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FUN/DIY

Beauty/ HOME

What I Buy And Why-Glow Lotion!

It has been awhile since I wrote a “What I Buy And Why” post, so as I was getting ready for my date with this guy, I thought I would take a minute and share my favorite body lotion with you.

I love everything about this lotion.  I love the clean smell, I love the texture, I love how it moisturizes.  I love that the ingredients are safe.  But my MOST FAVORITE thing about this lotion is that it makes you glow!  It contains itty bitty bits of the mineral, mica, in it, which is super reflective and gives a healthy glow–no chunks of glitter in this lotion, just a nice shimmer!

{I am wearing it in this pic.  See the slight shimmer on my neck/chest area? 
 I put a bit on my cheeks, too. The forehead glow is just my natural oil from the day.  Ew. :p}

I got to be up close and personal with the beautiful mineral called mica in our recent trip to Colorado.  We visited an old mine and learned how to pan for gold.  I loved the panning process and found it quite relaxing.  I kept thinking I struck gold, but low and behold it was only little bits of beautiful mica shining at me, reflecting the sun.  No wonder this stuff is wonderful in lotion!

{Stopped in the middle of my gold hunt to take a photo}

*Tip:
I sometimes put a small bit of this in my hair for a nice shine.  I also like putting it on my collarbones and even a bit on my cheek bones to make them stand out.

Let me know if you try it out and what you think.
What is YOUR favorite lotion?

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Holidays/Parties

Homemade Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Nuts & Bolts Snack Mix @ Martha Stewart
Root Beer Sampler @ Gluesticks
Money Origami @ How About Orange
Scrabble Frame @ My Baby Faves
Super Hero Sampler @ Alpha Mom
Dad Picture @ From An Igloo
Date With Dad @ Martha Stewart
Butterscotch Bars @ New Nostalgia
You’re An AWsome Dad @ Nothing But Country
Or…if you need a simple gift, I have found that an amazon gift card is perfect.  
You can also send an online gift certificate right to your recipient via email at Amazon.
{if you buy the card or purchase anything using the above link,  I will receive a small commission. 
 I just may use it towards buying my own Fathers their much deserved gifts!!  Thank You. ;)}

What are your plans for Father’s Day?
Do you have any good gift ideas?

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FUN/DIY

Paint Projects For Kids

Pencil Eraser Dot Art @ lil’ mooglie
 Celery Stamp @ Maureen Cracknell Homemade

Bathtub Puffy Paint Recipe @ Chalk In My Pocket
DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint @ Kids Stuff World
Our summer is flying by!  We have had so much fun playing, swimming and running around to various activities.  I am ready for some “creative, quiet time” at home.  These projects with paint are some I would love to do with my girls throughout the summer. 
How about you? 
How is your summer going?  
Do you have any little artists at your house?

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Books

Books I Am Reading

Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
by Heidi Swanson
Well-Loved Recipes From My Natural Kitchen
{Heidi is the author of 101 Cookbooks, I have always loved her recipe blog and her new cookbook is beautiful and full of simple goodness}

Beyond Time-Out: From Chaos to Calm
by Beth A. Grosshans, PhD
From Chaos To Calm
{According to this book there are parenting styles.  Are you a Pleaser, A Pushover, A Forcer or An Outlier?  I am a mixture of 2.  This book has been so eye-opening for me, and I am only halfway through it!  It is a breath of fresh air, reminding me that I am the parent and my kids benefit from me taking back the power that belongs to a loving parent.  I think parents have unknowingly given kids too much power, and it is not kind.  It is too much for them…they need parents to be parents!  Love this book.}

Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home
by Laura Ling and Lisa Ling
One Sister’s Captivity in North Korea and the Other’s Fight to Bring Her Home
{have not started this one, finished this in 3 hours…I just love reading how others have overcome hardship!}
by Portia H. Masterson
Riding To Improve Your Wellness
{I am now officially a biker.  I love my new bike, especially the water bottle holder:)}
Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live Like You Mean It!
by Kris Carr
Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live Like You Mean It
{Kris Carr is a cancer survivor who should not be here.  She has lived the last 8 years with cancer spots hanging out on her liver, and controls their growth with her all vegan diet.  She is author of Crazy Sexy Cancer and I have eagerly waited for this new book of hers!}

Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
by Mark Bittman
A guide To Conscious Eating
{I’ve read this on a couple years ago.  I want to re-read it now that my thoughts on food are a bit more “sorted out”}
Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes
by Isa Chandra Moskovitz
125 Fast & Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes
{I have been on a Vegan diet for almost 2 weeks now. I am experimenting with a diet that I believe will cut my cancer reoccurance risk.  This fun looking cookbook caught my eye and is full of easy, vegan recipes.}




What are you reading?
How many books do you usually have going at one time?

Got any you think I’d love?

3
Drinks/ FUN/DIY/ RECIPES

Iced Tangerine Mint Green Tea

I made this great recipe after I saw a similar one on the Dr. Oz show.  He featured a recipe for Tangerine Mint Green Tea as part of a series of foods that help one lose weight.  He called it Tangerine “Weight-Orade.”  I will share his recipe below. It looked so refreshing on his show, and I knew I should be drinking green tea due to my history (I LIKE saying “history” :)) with breast cancer.  Green tea is rich in catechins, which reduce growth of blood vessels needed for tumor growth. 

A study published in 1998, Japanese researchers investigated the effects of drinking green tea on the progression of breast cancer. The study involved 472 patients with stage I, II, and III breast cancer. The results showed that increased consumption of green tea was linked to a decrease in the spread of breast cancer in premenopausal women. In a follow-up study, the researchers found that increased consumption of green tea was correlated with decreased recurrence of stage I and II breast cancer.



Green tea has been cited to be beneficial when it comes to all kinds of disease, from heart disease to Alzheimer’s, to many types of cancers.  Read more on the benefits of green tea, at the World’s Healthiest Foods website.

Iced Tangerine Mint Green Tea
~4 organic green tea bags
~1/2 tangerine, sliced
~fresh mint leaves
~honey to taste
~water, just boiling
~ice

While water is heating, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

Here is what I do:
~get out 2, 32 oz mason jars
~fill one with 2 cups of ice
~unwrap 4 green tea bags and put in the second jar
~slice tangerine
~rinse mint leaves
My electric kettle in the above picture is one of my most favorite and well used kitchen appliances. It heats water to a boil in minutes, and keeps the water hot for a long while.  In the winter, I will press the button throughout the day to keep hot water ready at all times for tea or hot chocolate.
Mine is the Hamilton Beach 10 Cup Kettle.  I love it!

Pour hot water over the tea bags, fill the 32 ounce jar to the top.  
Steep according to package directions, usually 3-4 minutes for green tea.


I use a slotted spoon and a regular spoon to squeeze every bit of goodness out of those green tea bags.
 
Add honey to taste while tea is still hot, honey will dissolve much better in hot tea.
Add mint and tangerine slices to jar of ice.
The mint is very subtle in this, but if you are not a mint lover, you can skip it.
Let the tea cool a few minutes, then pour over the ice in the prepared mason jar.
Store the remaining tea in the refrigerator to
refill and drink over ice throughout the day.
So refreshing! Enjoy!

**Tea lovers, check out this recipe for Easy Iced Tea Concentrate In A Mason Jar
—————————–
  • Dr. Oz’s Tangerine Weight-Orade Recipe
  • For a powerful metabolism-boosting drink, try Dr. Oz’s Tangerine Weight-Orade. It contains: green tea, shown to boost metabolism 12% by drinking just one cup; tangerine, with a chemical composition that increases sensitivity to insulin and stimulates genes that help to burn fat; and mint, a calorie-free flavor enhancer.
  • In a large pitcher, combine:
  • 8 cups of brewed green tea
  • 1 tangerine, sliced
  • A handful of mint leaves
  • Stir this delicious concoction up at night so all the flavors fuse together. Drink 1 pitcher daily for maximum metabolism-boosting results.


    28
    Books

    Reading and Relaxing

    {I look a little depressed in the photo, thankfully, I am not..just sleepy!}

    My Oh My, I have been sooo tired!  Not sure if it is the meds I am adjusting to, or if there is truth to what every medical professional has told me, that fatigue after cancer treatment can last months, up to a year.  I suspect it is the latter, as many of my BC friends who are in this “after treatment” phase are having the same issues.  We all seem a bit surprised by it.  I think you just expect to feel better, because life just keeps going and starts to feel pretty normal again.

    I AM learning how to relax, be ok with low energy, and ok with a home that is not always picked up just so.  I have a stack of dishes in the sink right now, sheets in the dryer that need put on beds, and closets and drawers that are getting cluttered.  I’ve ignored them and I am at peace with that–not normal for me!

    I have loved grabbing a book while relaxing–at least my mind can feel productive.  We have had a few rainy, dreary days here in Nebraska, perfect reading weather.

    Here are my latest finds at my local library:

    After the Diagnosis: Transcending Chronic Illness
    After The Diagnosis-by Julian Seifter, MD
    Transcending Chronic Illness
    Cancer is not necessarily a chronic illness, but I have read more and more that doctors are starting to treat it as one, similar to diabetes, where people can manage it with meds and diet for years.  With my high reccurance rate, I do plan on treating my cancer like it is a chronic illness, keeping up a very healthy lifestyle because of it.
    German Boy: A Child in War
    German Boy-A Child in War by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel
    This was recommended to me by a friend.  I love learning about history and other cultures through true stories.  I also love to learn how others have overcome pain and hardship in their lives.
    The Homesteading Handbook: A Back to Basics Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine, and More (Back to Basics Guides)
    The Homesteading Handbook-Abigail R. Gehring
    A back to basics guide to:
    Growing your own food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting, Herbal Medicine and More!  Yes, I’d love my own chicken coop…I’m really a farm girl at heart:)
    Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World
    Veganist by Kathy Freston
    I like her approach, Veganist means not fully vegan, but leaning toward that lifestyle, being more purposeful about eating plants.  I saw her on the Oprah show and thought she recommended too many processed type vegan foods to replace meat (like tofu sausage).  I didn’t not care for that part of her approach, I would rather eat less real meat, and focus on eating more plant foods, getting all colors of the rainbow in as much as possible.  I have been inspired, lately, to make the vegetable the main part of our meals with the meat portion as the side dish.  
    The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil)
    Loved this book.  It shatters the myth that all saturated fats are bad for you.  This plant based saturated fat is actually very good for your health.  I love that coconut oil is a high temperature oil and I use it often in cooking, baking, sauteing and even frying.  I also use Organic, Pure Coconut oil as an all over body moisturizer, it is heavenly!
    The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life
    The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik
    I am on the last chapter of this book.  Loved.
    “Raised in California, Darznik never imagined that her mother Lili lived another life completely in Iran before marrying Darznik’s German father. Lili was married off at 14 to Kazem, a man who would prove to be violent and abusive. Lili gave birth to a daughter, Sara, but when Kazem’s abuse escalated, Lili knew she had no choice but to flee his house and seek a divorce. The move cost her Sara, as Iranian law dictates children stay with their fathers. Lili decided to go to school in Germany to become a midwife, but the sudden death of her father forced her to come back to Iran to earn money for her own and her brother’s schooling. When she returned to Germany, she drew the attention of the earnest German engineer who became her husband and the father of her second daughter, Darznik. Taken from tapes her mother sent her after Darznik discovered a photograph from her mother’s first wedding, Darznik’s memoir is a beautifully recounted homage to her mother’s life and struggles.” –Kristine Huntley
    Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes that Are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod
    Skinny B#@*! by Kim Barnouin
    “Crazy Delicious Recipes That Are Good To The Earth And Great For Your Bod”
    Ok, so I don’t care for the title of the book (sorry to offend anyone), but when I opened to the recipes I had to get the book and check them out more closely.  Easy, healthy, and beautiful photos.
    Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices
    Foodista– 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices
    Best of Food Blogs Cookbook
    It had the word “blog” in it, so had to get it.  Eager to see if any of my blog community “friends” are in there!
    Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels
    Food Trucks by Heather Shouse
    Dispatches and Recipes Fro The Best Kitchens On Wheels
    I don’t know, this book intrigued me.  Again, I love learning about other people’s lives.  Each chapter is a different city and story, with recipes of street food that sound amazing.
    What are you reading?
    Got any good recommendations for me??  Please share!
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    Mothers Day

    Happy Mother’s Day!


    {one of my favorite Mother’s Day video’s}

    I am so very blessed to be a mom. I am soaking up every moment  and cherishing these precious little lives that God has gifted to me.  My girls are so very special so me, I am so proud to be their mom!!
     I am also so very blessed to have a wonderful mother, 2 amazing mother-in-laws, and an awesome step mom.  This equals a WHOLE BUNCH of love in my life…I am so thankful.
    My favorite Mother’s Day Reading:

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