Why I Do This...

Recently, I was all flustered and embarrassed when talking to a friend about this little ole blog of mine and asked myself the question... Why do I blog? And not so much why do I blog? But why do I blog about my clothes?

Top: NY&Co

Pants: Kohls

Sandals: Shoedazzle

Note to self... Find another pose. This looking down thing is making your hair look rather poofy.

There are several reasons, I guess. Initially, I started blogging because I was bored at work. Yes, I did the majority of my blogging at work during my lunch break or when the workload was slow. Now, I can guarantee you there is never a dull moment in my line of work! Teaching third graders keeps me constantly on my toes... quite literally. It's incredibly fun, rewarding . . . and exhausting! So, yeah, no time for blogging on the clock.

I also first started blogging about my clothes because I needed something to pull me out of my wardrobe slump. I was about 9-ish months post-partum with my youngest daughter and was feeling like a frumpy mom of two. Knowing that I'd be snapping pics of my frumpyness helped me to see the clothes hanging in my closet (or more often than not, on the floor of my closet) in a new light. And it helped me to put a bit of effort into my outfits even though I was sleep deprived from one or the other of my kids getting up constantly throughout the night.

Then I really got into it. I mean, how much fun is it to meet people not just all over the country, but all over the world?!? And I liked sharing a little bit of my creativity with the world.

Necklace: Jackie's eBoutique

Bracelet & Ring: No idea...

But let me tell you... do I enjoy preening in front of the camera? Um, no. I'm especially uncomfortable when someone walks past right as I'm posing all prettily.  Can we say... AWKward! But it's fun to put my outfits out there on the world wide web and be critiqued.  I don't think it's vanity or being self absorbed... I certainly hope it isn't!  I tried blogging about a few things that are close to my heart, but that isn't my talent. Laughing at myself I can do. Talking about something serious and important... I just don't have the ability to make it sound as important as it really is.  So, instead of trying to talk about important things, I keep my posts about the superficial and hope that maybe some flustered mom out there will look at my blog and think... Well, if she can get dressed in an ensemble that is somewhat put together and stylish on 4.5 hours of sleep, then maybe I can too.

Okay, in reality, I'm getting more like 7-ish hours of sleep these days. But trust me, there are times when I get much less.  Ear infections, sore throats, nightmares, early morning runs... they all interfere with the perfect 8-hour night of sleep.  You know how it is!

Finally, my last reason for blogging is to ask for advice. There's often something that I wear over and over again . . . in the same way! So, I ask you how you would wear it and get all kinds of outfit inspiration.  Which brings me to my question of the day...

How else would you style these sandals? I'm stuck!

I'm linking up today with Monday Mingle, Still Being Molly, Sunday Style, Passion for Fashion and Watch What I'm Wearing.

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While you're here, don't forget to swing by and enter to win your own personalized Road ID bracelet! You only have until Wednesday!

Road ID Giveaway!

I am all kinds of excited to share some thrilling news with you! Road ID will now be traveling to various events around the country and making their personalized products available to you on site!

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Road ID Launches Mobile Engraving Trailer

San Francisco, CA – April 25, 2013 – Road ID, manufacturer of the premiere line of identification gear for outdoor athletes and enthusiasts, kicked off a major new marketing and sales initiative with the launch of their mobile engraving unit.

Dubbed the “Roadshow” -- a Road ID mobile design and retail center that will attend various running, cycling and triathlon events throughout the nation – the 28-foot trailer brings the Road ID e-commerce experience to hundreds of thousands of endurance athletes and kids, giving them the opportunity to customize and create their own personal safety identification.

“Our customers and social media followers have been urging us for years to attend the events in which they race,” said Road ID co-owner Edward Wimmer.

“And Road ID has grown to where we are today as a result of listening to their feedback. While we’ll never stop offering our product on the web, Roadshow offers that unique opportunity to connect with our customers directly. There’s something special about getting out and talking with people and hearing their questions that makes this more than just a sales and marketing opportunity.”   

Rock & Roll runner Angela Iwaniw, a Lakewood Ranch (Florida) resident who bought a Road ID at a recent event, said, “I had been meaning to purchase one for months and months.  I was training for my first Ironman, so I knew I needed to have one for safety, but I would get so busy with work and training that I never took the time to measure my wrist and get online to actually order one.  Being able to try on the bracelets, talk to someone about what I should put on my ID, and get the bracelet right while I waited made it easy. Getting my Road ID at the expo meant it was no longer another task on the long list of things to do.”

The Roadshow’s schedule will include nearly twenty events across the country, including the St. Jude Country Music Marathon in Nashville April 25-26; the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon May 3-4, the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon May 17-19, and the Rock & Roll Chicago Half Marathon July 19-20.  The Roadshow is also looking to fill out the second half of its 2013 event schedule with cycling and triathlon events like Levi’s Gran Fondo, Ironman Louisville and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

The Roadshow mobile engraving unit is the result of hundreds of hours of labor from the Erlanger, Kentucky-based enterprise and is comprised of a mobile engraving fulfillment center fitted into a highly-customized trailer.  At events, expo-goers utilize touchscreen ordering displays to create their personalized Road IDs. From finalizing their order on the display, it takes an average of five minutes to deliver the finished, customized product to the customer. The customer can opt to receive a text message or email when their order is ready for pick-up, and their name also appears on a monitor when it is complete.

The same laser-engraving technology used on web orders is utilized inside the Roadshow, and all ID styles available at RoadID.com are also available at the Roadshow.  The company also offers nearly their entire line of apparel and accessories -- from tech tees and race hats to Supernova lights, reflective belts and socks.

To learn more about Road ID and to see where the Mobile Roadshow will visit next, please visit www.RoadID.com/Roadshow.

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That's right, ladies! Road ID may very well be at your next race! If you haven't already gotten your own personalized Road ID, you could get one on site at your next race. 

If you'd like to win your own personalized Road ID, simply enter via the rafflecopter tool below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will be open until Wednesday, May 8th.  I'll announce the lucky lady (or gent) on Thursday, May 9th! 

Road ID Review & Giveaway

A man is running down a busy stretch of highway, training for his first marathon. Cars are zipping by. He's listening to his Ipod and is in the zone, two miles into his midweek run.  Suddenly, a car careens off the road and crossed his path about 20 feet ahead of him! A lady had a diabetic seizure while driving and lost control of her car.  Had he been just a few feet further into his run, he could have been severely injured and no one would have known to call his wife.  That guy? He was my husband and this actually happened a few years ago!

A little boy is happily playing at a crowded water park. Suddenly, he looks up and realizes that he can't find his parents.  He frantically races around, searching everywhere for his mom or dad. He finds an employee, but he's too young to remember his parents' phone numbers.  Meanwhile, the child is frightened and alone. The parents are probably somewhere in the water park, distraught at the thought that their child is missing.  I saw this take place just a few weeks ago at a water park. 

A woman gets up nearly every morning and runs before the sun even comes up.  Cars pass her without so much as a glance.  This girl wears reflective running gear, but it's possible that one day a car might not see her and could actually hit her.  That girl running bright and early in the morning so happens to be me. =)

And because this is a personal style blog:

Hat: Nike, Sports Authority

Shirt: Saucony, Running Wild

Shorts: Champion, Target

Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline 11, Running Wild

What is the common factor of these scenarios?  In each of these scenarios, had the person been wearing a Road ID, contacting their family would have been simple! Road ID is a band that is customized with your name, any phone numbers you want contacted in case of an emergency and any information you deem important. I am so incredibly excited to introduce you to this product! 

My husband is always training for something and is currently training for his first Ironman.  He wears his Road ID all the time! If he evers overexerts himself and passes out, I'll know right away.  If he (God forbid!) ever gets hit by a car, the paramedics will immediately know his name and who to call. 

If that little boy at the water park had been wearing a Road ID, the water park employee could have quickly called the little boy's parents and they would have been reunited within minutes.  My Little Guy (who is four) now has his own Road ID and he wears it every time we're out and about!

I also have my own Road ID and I love it! Not only is it cute (it's pink and I can change out the band to wear different colors!), but it's also practical! If anything were to ever happen to me while out running and I were unresponsive for some reason, the paramedics or people passing by would be able to quickly alert my husband. I also listed my allergies on the ID, so that I don't receive something to which I'm allergic. 

It's a brilliant concept, right? Typically, when you're involved in an outdoor sport, you don't really have a good place to carry ID. So, more often than not, rather than try to wedge your ID into your shoe or somewhere in your shorts, you just forego identification, because you think there's no need for it. However, there is a great need for it! When my husband almost got hit by a car, we realized that he needed a way to carry his ID asap and that is when we found Road ID!  I believe (and they do too!) that every runner, surfer, hiker, cyclist, outdoor enthusiast and child should be wearing a Road ID! 

And you know what?  Road ID wants to give one of YOU your very own Road ID and a Road ID t-shirt! I've got my own Road ID, but I don't have a shirt! So, you are very lucky indeed. =)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

Required Entry:
All you have to do is comment on this post how you would use your ID. Are you a runner, a hiker, a cyclist or a surfer?  Is there some other outdoor sport for which this Road ID might come in handy?  Are you a mom who plans to have one made for your child in case they ever wander off in the grocery store or at an amusement park?  Just tell me in a comment why you would use it!

For additional entries:
Follow Breakfast with Tiffany via GFC (there's a little icon in the left sidebar).
Like Road ID on facebook.
Like Breakfast with Tiffany on facebook.
Like Breakfast with Tiffany on twitter.
Tweet or post about the giveaway on facebook and leave the link in a comment.

Okay, so that gives you 6 ways to enter! Just leave me one comment telling me all the ways you entered!  This giveaway will be open through Tuesday, July 24th. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday, July 25th!

Now, if you want to get a Road ID now because you just can't wait until next week to find out if you won, or if you plan to get one for a few people in your family, Road ID has the following coupon code for the first twenty people to use it! It is ThanksTiffany16248814. It will take $1 off of your next order, which is like getting a band in additional color for free! This code is good for the next 30 days!

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The winner of my Monroe and Main giveaway is.... Shawna Michelle! I'll be emailing you shortly! =)

I'm linking up today with The Pleated Poppy and Transatlantic Blonde!

**This is a sponsored post. I was provided a RoadID to review, but the opinions  are 100% honest and completely mine!