You are all not strangers to the fact that I am now in love with Crocs. Yes, I am a convert who once swore to never wear a Croc. They are just way too comfortable NOT to wear people!

My husband has been obsessed with loved volleyball for as long as I have known him. Sand volleyball to be more precise. When we first met and were dating he would play several times a week. Obviously, mostly in the summer since we live in Ohio and there are only about 5 good months for playing sand volleyball. The other 7 months he played indoor ball just as often to “stay in shape”.

Over the years, his amount of time playing volleyball has decreased dramatically. Not because he doesn’t enjoy playing but because he values our marriage and our child over the sport. (Yes, and because his wife wasn’t too supportive of that habit). LOL.

April Ross serving. . .the Women's Final Winners in Cincinnati!

At any rate, one of the things that I have enjoyed about this love of volleyball is attending the annual AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) Crocs Tour that comes to Mason, Ohio (Cincinnati) every year during Labor Day weekend. There is always lots to do at the event and watching my husband swoon over the players and their abilities just plain makes me laugh. We have been to tournaments in the sweltering heat and we have been to tournaments where I was practically wearing a winter coat. The weather isn’t exactly “sand volleyball” heaven, if you know what I mean.

In the six years that we have been together we have only missed one year, that one was last year when Isaac was born two weeks before. So returning to the event this year was great fun. Crocs has always done a great job sponsoring the event and the players. If you have any desire to watch volleyball it is an awesome venue because you can watch the players up close, meet them, approach them even as they are walking around. And most of the time they are literally playing so close if you reached out your hand you could touch them.

Phil Dalhausser serving in the Men's Final match.

Ryan Mariano has been posting all of the great AVP Crocs Tournament updates and we even got to see him play a match on Friday. I was going to head over to talk to him about the tournament and his visit to Cincinnati but he had just lost a match so I wasn’t sure that he would be wanting to chat it up with me. He and his partner played well and Ryan did an awesome job signing shirts and chatting with the swarm of junior high girls that surrounded him after the match, but I just didn’t want to be intrusive. You can read more about the event from Ryan’s perspective here.

This year we enjoyed the tournament courtesy of Crocs. So thanks Crocs for a great time and a great venue! We love Crocs and we love the AVP, what a great weekend.

My precious Crocs Malindi's

However, I have switched to these comfys! Last March, I received my free Crocs from our Blissdom ’09 Swag Bag. Now, before you go thinking that they are paying me to write how great they are or that I feel guilty for getting free stuff and feel like I just need to promote them; let me give you a little “Tricia” history.

When Crocs came out many, many moons ago I can be quoted as saying something like “I will NEVER be caught dead in a pair of those! They are so ugly!” Seriously. I know, I know they have great new styles since the early days. I just am hard headed couldn’t be convinced. Even two years ago when I broke down and bought my husband a pair of AVP Croc sandals because he is obsessed in love with some AVP, I reminded everyone that even though it was against my “religion” to buy them, I was doing it for the love of my hubby.

So when I got the gift certificate at Blissdom ’09 I was a bit torn. I knew what my internal montra said but those Malindi’s were looking pretty cute. So I broke down and gave them a try. Oh, why did I wait so long people? These things are AMAZING. I do absolutely love them. In fact, when I went to buy a swimsuit for vacation I was trying to decide between colors. I really wanted the brown but it wasn’t going to match the black crocs I had bought. What is a girl to do? So I bought both swimsuits (brown and teal) and said I would just have to go get myself a brown pair of Crocs.

Olivia

Well, apparently now I don’t have to even do that. The fabulous Amy sent George, the great Crocs God, our Dayton Mom’s Nite Out video and he is sending us a free pair! Seriously! I’m in love! I am having a hard time choosing. You know I wanted to splurge and get an expensive pair but I just love the Malindi so much. I think the frugal practical me will win out and I will try for the Olivia in brown this time. (As a side note, hubs keeps trying to talk me into getting him a pair instead of me and I keep saying – no. Man, I really am eating my own words aren’t I?)

As for cooking, in April I wore this pair for our cooking extravaganza. I loved them. They were so comfortable, my feet didn’t hurt one bit at the end of the day. I also loved them because I didn’t have to wear socks with them like I do my tennis shoes which meant that my feet could “breath” throughout the day and I didn’t overheat. Not to mention my precious toes were protected from Cortney’s pension for “dropping” everything things.

So thanks George, thanks Crocs. Readers, if you have a pair of Crocs in your closet, dig them out for you next cooking day. If you don’t have a pair? I recommend the Malindi personally!