SwimZip Giveaway!

If you haven't yet heard of SwimZip, head over to my feature + review post to learn a little more, and then come on back to enter this awesome giveaway!

Betsy at SwimZip is generously offering 1 reader of Breaking New Ground a $20 SwimZip gift card! 

This will be one of the quickest and easiest giveaways you've ever entered, so no excuses! Get clicking on the entry form below and I'll announce a winner next week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This contest begins Tuesday July 22nd and is open until midnight Monday July 28th. A winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. The winner will be announced here and notified by email at the address associated with their Rafflecopter entries. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to the email to claim their prize or an alternate will be chose.

Interested in seeing your product featured here, see the PR + Disclosures tab and contact Breaking New Ground by email to be considered. Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are my own.This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with, Facebook.  Click for additional disclosures and PR policies.

Questions, concerns, comments unrelated to the nature of this giveaway can be left on other generic posts or emailed to Breaking New Ground. 

Swim Zip Feature + Review

If you caught the episode of Shark Tank that I mentioned a few months back when I reviewed Freshly Picked, you'll likely remember another company that was featured that night, SwimZip. They make amazing UV protectant swimwear for the whole family and the tops all feature a zipper.

In creator, Betsy Johnson's words-

SwimZip is the UPF 50+ clothing brand people trust to keep themselves and their children sun safe. We feature our signature full zipper down the front of our rash guard shirts- they are so easy to put on and take off! Our swimsuits, swimwear, bathing suits and accessories are made with the best materials to our unmatched standards. SwimZip styles are one-of-a-kind, and we include a number of innovative design features. 

Head over to their about page for more about Betsy and how she started up SwimZip. 

SwimZip's clothing has been featured in a number of places, including the Today show. Everyone has rave reviews and I'm right there with them! Not only are their designs adorable, but the swimwear is functional.

We took his adorable set that SwimZip sent for a test run out in our backyard recently. Malakai is the ULTIMATE test of any type of clothing when it comes to comfort. He is very picky about what he will wear. Normally I can't get him in any shirts with buttons, zippers or collars. I had myself psyched up to talk him into putting on a shirt with a zipper, but he put his SwimZip top on with no hesitations and played without once complaining. I was totally shocked!

Goodness sakes, doesn't he look cute (and way too grown up) in the Surfer Dude set that SwimZip sent over?

{he has been so camera shy lately!}

I've struggled in the past with getting rash guards on my kiddos. My boys have been blessed with rather large noggins, so pulling something tight fitting over their head was always a chore. It's even worse trying to get them off when wet! When Malakai was still a baby we even had to cut the back of one of his swim shirts so we could get his head through! Zippered rash guards are genius! Malakai was able to get the shirt on and off by himself the first try!

This is a 5T set and is generously sized, but fits well. Unless he has a massive growth spurt I could see him wearing this next summer as well. Kai was able to move freely and comfortably even after the suit was wet. It didn't stick to him or become heavy after getting saturated like other suits do.

As I mentioned, after getting thoroughly drenched he was able to get the entire outfit off himself, no trouble. I wish I could say the same for Desmond. He tried to get his top off alone at first (he's in the "I'll do it myself" stage) but he could barely peel it off his belly. Once I got his arms out, we got pretty tuck at the head. It was difficult because of the tight fit, but also because it was sticking to his wet skin. It took us longer to get Desmond's rash guard off than it did for Malakai to get completely undressed and into the tub! I even tried taking photos to document my struggle with Desmond, but it was impossible to do both.

I adore SwimZip for their ease of use and the peace of mind with the UV protection they provide. I also can't get over all the adorable choices they offer. I think the Hang Ten set is perfect for Desmond and I would love to get the Ruffle Me Pretty suit for little sister next summer!

And now for the exciting news that I'm sure some of you are hoping for... Breaking New Ground will be hosting a SwimZip giveaway! Be sure to check back here next week!

first summer days

Of course I avoided all the sickness our household went through just to get something else during the first weekend of real summer weather. It has been in the 80's here, sunny and beautiful and perfect for a day by the pool or a stroll through the neighborhood in the evening.

Despite being sick, I did both of those things. I know I'm bad and it probably didn't help to subject myself to the Willamette Valley's infamous pollens, but I couldn't help myself. This weather could turn at any moment and we could have cloudy rainy days for the next 3 weeks. {no, that is not an exaggeration}

On Friday Ben came home from work early as he already had enough hours and some over time and I was struggling with my cold. I sounded (still do) like a frog man. So he brought me some decongestants and some propel and I vegged-out on the couch while he took over the care of the house and little mister.

When Malakai woke up from his nap we decided to take him to the park down the street. We lounged on our picnic quilt in the shade and Malakai got to swing, one of his favorite past times.

Ben and I love going on walks. When we were dating we used to stroll through the neighborhoods behind his apartment complex and daydream about what our house would be like some day. After enjoying the park we took the scenic route home and explored parts of the nearby neighborhoods we hadn't yet discovered. Malakai fell asleep in the stroller while Ben and I talked about the houses and yards that we liked or what we would do differently if they were ours. The conversations are similar, but mean something different now that we have our own place.

Saturday we slept in {after a rough night up with Malakai, something about the weekends...} and I once again took it easy as the nights and mornings seem to be when I feel the worst. We went to my in-laws for a belated Father's Day lunch. Malakai got more adventurous in the grass than he'd ever been before.

Sunday we went to church and after Malakai's nap we headed out to my parents' place to visit and take advantage of their pool while it was still hot outside. Malakai went on a floatie {isn't that what everyone calls them?} for the first time and really enjoyed himself overall. I think his swim lessons may really be helping him get used to being in a pool, yay!

That evening my mom made spaghetti so we let Malakai dig in. Another first for him. It was a lot of fun to see him eat and get so messy. He LOVED the sauce, he kept sucking it off of his fingers.

It was a wonderful weekend and although I'm still pretty sick, I'm glad I took advantage of the great weather instead of staying indoors.

Today I'm sitting out for swim and taking pictures of Ben + Malakai in the pool.

Keep checking back this week for a featured retailer and giveaway that I'm sure you'll just LOVE!