Do you have a favourite family dish ?

Does your family have a special secret recipe handed down through the generations or just a favourite meal that you are well known for , if so what are they ?

Healthy Breakfast Food Ideas

What do you class as a healthy breakfast ?
I tend to stick to cereals with added fruit and half fat milk

I came across this video that has some simple yet healthy ideas, i thought id share it with you.

Let me know what does it for you .

HIT THE TITLE FOR A DIRECT LINK TO THE VIDEO

Healthy Eating Again

So i finally got the family to co operate and help me create a meal plan for our weekly meals comprising of 7 breakfasts, 7 dinners, 7 teas and 7 snacks or suppers.

Im here to report it went pretty well, its great being able to have different meals all the time so we dont get fed up too easily.

You can follow my progress on my beauty and fitness website , where i have listed everything we ate over the past week and so on and so forth.

Take a look by hitting the title link to this post x

How to get your kids to eat healthy

A dear friend of mine shared a post on my new website about a book she was given as a gift after she showed concern over getting children to eat the right types of foods that were good to them.
you can see the book and a link to where it can be purchased by hitting the title link of this post.
I hope you enjoy it, its a great lil weapon for us concerned parents.

Veronica's Weightloss Journey Diary

You can follow my dear friend vivi's weightloss journey by clicking on the title link of this post.

Vivi has been a real inspiration to us all, sharing her knowledge and video journal of her everyday meals and snacks.
She also exercises everday and works out how many calories for the day then how many she burned off during her exercise, its all good therapy .

I will be starting my own journey very soon so be sure to keep checking out this space :) x

Adding Fruits and Vegetables to Your Kids’ Diet

Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are essential to keeping your child healthy. Most kids need about 2 to 4 cups fruits and vegetables every day. The older they are, the more they need!


Getting kids to eat their veggies and fruits can be challenging. Below are some easy ways to get your kids to increase their fruit and vegetable intake.

1. Keep it colorful Challenge your younger children to try fruits and vegetables of different colors. Make it a red/green/orange day (apple, lettuce, carrot). You and your kids can also pick one color and see how many fruits and veggies of that color you can find.
READ MORE BY HITTING THE TITLE LINK

A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HELPS TO FIGHT INFECTION

Choosing a healthier lifestyle can have an impact on our ability to fight infection, or at least cope better with the illness that winter brings.
Nutrition

It is known that malnourished individuals are at higher risk of infectious disease due to an inadequate immune response. Infection then leads to inflammation and worsening nutritional status which further compromises the immune system. An adequate diet helps maintain immunity and keeps you healthy. The immune system needs such nutrients as protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Severely malnourished people are particularly vulnerable to immune dysfunction, and they get sick more easily than other people and stay sick longer.
read more by hitting the title link

How long to keep makeup: the shelf life of cosmetics.

Just like many things we use throughout the day, there is a shelf life of cosmetics. How long should you keep that blue mascara from high school you can't buy anymore?

Makeup shelf life various on the kind of cosmetics and the type of cosmetics you purchase. There are some simple guidelines of how long to keep your cosmetics. Just because you have a little bit of lipstick still in the tube doesn't mean you should be using it. For beautiful, healthy skin you need to know makeup shelf life.
Makeup shelf life guidelines to follow:

First off, if it smells, stinks, has a distinct odor that should not be, throw it away! I am amazed at how long women will keep cosmetics that have a bad odor. Do yourself a favor and trash it.

Another good rule of thumb, if you can't remember when you purchased it, trash it. Makeup should not stir up memories from ten years ago. If you makeup bag does, throw it out!
The following is a simple guideline to follow when you are cleaning out your makeup bag.


* Oil-Free Foundation: 1 year
* Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
* Concealer: 12-18 months
* Powder: 2 years
* Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
* Cream Blush: 12-18 months
* Powder Eye shadow: 2 years
* Cream Eye shadow: 12-18 months Eyeliner: 2 years
* Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
* Mascara: 3 months
* Lipstick: 2 years
* Lip liner: 2 years
* Lip gloss: 18-24 months
* Nail Color: 1 year

If you are using natural cosmetics, these should be thrown out sooner. Regular cosmetics contain ingredients that do help prolong shelf life. But of course natural cosmetics do not. Please check with your favorite natural store for the information on the cosmetics you love.

My favorite tip to make throwing out your cosmetics a little easier: Buy yourself a Sharpie to keep with your makeup bag. Write your own expiration date on the cosmetics that way you will always know when it is time to replace.

Read more at Suite101: Makeup Shelf Life: How long to keep makeup: the shelf life of cosmetics. http://cosmetics.suite101.com/article.cfm/makeup_shelf_life#ixzz0xdreV6yX

Make Your Own Pore Strips

I dont know if any of you have tried shop bought pore strips to remove blackheads, oil and grease from the pores on your face , i know i havent as ive had pretty good skin up until now, but i came across this video from one of the people i subscribe to on you tube and it looked pretty promising so i thought id share it with you guys.

Give this a try, its simple, very cheap to make and seems to work like a charm, if you try it let me know what you think.

40 fantastic uses for baking soda

Most of us know that baking soda can be used for more than just making homemade cookies and other dough rise. It's not uncommon to see an open box of this leavening agent deodorizing refrigerators, for example. But did you know that there are at least 40 different ways to use baking soda?

Baking soda makes a perfect stand-in for many personal care, cleaning, and deodorizing products. The list of benefits is long: It is inexpensive, free of toxic chemicals, versatile, and effective.

Wondering how baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, works its magic? It helps regulate pH — keeping a substance neither too acidic nor too alkaline. When baking soda comes in contact with either an acidic or an alkaline substance, its natural effect is to neutralize that pH. Beyond that, baking soda has the ability to retard further changes in the pH balance, known as buffering.

This dual capability of neutralizing and buffering allows baking soda to do things such as neutralize acidic odors (like in the refrigerator) as well as maintain neutral pH (like in your laundry water, which helps boost your detergent's power). It's a simple reaction, but one that has far-reaching effects for a number of cleaning and deodorizing tasks.

And so without further ado, here are some of the many creative ways you can use baking soda.

Check out the rest of this post by clicking on the title link .

CLOROX VERSUS PEROXIDE

This is interesting. . .

CLOROX VERSUS PEROXIDE



Clorox vs peroxide VERY interesting and inexpensive. This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor's Wife), and I want to share it with you. She was over recently for coffee and smelled the bleach I was using to clean my toilet and counter tops. This is what she told me. 'I would like to tell you of the benefits of that Plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost?

My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, And most doctors don't tell you about peroxide. Have you Ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office? NO!!!

Why? because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!

Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, folks! And it was used to kill our Troops. Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20's. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals.

Please think about this:



1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.


2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.


3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.


4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.


5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.


6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.


7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and Water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without Harming your septic system like bleach or most other Disinfectants will.


8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.


9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.




10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.




11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help get rid of boils, fungus, or other skin infections.


12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.


13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.


14. Another place it's great is in the bathroom, if someone has been careless & has peed on the floor around the toilet & it's begun to smell of urine. Just put some peroxide in a spray bottle & spray. In the blink of any eye all the smell will be gone & the bacteria eliminated!



I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner! ' This information really woke me up. I hope you gain something from it, too.

Time out needed

I will be taking a lil time out from the routine of my healthy eating and exercise routine for the rest of this week, i just want to be able to breathe easy and be naughty if i so wish, life says its warrented in my case right now .

But dont worry, il climb back on the wagon asap, once im feeling refreshed and ready to go again :)
take care all x

wednesday and thursdays update

WEDNESDAY
Beef broth
Chicken chassaur, potatoes and veg
4 x ryvitta with salad
Low fat crisps
2 sml flakes :)

THURSDAY
Bacon and lettuce, tomato sandwich on brown
sw chips and a popcorn chicken wrap with salad
3 crumpets :(
icecream

EXERCISE
30 minute walk
20 minute walk around the estate

Tuesdays update

Today i tried to go back to my week one after a difficult week last week, it may vary slightly but il be using it as a guide to get me back on track.

I had morrisons own chicken broth and brown bun
special k sustain
1/2 a chicken minus the skin
salad on 4 ryvitta
1/2 pot of organic low fat yogurt
3 go ahead biscuits

SIN - a lil bit of chocolate

EXERCISE
a lovely slow walk along our beach promenade, then down to and along the docks and then back to the park. Around a hours walk altogether :)x

Tuesdays Weigh In - Week Two

After a very up and down week last week between my health and a touch of depression, i wasnt suprised to learn that id actually put on a lb this time.

I dont intend to get too disheartened by it as i know i struggled and had several cheats ,what with easter and a birthday tea and my drink night on saturday night.
The thing is to go back to week one and try to stick to that just to get myself back on track, it wont be easy as theres still a lot of chocolate eggs floating around and my family have become chippy - a - holics all of a sudden and its driving me nuts lol.

Onwards and upwards my friends :) xxx

Sundays Report

Today we celebrated my 8 year old nephews birthday, so a buffet dinner it was,
sandwiches, sausage rolls, pizza and a bit of chocolate b.day cake, what is a girl to do lol.

Later that evening i had s.w potato fritters, chops and beans
In the evening i had a very naughty packet of rolos, but its my only temptation as i made sure no one bought me easter eggs, i got go ahead biscuits instead for easter.

My new weigh in starts on tuesady but i am hopeing to have a better week this week without so many cheats or slip ups, but it was the exercise i was hopeing to get back on track as i hardly had any at all this past week.
But unfortunately that may prove a bit of a problem this week as i will be away from home a lot this week so il just have to do the best i can with my eating and exercise as and when i can.

Unfortunately life doesnt give me too many breaks of late so il go with the flow and keep you all posted.

EXERCISE
Nil.

Friday and Saturday updates

Unfotunately i didnt make a note of fridays meals and my brain wont go back that far no matter how hard i try right now.

Saturdays however i can just about manage,

low fat crisps
turkey dinner with veggies and gravey, roast and mash potatoes, (naughty but nice)
1/2 a brown bun with ham on.
drink night, lots of vodka and diet coke :)

Exercise
Nil

weds and thursdays update

WEDNESDAY

Beans on toast on brown
mince, potatoe and veggies
1 brown bun
more mince
bran flakes with mixed fruit
4 chocolates :(

THURSDAY

Ham salad sandwich
Mince
Omlette and sw chips
Low fat crisps

tuesdays update

I started my day with a brown bun filled with pilchards, spring onion, lettuce and tomato and a dash of my favourite garlic and chilli sauce.

Later i had bran flakes with mixed fruit and sliced banana.

I had chicken chassaur for tea with veg and mashed potatoes

I was naughty at supper time and had 3 sml pieces of garlic bread, now i know i shouldnt have but i wasnt going to drive myself nuts by not having it, it just means il have to work it off.

Because i was up most of the night i ended up having a bowl of just the chassaur, without any veg or potato, i guess il put this bad day of eating down to stress and hope things improve again soon.

EXERCISE

I had a really emotional day today, just couldnt seem to get a grip on my emotions, so no exercise again today as im physically drained, but i will try at some point on wednesday to do a little.

Week One- Weigh In

Im thrilled to announce that i lost ten pounds in weight after my first week of healthy eating and exercise, despite being loaded with cold and cutting back on the exercise a little for a few days.

Now i know it sounds a lot but most of it will be water, but it is my biggest weightloss ever for the first week so it will help spur me on through week two,
wish me luck guys :) xxx