November 30th, 2009. Make sure you use the promo code headlessfamily5 before you check out. (A note about the price...If it were me, I might look at the price and decide that it was a little much. Let me assure you, my lovely and faithful reader, that one bottle will last you a very, very long time and will be worth your money.)

Thanks, Jeff and the Smelly Washer team for the chance to sample your product!

Building a Better Sandwich

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Orowheat

Have you ever wished that you could improve on the normal everyday things in your life? A better car? A better vacuum cleaner? What about something as simple as a better sandwich?

Pshaw! you say. My sandwich is fine. Why would I want to improve that?

I say, you don't know what you're missing, and I'm not even a sandwich girl!



Last Friday I was sent three kinds of Oroweat bread from their Dutch Country line to try: 100% Whole Wheat, Extra Fiber, and Potato. I had already planned on having BLTs for dinner so we dove right in. I am not kidding when I say that it was the best BLT I've ever had. I lightly toasted the potato bread, added fresh cooked bacon, tomatos from the garden, a little light mayo and some lettuce....mmmmm, divine.



On Saturday after my son's football game we decided to make some french toast for brunch. [To make french toast: Eggs (approx. 1 egg per 2 slices of bread), milk (a splash or a little more), and cinnamon, mixed well, then dredge the bread and cook in a hot skillet until golden brown.] Honestly? I will never make it without the Dutch Country Potato bread again. Ever. evereverever.



Lest you think that all we ate was the potato bread, let me introduce you to the Dutch Country 100% Whole Wheat. Headless Dad has always insisted on whole wheat bread, and our usual brand has High Fructose Corn Syrup so over the years I've tried other brands that don't have it. All to no avail, until now. None of the Oroweat varieties we tried have any HFCS. Score! All through the week HD has had his lunch sandwich on the Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat and he said the other day, "Hey, I really like this. We could switch to this bread." I hope Oroweat knows what a huge compliment that is!



If you're looking to add a little extra fiber to your diet, then the Extra fiber Whole Wheat is a great choice. With 4 grams of fiber per slice, (compared to 3 grams in the Whole Wheat or 1 gram in the potato,) you might expect it to be 'thicker', but that is not the case. The texture of all of the Dutch Country breads is smooth and light, and the Extra Fiber is no exception.

Because these breads are soooo good, Oroweat wants YOU to get your own chance to try them for yourself! (You are lucky! This stuff is goooooood!) Here's what you need to do to win a Oroweat prize package featuring a selection of breads:

• Leave me a comment here telling me about your favorite sandwich. (Do not use one of my examples above!)
  
• You may blog about this contest, leaving your link in the comments here for another entry.
  
• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive a third entry for tweeting this contest and leaving a link to the tweet in the comments here.
• Giveaway open to US residents, aged 18 years and over.
• Winners will be selected via random draw (random.org) and will be notified by email. Make sure you leave a valid email in your comment!
• You will have 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be drawn.
• Please see official rules here.

The contest runs from 10/26/09 and ends 11/26/09. So get crackin'! There are 8 chances to win so make sure to enter everyone's contests.

Another way to win is to Enter to win a $500 grocery gift card at the roundup page on BlogHer.com.">visit BlogHer.com's Review page to enter for a chance to win a $500 grocery gift card! Just in time for the holidays-what could be better?

Oh yeah. The Oroweat Dutch Country Potato Bread, that's what.

The New Anaheim Hilton and the OC Bloggers Ball

Last Saturday we Southern California bloggers were given a very special treat. Hosted by Marcy of The Glamorous Life and the newly renovated Anaheim Hilton, the OC Bloggers Ball was a chance for OC bloggers to get together and do what we do best. Eat and drink, and talk about blogging!

The renovation is really lovely. Although this emblem below is their old one it is a cool picture anyway.

The lobby is spectacular. Grand and inviting, you instantly feel like you're in a special place. (This arrangement was about as big as I am!)

Luckily for us we were treated to Twittertinis and Blogitos for a special price. (Twittertini-"A martini with a chatty twist...possibly making you want to talk in 140 characters" and the Blogito-"Like a traditional Mojito, only funnier and more informative." That Hollie is a funny one!)

Carlos, the restaurant and banquet manager put together an amazing spread for us. He chose several items off of their restaurant menu to serve us in "mini" -style so we would be able to sample lots of items. Their signature item is a Cobb salad, served layered in a large martini shaker. Signature because Carlos came up with the idea based on their restauranto logo-a martini shaker! Talk about yummy.....


These are two of the appetizers that we were lucky enough to sample: shrimp cocktail (in the shooter glasses,) and ahi tuna (on the plates). Not only is the food delicious, but the presentation is out of this world. As a former restaurant worker, it's impressive.



And the desserts? Divine. Anything that looks like this should, and did!, taste like heaven.


Special thanks to Carlos, Hollie, and the staff of the Anaheim Hilton for a lovely evening. I can't wait to join you again! And if you are in the area, visiting Disneyland or other Southern California spots, make sure you check into the Anaheim Hilton. It is worth the trip! Be sure to check out the Anaheim Hilton Blog for special rates and events, and follow them on Twitter for news, contests, and more.

For more on our evening go here, and here, and here, and here.

Here's What's New at Ford

So many of you brought up issues that Ford is already addressing. Let me fill you in on what Ford is bringing to the marketplace to address YOUR issues!

Jane said:

"I'd also like a rear camera and/or sensor so that I know when there's something small behind me, like (god forbid) a child or a tricycle."

One of the coolest features that I was able to experience at Ford was the BLIS (Blind Spot Information System). This feature alerts the driver when there is something next to you or behind you. In our testing situation, we were in a Taurus parked between two much larger vehicles. Upon beginning to back out of the parking place we heard a light beeping and saw a yellow light appear in the right rear view mirror. This was indicating that there was a car coming from the right side, even though we couldn't see it.

Britta asked about hybrid/fuel effeciency, and sleek design.

The 2010 Fusion Hybrid has that. This car will get approximately 41 mpg city/36 mpg hwy. Notice that is backwards of a regular engine! (Normally, mpg rates are higher for highway miles.) Personally, I love it's design, and it has a smooth ride. I was able to ride in this one, and even the back seat has GREAT leg room. (Did you hear that Heather? Lots of room, even in the back seat! Although no room for the stroller in this one. It did have an ample trunk though, for a folded one.) I was riding with Jackie, and she loved that the digital display would "grow" leaves when she was doing better on mpg. We decided that it would become an obsession to make more leaves appear the further we drove!

Karen and Marcy both mentioned the entertainment system so I must mention here:

From the Ford website:

Available SYNC® in-car voice-activated communications and entertainment system and more. SYNC® is an in-car voice-activated communications system that allows you to operate most popular MP3 players, Bluetooth®-enabled phones and flash drives with simple voice commands.* Segment-exclusive SYNC includes 911 Assist™,** Vehicle Health Report, real-time traffic conditions, turn-by-turn directions and other information.

What this means is that your ipod plugs into the system and you tell it what you want to listen to. It will automatically connect with your phone so you can tell it what to do. The button to activate all of the SYNC's systems is on the wheel, right under your left thumb. For me, though, the coolest part is the 911 connect. It is free for the life of the car. Seriously. You'll never have to worry about calling 911 in an accident again, and there's no fees to access it, either.

Becca mentioned her bad back. Boy, does Ford have a feature for you!

Multi-Contour Seats with Active Motion: I wish that you could have sat in these seats like I did. I was moaning, uh, sighing the second I sat down. And I don't even have a bad back. The back and bottom of these seats have multiple air chambers that fill and deflate for a mild messaging action that not only is more comfortable but relieves sciatic pressure and improves circulation during those long drives. Next time you're anywhere near a Ford dealership? Go for the seats. Just sayin'.

I would also like to add that the new EcoBoost engine ROCKS! Marcy mentioned that she want's serious power, and that is what this engine gives you. V8 power, baby, with V6 effeciency. Yeah, I was skeptical at first, too, until I drove it. And punched it. And flew down the road. I was lucky enough to drive the Lincoln MKX. Oh my. Now THAT is a nice car. One that I would want yesterday (if I were actively in the market for a new car. Do you need a test driver in Southern California? ;-) )

Some other things I'd like to mention:

• On most models I noticed that there were controls for the gas and brake pedals. Great for either short or tall people.
• The MyKey System is cool for families of teens. It is programmed (by you) to only go up to 80 miles an hour, have a top volume on the radio, remind all passengers to buckle up, remind the driver when fuel is getting low, and gives speed warnings, among other things. All issues that we worry about when our teens get behind the wheel solo! (MyKey video here. My friend Jenn is in this one!)
  
• Easy interior door clean-up. (Looks and feels like leather. Seriously. But it wipes clean!)
  
• The quality of the controls on the dash was nice. Not like the cheap plastic of some other cars. The feel was far superior.

For my, and others' opinions on some of the new features check out this video.
For the Active Park Assist video go here.
For more blogger reviews of the test drives and of our day, go here.
And finally (enough with the links, already!) go here for more pictures of our day.

I want to thank Monty, Karen, and all those at Ford for a spectacular day. They didn't know that I will be in the market for a new car within a couple of years but I was certainly sold. The Ford Motor company is changing their reputation, and I, for one, am on board!

Have you MADE a Ford, Lately?

The Ford Event, "What Women Want," was last Thursday, and I was not prepared for what we experienced. (What was I expecting? I'm not sure, but my expectations were certainly exceeded!)

After a breakfast and bus ride we arrived at the Chicago facility, which included the assembly line for the all new Ford Taurus and the Lincoln MKS.

Our first stop was the virtual lab. This first picture is what a "model" sees when wearing virtual reality gloves and glasses. (Oh yeah. Look at me with all of the fancy names for stuff!) This simulates the ergonomics of elements in the engine so that they can study if it is easy or hard to work on or assemble the engine based on where things are located. Even in reaching for something the workers can only assemble something with so much strength, so this is how they make sure that everything can be reached and worked on without, say, breaking their backs?

My group took the tour of the assembly line floor next. I'm not sure what I really expected, but it was clean, the temperature was comfortable, and the workers were really happy and friendly. Special thanks to Dawn Diggs for stopping to answer some questions that our group had!

This picture shows the cars being carried on a monorail-type thing. Since the cars don't have wheels yet this moves each car down the line. Sometimes, like in this picture, they go higher so the workers can easily reach the lower parts of the car: the engine, etc. At other times the track goes lower so the workers can get to the interior easily.

The next picture shows the installation of the side-curtain air bags. The doors are off so that they don't get dinged in the process of installing all of the interior.



This is the guy that gave us our tour. Uh, by snafu I have lost all of my company information (Big blogger FAIL) and I didn't take note of his name. He was awesome, as was the plant manager, Jan Allman. (Please, someone, leave his name in the comments!!!)




This blue car is the 2010 Lincoln MKS, with it's wheels on the ground, fully assembled for the first time. Pretty cool, huh? You can see a hand on the wheel...this guy (and some others,) get to drive them for the first time to another part of the plant for finishing touches. I could have that job!

The one below is the all new, 2010 Taurus SHO. Seriously, a HOT car. Notice the new body style and fancy rims. (There are other great features, too, that I'll talk about in my next post.)

Rawr!

My sincere thanks to Ford for making this day possible. I can't wait to tell you about the rest of what I learned!

What Women Want- a Ford Company Event

I have been chosen to participate in an event in Chicago sponsored by Ford Motor Company this Thursday. Totally squee-worthy! But!

I need your help!

While I'm there I will be participating in discussions on what women (or men!) want in a car. So spill it!

Consider the following:

• What's important to you when you get in your car?
• What do you need from your vehicle?
• What do you have to have in your car?

Your comments here WILL have an impact on the designers, engineers, and marketers of Ford, so seriously, spill it. I want to hear it all. All aspects of a car are game. Design? check. Fuel Efficiency? check. Communication/Entertainment Extras? check. Safety? check. Overall Quality? check.

I know from the welcome letters that I've been receiving that I will have TONS of information for you, so can you help a sister out?

Thanks! And stay tuned for some great news from Ford!

Oh, and if you want to follow the discussions on Twitter, just search the hashtag #FordBlogHer. I'll be using it a lot in the upcoming days so stay tuned!