This week my daughter and I jumped on the Sourdough starter bandwagon...we figured sourdough is probably our favourite type of bread next to a good italian loaf of any kind, so why not. Since its been trending it has definitely been on our minds. We even had a family member that is a chef and at the beginning of all of the closures delivered to us a delicious loaf of homemade sourdough that didn't last more than a day in our house. 

We have watched and nurtured our sourdough starter all week and it has started to ferment quite well, we should be ready to try baking a loaf in the next couple days. As you go along you are supposed to discard some and we even found a few recipes to use the discarded portions...today we enjoyed some yummy crumpets. 

A friend of mine posted on Facebook the other day..."When did eating bread come back and what's with all the sourdough??" funny to see all the comments. Yes there are definitely a lot of us baking and specifically now baking bread. To be honest we are trying not to bake too much of anything, but really home baked goods of any kind are so much better than any snacks we can buy in the stores...so why not. 

Then I came across this article today in the Globe and Mail from earlier last month "The science behind why everyone is suddenly baking bread" It makes sense...they talk about how in times of stress and uncertainty we all "covet creature comforts" and what is more comforting than fresh baked goods...especially a home made loaf of bread. The ingredients are cheap, easy to store...although during this pandemic may not be as easy to find. To read the full article check out the following link: the Globe and Mail

Here's where the science of it all comes in:

“Eating carbohydrate foods like bread stimulates insulin, which raises the uptake by the brain of the essential amino acid, tryptophan,” says Harvey Anderson, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. “Tryptophan in the brain increases production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes calm and sleep in times of stress. So enjoy your fresh bread, just don't eat the whole loaf at one time.”

Here's the recipe we used for our Sourdough starter but you really can use any they are all pretty much the same...so simple and so easy and we used white flour since we didn't have Pumpernickle or whole wheat... just takes a little longer. Be sure to find a way to use your discard, there are so many great ideas from crumpets like we did, pizza dough, cake etc etc. 
 
So looks like we will be eating bread...but homemade bread without any preservatives....that makes it good right! Let us know on our facebook page or instagram what you are baking these days? What kind of comfort foods make you feel good? Did you jump on the sourdough wagon like we did?

We found another great article to help all of you out there Alice's Kitchen the Ultimate Guide to Sourdough Bread.

Being beautiful is not always easy and let's face it, it is not always cheap. Wouldn’t it be great if we can look our best in the shortest possible time, with the least amount of effort and without breaking the bank? Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girls gotta do. There are many ways you might not know about, that will really make life just a little easier for you. We have highlighted 6 hacks, tips and tricks you ever knew about that will be sure to make you look and feel beautiful without the hassle and without completely breaking the bank.

Some coffee for my cellulite

No expensive, invasive surgery needed here. Make a nice coffee scrub for you to exfoliate with. Okay so full disclosure here, coffee grounds will not make the cellulite go away. Cellulite is something that occurs deep in the skin and exfoliating the surface won’t remove the cellulite indefinitely. However, caffeine does stimulate dilation. The scrubbing motion increases circulation, plumping up the skin and making cellulite look less obvious. So if you are heading for a day at the beach, we can definitely advise that you scrub scrub scrub for a temporary solution to those not-so-cute dimples.

Save the Mascara

Nothing quite as annoying as applying dry mascara. The product inside our mascaras tend to dry out very, very quickly and if you notice it starting to go dry even though there is still a lot left, you kind of die a little inside, right? Eye-drops are a great tool to help you make the most of the last bit of your favourite mascara. Use your eye-drops to bring clumpy and dried out mascara back to life by taking your standard-sized mascara and putting about 4 drops eye-drops in there. Unlike water, the eye-drops keep it at its original consistency. Make-up can be very expensive, especially high-quality ones. So, taking 3 minutes to add a few eye drops and shaking now and again, is definitely worth it. 

Chapped lips

If you have ever had peeling, chapped lips you will know that applying lipstick is a nightmare. It doesn't last long on the lips and it looks awful, dry and flaky. So, the only way to be able to wear lipstick that lasts on chapped lips is to prepare your lips. Make yourself a lip-scrub using sugar, lemon juice and coconut oil to remove those annoying peeling skin. It is tasty and effective and will have you rocking your red lips with confidence.

Thicker Lashes

TV advertisements about mascara giving your lashes volume, shine and more length always looks so tempting. But I think we can all agree that once we have purchased this wonder product, we have found the results to be very underwhelming. Well we’ve got a great tip for you on this one and you won’t believe it - Baby powder. All you have to do is apply your mascara as normal, then dip a cotton swab in baby powder and apply on lashes and then apply another coat of mascara. Not only does the baby powder add volume it is also a great alternative to that extra thick mascara that makes your eyelashes look heavy, fake and crumby. Try the baby powder hack, you will find the results to be overwhelming. 

Blackheads

Most people struggle with blackheads on their nose at some point in their life and it is not fun or easy to try to extract them unless you do it professionally at a beauty salon. Blackheads are extremely hard to treat. They are not as easy to “pop” as pimples are because they do not form outwardly. However, we have found this nifty little trick that will help you out in no time. Mix 1 tsp of warm water, 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of flour together. Dip a cotton pad in the mix and apply it to the problem area. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and exfoliate. A quick fix to a super annoying problem.

Freezing Spoon

When you wake up to go to work in the morning after your long beauty sleep the puffy bags under your eyes are not sexy at all and getting rid of them quickly is not an easy task. Well, now it can be. Before you go to bed, freeze a teaspoon overnight. When you wake up, take the spoon and use the back of the spoon and place it on the puffy areas under your eyes. Gently "roll" the back of the spoon in a sea-saw/up and down kind of motion as if you are rolling out the puffiness. This will take you 5 minutes, and you will be ready to apply your make-up just in time.

So there you have it, easy and effective ways to make sure you are looking your absolute best without too much hassle or spending a dime. You would be surprised to learn how many beauty hacks, tips and tricks exist in the comfort of your own home. Now be a good friend and share this article with your friends.

www.globeauty.co.za

If you own an iPhone or iPad you will want to check out the following link for some great tips and tricks to help you better use them.

iPhone/ iPad tips and tricks 

The offline Google Maps would have come in handy for us this past summer as we were travelling throughout Europe. Especially in Ireland where we rented a car. It was bad enough we were driving on the wrong side of the road...let alone not have a clue where we were going. :)

Love the guided access feature, how great is that for parents with little ones.

Then my daughter and I had to laugh as we shared the camera function with her Dad, so that he didn't have to unlock his phone every time he wanted to take a picture. Now he loves it!

What is your favourite iPhone/ iPad tips and tricks  ?

Kara Berman Introduction - Realtor Cloverdale BC

This video shares a little bit about how The Bettina Reid Group came about and Kara's story about how she started in the business and joined The Bettina Reid Group.

One of the best things I did, was hiring Kara Berman to be a part of my team. We work very well together and I am proud to have her as an integral part of The Bettina Reid Group.  

Bettina Reid Introduction - Realtor Cloverdale BC

We just had some professional videos done and wanted to share them. Trevor Marples and his production team did a fabulous job!I would highly recommend them if you are looking to have a professional video done up.

Unless you are an actor or used to being on camera, putting together a video can be very intimidating. For Kara and I, this was no exception. But between having a coach there to walk us through the video and Trevor with his videographer we certainly felt more at ease during the whole process. Then having edited videos before and not having much fun doing it, we were still skeptical about the end result.... I have to say we were very pleasantly surprised. Our goal was to be able to give the public a feel for who we are as people and as professionals without having a stuffy scripted video. Trevor and Carol (our coach) did a great job capturing a very natural video. 

Visit Trevor's company website for more information on how to get started.

9th Dimension 
 
We look forward to our next video blog to come out next month! Stay tuned. :) 

I always love this time of year as we approach summer and all the fresh local produce that comes in to season. Even though my grocery order is always full of produce year round, I am sure it must double over the summer months with all the fresh produce that we have access to. Fruit salad and a variety of green salads are staples in our family's daily meals. 

The strawberry season has begun a little early this year and is expected to be in full swing within the next week or so. I picked up some fresh picked strawberries from Kin's Market in Langley and later found out that Krause Berry Farms has some ready picked berries as well. They still aren't open for the u-pick variety yet, but I hear their crop so far is delicious and sweet! Check out the Krause Berry Farms website to find details about their hours of operation and their new Estate Winery: Krause Berry Farms

For more information on local strawberry fields in your area visit the BC strawberry farms website at the following link:

BC Strawberry Farms 

Our very own Stanley Park has been named one of the World’s most beautiful City Parks according to Travel and Leisure. I remember visiting Stanley Park for the 1st time as a child. My family and I were visiting my grandparents who lived at the time in Ladner. One of the 1st places they took us was to Stanley Park to see the totem poles. 

After moving here from Ontario 8 years ago, we have been back a number of times sharing the beauty of Stanley Park with other visiting family and friends. We also enjoy taking a stroll along the sea wall, where we have been lucky enough to not only enjoy the amazing views but where we also came across a sea lion or 2 over the years.

Stanley Park deserves a place in the World’s Most Beautiful City Parks. 

To see which other parks made the list visit the following link:

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-most-beautiful-city-parks/3

Now that Spring has arrived, it means warmer weather and summer is on it's way....which means BBQ time!

In our house, we BBQ year round, but at this time of year as you walk around your neighbourhood all of a sudden the smell of BBQ's grilling delicious meats starts to fill the air.

If you love BBQ why not check out the 2nd annual Big Red Barn Burner BBQ Competition in Chilliwack. 

The Big Red Barn Burner BBQ Competition in Chilliwack runs from March 22 - March 24th. There will be lots of entertainment, cooking demos and of course....great BBQ.

There will be a number of teams from across North America competing in the Big Red Barn Burner BBQ Competition in Chilliwack with 4 traditional categories. Cooking will take place on Saturday and the judging will be on Sunday. Tasting is free with your admission.

Adults $7.00 ($12.00 for weekend pass)
Seniors $6.00 ($11.00 for weekend pass)
Children 5-18yrs $2.00
Children under 5yrs are FREE

Help support mental health here in Canada by supporting Bell Let's Talk today!

For every text message sent, long distance call made, tweet using the #BellLetsTalk or Facebook share of the Bell Let's Talk image - Bell Canada will donate 5 cents to help fund mental health initiatives across Canada.

Clara Hughes as the face of Bell Let's Talk gives people a sense that if an Olympic athlete who always seems to have a smile on her face can have mental health issues and be okay...than so can anyone. It also goes to show that it doesn't matter what walk of life you come from, mental health issues can affect just about any one of us. The stats are that 1 in 5 of us will suffer some form of mental illness in their lifetime. Clara and Bell are not only trying to bring awareness to mental health but help to remove the stigma that always seems to follow. I know from my own family...if there was ever any issues it was better not to talk about it and hope that it will just go away instead of dealing with it. Which likely only makes the problem worse as people ignore that the family member needs help or makes the family member feel ashamed.

A few weeks ago I talked about Blue Monday and at this time of year when it is cold and wet or snowy outside depression seems to hit even the least likely of us. If Bell Let's Talk can help spread the word I am all for it. Whether you tweet, make a call send a text or share the image on facebook...it's easier than doing just about anything and it's a way to make a difference. So help me support Bell Let's Talk day!

For more information on Bell Let's Talk visit their website at the following link:

Bell Let's Talk 

Today is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year...Blue Monday.

Believe it or not a Doctor actually created this Blue Monday by working out a formula. His formula was based on 6 factors - weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing new year's resolutions, low motivation the need to take action.

Dr. Cliff Arnall calculated Blue Monday to happen in the 3rd week of January.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1317762--today-is-blue-monday-its-creator-offers-three-keys-to-happiness

I don't tend to get down too often...but I know I could use some heat and sunshine just about now! :) How about you?

A couple days ago I blogged about Dine out Vancouver starting their festival yesterday and completely forgot about White Rock's very own food festival "Bite of the Rock". 

It's another great opportunity for people living south of the Fraser in the Valley, instead of heading to Vancouver they can try some of the fabulous restaurants in White Rock. The festival started this past Monday January 14th and runs through February 10th, there will be select White Rock restaurants offering 3 course meals for $15, $25, $35 or $45. Many of which are also offering entertainment.

This is the 7th annual Bite of the Rock and promises to be an excellent opportunity to try a new restaurant or an old favourite for very reasonable prices. 

For details on participating restaurants and their menus visit Bite of the Rock's website.

Well by now everyone knows the NHL is back and hockey lovers across North America are rejoicing...or are they?

The 1st games will be next Saturday January 19th. Even though I'm not a hockey fan, my husband was born a Habs fan and when he woke up Sunday morning to find out they had come to an agreement and there was going to be a season..it was like Christmas morning all over again for him. 

He would never give up hockey and looks forward to having the NHL back, but all over the media and social networking sites you hear of people who intend to boycott the NHL games. I have to agree with my husband boycotting won't hurt the NHL it will hurt all the people that have already been hurt by being out of work. The thousands of employees that work in the arenas around North America.

Will you be watching your favourite team?