Health

How to Treat a Cold Fast

January 26, 2015

A sudden chill, a tickle in your throat. Oh no, you’re coming down with a cold or the flu!

It’s important to listen to your body and know when it’s telling you to slow down. Common signs of the flu and cold include the obvious cough, scratchy throat, congestion, runny nose, fatigue, aches and pains and of course, fever.

What are some of your ways of fighting the cold and flu? Here’s how to treat a cold fast:

Stay home

The first few days of a cold is when you’re most contagious so stay home. To keep from sharing your germs, wash your hands regularly. Curl up into a nice cozy blanket with a hot cup of herbal tea, such as one made from chamomile. This can have a relaxing and calming effect as well as help with congestion and a sore throat.

Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water, juice, or herbal tea to treat a cold. Chicken soup will be your best friend. Grandma’s favorite cure-all really does ease cold symptoms, research suggests. Staying hydrated cuts down on symptoms like a sore throat and stuffy nose.

Gargle with salt water

To combat a scratchy throat, add half a teaspoon of salt to a glass of warm water. The salt helps to reduce inflammation and clears mucous and irritants from the back of the throat. Salt water rinse also flushes out bacteria and viruses.

Keep your nose clean

Using a saline nasal spray right after cold symptoms first appear may reduce their impact, studies suggest. And take a hot shower – the warm moisture and steam can help clear nasal passages.

Go natural

As soon as you start to feel something coming on, use an all-in-one pain, fever and nausea reliever, such as Gravol™ Multi-symptom™. Willow bark contains a chemical called salicin that is similar to aspirin. With naturally-sourced ginger and willowbark, it will help fight off that nasty cold, without leaving you feeling drowsy.

Have honey, honey!

Good old honey works just as well and tastes better too! Have one to two tablespoons straight from the jar or stir honey into your tea.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important rituals that your body needs to restore energy. So when you’re starting to feel a little under the weather, sit back and relax – your body is telling you that it needs rest!

Disclosure: I’m a Church & Dwight ambassador and opinions are always my own.

Appetizers & Soups

Greek Lentil Soup Recipe (Fakes)

January 23, 2015

Fakes? F*** no! What the heck am I talking about? It’s a Greek Lentil Soup recipe called Fakes or in Greek, φακές σούπα.

Growing up in a Greek family, we would giggle every time we’d hear the word Fakes (pronounced fa-KESS) and proceed with saying, F*** NO!

As children, we didn’t appreciate the flavour of such a healthy and hearty soup that eats like a meal. But now as a mother myself, I make this traditional Greek soup often. It’s a filling soup packed with protein in the lentils along with vegetables… but some Greek cooks don’t use carrots and celery like I do.

This Greek Lentil soup is also eaten during times of fasting (known as nistia or νηστεία) in the Greek Orthodox religion as it passes the fasting rules by being free of animal products such as meat and dairy. Beans and lentils are a staple in the Greek diet because they are nutritious and packed full of protein and other nutrients. Be sure to also check out my Greek White Bean Soup Fasolada recipe!

I’m sure you will enjoy this hearty traditional Greek Lentil Soup that is fun to pronounce.

Greek Lentil Soup Recipe (Fakes)

Ingredients:

2 cups Eston Lentils, rinsed and picked over *make sure to find these small green lentils; if you can’t, try small brown lentils
8 cups water (or organic low sodium vegetable stock – or chicken stock if not fasting)
4 tablespoons tomato pureé
4 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped finely
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf

Method:

In a pot, sauté onion with olive oil for 2 minutes, then add garlic and bay leaf for 1 minute and stir.
Add carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes until softened.
Add water or stock, tomato puree and lentils. You can make this soup without the stock – I just find if you have a good quality stock to use it can add a little extra flavour.
Cook on medium heat until soup comes to a boil and then lower to minimum heat and allow to simmer with the lid on for at least an hour and a half.
Remove the bay leaf and serve with fresh bread.

Yield: 6 servings

Greek Lentil Soup Recipe (Fakes)

Fakes? F*** no! What the heck am I talking about? It's a Greek Lentil Soup recipe called Fakes or in Greek, φακές σούπα.

Growing up in a Greek family, we would giggle every time we'd hear the word Fakes (pronounced fa-KESS) and proceed with saying, F*** NO!

As children, we didn't appreciate the flavour of such a healthy and hearty soup that eats like a meal. But now as a mother myself, I make this traditional Greek soup often. It's a filling soup packed with protein in the lentils along with vegetables... but some Greek cooks don't use carrots and celery like I do.

This Greek Lentil soup is also eaten during times of fasting (known as nistia or νηστεία) in the Greek Orthodox religion as it passes the fasting rules by being free of animal products such as meat and dairy. Beans and lentils are a staple in the Greek diet because they are nutritious and packed full of protein and other nutrients.

I'm sure you will enjoy this hearty traditional Greek Lentil Soup that is fun to pronounce.

Ingredients

2 cups Eston Lentils, rinsed and picked over
8 cups water (or organic low sodium vegetable stock - or chicken stock if not fasting)
4 tablespoons tomato pureé
4 carrots, chopped finely
2 celery stalks, chopped finely
2 onions, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf

Instructions

In a pot, sauté onion with olive oil for 2 minutes, then add garlic and bay leaf for 1 minute and stir.
Add carrots and celery and sauté on low for a few minutes until softened.
Add water or stock, tomato puree and lentils. You can make this soup without the stock - I just find if you have a good quality stock to use it can add a little extra flavour.
Cook on medium heat until soup comes to a boil and then lower to minimum heat and allow to simmer with the lid on for at least an hour and a half.
Remove the bay leaf and serve with fresh bread.

Notes

Make sure to find small green lentils called Eston lentils, or use small brown lentils for this Greek lentil soup recipe

Motherhood

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

January 22, 2015

My baby boy turns eight today.

Where did the time go?

The first four years when my spunky boy was home with me, time almost stood still. We could sit on the family room floor and play cars together without rushing to get anywhere. I’d lay newspapers on the kitchen table so he could dab animal-shaped foam stamps into tempera paint and onto oversized construction paper. We’d hang them to dry and I’d marvel at his artistic ability.

While I’d run around in circles in the kitchen cooking dinner, the Destroyer would be right by my feet either playing in the middle of my self-inflicted chaos, or he’d be trying to tickle my feet.

Since he started kindergarten, the time has just blown right by.

Today, I’m cherishing our early morning cuddles. I can still hold my boy in my arms, his lanky legs curling up into my lap in a perfect fit. I cherish that he can still lay on top of me without squeezing the breath out of my chest. He’ll place his head down and stay there for a while, like he used to do with he was a little squirt. I can still cup his cute little bum into one hand. I hold him closely because I know soon enough, he will squirm out of my hug.

I smile when he still reaches out to hold my hand when we walk – I hold it tightly because I know soon enough he’ll be letting go of it because his friends might see. I can still carry him upstairs to his bedroom after he falls asleep in my arms.

My heart swells when he tells me beautiful things like, “you’re my girl” and “I cry inside at school because I miss you.” He looks forward to our cuddle times still.

I cherish every moment we have together because I know that soon enough, he’ll be too busy with his own life to want to cuddle for hours with me.

Happy Birthday my baby. I love you to the moon and through the galaxies and back again.

Contest

Winnie the Pooh Bedding Giveaway

January 21, 2015

When I was expecting my first child, I remember how excited I was to get the nursery ready. We painted the room, added trim and I spent hours looking for the right furniture and a cute theme for the crib bedding.

I couldn’t wait to find out if we were expecting a boy or a girl. When we discovered we would be having a boy, opted for light green and baby blue. This Winnie the Pooh Crib Set would have been perfect!

I’m happy to be giving away a Winnie the Pooh Crib Set to one lucky reader!

The classic Disney character is an adorable addition to a baby’s nursery. Disney’s Winnie the Pooh 3 Piece Crib Bedding set is part of the Hunny Hugs nursery collection. This set is the perfect complement to any babies bedroom. It includes a comforter with appliqué, a ruffle, and a fitted sheet. Be sure to check out the coordinating accessories to further enhance your baby’s nursery.

Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter this giveaway! Open to Canadians only. Good luck!

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Fashion

Winter Style 2015: Chunky Sweaters

January 20, 2015

What’s in style for winter?

My fave winter style must-have is the chunky sweater.

The chunky sweater is a winter staple. Wear a long style over leggings, lean pants, skinny jeans or with a tights, a slim skirt and boots. Make sure to pair the sweater with a lean bottom.

Chunky Sweaters by maria-amw featuring knit tops

Knit top
36 CAD – choies.com

KLING vintage style top
45 CAD – modcloth.com

Pink pullover sweater
23 CAD – rotita.com

Chicnova Fashion v neck shirt
23 CAD – chicnova.com

Left on houston sweater
110 CAD – backcountry.com

Chicwish knit top
64 CAD – chicwish.com

Blue top
38 CAD – choies.com

Chicwish polka dot sweater
61 CAD – chicwish.com

Chicnova Fashion knit shirt
24 CAD – chicnova.com

Beauty

Aging Gracefully: Tips for Beautiful Skin

January 19, 2015

“And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!”

― Audrey Hepburn

Is there a secret to aging gracefully? For some women, aging gracefully means accepting and embracing the beauty and wisdom that comes with age. It also means learning to love those well-earned crows feet and smile lines. After all, they are the true signs of a life well lived.

But aging gracefully is also a benefit afforded to the woman who takes the time to take care of herself. She doesn’t smoke or drink excessively or spend too much time in the sun. Women we admire for their real inner and outer beauty have dismissed eye-lifts, Botox and other plastic surgery procedures.

Instead, these women take a practical approach with their beauty regimen and pamper their skin, hair and body as often as possible. Rather than desperately seek to maintain a sense of youth, they incorporate the best products and practices into their regimens.

Here are some tips for beautiful skin:

Wash your face every night and use makeup remover to take away residue gently. Cleanse using a cleanser that is full of revitalizing ingredients and choose an anti-aging formula that will nourish your skin. Avoid skincare that contains mineral oil and petrolatum ingredients because they don’t allow the skin to absorb nutrients or expel toxins.

Exfoliate your skin in combination with a gentle face-cleansing brush to help remove dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface of the skin. Exfoliation can help even skin tone, and remove dirt and oil that causes clogging of the pores.

Use an SPF daily cream to protect your skin from the sun and to prevent further damage. Use a product that contains antioxidants to fight free radicals and help reverse sun damage.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, use a lifter to improve skin’s elasticity and combat sagging skin that can develop over time. Lise Watier’s La Crème Sublime fights the signs of skin aging, both on the surface and deep down. It contains Labrador Tea and Knotgrass to help fight wrinkles and improve elasticity and restore the skin’s natural radiance.

After just three days of using Lise Watier’s La Crème Sublime, my husband asked me what I had been doing differently. He said my face was glowing and appeared brighter and more radiant.

I noticed that my skin appears more even-toned and smooth. La Crème Sublime is creamy and rich, leaving my skin feeling hydrated and supple. The scent of the cream is so pleasant and I love that it is paraben free.

At Lise Watier, we believe in your beauty. It’s unique, it comes from within, and is our everyday inspiration. Our mission is to create delightful, smart, versatile and efficient products to help you enhance your natural glow and the je ne sais quoi that is so distinctively yours.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by LISE WATIER COSMETICS via Mode Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of LISE WATIER COSMETICS.

Appetizers & Soups

Italian Meatball and Chicken Soup Recipe

January 14, 2015

My husband’s favourite hearty soup recipe for the winter months is this Italian Meatball and Chicken Soup, hands down.

It’s the kind of hearty soup that you should prepare on a Sunday afternoon, and enjoy for the week.

Italian Meatball and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

8 cups low sodium organic chicken broth

2-3 chicken breasts, bone in

4 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Optional: add 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 2 cups fresh spinach.

Optional: add 1/4 cup small pastina, tiny pasta.

Meatballs:

½ pound each ground veal and pork

1 tsp chopped parsley

2 tsp grated Parmesan

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp finely chopped garlic

1 egg

2-4 tbsp of gluten-free flour or breadcrumbs, just enough to bind the meatballs.

Directions:

Mix meatball ingredients in a bowl. Roll into mini-meatballs. In a pot, boil chicken until no longer pink. Add meatballs and cool until no longer pink.

In a large pot, sautee vegetables in olive oil along with spices for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add chicken stock and tomato puree. Transfer chicken breast and meatballs to pot. Cook on low-medium heat for at least an hour. Before serving, remove chicken breast and shred using a fork. Return to pot.

Top with fresh basil or parsley, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Travel

Cool Castles and Scary Dungeons: Travel Europe with Kids

January 12, 2015

written by Sophie S.

Thinking of travel to Europe with kids? Then you must visit some cool castles and scary dungeons along the way!

There are so many European destinations to consider, and some of them are better for family travel than others. If you want to plan a trip filled with castles, dungeons and other neat remnants of a time gone past that children will find entertaining, there is plenty to see. The castles of Europe served as the inspiration for Disney, Vikings were the original pirates, and prisoners were kept in some of the most elaborate prisons the world has seen.

Head to any one of these European destinations with kids for a trip straight out of a storybook.

Germany’s Castles By Car or Boat

For anyone that loves the sight of a castle, Germany is the record holder of all time favorite castle destinations, and every Disney princess or tower fan in the family is going to love this destination. Dubbed Castle Road, the Burgenstrasse and Romantische Strasse let you castle hop for hundreds of miles by car. Alternately, families can rent rooms aboard several different cruise lines and view castles from the Rhine River, which are often split into two trip sections so you can do part of the trip by water and part by boat.

Tower of London and the Tower Bridge

London is one of the top European destinations, and its a favorite with families because there are a lot of castles, dungeons and palaces to explore. The Tower of London is one of the favorite attractions of kids, where the Tower comes to life and families can experience what it was like to actually live in the Tower. After exploring the Tower, head over to Tower Bridge where the entire family can walk the high level walkways and learn more about how the Bridge was built and works.

Skansen and Stockholm

If a Nordic vacation is what you have in mind Stockholm is a playground for children that love maritime history and the outdoors. Skansen, in Stockholm is a living museum, consisting of an open air park that is representative of Swedish agricultural life from the 16th through 20th centuries. Kids can have fun in the zoo, learn from and watch period dressed craftsmen and villagers and walk through operational buildings from all different periods. Back in the city, use the same waterways the locals use to get around the city of islands where fairy tales and Pippi Longstocking were born.

Gladiator’s View of Rome

The Colosseum might just look like a beautiful ancient structure to us now, but it was built to hold thousands of gladiators prisoner before they were forced to fight in the rings. Rome is filled with ancient history, and so much of it has an interesting story to go with it. Head to Castel Sant’Angelo to view the rounded tower castle that Hadrian built for himself, then head to Vatican City, which is actually an entire country. Older children might enjoy a trip down into the Catacombs, where early Romans buried entire families in carved out caves and tunnels.

lifestyle

What is Your Word for 2015?

January 6, 2015

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. But I do attempt to create new goals for myself for the new year.

With a new year comes a new beginning, a chance to start over and start something new. The brutal winter weather and lack of sun doesn’t help elevate the mood though – wouldn’t it be much more productive to have the new year start in May or June?

But January it is and through the bitter cold and snow, we push through with fresh ideas in our minds and a renewed sense of hope.

Last year I jumped on the blogging bandwagon of creating a “word” for the new year and sharing it with others. Rather than make a new year’s resolution, you create a power word or theme word for the new year – a simple way to remember what your main goal for the year will be.

Narrowing it all down to just one word can can be a challenge. How can you sum up everything that you want to achieve this year in just one word?

At end of the year, it’s helpful to review the year and how that word affected your actions. Did your life change because of that one word? Did you learn something new? What challenges or blessings did the word bring?

In 2014, my word was flourish which I was drawn to because I felt I had built a solid foundation in my work and it was time to see it grow vigorously.

The best part of writing out your goals for the year is that you can see what you’ve accomplished. When you are able to write out what you hope to achieve, your goals become clearer and you’re able to put your ideas into concrete action.

So what is my word for 2015? I have three simple but powerful words that I’m drawn to for 2015:

Focus.

It’s time to tune out the noise which has caused me to procrastinate, be less productive and waste precious time. This means cutting down the time spent on social media which is a big time sucker.

Do I really need to know what that girl who I barely remember in high school ate for breakfast? No. I don’t need to spend 10 hours on Twitter every day so that I’m up-t0-date on every news story or celebrity Instagram photo uproar.

Be.

Live in the moment. Find the simplicity in everyday tasks and enjoy them fully. Take deep breaths along the way. Focus on the present moments rather than worry about the future.

It takes practice – I know this because I was there some time ago where I felt like I was in a meditative state all the time. Then the stresses of life built up and overcame me, wreaking havoc and disrupting my calm demeanour. It’s time to get back to that cool, calm and collected person that I used to be…before kids, right?!?!

Leisure.

Stress is at an all-time high and it’s terrible for your physical and mental health. I need to carve out time to relax, exercise and meditate. Following those first two words will enable me to have increased opportunities for leisure.

Spend more time playing, experiencing, cooking for fun, traveling… the things that we work to hard to enjoy.

What is your theme word for 2015?

Christmas

Holiday Secrets Exposed! Share Your Holiday Flub

December 23, 2014

Do you have a holiday gaffe to share? Oh come on, you can confess.

I’m sure you do – we have all been there… Wine glass is chipped and you’ve only realized once your guest is about to take a sip? The turkey you’ve slaved over is left in the oven too long and burnt to a crisp? Stuffing is too dry or lacks flavour? Dessert is a gigantic flop?

Well, this year, Campbell’s is encouraging Canadians to spill the beans on their holiday cooking flub at Campbellsholidaysecrets.ca. In return for sharing your holiday flub(s), you’ll have a chance to win one of 100 pre-paid credit cards valued at $100 each!

Visit Campbell’s Holiday Secrets Exposed and confess your own holiday gaffe by clicking Confess Here. I’m sure you’ll feel better about your own kitchen disaster when reading the other confessions on the page!

To help you get through these holidays without any major flubs, Campbell’s also has a sleigh full of helpful holiday hacks on their website to get you through any sticky situation too.

Enter to win

One reader is going to win a Holiday Hack Campbell’s Gift Basket filled with goodies to help get you through the New Year. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter this giveaway.

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