Category: LIFESTYLE

Linen Closet Organization

On By Christina VIn LIFESTYLELeave a comment

“Cleanliness is next to godliness”. We are all familiar with that phrase, however, sometimes it’s hard to keep our homes tidy and organized, especially with a small space. I’ve recently reorganized my linen closet, it’s a small closet so optimizing space was important.

I decided to use baskets to keep all items such as face clothes, my sons bath towels, toilet paper, paper towel and diapers organized. Essentially, anything you keep in your linen closet is able to fit in a basket. I hated having the bags from the toilet paper and paper towel around and the closet just looked a mess. Now it has a clean and organized feel and everything is accessible.

These baskets are great for storing bigger items. They are from www.ikea.com and were $17.99 each.

I am currently using these to store my sons diapers and our paper towel.

The next style of basic I fell in love with because it is so unique and versatile. The basket itself is very soft and has a great feel. I decided to use these baskets for toilet paper, I also placed one in my bathroom as a toilet paper holder, it gives off a very warm and cozy look. This basket is also from www.ikea.com and is $14.99

And lastly, I purchased some smaller plastic baskets from http://www.homesense.com to store my sons smaller towels and hand towels. These type of baskets are also great for playrooms and snack cupboards.

So far I am loving the new look of my linen closet and the baskets really are the perfect way to keep things organized while also adding a nice touch to the home.

Enjoy!

Simple Low Carb Banana Bread

On By Christina VIn LIFESTYLE, Low carb recipesLeave a comment

Banana bread is one of my favourite comfort foods. I love banana bread but am always worried about the amount of sugar in it. Bananas have natural sugar and when you combine that with refined sugar and white flour thats just TOO much sugar for me. That is why I LOVE this recipe. Its simple, low sugar and delish!

Banana Bread Recipe

1 large ripe banana

3 organic eggs

1 1/2 cups almond flour ( I have tried this with coconut flour also but the taste is too overpowering for my liking)

2 tbsp soft butter

1 tsp baking power (gluten free if possible)

1/4 sugar substitute ( I use erythritol, you can use whichever works for you)

Tiny sprinkle of salt ( optional)

1-2 tsp of cinnamon

Crushed walnuts (optional) I put some in the mixture and also add on top towards the end of baking

** tip – add a scoop of protein powder to get some extra protein in**

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350

Please batter in a loaf tin ( 7 by 13) with parchment paper

Bake for 35 to 40 mins until fork comes out dry

ENJOY !

Low Carb Coconut Flour Pancakes

On By Christina VIn LIFESTYLE, Low carb recipesLeave a comment

I was craving pancakes so I decided to get a little creative and I realized how easy it was to make your own low carb pancakes at home. They are actually super easy to make with minimal ingredients and time. This recipe literally took under 20 minutes to prepare and cook. My favourite mom hack – make more than you need and freeze so you have them ready to go.

Low Carb Coconut Flour Pancakes (serves 4)

  • 4 large Eggs
  • 4 oz Cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • 6 tbsp coconut flour
  • 4 tbsp cream
  • 2 tbsp monk fruit ( or your sweetener
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together. I used a hand mixer which worked fine but if you want a smoother consistency you can use a blender. Mix until everything is smooth.

Heat pan at medium heat and melt butter or coconut oil ( or spray). Spoon out desired amount of mix and cook each side for 2 minutes each – time may very depending on size. Once pancake is able to lift off nicely you can flip. ( I make bigger ones for myself and smaller for my son)

Bon Appetit!

Teacher gifts that will make them SMILE

On By Christina VIn LIFESTYLE, ProductsLeave a comment

Ok guys, its that time of year… CHRISTMAS is right around the corner. If your like me and have not started your shopping yet, I have some simple yet great ideas for those extra gifts you may need to purchase. Fun fact- incase you did not know, aside from being a mom and thenakedmama – I am a high school teacher. I wanted to share some fun gift ideas to make shopping a little easier for you.

Gift cards are a great idea. You can’t go wrong with any of these in my opinion. It’s a simple gift but would be much appreciated and useful.

Personalized mugs or water bottles are a great idea for all teachers. Chapters has some really cute mugs ready for purchase.

Mug sold at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/

Some classic teacher essentials. Whether its elementary or high school, every teacher could use one of these. Agenda and pencil holder are both from https://www.katespade.com/

And my most favourite, I am all about self love and positive energies. I have received each of these as gifts and they are some of my favourite. Yoga bracelets and healing stones are a perfect gift to pass on positivity and strength.

When gift shopping I always hope to find something nice but also useful, and I am positive that all teachers would make use of any of these ideas above. I will continue to post some other gift ideas on my instagram page, so if you are not following you can head over there and check it out 🙂 @thenakedmama_

Happy shopping!

PARTY PERFECT

On By Christina VIn Party PlanningLeave a comment

Plan and execute your child’s birthday party without the added stress

Image result for party

Let’s be real, planning a party can be very stressful. Who do you invite? Location? How much is this going to cost? I can be a real headache. I wanted to share some tips that will help alleviate some of that stress when planning.

BE ORGANIZED:

Buckle down on date, guest list and location. Be sure to decide your guest list before location because you need to know your numbers.

GUEST LIST:

First thing to do. Make sure your location will accommodate the number of guests you expect. Usually expect for about 10 percent of guests not being able to make it. When making your list be clear to separate children from adults so you know for loot bags, food etc.

BUDGET $$:

Parties can get crazy expensive and yes you will spend more than you think. Have a budget in mind and try your best to stick to it. If your budget is $500.00 and the location you want charges $300.00, this may not be the best option for you after factoring everything else in. Below in the detail section you will see all the other miscellaneous items that will add to budget.

LOCATION:

Now that you know your numbers and have an idea of date, you can call around and book a venue, if you decide to have the party at home or a relative’s house, PERFECT, this will save you some money. If you decide to do an outdoor location have a plan B just in case the weather does not cooperate. There is no bigger stress than worrying about the weather leading up to the party and not having a backup plan.

DATE:

This is all personal, on the actual birthday, before or after, it’s up to you. Remember to check that the date is available and if you need to give a deposit to book then do so.

Believe it or not the hardest part is done . Now onto the fun stuff BUT you still need to be organized. Next steps

THEME:

If your child has a favourite show, character, book, then this part is easy. Do some research on pinterest and Instagram and you should find something that interests you. In my next blog post I will share the details of my sons first and second birthday party with you.

INVITATIONS:

Coordinating your invitation with your theme adds a nice touch to the party already setting the tone for the day. It is not necessary to do this as you may have not been able to decide on a theme yet, so also having a generic birthday one is fine too. Online invitations are the way to go. You can send out invites for free online as long as the guests have email or text. Online also allows you to keep track of responses, see who has received the invitation, and you can send any changes or updates to your guest. The site I have used is http://www.evite.com. Mailing out invitations is always nice but it can get expensive. I also worry about the invite getting lost in the mail. If you are not using an online invitation but sure to have a chart so that you can keep a list of your guests and be able to check off who is attending and who is not and do this right away as they rsvp.

All in the Details

You can be as simple or as crazy as you like. I tend to go for more of the CRAZY but that’s me. Some items below may not apply to you and that’s ok but here is what you can include for the special day.  

CAKE:

Order the cake ASAP- a good cake maker is usually super busy. You can also order from a grocery store but you still need to get the order in. Make sure you try the cake or know of someone who has used them before. Nothing worse than spending money on a cake and it tastes nasty. Pick a flavour that you know will work for most – chocolate or vanilla is easy and you should try for nut free.

Whatever you decided on theme – this is where you can start trying in the detail. Have your cake scream your theme.

There is also nothing wrong with getting your cake from the grocery store. It all just depends on how detailed you want your cake to be. The grocery store is defiantly a cheaper option but you won’t get that WOW factor like you would have if you get it custom made.

ENTERTAINMENT:

If it’s a child’s party you want entertainment for the little ones. If your location is at a Play Center, park, games room, then there is likely plenty for them. If your party is at house or party room then you need to keep these kiddies busy. I like having someone come to entertain because its less for you to do the day of and gives you a break.

Ideas: magician, mascot, entertainers to sing and play games, balloon maker, face painter, playscape.

There are also things you can have set up on your own: colouring station, craft, make a cupcake station, sandpit, swimming pool, sprinkler, bubbles, area with soccer or balls.

DECOR:

Realistically it all depends on your budget because all these tiny details add up. You may want to keep it simple and that’s perfectly fine, or you may want to go a little more extreme (this tends to happen to me) and that’s ok too. Here are some things to consider for décor and your final touches:

Backdrop, balloons, balloon arch, custom signage, birthday banner – all of these things can be DIY or you can hire someone to do this.

Plates, cups, cutlery, napkins, table clothes – you can keep it neutral or get creative with your colours and theme. For example – if your theme is Paw Patrol – you can buy all Paw Patrol – or keep it to the colours that the theme may use most.

Loot bags – I always offer a little something for the kids to take home. I am not a huge fan of the traditional loot bag filled with trinkets and candy. I personally like the children to leave with something of substance that they will use. The past two parties I have bought books for the children that tie in with my theme.

FOOD/DRINK:

You have probably already thought of this but now is the time to get the order in. Ordering pizza or catering saves you from time and hopefully you can enjoy the party more.

Sweet table, cookies, candy, cake, whatever you have this adds a nice touch. Perfect area to take pictures.

Providing food yourself – adds more work for you the day of. An option is to ask people to all bring something like a potluck style but I am not a fan of asking people to bring when they are attending a party. But if it works for you then go right ahead.

Catering – way easier and less work for you. Some ideas that I have seen work are pizza, Greek, Chicken and Rice, Italian (lasagna and salad) Get the food delivered right around the time you want your guests to eat so it is hot and ready to be served. Most places also provide plates and cutlery which is great.

Snacks – potato chips, chips and dip, popcorns, fruit, are all easy snacks you can have around for guest to snack on. I like to use plastic cups for the kids – they can fill the cup with snacks and its easy for them to walk around and hold.

Seating- if you have a smaller space don’t worry about having everyone sit at tables. You can have chairs set up around your space and people can eat that way. You can rent cruiser tables or longer folding tables or invest in a few small plastic side tables but don’t panic if the seating isn’t perfect.  ** For my last party I rented smaller tables for the kids and had the adults sit casually – we did not have enough space for everyone to sit at a table.

Drink –

  • Be sure to have plenty of water
  • Plastic cups from party store
  • Kids like juice boxes.
  • Summer months be sure to have ice.
  • Coffee with dessert – not required but a nice touch (invest in a commercial machine – I have the Hamilton Beach Machine- or purchase the packs from Tims/Starbucks)
  • Alcoholic beverages are a personal preference

At my sons first and second birthday party we did have alcohol but I have been to many parties and it was not an option. If you decide to have alcohol keep it simple – wine and beer only, or you can make a sangria (one alcoholic and one not).

  • Invest in a permanent sharper marker if you are using plastic cups so the guest can write their name on the cup.

**Set up your food/drink station so guests can help themselves. My rule is I always offer the first drink and then help yourself and make yourself at home. Less work for you and you can mingle and interact with guests.

HAPPY PLANNING

Keto Cabbage Lasagna

On By Christina VIn LIFESTYLE, Low carb recipesLeave a comment

Ok guys, let me tell you right now that this lasagna is AMAZING. I love it, my husband loves it, I have brought it to work and my people there love it, IT IS YUM. If your anything like me and love pasta, this totally tastes the same and satisfies the craving. In my opinion it tastes even better than a traditional pasta lasagna.

Low carb keto lasagna

What you need

1 lb ground beef or ground chuck (cut from the shoulder)

1 flat cabbage ( I prefer flat because its easier to peel but round also works)

350g ricotta cheese

1 mozzarella ball shredded ( buy shredded if you can)

1/2 cup grated parm

1 organic egg

1 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I make my own from fresh tomato’s, if buying sauce buy low sugar)

Half a white or yellow onion

2 gloves fresh garlic ( finely chopped)

Chopped Basil

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Skillet

Large pot

Baking dish ( I use 13 length 9 width )

Instructions

  1. Fill large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add salt
  2. Gently peel the cabbage leaves apart, remove the top few leaves and discard. Once the cabbage leaves are removed add to boiling water for about 7 minutes.
  3. While the cabbage is boiling you can make your cheese mixture. Add the ricotta cheese, mozzarella( save some for topping at the end) parmigiana cheese, egg, salt, pepper. Mix it all together.
  4. Remove the cabbage and let it cool down. Lay cabbage out on paper towel and pat dry to ensure no water is left on the cabbage leaves.
  5. Heat a large skillet with some oil and add the onion. Cook onion for 2-3 minutes and then add the beef.
  6. Once beef has started to cook add the garlic ( make sure garlic is finely chopped).
  7. Add salt and pepper to beef ( you can add anything else you like, if you want beef spicy add some hot pepper)
  8. Add a little sauce to the beef just to give it a nice coating and throw in some basil. Once the beef is cooked remove from stove top.
  9. At this point pre heat your oven to 375 degrees.
  10. Ladle some sauce to the bottom of your baking dish just to coat the bottom. Then you will start layering – cabbage, meat, sauce, cheese mixture, and repeat this until you have made enough layers and you reach the top. Do not use too much sauce or your lasagna will be watery.
  11. Your final layer at the top should be a layer of cabbage with a thin layer of sauce and a good amount of mozzarella cheese.
  12. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  13. Remove aluminum foil and bake an additional 10 minutes so that the cheese is completely melted. ( broil is an option for extra crunchy top)
  14. Remove from oven and let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy!

Let cabbage leaves dry after they are boiled
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