From now until 11:00 p.m., anyone who places any Shaklee order for ANY product(s) will have their shipping fees reimbursed by me. Any shipping amount - no limit! For those of you teetering, this DOES include going Gold & becoming a Shaklee Distributor on MY team. (And the team we are a part of is phenomenal!!) If you want to order but are unsure where to start, I recommend a kit. They contain a variety of amazing, non-toxic products to get you going. This is a special I, personally, am offering. I haven't done this in a long time & don't anticipate, truly, doing it again. So. Now is the time. You pay your shipping, I will write you a check. If you have questions, call me! 817.300.7755. Offer ends at 11:00 p.m. tonight!
Click here!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Butter or margarine?
I watched a video last week claiming that margarine is one of the top 5 foods we shouldn't consume. So, in my quest to have my family eat healthier, I began to wonder, butter or magazine? I asked that on my FB page one day, after finding conflicting information that left me quite confused. Someone sent me this article that is featured on Snopes.com. Who knew Snopes included foods?
We have always eaten margarine. Why? I don't know. Truth be told, I guess just habit. I've bought it for so many years, I don't even think about it. I used Country Crock (check out the ingredients - holy cow!!) for years & then switched around a bit. Most recently, Brummel & Brown. Never read the label, never had a reason to, never even considered it.
(This image is after I left it sitting on the counter for 4 or so days - I left it out intentionally to see what it did. Not much - looks the same, maybe a tad brighter, & has a very slight margarine scent. Tonight I trashed it.)
After making the decision to switch to real butter, I did just a little more research. I googled, only to discover we shouldn't eat real butter because of the saturated fat content. That we should eat margarine, because it contains vegetable oil which is better for cholesterol levels, but then I read we need to stay away from vegetable oil. Huh?
More research & suggestions from friends...
The winner? Butter!
1.) Ingredients: cream & salt. Two ingredients!
2.) Healthy!
3.) It is an acceptable 'good' fat to eat!
4.) Can help lower cholesterol!
5.) The taste. Flavor. YUM!
Do some googling. You'll find lots of yummy information regarding real butter! And it's so good, we went through our first tub in 5 days! Ha!
Just another product I wish I would have changed years ago! Make the switch!
We have always eaten margarine. Why? I don't know. Truth be told, I guess just habit. I've bought it for so many years, I don't even think about it. I used Country Crock (check out the ingredients - holy cow!!) for years & then switched around a bit. Most recently, Brummel & Brown. Never read the label, never had a reason to, never even considered it.
(This image is after I left it sitting on the counter for 4 or so days - I left it out intentionally to see what it did. Not much - looks the same, maybe a tad brighter, & has a very slight margarine scent. Tonight I trashed it.)
After making the decision to switch to real butter, I did just a little more research. I googled, only to discover we shouldn't eat real butter because of the saturated fat content. That we should eat margarine, because it contains vegetable oil which is better for cholesterol levels, but then I read we need to stay away from vegetable oil. Huh?
More research & suggestions from friends...
The winner? Butter!
1.) Ingredients: cream & salt. Two ingredients!
2.) Healthy!
3.) It is an acceptable 'good' fat to eat!
4.) Can help lower cholesterol!
5.) The taste. Flavor. YUM!
Do some googling. You'll find lots of yummy information regarding real butter! And it's so good, we went through our first tub in 5 days! Ha!
Just another product I wish I would have changed years ago! Make the switch!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Another stunner!
"Looking like a pretty prints-ess in her floaty polka-dot gown (finished with a Jimmy Choo clutch and delicate Van Cleef & Arpels diamonds), the actress attended L.A.'s Art of Elysium gala a day before the Globes." - People.com
Below you will find the Carolina Herrera dress being modeled:
I love the dress more on Camilla. Her dark hair & skin tone give it that beautiful, sophisticated edge that make it one of the most beautiful dresses I've seen.
Thank you people.com & tomandlorenzo.com for the images.
From past posts, here are two stunning dresses I fell in love with:
Jessica Alba:
Salma Hayek:
Exquisite!
Not long ago (cough cough), I wore beautiful dresses to Homecoming (2) & I wore pretty dresses to Prom (2). And I don't think I've ever worn one since. I so appreciate being a female & I have deep love for all things pretty and/or gorgeous! Who wants to go to Sephora?
Homemade chicken nuggets!
Now that we are diligently trying to improve our health, can I say I get so darn tootin' excited when I attempt a homemade recipe & my kids love it? Last it was the jello (I'm making grape jello later today!) & now, these! My kids absolutely loved these nuggets & I am thrilled! Add in simple & boy howdy, I am one happy camper!
Recipe:
16 oz. (2 large) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit (bite?) sized pieces.
salt/pepper to taste.
2 tsp. olive oil.
6 tbsp. whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. (I used plain - had it on hand.)
2 tbsp. panko. (I used Italian - had it on hand.)
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese. (I used shredded - had it on hand.)
olive oil spray.
Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with olive oil spray.
Put olive oil in one bowl & the breadcrumbs/panko/parmesan cheese in another.
Season chicken with salt/pepper, then place in the bowl with the olive oil & mix well, so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
Put a few pieces of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray. Bake 8-10 minutes. Turn them over & bake an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
Devour!
(Ok. I added that last word. Ha!)
I actually used chicken breast tenders. So simple! Also, per Google (how did I ever live without Google?), I read that placing the chicken in the freezer briefly to get it good & firm will make the cutting easier. It's true! It was so easy to cut into pieces.
Feeding a family of 6 (really just 5, I typically eat salad for dinner but I did try a few pieces!), naturally, I had to increase all of the ingredients. Cutting the chicken was easy, but so time consuming. Next time, I will cut the chicken in advance, then all I'll have to do at dinner time is bread & cook. I'll also purchase the accurate ingredients - I bet they'll be even yummier! I will continue to use chicken breast tenders, though. The only obstacle I ran across was turning these little puppies over. I didn't want to use a spatula, because it knocks the breading off. So I used my fingers. And yelled "ow!" a lot.
Mmmmm. Nom nom.
I cooked two sheets of nuggets, so some was left over. I ate them for lunch yesterday & they were even better! I dip mine in ranch. #winning
Enjoy!
Original recipe here.
Recipe:
16 oz. (2 large) skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bit (bite?) sized pieces.
salt/pepper to taste.
2 tsp. olive oil.
6 tbsp. whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs. (I used plain - had it on hand.)
2 tbsp. panko. (I used Italian - had it on hand.)
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese. (I used shredded - had it on hand.)
olive oil spray.
Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with olive oil spray.
Put olive oil in one bowl & the breadcrumbs/panko/parmesan cheese in another.
Season chicken with salt/pepper, then place in the bowl with the olive oil & mix well, so the olive oil evenly coats all of the chicken.
Put a few pieces of chicken at a time into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the top with olive oil spray. Bake 8-10 minutes. Turn them over & bake an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.
Devour!
(Ok. I added that last word. Ha!)
I actually used chicken breast tenders. So simple! Also, per Google (how did I ever live without Google?), I read that placing the chicken in the freezer briefly to get it good & firm will make the cutting easier. It's true! It was so easy to cut into pieces.
Feeding a family of 6 (really just 5, I typically eat salad for dinner but I did try a few pieces!), naturally, I had to increase all of the ingredients. Cutting the chicken was easy, but so time consuming. Next time, I will cut the chicken in advance, then all I'll have to do at dinner time is bread & cook. I'll also purchase the accurate ingredients - I bet they'll be even yummier! I will continue to use chicken breast tenders, though. The only obstacle I ran across was turning these little puppies over. I didn't want to use a spatula, because it knocks the breading off. So I used my fingers. And yelled "ow!" a lot.
Mmmmm. Nom nom.
I cooked two sheets of nuggets, so some was left over. I ate them for lunch yesterday & they were even better! I dip mine in ranch. #winning
Enjoy!
Original recipe here.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Shaklee membership reminder!
Quick reminder!!
I have SO many of you that love & order Shaklee, but are not yet members. I encourage you to pay the $19.95 membership fee to join! That is a one-time fee & it is for a lifetime membership! Joining as a member allows you a 15% discount on every single product!! Some products are available for Autoship (shipped monthly) & those particular products are an additional 10% off! Many of you order regularly & I do NOT want you to have to pay more in retail prices than you would for the one-time membership! I'm sorry I have not sent this reminder sooner - I will send out an email later tonight that includes a fun little perk for all my members! Join as a member & save 15% on your next order!
Again, my apologies for not reminding you sooner! Click here to join as a member!
I have SO many of you that love & order Shaklee, but are not yet members. I encourage you to pay the $19.95 membership fee to join! That is a one-time fee & it is for a lifetime membership! Joining as a member allows you a 15% discount on every single product!! Some products are available for Autoship (shipped monthly) & those particular products are an additional 10% off! Many of you order regularly & I do NOT want you to have to pay more in retail prices than you would for the one-time membership! I'm sorry I have not sent this reminder sooner - I will send out an email later tonight that includes a fun little perk for all my members! Join as a member & save 15% on your next order!
Again, my apologies for not reminding you sooner! Click here to join as a member!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Homemade jello!
I despise jello. Blah! But my kids love it. And I always feel so bad because I just don't let them have it very often because well, it's just crap.
Not long ago, I stumbled across a recipe for homemade jello. Who woulda thunk? I printed the recipe & purchased the very few, simple ingredients. I would link back to the original recipe, but it's on the side of the gelatin box. So, last night, I made my kids some jello!
Here are the ingredients. 100% fruit juice (my husband chose Organic Orange Juice, which believe it or not, tastes great!), gelatin & sugar/honey (optional). I read somewhere that Knox gelatin is one of the best & I was able to find it at Target.
In a large bowl, one cup of cold juice with 4 envelopes of gelatin sprinkled on top. Let sit one minute. This step was really cool to watch & kind of like a little science experiment, watching it gel.
Pour in 3 cups boiling juice, add sugar (I added 1 tablespoon) & stir until all is diluted. Pour in dish, put in frig. I admit, it did look a little gross & I was a bit skeptical. That said, I was doing something on my phone & kind of over boiled - oops! Not sure if that made a difference or not.
Voila! Jello! Tonight I cut it up (cut effortlessly) & handed it to my taste testers - hey Mikeys! They loved it! And it's healthy! No food coloring!
We can't wait to try grape/strawberry/whatever juice! I have very happy kids which makes for a very happy mom!
Not long ago, I stumbled across a recipe for homemade jello. Who woulda thunk? I printed the recipe & purchased the very few, simple ingredients. I would link back to the original recipe, but it's on the side of the gelatin box. So, last night, I made my kids some jello!
Here are the ingredients. 100% fruit juice (my husband chose Organic Orange Juice, which believe it or not, tastes great!), gelatin & sugar/honey (optional). I read somewhere that Knox gelatin is one of the best & I was able to find it at Target.
In a large bowl, one cup of cold juice with 4 envelopes of gelatin sprinkled on top. Let sit one minute. This step was really cool to watch & kind of like a little science experiment, watching it gel.
Pour in 3 cups boiling juice, add sugar (I added 1 tablespoon) & stir until all is diluted. Pour in dish, put in frig. I admit, it did look a little gross & I was a bit skeptical. That said, I was doing something on my phone & kind of over boiled - oops! Not sure if that made a difference or not.
Voila! Jello! Tonight I cut it up (cut effortlessly) & handed it to my taste testers - hey Mikeys! They loved it! And it's healthy! No food coloring!
We can't wait to try grape/strawberry/whatever juice! I have very happy kids which makes for a very happy mom!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Shaklee 180 weight-loss program is live!
The most amazing weight loss plan! 90 days to lose the weight, 90 days to keep it off!
Powered by Leucine - burn the fat, keep the muscle!
Two kits to choose from!
Kit 1:
The Turnaround Kit - for those who need to lose the weight:
Each customizable Turnaround Kit includes:
1. Two healthy meals a day, Energizing Tea, and healthy snacks, in your choice of flavors PLUS Metabolic Boost.
2. Free personalized support and Shaklee 180 online tools ($9.95 month/value).
3. Access to the Shaklee 180 rewards.
4. Free Shaklee 180 Workouts ($19.95 month/value).
5. Free upgrade to expedited shipping on your first order ($26.95 value).
6. Eligible for FREE products through "3 for Free" when you sign-up for AutoShip.
(Products are gluten free and low glycemic.)
Price: $269.95 for 30 days worth of products.
Kit 2:
The Lean & Healthy Kit - for those looking to maintain their healthy weight:
Each customizable Lean & Healthy Kit includes:
1. 30 healthy customizable meals in your choice of flavors.
2. Your choice of Shaklee Vitalizer (30 day supply).
3. Free personalized support and Shaklee 180 online tools ($9.95 month/value).
4. Access to Shaklee 180 rewards.
5. Free Shaklee 180 Workouts ($19.95 month/value).
6. Eligible for FREE products through "3 for Free" when you sign-up for AutoShip.
(Products are gluten free and low glycemic.)
Price: $149.95 for 30 days worth of products.
Click here to learn more & for more information regarding this phenomenal program! If I can help you in any way, it would be my pleasure! Please email me: adoringthesimple@gmail.com!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Using & deodorizing humidifiers!
For many years, I have used a humidifier(s) when someone had a cold. I'd use them as needed & then store them away until needed the next time. Seems I'm always a day late & a dollar short, but this winter season, I am using humidifiers consistently. For a good month or so now, I have 4-5 humidifiers running 24/7. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have been doing this every winter. Texas has been (& typically is) so dry & now with running the house heater, there just isn't much moisture to be found.
A few months ago, my Shaklee Distributor shared a little humidifier tip with me - add a bit of Shaklee's Basic G Disinfectant to the water, to disinfect the machine & deodorize the water/air. So, of course, I did. Oh boy. I LOVE it! My machines & filters stay cleaner longer & I'm so happy knowing the mist coming from the humidifiers is sanitized! And of course, Basic G is non-toxic, so I don't have to worry about myself or my family breathing any toxic chemicals! Love, love, love!
I use small humidifiers, so the tanks aren't huge. When adding Basic G, I don't measure. It's highly concentrated & a tiny bit goes a very long way - so I just add a tad. Just a teeny amount. All of my humidifiers are cool-mist, so I then add cold water. It starts to foam up just a bit, but the bubbles dissipate immediately.
All of my machines have filters, except for one. I have one Vicks machine that has no filter. When adding G to that one, if I add too much, the machine starts sweating & everything gets soaked around it. I have to be very careful not to use too much with that one. But the others are fine. Should I add just a bit too much, they work fine. No condensation at all.
Because I run them daily, I keep a close eye on the filters. When they start to discolor and/or begin growing mold/bacteria, I replace them. The standard filters can be purchased anywhere & I always keep a few extra on hand. Rule of thumb is to replace them every few months to prevent contaminated water being released into the air. Ew.
Though it's a pain in the rear (trust, it is), I rinse/clean mine daily & refill with fresh water. I never let mine run while dry & I never let mine sit with water in them when not in use. I strive to keep them working effectively & efficiently. I keep the smaller units in each bedroom & the slightly larger Vicks unit in the downstairs area. I also keep a hygrometer upstairs & down, so I can monitor the moisture. I don't ever want it to reach & stay over 50%.
Also, you can add a bit of essential oil to your water, too, if you want your rooms to smell yummy. I haven't tried that yet, but I plan to. I love vanillas & cinnamons & soothing fragrances, so I plan to pick some of those up soon.
Being a family of 6, with 3 kids in school & the youngest in dance weekly, I think we've had a pretty mild winter concerning illnesses. A month or so ago, my husband & I got Bronchitis (we have got to take our vitamins consistently! Doh!) & my youngest son go it, too. His stemmed from allergies. After that, the girls & I got colds & then my husband did. My boys did not. That's it! I think that's pretty good being this is the first of January.
Between vitamins, humidifiers & now flu shots, everyone is healthy & has been, since the colds ended. We don't even have one runny nose. And that makes for one very happy mom!
Follow me on Facebook! Click here!
A few months ago, my Shaklee Distributor shared a little humidifier tip with me - add a bit of Shaklee's Basic G Disinfectant to the water, to disinfect the machine & deodorize the water/air. So, of course, I did. Oh boy. I LOVE it! My machines & filters stay cleaner longer & I'm so happy knowing the mist coming from the humidifiers is sanitized! And of course, Basic G is non-toxic, so I don't have to worry about myself or my family breathing any toxic chemicals! Love, love, love!
I use small humidifiers, so the tanks aren't huge. When adding Basic G, I don't measure. It's highly concentrated & a tiny bit goes a very long way - so I just add a tad. Just a teeny amount. All of my humidifiers are cool-mist, so I then add cold water. It starts to foam up just a bit, but the bubbles dissipate immediately.
All of my machines have filters, except for one. I have one Vicks machine that has no filter. When adding G to that one, if I add too much, the machine starts sweating & everything gets soaked around it. I have to be very careful not to use too much with that one. But the others are fine. Should I add just a bit too much, they work fine. No condensation at all.
Because I run them daily, I keep a close eye on the filters. When they start to discolor and/or begin growing mold/bacteria, I replace them. The standard filters can be purchased anywhere & I always keep a few extra on hand. Rule of thumb is to replace them every few months to prevent contaminated water being released into the air. Ew.
Though it's a pain in the rear (trust, it is), I rinse/clean mine daily & refill with fresh water. I never let mine run while dry & I never let mine sit with water in them when not in use. I strive to keep them working effectively & efficiently. I keep the smaller units in each bedroom & the slightly larger Vicks unit in the downstairs area. I also keep a hygrometer upstairs & down, so I can monitor the moisture. I don't ever want it to reach & stay over 50%.
Also, you can add a bit of essential oil to your water, too, if you want your rooms to smell yummy. I haven't tried that yet, but I plan to. I love vanillas & cinnamons & soothing fragrances, so I plan to pick some of those up soon.
Being a family of 6, with 3 kids in school & the youngest in dance weekly, I think we've had a pretty mild winter concerning illnesses. A month or so ago, my husband & I got Bronchitis (we have got to take our vitamins consistently! Doh!) & my youngest son go it, too. His stemmed from allergies. After that, the girls & I got colds & then my husband did. My boys did not. That's it! I think that's pretty good being this is the first of January.
Between vitamins, humidifiers & now flu shots, everyone is healthy & has been, since the colds ended. We don't even have one runny nose. And that makes for one very happy mom!
Follow me on Facebook! Click here!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
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