I’ve never really been a fan of wedge shoes. Sure they look great on other people, but they just aren’t my style. They’ve always been a popular type of shoe so I was not surprised by the recent wedge sneakers fashion trend.

When I first saw the Upere Aster wedge sneakers, I wasn’t convinced they were for me. I showed them to my daughter and she feel in love. She told me she had to have them.

When they arrived I was impressed with the quality of the shoes and by how cute I thought they actually are. My daughter says they are extremely comfortable and she wears them all day at school. The 2 inch hidden heels didn’t seem to bother her, I was a little worried that they would, but the shoe itself and the soft suede leather it’s made from keep her feet comfy and cool.

I love that they are such a versatile shoe and can be paired with most anything from dresses and skirts to jeans, shorts or leggings. They are super cute shoes and I love them for my daughter, I’m now wishing I would have gotten a pair for myself.

The shoes fit true to size, the website has an easy to read shoe size conversion chart that helped me figure out what size to order. Overall we both love the shoes! You can find these an many other cute wedge shoes on the Upere website. You may use the code “UPERE” to get 15% off your purchase of wedge sneakers. You can connect with Upere on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest too.

Wedge Sneakers Fashion Trend Howard House - Reviews and Giveaways

Last year we had the pleasure of working with Chuao Chocolates (read our review). From now until May 24th, Chuao has a super awesome sweepstakes going on and I’m here to give you the details!!

Where Can Your Eye Spy Chuao?
Chuao Chocolatier Launches “I Spy Chuao” Instagram Sweepstakes
Offers the Chance to Win a $250 Gift Card

We want to know when your readers spy Chuao on the shelves at their favorite retailer!  Chuao Chocolatier has launched its I Spy Chuao Instagram sweepstakes, which gives you and your readers the chance to win free chocolate and a $250 gift card.

Entering is simple. Follow Chuao’s Instagram feed @chuaochocolatier and follow the 3 steps below.

1. Post a photograph of a Chuao chocolate bar on the shelf at a local retailer with the hashtag #ispy
2. Tag @chuaochocolatier
3. Use hashtags for the name of the #retailer, #city and #street.

For example: #ispy @chuaochocolatier #Target #Chicago #West33rdSt

The I Spy Chuao sweepstakes begins at 3 p.m. PST on May 10, 2013, and ends on May 24, 2013. A winner will be announced every day and awarded a gourmet Chuao Chocolatier chocolate bar. The grand prize winner will win a $250 gift card to the retailer tagged in their entry. Rules and regulations can be found on Chuao’s website at www.chuaochocolatier.com/blog.

To find Chuao Chocolatier closest to you, please visit the retail locator at http://chuaochocolatier.com/locations. Participants may set up an Instagram account for free by visiting www.instagram.com.

Where Can Your Eye Spy Chuao? Sweepstakes Howard House - Reviews and Giveaways

Now that Spring is here, many of us are thinking about Summer. We are thinking about how we are going to look in our swimsuits after being covered up all winter long. If you live in a place like Florida where the weather is always hot in the Summer, it’s nice when you are in shape. No one wants to cover up in the 100 plus degree weather but when you are not comfortable with your body, that is something you might feel you have to do. What can you do to avoid having to cover up all Summer? Why not try eating healthier.

It was with that thought in mind that I was excited when I was given the opportunity to review some Gorton’s products. Seafood is so light that you know you aren’t overdoing it on the calories. And Gorton’s has 20 products under 200 calories and there are tons of recipes on their site to use them in. We eat Gorton’s seafood and have food it to be good quality at a good price. When my little boy was younger he ate fish stick for a while. He went through a fish sticks phase when he loved fish sticks and ketchup.

Well, I decided to go for something a little more advanced than that. I decided to try the Skillet Crisp Tilapia with Sauteed Greens. I wasn’t really expecting my little boy to be a huge fan of the greens but I thought we’d give it a try. Guess what? He wasn’t a fan of the sauteed greens. However, my child is not a fan of anything green or any vegetable really. Unfortunately, they didn’t turn out as I was hoping. BUT that was my first time making sauteed greens and I’m willing to give it a try again. I totally would put my picture up but…well we won’t go there. Just imagine that mine turned out looking as good as the one that I’m going to put up for you. Look at what we had and try not to drool. And here’s the recipe, in case you wanted to give it a try.

Okay, so that’s not the one that I made but the folks at Gorton’s take pictures that are so much better than what I can do. Trust me. If you want to check out Gorton’s Pinterest page you can see many more recipes. Also, there are some weekly challenges on the Gorton’s Facebook page you might be interested in trying.

Let me tell you all that I got when I got my Gorton’s kit:

Five coupons for FREE Gorton’s products

A Gorton’s Apron

A Gorton’s spatula

2 Gorton’s oven mitts

And guess what? You have the chance to win the same kit. Awesome, right??? Just use the rafflecopter widget below to get your entries in! Hope you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and Giveaway: Gorton’s 20 Under 200 Howard House - Reviews and Giveaways

We recently had the chance to review some great items from Aurorae Yoga, if you missed our post on that, please check it out here. Aurorae has put together a Mother’s Day Prize Pack including their Harmony Lavender Candle and Micro Fiber Sport/Yoga Towel for the My Mom is the Best! Giveaway Hop hosted by Still Blonde after all these Years and Modly Chic. This giveaway will run from April 29 – May 7, enter on the Rafflecopter form below, then go down the links listed at the bottom of this page to find more great giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aurorae Yoga Mother’s Day Giveaway Howard House - Reviews and Giveaways

Subscription boxes are so much fun! Every month you can get goodies delivered to your door and discover new items that you never knew existed! Conscious Box is a subscription service for eco-friendly items.

Getting a monthly Conscious Box is the best way to discover the most ethical and sustainable products on the planet! Focusing on strict tenets of organic, fair trade, and pure and natural products, each month Conscious Box will introduce you to healthy and honest alternatives for every aspect of your life and for every member of your family. Discover the best natural products, earn points for leaving feedback and reviews, and buy your favorites at incredible discounts!

• Get a variety of unique pure & natural products every month!
• From organic food to vegan beauty products, you’re sure to find new favorites!
• Discover ethical and purpose-driven businesses of all sizes!
• Get content on daily living tips, exciting monthly themes, and creative ways to use your box!
• Easily earn points you can apply to full size products for unbeatable discounts!

Giveaway time! Enter to win a 3-month Conscious Box subscription ($59 value!) on the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will run from April 27 – May 2

Save on any Conscious Box subscription: 50% OFF discount with code LOVELIFE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Conscious Box 3 Month Subscription Giveaway Howard House - Reviews and Giveaways