August greetings...sunny daze.

Thank you for your well wishes on my blogging break...
I am enjoying my time off line and thinking of post ideas as I spend my days leisurely reading, walking and relaxing in the warm summer sun.

Today is the first day of August...and I thought that I would check in.

I have started this book and have read about 5 books in the past few weeks.

This one is taking me awhile to get into it but the characters are quirky and their lives seem very dysfunctional.

I have been wearing these lovely fresh water grey baroque pearls most days.

Darling daughter gave me these last Christmas.

They elevate the simple outfits that I have been wearing.

With the hot days I have been wearing a simple black bamboo dress that is loose.

My straw hat and prescription sunglasses have been essential to keep the sun off my face.

I tend to keep my summer skincare routine light and simple.

Eminence sunscreen powder is water resistant and goes on easily with a brush.

I use it after cleansing and moisturizing.

Then apply with a big brush a dusting of Jane Iredale's foundation.

Lastly a light application of

Jane Iredale's mascara and her lip plumper in the Tokyo shade.

Keeping hydrated with a lime margarita on the deck!

So I will close for now and get back to my book.

I hope that your summer is going well.

I will be back soon.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Home keeping...and then some pampering.

Some days it feels like I spend most of my time home keeping.
Cooking, tidying, cleaning, doing laundry, ironing, grocery shopping...

I like the results of a little elbow grease and everything looks so much better.
The Humble Bungalow is actually a nicer place to relax when the mess is less!

I have entire days where I get out and about to walk, play bridge and go out to meet friends for tea! Playing catch up can take its toll but if I put on some music and wear my fitness clothes (with a few pearls) and my trusty French Linen apron I find that I have way more energy to tackle the jobs that need attention.

Today I tended to my orchids...
I watered them, removed the wilted flowers and cut away some of the brown stems then tied up the new shoots to the stakes in the pots.

I wiped down the counter tops and cleaned out the fridge.

Polished the silver and cleaned out a few cupboards and drawers.

Did some laundry and ironing...

love the look of my linen tea towels all pressed and ready for service.

My hands got a little special treatment...

before putting on my cleaning gloves 

I applied a layer of this wonderful hand cream,

  moving about doing chores added extra warmth inside the gloves.

The cream worked its magic and it felt like a Spa Treatment!

With the fridge cleaned out the few bits of leftovers were turned into soup.

~ Leftover Soup ~

Cook and soften in a few tablespoons of oil

 a couple of onions

a diced carrot

2 -3 stalks of celery 

1 cubed pepper (I used a yellow one)

5 sliced mushrooms

cooked about 15 minutes then added

a piece of cooked steak (about 5 ounces) cut into small pieces

tetra pack of stock (beef or vegetable)

leftover broccoli

salt, pepper, thyme (to taste)

Simmer for a few hours so the flavour really blooms

add

a handful of dried noodles

cook until soft and serve or cool and freeze for a later date.

While the soup was simmering I took a wee break and gave myself a facial.

The aesthetician at the Spa mentioned that this was her favourite formula for her clients that have rosacea so I figured it was worth a try...

you mix the mask with a wee bit of water and leave it on 5-10 minutes

(while lying down with eyes closed relaxing and breathing deeply)

 then gently wipe it off with a warm face cloth.

I loved how soft and clean my skin felt after this mask.

I used the Eminence Coconut Age Defying cream after and did not put any make up on for the rest of the day.

except for

~ Mascara and lip gloss ~ 

My home day spent productively actioning domestics and focusing on my skin...

~ life feels better with a wee bit of pampering ~

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The recipe that you have been asking for...a boat ride and a new book.

Sidney Spit Marine Park is a short cruise from our Marina so it is a great spot for a day trip and a picnic lunch.

After a relaxing ride we tied up at the dock...

there are buoys available to tie up to 

and one can always opt to drop the anchor.

There are sandy beaches and trails in the forest.

Sidney Island is serviced by a small ferry for landlubbers who want to come for a day trip and there are campsites for those who wish to stay longer.

Sunday was a scorcher and there was not much wind so we kept cool by hydrating with water and lemon drinks and I stayed in the shade.

We enjoyed a simple lunch.

 Salad, buns, egg salad, olives, fruit salad and some deli meat.

Mr. HB got some reading time and I played a few games of Sudoku.

My skin burns easily and I suffer from rosacea which flares up when exposed to too much sun. 

I wear big hats, sunglasses and I use Eminence powdered sunscreen which is gentle on the skin and offers decent coverage.

I saw this vintage book in the shop Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village.

This book is intended to be read while one is "in the head."

"In the Head"  is not a state of mind, 

it is the term that boaters use to indicate the lavatory on board ship!

~ Nana's Bread Recipe ~

1 tbsp. fast rising yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

3 cups warm water

 6-8 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. salt

(makes 2 loaves)

In a large bowl pour in 3 cups warm water and stir in 1 tbsp. sugar

 sprinkle 1 tbsp. yeast over top and let sit for 30 minutes

Stir in 3 cups flour cover bowl with saran wrap

let stand about 1 hour

(it will look fluffy and bubbly)

Ad 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time stirring well after each addition.

add 1 tbsp. salt after the 3rd cup

add about 2 more cups of flour

when dough is too hard to stir place on floured board and knead in more flour

Knead until no longer sticky.

Grease the large bowl and place the dough back in the bowl. cover with saran and lay a towel over top to keep free from drafts

and leave to rise about 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size

(dough rises faster in a warm kitchen)

Punch dough down to get all the bubbles out and grease two bread tins

shape dough into two loaves 

 let rise on counter until it is just above the bread pans 

about 1-2 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes

(I often need to bake them for the full hour)

Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Enjoy!

This bread is quite dense and tastes great with some butter and  jam.

You might be surprised just how fast it gets eaten!

This pretty and delicate honeysuckle flower is attracting the hummingbirds...

they love to flit about and sip the nectar.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will be back soon.

In the meantime...

Fiona Ferris's new book arrived in the mail and I have started reading it.

I am not going to rush through the book

 as each chapter offers a lot of "food for thought."

I will review this book when I have finished but already I can tell it is going to be a best seller...Fiona writes the lovely blog How to Be Chic.

Pop over and pay her a visit and please tell her I sent you!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

On going Maintenance...

How do you handle maintenance of home and self?
Do you write lists, schedule appointments, keep a journal?
Or wait until it is almost too late?

The on going maintenance of home and garden can be expensive...
and our modest arts and crafts bungalow is in dire need of some TLC.
Our bungalow is looking really shabby...I am embarrassed
as the paint is peeling and it is looking rather pathetic.

Exterior house painting is our current project...
the scraping and prepping required would take many many hours up on a ladder and neither myself nor Mr. HB have the inclination or stamina to do this job so we are hiring a company that we know will do a good job.

One cannot let things go too far or things would start to deteriorate...
it is after all, a slippery slope
besides she is looking her age...a ripe old 104!

As we age, new challenges arise...

aches, pains, stiffness in the joints
sleep issues crop up
our skin changes
waistlines disappear and our youthful figures blur
our hair turns grey
necks get saggy
skin wrinkles: laugh lines are pronounced
the skin on our hands becomes crepe-y

All these challenges are a normal part of aging...
we can attempt to ignore them or become obsessive.

This wee poppies freshness and beauty are fading...

the wrinkled petals are turning brown in the sun

past their prime

but still lovely.

These lilacs did not last long in the vase...

in 2 days they wilted and turned brown.

There must be a trick to keep them looking fresh...

I cut up into the stems and plunged them into cold water all the way up to the flowers

but that did not seem to keep them from fading...

This toiletry tray holds a few of my favourite things...

scents, and a few of the "tools" that I regularly use.

I love a quality brush when I apply powder, shadow and blush.

Aveda and Jane Iredale make great brushes and with care and maintenance they last for years.

I wash mine frequently in Aveda Shampure shampoo and let them air dry.

I use these two products once a week and give myself a facial 

which takes about 5 minutes.

Then I moisturize with the Eminence coconut lotion 

 my skin feels fresh and looks and feels softer.

I slather this oil on my legs after shaving.

Before I go for my walks I use it on my feet and I think it helps my heels from cracking.

It also smells lovely!

Each morning and evening I wash my face with Eminence Coconut scented Monoi Age Corrective Exfoliating cleanser

apply a few drops of the Neroli Age Corrective Eye Serum 

and apply Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer.

I don't think it really matters too much what brand of products that we use.

They could be drugstore or heath food store lines.

Many people are fans of regular olive or coconut oil.

Whatever you use I think the main thing is to remove your make up and to keep you skin moisturized.

Always use Sunscreen!

It has been added to many formula's and is easy to use.

I like the Eminence sunscreen with the built in brush.

I brush and floss my teeth at least twice a day.

This Sonic Care toothbrush has improved my gum health in 4 short months.

The dental hygienist was amazed!

She said if I kept this up for the next 20 years my gums would not deteriorate!

I love the idea of having healthy gums

as I read somewhere that gum disease is linked to heart problems.

Keep active

find something that you love to do and immerse yourself in it.

There are many things that we can do to maintain our appearance and stay healthy...

I have just touched on a few...

this post just scratched the surface of a very large topic.

Please feel free to chime in with your own hints and thoughts...

we are all in this journey together.

Embrace beauty in all it's forms...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

New Year Regimes...Skincare and Weight Loss a post that is packed to the brim!

Are you loyal to one line of skincare products?
Many women I know use the same brand and never deviate from what works for them.

My favourite aesthetician left the Spa that I have been going to for years and I followed her to her new location downtown at Sapphire Day Spa.

I treated myself to a facial before Christmas and spent a heavenly 90 minutes in her talented hands.
Like a butterfly flitting about searching for the new and improved... I purchased a "starter set" of the products that she recommended for my skin type from the Eminence line from Hungary.

Monoi Age Corrective Exfoliating Cleanser

Bamboo Firming Fluid

Neroli Age Corrective Eye Serum

Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer

Bamboo Age Corrective Masque

Once a week I use these products:

Step 1 ~ Arctic Berry Exfoliant

Step 2 ~ Arctic Berry Advanced Peel 

Step 3 ~ Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream

My skin feels so soft after the once a week treatment and it is gentle on my skin.

Good skin care is so important. 

The face reflects good skincare habits, nutritious food and healthy lifestyle choices.

After I cleanse and moisturize I wait a few minutes for the products to sink in.

I use the following products with a very "light hand."

a dusting of La Bella Donna mineral powder ~ Crema

                                      Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder ~ Antigua

Pur eye shadow ~ Lavender Mourite

Maybelline Brow Drama ~ Deep Brown

Jane Iredale Mascara ~ Black Ice

Chanel Rouge Coco ~ Orchidee

For evening I will add a very thin eye liner in dark brown and use a darker lipstick.

(the shade that I purchased in Paris) 

Maybelline ~ Pleasure Me Red

How are you feeling after the Festive Season?

Did you eat a wee bit too many sugary sweets or rich foods?

I know I did!

My jeans are a bit too snug.

I am not going to beat myself up for being human.

I just need to get back on track...

count my Weight Watcher Points and increase the pace and length of my walks.

In a few weeks the scale will reflect my dedication and my clothes will feel much more comfortable.

Here is how I will be eating.

If you care to join me we can support each other.

Breakfast ~  yogurt and fruit or Rogers Ancient Grains Oats with fruit.

Lunch is simple...salad with protein.

Often an egg or a bit of feta cheese crumbled over greens.

The protein helps keep hunger pangs away.

Snacks consist of fresh fruit or sliced

carrots and celery with 2 tablespoons of hummus.

Coffee with foamed skim milk is a treat.

I drink lots of water throughout the day...it is great for the skin and helps keep me feeling full.

Tea is my afternoon ritual.

A luxury that I indulge in when I sit for a bit and read in a cozy chair.

Dinnertime I make a protein and salad or fresh veggies.

Often skipping a starch like potatoes or rice and I try to avoid pasta.

Potatoes and pasta are my weakness!

So out of sight out of mind works best 

in this initial stage of getting back on track.

Keep moving...

walk, swim, dance, clean the house.

To keep you motivated and not deprived...

Reward yourself with non food items.

New lingerie perhaps?

A new book...

a scented candle

or rearrange your home decor

do whatever inspires you.

I like to walk and look for the beauty along the way.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hostess