I'm a wife, stay-at-home mom, crafter, and blogger living in rural New England. As seen in Martha Stewart Living, Food Network Magazine, and more! | Tutorials, DIY, crafts, parenting tips, recipes, money saving tips, product reviews, local product features, New England living, intentional living, and more! |
Despite what the three feet of snow in our yard says right now, Spring will be here soon! And Spring in New England means… Mud Season. You know, those weeks when everything is wet and muddy and you can’t get in your house without tracking buckets of mud and sand in. Thankfully Maine Rope Mats has us covered and was kind enough to send us one of their lobster rope doormats and give one away to a lucky follower too! | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review of product provided by Maine Rope Mats |
Trust us, you need a durable doormat year-round and especially during Mud Season - so why not make it fun and functional? Maine Rope Mats are all handmade in Waldoboro, Maine with colorful lobster fishing ropes in seemingly endless color combinations and designs to choose from; including flags, stripes, and the beautiful double-weave design we chose for our mat here.
These mats are made to last and will not rot, mildew, or fade and can easily be cleaned out with a garden hose (a must after the muddy season!). Maine Rope Mats also offers a line exclusively of recycled rope-only, which is a great way to re-use and recycle the lines that lobstermen can no longer use for their traps.
Maine Rope Mats also has lots of other great products made with lobster trap rope including dog leashes, baskets, bracelets, key chains, and dog toys - so many fun products to choose from!
We’re in love with our new Maine Rope Mat and are looking forward to using it and enjoying it for many years to come!
- I received this mat from Maine Rope Mats but all opinions expressed are my own. Please read our full Disclosure Policy for more information -
One year update…
Just wanted to hop on here real quick and add that we are still loving our Maine Rope Mat! In fact, we love it so much that I bought a second one in a different pattern for our back door too.
Those iconic L.L. Bean Boots - everybody's wearing them and everybody wants them, but sometimes they can be hard to find! They often go through periods of being backordered so I’d recommend buying early in the season so you don't risk having to wait. But before you order, be sure to read our review because there's some things you should definitely know first! | This post contains affiliate links |
Sizing
The sizing for
L.L. Bean's "Bean Boots" is definitely kind of tricky and I'd highly recommend trying them on in-store before purchasing, even if you're going to order them online (though, L.L. Bean does have a great return/exchange policy if you do end up ordering the wrong size online). Bean Boots only come in whole sizes and run BIG. For example, I typically wear a size 8-8.5 shoe but in Bean Boots I'm a size 7 and they still feel quite roomy. Keep in mind too if you typically wear a very small women's size shoe, you may need to check out the kid's sizes if you're unable to size down anymore in women's. When trying on the boots make sure to wear what kind of socks you're planning on using them with (whether it's regular thin socks or
thick ragg socks ), to get a better idea of the fit.
Women's Bean Boots come in two different rises too - 6" rise or 8" rise. Try both on to see what's more comfortable and what style you like better. I personally prefer the 8" rise - here in New England it's a bit more practical with the deeper snow in the winter and I also feel like it's the more classic style.
During Fall and Winter when there's a big rush on Bean Boots and it may be very difficult to find the exact style and size you want in-store or even online. You may need to shop around a bit to find what you're looking for.. or wait for your backordered item to come in. L.L. Bean Outlet stores can be a great resource too! Boots and other items that were ordered online and returned often end up at the outlets - and at a discount to boot! (Ha, couldn't pass up a boot pun.) In fact, I got my Bean Boots for 40% off at the outlets - now that's a great deal!
One thing to keep in mind about outlet shopping is that they will likely have a large selection of bigger sizes of Bean Boots, and less of the smaller sizes... this is because so many people mistakenly order their normal size without realizing how big they run. When I bought my Bean Boots at the Outlets, they had tons of sizes 8, 9, and 10 - and the ones I bought were literally the very last pair of size 7's.
If you decide to purchase your Bean Boots online, keep in mind that coupons or regular L.L. Bean sales may not apply to them because they're such a popular item - you may have better luck earning some rebate money back on your purchase with a program like
Rakuten (formerly called Ebates). L.L. Bean also has a great return and exchange policy, so if you buy online and it doesn't fit quite right, you should have no trouble exchanging for another size (just make sure to keep your reciept/packing slip for proof of purchase).
Styling
What doesn't go with Bean Boots? Seriously - just about anything goes with them (I've even seen people wear them to their wedding!). But really you can't go wrong with some fitted jeans, ragg socks, and a cozy pullover. I've linked to some of my favorite L.L. Bean looks below and all would look great paired with Bean Boots.
