Cook-Strawberry Yogurt Pops

I just KNEW I had to have this popsicle tray for a reason! Not to mention World Market had it on sale! It was only a few bucks and I just couldn't resist. Luckily Pinterest inspired me early on last summer to make my own version of THIS. 

My version was a bit simpler but just as tasty! 

Ingredients:

• Strawberries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries...whatever you prefer!)
• Vanilla yogurt
• I'd also recommend a sweetener like honey or agave, to taste

Directions:

Puree your fruit in a blender (after washing it, of course). 

Alternately spoon yogurt and the fruit puree into the popsicle mold. You can also swirl it around with a spoon if you want it more mixed. 

Freeze.

Enjoy!

Keep this in mind for the summer months when it's hot! It's going to be quite a lovely weekend and upcoming week with highs in the upper 50s and low 60s! Enjoy your weekend everyone! :)

Got any fun plans this weekend while the weather is nice? 

Till next time,

Catheirne

Snow Day-Wait, where'd it go?

All week here in good ol' Lynchburg, Virginia the weathermen have been forecasting snow for today. Some said we may not get anything at all, others said we may get up to 18"! That's quite a range. Needless to say, it's hard to know what to expect.

I rained all day Tuesday so I figured the snow wouldn't amount to anything. Until I went to take the dogs out to go to the bathroom. There was already 2 inches of snow on the ground! After that my husband and I got a little too comfortable thinking we'd get a cozy snow day together the next day! 

You should never get your hopes up!

That's ok...money is good too. 

So all night and day it snowed off and on but because of the rain yesterday it didn't amount to much. Luckily the snow didn't stick to the roads and it turned to wet mush on the ground. 

Then, out of nowhere it stopped, the sun came out, and almost all of the snow melted! 

Only in Virginia. 

Oh you live in a four-season state? That's nice...I live in a four-season-a-day state. It'll keep you on your toes! Haha. 

Where are you from? Did you get snow like a lot of the East coast? 

Till next time,

Catherine

Don't Get Sick!

Lately I feel like not a day goes by where I don't hear tons of people say that they're sick! I absolutely hate getting sick and try my best to avoid it so the more people get sick around me, the more careful I get. I figured I'd write some basic tips on how to stay healthy during cold and flu season and during all these crazy weather changes were getting. 20 degrees one day, 60 the next...only in Virginia.

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With weather like this...people are bound to get sick...even if it's only allergies! 

Here are some things that I like to do to keep myself and my husband healthy when everyone else is getting sick! And a few others that I may not be so consistent on doing, but are good tips!

• Eat lots of fruits and veggies! If you keep eating healthy, your immune system will stay strong. If you eat junk, your immune system will crash because your body isn't being fueled properly.
• Don't forget to wash your fruits and veggies before eating them. They've been through a lot before getting into your kitchen. Buying local always helps though! 
• Take vitamins. A multi vitamin is always good, but vitamin C, or a vitamin B complex is helpful too. My husband and I take all 3. Well, he takes the C, I take the B. 
• WASH YOUR HANDS! How basic...yet we still don't do it enough.
• Don't touch your face or bite your nails. Germs are all over your hands. If you rub your face, you have more of a chance of those germs getting into your eyes/nose/mouth.
• Sneeze and cough into your elbow/shoulder or a tissue if possible. Do NOT cover your mouth with your hand...that's gross.
• Use hand sanitizer when washing your hands isn't possible. 
• Keep your distance from people who say they're sick or are visibly sick. It's not rude...you don't need to catch what they've got! 
• If you work in a place with a lot of client interaction, keep Lysol handy and use it often. 
• The essential oil blend called Thieves from Young Living Essential Oils is a great natural antibacterial/antifungal/antibiotic and it smells great! It comes in oil form, foam hand wash, spray, household cleaner, and hand sanitizer. I also love the blend Purification. It's also great for killing germs and freshening a stale room. Go buy them and use them...they're awesome. 
• And don't forget to exercise. A strong body is a healthy body!

If you know you're prone to getting sick easily, be sure to follow these steps extra close. There's no need to get sick when you can do some simple things to stay healthy! One of my favorite quotes is "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"

As for the flu shot...I personally don't get a one. Never have, never will. Same goes for my husband. In my opinion and research, there is too much risk in getting the flu vaccine. They put MERCURY in flu vaccines for crying out loud. Do you realize how horrible mercury is to the human body? No thanks. I even have one mercury amalgam filling that I want replaced. What you do is up to you...but I highly encourage you to do some research first.

So there you have it...simple ways to stay healthy in the remaining months of cold and flu season!

Stay well, everyone!

How do you stay healthy when everyone else is getting sick?

Till next time,
Catherine

I've linked up to Wellness Wednesday 9/11/2013 with Intoxicated on Life, Nourishing Treasures, Raising the Barrs and Finding the Source.

I said brr...it's cold in here!

There must be some clovers in the atmosphere! I said brr!

I know...I know...Bring It On was a terrible movie...let alone the following ones! Don't worry...that's the only part I remember!

You may remember from a previous blog post where I wrote a simple Green List of things to do to save money and have a better impact on the environment. Well one particularly bit I wrote was about not turning the heat or AC on until you really have to. We still have yet to turn on our heat and it had dropped to 64 degrees in our house!! Currently in Lynchburg it is 35 degrees, feels like 27 with wind gusting up to 24 mph. Needless to say...I'm quite tempted to switch our heat on!

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This is a cartoon of me when I checked the thermostat earlier.

Ok so it's really not THAT bad but it's quite cold in here! Currently I'm stuck under a blanket, two comforters and a fleece blanket wedged between the dogs, my husband, and the cat. Even the cat was snuggling under the covers! I'm warm now but I'm not looking forward to when I have to get up.

I'm tough...I can handle this...

All to save a few bucks! Brrr...

Is this still considered frugal or just plain crazy?

Till next time,
Catherine

Hurricane's a-comin'!

The entire East coast has been preparing for Hurricane Sandy this past week, except me. Lynchburg is too far inland to be getting much more than a little wind and rain. So far, that's all we've seen. Sandy is supposed to hit land this evening but I believe she'll already be North of Virginia by then. I'm all about being prepared but I'm not one to freak and run to the store and buy all the bread! At least storms are good for business! Once we have more space, I plan to have a little stockpile of emergency supplies. Right now it's a flashlight, some candles, and cans of tuna. Haha.

Instead of rushing through the grocery store in a panic, I'm relaxing in my PJs all warm while tea brews and German chocolate cake bakes in the oven! Sorry, I cheated and used a box. But I didn't have any eggs so I used two bananas as a replacement. I can let you all know how that goes! So, no recipe today but possible an ingredient supplement! I could taste the banana ever so slightly when I, ahem, cleaned up the batter ;) but I don't think it will be noticeable when it's baked, especially with the icing. I hope I'm timing this cake right so that it's ready when my husband gets home from work! German chocolate is his favorite!

I need to get my behind in gear and re-organize our desk! We finally gave away our guest bed and so now our spare bedroom is going to be an office/craft room. We're both excited about finally being able to really use this room! As for when we have guests, we have an awesome air mattress that a friend gave us as a wedding gift! The room isn't much yet but it's a work in progress!

Once my husband gets home it's time for the best cold & rainy day things...warm blankets, cuddling, fuzzy socks, hot tea, hot chocolate, popcorn, movies, warm pets and a warm husband :) Tonight it will be The Walking Dead instead of movies!

What do you like to do on cold, rainy days? Do you like to go out and stock up before a storm, just in case? What's in your stockpile/emergency kit?

Till next time,
Catherine