Moving Blog Home

Hello All!

Thankyou so much for joining me on this blog.

Ive decided to ramp it up a little, so have my own domain and new website with a bit of a different layout to go with it.

Please click on over to sweetlifesisters.com and check me out!


Linley xx

Getting some feel good factor

The weather is finally starting to cool down so I thought to myself, why not have another crack at the vege garden! After a woeful summer effort, it was too hot and the weeds provided to many good hiding spots for the snakes, I feel ready to start again. I am by no means a 'gardener', like my sister and Dad are, but I do manage to get things to live long enough to be eaten occasionally.

So here is the first stage of my garden plan, turning over the soil. You will note the 2 shovels there. Do not be fooled friends, my dear one sat in the shade while I toiled away on this lot, then strolled over and said your using the wrong one, here try this! Gee thanks. 

I also remembered a bit late that you need to wear gloves and not your wedding rings for this kind of work otherwise you get these.

There are so many upsides to gardening though - thought I'd knock 'em out in point form for you - in case you weren't sure....

• Doing a bit of exercise. Check. 
• Clearing the mind while working. Check.
• Growing healthy food for the family. Check.
• Getting vitamin D from the sun. Check.

I've been reading a bit about vitamin D deficiency lately. Apparently 58% of the Australian population isn't getting enough of it. For us women that is not cool, we need this vitamin for our bone health primarily, but it is also linked to a whole other range of issues as well, like depression, anxiety and type 2 diabetes. Keep in mind there is obviously a fine line between enough sun and too much (causing skin cancer), so there is a supplement option. You should absolutely get tested for this first though if you feel it could relate to you. 

I  believe that like anything, moderation is the key. If you've been stuck in the house or at work for 5 days and missed the sun then you clearly need to get out there and soak up some rays. I try to walk the girls to school every day, which is fine while the weather is good, but what about when we get into the colder months? Gardening is the go for me, what can you do?


Linley xx

Overwhelm

Oops I did it again!

I've taken on a bit this fortnight, so of course I'm having a little freak out. Last week I started an online business course aimed at women, and I am loving it. We received our 2nd week module yesterday but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I launched this personal blog into the 'webosphere', have school homework, after school activities and some rather large life decisions to ponder.

What I was doing today instead of dealing with any of those things was talking to my doctor again about my locked up jaw, insomnia and mountainous shoulders. We discussed that to deal with the rush of info and ideas and issues racing through my brain, I need to make a plan. Yeah, yeah, I know, I thought. But hang on, I don't actually have a plan, I'm just doing the best I can in the minute I'm in, and that doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere. Neither does 'going with the flow'. That is just not me. I need to know what I'm doing, how I'll be doing it and when.

Bugger it, I like the idea of being a free spirit, but apparently my conscious does not. It's the rush of creativity and energy, my need to get things DONE and written down and I want it all done now. Then while I'm at it, solve all the other problems and s*^' that has been bubbling along, along the way. Of course that's not possible, so I'll endeavour to calm down, take time and not try to do everything at once.

Once that's all done then maybe I'll make a plan.


Linley xx

Granola recipe

I have been going all gourmet lately and having this sprinkled on my fruit and yoghurt, today was mango but it's usually blueberries or sometimes nectarines. When I first started having this for breaky as part of my sugar quitting program I would have it as a straight cereal, but now mix it up with my one serve of fruit for the day.

My Crunchy Granola recipe

3 cups raw almonds
1 cup cashews
1 cup macadamias
2 cups oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chia
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup macadamia oil


Place all your nuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped into small pieces. Add this mixture to oats, coconut, seeds and chia and mix well. Add syrup and oil and stir really well until all dry ingredients are coated.

Spread this mix over 2 baking trays lined with baking paper and bake in oven a 160C for appox 25 mins. Keep an eye on the granola, once it's a nice and golden brown whip it out and leave to cool on the trays.

Now, like anything you can mix and match. I first started making this with no oats at all, but it was too rich for the rest of the family, so I added them in. It is a super filling start to the day and should keep you going through 'til lunch if you eat on its own.

Remember to use SWEETLIFE in the coupon code for 2 Brothers Foods to get free delivery of all your granola ingredients!


Linley xx