Wordless Wednesday - Love my Birks and my Rimmel Nail Polish in Mintilicious

 

Recipe - Oatmeal apple muffins

My kids (and my husband and I) love muffins!  Especially these oatmeal apple muffins!  They never last too long in our house.  They are a great for a quick after school snack, or an on-the-go breakfast.

Recipe - Oatmeal Apple Muffins

1 egg

3/4 cup almond milk

3 tbsp canola oil

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp ground flax

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

Dash salt

1 med apple, peeled and finely chopped

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 450F

In a large bowl, blend together the egg, milk, oil, brown sugar and applesauce.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, flax, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.  Add this mixture half at a time into the wet ingredients.  Mix until just combined. 

Stir in the chopped apples, walnuts and cranberries.

Spray muffin tin (or use muffin liners).  Bake for 15-18 mintues in a preheated oven.  Remove from muffin tins and place on cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Makes 18 muffins

I enjoy my muffins with a cup of hot coffee! 

Leading by example - Working Out and Getting Fit

  Do you ever make excuses for not working out and getting fit?  I think I've used every one in the book!  But slowly, I've been trying to make exercise a habit and something my body craves.   I know I need to do every day.  And I know it is good for myself physically, emotionally and mentally.  But it is also good for my kids.  Being active and healthy so I can keep up with them and live a long life is so important to me.  I also want to be a good role model for them, and to have them watch me workout and cheer me on is an awesome feeling too. 

My outside gym

  We have a very steep driveway.  The bus drops off my daughter at the bottom after school, so most days I'm cursing it as I hike back up to the top!  But it also serves as a great workout tool!  With one child at home most days, I have to find creative ways to keep fit at home and our crazy driveway is one of them.  I'll do sprints up the hill and then free weights at the top.  All the while my kids are having fun jumping on the trampoline (exercising!) and cheering for me once I reach the top of the driveway.  Plus music outside it a big help!  Keeps me going if I have some sweet tunes blasting! 

  

  I do find I have to mix it up every day with my workouts or I get bored.  I don't want to just run on the treadmill every day, or do the same workout video.  If I don't change it up, I won't look forward to it.  I like a challenge and I like trying new routines.  Lately I've been finding lots of different HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts to try.  There are so many different combinations of moves that you can do!  And there are lots of ideas on Pinterest (check out my Fitness board here>> Fitness,) 

Here is an example of a workout I tried the other day: (I never realized how much I HATE burpees! But I will do this workout again, it kicks your butt!)

HIIT Workout

 Leading by example is so important to me.  I want my kids to know that exercise is part of our lives and how it helps our bodies.  When I workout at home, my youngest daughter watches and usually likes to join in!  She even held a plank for 10 seconds! (with perfect form too!) 

My 4 year old holding a plank for 10 seconds!

What are your favourite types of workouts? And what do you do to keep motivated?

Wordless Wednesday - Sister Love

Made Urban - Opening up a new shop!

  Have you heard of Made Urban?  It is an up and coming new website showcasing handmade products, services and events!  It is free to upload your products to sell.  I found it very user friendly and have just recently opened up a shop!

          www.loveandfarkles.madeurban.com

Here is what Made Urban is all about: (taken from their website)

   " We’re all about livin’ la vida local and Made Urban lets you get as local as you like. We’re an online marketplace for buying and selling locally made goods and so much more! Shop for products made in your province/state, search for local creative service providers or find unique small ma and pa shops located right in your city. We're 100% free! We don't charge any registration, listing or commission fees. But for how long you ask? Forever! We plan to always keep Made Urban free to use and will eventually introduce some optional paid upgrades users may find useful. "


  I'm excited to promote my products through Made Urban and will be closing down my Etsy shop within the next month or so, after I've transferred over my listings. I'm excited that Made Urban is FREE and love how much they help promote businesses through their Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages!

Here are a few items that I have already uploaded:

Lace Star Earrings

Peacock Inspired Chandelier Earrings

Lace Oval Filigree Earrings

 Make sure to go check it out!
 





**This is a personal weblog. The opinions expressed here are solely my own and I am not paid to promote these businesses**

Wordless Wednesday - A Wiggly Prawn

I Heart Friday! - The Little Red Door

  Every Friday I like to share one or more of my favorite businesses!  This week it's the awesome clay creations from The Little Red Door!

  In 2013, I stumbled upon this Etsy shop and fell in love with the little clay houses! I knew I just had to place an order right away!  I've since added to my growing collection and love each piece I've received!  I even won a cute little 'Mom' house on an Instagram contest!!  These little houses are perfect to add to a small plant, on a book shelf or even your windowsill.  And you have to check out the cute little gnomes too! (I think I need one of those!)

 

  She also has the best slogan: small things, huge awesome!  And I totally agree!  Even her packaging is awesome!  Every little parcel is adorned with funky washi tape, fun stamps or stickers and then inside there is always candy!  Yes, candy!!  And with over 3,000 sales, she must have to buy a lot of it to ship with every order!

 I found her on Instagram and love her posts! She shares a little into her life (check out her hashtag #conversationswithmydaughter, always funny!) and there are always lots of coupon codes to her Etsy shop as well as fun contests.

Here is a little ditty taken from the shop:
  "All ceramic miniatures are made of stoneware clay and fired with non-toxic glazes.   Each miniature is formed individually using no molds or cutters and painstakingly glazed freehand.  Every item in the shop is truly handmade, truly one of a kind."

"The Little Red Door is a one-woman show broadcasting live from her little home studio on the prairie. Little Red is the creator, photographer, manager and shipper of all the Small Things."


Visit her Etsy shop here: The Little Red Door 
Find her on Instagram too!

My first purchase (see daisy flowers for size comparison!)