Frugal Friday- Mommytime!!

Being a mommy is a very giving, selfless job. I can hardly remember the last time I got a mani-pedi. Or a massage. Those days are long gone! Not that I'm complaining. I'm a pretty low maintenance girl when it comes to beauty stuff. Being at home with the kids all day working and homeschooling, most days I don't  even wear makeup. Or put it on right before I'm expecting my husband just so I don't feel like I've been a mess all day (Which usually I am, between dirty grimy kiddie hands and trying to clean, etc.!)

Thanks to our beloved Pinterest, I have found so many great ideas of how to stay looking good without having to spend time and money. This post will share with you some healthy, home beauty products that have amazing results!

Bentonite clay mask- I have a love affair with bentonite clay. It is a definite must have for the house as it has so many uses. It's a powerful poultice and makes a great facial mask. Rumored to have been used regularly by Cleopatra, as well as ancient Aztec warriors it has age reducing benefits and works well to restore youth and beauty. You can find this at most health food stores (not at Trader Joe's) or online. Most jars have the instructions on the package. You mix some powdered clay with vinegar or water (I prefer vinegar) and put it on as a mask. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes. The mask will get really hard and may even itch a bit. When you wash your face it will be bright red and pulsating for a bit. Don't worry! This is normal. The clay and vinegar mixture works to remove deep impurities. This mask works best when done once a week.

Microdermabrasion- The recipe is simple. One part water, one part baking soda. mix it together and scrub all over your face. Rub in circular motions paying particular attention to areas where you have blackheads or clogged pores. Wash it off and dry. Viola! Your face is bright and beautiful! Just like the mask, I try to incorporate this scrub into my weekly facial routine.

Teeth Whitener- Mix a small amount of water and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide into a glass. I like to use this as a mouthwash before I brush. I just swish and swirl it around for a few minutes and then brush my teeth. The hydrogen peroxide helps to brighten and whiten your teeth and is a common ingredient in most whitening products.

Detox bath- This can be a nice, relaxing little escape. That is if you don't have interruptions by crying children over someone not sharing, not wanting to go to bed, etc. For me it seems like even if they are asleep, the second I get into the bath some major disaster occurs! HA! Anyways, this bath can be done two ways, you can use either epsom salts or some of the powdered bentonite clay. Either one has beneficial affects for the body. The epsom helps to draw out toxins while also replenishing magnesium (a common deficiency in most people) while the clay works well to remove toxins and heavy metals. Detox baths help to stimulate the lymphatic system and cleansing our largest organ, our skin. Drawing out these impurities often is a great way to keep your body fresh and functioning well.

Now don't get me wrong, these in no way substitute a kid free, husband free, dog free spa pampering session! But I think most mommies would approve at how easy, cheap and accessible it is to do these at home on a regular basis. Besides, what about the fact that just one of these treatments at a high-end place would be probably double of what you can get all the ingredients combined to DIY? You can get hydrogen peroxide, epsom salts and baking soda all at the Dollar Tree. That right there saves you a ton!

Do you use any homemade beauty products? If so, please share!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Fermentation Fun!- Homemade Sauerkraut

My name is Victoria, and I'm a fermentaholic. Seriously, I'm obsessed in a where-has-this-been-all-my-life, type of way! I started about 6 months ago brewing my own Kombucha and have been experimenting since.  It's such a fun easy way to make your own food and the health benefits of fermented foods are tremendous.

My most recent experiment was Sauerkraut. It was very easy, with the hardest part being patient and waiting for the food to naturally do it's thing! I always get a little nervous when I ferment. We have all been conditioned to believe that pasteurization is necessary and to be fearful of all bacteria. The truth is that fermented foods have lots of health benefits, and can increase vitality and wellbeing. This post is to share with you how easy it is to make your own sauerkraut!

Homemade Sauerkraut:

• Head of green cabbage
• Sea Salt
• Filtered water
• Jar
• Cover- Paper towel, tea towel, coffee filter, cheese cloth, etc. 
• Rubberband
• Something to weigh down the cabbage to stay submerged (right now I use a plastic baggie filled with water but am still searching for a better alternative that is nonplastic) 

Shred the cabbage and place into a bowl and cover with salt. Massage and knead the salt into the cabbage to bruise and help to release the juices needed to help ferment. Pour the cabbage/salt combo into the container and fill with water enough to submerge the cabbage. Place the weight on to help hold the cabbage under the water.  I cover my container with a paper towel and use a couple of rubber bands to keep it safe and clean from bugs, dust, etc. 

Let your batch sit for 7-14 days and it will be ready to bottle. Now beware! This is a stinky, smelly process. My fermentation station is setup in the garage because, although I've grown to love that smell, I don't want it in my house. I check on my brews every couple of days, testing and trying until it matches my taste. That is the beauty of fermenting. You can extend the process if you want it more sour and tart, or shorten if you want it more sweet tasting. 

Now chances are there will be some sort of whitish scum on the top of the batch- Don't despair! This is "The Mother" a sign of healthy bacterias infusing our food creating your own homemade probiotics! Amazing isn't it! You can just scoop off and discard a bit of the top layer and below should be beautiful, yummy sauerkraut! When bottling leave just a little room for air at the top and the batches will continue to ferment until placed in the fridge. They can be stored in a pantry almost indefinitely!

Fermentation is one of the safest and healthiest ways to preserve food. Many people fear bacteria in their food but good bacteria, lactic acid producing bacteria, can be used to extend the life of your food.  Warning signs to look for when fermenting are: pink cabbage, mold, slime, and a yeasty odor. If you see a white film on top- Smile! You are fermenting! You want to allow your food to ferment for at least two weeks when its warm out and even longer when the weather gets cooler. Allowing it to fully have time to ferment increases the Lactic Acid Bacteria lowering the PH and preventing spoilage.

Im hooked and so excited for all the possibilities that lacto-fermenting has to offer. I can't wait for all the future experiments such as making my own yogurt, adding veggies and other ingredients to future sauerkrauts, fermenting salsas and chutney's! Who knows, maybe even trying to brew my own beer and wine!

Have you tried fermenting? We would love to hear all about it!!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Maniac Monday

It's Monday! Instead of waking up feeling inspired to start my week I felt tired and worn out! This past week of traveling back and forth to celebrate two thanksgivings with both sides of the family has me longing for nap time (Please oh please let my kids nap at the same time today! Mama needs it!) My house is a disaster, I haven't even begun anything in the form of Christmas presents and I'm really starting to feel the financial pressures of the holidays along with the fact that I'm making a lot less money now that I'm able to stay home with the kids as opposed to working full time.

As my morning started out rough I began to panic about how things such as how fast the year has gone by, how much more I would like to start contributing financially to the family, what to get this person and that person for Christmas and finally had to take a step back. Why all the stress? It's completely unnecessary and does no service! BREATHE! Everything is gonna be alright!

I took the kids and the dog for a walk outside and it was so refreshing. The air was cool and crisp, and the birds were chirping. We stopped at our favorite little spot for the kids to run around for a bit. As I just stood and watched the kids play I remembered something I had read over the weekend about Earthing.  Earthing is the belief that modern lifestyle has us disconnected with the Earth and it's beautiful energy, which causes us to be stressed out and vulnerable to illness.  Simply walking barefoot on the earth for a few minutes a day can absorb the energy helping to feel more grounded and connected. So I took off my Uggs and walked around barefoot on the cool damp grass for about 15 minutes. Will I sound like too much of a hippie when I tell you how amazing it felt. I could literally feel the energy being drawn up through the soles of my feet. I began to feel energized and motivated. I used this time to meditate with the universe and ask it to guide me and reveal what I am supposed to be doing. At the end of the short session I felt so much better about where I am in my life. It helped to answer some of my questions as to what I can be doing differently while also showing me that patience is key.

Being a mommy I don't get as much quiet alone time to be with just myself, my thoughts and the universe. Today was a great reminder of finding solace in a very simple way, just by walking barefoot on the dewy grass while watching my kids enjoy life. It helped me realize how I need to open my eyes and take advantage of moments like this when I can rather than being over consumed with the pressures and duties of everyday life. Instead of waiting till I get some peace and quiet without coming up with one of the million of excuses of other things I should be doing rather than meditating, I need to create more time to connect with myself and nature. I look forward to including earthing in my daily rituals and feeling more grounded and stable.

Have you tried Earthing? We would love to hear all about it!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Pumpkin Trifle Recipe

I have wanted a trifle dish for the past couple of years after regretting not registering one for our wedding. At the time it didn't cross my mind and as I began to cook more, and of course thanks to some   Pinspiration (inspiration from none other than Pinterest!) it became something I longed for. While going through my late grandmother's belongings, I acquired her trifle dish, and began to think of all the yummy possibilities that were in my near future.

After having the dish for over a month and still not having used it I decided to make a yummy pumpkin bread trifle to bring to Thanksgiving. I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to make it. It turned out so amazing that I wanted to share the recipe!

Pumpkin Trifle

Buy some pumpkin bread or Trader Joe's box Pumpkin bread and muffin mix (which is what I did). Cut the bread into cubes.

Buy a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk and boil completely covered for 2 hours (make sure the can is completely covered at all times. Do not let the water even get to the top of the can or it can explode!) I cooked mine for about 2 1/2 hours just to make sure since it was my first time. You need to keep watching the water level to make sure that it is always higher. That was probably the hardest part of this  recipe. I was VERY excited to try this. Once it has boiled pull it out with tongs and set aside to cool off. Once it has cooled place it in the fridge.

You can buy candied walnuts or I made my own by turning a pan on medium heat and toasting them slightly and then poured about a 1/4 cup of sugar with a cup of chopped walnuts and a dash of salt and some cinnamon. I stirred frequently especially when the sugar started to melt, until the nuts were coated and then took off the stove to cool and set aside.

I used a can of organic pumpkin and mixed some cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract.

I bought a box of storable whipping cream from Trader Joe's to use as a layer. Make sure you store this in the fridge at least 6 hours before you want to make it! I whipped it up with a teaspoon of brown sugar, a dash of vanilla and some pumpkin pie spice. It didn't whip up as nicely as I hoped it would, but I didn't beat up on myself too much because this was my first time using whipping cream.

I layered the pumpkin bread with the candied walnuts drizzled some caramel and topped with canned pumpkins. Then added another layer of bread, nuts and caramel. For the final layer I mixed the rest of the canned pumpkin with the whipping cream to make a pumpkin mousse. Then topped with the rest of nuts and drizzled some caramel. The dessert was a hit, so fun to make and doesn't it just look beautiful! Grammy would be proud! This recipe will definitely be made again!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

A Time for Gratitude and Love

I LOVE the holidays, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I am so fortunate to have been born into and marry into amazing families. This year we are celebrating two Thanksgivings, one on Thursday with my In Laws out of town, and then heading back home to celebrate again on Saturday with my family. I love it, double the food, double the crazy family time and double the time to be thankful for all that I have. 

For this post I wanted to share a list for all that I have to be gracious for this year. 

1. My family- I love my big crazy family! And we just keep on growing!! With my sister getting married and my other sister getting ready to have her first child I am so excited for the new additions to our clan. I am thankful for my grandparents and all they did to make sure that their family was surrounded by love showing us the true meaning of family. Even though I don't see them as often as I would like I am so thankful for all my cousins who were like brothers and sisters to me growing up! I look forward to celebrating the holidays with my husband and two babies and watching them experience the holidays with newness and wonderment. 

2. My friends- I have been blessed with the greatest friends I could ask for. Even though our lives are much different than when we began our friendships, I love that we can pickup the phone or meet-up after not seeing each other or talking for awhile and it is like nothing has changed. Each and everyone of my friends has a special place in my heart and I enjoy the memories we share with one another. 

3. My health and wellbeing- The breath in my lungs, a sound mind and body and the ability to use the knowledge and experience I have to make decisions regarding my health and the health of my family. I love to learn especially in regards to healthier living and love having the means to research natural health information and share them with others around me. 

4. Food and Shelter- As much as I would like a little bigger house to accommodate our lifestyle I am very grateful for having a roof over our head and healthy food in our bellies. I am thankful for my ability to cook yummy, nutritious meals for my family and friends providing food for our bodies and souls. I enjoy entertaining and spending time with loved ones and having a place for us to gather and spend time together and create memories.

5. Yoga- This could be integrated into #4 but wanted to give it its own special spot on this list. I have been doing yoga for over 20 years and love it more and more each day. I don't get to have a solo practice as much as I would like, but love the fact that I have shared this practice with my children and get to do yoga with them daily (even if its not as quite and serene as my solo practice) I love teaching them about what their bodies can do and hope that they carry this knowledge with them throughout their lives.

There is so much more I could add to this list, making it more and more refined and whatnot, but in a nutshell these are the things I am thankful for. I love the life I live and everyone who plays a part in it. Sending out lots of love and positive energy to everyone during this season of gratitude and love!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Why wouldn't the shrimp share his treasure?

Because he was a little shellfish!  HA HA HA Okay no more bad jokes I promise! (at least for this post!)

I made the yummiest pasta dish for dinner a few nights ago. I got the inspiration from Pinterest, it was originally listed as a shrimp fettucini soup but as always I read the recipe when it was time to cook and came up with my own original recipe. It turned out delicious and it was so easy!! Of course I knew once I tasted it that I had to share. My recipe did not come out like a soup, the sauce really reduced and once I added the pasta it really soaked up the liquid and made it like a sauce for the pasta, which I actually think I would like better than if this had been a soup.


Shrimp Fettuchini

Chop 3 cloves of garlic and 1/4 of a white onion in some butter and olive oil in a large saucepan for about 5 minutes. Chop one and a half large tomatoes and add to the garlic and onion. Add some salt & pepper, a dash of red pepper flakes and a pinch of brown sugar. Stir for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to get soft. Add a cup of half and half cream and 1/2 a cup of white wine. Zest a small lemon and squeeze the juice into the saucepan. Add shrimp. Chop up some fresh basil and add. Turn the heat down and let everything simmer so that the sauce starts to reduce. Add one tablespoon of flour and continue to let it simmer. Boil fettucini or linguini (I used basil and chive fettucini from Trader Joe's) Drain the pasta once it has cooked and add to the sauce and mix. Let it all marinade for about 5 minutes. Garnish with some basil leaves and enjoy!

Some people may want to tone down the garlic a bit, I happen to LOVE garlic. In fact, my motto is- If your lover doesn't love garlic, find another lover! (okay maybe that's a little harsh!) I would give this recipe a 5 out of 5! It was bursting with flavor and I can't wait for the leftovers which will taste even better with all the flavors marrying.

Buon Appetito!!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Potty Training 101

The title of this post implies that I am a potty training expert, which is by no means the actual truth! Potty training was a lot harder for me than I originally anticipated. I was under the impression that because she seemed advanced for her age, that the task would be no problem! Boy was I wrong. I tried almost every method out there, including the Naked $75 method.

This post is to provide information on the methods that I tried as well as some advice based on what I learned from this experience. Hopefully my next attempt will be much easier, although Ive heard that boys are a whole other animal (no pun intended) and look forward to see just how different the experiences are.


I wasn't sure which technique would be the easiest so I wanted to try a little bit of everything until we figured out what worked for us. I bought a seat for the big potty as well as one of the mobile baby potties. She took to the smaller, travel potty first because I she felt scared of sitting on the big one.

Potty Time!- It is important to make a simple act of using the bathroom a joyous one! I tried to literally make potty time like a party! I would invite her to come with me every time I had to go and talk to her about the process (sounds gross I know! Didn't get into any yucky details, just what and why I was doing it!) I tried to encourage her to try it and made a huge fuss when she would go in either the little potty or the big potty! When she would have accidents I wouldn't get upset, I would just reiterate what I  wanted her to do.

One technique said to place the portable toilet in the room that was most used. For us that was the living room as we don't have a playroom. I was a little hesitant to put the potty in the main room, but read about the whole out of sight out of mind theory and decided to try it. It actually worked really well, I would ask her every 10 minutes if she had to go to the bathroom and eventually she would go on her own but it was still intermittent, we had lots of accidents and she still preferred diapers. She actually told me she didn't like how panties felt because she loved diapers and wanted to be a baby like her brother. This was very frustrating to me but I had nothing to do but be patient and keep trying to encourage her to go in the potty like a big girl.

After about months of the off and on accidents I got desperate and moved on to bribing. I would bribe her with everything, show her pictures of Disneyland and let her know that once she didn't wear diapers anymore we could go and she could meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse! This offer intrigued her, but still didn't seal the deal. I decided to try short term bribes taking advantage of her sweet tooth, if she went #2 in the potty we would make cookies or cupcakes that day for her to enjoy. This started to work so I would switch up the prizes, sometimes it was a healthy sweet treat, sometimes it was stickers or a new coloring book (which you can get at Dollar Tree for a great price!) Every time she would go in the potty you would have thought she won an Olympic gold medal! I would jump up and down with excitement, sing, dance, whatever I had to do to show her praise and she loved it!

Even with all the headway we were making, I was still scared to take her out of the house without a diaper on. I was afraid that this was sending her mixed messages so I bought some training pants for when we would make our outings but tried to stay as close to home as I could until she was trained. I was terrified of being out grocery shopping or driving in the car and have an accident occur. I was very excited when we would go out and come back from being out for an hour or so and come back to dry training pants. Once I realized this I knew the dirty job was almost done! Within a few weeks she was completely potty trained (with the exception of diapers during nap time and at night- which we still have yet to master)

Potty training is no easy feat, at least it wasn't in my case. I had an extremely stubborn daughter and had to use a lot of time, patience and bribing to get where I am today. Ultimately I had to wait until she was completely on board for it to work. Even after months of being accident free there were  couple of days where she would have multiple accidents for whatever reason and we had to switch back to training pants for a day or too until we got back on track.

To anyone out there who is currently in potty training hell or getting ready to start the process, patience is key! Don't sweat the small stuff, there will be accidents, some worse than others. The important thing is to remember that it will eventually happen, maybe not in the time frame that you want it to, or even the amount of time it took your friend whose kid was magically potty trained in 2 days. But when was the last time you saw a teenager wearing diapers (I PROMISE your kid will be potty trained well before then!)

Good luck and I would love to hear any potty training stories (good or bad!) that you want to share!!

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

Keep Calm and Get Your Organic On!

So it's the day after voting day and most of America is waking up with a post election hang over. Whether you were really into the presidential portion of it or had a proposition that has a personal impact on your life election day can be both exciting and full of let down. 

I know many Californians who are saddened by the news that Proposition 37 did not pass. I myself am one of them. I was a huge supporter of this proposition for so many reasons- The non-existent testing on GMO affects, the evil corporations that were bankrolling the opposition of labeling, and the fact that I just choose to refrain from consuming un-natural substances and sharing them with my family. I don't care if GMO's are grown (that actually is a huge lie! I wish there were outright banned!), I just feel that as consumers we should have the right to know what we are eating. My GMO article published on NaturalNews.com on election day and I was hoping it would help to provide a little boost to anyone who might still be on the fence with their vote. 

Unfortunately, It appears that due to A LOT of misinformation surrounding this proposition (thanks to the No on 37 group, which is currently under the investigation by the FBI for misrepresenting the FDA and creating fraudulent quotes) the masses voted no. Perhaps it's because many people are so disconnected with their food and don't see the correlation between it and health or too many people were scared that it would raise taxes (a myth which has also been debunked). Whatever the reason, this post is to share with you how to avoid GMO with our without labels. (barring any major cross contamination that may occur in the future- God forbid!) 

Top GMO offenders: 

• Almost all conventional processed foods are GMO.  If it contains corn, soy or sugar (with the exception of 100% sugar cane) in the name- Sorry Charlie, but its been genetically engineered. Soybean oil, fructose, glucose, caramel color, soy lecithin, corn startch- Yep! All been genetically modified. Favorites such as popcorn, most salad dressings, Cheerios and highly processed honey all contains GMO. When you begin to read most labels you will see that its in about 80% of foods on the market. 
• Canola/Rapeseed oil- Canola is a GMO food derived from the rapeseed, which is in the same family as mustard gas! Canola is 80% of Canola has been genetically modified. This oil is cheap and most commonly used in restaurants (along with cheap corn and soy oil) which is why it is virtually impossible to stay GMO free when going out to eat. 
• Many conventional dairy, eggs, meat and any other animal products. This is because the animals diet consists of GMO corn and soy. It is also important to ensure that your dairy is rBGH-free- A GMO growth hormone created by Monsanto to increase milk production by up to 15%. 
• Farmed seafood has a higher GMO risk because most farmers feed their harvest cheap GMO meal so it's best to stick to wild caught.  
• Most fruits and veggies are GMO free (even conventional produce) with the exception of corn, soybeans, beets, zucchini, raddichio, Hawaiian papaya and yellow summer squash. 

Best Ways to Avoid GMO:

• Limit eating out. By cooking at home you can control what you put into your body. I cook about 6 days of the week for my family (3 meals a day) and we eat out about once a week, occasionally more if something pops up. It sounds hard at first, but with enough planning it becomes more manageable, rewarding and fun!
• Buy organic meat and dairy products that say the animals were 100% organic fed or grass fed/finished. 
• Shop at Farmer's Markets or your local Coop and support local farmers. Also avoid non-organic versions of the top GMO crops listed above. 
• Stick to organic grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. Many healthfood stores have great bulk sections!
• Avoid processed and packaged foods and see how easy and delicious making your own is! Stay tuned because in the next few weeks I'm going to share some yummy salad dressings, breakfast bars and kids snacks that promise to be good, healthy and easy-peasy! 
• Buy food labeled 100% Organic or look for the Non-GMO project label- the ONLY label that right now guarantees that something is 100% GMO-free. 
• Grow your own food as much as possible. It can be a fun project for the family!
• Shop GMO free by checking out this GMO free shopping list

I hope you enjoyed this post and I would love for you to share how you avoid GMO's if you have any other ideas to add to the list I would love to hear them!  

Disclaimer:  Please note: I am not a medical professional. Please use your careful discernment and double check with your naturopath or doctor before taking any vitamins or supplements

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.