Goodbye 2010...Hello 2011!

So, a new year is almost upon us so I thought I would take some time to reflect back on some meaningful things I have learned or rediscovered in 2010 and will absolutely carry them with me into 2011 (in no particular order):

1.   Take more time to indulge in the important things in life.  Live in the moment.
2.   Maintain a positive focus as it is amazing how a simple shift in perspective can change a situation.
3.   If you are feeling pressured into something, stop and get out and allow yourself time to think.
4.   Hold on to the friends you truly enjoy spending time with and help bring happiness into your life.  Dump the ones who don't.
5.   Discipline children with love.  It is far more effective and healthy.
6.   Always have a goal.  It keeps you striving further ahead in life.
7.   Be above those who try to bring you down due to their own jealousy or insecurities.  Choose to understand it is their problem, not yours.
8.   Try something new every day - or week.
9.   Take the time to keep an orderly, clean house.  It will make you feel good to be home.
10.  Don't be afraid to dress up once in a while. It will make you feel great about yourself and boost your confidence!

Tomato-Basil-Parmesan Soup

Simply delicious!  This is one of my favorite easy soup recipes that is great to warm up with over the holidays!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

 Hot House Tomatoes, diced

1 can whole or diced tomatoes

Sprigs of fresh or dried basil

Dash of salt and pepper

Vegetable or chicken stock

Parmesan Cheese

Bay Leaf
Milk

(use your own proportions to taste)

Simply put all of the ingredients together in a large pot except half of the stock, milk and parmesan cheese.  Let it simmer on medium heat until the flavours infuse together (approx. 10-15 minutes).  Take the pot away from heat and blend with either a hand blender or food processor.  Put pot back on stove and add balance of stock, milk and parmesan cheese and bring to a boil. Take out the bay leaf and your soup is ready to serve!  As a garnish, you can add fresh basil and/or sour cream to the top!  To make this soup a main course, I also like to add pasta.  This is also a favorite with toddlers :)

Enjoy!

Holiday Fete

Holiday Fete by daniellej333 featuring strapless evening dresses
All the wonderful things to wear over the holidays...if I had them :)

Feel Empowered.

Instructions:

1. Listen to the music below.
2. Clear your mind.
3. Allow yourself to be Inspired.

Caution: Be prepared that this will immediately change your mood and energy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdTBml4oOZ8&feature=related

Let it Snow!

If, like me, you are not a fan of the winter season and after one month you are already looking at booking a vacation to the sunny south, well, it may be comforting to know things could be worse:

You could be walking your dog next to 8 ft snow banks that took you 3 days to shovel

You could be stuck on the highway during a major snowstorm with no place to go

This could be at your front door step...

I feel better already!

Santa, I am going to have to get used to you again!

So, we took our little bambino to visit with Santa yesterday to get her photo taken at the mall!  It was so amazing to see her face light up when she saw the Jolly Big Guy.  He could not have been mistaken for any relative, neighbour or friend, this Santa was the real deal!  It brought back lots of memories of when I was a kid and actually believed in Santa.  After the magic of the event dissipated, I came to realize, we are well on our way to creating a big fat lie for our daughter.  "Santa is real?!?!. "There is a part of me that wonders who created this fictional character and why?  I would never want my daughter to lie to me and now I am well on my way to lying to her!  I was full of mixed emotions about it but later thought, it really is Jolly Ol' St. Nick who creates the symbolism of giving at Christmas and as a result, developing closeness to family and friends which is really what Christmas is truly about.  He is just a symbol of the beauty and magic of Christmas and even though HE is not REAL, he does bring alot of TRUTH and REALITY to the world around Christmas of the importance of family, friends, love and happiness.  He helps us to remember and reprioritize what is really important- and THAT is so real.

I realized that I have to remember what is was like to believe in him again in order to recreate the magic of him for my daughter. At the same time, I also find myself starting to relive his magic too.  Its then that I realized that we really DO carry the magic of Christmas with us forever...and this is how it all begins :)
Merry Christmas Maya xoxo

From the Herb Garden...

Garlic!  Through my homeopathic studies, I came up with a short list (so far!) of herbs and natural remedies that I have come up with that provide fantastic results for anti-aging both internally and externally over time.  The first one on my list is garlic.  Either you love it or you hate it.  If you love it, great - definetly keep eating it! If not, my goal is to hopefully change that for you.
Garlic has an abundance of properties that help reduce cellular damage (free radicals) not only help to prevent anti-aging, has antimicrobial properties, helps to decrease blood pressure, improve the efficiency of the digestive system, helps prevent certain types of cancer, treats some skin disorders and helps to improve circulation.
Going back in time, the Ancient Egyptians even gave garlic to their laborers to give them strength to build the pyramids. The Roman gave garlic to their soldiers for strength in battle. During the First World War, before the widespread availability of antibiotics, garlic was used on the battlefield to disinfect wounds and prevent gangrene. Garlic is rich in sulfur, foods rich in sulfur help to maintain healthy joints and assist in their repair. Now if that along isn't enough reason to start eating it, I don't know what is!

Garlic truly is one of many of the earth's gifts to mankind (no, it isn't that new Kate Spade handbag you have had your eye on, trust me!) In a nutshell, it really is an all in one healer for various symptoms and really should be given much more credit.  As my hubby says, if it doesn't taste good, its probably very healthy :)

If you are like many and are not a fan of the taste of garlic, try adding it to your favorite recipes to help hide the flabour, or even roasting it in the oven. This one took me a couple tries to get used to but it really is great, and a quick easy way to get tons of garlic intake! 

Roasted Garlic Recipe:

A few bulbs of garlic
Olive Oil
Salt

Slice the end off the bulb of garlic and drizzle olive oil on top so that it seeps in between the garlic cloves and covers them nicely. Use your fingers for even spreading. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven at 250F for approximately one hour.
The taste will be less potent and the texture will almost melt in your mouth! 
Not the most delicious recipe I have tried to be honest but definitely one of the most healthy!