Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Wee luxuries...and remembering MOM


Willows Beach in Oak Bay

(a favourite spot of my late mom's and mine)

I took my coffee in a thermos and sat in the stillness
watched the sea, the sun and the clouds
listened to the waves as they met the shore
embraced
the sound of the gulls as they soared overhead.

A few precious moments of peace outdoors in nature to start the day
sets the tone for the hours ahead.


Unwrapped a lovely soap from Fragonard in Paris.
The porcelain soap dish accompanied the soap which was in a recent 
My French Country Home Box.

The scent is soft, subtle and sweet.

Hand washing happens many many times a day here in The Humble Bungalow.

I can still hear my mom's voice
her mantra was
"Soap and Water are Cheap."

Mom always kept a few bars of triple milled soap unwrapped in her lingerie drawer.
I think her favourite was Yardley's English Lavender Soap.

Mom was an avid gardener and worked for many hours outside 
before coming in and soaking in the tub...
a cup of restorative tea on the edge of the bath.

Lavender scents wafted throughout the house.

She'd dress up for my father's arrival home from work.

A dainty apron worn atop of her dress...
mom was a much tidier cook than I.

I remember so many lovely snippets of mom and learned so much from her.
Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.


Mom sipped her tea in a pretty cup and saucer.
She had a fondness for those decorated with flowers.

While I don't ALWAYS choose one of mine for tea.
(several inherited from mom)

I do more often than not.


My face is getting some serious TLC
the recent and ongoing IPL treatments are reducing the rosacea redness 
the broken capillaries are slowly disappearing...

My skin however is dry 
so I purchased a hardworking moisturizer to use in tandem 
with the IS Clinical Pro Health Serum.

Fingers crossed it will perform as was suggested at the clinic.


Healthy lunch at Brown's Social House
Tuna Poke Bowl

loaded with fresh veggies
delicious!

Eating mindfully 
adding lots of veggies with lean protein
 high on my radar.

Choosing healthier alternatives is becoming much easier...
although
the lure of french fries is still very strong.

If my husband orders them I ask to sample a few :-))

The interesting thing about eating tons of veggies and a small amount of protein is that I don't feel "stuffed" after I eat.

It is such a different feeling than when I order a burger and fries.
I actually prefer it and I am not hungry afterwards.


Sale item from Joe Fresh.
A simple basic which will get worn on my walks
and
paired with jeans perhaps layered overtop of a denim shirt.


Love the warm cozy feel..
great texture.

So many thoughts are swimming around in my head today 
as I sit here in The Humble Bungalow kitchen and type.

I am not sure how to wrap up this post...

writing about and remembering mom 
often skews my thought process
with
emotions tugging at my heartstrings...


Auriculas are starting to put on a show!
Perhaps it is time to find or build a theatre to display them?
They are all the rage in the UK.

How are things with you?

Hope that you are enjoying the start to the week.
Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Changing things up while stretching the budget...

I have been a wee bit naughty...spending money!

But I need to explain that I deliberated long and hard about this most recent splurge...it was not an impulse buy.


Autumn blooms in The Humble Bungalow Garden
White hydrangeas wearing their fall colours.


I have been a fan of L'Occitane for many years.
Soaps, lotions, scents...

Their Immortelle Divine Anti-Aging Collection is wonderful.
I've used many jars over the years...

The sales clerk gave me a few samples of the newer line 
"Cream Harmony Divine"
 to try and I was amazed at the difference in just a few weeks.

I started with the Immortelle overnight reset oil in serum...
my skin looks more evenly toned
and it has a healthy glow.


So I have just "invested" in the Divine Harmony Serum and the Cream.
(both products are refillable)


There are patents pending on both these products.
15 years of research has gone into the development of these products.
The two key ingredients are 
the Immortelle Millesimee flower and Jania Rubens, a red sea algae. 
Both are harvested from the island and seas around Corsica.

I share this information 
as I feel that a glowing healthy complexion is important.

In my opinion
it is worth working diligently 
to help keep us feeling good about ourselves as we age.

Heavy make up is not the way to achieve a "youthful look"
especially when we are over 60...
less make up 
applied with a lighter hand is much more flattering.

With a focus on what works and what doesn't work
ways that we can improve the look of our skin.

Starts with 
finding a skincare regime that delivers results 
drinking lots of water to keep us hydrated
maintaining healthy eating habits
and 
getting some fresh air and exercise daily.

I am not an expert nor have I received any remuneration for my post...
the opinions stated here are all mine!
They are simply "Hostess Approved!"

Hope that you are enjoying your week.
Have you been busy?


I took myself out for a quiet bite of lunch and a pot of Earl Grey tea
then I met a friend for a chat 
before we met up for our monthly knitting group.

My days have been particularly busy and seem to be for the forseeable future.
Life does seem to get busier the closer we get to Christmas!
Not too sure if I will be able to post regularly with my calendar so full
but I will try!

Thank you for stopping by...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~




Monday, November 5, 2018

Yummy Gomae Salad

Have you eaten the Japanese spinach salad called Gomae?

Last month I met up with a few friends for lunch at a local sushi restaurant
and my friend ordered it, mentioning that it was fabulous
so I tried it too...

WOW!

My taste buds were doing a happy dance, it is SO delicious!

After tasting it I knew that I wanted to be able to make it at home.


I needed to buy a special Japanese bowl called a suribachi
(almost like a mortar and pestle)
I found one at the local Japanese market.


I decided to use the porcelain bowl designed and made by a local artist
Japanese potter Harumi Ota


Spinach is so good for us.
It's loaded in nutrients and is available all year long.

The salad also keeps for a few days covered in the refrigerator...
but beware
it may not last that long!

It is a tasty snack in between meals.

Here is the link to the recipe that I used.

I hope that you like it!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, May 28, 2018

Book chat...at Quarterdeck Cottage


I devoured the book Bella Figura written by Kamin Mohammadi
It "spoke to me" on many levels and the author included Italian recipes at the end of each chapter...I am going to keep it and put it on my cookbook shelf!

I was so inspired by her descriptions of the food 
that I made the pasta dish for dinner at the cottage.

Kamin describes the Italian city of Florence and the hills and villages of Tuscany so exquisitely that I felt that I was right there with her...

I am not going to give away any of her "secrets" but I did take away some very important tips that I will be incorporating into my daily regime.

I highly recommend this book...


Look at these fresh heirloom tomatoes!
Seriously flavourful and an easy salad to prepare...
you could dress it with a smidgen of good quality olive oil or do as I did.
I used Julia Childs' basic vinaigrette that I mix in a Bonne Maman Jam jar.

'Tis the season for Farmer's Markets and fresh produce...
I love the variety and availability of these roadside stands
 my basket is stuffed full to the brim
overflowing 
with healthy tasty veggies.


The bounty of beach combing is the expanding collection of sea glass.
Fresh air and exercise are benefits of this hobby.


Clam Shells with barnacles dot the local beaches.


The twinkling light bouncing off the Salish Sea
 a million diamonds dazzling....
the melodic waves are licking the shore
the seabirds are swooping
the cacophony of songbirds is music to my ears

contentment found in the beauty of nature

to slow down
to notice
to be silent and observe

these are times that I treasure
for they present me with
opportunities
 for reflection and gratitude


Do you find solace in the beauty that surrounds you?
Are you able to be still, sit quietly and absorb the gifts of Mother Nature?

We had a busy weekend here in The Humble Bungalow Garden...
there is a bounty of flowers
a riot of roses blooming 
the wee hummingbird babies can be seen in the nest...
two very tiny beaks pointing skyward waiting for food from their parents.

Hope you have a lovely week.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog...


~ Be Well and Be Kind ~


Saturday, February 3, 2018

Sometimes things go sideways....

The new knitting project went sideways
the finished product was not up to my standards.

Basically the "simple knitted socks" were an EPIC FAIL!

I have learned a LOT of new techniques
polished my knitting skills
but I would never wear them.

So.......
I ripped them out.

We move on...
learn from our mistakes
and I am now embarking on a lovely new project.

A pretty scarf which is a free pattern
 Lacy Baktus by Strikkelise



This project is simple...
lacy and beautiful.

I do not like waste...

Speaking of waste,
 I ruined a pair of jeans by putting them in the dryer at the cottage.

Who would have thought that 20 minutes in a dryer on low 
would shrink a pair of jeans?
I am obviously not in sync with the appliances at the cottage!

Shrank SO MUCH 
that they cling 
painfully to my thighs and calves.
Not comfy at all!

I had to go out and buy another pair...
in Sidney on my way home!

Tribal
made in Canada
 just a tad under $100


I will donate my other jeans...



I have been wearing my father rings...
my Mom gave them to me.

What to do with a mans wedding band and a diamond ring?

I asked our family jeweller Paul de Goutiere to design a pendant
 he hit it out of the ballpark...

He suggested that it should be strung on a simple black silk strand...
it looks more modern and contemporary.

I have been wearing it a lot with my black and grey wardrobe....
no idea that it would come in so handy as an accessory.

I am also trying to focus on healthy eating and drinking lots of water
 avocado's rank right up there on the healthy scale!


Mashed avocado and a cup of tea...


How is you weekend going?


I am off to a fashion show with a friend tomorrow
then serving up a roast beef dinner for the Super Bowl.

What are you up to?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~