Friday, November 29, 2013

Fashion Friday - Festive OOTD

                 Holidays and celebrations are the perfect time to wear beautiful festive dresses. Today's baby outfit of the day includes one of my favorite dresses - it's suitable for any special occasion, it's cozy and soft and very low-maintenance. The shoes are also soft and can be washed in a washing machine which is always a bonus. Here are the details.


 





Have a lovely weekend!


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Words of Wisdom Wednesday - Car must-haves for mommies

  During the holiday season we usually visit a lot of friends and relatives which means a lot more car rides as well. Even though I always take my diaper bag wherever we go, I also keep a small kit of essentials in the car just in case. The kit is pretty simple and contains only a few items so it doesn't take up a lot of space. 



1. Antibacterial wet wipes
 
2. Bottled water

3. Sandwich bags - I use these for food leftovers or when I do a quick clean-up of the car.

4. Hand sanitizer

5. Toys - I change the toys once a month or sooner if I notice that they are damaged or that my daughter has lost interest in them.

6. Snacks

I usually check the kit on Sunday to make sure I have it ready for the week and refill it once I run out of an item. 

Do you have a car kit? Which items do you keep in it? I would love to read your comments. 

Happy Thanksgiving and have a lovely time with your loved ones!


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Sweet & Savory Sunday - Decorative Chocolate Coco - Hazelnut Bombs

                With a lot of holidays and celebrations coming our way, ideas and inspiration in terms of food are more than welcome. I've been making this recipe for quite some time now, but I've always shaped them like truffles. Then my sister suggested using a silicone mold to make them more decorative and eye-catching. So here is the end result:


 You'll need:

100 gr. coconut flakes
100 gr. ground hazelnuts
100 gr. ground store-bought biscuits or cookies
100 gr. powdered sugar
the juice of 1 orange
200 gr. dark chocolate

 

Mix the coconut, hazelnuts, biscuits and powdered sugar in a bowl. Slowly add the orange juice and mix the ingredients well. 

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler pot. Carefully pour enough chocolate in the silicone mold to coat the base and the sides of the mold and put it in the freezer for 5 minutes. Take the mold out and fill it with the coco - hazelnut mix. Finish with a layer of melted chocolate and freeze. After the chocolate hardens carefully pop the cookies out of the mold. 



They are easy and delicious. 



Bon appétit!

Linking to:



The DIY'ers
 


A Bowl Full of Lemons
Photobucket

Friday, November 22, 2013

Fashion Friday - Cozy OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a new Fashion Friday Outfit of the Day! As the weather gets colder we're slowly taking our cozy winter wear out and enjoying a cup of warm cinnamon apple tea near the fireplace. Smells like Christmas and I can't wait for the family and friends' gatherings that bring so much joy and happiness in our home. Today's OOTD reminded me of that time - the soft, warm, red sweater made me feel that festive atmosphere full of love, understanding and support.






Have a great weekend!


Monday, November 18, 2013

Cleaning Monday - My Cleaning Kit Essentials


Since being a mom involves a lot of cleaning around the house, I've decided to share with you my cleaning kit which contains basic cleaning supplies I use quite often.This list is by no means a compilation of the best or the cheapest or the most environment-friendly products, but a list of products that work for my budget and my household.


So here's the list:

1. Microfiber cloths - I love them. They are perfect for wiping anything, you can use them in every room and what is best, they last long and can be washed in the washing machine. 



2. Floor cloth - A good quality floor cloth is a must-have especially for wooden floors. It makes floor cleaning easier and much faster.


 

3. Glass cloth - This type of cloth is super-absorbent and is great for windows, mirrors or any other shiny surfaces. 




4. Gloves - I use gloves regularly since I don't want to ruin my manicure or handle harsh cleaning products with my bare hands.


5. Sponges - This one is pretty self explanatory and I always keep at least five sponges in my cleaning kit.


6. Cleaning wire - Since we cook on a gas stove all of my pots and pans need a good scrub. That's where the cleaning wire ball comes in handy.



7. Disinfectant - I use the Domestos disinfectant mostly in the bathroom but it can easily be used to kill bacteria on other surfaces if you dilute it with water according to the instructions.

8. Laminate care product - I usually wash the floors with clean warm water first and then add a bit of this product to achieve shiny, fresh smelling floors.

9. Universal cleaning cream - I buy the lemon scented one and clean almost all surfaces in the kitchen as well as the sink and shower in the bathroom.


10. Glass cleaner

11. Wooden furniture polish - It gives the furniture that extra shine and is especially helpful in reviving old furniture.


These were my cleaning kit essentials. Do you have any other cleaning products that you simply can't live without? I would love to read your comments.

Have a great Monday!


Sunday, November 17, 2013

Sweet & Savory Sunday - Quick and Easy Chicken and Rice

It's only been a week since our last post but it feels like an eternity. Blogging every other day for a month now has set a steady pace for us which was suddenly interrupted by a series of colds in both families. We've both had a week of tissues all over the place but now that everyone's feeling much better, we return to our blog with a tasty, quick and easy recipe that finds its way to our menu more often than it should.

Here's what you'll need:

cooked chicken legs (or any other part, or a mixture of different parts depending on your preference)
1 cup rice
1 onion
1 carrot
a handful of parsley
3 cups water
olive oil
salt and pepper, or any combination of mixed herbs


 Fry the onion in a pan with some olive oil. Add the carrot, finely chopped or grated.


After a couple of minutes add the rice and stir fry for about a minute or two.



Slowly pour 3 cups of water, add salt and pepper or your preferred seasoning and put the previously cooked meat in the pan. 
Add a handful of chopped parsley.

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Cook in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until there's no more liquid in the pan.

Quick, easy and incredibly tasty. Enjoy!

Linking to:

CRAFTBERRYBUSH
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Photobucket

Friday, November 8, 2013

Fashion Friday - Casual baby outfit of the day

            The warm, sunny weather continues to surprise us, and we can't help but wonder how this winter will turn out. The anticipation and the wish to see a change in season have inspired today's baby outfit of the day.




Enjoy your weekend!



Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Words of Wisdom Wednesday - 10 ways to stay healthy and in shape when being a mommy



            There are so many different articles about staying in shape, losing weight, and staying healthy overall on all social media networks. But if you look closely they are all trying to sell you something or are meant for people in general, and as other mommies out there know, we don’t have much time on our hands, especially new moms. Trying to juggle your baby, the household, marriage, work and staying healthy is close to impossible. So for all of you moms out there that want to look great without changing your schedule this post is for you.

  1. Drink lots of water – Easy, right? If you have no habit of drinking water, try this. Every time you breastfeed your baby drink a glass of water, or if your baby is bottle fed drink water while you’re preparing the formula. Develop such a habit and you will see and feel the difference.
  1. Lots of fresh air- Being indoors all day with a baby can be stressful. Sometimes fresh air will do both you and your baby a lot of good. Try taking afternoon walks with the stroller and chose a place where you feel calm and relaxed. Increase the duration of the walk each day.
  1. Eat a lot of fruits – Since I personally love to prepare my baby food, I always have a lot of fruits and veggies at hand. Every time I prepare something for her I eat some fruit myself, instead of drinking coffee or eating chocolate. It’s an easy and fast energy boost and yet healthy and slimming.
  1. Vegetables in a cup - Eating salads is a great way to incorporate more veggies in your diet but if you want to use up leftover vegetables make homemade juices. Just take whatever is left in the fridge and is starting to go bad, add some fruit for a better taste and you’ll have an easy and budget friendly healthy drink.
  1. Snacks - Make kids’ snacks your snacks too - carrot sticks, cheese, homemade fruit yogurt … the options are endless. By avoiding junk food you’re also setting an example of proper diet early on.
  1. Eliminate at least one chemical product in your household  – There are a lot of products that can be eliminated from our everyday cleaning and hygiene routines  but this one can easily be replaced -Air freshener. You can always live without it or use natural air fresheners instead.
  1. Warm baths - Take warm baths whenever you can.  They can help relieve the  stress in your life and a stress-free mommy is good for everyone. :)
  1. Pilates ball - They are amazing and I think everyone should have one in their home. You can bounce on it with your baby, use it as a chair while you’re eating, watching TV or working on the computer – it’s a great workout for your belly, bottom and legs.
  1. Play time - If you have an active toddler or a fussy baby you’ll have to step up on play time. Dancing and singing are kids’ favorite activities and they also turn you into a calorie-burning machine. When kids get older focus on different ball games or enjoy a bicycle ride together and you’ll benefit from the quality time as well.
  1. And last but not least, positivity - be positive about everything- each morning when you wake up try to say at least three things that you are grateful for that day and do the same at night. Positivity is a huge factor in everyone’s wellbeing. With a positive attitude, good thoughts and set goals set you can do anything and everything.

I hope you’ll find these 10 tips helpful. I know I did.
Take care!

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sweet & Savory Sunday - Stuffed peppers

This fall has been a perfect blend of yellow and reddish-brown leaves and beautiful sunny days. I love long walks among the fallen, still crispy leaves and then coming home to a tasty, comforting dish. Fall color inspired stuffed peppers.

The ingredients: 

1 onion
2 tomatoes
1 carrot
500 gr minced meat (I used pork from a local farm, but you can use different meat, or leave the meat out altogether and substitute it with mushrooms or other vegetables)
2 cups rice
a handful of parsley
1 potato
8-10 peppers  (depending on their size)
salt and cayenne pepper


Finely chop the onion and fry it in a pan with a little oil over low heat. Add 1 tomato, previously peeled and cut up into larger pieces, to the pan. 


After everything comes to a boil, put the meat in and stir until it turns brown. Then, add the rice and season with salt and a bit of cayenne pepper.

 

Let it simmer for a couple more minutes and remove from the heat. Add a handful of chopped parsley.


Wash the peppers, remove the stem and clean the seeds from the inside. Stuff each pepper with the rice and meat filling and close them with a slice of potato. Place them in a deeper saucepan or a heatproof dish and put in any leftover filling. Peel and chop the remaining tomato and add it to the saucepan.


Pour enough water so as to cover the peppers and put the saucepan in the oven. Cook the peppers in the covered dish for 1 hour, and for additional 20 minutes in an uncovered dish.



Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the end result since they were gone by the time I remembered to take one. You could also use bell peppers - they would look even prettier. 

Enjoy!


Friday, November 1, 2013

Fashion Friday - Baby outfit of the day

I am sure that most of you love Fridays - no matter how busy your week was, it's time to unwind and enjoy the weekend with family and friends. Our weekend started earlier with a birthday celebration and a special baby outfit of the day fit for such a festive event.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.









   Enjoy your weekend!


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