Growing Pains

“Mommy I want to wear it, I want to wear it Noooowwwwww,” my Juno wails tears exploding down both cheeks. We’re about 20 minutes into this performance and  I’m kind of blind-sided. Before we left the store I thought me and my 3 year old had a totally legitimate discussion about not wearing her Halloween costume until Halloween.

The second we get into the car I find myself in the midst of total toddler meltdown. I have a teensy-weensy wiggling feeling in the back of my mind that buying a princess dress from the store and being able to wait two entire weeks to wear it might be a trifle more challenging for a three year old than I had first anticipated.  Somehow I thought she would be totally satisfied to hold the box containing the princess dress in her hands, admire it while fondly anticipating the day she would make her entrance as Princess Juno at her Halloween Party.

Okay I was acting totally, completely, utterly cray. Was I drunk? high? insane?

That aside by now we are about 20 minutes into this full-scale meltdown and I’ve never seen anything like it. I expect it to subside in about 10 minutes and cheerio we can go home and have a hot chocolate but no cigar. I‘m extremely tempted to give in at this point but my higher self prevails and I realize to do so would go against the advice of every parenting book every written; I envision myself being publicly dunk-tanked by Super Nanny.

In desperation I contemplate distractions I can offer: playdo, painting, tablet, tap dance anyone? Should we go for lunch? Would it be wrong if I let her wear the dress for just today?

Yes.

At this point the decibel level is really starting to grate on me and with each new wail I feel my emotional tank slowly draining; I briefly envision myself running far, far away……very, very fast. I think of the chocolate bar I have hidden from my husband deep in the freezer.

Its really hard to let those we love most in the world feel pain.We live in a world where there are literally thousands of distractions from uncomfortable emotions; we have tablets, cell phones, games, apps, fast food, wine, cheap toys and of course there’s always Netflix. Instinctively as parents we want to protect our children from all possible hurt.

But its completely inevitable that our kids are going to have letdowns and if we always distract them from their uncomfortable emotions how will they ever become resilient adults ready to take on life’s challenges instead of always seeking to avoid possible hurt in every circumstance.

My daughter continues to sob “I want to wear it” over and over for probably about 100 more times. I breathe through it allowing her to feel the full depth of her pain with every shaky sob.  When she awakens  I know the first words out of her mouth will be “I want to wear the dress,” but she will want it a little less. She will have processed her disappointment instead of being unable to withstand the pain of it.

And at the end of the day just having this experience together is the most valuable thing we could do together. We’ve each grown a little; it usually hurts a bit.

You know how you always feel a bit better after a good cry? Well in this moment I find myself wrapped in gratitude instead of discomfort. I hope we will have many more moments, exactly like this. In fact, I find myself looking forward to it.

The Home and Happy Housewife

Delicious Sugar-Free Banana Pancakes with Date Syrup

So the Sugar-Free Battle? Am I winning the WAR (and people its like a real war zone here let me tell you)? Sugar gave meaning to my day; it was like that little treat I looked forward to consistently each day so I seriously felt like I did when I had to quit smoking with my firstborn...total withdrawl - yeah it was bad people.

I won't say that there haven't been weak moments; I won't say I haven't succumbed to temptation and had the odd bit here and there (like an unfinished child's ice cream cone - oh yeah I did the that). However overall I have made a drastic transformation in the amount of sugar I consume. How hard it has been has convinced me what a drug sugar is. The first week is the hardest and then it gets easier and easier.

However you have to find something to substitute. The hard part for me is in the middle of the afternoon and the evening. I make a half pitcher of vegetable juice with a bit of fruit and greens in it. This makes me feel super-powered. You want to change your habits you need to find a substitute whether it is drinking water or fruit juice, chewing gum, painting toenails, etc. And you have to keep it up for 30 days because that is how long it takes to change your habits. And you gotta keep moving forward and get over your messups and mishaps. Just try to do better the next day!

So that being said my sugar-free recipe of the week is pancakes! Yay! Who doesn't like them some pancakes?

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I make a big batch of these with "help" from kids and we put a piece of saran wrap in between each one and throw them in a zip-lock into the freezer for a quick microwaveable breakfast during the week (Not the best but hey you gotta give youself some leeway for those weaker mornings during the week). My recipe uses barley and whole wheat flour and doesn't sacrifice any of the fluffy factor of white flour.

Going sugar-free myself has meant big changes in the amount of sugar my kids consume in their diets as well as mine - and that is that little carrot that keeps me going!

 Sugar Free Barley Whole Wheat Pancakes with Date Syrup

1/2 cup barley flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP baking powder
1 pureed mashed banana
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk(or milk or milk substitute)
2 TBSP coconut oil(or grapeseed or other light oil)
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch nutmeg

1) Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg.
2) Beat eggs and mix together with milk, banana, oil and vanilla.
3) Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until mixed together
4) Heat pan over medium heat with 1 TBSP coconut oil or other oil or butter.
5) Cook until bubbles appear and then flip.
5) Puree 1/2 cup dates with just enough water to allow it to mix into a syrup like paste.
6) Serve pancakes with date syrup.

I'm not saying this is I-HOP quality, but it is seriously a pretty delicious recipe if you are going sugar-free. Kids love love loved it too!!! Did I mention I'm down two pounds this week?

xoxo

The Home and Happy Housewife

Amazing Sugar Free Banana Bread Muffins - Yum!

These Muffins are deeeelish and frankly they're getting me through the HARD HARD sugar free-times right now; they're my crutch. They are totally sugar free without any stevia, honey or artificial sweetners.  I don't have a problem with stevia generally, but if you start using it to sweeten up everything all the time it just seems like you aren't getting that far from the issue. Good quality raw honey is a good choice for baking and sweetening if you aren't going sugar-free. You can find some good deals on it if you buy it in larger quantities. Always remember that foods in their natural state are great but once you start heating them and processing them and refining them they quickly lose their food value (even so called "natural foods"). And seriously unless you are looking for a dose of cancer please don't use artificial sweetners EVER. 'Nuff Said.

Now back to these delicious muffins. They are  amazing. My entire family LOVES them (include that grinch my anti-health hubby....ha ha...jokes). I just baked them yesterday and they have all been gobbled up. THESE ARE A MUST MAKE: they don't even taste like they don't have sugar in them. So without further ado:

AMAZING Sugar-Free Banana Bread Muffins:

3/4 cup barley flour
3/4 whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 very ripe bananas
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil (you can substitute grapeseed oil)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1) Mash your bananas up, blend or mix with the vanilla, egg and coconut oil

2) Mix your dry ingredients including the spices
3) Fold your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until mixed.
3) Spoon into a greased muffin tin or into cupcake cups in a muffin tin (saves scrubbing) - makes about 8.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 21 minutes until just starting to brown on the tops, or do a toothpick test.

EAT, EAT, EAT - try not to eat them all! Yum. Not gonna lie I ate like 5 yesterday. They freeze well and if you have kids these are a great one for them to take to school because they have no nuts!

xoxo

The Home and Happy Housewife

Cheap Raw, Natural, Organic, Vegetarian, Protein Powder - Stop Paying High Prices for "Organic!"

Ever the impure purist, I'm a part-time vegetarian and raw foodist. Ha ha. I do eat meat mostly chicken and turkey but not alot of it and always focus on raw fruits and vegetables in my diet. I married a total meat and potatoes carnivore, so I feel like our household at present is about as healthy as it can get. My hubby has come a looooong way. I don't think I could ask him to give up all meat. Its also an issue of time: its really fast for me to prepare a healthy meal that involves meat and vegetables, whereas vegetarian food does require more preparation  and doesn't meet my protein needs for the kind of training I'm currently doing.

That being said when it comes to my protein I feel that Raw Organic (if possible) Vegetarian Protein is just a cleaner, healthier, more alkaline protein in my opinion. I guess I would consider meat a "dirtier" protein. 

A raw protein like hemp is a complete protein thats really easily digested by your body, ditto for brown rice protein. I love mixing Manitoba Hemp 50 (raw - but not organic)  
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with Growing Naturals Vanilla Raw Organic Brown Rice Protein <iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=naturalbitch-20&o=15&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00CVVG082&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

I have searched high and low and compared ALL natural vegetarian brands across the spectrum (Vega, MRM Veggie Delight, Nutiva, Sunwarrior, etc) and this makes the cheapest, healthiest protein I can muster without breaking the bank (lets face it protein is expensive if you are using alot of it). The Growing Naturals is about $50 for 2 lbs but its still coming in slightly cheaper than Vega which isn't raw (about 30%), or entirely organic, and does list a lot of ingredients outside of the basic protein. They both pack about the same protein punch per serving (24 g). My goals here are raw, organic, natural, vegetarian and high protein. I like to have a little bit of flavor to mix with the hemp as the nutty taste can kill you when you are consuming it 3 times a day and I don't always want to mix it with a banana and juice (especially if you are watching carbs at all). I also feel it is good to get a bit of a variety of protein.

The 2.2 kg. tub of Manitoba Hemp that I buy for $60 off amazon is not technically organic but it is really, really affordable. Interestingly enough their website claims: "Our natural products come from seed that’s grown conventionally. No pesticides or herbicides are licensed for use with hemp, so the plants themselves are not sprayed." 

So to my understanding all hemp products in Canada would technically be organic...as no persticides or herbicides can be used according to the law. Good to know, good to know. When looking at hemp products in Canada I guess you don't have to be picky about paying extra for organic. Now theres a life hack that I love! I challenge you to find a cheaper, raw, vegetarian, natural, organic protein with a bit of flavor to it.  If you do, please let me know!

To check out more of my favourite, natural and healthy protein powders at great prices, check out:
http://astore.amazon.ca/naturalbitch-20

xoxo

The Home and Happy Housewife

30 Days No Sugar for a Full-Fledged Sugar Addict

Home Sweet Home Sweet Home Sweet Sugar. I love me some sugar. Hollarrrrr!

 As long as I can remember I've always had a sweet tooth. My Mom always put like a butter tart or hostess cupcake or one of those awesome fruit pies that you buy at the gas station in my lunch (lets face it she was an awesome Mom but not much of a baker). 

When I lived in Vancouver - serious capital of coffee shops with amazing cinnamon buns and ginormous muffins - I truly put on the like the Freshman 25 due to all the temptation that was before me. I was a twiggy kid so I never had to worry about what I was putting in my body until I hit my 20s (I remember eating a chocolate bar, bag of chips and a Fruitopia for breakfast in High School on a routine basis). Suddenly I was this young girl ready to take on the world but my body was sabotaging me....and I couldn't understand it.

Luckily I was able to learn about true health and I was able to reprogram myself to love the taste of healthy foods and vegetables. However to this day I am still a sugar addict. You wouldn't know it - its balanced by my love of working out and nutritious food like salads and protein shakes but put a bag of cookies in my house or a cheesecake and it will disappear, faster than I'd like to admit. I survive by keeping household sweets to minimum but I would say I definetely eat at least one sweet treat (or two!) each day. 

I don't drink, I am a very healthy eater and currently I'm powerlifting (after a stint of crossfit) which has brought some amazing changes to my body, but I'd really like to see how I look and feel without sugar. Recently I read Cameron Diaz's book "The Body Book" which is fabulous. 

Its really no-nonsense and common sense and just gives you a wake-up call like "Hey I know I'm a Hollywood celebrity but I don't look like this purely due to genetics. I actually don't eat crap. I eat to fuel and respect my body." She eats meat, and whole grains and fruit, but very minimal sugar (no artificial sweetners which skew your sense of what sweetness should actually taste like), lots of vegetables, good fats, lots of protein - but proper portions of meat, no carbs late in the day, fruit for sweet tooth cravings. She packs her own food everywhere so she'll be prepared (like we're talking cold rice and beans in tupperware). I always had this vision of Hollywood celebrities getting to eat at really awesome restaurants all the time and having personal chefs whipping up amazing food, swigging back champagne. 

Not so, not so. They have to work hard and they brown bag it just like the rest of us.

So hey I'm not saying I'll never hork back a ginormous piece of cheesecake again in my day but lets try this and see where it leads. 30 days no sugar for a full-fledged sugar addict (and I’ll throw in no eating after 7:30 just for fun). I'll take before and after pics(did I really just say that?) and keep you posted. If you want to jump on board send me a shout out in the comments. Be prepared: I expect some weak and dire moments. And you know misery loves company.

xoxo

The Home and Happy Housewife.

Quick Recap 

1) No sugar (this includes white breads and pastas as well, because these are immediately turned into sugar when you eat them. I won't exclude fruit because it isn't the same as refined sugar)
 2)No food after 7:30 p.m. in the evening.

Thats it!

WEEK SO FAR

Day 1: No sugar, however piece of late night cheese. Bahahahaha...its true! 
Day 2: No sugar, however ate after 7:30 p.m. - so far the late nite eating is killing me! Tonight I will succeed!

Why Its Time To Check Out Crossfit!

A Better Butt than This! (Freephotos.net)

1) The Butt You've Always Wanted: People who crossfit have the best derrieres. Just Sayin'.

2) Christmas Abbott - be you guy or girl, She's Hot. Nuff said (google it).

3) Get out of Your Cardio Rutt (I don't mean to call you out but we both know its not working). Stop spending hour upon boring hour on the treadmill trying to kill calories and start getting in shape sister!

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4) Personal Training - without paying someone the big bucks; A new challenging workout every day with an entire community to motivate you.

5) Its Addictive. Ever had that problem before....Being addicted to your exercise program?

6) Theres No Excuses. You can do a crossfit workout at home or on the road with little to no equipment. 

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7) Break Through Your Plateaus. You will always make gains with crossfit. You will also almost always be sore (but thats how you know its working).

8) You will Eat Better. You just will. You didn't work that hard doing 150 wall balls to go out and down a double cheeseburger or eat half a cheesecake at 10 p.m.

Freephotos.net

9) You'll stop weighing yourself and start counting how many burpees and double unders you can do

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10) The Group Dynamic: you will always push yourself harder in a crossfit class than you will doing the same workout that you've been doing every day for the last 3 months. I guarantee it.

"Gee Doris I've been doing my workout every day. How come its not working?"(Freephotos.net)

11) You'll do things you never thought possible. You will see a workout written on a board. It will seem impossible. But you will do it. Because it is written (and hey you can't exactly leave halfway through).

Freephotos.net

12) Guy or Girl, It will make you feel powerful to Lift Big

13) You will have the Best "Crossfit High."

14) You will be in the Best Shape of your life (while likely spending less overall time working out!)

Check out Crossfit. It Rocks!

The Home and Happy Housewife

Suck It Up, and Down a Green Smoothie!

Over Christmas we watched a number of documentaries including "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" which I definitely recommend. The star of the film sat on a precipice - he could change his eating habits and live, or continue on his path and die young. What struck me about the film was the sense of entitlement to eat shitty food. Many of those interviewed felt that they would rather eat crappy food and die young leaving behind children and spouses because they were unwilling to change their habits, because it took too much willpower to be healthy and they were somehow ENTITLED to eat crappy food (this sense of entitlement that you see everywhere in the Western world may be at the heart of the obesity epidemic we are battling!)

The overweight man embarked on a 60 day juice fast - pretty extreme but by the same token what he had done to his health was pretty extreme as well and really did call for some drastic measures. Nothing but juice for 60 days! It made me feel appreciative of my own health, and also reminded me that it probably wouldn't be that painful for me to throw in a couple of green smoothies a day - that maybe didn't taste the greatest (by that I mean on par with a booster juice or your favourite protein shake recipe) but that were super-good for me.

I already eat a ton of vegetables but this spot-shot of extra green and protein goodness is a great addition to my diet, very affordable and awesome for the Mom on the run. Plus if I eat a crappy dinner or have an overindulgent day I feel I can redeem myself by upping my green smoothie quota.

Cheap Raw Food Green Protien Smoothie:

Basic Recipe

1 small gala apple
1/2 cup apple juice
2 - 4 TBSP raw pumpkin seeds
3 spears celery 1/2 cucumber
2 cups + of greens of your choice
sprinkle of sea salt

There are many variations on the greens: kale, swiss chard, spinach. I pack as many in as I can fit. I always add a couple of spears of celery and up to a full cucumber if I have it on hand to make it more filling (sometimes I thicken it up with some avocado). Then for sweetness I usually use about a 1/2 cup of flash pasteurized apple juice (not the greatest, but its a conduit for all this other great stuff and it really is super-quick and convenient). The sprinkle of sea salt is key, sounds counterintuitive but it actually acts to sweeten up the whole shake (like a shake of salt in oatmeal).Then I put in about 2 - 4 TBSP of raw pumpkin seeds, or another great source of raw protein.

On a SIDEBAR - RAW PUMPKIN SEEDS - one of the greatest and cheapest sources of raw protein that ever lived. About 18 grams of protein in 200 calories of seeds! That beats even hemp which is also an amazing source of raw protein and super-energizing, chia seeds and flax come next. I think its great to include a range of protein sources - plus all of these seeds have great health benefits. If you are always making the same smoothie with say kale and hemp seeds you are mono-dosing yourself with nutrients. Its like my skin care regimen - some days I use coconut oil other days, olive oil, sometimes argon oil - it pays to mix it up so that you are getting different things from different sources (on a sidebar coming next, my complete, natural, DIY, home skincare regimen!)

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my green smoothie recipe. If you are having trouble motivating yourself remember, at least you don't have to drink nothing but juice for 60 days! Suck it up! Your health will thank you.

Cheers,

The Home and Happy Housewife

My Breakup Letter to Lululemon

Dear Lulu,

I'm breaking up with you. Don't get me wrong, I believe we've had a good run together: those early awkward years in college when the freshman ten were upon me and none of my clothes fit except my old faithful lulus, not to mention how a fresh outfit always got me back to the gym after a bad breakup. I appreciate that in an "Aritizia-esque" way I can go into your store anytime and am basically guaranteed to find something that looks great on me.

"Its Not You, Its Me Lulu...." (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Understand that "its not you, its me." I still have absolute faith in your product, and love the choice of color and the super-flattering, ultra-functional high-quality designs. But I gotta say Lulu, I no longer love shelling out $100 or $100 plus for a pair of workout pants. Yes I know they last forever - I could literally send them through the dryer for like the next four years (like that chair you see being sat on every 3 seconds at Ikea). I have tops from like 8 years ago that are still totally wearable...

However times have changed, Seeing your logo no longer sends a chill down my spine. I've got a mortgage to pay now. Don't get me wrong I'm a stay-at-home Mom and workout addict so the yoga pant is like a uniform for me. However the days of your competition having nothing to offer but racks of ill-fitting too-tight workout clothing are over. There's now an abundance of online shopping with free shipping. Great workout fashion is now available at an affordable price, oh and I'm not obligated to wear it for the next 8 years because I paid such an exhorborant price for it, or wash my workout gear multiple times a week because I spent so much on a few pivotal pieces that I don't have enough to go around.



"Okay Its You Too, You've Changed Lulu!" (FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

When I say its ENTIRELY me, I'm not ENTIRELY telling the truth. You've changed. You used to be my cool West Coast vice no one knew about. I would return from Vancouver in my hip and unique Lulu Athletica attire and people would ask me where I got it and mispronounce your name when I told them. Then you went West. You opened a flagship store in - gasp - Calgary. Pretty soon everyone in Western Canada was rocking your designs (I won't even mention what happened in the Okanagan), no longer - what felt like - just an ultra cool Pamela Anderson and myself. 

Our relationship just didn't feel special anymore. While still luxury you became mainstream and "common" when EVERYONE started wearing you......(Don't feel bad Lulu, the same tragedy befell Louis Vutton).

But you got SO mainstream I actually see straight men wearing you now.....

I hate to even bring it up Lulu but you must admit we've had some rough patches, there was the whole see-through pant incident we won't speak about, the time you rolled all your sizing back so a six became and 8, a 4 a 6 and so one and so forth (if you don't remember this thats how far back me and Lulu go!), oh and the fact that you used to make all of your clothing in Vancouver Canada before you sold out of your pseudo-spiritual mandate and started mass-producing it all in China, land of no costly human rights regulations (and charging even more for it!)

Its not that I don't still love you Lulu. I will always have a place for you in my heart. I'll pay good money for what is unique and good quality, but I feel like a fool paying $70 for a different color variation of a shirt every girl in my crossfit class owns. When I can shop C9 at Target and buy 10 comparable items for the price of your two, its a total deal-breaker. The other day I complimented my girlfriend on a pair of workout pants and she told me a girl at her gym sewed them custom for her - for $60!!

Bottom line is, you did this to yourself Lulu. You got so huge so fast and you decided to jack up all your prices and forget about all the little people that believed in you and supported you along the way. So I'm on to find the next thing...

Its not that I still don't want to see eachother on occasion, but I will no longer allow myself to pursue you with such single-minded abandon. You ain't my ball and chain no more Lulu! When someone tells me with pride what a "Lulu junkie" they are,| I think to myself: I hope you'll be really happy together, because you and Lulu deserve eachother.

Love,

A Former Lulu Addict

 

(FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

 

Tips Every Fashionista Needs to Follow to Shop Successfully Online

Its January and time for us all to return to the gym. What can be better motivation than brand new workout gear?

More and more people are turning to online shopping. There are some amazing deals to be found out there not to mention that shopping online gives you access to such an array of merchandise and is so convenient for those that live in more rural areas or don't have the flexibility to get to a mall and dedicate a day to shopping (hullo Moms!). With trepidation, I shopped online for workout gear for the first time ever before Christmas and had such a great experience. But I definitely did my homework first. I seriously probably put about 3 hours into making my order come true, being a perfectionist I wanted it to be perfect and it was.

The end result:
Two pairs of workout pants
One workout skirt
Two super-stylish post-workout pullovers
Four workout tops
Equals $150 with shipping.

I was super happy with the quality and fit of all my workout clothes, and let me say for the record I am a recovering Lulu junkie.

So without further ado, here are some great tips to make your online shopping experience a success.

1)Be Resourceful. Don't be afraid to compliment someone and ask them where they got something. Most people will cheerfully volunteer this information. More and more often I find the answer is online.

2) Do your homework. Read, read, read. Google and read some more.

3) Read reviews for each and every item you are thinking of purchasing. Don't ever order anything with less than 4 out of 5 stars. Reviewers will often volunteer information on sizing and fit as well that you don't want to miss.

4)If you aren't sure about the quality of a line or product google it. Someone out there in internetland has an opinion about it. I guarantee it.

5) Give yourself a reality check. Sure it looks great on the model. Will it look great on you(and your problem areas - lets face it we all have them)? Are you ordering 2 because you love the piece or because its just so gosh darn cheap.

6) Put your order together and save it. Look at it the next day, make changes. Keep it in your cart up to 2 weeks while you review and revamp it. This is how you will be most happy with your order. If you impulsively send off your order on the first night you wont put the same thought and care into it. You don't want to have to send things back; you end up paying so much its not worth it. Get things right the first time.

7) If you aren't happy with an item you received, drop your pants a bit on the price and put it up for sale on kijjiji or a local buy and sell facebook page. You are better off selling it a bit cheap to someone than going through the hassle and expense of sending it back.

7) Before checking out, google "coupon code." You can often find an online coupon that will give you an addition 5% + off of your order.

7) Get a U.S. P.O. Box and ship to it. Or use a receiving service in the U.S. Ordering online from the States and having it shipped to Canada will often make a small order run almost double in price. Often times a border guard will just wave you through with your parcel from the States.

8) Wait until you need/want enough clothing to total $50 or $75. You'll likely get free shipping. A smaller order is going to add up with additional shipping charges and probably not be worthwhile unless it is a specific item you are looking for.

9) Make sure you are purchasing from a legit and reputable seller. Seems like a no-brainer but lots of people get bamboozled online. Look at logos and web ips. Do more googling to find a legit seller rating; don't just accept what it says on the site. Also make sure your payment is secure.

Have fun, be safe, and make sure you mention your order to hubby before it arrives (if you'd expect him to do the same): "By the way...." 

Love,

The Home and Happy Housewife

　

Melt-in-your-Mouth Incredible Whipped Shortbread Recipe.

Okay predominantly I mean MELT- IN-MY-MOUTH shortbread, since I pretty much polished off most of a single batch myself and had to go back and make a triple batch to ensure I would have an adequate supply for the holidays.

Prepare youselves. We are going totally old-school. A great shortbread recipe is definetely a kick-back from the eighties when it was totally acceptable to say put lard into your baking. I was looking for some lard - ha ha LARD - for my Moms amazing super-short pasty crust and I realized that they actually dont even sell lard anymore its that politically incorrect.

Anyways when you make shortbread you can't be worried about like being healthy and calories and s$%t like that. You gotta go all the way baby! Think about it like a moment of full frontal nudity in a movie. Yeah. Thats how you want your shortbread. No holding back. We're going for it here folks.

So without further ado, here is a great 4 ingredient whipped shortbread recipe, super easy to make, and absolutely melt-in-your mouth incredible. These are the cookies that make your mother-in-law take a bite and s^&t her pants. Yeah, I said s%&t twice in this posting about shortbread. This shortbread is seriously the s$%t though. It makes me act like I have turrets syndrome. So get ready, without further ado here it is just in time for the holiday (as in about 7 days before Christmas - perfect timing if you are a procrastinator like me!)

Totally Old-School Incredible Whipped Shortbread

1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Cornstarch

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and cornstarch gradually. Beat continuously until light. Drop by teaspoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes. Tada!
 

DIY Ombre Haircolor - Natural Results at Home

Yes,
admittedly doing your own hair is not always a great idea. I have experienced it all, the good, the bad the ugly. There was the time my Mom convinced me that she could give me that great Michelle Phypers haircut from "Dangerous Minds." No offense Mom, but not so, not so! I have been doing foils for other people for a long time using - gasp - tin foil and a good old fashioned paint brush, and achieving -gasp - quite professional results.

Because I'm a stay-at-home Mom I really don't have the time to visit the salon on a monthly basis, and usually get impatient and end up coloring and hacking my own hair. The ombre hair trend appeals to me because it is definitely low maintenance and far from a drastic transformation, while still giving you that look update that makes you feel trendy and womanly.

I was inspired by Jessica Biel's natural look - just google it for a look her stylist is amazing. I bought a Blondissma highlighting kit, and about a one inch paint brush. I separated my hair into two sides as though I were about to braid it. I painted on about the bottom 3 inches of the underlayer. My technique was akin to putting a light sloppy coat of paint on - you don't want it totally uniform; you also want to start by pressing lightly with the brush and then putting more color on the ends (you can even go back and add more color after about 10 mins to say your last inch of hair) to achieve that ombre highlight effect. I pulled some longer strands from the inside layer near the front and painted them through starting at about chin level to the end of each strand using the same technique of starting lightly and focusing the color on the ends. I did probably about 6 to 8 of these per side.

The beauty of this look is that the color you do on the inside, will show through in  a really natural way on the outside layer. I was so happy and pleased with my results. I don't think I could have done better by visiting a salon. This gives me a fashionable, low-maintenance look. I blow dry my bangs, let the rest of my hair dry naturally, curl my fringe and wrap a few sections at the front around the barrel of a curling iron. Ta Da! Ready to hit up playgroup (and rock it hard)!



When you apply the bleach to the last 3 inches of hair focus the color on the ends to achieve the ombre effect



Do about 6 to 8 strands each inner front side, starting around chin level and focusing the color on the ends

 

When you apply the bleach to the last 3 inches, strive for irregularity not perfection.

So pretty! So natural. Perfection!

Attack of Emilio Reggio

You've heard of it all I'm sure: Montessori, Emilio Reggio, attachment parenting, there are so many different schools of thought when it comes to a child's upbringing and development. Recently our local parentlink centre (a free local program that has daily programs you can bring your five an under children to) reopened their doors at a new venue complete with Emilio Reggio nature room.
This means using natural elements as much as possible - wood, stone, glass, and white color. All battery operated toys are out and they try to stay away from plastic as well. So lots of wooden toys, blocks, etc., a light table - still some plastic toys and things like playdo. But the emphasis is on open-ended imaginative play.

I was totally inspired by the feel of the room as soon as I walked into. I felt relaxed, at peace. My children behaved better. I went home a woman on a mission, and cleared our house of all battery operated toys. My husband caught me later that afternoon, spray-painting white bins from our playroom (a project that really wasn't one of my better ideas - I don't recommend it!) I am a total perfectionist, so I had to remind myself that I could start gradually moving towards Emilio Reggio without throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and by slowly incorporating natural elements into my children's room. I couldn't quite get hubby onboard with putting a full-sized tree branch up in the kids room - but I'm still working on it.

Without spending a lot of money upfront, slowly moving battery toys out to the garage, and shopping around online at used sites, visiting thrift stores etc., picking up interesting objects that we find outside, we are making the transition. I still have plastic toys around if they can serve a creative purpose and be a part of open-ended play. I am much more "thoughtful" about the toys I bring into our home now, but I also keep an open mind. We have wooden puzzles, wooden puppet stand and an all-wooden grocer's stand, but we also still have a plastic play-kitchen and my son still has his cars and Thomas the Tank engine - complete with wooden track which totally justifies the whole operation.

Even my husband, a somewhat skeptical - yet bless him silent - observer of the whole operation commented how much more peaceful our house is with the absence of battery operated toys.


Ever the impure purist,

Yours Truly,

The Home and Happy Housewife

The Best Things in Life are Free -or Extremely Cheap! Summer Fashion Finds and Favourites

Have you heard the expression The Best Things in Life are Free. Well the coolest clothes can also be extremely cheap. I love finding things at thrift stores and garage sales. I think it really makes you think outside of the box and get creative about fashion, and that is where the best outfits arise from (I also love love the clearance aisle at Winners!). These are a few of my finds this summer. The average pricetag is $2 - $5.

Saks Fifth Avenue Hat

Leather, never worn. I pledge to rock these babies hard.

Timberlands!!. The perfect pair of slightly worn summer loafers. They complete me.

Leather Hippie Purse. Perfect for rocking that Emo Boho look  all over town - and yes those are mushrooms on it!

Forever Summer Salad

So Yum. And simple: spinach, apple, pineapple, cucumber, snap peas, feta and sunflower seeds with a simple honey vinegarette - 2 TBSP olive oil, 1 TBSP vinegar, 2 tsp honey, and some light salt and pepper. I ate it and almost forgot it was cold outside.

Easy, Cheap and Fail-Proof Natural Homemade Sunscreen

Make your own sunscreen using 4 or 5 basic ingredients.

My husband was pretty skeptical when I informed him that from this day forward I would forever be making my own sunscreen. I imagine he had visions of me in safety goggles messing around with powdered chemicals in our kitchen…

”Its because you read that Jessica Alba book right? The Honest Life??” he questioned

“I can understand how you would think that. Its not so much that I read it – I don’t even like Jessica Alba that much….” I struggled to explain.

“Let me guess then, its more that she validated some of the ideas you already had?”

``Basically…Yeah.`

Well homemade sunscreens have been getting a bad rap lately. I can understand why doctors and health professionals probably are hesitant to recommend that we all start mixing up sunscreen in our kitchen blenders - probably not a great idea when you are dealing with potentially dangerous substances like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that could be harmful if say ingested or left laying around. Plus who knows what adverse reactions could occur if people really started to experiment. I mean after all, we really aren’t a bunch of chemists.

That being said, I am not comfortable with the alternative of purchasing commercial sunscreen. And I am not comfortable with the price of "natural" (which for your information means absolutely nothing), or organic sunscreens (which are doing some good work but are still pretty pricey for a family on a budget), and many which - if you do your research - still may contain questionable ingredients.

So I prefer to make my own. I did alot of shopping around before I decided on this basic natural recipe which I borrowed from Wellness Mama and adjusted. It is fairly simple in terms of ingredients - you will have to order zinc oxide and beeswax - but other than that you should always be able to whip up a batch with ingredients you have on hand in about 10 – 15 mins. This is a key feature of this sunscreen recipe for me because I want to be able to make it as needed and avoid adding any preservatives. You don't have to use a blender, and you can make a small batch without destroying your kitchen - because lets face it its not fun to try to wash beeswax and oil off of your blender and kitchenware!

I ordered my zinc oxide and beeswax from New Directions Aromatics which you can find on the web. You want to make sure it is non-nano - so the particles cannot be potentially absorbed into your skin as one study has shown may be possible. You also want to double -check and make sure that it is 100% pure and contaminant free. If the company cannot guarantee this then its definetely not a good idea to make sunscreen out of it. The minimal order will probably cost you about $20 bucks and last you for years (you can always split it with a like-minded friend). But its still unbeatably cheap considering its about $10 for a small tube of sunscreen and much more for organic ones

.

At the end of the day here it is, not dressed up in a cute mason jar with a bow on or in a cute star-shaped bar. I must admit I had visions of myself as somewhat of a sunscreen-maker extraordinaire – turning out a bounty of beautiful lavish product, but truth be told its not pretty. Hopefully the fact that its not laden with chemicals and preservatives will help you overlook this. Its solid and doesn't melt in the sun, rubs into your skin without leaving a white residue, is somewhat waterproof, easily transportable, was fool-proof to make and most importantly I will not be putting crazy chemicals on my children’s skin. 

By my calculations this sunscreen is an SPF of approximately 28 (with about 1 SPF coming from the coconut oil). If you wanted a higher SPF you would add more zinc: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Sunscreen/step4/SPF-Table/ was the reference I used to make my calculations. SPF is determined by what percentage of the lotion you the zinc makes up; the higher the percentage the zinc, the higher the SPF.  If you are striving for a particular SPF I would advise you to consult the chart and make your own calculations. Finally, this makes a body butter type of sunblock, if you are looking for more of a lotion consistency then you would use less beeswax.

Homemade Sunscreen

½ cup virgin cold-pressed olive oil

¼ cup virgin coconut oil (natural spf of 4)

¼ cup beeswax beads

4 TBSP non-nano 100% pure contaminant-free zinc oxide

Optional: About 20 – 30 drops essential oil (I used lavender - stay away from anything with citrus).

Optional: 1 tsp vitamin e oil (will extend the shelf life and offer additional sun protection benefits)

Before I proceed with these instructions, understand I am not a chemist, doctor or health care professional. I would advise you to do some of your own research to determine if a homemade sunscreen is right for you (people have reported that they burned wearing it, SPF values were not the same as those reported etc.) Bear in mind that my kids are olive-skinned and to us it is not vital that the SPF value is exact because they don't burn easily. I monitor them closely in the sun to watch for signs of burning and we don't go out on a regular basis for prolonged periods of sun exposure.

1) Boil a couple of inches of water in a pot. Put your olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax in a clean mason jar or empty pickle jar.

2)Place your jar in the boiling water, and turn the temperature down slightly (not enough to stop the water from boiling). Cover loosely with the jar lid.

3)Boil until your beeswax starts to melt, then stir until it until beeswax dissolves.

4)Remove from heat and add non-nano zinc and essential oil if desired – being careful not to breathe any of the particles! I held my breathe! Breathing particles = BAD.

5)Pour into a clean container you would like to store the sunscreen

6)Put lid on loosely and allow to cool, periodically stirring it to make sure zinc is evenly distributed.
7) Store in a safe place away from the reach of children - in the interest of longevity your refrigerator is probably the best spot. But it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge and will stay solid at room temperature

Lentil Cranberry and Pineapple Salad with Basil and Balsamic Reduction - A Crunchy Granola Salad that Flies Under the Radar.

Legumes...C'mon say it... Legumes. No matter how you pronounce it its a weird word. Like fork.   And legumes are weird, right? Really the only socially acceptable form of a legume is chickpea hummus (C'mon say it with a middle eastern accent - hughhhmmmus), to be eaten - lets face it when you're day drunk - with greasy naan bread and pitchers of draft on pub patios. Legumes used to be a class of food banished to bean sprout cafes, to be eaten by beret wearing beatniks and hippies in Mexican ponchos and Birkenstocks with socks. However lately legumes have made a comeback and really gone mainstream so that you can find legume salads running rampant -"Legumes Gone Wild"-  through supermarkets.

I love putting legumes in my salads as a non-dairy alternative to cheese, but still packing a bit of a protein punch. The many different varieties really open up a whole new world of experimentation. Lentils reign supreme in my world but my hubby doesn't go in for all that West Coast crunchy granola stuff ( "Gag me with a legume!!!") so I have to be sneaky. The result,  I created this unique salad utilizing the tantalizing sweetness of cranberries and pineapple, fresh basil and a balsamic reduction to underscore the flavor of creamy light legumes - and to steal focus from any detectable foray into Hippyville. 

Its my kitchen, not Nasa. The point being that cooking in my kitchen is far from rocket science; it is actually  more akin to a small child finger-painting........with their feet. The bottom line is you should feel free to substitute another sweet fruit for the pineapple. Mango,apple or blueberry come to mind as some delicious alternatives.

And let me tell you, "This could be love..."

Lentil Cranberry Pineapple Salad with Basil and Balsamic Reduction

3 cups spinach
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 cup yellow pepper julienned
1/2 avocado cubed
1 spear celery diced
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup lentils
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Sprinkle of pumpkin seeds for garnish
4 leaves fresh basil finely cut

Balsamic Reduction
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 lime juice
1 TBSP strawberry jam

1) Bring to boil and reduce heat
2) Gently boil over medium heat for five minutes
3) Allow to cool completely before dressing salad

Healthy Blueberry Fruit Muffins - Minus the Taste of Kelly Ripa's Dryer Lint

Hey guys. I gotta admit I stopped blogging for awhile, until I noticed in my absence I was getting visitors from all over the world. If you want your post to generate hits apparently all  you have do to is include the words: banana bread, moist, sour cream and ricotta cheese.... I mean we're talking a universal language right there.


That being said this week in our household "To bake or not to bake" is the question.  No matter how many times I convince myself I am making muffins for my son or husband's lunch, experience shows I am really making them because I  would like to eat them, 3 or four of them in fact - ostensibly in one sitting and definitely with butter.


So once again I find myself back at square one: the search for the moderately healthy yet tasty muffin. So often "healthy" is synonymous with "tastes of Kelly Ripa's dryer lint" (no offense Kelly. You are awesome - like a super-ripped small child). Its just that healthy AND delicious appears to be a goal only conglomerate chains of healthy food supermarkets can accomplish with teams of professional chefs, nutritionists and actual scientists at their disposal.


However I assure you  these babies are good, real good - perhaps even a trifle too good....


In this case "moderately healthy" becomes synonymous with: " defrost in your oven at 10 p.m. at night because your microwave isn't working and - yes you know its 8 hours 'til morning when you could totally justifiably have a muffin but gosh-damn-it you don't want to wait that long, you gotta get you some blueberry muffin right now" - kind of good.


Uh Huh. I said it. There's no shame.


So without further ado, I hope you enjoy these.


Did I mention they freeze well?


Ha ha...They do.



Healthy Blueberry Fruit Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 TBSP ground flax seeds
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 TBSP ground corn flour
2 eggs
1/8 cup butter (plus butter to grease muffin tins)
1/8 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 - 2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup milk (approximately)

1) Grease muffin tin and preheat oven to 375 (I always use butter. Lets face it, it just tastes better).
2) Stir together flour (white, brown, almond, flax, and corn), with salt and baking powder.
3) Beat eggs, add yogurt and vanilla
4) Mix brown and white sugar, and melted coconut oil and butter with your egg mixture.
5) Fold bowl of wet ingredients into dry ingredients, adding milk until mixture is wet enough to slowly slide off of a spoon.
6) Fold in frozen berries
7) Fill muffin tins to the top and bake for approximately 35 mins, or until a golden brown.