Three Plus Two Equals SIX!

I am slowly starting to put a few things aside for our upcoming vacation to the Caribbean. One little secret about me is that I am kind of obsessed with swimsuits. YUP! I love them and I don't think I will ever have enough(wink). I always like to purchase one or two new ones for our annual trip down south. One important thing to note is that I am always extremely thrifty with my swimsuit purchases. I would never ever pay full price for anything! Here is my newest beach attire.

I purchase the turquoise top/bottom and stripped top during Victoria Secrets semi annual sale right after x-mas. The black one is from Roxy's extra 40% off sale items event (free shipping too) a month or so ago.

With these five new pieces I can mix and match to create SIX different swimsuit combos. For me it's important to have lots of choices so finding swim pieces that complement each other is key.

I picked up the flip flops from Gap at their extra 40% of EVERYTHING sale last weekend.

With the crazy winter we have been having an escape to the beach cannot come quick enough!

Here we come sunshine!

xoAngela

Is it Light Blue or Green?

Some might argue that this nail color is light green, although I believe it to be light blue. The name Mint Candy Apple actually implies it is green, but I still see blue. Man oh man, I am having flashbacks to the crazy/confusing picture of the dress that has been circulating the net last week. BTW if you know what I mean, I saw white/gold than it changed to blue/brown before my eyes. Crazy! Now all I see is the Blue/Brown. OK, OK enough.......

I always like to experiment with different nail colors. This time I choose the "light blue" and the gold glitter index finger. I have to say I am loving this combo. I may even go crazy wild and embellish them all with the glitter next time. Watch me (wink).

(Essie polish in Mint Candy Apple and Rock at the Top)

I decided a while back that all I wanted (and needed) for my birthday this year was new winter boots! I finally got my birthday boots! My birthday was well over a month ago but I wanted to take my time and find a great deal. BINGO! I found one! These ones are from Naturalizer and were originally $260! They were marked down to $100, then what finally push me over the edge was an extra 20% off coupon that brought them down to $80. It gives me such pleasure knowing I got a great deal and great boots! These boots are lined with wool so they are sure to keep my tootsies toasty warm.
 And man oh man, do we ever need them this brutally cold winter.

(source)

New to my jewelry rotation is this sweet necklace and three bracelets.

The necklace came from H&M and the bracelets were a birthday gift given to me by my Mother- in- law. She is pretty amazing too! xoxo

Life is Good! Happy Friday Folks!

xoAngela

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

During the week it feels like we are on autopilot mode getting the kids bathed, ready for school, lunch ready, homework complete ect. We always look forward to Friday's as this signifies the beginning of the weekend. This Friday not only marked the beginning of the weekend but also the start of March Break! We are not going away this week so we thought we would just do some fun things around here.

We surprised the kids by taking them to an indoor activity center and let them unleash their energy by bouncing and climbing on various play structures. We also enjoyed a movie and dinner out at one of their favorite restaurants as well.

The kids and I decided to do some March break baking. I found this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins on allrecipies. The muffins turned out excellent! They are delish! We will definitely be making these again!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats 1 1/4 cups milk 1 egg 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans (I did not have so I omitted) 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	Combine oats and milk and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease each cup of one 12-cup muffin tin.
2.	Stir egg, oil, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the pecans into the oat and milk mixture.
3.	Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add oat mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Fill each cup of one 12-cup muffin tin 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with the remaining brown sugar and pecans.
4.	Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. (source) Happy March Break! xoAngela

So Long Target!

As you know, Target is closing it's doors forever in Canada. The USA chain came to Canada a couple of years ago but failed to pull in enough of a profit to stay. As a result of the stores closing everything is now being marked down for clearance. I actually really enjoyed shopping at Target so I am pretty bummed to see them go.

I was at Target this past weekend and saw discounts of 20% - 40% on everything. The main reason for my visit was to pick up a new pair of sunglasses for our upcoming trip. I was happy to see the glasses were all marked down by 40%. I picked up these snazzy shades. I fell in love with the unique shape!

The next best deal right now is the cosmetics, most everything is marked down 30%. I picked up a couple of things for relatively cheap. My last (sob, sob) Target haul includes a brow pencil (Sonia Kashuk) and brow kit (NYX) and a couple of new Essie polishes (my favorite polish brand).

It's been fun while it lasted Target. Thanks for fueling my shopping experience with Starbucks and emptying my wallet with your great sense of style. You will be missed!

Anyone else kinda bummed?

xoAngela

Be the ONE!

It only takes ONE spark to start a fire and they say it only takes SIX seconds to brighten someone's day. This could be holding the door for someone, saying hello, letting someone ahead of you in line etc. If we all just made it a priority to practice the SIX second act of kindness think of the positive impact this would have on the world. It is an awesome feeling to help others but what is more amazing is the effect it has on others. Someone that has been the product of a random act of kindness will generally turn around and in some way or form, reciprocate the act of kindness shown to them. It is the best chain reaction ever.

Here is a video I found on YouTube that is the perfect example of this amazing cause and effect. 

Start the domino effect! It only takes ONE and that ONE could be YOU!

Kindness is contagious, help to spread it all around!

xoAngela

Quinoa and Black Beans

One thing that keeps me eating healthy is planning my meals, this includes lunch. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I like to make a big pot of soup, stew or veggie chili and heat this up for lunch on weekdays. This makes for a very quick and easy lunch which gives me lots of time to walk the dog etc.

I came across this recipe for Quinoa and Black Beans on allrecipes.com and discovered it works perfectly to heat up for lunch as well. The cumin and cayenne spice give it a nice Cajun flavor. I like to top it off with a drizzle of Sriracha chili sauce to amp up the heat. (I have a secret love for Sriracha, I put in on everything!)

The recipe calls for two cans of beans but I think one is enough. I also added green peppers with the onions to incorporate more veggies. I chose not to use cilantro as I am not a huge fan but it would be a great touch of freshness if you do like it.

This would make a great side dish in lieu of rice or potato. Quinoa is a super food loaded with lots of protein, fiber and minerals. This meal keeps my belly feeling full all afternoon.

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix quinoa into onion mixture and cover with vegetable broth; season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes; mix in the black beans and cilantro.
(source, allrecipes) 

Enjoy!

xoAngela

Date Night!

My husband and I don't have many "date nights" at this stage of our busy lives, but occasionally when we do we make the most of it. One thing I have learned to appreciate is the importance of making time for US! Well.....this past Saturday hubby and I ventured out for a night on the town kid-less, as we joke!

Marriage is the foundation of a family. Just like the foundation that keeps your house strong, a healthy marriage keeps the family strong. I am certainly no expert in relationships but I do know marriage takes work and relationships that get lazy often suffer.

My husband and I cherish every minute we have with our children. We work full time and have busy lives and look forward to the weekends. I miss my kids when I am apart from them, and I often feel guilty when I do have to go out. One thing I have learned is to never forget the importance of US (husband and wife) time too. Our love is the reason for all the wonderful things we have been blessed with.

Moral of the story, never lose yourselves or your spark in the ciaos of children, work etc. Always make time for yourselves, listen to one another and focus on your foundation.  Plan that DATE!

"Love Is The Flower You've Got To Let Grow" 

-John Lennon

xoAngela