Project 365 - Week 28/52
9th July - 15th July
9th July 2017
10th July 2017
11th July 2017
12th July 2017
13th July 2017
14th July 2017
15th July 2017
Another week has been and gone in the blink of an eye. Seriously, there's not enough hours in a day! We've had a pretty easy going week this week and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Sunday we went to a open day charity event at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary. It was such a good day out, for such a good cause and I left feeling like I'd love to adopt a dog or cat in the future. It was a beautiful day too, such lovely weather. We had our usual weekday routine of Noah at nursery in the afternoons and me attempting to cram in some sort of blog work and nurse a baby in the short amount of free time that I get. Noah loved nursery yet again and had a sponsored bike ride there this week, the money raised is being put towards new outdoor resources for the children. We raised £40 which I was happy with, it's nice to know the money is going and that Noah and the other kids will benefit from all the money raised. Noah had some sort of viral rash this week and Ava has a little bit of a cough, but both have been soldering on none the less and haven't let it bother them too much! I've started expressing milk now to try and establish more of a set bedtime routine with Ava as she's such a little night owl but so far it's a bit hit and miss. So far we've had a pretty lazy weekend so far but tomorrow we will have our weekly family day out but we've not decided what to do just yet.
What have you been up to this week?
How to Have Good Green Fun
Having fun is an essential part of life, but so is looking after the environment. Unfortunately, these do not intertwine as much as they should, so it is important that we are aware of the eco-friendly alternatives that are available.
It is no secret that ensuring that every little piece of our lives is environmentally friendly is incredibly difficult, practically impossible, but small changes are better than none. For instance, instead of plastic packaging, opt for something that is biodegradable, such as recycled cardboard, and natural materials instead of artificially produced resources.
Parties
If you ever find yourself hosting a party, you will probably be dreading the clean-up job afterwards more than actually looking forward to the event itself. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to fall into the trap of using disposable tableware and cutlery that is not very kind on the planet.
Plastic plates, knives and forks are certainly the easiest options in terms of cleaning up after the party, but there are other disposable alternatives available. Materials that have been made from natural resources, such as palm leafs and other biodegradable substances, can then be recycled and used again. This creates a revolving process that cuts out the need for materials that are harmful to the planet. Most parents will have been tasked with organising a children’s party, complete with party bags and fillers that, although may not seem like much, can also be handled better. Small keepsakes do not have to cost the world, and in all honesty will be forgotten about within a day or so.
Sustainable Living
One of the growing trends in recent years has seen more and more people turn towards sustainable living methods, such as growing their own fruit and vegetables. The process is rather a simple one, and really just comes down to how much time and space that you have to put into growing your own food.
Even the smallest gardens can be used to grow crops of some kind, while bigger areas are obviously more ideal. In order to give your plants the best opportunity to grow, you should make your own compost. This is done by mixing organic materials together instead of a bin or tank in the correct conditions.
Some of the everyday materials that can be composted include:
· Grass cuttings
· Egg shells
· Leafs
· Woodchip
· Paper
· Fruit and vegetables
· Uncooked kitchen waste
· Pet and human waste
By composting, you are giving your produce the natural nutrition that they need. It is also worth considering harvesting rainwater, as this is much better for plants than tap water due to the absence of chemicals that are used. Although in the UK we are never normally short for rain, it is worth having some in storage for when we do have a heat wave.
Do Away With Processed Foods
Processed food does no good to the environment or to you. Its convenience means that we can often fall victim to including them in the weekly shop, making for an easy mid-week dinner when you get home from work, but the reality is that we should not rely on anything processed.
There is a myth that cooking with whole foods can be time-consuming and that many processed foods are healthy because of what it says on the packaging. Take the time to look through the ingredients and then see if you still have an appetite. For example, Frankfurter sausages can often have as little as 5% pork, with more than half of what you are eating made from mechanically recovered chicken. That is the pieces that they scrape off the machine after the carcas has been ground down. Yum.
Not only are whole foods much better for us and the environment, they taste much better, and you know exactly what you are putting into your system. By looking after the environment we are also looking after ourselves, something that can become lost on us in the grand scheme of things. By taking more care with our choices, we will all feel the benefit.
- This is a PR collaboration.
9NINE Snacks - Seeds The Pack The Ultimate Punch - Competition
Any parent of young children will be familiar with those times when you grab for something, anything that will give you the energy to get through the next few hours without falling asleep on your laundry pile or sink full of dishes. A tablespoon of peanut butter at 9pm, half a baguette at 5am, handfuls of dry cereal as the older kids eat breakfast and you look for your keys, and shoes.
While pregnant we are endlessly mindful about what we eat, drink and breathe. We look after our bodies for the sake of our precious, unborn child and are glowing, buoyant gatekeepers – eating well, taking our vitamins and drinking our litres of water. But once baby is born we all-too-often become janitors – shuffling through the day on just enough empty calories to keep us upright and putting all the focus on keeping the children healthy. Actually the truth is that eating a healthy, nutritious diet while breastfeeding, or through days of little sleep, or while balancing households full to the brim with dependants, is just as important as during those serene, pregnant days. And prioritising a balanced diet of healthy, whole foods for mum, plate-spinner and family-pivot is crucial for our health, energy, happiness and mental health.
And here’s where we come to the star of the show, seeds which really do pack a punch for such a small player. Seeds provide us with a wide range of essential oils and nutrients and fall within the guidelines of most dietary restrictions. Snacking on seeds not only offers fantastic health benefits, providing much-needed nutrients, they are full of slow release energy, so perfect for long days (and nights) as parents of young children.
Share the Love
And let’s not stop there. Seeds are great for kids too. With so many nut allergies around, seeds are a safe go-to gap-filler. And their slow-release energy is a winner when it comes to being focused. Unlike the peak and crash of a high sugar snack, it’s well documented that eating whole foods result in better application, concentration and stamina for the classroom, pitch and playground.
Don’t know your linseed from your birdseed? Don’t worry. Allow us to shepherd you through the seeds currently topping the pops, how best to use them and their various life-bettering properties.
Chia means ‘strength’ and as far as fuel goes, it doesn’t get much better than this. Chia seeds are full of nutrients and, unlike some seeds, come with very few calories. Harvested from a flowering plant in the mint family, these seeds can absorb a lot of liquid – they expand to hold about ten times their dry weight. Chia is a real all-rounder; it’s used in puddings and porridge, added to smoothies and sprinkled on salads.
Flaxseed (also called linseed) is packed full of good things including dietary fiber, omega-3 and vitamin B1 – you can see why it is often referred to as wonder food. You have to grind flaxseed before using it but once you’ve done that labour of love, you can add it to anything from morning porridge to homemade bread.
Pumpkin seeds have long been a favourite for healthy snackers, and they haven’t lost their appeal. Bringing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential acids with every handful, these seeds are seriously versatile. They can be eaten raw or cooked in sweet or savoury dishes – or simply roasted for a super on-the-go snack.
Sunflower seeds are crunchy and nutty and usually eaten plain as a snack or simply sprinkled on salads. Filled with antioxidants, magnesium, copper and Vitamin E, they are top of their game and are even said to bring a glow to tired skin! Filled with goodness that’s drawn straight from the sun, they become the star of the show in recipes such as sunflower seed pesto and homemade bread.
Seeds really do deserve the hype. And there’s family fun to be had growing them too. Summer is around the corner, the sun will be shinning and kids love planting and getting their hands dirty so grab a paper cup, pop a few sunflower seeds and soil into it and get kids growing their own in your own home. And for those of us who don’t have the time to brush our hair let alone grow seeds, there’s 9NINE.
9NINE products celebrate super seeds and are the perfect snack for people who care about their well-being but don’t always have time to prepare snacks from scratch. Seeds provide big tastes for even the smallest occasions – if you aren’t already, it’s time to take seeds seriously!
Nutrients in 9NINE:
Magnesium restores mindfulness with good energy
Fibre boosts your body with good digestion
Copper activates your immune system
Phosphorous looks after your mental energy
Vitamin E gets your skin glowing
Thiamine gets the best energy out of your food
Potassium gives your heart the love it deserves
Manganese maintains strength through healthy bones
Calcium keeps the balance with happy hormones
Zinc gives a natural immune boost
Protein is an essential building block for a balanced life
Iron keeps oxygen moving around the body
I've teamed up with 9NINE to give a prize bundle away to one lucky entrant. The bundle includes everything in the photo above but so much more; x2 multipacks, x2 raspberry/coconut bombes, x2 seed fusions, mug, pens, booklet, seed pot, T-shirt and Bag for Life. To enter all you need to do is use the Gleam form below! Good luck and don't forget to enter my other blog competitions!
Terms & Conditions.
1. There will be 1 winner of the prize mentioned above, however the hamper may look different.
2. Prize sent directly by the PR.
3. Competition ends 10/08/17
4. Incomplete entries with be disqualified.
5. UK entries only.
Project 365 - Week 27/52
2nd July - 8th July
2nd July 2017
3rd July 2017
4th July 2017
5th July 2017
6th July 2017
7th July 2017
8th July 2017
Another week has been and gone. On Sunday we had our regular Sunday family day out and went to Edisford Bridge for the afternoon. Noah loved wading in the stream with Nick, skimming stones, going on the swings, the mini steam train and had a big ice cream after all the fun to have a little cool down. Ava napped here and there but she loved being out in the sunshine too, she's so good when we are out and about. Once Monday arrived it was time to get into our regular routine of nursery every afternoon. Noah enjoys it so much now and is always asking to go, it makes me so happy that he's finally so comfortable there. It's just a shame that the summer holidays are on the horizon! I had my weekly weigh in at Slimming World on Monday too, I'd lost another 2lb which brings me to half a stone in three weeks. I feeling like a Slimming World veteran! On Tuesday my Mum came to visit in the afternoon and it was lovely to see her, she came to pick Noah up with me at nursery and then took him in town for an hour or so. Wednesday wasn't a good day because I fell down the stairs and really hurt myself. I sprained my ankle and landed on my tail bone and I'm still in agony days later. The rest of the week was just our regular routine of nursery, visiting family, shopping, going for walks etc. Noah had a bit of a heat rash and was feeling under the weather on Friday but thankfully he's feeling a little better now.
What have you been up to this week?
What have you been up to this week?