Saturday, July 9, 2022

Caprese Stuffed Avocado

 Where are the avocado lovers at? 



I personally have a love hate relationship with them myself - when trying fresh ones they are either rock hard not ripe or rotten brown inside and that sweet soft pale green spot in between always eludes me 🤣 seriously …



However these Caprese Stuffed Avocados look so tasty presentation wise but I would likely use the frozen avocado chunks thawed and tossed right with the other ingredients cause it’s just easier than trying to time that sweet elusive ripe but no rotten state!




CAPRESE STUFFED AVOCADO ~ Sweet and juicy grape/cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella balls are tossed in basil pesto with a touch of garlic, then stuffed into avocado halves! Drizzle with a balsamic glaze.
RECIPE here

Bon Appetite 

Margaret
Live, Laugh, Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life 


 

Friday, July 8, 2022

Weekend Creative Challenge #13

  It’s the weekend! That means another creative challenge for those who might want to play along someday 🤣


Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativite Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 


Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?

Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing
Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L13.

Join us here:

I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Keto Fudgecicle

I am so excited to get my Pampered Chef Quickcicle maker I just ordered so I can try this recipe from the amazing All Day I Dream About Food blog 



Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup almond or cashew milkunsweetened
  •  cup Swerve Sweetener 
  •  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or peppermint extract
  • ¼ teaspoon xanthum gum
Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together milk, cream, Swerve, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and cook one minute, stirring continuously.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk briskly to combine. Let mixture cool at least 10 minutes and then pour into popsicle molds.
  3. Freeze 1 hour, then push wooden sticks partway into popsicles and return to the freezer (wooden sticks are best for staying in the pops when you take them out of the molds). Freeze until solid, about 5 more hours.
  4. To remove from molds, run under hot running water for 30 seconds or so.
Bon Appetite
Margaret
Live, Laugh, Love
Be Totallyawake4-life

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Took a GelMoment today!

OK I Dove Right In and got some self care pampering time in this afternoon with new fingers and matching toes! 
I’ve given myself a Lovee Dovee accent nail - thinking I want to eventually add some nail art to it! Just need to narrow down a choice cause there are so many choices in my head! 


I could do an ombré of blue polka dots, a flowery or mandala stamping plate with Dove Right In tinted gel, the rainfall technique with blues/silver, a silver Cullinan shimmer or SSpectrum Chrome … how’s a girl to choose?

Be as Bold as your Polish!

Margaret 
Live, Laugh, Love
Be Totallyawake4-life

*this post has affiliate links 

Friday, July 1, 2022

Creative Weekend Challenge #12

 It’s the weekend! That means another creative challenge for those who might want to play along someday 🤣


Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativite Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 




Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?

Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing
Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L12.

Join us here:


I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Natural Sunscreen & bug repellent in one

 It’s that time of year again! 

Homemade Natural Sunscreen Ingredients
1 cup almond oil (natural SPF 5)
1/2 cup coconut oil (natural SPF 4)
1/2 cup cocoa butter chips
1/2 cup beeswax chips
4 Tablespoons Non-nano Zinc Oxide (natural SPF 2-20)
2 teaspoon Red Raspberry Seed Oil (natural SPF varies 28-50)
2 teaspoon Carrot Seed Oil (natural SPF varies 38 - 40)
2 tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF 4-5)
2 tablespoon Mango Butter
1 bottle doTERRA Terrashield bug repellent 

Using a double boiler method add all ingredients except essential oil into the pot and melt together until smooth. Suggest wearing a face mask when adding the zinc powder or being VERY careful not to inhale when in powder form. Once bees wax is well melted and blended into the mixture let simmer on low for about 20 minutes to ensure that your lotion does not get 'gritty' when it cools. Take off burner and allow to cool a bit before adding essential oil as heating oils can reduce effectiveness.  

Pour into a glass mason jar or air tight container and allow to cool.

Apply 20-30 minutes before sun exposure.

Be sun safe!

Margaret 
Live, Laugh, Love
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Friday, June 24, 2022

Creative Weekend Challenge #11

 It’s the weekend! That means another creative challenge for those who might want to play along someday 🤣


Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativite Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 


Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?

Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing
Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L11.

Join us here:

I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Friday, June 17, 2022

Weekend Creative Challenge #10

It’s the weekend! That means another creative challenge for those who might want to play along someday 🤣

Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativite Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 


Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?

Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing
Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L10.

Join us here:


I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Weekend Creative challenge #9

It’s the weekend! Whoot Whoot - fell asleep last night before posting this so here it is this morning!!

Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativity Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 



Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul!
 
What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?

Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing
Need some inspiration on where to start getting creative? Here’s some Zentangle Mandalas for colouring or water colour painting sourced from Google! 






Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L009.

I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Come join us in our Facebook community! 


Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Friday, June 10, 2022

Dutch Keto Chocolate Cupcakes!

 Is chocolate part of your self care routine?? 

I love these Keto chocolate cupcakes - they are perfect on their own or you. An dress them up with some Chocolate Buttercream icing for a more dessert feel. 


Grain free & Sugar free so all the mouth orgasm pleasure of chocolate flavour and none of the insulin spike! 

Ingredients 
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal finely ground
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or 2 tsp more golden flaxseed meal
  • 1/4 cup unsalted grass-fed butter or 4 TBS coconut oil + 1 TBS coconut cream
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut cream
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)
  • 1/3-1/2 cup xylitol or coconut sugar if paleo
  • 2 eggs eggs at room temperature

I personally add peppermint extract or hazelnut extract instead of the expresso suggestion cause I am not a big coffee flavour fan. I also used dark dutch style cocoa for that deep rich chocolate colour.

If you can get your hands on sugar free chocolate chips - we love the Lily’s white chocolate or dark chocolate or the salted caramel chocolate chips -  they are a nice addition to this recipe too! 

Instructions 

  • Each batch of cake is good for one 8-inch layer of cake (or 6 cupcakes). 
  • Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 350°F/180°C. Grease, dust with cocoa powder, and line an 8-inch cake pan, set aside. Or use 6 silicone cupcake liners.
  • Add almond flour, flaxseed meal, coconut flour, baking powder and xanthan gum to a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined, set aside. 
  • Add butter, heavy cream (or coconut oil and cream), cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder (optional) to a large heatproof bowl. Melt over a water bath whisking constantly (or use the microwave in small bursts). Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. 
  • Add in the sweetener and one egg at a time, whisking well after each one until completely incorporated. The texture should appear smooth and thick, with all the sweetener dissolving into the mixture (if using erythritol, some granules may remain). Add the flour mixture, whisking vigorously until fully blended (about a minute). Pour batter into prepared pan or cupcake liners.
  • Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until set and a toothpick inserted comes out just clean. Check often after minute 15 to ensure your cake doesn't dry out, and always keep in mind, however, that your cake will continue to cook while cooling! 
  • Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes in the cake pan, before transferring to a rack. It'll be particularly fragile right out of the oven if you made it with xylitol or allulose, so you need to let it set. 

Bon Appetite!

Margaret 
Live, Laugh, Love
Be Totallyawake4-life

Monday, June 6, 2022

Protect your skin!

Ohhh I am excited to try this new line from doTERRA!




I have been making my own sunscreen for the past few years because so many on the market are full of crap and aggravate my sensitive skin and the natural brand ones were always hard to find in stock locally! The challenge with homemade is making sure you combine the right ingredients in the right ratios to get the proper SPF. 

The new doTERRA SUN COLLECTION is launching July 1st just in time for summer vacations.

Review a convention attendee who got to try it early:
 “You are going to love this line ☀️
There is nothing like this on the market!
Super clean ingredients + botanicals such as raspberry seed oil, avocado oil, shea butter, Vit E, turmeric extract, carrot seed, jojoba esters and non nano zinc oxide
SPF 30 Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB
Protective, lightweight, water resistant, moisturizing, and nourishing for your skin
Vegan friendly, reef safe, cruelty free
Infused with the protective + nurturing properties of our pure essentials oils such as helichrysum, frankincense, copaiba, lavender + peppermint. 
It’s a must have in your summer skincare collection.”

D E T A I L S:
July 1st: Launching out of US warehouse. 
Note: the After Sun Mist is a little delayed and will launch mid July 
Limit of 2 of each product per account
Note about Canada: these product will launch later in the year ... health canada is taking longer and longer to approve products in the natural health category. 

Be sun safe!

Margaret 
Live, Laugh, Love  
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Friday, June 3, 2022

Weekend Creative challenge #8

It’s Happy FriYAY! A brand new month to conquer!

Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativity Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 


Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?

Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing

Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L008.

I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Come join us over on Facebook 

Happy Stampin’ 

Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Friday, May 27, 2022

Weekend Creative Challenge #7

 Happy FriYAY and Long Weekend to boot! 

Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativity Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 


Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?
Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing
Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw!
 
Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L007.

I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Are all Whites the Same?

The biggest difference is definitely the size of the brush - Meet Me at the Chapel is perfect for French manicures and nail art while Lovee Dovee is for that full coverage manicure! 


However if you have the Creativity Set you can use the brushes within to make either one work for both by wither swapping for a larger flat brush for full coverage with Meet Me At the Chapel or the fine tip to do a French or nail art with Lovee Dovee OR you can be like me and just buy it all cause you have OCD issues with complete collections of things 🤣🤣🤣

Margaret 
Live, Laugh, Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life

*post contains affiliate links 

Friday, May 20, 2022

Weekend Challenge #6

Happy FriYAY and Long Weekend to boot! 

Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativity Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 
Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart!

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?
Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing

Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin' it Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L006.

I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them) … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗
Come join us for more Self care, motivation and clean living fun and tips as well! 

Happy Stampin’ 


Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Friday, May 13, 2022

Weekend Creative Challenge #5

  Happy FriYAY! 


Nurturing one’s creativity is SO key to helping to ensure a healthy mindset … human beings are all born with an instinct to express themselves through creativity but sometimes external factors impede peoples abilty to engage in creative expression and so their full healthy mindset is also impeded! We need to get back to ensuring that everyone has at least ONE creative outlet for expressing themselves. 

So here’s another instalment of the Weekend Creativity Challenge - each week I will post a photo prompt that you can use to get your creativity mojo going! 



Choose from the photos colours or imagery or just the general feeling/emotion that it brings to your heart! 

You can create with whatever medium speaks to you and inspires you! There are so many ways to nurture one’s creative soul! 

Here’s my inspiration 


What’s your favorute way to nurture creativity?
Here are just a few of mine:
  • Colouring 
  • Mixed media / Painting
  • Papercrafting
  • Fun Nail designs
  • Poetry/Short Story/Blog writing

Snap a photo of your creative work and share it in my Totallyawake4-life community group by the following Thursday night at midnight to get your name entered into the draw! 

Bonus entry if you share the creative prompt and your entry on your own social media in a public setting and tag my Totallyawake4-life & Nailin’ It Together group and use the hashtag #TA4L005 
.
I will be doing a monthly prize draw inside the group here from all the creative entry’s shared and that show up tagged outside the group (remember the settings needs to be public otherwise I cannot search the hashtag to see them)  … let’s help spread the joy and benefits of creativity together 💗

Come join us for more Self care, motivation and clean living fun and tips as well! 

Here’s a few google images for adult colouring if you need an extra prompt to get your creativity flowing.









Happy Stampin’ 
Margaret 
Live, Laugh Love 
Be Totallyawake4-life