The Sammy Dress shopping experience.

www.sammydress.com

Like many of you, I saw on my FB  page the Sammy Dress ad. I decided to check it out and see if what they advertise is true. I order something small the first time to see and I was very please with the website and my product. I just ordered a new swimsuit and I can't wait to get it. As a mom, going shopping is not always an easy task and I have to say Sammy Dress makes it a lot easier. You can also get S points that you can redeem when you buy something. You get points when you set up an account, buy products, write reviews and upload pictures of your merchandise from them. It is an easy way to help you save. So far I am giving a B+ ( My first order took about 2 months to arrive, but the shipping was free) to Sammy Dress.

Craving Smoothies Recipes

I am in phase where I crave smoothies all the time.  I wish I live near a "Blender in the grass", but I don't, so I have to create my own recipe. Here is a few recipes of smoothies I have been enjoying recently. The last one help with nausea if you are looking for a tasty drink/meal to help with those morning sickness.

Pineapple-Mango-Green-Smoothie 

1/3 cup of frozen pineapple

1/3 cup of mango nectar

1/2 cup fresh baby leaf spinach

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of milk (or soy milk)

  

Banana-Blueberry-Greek-Smoothie

1 banana

1/2 cup of blueberries

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

2 tbs of maple syrup

1 cup of milk (or soy milk)

Banana-Honey-Protein-Smoothies

1 Banana

1 tbs of creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)

1 cup of milk

1 cup of plain yogurt

1/2 tbs of honey

Peach-Ginger-Stomach smoothie

1/2 cup of peaches (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup spinach

1 cup of yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1 cup of milk

1/2 tsp of powdered ginger

Photo from Getty Images

Spicy grilled salmon sandwich

This is a very tasty and simple recipe for leftover grilled salmon. 

Prep: 15 min.

Photo from Getty Images

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches)

-1/2 lbs of grilled salmon (I used grilled lemon and Rosemary salmon from last night)-1/2 mayonnaise-1/3 cup sour chive sour cream-1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar-8 fresh basil leaves-1/3 cup chopped fresh dill-1 chopped scallion-pinch of salt and pepper-1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno-tomatoes -lettuce- multi grain baguette


         In a food processor mix mayonnaise, sour cream,vinegar, basil, dill, scallion, jalapeno, salt and pepper until combined.  Spread the sauce on your bread, add salmon (cold or warm) and add lettuce, tomato or any other toppings you want. Serve immediately. 

Easy, low-fat homemade Ice Cream

With the summer heat, there is nothing like a good and cold ice cream cone. I've been seeing on the  Internet so many different recipes for homemade ice cream. I loved the ice cream in a plastic bag, it's so simple. I've done it a few time with my kid and it was always a huge success. I even started to try my own recipe. Around my son's birthday I saw at the store the Ice Cream Magic as-seen-on-tv. I bought it thinking I will not have to buy plastic bags all the time to make ice cream anymore. I am very please with the purchase. It works the same way as the ice cream in a bag, but you can reuse your container over and over again. We love making our own ice cream. Here are a couple recipes that we love to make when it's getting too hot outside.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1/2 cup of milk (I used 2%, but you can use skim milk or half & half if you prefer)

1 tbsp of sugar

few drops of vanilla extract

Chocolate soy ice cream

1/2 chocolate soy milk

1 tbsp of sugar

Maple Ice cream

1/2 cup of milk

1 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup

You will also need ice and salt and 2 Ziploc bags, one bigger than the other (or you can use the Ice Cream Magic Makers)

In the big bag mix the ice and the salt. In the smaller bag mix the milk, sugar and extract . Put the small bag in the bigger one and shake it for about 5 minutes or until the milk is frozen.  You can add any topping you want after that, like chocolate chips, peanuts, diced fruits, etc...

 Children will enjoy making their own ice cream and you have the control of what they eat as a treat. Perfect for some summer fun!

The moon

Last night the moon was so bright in the sky I couldn't resist trying my new camcorder and recorded it. I have been exploring and playing with my new toy (Sony HDR-XR260V) since I got it. So far, i am very happy with it, it is not the big professional camera, but it does the job perfectly. The only bad reviews about it was that the picture quality was very bad in low light. When I purchased it, I didn't care too much since I usually don't film in the dark. But last night, I decided to see if it is that bad and to my surprise it is not. You have to play with the settings and if you are comfortable enough, use them manually. I made a few short movies and I took a few pictures and I am very please with the result. I can't wait for the full moon tonight.

Visit at the Ostrich Farm.

While my family was visiting me a couple months ago, we went to the Indian Point Ostrich Farm in town. It was a great little tour and we learned a lot about those big birds. I took my new camcorder with me to do a few testing. The result is not exactly what I want it, but it's a start. Enjoy this short video about our trip there. If you want to know more about the Indian Point Ostrich Farm visit their website http://www.indianpointranch.com/

DIY: Scarf hanger (or tie or belt)

A few days ago I went to Ikea and saw this very cool multi-purpose hanger. I always been a scarf lover and started to have quite a collection over the years. But I always had a hard time to store my scarves. They always ended up everywhere and every morning I couldn't find the one I want to wear. I loved this hanger at Ikea, but it seems I wasn't the only one. They were back order. I went back home a little bit disappointed, but with an idea. What if I try to make my own hanger. I love crafts and this look to be a simple challenge. I was able to do it for about $5 (Ikea sale it for $8)
I needed: -1 hanger
              - 25 plastic bracelets (found at the dollar store)
              - hot glue gun and sticks (as a craft lover, I already had them)
              - pretty ribbon (optional, but will make your hanger look nice)

I hot glued the bracelets together 5 rows of 5 bracelets. I reinforced them by wrapping the ribbon around them. After, I hot glued them to the hanger and did the same with the ribbon. Voila, I had my own scarf hanger. I worked perfectly, but later on I had to used a stronger hanger (wood one) because the other broke from the weigh. I have a LOT of scarves. An easy and simple craft, for when the store doesn't have what you want.

The best Camping list

Our family loves to go camping, but in the past it seems we always forget one thing or another. Sometimes it was something very easy to find it at the convenience store near by. But a few times  it was impossible to get what we needed on the spot. So after some research and identifying the needs of my family, while in the wild, and I came up with this list. I decided to share it with you, since you might be like us, and forget stuff (it also work great when it's time to go home and not leaving anything behind). Feel free to let me know if there is things you bring during your camping adventure that I forgot to put on the list. 

Camping list for the whole family

Living space

o Tent

o Sleeping bags

o Air mattress and yoga mat (for kids)

o Air pump

o Ground cover

o Pillows

o Blankets

The kitchen

o Cookware

o Cooking and eating utensils

o BBQ utensils

o Can opener

o Meals

o Snacks

o Water

o Spices/condiments

o Plates

o Cups

o Lighter/matches

o Charcoal

o Paper towels

o Cooler

o Trash bags

o Dish soap

o Dish towels

The Bathroom

o Toothbrush

o Toothpaste

o Body soap (biodegradable)

o Hair brush

o Shampoo & conditioner

o Towel

o Toilet paper

Clothes

o Shoes/boots

o Pants & belt

o Shorts

o T-shirts

o Socks & extra socks

o Hat

o Sweatshirt /Jacket

o Underwear

o PJ

o Rain coat

o Swim suit & Towel

o Laundry bag

Other essentials

o Backpack

o Flashlight

o Batteries

o First aid kit

o Sunscreen

o Bug repellent

o Warm clothes

o Camera

o Map of the area

o Wood

o Camp chairs

o Flip-flops/shower shoes

Extra nice to have on hands

o Ziploc bags

o LED headlamps

o Picnic table clothe

o Sunshade

o Camp stove

o Aluminum foil

o GPS

o Work

o Bikes & helmets

o Hammer

o Small shovel

o Bungi cord/straps

o Duct tape

o Wipes

o Scissor

o Small sewing kit

For the little ones

o Backpack

o Books

o Outside toys

o Crayon & Note book

o Bug catcher

o Magnifying glass

For your hairy friend

o Bed

o Food

o Food & water  bowls

o Leash

o Toy

o towel

Printable version click here

Internet myth or Reality: Homemade microfiber cleaner

A few years ago, we received a nice dark-chocolate color microfiber couch. We just had our son and we were in need of a new couch. Microfiber seems to be a great choice, since it's suppose to stay stain-free. I also bought 3 microfiber foot-cubes to match our living room. Well, with 3 pets and a young child, we stained the couch and the cubes more than once. I tried to wash off the stains, but many of them stayed. Especially on my lime green cube. Not that long ago, I found on pinterest a homemade recipe for cleaning microfiber furniture. Very simple and cheap to make and easy to use, almost look too good to be true.

What you need:

-Rubbing alcohol

-dish sponge and/or brush

- spray bottle

I found everything I needed at our local dollar store.  You spray the rubbing alcohol on the stain, and make sure you soak the stain. After you just wash it with the sponge and let it dry. The great thing about the alcohol is that it dry faster than water, so you don't end up with a water stain. I was little bit skeptical at first, but it did work on most of the stains. It's is now the only way I will clean my couch. But be aware it did not clean ALL of the stains, but it did better than anything I've tried before. The smell of the alcohol is a little bit overwhelming, but well worth it. I give this DIY Microfiber cleaner a 8/10.

DIY: christmas aromatic ornaments

Most memories are connected to a special smell. Odor can bring back old memories you though you had forgotten. For me and I'm sure for many other, the Holidays come with a lots of memories and smells. The food, the trees, the cold crisp air, firewood's burning... This year, we have a gorgeous Christmas tree, it is so much fuller than the past years. We ended needing a few more ornaments. I decided to make salt dough ornaments with my kids and create my own family memories this year. I added to my regular salt dough recipe, some cinnamon and ground cloves. The cinnamon will add a darker color and mixed with the cloves, they add a great olfactory sense to your decorations. It was amazing how good the house smelled while they were cooking and how they still smell good while hanging on the tree. 

You will need:

-3/4 cup of salt

-1 cup of flour

-1/4 cup of water

-2 tbs corn starch

-3 tbs of ground cinnamon

-1/2 tbs of ground gloves

Mix all of the ingredient together in bowl. Mix until it form a dough. Roll Dough to about 1/4 - 3/8 inches thick and cut out shapes. If they are too thin, they will be very fragile to handle and if they are too thick, it will take a lot more time for them to bake or dry. You can leave them out for few days to dry out, or you can bake them (I did) at 300° F for about 2 hours.
After they cooled off, we painted our with acrylic paint.

They are a great project with kids, they can help with every steps (except for the oven) and create their own ornaments. I know mine, from when i was a kid, are still somewhere at my parents house with their Christmas decorations and memories. 

DIY-hand-print reindeer christmas card

Since most of our relatives live far from us, every year I go spend some time at the post office mailing our holiday wishes to all of them. This year I decided to make with my son our own cards. I feel it's more meaningful and fun than the generic Christmas card and since I wasn't going to send any presents this year, we can still show that we care about everyone, even far away. 

This craft was very easy and quick. All you need is

-Brown acrylic paint

-1 paint brush

-construction paper (green, red and beige or white)

-white glue

-goggle eyes

-holiday stickers (optional)

-felt (optional)

I applied the paint on my sons hands and print his hands on the paper in a few different ways. After I just used a little bit of imagination and some goggle eyes, felt and stickers and we had some very fun cards for the family.

I just love the holidays. 

Inside Scavenger Hunt

With the cold and rainy weather, my little one can't play outside as much as he wants, so it's time to get creative inside. My boy loves discovering his surrounding, so I made him an inside scavenger hunt list with pictures, since he can't read yet. I gave him the list and a basket and  told him he has 10 minutes (I put the kitchen timer on) to find as many items on the list as he can. Of course, the game is bilingual  the objects are in English and French. He absolutely loved it. After, he decided to do his own scavenger hunt. Here is the printable template I used for our list. Hope your little one enjoyed it as much as mine. Stay warm and have fun this fall :)

Inside scavenger Hunt

Movember:The history of the month long moustache.

Movember is a long-month event during the month of November. It involves growing a moustache during the entire month to raise awareness and funds for men's prostate cancer and others men's health issues. Men's have to register at monvember.com and start clean shaved on the first of the month. For the rest of the month the "Mo Bros" grow, trim and wax their moustaches for the pleasure or not of all the women. 

Movember was created in 2004 for Australia and New Zealand and in 2007  it expanded in Ireland, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and the United States. Since then it raised over $125 millions in funds for men's health issues. 

To find more info or to register visit movember.com

5 easy Halloween crafts for kids

With Halloween right at the corner, it's time to decorate the house and/or the classroom. Here are 5 easy and school friendly crafts for your little ones. My 3 1/2 year old and I did them all on a Sunday afternoon,, it was too windy to be outside and we already watched way too much television. I decided to take out our craft supplies and decorate the house. My son loved making them and they were not too messy to clean up at the end.

 Paper Pumpkin ornament

• orange paper strips,1/2 inch wide (min. of 10)
• hole punch
• green pipe cleaner

Using the hole punch, pierce a small hole through both ends of each strip. Gently thread the pipe cleaner through one hole in each strip of paper. Once all strips have been threaded onto the pipe cleaner, begin with one END of the bottom-most strip of paper and thread it onto the top of the pipe cleaner and hold it in place. Working in a counter-clockwise direction, and always taking the bottom-most strip of paper, continue threading additional strips onto the wire and hold them in place. Work your way through all of the strip of paper. At the end, twist the top into a leaf with the pipe cleaner to hold in place the paper strips. This one was too hard for my son to do, but it's perfect for my students from grade 1 to 6.

Paper Pumpkin centerpiece

• construction paper (min. 2 different colors)
• scissor
• glue
• green pipe cleaner

Cut at least for 4 identical circles with construction paper. Fold each circle in half. Apply glue on one of its folded faces. Glue a second folded pumpkin shape on top of the first one, keeping both 1/2 circle shapes aligned at the edges. Then glue the first and last 1/2 circle shapes together. Attach the green pipe cleaner to the top and twist it to form a couple leave. This one was also a little too hard for my 3 year old, but I will be perfect for my students.

Gummed paper pumpkin (easy for young children)

• 2 sheets of construction paper (black)
• orange paper cut in small pieces and a few green pieces
• scissor

Cut a pumpkin shape on 1 sheet with the black paper. Glue the small orange pieces on the pumpkin shape and some green pieces for the stem. With the other black sheet, cut 3 triangles and a mouth for the pumpkin face. Glue them on top of the gummed orange paper. 

No mess stickers on window (easy for young children)

• All purpose clear wrap
• Halloween stickers

Cut a piece of an all purpose clear wrap and stick it to the window. Let your child put stickers on it. After Halloween, just remove the clear wrap from the window.

Very easy and fun witch hat (easy for young children)

• Black construction paper
• Glitter glue
• Halloween stickers
• Stapler 

Let your kids decorate their paper with stickers and glitter glue. When they are done, staple the paper to form a cone.

Happy Halloween everyone!

I'm baking, fall is here! Banana & Pear Bread

With the pears season at it's peak right now, I received so many pears from friends and neighbors that I started to not know what to do with them. Some of them started to go bad, so I decided to give a twist to my traditional banana bread. It turn out great. The bread was very tasty and  moist. The pears bring a natural sweet taste.  It was also a hit with my 3 year old.

Preparation: 20 minutes       Baking time: 55 minutes         Oven: 350°F        Makes: 1 Loaf

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-1 cup of oatmeal

-11/2 teaspoons of baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

-1/4 teaspoon of salt

-1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

-1/2 tablespoon of ground flax seed (optional)

-2 eggs

-3 medium bananas, mashed

-2 pears, without the skin and chopped finely

-1/2 cup of sugar

-1/2 cup of applesauce

-1/2 cup of cooking oil or melted butter

-1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

-1/4 cup of raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°f. Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flax seed. Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the eggs, bananas, pears, sugar,melted butter, walnuts and raisins. Add the mixture at once to the flour mixture. Stir until moistened. Spoon batter into your loaf pan. 

Bake for about 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center come out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack. 

5 Effective and Positive Discipline tricks for toddlers

I recently went to a seminar for my work about effective and good discipline for kids. Although the program was implemented to be used for the public school system, I found many good and useful tools and tips for parenting at-home. The number 1 rule is to be consistent on your discipline. Sound easier than it really is. Our family doesn't have a strict schedule, so to be consistent all the time requires more self-disciple from my part. Consistency is very important when it comes to discipline. When you say "no hitting" the first time your child smacks another child on the playground, you also need to say "no hitting" the second, third, and fourth times your child does it. Using the same words every time you teach your child good behavior will help her following the guideline better. Rule number 2 is to think like your child. Toddlers are not mini-adults. They have a hard time understanding many of the things we take for granted, such as how to follow directions or behave appropriately. Seeing the scenario from your kid viewpoint can help prevent a tantrum and help them understanding better their surrounding. Just ask yourself why your kid did this and it will help you communicate better with your child. Rule number 3 is the art of distraction. When you want to avoid a bad situation, redirecting your child is often the key. It' s time to take advantage of the toddler's short attention span. When your child has been running around dining room table for the 10th time after you've said to stop, redirecting your child to a more productive activity, like moving the game outside or offering a new game like a scavenger hunt around the house can save you an outburst from your little one. Rule number 4 is to give your child a break. The very popular "time-outs" can sometime work, but they may not be the best approach for the toddler stage. The negative implication of being sent away can teach kids that they're bad, rather than promote good behavior. Instead created a "cozy corner," a safe place, without distractions and stimulation, where your child can just relax for a few minutes until she can get back in control. That time away can help you to calm down, as well. And rule number 5 is pick your battles. Not every situations are worth the headache of an argument. My kid is very stubborn and he knows already exactly what he wants when he wants it. Certain things are non-negotiable, like brushing his teeth, eating meals, sitting in his car seat or biting and hitting. But many other situations are easy to give in and can be fun to go with instead of having dispute. Hope this can help your strong-minded child and you to have more good days that bad days.

Tehachapi Sunsets

One of the best things in the high desert are the sunsets. It's too hot and too dry, but the sunsets are amazing here.  My husband went on a bike ride last night and took a few pictures of the last sunset of summer 2012. Enjoy :)

Easy Bilingual Kid Craft - Street Lights Sign

I made this fun little street lights sign craft with Adam this after-noon. The sun was still a little to hot to be outside after lunch, so I opted for craft time inside instead. Since I am trying hard to raise Adam in a bilingual world, I gave a simple twist to the project. Like that, he can learn his color in English and French while having fun. He loves anything related to cars, so I knew a street light sign would be a success.

All I needed was:

• construction paper (red, yellow and green) ripped in small pieces,
• a white (or black) paper, 
• glue ( I used flour and water)
• a red, yellow and green crayons.  

Adam had a great time doing it, while we revised our colors in both languages. Sunday afternoon turned out to be fun and easy :)

Crazy Cat Lady

           If you know me personally, you know I love animals. It also probably why sometimes my house feel like a zoo. Over the years, we rescued many pets and welcomed them into our family. At this moment, we have 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 turtle and a few fishes. One of our cat is indoor only, she was dewclaw very young (her paws are very tiny because of it) and she never been outside her whole life. We think she was about 6 years old, when we got her. Having an indoor cat equal having a litter box right? I also mentioned we have a dog. About 2 years ago, we rescued this full size dachshund name Bam-Bam. Before we rescued him, he was used as a breeder dog in Bakersfield. He was malnourished, lived outside mostly and had fleas and ticks. He had never been trained for anything. When we got him, we had to teach him all of the basics, like "sit" and how to walk on a leash. Still up to today, "sit" is one of the only command he responds to. Some friends of ours told us he is more like a companion dog. But no matter what, we love him very much and are glad he is part of our family.

Most people I talked to who have an inside cat and a dog seem to have the same problem that we have. Our dog loves to go munch in the litter box (I know this is disgusting!!!) Not only we were totally repugnant by Bam-Bam actions, we had cat litter all over the house. My first reaction was to make my cat potty-trained (here's the crazy cat lady) and get rid of the litter box. I researched online the many ways and all of the products to help achieve my new goal. I removed the litter box and put a bowl on my toilet with cat litter in it. I follow all of the steps on how to make your cat potty-trained. Isis was a little bit resilient at first, but she finally got it. But when it was time to remove the bowl, she refused to go on the toilet seat. She was done with my experiment. I guess you can't teach your old cat a new trick, no matter how smart you think your cat is. So there I was, back online doing more research and I couldn't find anything that will work for us. I was starting to be desperate and starting to consider to find a new family for our dog.
Then my husband and I had an idea, we were going to build a cover for the litter box with a hole small enough that our dog will not fit in it. With a few piece of left over wood from the garage, my husband build the box one Saturday afternoon. The wooden box is quite bigger than the litter box, so even if our dog try to fit in, he can't reach the litter. I cover it with some vinyl shelf liner that stick on contact from the dollars store. It was easier, faster and cheaper than having to paint the box. It works perfectly. Not only it looks better than that ugly litter box, we also used the top to put our cat food on. No more cat litter all over the house and Bam-Bam get to stay with us. My son was very happy about that, since he is his dog after all.

FYI: For more than a year now, I used the natural corn fiber cat litter and I like it a lot more. I recommended it, it is way better that the regular clay litter. Well worth the little higher price. I never tried the feline pine litter, if you have let me know, I wonder if it's better than the corn fiber.Thanks