June favourites!

Here are my favourite things from the month of June!

Beauty:

My number one favourite new product this month is my Loreal Majic Nude Foundation.  I had been putting off buying it because it is quite expensive ($19-$20 Canadian) for a drugstore foundation, and I just didn't need a new one.  When London Drugs had all Loreal foundations for $11.99 I took advantage and picked this up.  I loved it instantly.  It is a very thin consistency so it blends out really quickly and easily, but it also provides a really good medium coverage that looks really natural.  It tranforms into a powder finish when it sets so it gives a really beautiful finish to the skin.  It gives the coverage of a liquid with the lightweight feel and look of a powder.  Perfect for spring and summer!  I only wish it had SPF protection (that would make it worth the almost $20 price tag!)

My other beauty favourites have all been lipsticks, so watch for a post all about my most loved and hated lip products soon!

Parenting:

This month I have to write about something that has been one of my favourite parenting, beauty, and food products for quite a while, but I use it so often and in so many different ways that I always forget about it!  This miracle multi-purpose product is Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  I get mine in a huge tub from costco which stays in my kitchen.  Then I scoop some of it into containers that I keep in my own room and in P's room.  I use this stuff numerous times a day.  I'll stick to its parenting purposes for today, but it also has so many health benefits when used in cooking or as a beauty product.  Google it people!!

P sucks her thumb as she falls asleep, so she often gets sores on her lips and thumbs from this habit.  I apply coconut oil to her lips and thumbs a few times a day and the sores clear right up.  This stuff is perfect because it doesn't matter  if she ends up ingesting it .  For that reason I cant use polysporin or anything like that as it is being applied to spots that will inevitably end up in her mouth.

Once I started using coconut oil for that specific purpose and seeing how well it worked, I started trying it for other things as well.  Low and behold, it works great on cuts and scrapes before you put on a band-aid because of its anti-bacterial and anti-fingal properties. It is great for bug bites for the same reason, and it even soothes and heals diaper rash!  It is perfect as an all-over moisturizer for dry skin (which D suffers from terrribly).

I also use it a ton in baking and cooking because of its health benefits, but I'll write more about that in a future post.  If you don't already have some of this miracle oil in your house, you should consider getting some as soon as possible.  I just keep on discovering its wonderful qualities and uses!  

Cooking and Food:

Cooking: This month I have been inspired by a tall stack of cookbooks that I picked up at my local library.  I love food reading, and I am always interested in cookbooks written by celebrity chefs or cookbooks all about a certain country I am interested in at any given time.  My local library has a ton of cookbooks, and I bet yours does too.  For free!!  Check it out if you're a frugal food lover like me.

Food: This month I stopped drinking coffee to see if it would help me feel better, since I had been ill.  It didn't :( but I did find that I started sleeping better and those terrible headaches I'd been getting went away (the ones that used to start a few hours after I forgot to drink my coffee...).  So, I didn't start up again.  Instead I started making a cup of herbal tea in the morning, and my favourite is the Presidents Choice brand Chocolatey Chai herbal tea.  It smells so good, and with a little splash of milk it satisfies my craving for something hot in the morning.  Also satisfies my craving for something dessert-ish in the evening. Ok, the stuff is delicious any time of day. Its cheap too. Bonus!

Random Stuff:

I have, of course, been watching TV and reading books this month.  I have not, unfortunately, come across anything so wonderful that I feel the need to recommend it here today.  If I'm gonna call it a favourite, it has to be pretty great. 

Frugal Friday: Quick and Easy Frozen Snacks

Here are some of my favourite things to make and have ready in the freezer for P and D all summer long.  They are quick and easy, cool and refreshing, and most importantly: super healthy! If you don't already own a Popsicle Mould, then you need to get one! It is one of my most used summer items, and my kids LOVE all sorts of healthy creations I freeze in them.  You could also use shot glasses and Popsicle sticks in a pinch.  Alternatively, the banana coconut lollipops need nothing but a few coffee stir sticks.

Banana Blueberry Yogurt Pops:  

I make these often because The ingredients are staples that I always have in my house. 

In a large bowl, mash one ripe banana.  Stir in one cup of plain yogurt (you can use flavoured yogurt, but then don't use the honey), one heaped spoonful of almond butter, one tablespoon of honey. Stir vigorously until smooth, then fold in a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries.  Spoon into Popsicle moulds, add the sticks and pop into the freezer for at least 3 hours.  Run the mould under hot water for a few seconds to loosen the pops and make them easy to remove from the mould.

Mango Lime Fruit Pops:  

I make these when cases of mangoes go on sale.  In order to use them all while they are still delicious, I have had to get creative!

Peel 2 ripe mangoes and remove the pits.  Place the flesh of the mangoes into a blender with the zest and juice of one lime and a few leaves of mint.  Taste and add a little honey if you want, though it's not really necessary if you're using good mangoes.  Pour the purée into Popsicle moulds and freeze for at least 3 hours.  Run the mould under hot water for a few seconds to loosen the pops and make them easy to remove from the mould.

Banana Coconut Lollipops:  

These are just so easy and again, I always have all of the ingredients on hand.  P and D literally cannot get enough of these!

Slice 1-2 bananas into thick-ish rounds (about 1.5 cm).  Stick each slice with a coffee stir stick through the rounded (uncut) side.  Place on a sheet of parchement paper on a pan, then place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.  Fill two small, shallow dishes: one with plain or flavoured yogurt, and one with unsweetened desiccated shredded coconut.  Remove the frozen banana sticks from the freezer and dip both sides into the yogurt, then quickly into the coconut.  Eat immediately, or place back on the pan and into the freezer until you're ready to serve them.  

Bonus tip: these lollipops can be made using infinite substitutions or combinations.  Try substituting melted peanut butter or (for a real treat) Nutella for the yogurt.  The coconut can be replaced with chopped peanuts, almonds or any nut, or crunchy cereal.  Use whatever you have on hand that your kids love!

Frugal Friday: Another Garden Update

A few weeks ago Suneil and I finally manages to get all of our plants into the ground.  They had been taking up space and making a mess in my house for months, so when the weather finally seemed to be turning, Suneil and I got out there and planted our first family garden!

Admittedly, by the time we got all of the plants outside there were a few that were a little worse for wear.  The beans in particular were planted much too early. I will know for next year NOT to follow the package instructions.  I will plant indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost rather than the instructed 6-8 weeks.  Most of my okra plants died as well, I think due to lack of sunlight.  They got very spindly reaching for the light and eventually just gave up.  Two okra plants survived, and I planted them along with some seed which is sprouting now, so hopefully I will still get at least one okra harvest before fall.

The rest of the plants seem to be adjusting well and I am very excited to watch my garden grow and reap the benefits all summer long!!  This weeks project (for my dad!) is to rig up some sprinklers so that the garden will still get watered while we are away on vacation.

Here are a few pictures!

Our little plot

This pallet holds lettuce and herbs

This pallet is filled with radishes, chard, spinach and romaine lettuce

I wanted my peas and beans to grow up our chain link fence, so I am trying to grow them in these window boxes

Frugal Friday: Perfect Vegetable Recipes for Smmer

My family eats vegetarian one night per week in order to save money, be healthier and be earth friendly.  These are a few recipes we have enjoyed so far this spring.  These dishes use seasonal ingredients and hot-weather friendly grill cooking.  Click on the title to find the recipe, or find it in my list of recipes at the top of my blog page.

My Grilled Ratatouille recipe is extremely versatile.  The combination of tender eggplant and zucchini with sweet tomato and onion is addictive.  It makes a wonderful main course served with bread, quinoa or pasta.  It would be wonderful on top of a baked potato, or as a side dish with any protein.  It could also be used as a condiment to accompany a cheese platter, to top grilled bread or bruschetta, or to spread on a sandwich or wrap.  It is wonderful hot, cold or at room temperature.  The key is to season it carefully until it is perfectly balanced with a touch of salt, pepper and vinegar.

The Green Spring Pizza is a refreshing twist on a traditional pizza.  I love minty peas, and paired with the fresh zucchini, asparagus, and tangy lemon-scented goat's cheese, it is sublime.  Everything about this recipe is light, fresh and summery.  Since my kids love pizza, it was easy to sell them on all these green veggies!

Review: Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan

This past weekend I had the pleasure of travelling with my family (including my parents) to Cypress Hills Provincial Park.  We enjoyed ourselves so much that I just had to write a review and include some of the highlights!

We camped in the Warlodge campground and it was beautiful.  The bathrooms were clean and the shower facilities were immaculate and had plenty of warm water. It was wonderful to literally share the space with abundant wildlife.  We saw many deer and a few moose sightings as well, including a mother moose wandering through our campsite with her baby not far behind! The park was perfect because there were plenty of places to grab ice cream, a quick lunch, or any supplies you might need.

This mother moose had to literally step around our clothesline to walk through our campsite!

The beach was small but sandy and the water seemed to have a sandy bottom as well.  We didn't go in the water, having seen quite a lot of algae around the small lake.  We spent one morning at the pool which was perfect for children of any age.  There was a large splash pool that was perfect for P and D (two years old) as they could play safely while we watched from the pool chairs.  There was also a large pool with many different depths that would be fun and safe for any other age child.  We were lucky enough to have free swim days, and lifeguards were still present.

We also visited a few of the local attractions.  We all went to Fort Walsh for a morning tour and picnic lunch. The drive was quite long from the campground (1 hour) but very scenic, with breathtaking views and more chances for wildlife sightings. We all enjoyed the Fort, though we did not follow the guided tour.  Instead we followed the whim of our toddlers who were fascinated by all of the old buildings filled with furs, old tools and antique furniture.  They also loved checking out the old wagons and eating fresh baked cookies straight from the wood oven.  The fort was staffed by locals recreating characters typical of the period in which Fort Walsh was thriving.  They were helpful and passionate about the stories they told.  They were also extremely knowledgeable about the local environment and the local history.  We enjoyed our picnic in the Visitor Center cafeteria because it was raining, but despite the patchy weather, we enjoyed our visit very much.

The wagon at Fort Walsh

Suneil and I visited the Zip Line park in the park core.  We did the canopy tour for $75 which is advertised as a 2 hour tour, but only took one hour.  We suspect this is because we  were in a group of 4 rather than the 8 person maximum.  We prefered the smaller group and found the tour to be a good value nonetheless. We felt very safe and enjoyed the staff and the views, as well as the thrill!  It was a great activity for an afternoon and we got a little exercise as well (though it is by no means necessary to be extremely fit to participate).  We enjoyed it so much that we took P and D back later that day to check out the baby zip lines, which were lines low to the ground where they placed swings that the kids could ride along.  They loved it.

We had a fantastic weekend and would definitely recommend this park, as well as any of the sites and activities we visited while there.

Check out the pizza oven Suneil and Dad built!

A simple pre-cooked crust with sauce, grated cheese and fresh basil.  Yum!

Happy Fathers Day!: The Toddler Tag

 As soon as I saw this video tag on Youtube I knew I wanted to do it with P and D.  Its so cute! And what a perfect way to make a record of what they are like as two year olds!  I have been wanting to film it for a long time and with Father's Day coming up soon it seemed like a fun way to record just what P and D are like on Suneil's third fathers day.  Now we will have a record of all their likes and dislikes, and a video of them in all their soggy diaper, dirty t-shirt, messy ponytail, incomprehenisible response toddler glory. Please enjoy this completely unedited, unrehearsed video.  We had a blast making it for all the great dad's in  our lives.  Happy Fathers Day Suneil(Wizardad), Grandpa and Babaji!!

Click on the link below to watch our video!
Happy Fathers Day Toddler Tag

Not so Frugal Friday?!? New Sephora in my City!

Today was an exciting and historic day in my city, Regina Saskatchewan, because we finally have a Sephora!!  It opened this morning and my sister-in-law and I were among the first to enter.  Now, it may come as a surprise for a makeup nerd like myself, but before this morning I had never been in a Sephora. I had ordered online, and my husband (saint that he is) would stop in to the Saskatoon location for me once in a while to pick up this or that if he was there for work.  Needless to day, it blew my mind.  I had been looking forward to this date with my sis-in-law ever since we found out Sephora was coming to Regina, and we had a blast.

I spent more money than I intended, and I cant even claim to have gotten good deals, as all we received was a measly and somewhat useless makeup bag (I mean, what makeup nerd doesn't already have way more of those than we already need??).  Still, it was a deeply rewarding and satisfying shopping trip on which I was able to swatch a ton of stuff I had been very curious about, and purchase some things I had long been waiting to own.

Among my purchases were a bite lipstick pencil, a Sephora cream lip stain, another Sephora lipstick, a Nars creamy concealer, a sample of Josie Maran coconut watercolour cheek stain, a Formula X for Sephora nailpolish, and a Beauty Blender solid brush cleaner.

My instant favourite is the Sephora cream lip stain in colour 01 red, which I put on as soon as I got home, and it lasted through lunch, the afternoon, and snacks eaten on the go while out at some community events.  I have been searching for the perfect red lipstick, and I have definitely found it!

Stay tuned for more reviews in future monthly favourites posts!

Perfect Red Lipstick!

Frugal Friday: My Whole Wheat Bread

Making bread at home can save a lot of money, and it is not as difficult or time consuming as you might think.  If you have a good and simple recipe, then the more you make it, the better and faster it will get.

 It has taken me a long time to test and perfect my whole wheat bread recipe. Recently I tweaked a few things and found my recipe turned out perfectly.  My recipe takes 3 hours total, but only about 30 minutes of hands-on work.  It makes 3 loaves of bread that are delicious fresh or from the freezer.  I have included every detail for making this bread turn out tender and delicious.  Click Here for the recipe!