Best Familly Vacation

So my husband and I love to travel and ever since we had our children, travel is something we really wanted to experience with them.  Although we never did the back packing around Europe thing we did get to see a lot of the Caribbean. Mexico and Greece. 

We tried the resort vacation with our young children (ages 2 and 1) and it was tough!  We were all cramped in one room and my husband and I did not have a lot of options for evening entertainment - our kids go to bed at 8pm - so no TV, no nightclubs, no late dinners etc....Although the buffets were great - so much selection and no waiting - the beaches and pools were quite crowded and my husband and I caught a lot of 'death stares' from couples with no kids (honestly before children we opted for adult only resorts - I really recommend that option for anyone who does not want to be around children)

This year we tried something new.  We rented a villa.  Sounds luxe - it is but still super comfortable and a great option for us!  We now have 3 young children (ages 3, 2 an 8 months).  We are also travelling with my parents (in their 60's), my sister (single and in her mid 30's) and my brother and his girlfriend (both 30).  We have so much space - everyone has a large bedroom with a private bathroom, an indoor and an outdoor dining room, living room, private pool, sea kayaks, private dock and a huge deck over looking the sea!  We also have a full staff to do laundry, cleaning, and all the cooking.  We have WiFi and a TV in every room.  We are steps for the beach with is not crowded at all. 



So why is this a great option for us??
Space - the kids are able to run and play without the worry of being lost or bumping into other guests.  Also there is the option to have a nanny to watch the kids if you want to go out for a date.

Bedrooms - my husband and I actually get to sleep through the night (our kids are loud sleepers and always woke us up when they slept in the room with us)

Freedom - we don't have to cook, clean or do laundry (during or after the trip)

Something for everyone - my parents read on the patio all day while being served drinks and food, my sister, brother and his girlfriend can party at night, sleep in and lounge in the afternoon on the dock or kayak to a near by beach.  My husband, my kids and I are up early. We head to the beach and have lunch and the kids nap in the afternoon while my husband and I actually get to read!

Cost - slightly more than an all-inclusive but not much and we get a better holiday, better quality food and service so for us it is worth it.

Organization - we found the rental company was incredibly helpful and we were able to book our flights directly (if you have travel points like we did, it's great!)  the staff here have helped us with excursions and transportation too

All in all, renting a beach villa is a great option for travellers with young children who still want to have time as a couple. 

Eat your way to better skin

Yes, you can have better skin and you do not have to necessarily take drastic and scary measures to get it.

I never had problems with my skin and suddenly in my early twenties I was having so many breakouts and they just seemed to come out of nowhere and I had a very hard time making them go away!  It was embarrassing and can really affect your social life.  I tried cream and lotions, facials and pills - it was frustrating!  But I never thought at looking at my diet - could it be that what I am putting inside my body is having an affect on the exterior?

I know we have all heard that eating junk food and too much chocolate doesn't cause breakouts but what about other foods?

Check out this book The Clear Skin Diet . It makes a lot of sense (plus you may even shed those last 10 lbs too)

Here are the Cole's notes on the diet.

1.  WATER.  Drink lots of it.  It helps flush out toxins, makes you feel full, hydrates you and can keep unhealthy food cravings at bay.  While drinking water eliminate sugar drinks, too.

2.  DAIRY.  Eliminate or drastically limit milk consumption.  Look at other alternatives for calcium and if you can't eliminate dairy completely stick to yogurt (it has fewer hormones due to the fermentation) or opt for a 400mg calcium supplement taken daily

3.  PROCESSED FOODS.  Stay away from white bread cookies, cakes, crackers etc.  When grocery shopping stay out of the middle of the store (that's where you find those types of foods)

4.  PROCESSED MEATS. Stay away from processed meats like hot dogs but if you like a good steak (I do) look for organic or free range options (again, less hormones that get passed on to you)

5.  OLIVE OIL. Has beneficial fats, corn and veggie oil do not.

6.  FISH.  Again, lots of good fat there look at options like mackerel, sardines and wild-caught salmon.

7.  COLOUR. Eat your colourful veggies!  Carrots, spinach, broccoli etc...and eat them raw or steamed to get the most out of them!

8.  WHOLE GRAINS AND FIBER-RICH CARBS Brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain pasta, lentils and sweet potatoes are good options for starch and have lots of good nutrients for the whole body.

In the meantime, if you are suffering from breakouts but still want to be social - there are great makeup secrets to help you look and feel your best.  Cassandra Bankson, has these great videos on Youtube and she outlines how to cover even the worst breakouts and she is speaking from experience. 

IKEA monkey

Did you hear about this cute little monkey who escaped from his crate and was wandering through a Toronto IKEA parking lot while it's owners were inside shopping?

Since the discovery of a stylish monkey wandering around a Toronto IKEA parking garage Sunday the Twittersphere has exploded with one liners and photoshopped images.
Darwin, the rhesus macaque monkey now in the custody of animal services, has become an overnight Internet sensation and garnered attention from CNN’s Anderson Cooper and a number of politicians on Parliament Hill, not to mention media from around the world.
A number of Twitter users took to the IKEA money hashtag (#ikeamonkey) Monday to quip about the sharp-dressed man, er, monkey.
One Tweeter implied Darwin and Oasis’ Liam Gallagher might be long lost brothers.
“If IKEA has any business sense at all, it'll be rushing sheepskin coat-wearing toy monkeys to its outlets by Christmas,” said @ColinHalling.
“Surely they have to rename the #IkeaMonkey Curious Gëorg?” tweeted @sotonrich.
“Apparentely the #ikeamonkey was simply looking for a place to vomit after eating a couple of those delicious 50 cent Ikea hotdogs,” said @DTrums.
The coat Darwin was wearing has led to a number of photos comparing him to popular celebrities who wore similar coats. Kim Kardashian seems to be losing out to the monkey for most stylish.
An IKEA monkey Twitter account has garnered more than 3,000 followers in 24 hours.

This little monkey has become quite the social media sensation.  Trending on twitter and all over Facebook.

The producers of Anderson Live even called the toronto Police to confirm the details of the story.

This little monkey, named Darwin is safe and healthy and will be heading to a sactuary

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Yum, with so many people going gluten-free this is a great way to still enjoy baked goods. 

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of walnuts but in this recipe you could substitute the walnuts for pecans or go totally nut free and use raisins or dried cranberries or just keep them plain. They are delicious either way!!

These beautiful flourless cookies are in particularly high demand during Passover, but they have become so popular that we sell them year-round. Their crackled surface gives them an elegant look, and because they are so easy and take barely any time to make, they are great for last-minute entertaining. They have a slightly crunchy exterior and a soft, almost brownie-like interior. They should only be about a half inch at their thickest.

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (68 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3 cups (350 grams) confectioners' sugarPinch of salt
2-3/4 cups (272 grams) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (15 grams) pure vanilla extract

Place a rack each in the upper and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Combine the cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, salt, and walnuts in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg whites and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until the mixture has slightly thickened. Do not overmix it, or the egg whites will thicken too much.

With a 2-ounce cookie or ice-cream scoop or a generous tablespoon, scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, to make cookies that are 4 inches in diameter. Scoop 5 cookies on each pan, about 3 inches apart so that they don’t stick when they spread. If you have extra batter, wait until the first batch of cookies is baked before scooping the next batch.

Put the cookies in the oven, and immediately lower the temperature to 320°F. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until small thin cracks appear on the surface of the cookies. Switch the pans halfway through baking. Pull the parchment paper with the cookies onto a wire cooling rack, and let cool completely before removing the cookies from the paper. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.