Sustainable & Creative Living
This is my all-time favorite salad! It can be served in the summer, spring, fall, or winter. I’m making it in honor of Father’s Day for my husband because I got this recipe from his late Mother many years ago. To be exact, it was 1983. She gave me the recipe so I could bring this dish to a family Fourth of July party. I still have (and use) the original piece of scrap paper that she wrote the recipe on.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many of us will be looking for special treats and gifts for our sweeties! Of course, there will be all kinds of candy to choose from but I have a feeling that, like me and my family, many of you may still be suffering from Christmas candy overload. A good way to avoid candy overload at Valentine’s Day but still enjoy a delicious treat, is to make Chocolate Coconut Covered Strawberries.
Not only are Chocolate Coconut Covered Strawberries tasty, but with my recipe, they’re guilt-free and healthy. Chocolate Coconut Covered Strawberries are also extremely simple to make. Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t do complicated when it comes to cooking. I do, however, do delicious—and that’s what these are!
One thing in my life that gets frazzled after the holidays is my hair. Normally, I wash, blow dry, and curl it every other day. I may curl it again or use a straightener on the off day. I definitely do all of it more often during the holiday season when I go to parties and extra events. Combine that with the dry weather we have during the winter and my hair needs extra help.
To keep my hair healthy I primarily use Rusk Deep Shine Keratin Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner, a product line that my hair stylist, Evan, recommended. She also recommended using coconut oil on my hair as a deep conditioner. Sometimes I do use straight coconut oil on my hair and sleep with it on all night. In the morning I just wash it off. Shampooing two to three times gets all the oil out.
I came up with a hair mask that combines the benefits of both coconut oil and honey. It leaves hair moisturized and free of buildup. It’s also simple and easy to make at home with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
People often give and receive plants as holiday or hostess gifts this time of year. One of the most popular is the Christmas cactus. Normally at holiday time they are healthy and in full and beautiful bloom. This plant can live many years and bloom again seasonally with the right care.
When Meagan and Christina suggested I write about holiday budgeting, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. I’m not a meticulous budgeter. I am a person who lives within their means and keeps debt to a minimum. I’m frugal at times, but [Read more…]
These low-calorie no-bake oatmeal cookies are some of my favorite treats. They also happen to be very healthy. Oatmeal is high in fiber and protein so it stabilizes blood sugar and is filling. I eat oatmeal every morning (yes, EVERY morning!) for breakfast. Because oatmeal is so healthy, I came up with these low-calorie no-bake cookies as a tasty snack:
Honey is a perfect ingredient for homemade and natural face masks. Not only is honey an antioxidant, but it also possesses antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial properties. Honey contains minerals, vitamins, and amino acids. These properties make honey a natural anti-aging agent. Honey is also a natural humectant—this means it attracts and retains moisture. Honey helps clarify skin by opening pores. After using any one of these natural, chemical free homemade face masks, your skin will feel incredibly soft and smooth.
Although gardening is one of my favorite hobbies, the lush green plants that I would bring home from the nursery often turned into brown, dried-up dead things. I just wasn’t able to give them the attention that they needed. Instead of giving up on houseplants, I’ve learned a few tricks to help keep them alive and healthy.
My favorite place to be in the whole world is sitting around the dining room table with my family. I especially like it when we’re enjoying a meal together. But sometimes we’re talking about work. And sometimes we’re arguing about work. The lines between family and work get blurred occasionally when you run a family business.
Aromatherapy is one of my favorite methods of stress relief. It never fails to lift my spirits. It’s also simple, quick, and effective. Scents can impact our mood and emotions so powerfully because they travel directly to the part of the brain (deep limbic system) where they’re processed. Our other senses don’t operate this way. Since I’m a very busy person, like everyone else these days, things that work are my favorite things.
