31 Jul 2023

Summer Bucket List

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Uncategorized | 0

Earlier this month, we mentioned the concept of Magical Mystery tours and flexible road tripping.

While magical mystery tours can be fun and relaxed, sometimes it’s a great idea to pre plan some summer activities :

Make a summer bucket list of places you wish to visit, and get online. Work out how far away they are, opening hours, activities and age appropriateness.

Here in Nova Scotia there is so much happening in August and so many great destinations to explore.

In HRM and surrounding areas :

Free by donation or inexpensive places to visit :

Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
Maritime Command Museum
Cole Harbour Heritage Farm
Scott Manor House Museum
Shearwater Aviation Museum
William Ray Quaker Whaler House
University Art Galleries
HMCS Sackville
York Redoubt National Historic Site
Emera Oval. ( bring your kids’ bikes )
Point Pleasant Park
Public Gardens

Annapolis Valley and areas :

Free, by donation or inexpensive :

Oaklawn Zoo. ( one of the best family zoos in Canada in my opinion ) visit the many animals for a relaxed afteroon.
Greenwood Aviation Museum
Kingston Farm Market
Wolfville Farmer’s Market.
Hennigar’s Farmer’s Market – Wolfville
Stirling’s Farmer’s Market
Noggins Corner Farm Greenwich
Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens Wolfville
Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal
Port Royal ( just up the road from Annapolis Royal )
Stroll Along Main Streets in Wolfville, Berwick, Kentville and Annapolis Royal for interesting shops and cafes

Beaches, so many beaches and they are all free.

Events in August 2023:

Halifax Busker Festival ( multiple locations ) August 2-7

Natal Day Weekend Festivities (multiple locations) August 4-8

Seaport Cider and Beerfest and Fizzfest (Halifax Seaport) August 10-12

Sealight Skylight Festival ( The Deanery Project) August 12th

Great Outdoors Comedy Fest featuring Jerry Seinfeld ( Halifax Garrison Grounds) August 11-13th

Clam Harbour Beach Sandcastle Competition ( Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park ) August 13

Halifax County Exhibition August 16-19

30 Jul 2023

Healthy Fruity Popsicles

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Healthy Lifestyle, Recipes | 0

Healthy summertime popsicles are easy as can be. The biggest challenge will be deciding which ones to make.

Start with whole berries, blackberries and blueberries sliced fruit like Strawberries, Oranges, Pineapple, Mango, and Kiwi.

Add your fruit to molds. There are a wide variety of popsicle molds to use. Silicon molds are our go to for their ease of use and durability.

Then decide your base, for creamy popsicles, used Greek Yogurt, or Coconut Milk, for more fruity, icy popsicles you can use Water, Coconut Water, Orange or Apple Juice.

You can also puree fruit and even vegetables together for a more condensed frozen treat.

You can enjoy them with the natural sweetness from the fruit, or add 2-4 tablespoons of Maple Syrup, Sugar, Honey or Agave to add some healthy sweetness.

Ingredients

Berry Lemon
½ cup orange juice
1 ½ cup fresh berries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 to 4 Tbsp honey or sugar

Rainbow Fruit
1 cup sliced fruit
1 ½ cups coconut water
2 to 4 Tbsp honey or sugar

Berries and Cream
1 ½ cups fresh berries
2 Tbsp honey or sugar
1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
½ tsp vanilla extract

Coconut Lime
1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup lime juice
2 Tbsp lime zest
¼ cup honey

Sneaky Spinach
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup fresh spinach
¼ cup honey
2 bananas

Instructions

Mix: Mix your ingredients and pour into molds according to the popsicle you want to make:

Berry Lemon: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into molds.

Rainbow Fruit: Distribute fruit into molds. Combine coconut water and honey, then pour into molds, tapping on the counter to remove air pockets.

Berries and Cream: Puree berries until smooth (add a touch of water or juice if needed to get things moving). Stir together yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Spoon berries and yogurt into molds in alternating layers.

Coconut Lime: Stir together all ingredients. Pour into molds.

Sneaky Spinach: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into molds.

Freeze: Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.

Unmold: Run mold under warm water for a few seconds to loosen, then remove pops from the molds.

30 Jul 2023

Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Healthy Lifestyle | 0

Ingredients :

Chicken Thighs (boneless, skinless if possible)

Canned Coconut Milk

Limes

Sriracha or Sambal Oeleck (thai hot chili paste)

Brown Sugar

Vegetable or Olive Oil

Ginger

Garlic

Salt

Cilantro

Instructions :

Make marinade :
In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice and zest, sambal oeleck, brown sugar, vegetable oil, coriander, cumin, tumeric, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and season with salt to taste.

Reserve a portion of marinade: Measure out 1/3 cup of marinafe mixture (leaving plenty of garlic and ginger behind) and reserve separately in the fridge for later use.

Place chicken in resealable bag or bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and put in fridge for 1-6 hours to marinade.

When the chicken has had time to marinade, preheat Heat Grill, until it reaches 400 degrees. Cook Chicken on grill 5 minutes, then baste with reserved marinade often, flip chicken and continue to baste until chicken is 165 degrees in centre. Do not over cook!

Transfer chicken to plate, with Jasmine rice and vegetable of your choice, and garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy!

30 Apr 2023

Back Yard Vegetable Gardening Tips

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle, Home Improvement, Mental Health, Staging your House | 0

As we head into May, now is a great time to start planting your backyard or patio vegetable garden.

This time of year the weather is starting to get milder and the frost has thawed.

Here in Nova Scotia, the best Vegetables to plant in your yard are:

Beans
Carrots
Garlic
Leafy Greens
Potatoes
Tomatoes and
Squash.

Depending on where in Canada you are, the soil and conditions can be very different.

Here in Nova Scotia, the soil can be very rocky, in some parts quite sandy. In these conditions, raised garden beds could be a blessing. However, vegetables and other plants, do grow very well in these sandy soils as long as they are topped with a nutrient rich black soil that include nitrogen, manures, composts, and organic fertilizers for more sustainable growing support. In most areas, garden soil can be bought at your local Hardware store, garden centre or even ordered by the truck load from farms for larger areas.

There are so many varieties of beans to choose from. If you have a fenced yard, climbing beans can be great planted against your fence or arches for an ornamental look. Bush beans can be grown in smaller spaces, even an apartment patio without requiring support.

Carrots are slower to grow, but you can pull some as the season goes on. Pull some for your summer salad, then leave some to grow larger. Pull some in the fall for harvest suppers or, you could even wait until very early winter when they are full matured.

Leafy greens like spinach, Arugula, Kale, Bok Choy, and a variety of Lettuces can be planted right away and you should have a harvest ready within several weeks. These can be grown well into the winter and there are a variety of techniques that can help you keep them coming back in abundance.

Tomatoes are another crop that could abundantly produce throughout the season and with so many varieties you could grow them in your apartment or in your yard. Choose tomato varieties that suit your climate. Here in Nova Scotia, Brandywine, Scotia, Sun Gold, and Sweet Million are the best.

Squash and Potatoes are plants that require a bit more room. While you could grow some varieties in buckets and planter boxes, a larger spaced out yard would be ideal for these crops.

Happy Gardening!

20 Jan 2023

Some Planning and Task Management Tools to help you

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Planning | 0

It’s 2023 and a great time to start setting goals, learning some new habits and getting organized.

As we suggested in our post today, a task manager or Calendar could make planning and organizing your life easier.

PLAN AHEAD :

Life can be unpredictable. That doesn’t mean that a little planning doesn’t go a long way. A task manager or just a notebook and a calendar are all the tools you need to think and plan in advance and organize your life.

Set aside a time to map out your days and plan your weeks. Here are some tips:

Dedicate an hour a week to planning your week. ( ie: Friday afternoon, Monday morning)

Plan and schedule in the small things – they add up! ( ie: laundry, cleaning etc.)

Overestimate how long a task will take you.

Try time blocking your day.

Here are some great Digital Tools that we would recommend :

Todoist
Google Tasks
Any.do
Habitica (this one is also a game for those who are gamers)

These have free or paid options.

Of course there are many other free apps like Reminders that come with an iphone and the like.

If Tech is not your thing, a good old fashioned Notebook, Paper Planner, or Calendar can do the trick and there are so many to choose from. Walmart, Staples and Amazon have many great ones.

Hope this helps get you started toward a successfully organized 2023.

14 Jun 2022

Tips for Staging Your Home

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Staging your House | 0

Here are a few simple tricks for staging your home to sell quickly.

Make a great first impression with the curb appeal:

Keep windows clean, lawn cut, porches and decks clear of garbage, leaves and clutter. Add planters or hanging baskets with red flowers, for a nice added welcoming touch.

Pare down living room furniture, remove extra tables and chairs, keep simple pieces that are the right scale for the room, not too big or small.

Make sure to steam clean furniture to remove any unsightly stains, and add Monochromatic oversized pillows to your couch to add some comfort and flair in a subtle way.

Colours that work best depending on the colour of your couch would include greens, pinks, yellows and orange. A nice corresponding pop of colour to draw the eye!

Remove personal photographs from your walls. Art should be simple and neutral, potential buyers have to be able to see themselves in the house.

Create a minimalist Kitchen, remove everything from the counters, and the dining table, except for a bowl of lemons somewhere that adds a freshness and natural fragrance.

Rub cut lemons inside your kitchen sink right before a showing to add more fragrance without being over powering or, bake cookies or bread right before to make it smell homey.

Bedrooms should be clutter free, no products on shelves or dressers, bedrooms should have clean linens, preferably a crisp white or neutral colour.

Bathroom counters should also be clutter free, no personal products on the counters, clean them up, add fresh towels, maybe some nice essential oils or scents.

Open up the curtains and use mirrors where you can to brighten and maximize each room.

2 Mar 2022

Beat the Winter Blues

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Mental Health | 0

Tips for Beating the Winter Blues

This time of year, we often get the Winter Blues.

Not to be confused with a clinical form of depression known as S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

You can beat the Winter blues, with a few little adjustments to your everyday.

Of course, the best thing to do is to start by clearing the clutter in your home.

A clean organized home can beat those Winter blues by greatly reducing your stress. It just feels good!

Other things you can do:

Make your environment brighter:
Open up those curtains, trim trees and bushes, let the sunshine in!
You can also use brighter bulbs or some people like to use a sunlight box.

Eat Happy:

Certain foods like Chocolate can help enhance your mood to relieve anxiety.
(with Valentines Day, that’s an easy solution in February)

Otherwise don’t over do it with treats: Candy and Carbrohydrates provide temporary euphoria, but could ultimately lead to feelings of anxiety and depression.
Instead, brighten your moods and maintain balance with Leafy Green, and Brightly colours fruits and Vegetables. Citrus can be a great happy pick me up.

Essential Oils:

Like foods, scents can improve your mood. There are many to choose from, and easy one is Citrus, again to uplift your mood.

Exercise:

Get outside and go for a walk! It’s proven that at least 35 minutes of walking 5 days a week, especially in bright daylight can prevent seasonal depression.
Get out with a friend, even walk to your favourite Café for a delicious treat. It’s social, it’s keeping your body in motion and getting a does of vitamin D and fresh air all in one.

Crank up the Tunes :

Studies prove that listening to upbeat or cheery music significantly improves mood both in short and long term.

Help Others:

Volunteer ! So many local non profits are always in need for of volunteers.
Call up your local Food Bank, Check out Local Charities and find out how you can be of service.
You’ll feel great about yourself which is a huge reward in itself.

Finally,

Self love.

Give yourself a little TLC… Love yourself, give yourself some positive self talk and pampering. It does wonders for the soul!

4 Feb 2022

15 Tips to Organize a Rental

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Renting | 0

I’m very excited to share this with you!

In January I was asked to contribute to an article on Rent.com

See the Article here:

https://www.rent.com/blog/what-to-get-rid-of-today/

When you’re working with a small space, you have to use every inch wisely.

You have to make careful choices about your furnishings and keep clutter to a real minimum.

That means for most of us, you have to purge, donate, reduce, recycle and organize.

This article is great everyone, whether you rent or own, are in a large or small space. These ideas are relevant.

Click on the link above to read the complete article and more great ideas from Rent.com.

Find me mentioned in Tip #11.

12 May 2020

Living your new normal

by Cindy Wezenbeek | posted in: Welcome | 0

I am really excited to share my first ever blog entry, I thought I would start by saying Welcome and Happy Spring!

As the weather gets warmer and we see more sunshine, there is a common feeling of wanting to dust ourselves off in search of some renewal. Peeling off the layers of winter clothes and finding our sandals lifts the weight of winter and entices us to find time to refresh ourselves and our space.

We are in the midst of some extraordinary events this year. It is uncertain how things will unfold over the next few months or what the new normal will look like, so I say “Why not find ways to make things a little more positive!”

In an effort to stay strong and optimistic, this is a great opportunity to make the most of our time at home. Redirecting your focus to those projects that have been put on the back burner for months will give you a sense of control in a world where we don’t control a lot right now. Start small with a drawer or cupboard that has been bugging you for a while and see how quickly the momentum builds.

Pull everything out and sort through making ‘keep’ and ‘no longer need’ piles.
Put all the keep back into the space in an organized and logical way, optimizing function.
The no longer need pile can now be sorted through for garbage, recycle and donate.

Easy-peasy…done!

If you are stuck and need some help I offer virtual organizing sessions so that I can help you while respecting the rules and guidelines that are in place during this time of self-isolation. Contact me at in**@ci************.com or 250-661-8076 and we can figure out your needs together. Tune in here, every week as I share some of my favourite tips and tricks for living your best life with less stress and greater peace of mind.

Blog