Our Halloween

Our Halloween will consist of two Disney princesses, a Halloween obsessed husband who can't stop playing with the fog machine, creepy Halloween music, the dog barking every time the door bell rings and sugar-fueled children (and adults).

We love Halloween and we always go all out at our house. That would explain why we have a front yard full of spooky decorations, a devil/construction dude with a strobe light for eyes sitting on our deck and the creepiest ghost thing you ever saw hanging from the corner of our house. We are those people.

I will never forget the time my oldest (three at the time) went up to a house to trick-or-treat and was given a can of pop (something she was far to young to have).  She came down the stairs and shouted to us that the lady had given her a can of beer. "Wow," my husband said, "we are definitely going back to that house!" (lol)

(source)

Hope you all have very safe and SPOOKY Halloween.

xoAngela
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Thai Pumpkin Soup

I found this recipe on the Closet Cooking blog. I made this last night and it is officially the easiest and quickest soup I have ever made. I personally love just about anything Thai and I love pumpkin so I was really interested in this flavor combo. The spice actually works really well with the pumpkin.

Pumpkin has many great health benefits too (bonus). Pumpkin is high in fiber and rich in anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins. Pumpkin is recommended by dietitians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. 

(picture source)

Ingredients
2 Tbs red curry paste
2 Cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 (14 oz) can of coconut milk
2 (15 oz) cans of pumpkin puree or 4 cups of homemade pumpkin puree
2 Tbs fish sauce or soy sauce
2 Tbs palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

Directions
1.   Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add the curry paste and cook, stirring until fragrant, about a minute.
2.   Add the broth, coconut milk, pumpkin puree, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
(source)

This soup would definitely warm you up on a cool fall day. 

xoAngela
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Wild Madagascar Vanilla

A co-worker of mine introduced me to this new Bath and Body Works cream. She was wearing it in the office and it smelled amazing. I immediately had to run out and get one for myself.

My only warning is that a little goes a looooong way like most Bath and Body Works products. If you put it on in the morning you can still smell it at the end of the day. I love that it lasts a long time.

This cream is enhanced with African pear, wild jasmine and white sandalwood which creates a very exotic yet comforting/warm fragrance. I think it's going to be a great fragrance for fall and winter.

My tip, if you go to Bath and Body always go with a coupon. You can find them online or you can sign up to receive e-mails that send them directly to you. NEVER EVER pay full price!

xoAngela
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DIYing

I have been on a mission for the past couple of days. My mission has been to get some "cheap" art up on my walls. What cheaper art is there then DIY art? I have made it my goal to finish up some projects around the house too. Everything house wise just went completely off the radar this summer/early fall. This weekend I added my special touch to the bathroom, particularly the space over the toilet. This is what I came up with.

I had the metal tray but was not super happy with the original brown color so my husband spray painted it silver for me. I bought the canvas, candles and little glass bottle from the dollar store ($4) and the plant came from Walmart. I painted the canvas myself and dug up some old driftwood and shells I had kicking around. I love incorporating elements of nature into my decor. Not to shabby for $8.

This is the before. The poor empty space was just begging for attention since we re-painted the bathroom a while ago.

This is the artwork I purchased a year ago on the adjacent wall. I found it on Etsy, AldairArt, which I love. The company is out of BC and was extremely helpful and professional. I bought the prints and than framed them myself.

I have also been working on some other art projects that I will share with you later on in the week.

Have a happy Monday!

xoAngela
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Cozy For Fall

1. Old Navy - Women's Fashion Leggings, 2. Gap - Cozy Plaid Scarf, 3.  H&M - Fake Fur Waistcoat, 4.  H&M - Joggers, 5. H&M - Cardigan in a Mohair Blend, 6. H&M - Fake Fur Mittens 7. Aldo - Hat, 8. Aldo- Purse, 9. Roots - Socks, 10. Dynamite - Open Cardigan, 11. Shoe Company - Jeanne Beker - Waterproof Fur Trimmed Ankle Boot, 12.  RW&Co - Short Wool Blazer, 13. LLBean - Flannel Night Gown

Stay Cozy!

xoAngela
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Korres Wild Rose Cleanser

I found a new cleanser that I really like! It is the Korres wild rose brightening and refinishing buff cleanser. It contains natural wild rose oil which helps improve the skins radiance and texture. It also contains rice and cherry exfoliating grains that slough away dead skin cells to reveal brighter more youthful skin. It smells great too!

This is a winner for sure! It is gentle enough to use daily and contains 85% natural ingredients and doesn't contain parabens, mineral oil, ethanolamines or petrolatum and is soap free. This leaves my skin feeling extremely soft and clean and helps to brighten and even out my complexion.

I picked this up while we were away in Cape Breton at Shoppers Drug Mart. I had only seen it at Sephora so I was very surprised to see it here. I scooped it up and it is a good thing I did because I managed to leave my facial cleanser (philosophy), shampoo and conditioner in the hotel shower (boo). I left it in there for my husband to use and then in a mad dash out the door forgot to grab it. Usually I never leave a stone un-turned when I leave a hotel, I always check everything. Korres to the rescue!

I see they have this lovely limited edition Korres "advanced brightening kit" at Sephora for $30! 

xoAngela

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Creamy Crockpot Italian Chicken

It's that time of year to break out the ol' crockpot. I seasoned mine for the fall/winter season with this delicious recipe found on the "Girl Who at Everything Blog". This recipe is very rich tasting and definitely not for the faint of heart but it is super easy to make. I used a whole package of seasoning but I think I would cut it down to half a package as it was a little bit too salty for my "low-sodium" palate. Very good weekend meal. I will be making this again for sure.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing 

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depending how cream cheesy you want it)

Instructions

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low in the crockpot for at least 4 hours. You can leave it in there all day. Once chicken is done you can leave the chicken breasts whole, cube it, or even shred it. I always cut the breasts into tenderloin size strips.

Once you have cut up the chicken, throw it back in the crockpot and stir into the sauce. If you feel the sauce is too thick you can thin it to your preferred consistency with a little milk. Serve over pasta or rice.

Enjoy!

xoAngela

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My Husband Makes Waffles

My Hubby is pretty amazing and today is his birthday and yes he does make waffles too (bonus).

In our home, we make a BIG deal out of birthdays. It’s your one day out of the whole year so I think it should be super special. We also like to stretch birthdays out for as long as possible, sometimes two, three days. Why not?

So my main goal for today is to share with you a few of the wonderful attributes about this amazing birthday boy.

My husband is an extremely caring and loving man and a wonderful Father to our two amazing children. He is sensitive to others feelings and is always there when help is needed. He is hardworking and very loyal. He is funny and silly and knows how to have a good time. He is very handy around the house and also very thoughtful in so many ways. He is my best friend, my soul mate and my one true love. He is my everything!

Happy Birthday Handsome!

Wishing you a wonderful year filled with more love, adventure and laughter than ever!

xoAngela
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New Essie Polish

Before we went away I picked up a couple of new Essie nail polishes. I wanted a new day-to-day color and I also wanted a darker color for a couple fancier events.

This is Chinchilly! (The day-to day) I have to say out of the two it is my favorite. It is a gray with a slight purple tint. The formula is fantastic, I could paint my nails with my eyes closed and still have it look good. (wink)

The next one I picked up is a really dark blue color, Midnight Cami. Again the formula is great, but not as good as the Chinchilly. The downfall to this color is that you will have blue nails for a while after you take the polish off. It is so pigmented that it stains the nail (even if you apply a base-coat). Super fun color though, worth the trouble to take it off if you have an event to attend. (Next time I apply it I will throw up a swatch)

While flipping through the Target flyer this week I see that they Essie polishes are on sale for $7.99.  In my opinion well worth the price for the durability, easy application and superb color selection.

What is your favorite Essie color?

xoAngela
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Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

I honestly cannot believe I haven't shared this with you all yet. This recipe is so good and the fish just melts in your mouth. My kids love it too, which is a huge bonus. I have made this close to a dozen times now and I have to tell you it's a hit every single time. It can easily be a week night meal or a fancy weekend meal. This recipe would be great for company as you can easily double the recipe.

Here Is the Recipe from All Recipies
Ingredients:

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon dried basil 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon celery salt 1 pound tilapia fillets (approx 5 fillets)

Directions:

1.	Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2.	In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3.	Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2014 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/16/2014

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

xoAngela
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These boots were made for rocking.....

In Eastern Canada we have been blessed with an unusually warm fall this year. It is so wonderful, I just hope it continues on until November to keep Winter away as long as possible. (Not a cold fan)

Due to the warmer conditions I have still been able to wear some of my Spring and Summer clothing without having to dig too deep for Fall wear. I really haven't even felt the need to purchase any "new" fall items as of yet either (surprisingly). I usually like to wait until we are well into a season to buy a couple of new pieces anyways (on sale, of course).

One thing I was lacking though was a pair of booties. (my feet were starting to get a little cool in my flats) I found these a couple weeks ago for $16.00 (on sale) at Aldo. Last pair in burgundy, means meant to be in my books. They have a little heel and are super comfy and I love the little bit of rocker bling on the side. Grrrrr.

My youngest daughter needed some new shoes as well. We made a trip to Target last week to pick out some new sneaks and she spotted these and immediately had to try them on. She told me "these are running shoes mommy" and ran up and down the aisles. I bought them for her and she has not stopped running since, lol.

It is a short work week for Canadians due to theThanksgiving holiday but to me these short weeks tend to feel like longer weeks. Good luck trying to figure that one out (wink).

Have a Happy Thursday!

xoAngela
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Back from the Bay Bye

We arrived back from our trip to Sydney, Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) early last night. It was a fun filled, action packed trip that included a beautiful wedding, a surprise birthday party, the best chai latte ever (Wentworth Cafe, downtown Sydney) a speeding ticket (courtesy of my heavy footed husband), a family reunion of sorts and lots of giggling cousins.

I am still trying to get things organized, washed and put away around here so in the meantime here are a few pictures from our trip.

 Sydney boardwalk.

The largest fiddle in the world!

Which way would you go? 

Stunning colors of fall.

Beautiful fishing town of Main-a-Dieu.

Most Canadians love their Tim Horton's but I do think the award goes to Cape Bretoners. They have an extra strong affection for the Canadian owned coffee company then any other I have seen. With our "Timmies" stops along the way I developed a new found love for their "Pumpkin Spiced Tea". Let me me tell you, it is amazing! It is everything I love about fall transformed into a warm hot drink. Love.....Love.....Love (to the Beatles tune)

 Hope to be back on track soon. 

xoAngela
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Bourbon Chicken + Thanksgiving

I love the idea of a special Sunday family meal together (including grandparents or friends etc). This past Sunday at our "family meal" I decided to try a new recipe I found earlier in the week.

The recipe I chose was from food.com and I have to tell you it is a keeper.  It was so easy and the flavor is delicious. It tastes like Chinese take-out!

When I made this I actually cooked the chicken earlier on in the day. I also mixed the sauce up and had it ready to go as well. This makes for more time spent with company and less time in the kitchen. I am all for anything you can do in advance. I also made the recipe a bit bigger so I increased the ingredients a bit.

When the cook time was complete I found it to be a bit runny so I thickened it with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water and it turned out perfect. I like a bit thicker sauce but you may like it thinner. It is a personal preference.

Here is the recipe: (source)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions

1. Editor's Note: Named Bourbon Chicken because it was supposedly created by a Chinese cook who worked in a restaurant on Bourbon Street.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet.
3. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
4. Remove chicken.
5. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
6. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
8. Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

I also wanted to let you all know that I am signing off for 5-6 days to spend some solid time with my amazing family. It is Thanksgiving weekend for Canadians so I want to wish everyone a wonderful weekend. I hope you all get to enjoy special time with friends and family.

  I am extremely thankful for the wonderful circle of love that surrounds myself and my family, what are you thankful for?

xoAngela
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Drug Store Adventures #5

I picked up few things while "out and about" last weekend.  All three of these products for under $13 (two out of three were on sale). I am a sucker for a good deal, I rarely pay full price for anything. That is my excuse this week. Here is what I purchased.

L'Oreal "new"  Lash Out Voluminous Butterfly Mascara - Blackest Black   This is a really unique asymmetrical wing tip brush that works to lengthen, stretch and volumize the lashes. It creates a dramatic lash that fringes out on the outer corners, creating that butterfly effect. I quite like this mascara so far. The color and formula are great. I have not had much clumping, and it definitely does help create a more dramatic effect. I would love to try the Miss Manga as well.

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo Leather - 90 Vintage Plum.  I am not new to these eye-shadows that's for sure, but I really like these new "leather" matte like formulas. They smooth on very easily and last a very long time without creasing. The vintage plum is a very nice "dusty lilac" color that is perfect for fall/winter. I have yet to be disappointed by any of these eye-shadows.

Lastly, NYC Liquid Liner - 887 Black. To be honest I am not a liquid liner kind of gal. I have yet to master the "simple" technique of using them. I picked this one up for under three dollars thinking that time may have somehow improved my liquid liner game, boy was I wrong. I don't get it what-so-ever, I really don't. For some reason it just looks ridiculous on me but I love the look of it on others. As far as I know, this product seems like it would work great and the price point is super reasonable but it's not for me. I will stick to my pencils unless it's for Halloween (wink).

What's your newest drugstore find?

xoAngela

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Random Loves #1

Here are a few things I am currently loving:

Animal Documentaries – Nothing takes me on an emotional roller-coaster quite like these kinds of shows. The lifestyles of animals and things that they do for survival etc. I find so fascinating.  Last week I watched a PBS special on penguins and found myself laughing one minute and weeping the next. 

Here is a link to a clip of the PBS Penguin documentary. 

Another amazing documentary was one I watch about the Chinese Snow Monkeys a few months back. It's hilarious seeing them relax in the hot springs and so heart-warming to watch them with their babies.

Here is a link to a clip of the PBS Chinese Snow Monkey’s:

I also thoroughly enjoy watching funny animal videos with human voice overs. I know this sounds weird but I honestly get the biggest kick out these.

Here is a link to one of these videos I am referring too: (I love the dentist clip)

Ankle Length Pants- one thing you may or may-not know about me is that I am short. Yup!  These ankle length pants actually work out to be the perfect “normal” length pant for me without having to get them hemmed.  Hallelujah! Let’s just hope this trend sticks around for a while.

(source)

Flavored Popcorn- My latest obsession is flavored popcorn. I kid you not, I have been going through approximately two bags of this stuff on a weekly basis.  Sure... maybe it's a healthier alternative to chips (my #1 guilty pleasure) but not when you eat the whole bag. My favorite would have to be Orville Redenbacher’s dill pickle popcorn. White cheddar would be my second choice. I was always a fan of the original “Smartfood” (white cheddar) but found the Orville to be a better quality popcorn. You have to try this!    

(source)

What are you currently loving?

xoAngela

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Cracker Toffee

WARNING THIS RECIPE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! 

Once you start, you might not be able to stop. This is a recipe I use to make a long time ago with my Mother. I decided to make it with my kids and actually had forgotten how delicious and easy it is to make. It kind of reminds me of a Skor chocolate bar.

Ingredients:

-About 40 salted saltine crackers - enough to line a 1/2 inch edge cookie sheet. 

-1 cup of unsalted butter

-1 cup of packed brown sugar

-2 cups of milk chocolate chips.

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line your edged pan with parchment paper or tin foil.  Next, line the saltine crackers in a single layer on the cookie sheet. (this is a good job for little ones to do)

2.  In a small pot combine sugar and butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once mixture comes to a boil, continue to boil for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until it becomes a dark caramel color. Immediately pour mixture over saltines very carefully covering all the crackers.

3.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until it gets all bubbly.  Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and wait a few minutes until the chocolate melts. Once melted you can take a hot knife (my trick) and spread the chocolate evenly over the crackers. 

4.  Once it is completely cooled and the chocolate has hardened, break into pieces and enjoy!

Dare you to eat just one piece!

xoAngela

Tarte's Summer Palette

All summer I have been longing to own tarte's "golden days & sultry nights" amazonian clay collector's shadow palette. I was so stoked to learn that I would  be receiving it with the contest I won. To be honest I really wanted to love this 100%, but I didn't. 

First the good, the packaging is great! It has a wonderful big mirror and a sturdy magnetic lid that keeps it closed when not in use. I have been using the green as a liner and the darkest (far right) to achieve a smokey bronzed eye effect. The brown on the left is a great base to start with.

The downer is the gold color. It is really flaky when you use it and falls onto your face when applying it. From just looking at it, it looks like a gorgeous gold color but turns out to not be the greatest formula at all. I see this palette is on sale now but I don't think I would run out and buy it for the three colors that are usable, even if it was on sale.

Honestly this is the most disappointed I have been with a tarte product so far. As I am sure you know, I am a big fan of tarte so it was really difficult to write something negative. I am in love with their blushes, foundations, oils and of course their lip products. What I love most about tarte is that they are free from many of the harmful ingredients found in a lot of cosmetics and they are cruelty and gluten free. But this palette..... is really not so hot.

My advice to you is if you are interested in a tarte eyeshadow palette do some research and look at the reviews before purchasing.

Have you tried this or any of tarte's palettes? If so, what's your experience like?

xoAngela
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Baked Dijon Salmon

I like to incorporate fish into our diets once or twice a week. What I struggle with is coming up with innovative ways to make it appealing for myself, and the kids. I stumbled across this recipe for "Baked Dijon Salmon" on the "The Girl That Ate Everything" blog the other day and decided to give it a whirl.

Well... not only is this recipe super easy to make, but it is absolutely delicious. Another keeper in our home for sure. We are already planning to have it again really, really soon.

This recipe calls for four salmon fillets but I cut the ingredients in half and used it on two, which is more than enough for my family (two little ones, and two adults). I decided to marinade the salmon for fifteen minutes in 2 Tbs of soy sauce and 1 Tbs of honey and I also used panko bread crumbs instead of the "normal" bread crumbs which made it extra crunchy on the outside. If you have these I would strongly suggest you use them as well.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup very finely chopped pecans
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, for garnish

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next, sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. If your fillet is thick you may need to cook a few minutes longer. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Source: Allrecipes

Even if you are not a huge fish fan I bet you would enjoy this one. 

xoAngela
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WANTED -- INSPIRATION

So here is the deal-lio. We have this wooden wall that connects the kitchen to the living room.  It is very good quality wood and definitely gives it that rustic feel, but it's not our cabin/cottage, it's our home. I have been wanting to "improve" it for quite some time now. My hubby on the other hand loves it. What is with guys and wood? Geeez!  Here is the the dark, wooden wall.

My first idea is to simply paint it a cream color. That would definitely brighten it up a lot. It would still look cool because it would have the"wainscoting" effect from the panels too.

 This would give you an idea of the concept. (source)

My other option is to "white wash" the wall to give it that shabby chic effect that I love. This would brighten things up a bit but still have the grain of the wood shine through.

Here is an example: (source)

These are my two contenders. What effect do you think we should go with? Any other suggestions?

Stay tuned.....Operation brighten wooden wall is underway.

xoAngela
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