Bouclair Home Part 1- For the Love of Wall Art

On my birthday weekend, I treated myself to candy.... no, not the kind you eat... eye candy! I went to one of my favourite home decor stores and fell in love with EVERYTHING. Bouclair Home I LOVE YOU. So I thought I would share my love with you by showing you all that inspires me... I always have a camera attached to me... so I was creeping around the store taking shots of the most awesome pieces of home decor. So come along and dream with me...

You know, I am all about positive thinking and the law of attacration. Thinking great thoughts and attraction great things to you... So imagine my excitement when I saw this cool wall mural.

And then they come in mirror form and in 'budget' format too.

Hey, these are my words....

And these ones too!

This is my next trip.... might as well get the poster to get 'psyched'!  Visualize!

Love the burst of colours here... I don't know what city it is, but I am gonna say New York... and I am so going there one day soon!

I love big beautiful flower close ups. Remember the paintings I showed you that were being exhibited in Whole Foods, well these remind me of them but they are images, but they are gorgeous. I love all the white here, so peaceful.

And this one, so bold and blue... So I'll have of each of these please and thank you!



Birthday Dinner Date- Greek it is!

I recently celebrated my 45th birthday.... You say 'What?', a woman admitting her age??? Well for me, I can't wait to get older, wiser and richer (in so many ways). I'm looking forward to getting to 50, it's the beggining of the rest of my life- my best half century, slimmer, healthier, faster, athletic, and most of all... spiritually awake and living a life of unlimited, never ending abundance and joy.... and I am on my way there folks.

To celebrate, Brent wanted to take me to dinner and a movie. I suggested Crazy Sushi, but it was under construction... so the only other choice we had with the time limit was Souvlaki Hut.

Kind of a little low key Greek place. But since it was a celebration and I had been craving a 'no so healthy' Greek meat product... Gyros. So that's what we did.

Look at that.... so much Gyros- way too much, couldn't finish it all though- and guess what, that's part of the new me... you don't have to finish your plate... and it's OK to have a 'special' treat once in a while... As long as I log it on myfitnesspal.com... I know I am on track... and guess what, after losing 65lbs, I know I'm doing something right.

Oh, and I also fill up on lots of veggies... do you know that your plate should be 1/2 veggies, 1/4 carb and 1/4 protein. I love Greek Salad! It's the feta, but not goat feta, I don't like goat cheese or goat feta, tastes like the farm to me.

And a sexy new can of Diet Coke. I prefer water usually, but you know- it's my birthday... so I enjoyed the bubbles.... Oh, are you wondering what movie we saw? It was Moonrise Kingdom and it was good and quirky and off beat. We liked it... here's a little about the movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonrise_Kingdom

Chapman beats the Cow

It sure has been hot for the last couple of days. So I thought it would be appropriate to share with you my new discovery for the summer. I had posted about the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich a while ago, but let me tell you... I think I found a better one.

It's name is Chapman's Frozen Yogurt Vanilla Sandwich. And he is the WINNER!

Here are the 'deats'- 130 calories, 3g fat, 1g fibre... and it does have a few ingredients that you can't pronounce... but it's a nice alternative to the old fashioned Eskimo pies... remember those?

Here it is- it's really good I tell you and you buy a box of 6 I think for $5.99, a lot less expensive than the other guys. I really like Chapman's Frozen Yogurt Product line.

Beach Nails- It's a Zoya type of rainbow

Where's the Beach? Well, it's right here in my new Beach Rainbow set of Nail Polish. I have an addiction to new nail polish colours. And I had to get this for myself, it was my birthday after all and all good girls deserve a treat! I discovered this website while I was searching online for these Konad image plates (see below). I found these on an online store http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/. They have all kinds of nail polish and nail art supplies. And they are CANADIAN, it's about time I tell you... we always have to wait so long to get this stuff up here, and the best is that it's free shipping if you buy over $29- um, which I did...

So the nail polish price is about the same as a salon, but more expensive than Walmart. But where you find the good deals is when you buy the collection, you save a couple of dollars per bottle. And you know, design is my passion, so I love to try new colours. This Beach set came in the mail at the right time... I was going to be checking out beaches any minute, you know.

But wait... when I got it home I saw this... it's FREE of those harmful chemicals found in polish that I have been ignoring like formaldehyde... yikes! So with my cleaner eating, I am also going to attempt cleaner nail polishing. And it's safe and healthy polish for pregnant women, well Hallelujah! Just in case you ever need to think about that... well now you know!

And then it says on the back- The Natural Polish with Staying Power. So I have had it on for 4 days and you know what? It's been pretty good with staying on my tips.

But the real reason I was shopping around nail polish/product supply stores is for this. The Nail Stamping Kit. I saw these designs thourh Pinterest and they used this product. I will show you a picture of what it looks like later, but I wanted to show you a preview. Basically you drop some nail polish on these metal plates that have a grooved pattern and then you 'squiggy' it off and then with that big rubber stamp you press it over the metal plate and then directly onto your nail. Wait until you see my first attempt....

Healthy Lifestyle Update- Time to share the good news....

I am so happy to share with you today that I went to see my Endocrinologist and my Wharton clinic today and last week and the verdict is out.... I am succeeding extremely well at loosing weight and getting off medicines.  I have now lost 65.6 lbs and over 8.5 inches on my neck, hips and waist. WOOHOO!

Here's a little photo with my new favourite shirt- smaller, sexier, prouder me! And just so you can see... a before picture... just in case you want to see the difference. A picture of me about 3 years ago... so this wasn't even my biggest weight.

But can you see the difference, I mean really see the difference. The smile... NOW it's from the inside out. It's for real, it's honest, it's real, it's the fire inside me, the passion I have for following this journey to the end and when I get there... living it everyday of my life. Because, guess what? I am worth it!!!

It took some time and some coaching to figure it out (thanks Szos), but I had to prioritize what was most important in my life. Time to take care of my body and soul. That is why I have started to get up at 6:00am everyday and going for a power walk for a fast 35 minutes with my music, with nature, with God being so grateful that my butt is even out of bed and outside in my Nikes before many people get out of bed. And then... one of the best part is that I cool down and spend time writing in my gratitude journal and working through the second book by Rhonda Byrne - The Magic. In the past 2 weeks, I feel like my whole world has changed... I am so 'aware', so in love with all that this Universe has waiting for me... it brings tears of JOY to my eyes as I sit here and write this.

Amazing Adventures... with our purple umbrella

Oh what fun it is to walk in the park with your purple umbrella, hey, little raindrops fell, little raindrops fell... ok, so you were supposed to sing that to the tune of Jingle Bells!
But seriously, what a great time we had walking in one of our fav parks-Jack Darling on this overcast day.

Because the weather wasn't that good, that meant we had the park pretty much to ourselves.  Mella's new obsession are umbrellas, so this purple one was the newest and we had to use it as it sprinkled on our heads on and off. But check out Mella- what a sweet pose, right?

And then it was my turn to pose. The best part of this photo is the Jean jacket- a new purchase for the smaller, cooler me!

Mella on the Beach and the city skyline behind us.

Daughter and Mother, squinting - the sun was peaking in and out of the clouds... i look so funny here without glasses.

Who is that????

I wanted Mella to take an up to date photo of me... my pants although 2 sizes smaller are still too big, that's ok, I'm learning to live with it. But let me tell you a little more about this jean jacket. A real cool 'Law of Attraction' moment. Just a few days previous to this I met up with my friend Janice (you saw the post)- I commented on her cool jean jacket and she shared with me that she was in Florida with her mom and didn't really feel like shopping, but went along with her mom- she did have a thought before she went that it would be nice if she could find a jean jacket... well she did, on sale- like 90% off and it fit her perfectly. In my head I was thinking that I have always wanted a cool jean jacket too... maybe when I was thinner I could get one. Well, days later I was at Walmart looking for other stuff and I stumbled upon a rack of jean jacket - that fit me- that were only $25... so I was so excited- that I had attracted it, that it fit, that it was there for me... and because I was so excited I bought one for Mella too! Twins!!! Then when we get to the checkout- I found out they were on sale for only $11 each... OMG - it was meant to be!

Can you say desktop photo?  Mella didn't want to wear her jean jacket out that day, it's not cool to look like your mom when you are out with her!!!

Here's a shot to show you how peaceful and perfect the day was, calm, cloudy with a few sailboats in the distance.... and big Needle!

Breakfast of Champions... with my Champions

Not too long ago I took my family to a nice little breakfast place not too far from our home called the Daylight Grill in Clarkson. This place could have been a disaster.... food choice wise- I could have had a traditional old-fashioned greasy breakfast, but no...

...with my Champions- Brent and Melanie

...my cup of coffee in hand...

I made a wise, healthier choice. A belgian waffle with fresh fruit. It was delicious, and with the fruit you don't need to put too much maple syrup on. A restaurant waffle has about 300 calories and, 10g of fat and 5g of protein... so it's not a bad meal at all. You just might be hungrier sooner after your breakfast because there is not that much protein... but I had a few bites of Melanie's scrambled eggs. Thanks for sharing cutie! 

Nice Nails- Purple Polka Dot Paradise

I do love shimmery nails in the summer. This pattern is one of my favourites- doing the ring finger in a different colour really gets them going- 'Why is that finger a different colour'- I tell them, it's just fashion.

And then I added some polka dots... because that' how I roll!

Here are my 2 culprits by Sally Hansen... love those colours.

Pork Tenderloin- A Lean BBQ Favourite

This is for my carnivore friends... One of our BBQ favourites is pork tenderloin- we buy it when it goes on sale and stock up and freeze a few of these tenders. You can marinate them overnight or just baste them with some BBQ sauce as you grill them as Brent did below.

It really is the leanest/lowest fat piece of pork you can get your hands on.

Here's the comparison for 1 ounce of meat:

Pork tenderloin: 35 calories, 1g of fat, 6g of protein

Pork loin chop: 53 calories, 4g of fat, 5g of protein

Scrapbooking, Snacks and Coral Shirts

This June Scrapbooking night was at my house... I had some delicious, healthy cookies and brownies from the Pampered Chef extravaganza left, so I served them up with some ripe berries and some trail mix and a few little dark chocolate Purdy's balls... you can't have a girl night without dark chocolate- that is the unwritten rule.

So I have the dark chocolate in ball form and in batter form (inside those brownies). Winning!

This is my little luscious plate, lots o' berries, lots o' dark chocolate .... and a few salty, crunchy snacks... I believe I have hit all the girlfriend night staples!

This is a fun pose... though you can't tell, we are both wearing coral... this is one of my new hoodies that fits and how cool we are matching!

As usual, I have to share our artistic output with you... Here's Nancy showing her cool layout. She actually invented a word... ATVing!

Here's my artistic ode to Canada Day. Melanie was such a cutie, dancing and posing for me. And I remember how wonderful it was to see the beauty of my mother and Melanie posing for that photo above.

Hawaiian Burgers- It's a Luau in your mouth

You know we love our hamburgers on the grill here at the Hallidays- but I was bored of the same old thing. So one night, fresh pineapple in sight, I said to Brent, why don't you grill some pineapple and some ham and we can have Hawaiian Burgers! Well indeed, it was a Luau in my mounth. As per Wikipedia- A luau (in Hawaiian, lū‘au) is a traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment.

Well it was a party... served on a 'flat whole grain bun' and a light Ceasar Salad and homemade oven fries. As for the 'entertainement portion'....

... I think it was watching Brent trying not to lose those pineapple rings through the grill and trying to get the perfect grill marks!

Here we have the little mis-en-place of Hawaiianess... and the big bowl of salad too!

And for deserts... Pineapple Paradise Fruit Salad!

Pampered Chef- fun for the apprentice gourmet

As you saw a few months ago I attended a Pampered Chef party at my friend Robin's house. There I met a lovely woman... Crystal- she was full of passion for her Pampered Chef Tools... so I decided to have a party at my home. What a wonderful day sharing great tips, tricks and fun girly time with my friends and family.

Thanks to all the lovely ladies that attended. I hope you had a great time learning new tricks and healthy recipes too!  If you are ever interested in getting involved or hosting a party, you can get in touch with Crystal www.pamperedchef.biz/crystalmarcucci.

In pre-discussions with Crystal about what to prepare for the party I wanted her to involve us in making 'healthy alternatives' - you know- that's how I roll now. So we came up with some savory treats, but I wanted to provide the girls with some 'healthier than most'.... little desserts. They may look familiar as I have blogged about them in the past few weeks. But here they are on pretty polka dot platter.

The Red Velvet Cream Cheese and Coconut cupcakes with a raspberry on top.

The Double Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts.

And the Fruit and Nut Cookies.

Let the fun and games begin.... first the vegetable wedger slicing the tomato for a delicious garden salsa.

Here's Lorna using the scooper to take out the seeds and placing them in the collapsible bowl.

Here's Rori chopping on the flexible green mat with a green ceramic knife.

And here's Naomi and Fiona (and Melanie's butt in the back). The ladies are chopping jalapenos for the salsa.

Here I am with the citrus press... I love this tool... so I bought it! It squishes the heck out of the limes- you just wouldn't believe.

Here's a magical tool- the Pineapple corer.... OMG... it's like magic, it works so well and quick... I loved it so much, I married it!

Here's my sweet mom cutting the sweet pineapple on this magical cutting board.

See, here is the magic.... it catches the juices as you cut your stuff... we loved it so much that she and I both got one!

Here's my little sis chopping some herbs in a little container. I was so grateful that she came to join us. It was her first social event without her baby Stephanie.

Here's Nancy brushing lemon juice on these whole wheat tortillas. Why, you ask? We just added some sea salt and then cut them into triangles with a pizza cutter and then baked them... these were some of the healthiest little tortilla chips I have ever had. 

You're wondering what we made right? It was the most delightful fresh Pineapple Salsa. It was everyone's favourite. Well except for Brent, he tried the leftovers and he preferred the traditional tomato salsa. Here is the best spatula ever and the big giant glass mixing bowl that you can use to bake the Barbie Cake in.

Here it the lovely Pineapple Salsa in the gorgeous Bamboo bowl.

And on the lovely platter--- the healthy tortilla chips.

Ok, here's the last tool I want to share with you. The Mango Wedger... This is so crazy good, you'll want to marry it too.... that means yes, I did get this one too. You see in my house, the people will only eat fruit if I cut it up- seriously- so these tools are perfect, because now... they can use these new toys to cut there own!

TA DA! THAT IS FLIPPIN' MAGIC!!!! I can't wait to use all my tools and have big fun parties filled with friends, families and healthy, fun foods cut and prepared and served on the Pampered Chef... wonder if you can order a Chef?