The Vintage Fern

Easy Home Made Low Carb/Sugar, Dairy Free Hot Coco

2012-02-28T17:28:00.001-08:00

Day 7 of our low sugar lifestyle. It's getting easier at this point and the cravings are diminishing. We had a snow day yesterday though and it put me in the mood for hot coco in the worst way!

My goals in this low sugar and carb life change is that we get healthier, eat whole foods instead of prepared/processed ones and that my son will be able to stabilize his blood sugar levels which tend to either spike out of control or drop to low levels making him sick.

Here is the nutrition info for a packet of Swiss Miss Coco..28 grams of carbohydrates and 21 grams of sugar. Yikes! I really wanted to figure out a way that my kids and I could enjoy those special treats we used to love and avoid the spike in blood sugar and artificial ingredients.

One of the things I love the most about this is that I have only used 3 ingredients. Pure unsweetened coco powder, unsweetened almond milk and stevia.

In the 6 oz serving I made there were less than 2 net grams of carbohydrates and NO sugar! If you chose to make an 8 oz serving (which is the typical serving size but I used a small mug so I could not fit 8 oz) it would still be less than 2 net carbs per serving.

Here's what you'll need:

. 6-8 ounces unsweetened almond or coconut milk

(if you are counting net carbs, the Silk brand coconut milk has 7 grams per 8 oz serving. Silk unsweetened Almond has 0. Although coconut tastes better IMO ; )

. 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened Coco powder, I used only 1 but you can add more

(Ideally fair trade organic if you've got it)

. 2 packets or about 1/4 tsp Stevia powder

Simmer 6 to 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk in a small saucepan. Technically you could microwave it, but I always find that the mixture blends so much better when the hot milk is poured over the powder instead of the powder being added on top. It tends to clump and not blend well : s

.I used 1 tablespoon of coco powder and 2 packets of stevia. Once your milk has started to boil (watch it so it doesn't scorch!) Pour it directly into your mug over the powder. I have a handy-dandy little mini whisk from The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf co. It works perfectly for concoctions such a this! If you don't have a small whisk just use a spoon.

Since I my 6 oz drink was under 2 net carbs and no sugar, I could afford a little dollop of whipped cream on top and a few Coco Pearls ;) This will bring me up one more net carb for 2 tablespoons of cream. If you ask me, coco is not the same without whipped cream! Ok ok..so it's technically breaking the 'whole foods' goal but I use it so infrequently it's not a real big issue for me : )

These Cocoa Pearls from Trader Joe's have 3 grams of sugar (carbs) per 1.5 tablespoon serving. I used less than a quarter of a teaspoon here! Of course though, toppings are an added bonus and are optional. If you want to keep this as low carb as possible and dairy free skip the cream and topping. Or top with a cinnamon dusting which contains 0 carbs.

So there you have it...low carb low sugar hot coco. Made with minimal ingredients at home. Now go sit on the couch, cuddle up with your family and your favorite soft blankie and enjoy and indulgent treat that you won't have to feel guilty about!

**From what I know about the Paleo diet... almond milk, pure coco powder and stevia are all approved ingredients, being plant derived, making this a Paleo friendly recipe (if you abstain from the whipped cream of course) : )

Low Carb, Paleo Friendly, Gluten Free, Low Sugar Pumpkin Pie

2012-02-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

Day 4 of being sugar free. Not feeling very excited right now. Although I have lost 3 pounds in these last 4 days, I am having the most gnarly sugar cravings. Ugh.

Here I have a recipe for gluten free, low carb, almost sugar free (the puree contains 4 grams per 1/4 cup serving) pumpkin pie. I do not have Celiac's or diabetes but in avoiding carbs that usually results in avoiding sugar and gluten so these recipes will reflect that. I also do not eat Paleo anymore but I always like to share my recipes with those that do because I know how hard it can be to find good dessert recipes on Paleo! To the best of my remembrance of the Paleo "rules" this is totally Paleo friendly : )

Before you decide to make this:

If you are expecting this to taste like grandma's melt-in-your-mouth decadent, amazingly sweet and rich Thanksgiving pumpkin pie then stop right now. If you are ok with a pretty good substitute that is healthy and packed with protein (the crust alone has 30 grams!), fiber and is very low sugar this is the one for you! Its actually keeping me right now from gnawing my kid's half eaten fruit leather right out of their grubby toddler hands. Or putting on black sweats and a ski mask and ransacking the frozen yogurt joint down the street from my house. I swear I'm not psycho though. This is what sugar withdrawals can do people! LOL.

You will be starting with the crust.

. 3 tablespoons of organic butter

. 2 packets (or less than a teaspoon) of stevia powder

. 1. 5 cups of almond meal/flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Melt your butter in a microwave safe 9'' pie dish

Add the almond flower flour and stevia, mix with a spoon until the mixture is moist (if you have ever made a graham cracker crust this is the same concept). With clean hands, distribute the mixture around the pie dish with your fingers, working your way around and up the side of the dish until the surface is evenly covered.

Bake empty shell for 10 minutes.

Your crust will look somewhat like this.

Let is sit while you prepare your pumpkin filling.

Kick your temperature up to 390 degrees

You will need:

. 2 cups of canned Pumpkin Puree

(In the fall I use real fresh pumpkin but right now in February that's a tall order!)

. 2 organic eggs

. 1 half can of organic coconut milk (not pictured because I don't store mine in the can)

. 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (or more to your taste preference)

. 1/2 teaspoon of Stevia (or more to taste)

. 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract

***Note: I had slightly less than a half can of coconut milk so I made up the difference with half and half.

***I chose to add a few drops of my Hazelnut Stevia to taste. This is completely optional though.

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I would suggest adding the raw egg last so you can continue to taste the mixture and decide weather or not you would like more spice or stevia. Mix everything together until smooth and pour into your pie shell.

Bake for 20 minutes at 390.

Then lower your temp back down to 350 and bake for about 50 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool and enjoy! As you can see, almond flour crust doesn't quite stay together as well as wheat flour. It won't look as pretty either. But it does taste good! Top with cinnamon or whipped cream (my whipped cream has less than 1 gram of sugar per 2 tablespoon serving!)

I have to admit...pumpkin pie really is not my favorite, I just didn't have any other ingredients here on hand in the house to make a different flavor and I needed a sweet treat on the double! So pumpkin it was. Lol.

** This crust however can be used to make a mixed GF berry pie, apple or even a cheesecake!

ENJOY :D

Organic Paleo Friendly, Sugar Free, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Nut Free and Paleo Friendly Coffee Creamer

2012-02-23T14:43:00.006-08:00

I am so excited to share this with you guys! This is a super easy recipe for home made organic coffee creamer. It is Paleo diet friendly, and is also gluten free. It includes minimal ingredients and it is completely budget friendly. It will take about 5 minutes to make. Did I mention yet how great this is?!? ; )

This week my hubby and I were discussing some health topics...mainly about our consumption of sugar and junk food and how it was effecting our weight, budget and ultimately our children and their behavior and health. We decided to cut back on most of the bad stuff. I say most because we want to be careful about making this the "law" of our family if that makes sense. We don't want food and pursuit of health to become some kind of idolatry for us.

1Timothy 4:8 "For bodily discipline profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also the life to come"

God is more interested in the health of our spiritual lives than the health of our bodies. However, since our bodies and sprit are somewhat tied together it is of some value to take good care of our bodies. Being over weight, chronically sick, suffering from headaches, fatigue, hyperactivity, auto immune diseases and the list can go on and on...this is not the way God intends us to live. And most of these things stem directly from our diets and either being toxic or deficient. I heard a sermon the other day from Mars Hill Church which said a great portion of Jesus ministry was in fact physical and as wives we minister to our husbands and kids when we take care of their physical needs. Anyway I could write a novel on this topic so I will move onto the recipe already! Hehe :p

This is the coffee creamer I have been using for years. Of course cutting out sugar means I have to toss this stuff. (But I will not give up my morning coffee you hear?!?!) I always made the mistake of assuming that because something was from Trader Joe's or Sprouts it was healthy. WRONG! This stuff is nothing but yummy tasting chemical junk. Goodbye Shamrock Cow.

Time to bust out those ingredients:

I can of organic coconut milk

Stevia (either powder or liquid)

Vanilla Extract

One of the things I love about this recipe is how versatile it is! Here are some ideas of things you can add to customize your creamer:

organic coco powder for chocolate creamer

pumpkin pie spice for pumpkin flavor

hazelnut stevia or hazelnut extract

cinnamon powder and vanilla extract

almond extract

Now take our your kitchen mixer and add your can of coconut milk. Put your mixer on the lowest speed (you want to blend your ingredients, not whip! If you want to make this repice into whipped cream that is also an option here just make sure your milk is fully chilled and whip your little heart out :)

I chose to add organic half and half to thin out this mixture. Coconut milk can tend to be pretty thick. If you are on a Paleo diet or dairy/lactose intolerant you may want to exclude this ingredient and dilute with almond milk instead but for the rest of us it will greatly improve the consistency of the creamer.

Now, when you are mixing your ingredients in the kitchen mixer add as much stevia and extract as YOU like. I added one teaspoon of vanilla and one packet of stevia. (Coconut milk is naturally sweet but surprisingly has less than one gram of sugar per 1/4 cup serving which is pretty negligible) I also added a 5 drops of my hazelnut stevia. Taste your mixture as you go and sweeten it the way you like.

Pour your creamer into some kind of reusable container, I used a glass mason jar. Add to your coffee and enjoy the sweet creamy yumminess! Add as much or as little as you want..I make my coffee blonde; just like my hair ; ) One thing I used to hate about going sugar or carb free was that I longed for my creamy morning coffee! So this is the BEST fix! This creamer will keep for 7-10 days. I'm pretty sure you could make this in large quantities and freeze it for later use as well.

The can of coconut milk cost about 2 bucks. You can purchase stevia packets for also around 2 bucks a box...most of the other ingredients I used most people already have on hand at home. You can enjoy a weeks worth of healthy organic coffee creamer for less than 3 bucks a batch! :0

So there ya go... ENJOY your coffee all you Paleo people, Diabetics, Celiacs, Atkins Dieters, Vegan, Sugar Free, Lactose and Dairy intolerant, Nut Free and Organic People! :D

Just to clarify the NUT FREE description if it is a concern for any of you, "coconut milk" might sound like it contains nut, but coconut is not actually a nut but a drupaceous fruit :)

Cowabunga ! Vintage Beach Birthday Party Ideas

2012-01-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

I guess you could call me a frustrated wannabe party planner. I love all things themed and I have more party ideas than I do kids to throw them for so I leave these potential parties up for grabs! :D And I will admit, even though I have been born and raised in southern California..I'm just not that beachy! I'm totally a mountain girl but I still think this party would be cute for any kid. And if you choose your colors correctly it doesn't just have to be for boys. It could easily be girly or even co-ed for a party that siblings share.

The great thing about his party is that it doesn't have to take place at the beach. As long as the weather is nice it can be done in the backyard or at a park. If you have your heart set on this theme and the weather does not agree you can totally pull this off indoors.

I saw this invitation on Etsy and it is COMPLETELY the perfect fit for what I was envisioning! It's like you stepped back into a 1960's California Dream...

I don't know about you but when I think of beach food, I think corn dogs!

And what would be a better surf-themed drink than Hawaiian Punch? I love this old fashioned can too!

Not a fan of Hawaiian Punch you say? These are some totally cute beverage alternatives :D

I saw these beach themed treats on www.hostessblog.com and the cupcakes are an idea from Martha Stewart. HOW CUTE!!!!!

Before you start your beach party games crank up an album from the Beach Boys..it will surely put your guests in the mood for some fun in the sun!

How low can you go? Beach Limbo Game

A 60's beach party would not be the same without a game of Twister!

Let the kids have a "surfing'' competition in the back yard with a Slip n Slide

And when it's time to say goodbye send all your friends away with some of these oh-so-cute and beachy favors!

Aloha and Happy Party Planning!

Oh and here's a random afterthought for ya...how cute would it be to wear this as the hostess?

The Woodland Birdie Baby Shower

2012-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

It was definitely a Woodland Wonderland in my house when I had the privilege of throwing a baby shower in honor of my sister and my newest niece Zoe! This baby shower got us all so excited to meet this little bundle of joy :D With her birth day fast approaching, we prepared for her arrival by thanking Jesus for the gift of her precious life, eating s'mores, and making her some truly gorgeous hair accessories..among many other things ;)

The tables were adorned with burlap table cloths and a faux bois runner (which was just cheap wood print contact paper $5 a roll at Wal Mart!) The "acorns" that fell from the trees were chocolate kisses with a Mini Nilla Wafer and a chocolate chip stem.

I also decorated Ashley's head with a giant hair bow! I couldn't resist because this is such a cute and EASY hair style :D Do I smell a hair tutorial coming on? Just maybe.... ; )

A super fun and vintage-y way to serve your beverages is old fashioned soda bottles with paper straws. This was such a treat and a cute alternative to traditional canned soda

Of course the table scape was the same theme of whimsical woodland decor, lovely little birdies perched atop rustic wire cages. Twigs and wood accented just about everything (right down to the real wood disposable forks!). The birds were clearance Christmas ornaments purchased from Crate and Barrel and Target. The wire cages can be found at Tai Pan Trading. The wire basket is from Pottery Barn (I've seen very similar styles at Kohl's as well).

The serving dishes were all scored at an amazing clearance price and I'm so happy with how well they matched. The serving platter with glass lid was purchased on clearance at Crate and Barrel, the condiment serving caddy with glass dishes was clearance from Pottery Barn and the carved wood serving bowl was clearance at Target. If you know what you are looking for when planning a party, always keep your eye out for clearance. And when you are the hostess you have these little treasures to keep for your own personal kitchen decor.

One of our side dishes was White Vine Vinaigrette Pasta Salad, a Tyler Florence recipe. This was SO easy and delish. With minimal ingredients and fresh organic veggies and bow tie pasta...there were absolutely no leftovers!

We simply took plain Kirkland water bottles and used our faux bois contact paper to make a wood print label.

To compliment the S'mores, Cookie Dough Dip was served with Graham Crackers. Simply cream together Cream Cheese, Butter, Vanilla, white and brown sugar, toffee and chcolate chips. EASY!

And since we were feeling all woodsy and outdoorsy...traditional baby shower cupcakes were replaced with individual S'mores.

All the adorable food labels were created by the oh-so-crafty Diane Schaefer...many thanks Diane!

Rosemary herb roasted turkey sandwiches with bacon were served on fresh Shepherd's bread with Muenster cheese

Pictured above that were Rosemary Lavash Pita Chips served in old fashioned brown waxed paper bags. All the bags and mini clothes pins were purchased at www.Jillybeankids.com

To jazz up plain old ice water, make one fruity and one fresh flavored water by floating strawberries or cherries in one pitcher and cucumbers in another. This was something I saw done at a spa in Palm Desert CA and I thought it was such a simple and refreshing alternative to lemon water

Ok Zoe, auntie might be coming over to borrow some of your hair clips and headbands!

Check out Agape Live Love on Facebook to see some of Vanessa's ADORABLE vintage inspired hand-made pieces!

One of THE CUTEST most creative ideas was orchestrated by Vanessa Workman, the owner of Agape Live Love! A hair accessory craft station where each guest crated an adorable hair piece for Zoe. Each lady put their craft in a pile and Ashley chose her favorite one. This contest was actually one of our shower games and was a totally unique way for each quest to gift Zoe with a beautiful hair accessory...and a way to save Mama lots of money since this little girlie will be SET with hair products for at least 2 years :D

This to-die-for CUTE hand made Little Birdie Taggie Blanket was given by Molly McMillan, check out her adorable stuff at Virtuous Mommy on Facebook! Absolutely adorable!

We also had some gorgeous handmade gift bags from 31:26 (check out this lovely boutique on Facebook too!)

I wish pictures did more justice to these amazing handmade wall letters made by Zoe's other auntie Jannae. These are just a must have for a nursery, right?!

All in all, it was just a super fun day of fellowship and fun...anticipating the arrival of sweet little Zoe! We all CAN'T WAIT to meet her!!!

Thank you to all the ladies who helped make this shower happen!

If you are planning a party or shower and have any questions about how to easily pull off the Woodland Birdie theme, products we used, recipes, or references to the businesses I listed please leave a comment and I would be happy to assist you!

DIY Laundry Giclee Inspired by Ballard Designs

2012-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hi guys..long time no blog..sorry! Things have gotten pretty hectic with the beginning of the new year and also admittedly, the commencement of my Pinterest account :/ Me, distracted? Not at all!

Well, putting Pinterest aside, here I am with another fun (the fun is actually subjective in this case, you'll see why) DIY decor idea for you :D

The picture above from Ballard Designs is pretty much anyone's dream laundry room, right?? I say yes. I have been eyeing this beautiful laundry giclee for about a year and a half...deciding how I could justify $129 piece of beautiful art in my laundry room. Mr. P decided for me, it could not be justified. LOL. So when my friend Debbie told me she also loved the giclee, and owned a Cricut Expression...the idea seemed like an exciting new possibility ;)

Being only $35 for a set of three, I thought these rustic safety pins were a much better deal. Instead of being patient and waiting for them to adorn my laundry room..I slapped these large lovlies above our TV nook and I thought they were a great fit. So there they will stay. Ginormous rustic safety pins don't have to be doomed to the laundry room, right? I don't think so either!

Debbie and I took a field trip to Hobby Lobby. Since Panera Bread was in the same shopping center, we were also forced to have an amazing lunch. Yes, it was a hard day indeed!

So for this project, we each purchased a roll of Vinyl and a blank 24''x 36'' canvas. (The size of the Ballard canvas is a square 24'' x 24'' canvas which we could not find. Its possible they might be sold at Michaels or Aaron Brothers if you would prefer your giclee looks truer to the real thing. I figured the other size would work just as well for me).

The roll of Vinyl was $7 and the canvas was on sale for $8.50. Look out for a 40% off coupon to make this an even better deal.

Debbie was so kind as to cut all my letters for me. The large font for the first row was 4'' and the rest of the letters were 2''. I measured out the very fist line allowing 5 inches of space. Then a 1 inch spacer. Then 2 inches of space for my 2 inch letters. It turned out the the tall letters (such as k and h) were the only ones that actually measured a full 2 inches. So I revised my measurements to 2 inch spaces for letters and 1/2 inch for the spaces in between the letters.

After I had pencilled in all my measurements (there was a lot of trial and error going on!) I finally was able to sort out all my vinyl letter cut outs. To make the process easier, they were put into alphabetical order in coordinating piles. Punctuation marks and capital letters were separated. I got out my laptop and pulled up the Ballard Design photo as a reference. Next comes the tedious part (this took a little less than 3 hours).

Stick all your letters on in the order they go in. I ended up spacing my letters a little too far apart and instead of taking all my letters out and starting over, I just cut out a few words that weren't crucial to the definition. Yes, I'm such a cheater :P

I chose a satin spray paint from Home Depot. The color was Nutmeg. Debbie used an acrylic craft paint, the end results on both turned out pretty similar in my opinion. With the acrylic paint, the letters did bleed a bit underneath the vinyl but I actually thought it gave the sign a really awesome old printing press style, stamped look. Using the spray paint I also had some bleeding. When I took my sign outside to spray, it was VERY windy. A few of letters started to lift off. I ran into the garage with my sign so as to protect my letters and began to spray. I accidentally sprayed the wall. Shoot! Back outside :(

The letters lifting ended up causing me some paint bleeding. Which is ok if you like that vintage stamped look...but it can also cause in-uniformity because some letters will be clean cut and others will have bleeding. In the end, that did happen to me but it really didn't look as bad as I thought and it made my sign look really unique.

Let your paint dry then begin to peel off your vinyl. Watch out for those pesky little periods, and dotted i's.

I was able to correct some of the major bleeding spots with a Q-Tip and nail polish remover. It did do the trick, but be VERY careful because a few slip ups with make it look terrible! You also have the option of doing touch ups with white paint.

Here is my end result! For about $21 bucks I am totally happy. (It's not up in my laundry room yet because I need a shelf and a few accessories to complete my look. I plan to hang this sign over the washer, and a reclaimed barn wood shelf over the dryer. On the shelf will be some old tins, and mason jars filled with wooden clothes pins and rusty safety pins). The wind REALLY worked against me though and I came out with some bleeding in a few areas and some patches where my paint was heavier than others where the wind blew :( If you attempt this project, make sure the weather is nice and your letters are pressed on nice and tight and you should be fine. I will warn you, unless you absolutely love crafting and DIY, this project will probably make you want to kill yourself before it's over. It certainly can't be done in a day unless you have no kids and plan on not eating or showering. Unless you stay up half the night finishing. You really have to WANT to save a buck to complete this project. This project saved me about $110 plus tax and shipping which was awesome. It's up to you to decide if the savings is worth the work.

So all in all, I'm really happy I have this sign for my laundry room! There was plenty of trial and error, corrections, tedious work, mistakes and messes made along the way. But unless an employee from Ballard Designs visits my laundry room...I don't think anyone will know the difference ;)

Happy Crafting!

Adorable Yarn Pom Pom Flowers

2011-12-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

When I saw these lovely handmade flowers on Aestheticnest.com I thought they looked perfect...like some kind of a retro, vintage-y marigold. I loved the rich saffron color as well. Bottom line: I HAD to figure out how to replicate these!

I decided my sister's baby shower in a few weeks would be a good reason to make these...so I chose the colors chocolate and ruby. (Tip: I made the mistake of buying really chunky yarn for the brown flowers, thinking I would like it better. Well...long story short I think the end result looks best with very thin yarn)

The first step is to wrap the yarn around your four fingers no less than 100 times. Seriously.

After you have wrapped the yarn around your hand (anywhere from 100-120 times, depending on the fullness you desire) slide the yarn off your fingers so as to maintain the shape of the bunch. Then take a cut piece of yarn at least 6 inches long, slide one side through the middle of the circle and tie it all together as tight as you can, making at least a double knot.

Hold the bunch in your hand, holding your thumb over the piece of thread that you just used to tie the double knot. Then take GOOD, sharp scissors (you will regret if you don't follow that step! ;) and cut down the middle of the loop, creating a shaggy pom pom.

Hold your pom pom over the trash can or an area where sweeping and clean up will be easy. Start cutting your pom pom, shaping it into a neat circle and creating the size that you want it to be.

Ok sorry for the yucky trash can shot...hehe...and my purple P.J.'s. But you can see how I am shaping my pom pom...this actually took A LOT more cutting than I expected :/ This is where you will be glad you brought out the nice, sharp scissors! I actually blistered my thumb with my old scissors. Not good.

After you have your desired shape and size all cut out, then will be the time to fluff out the pom pom a bit. Do this until it is to your liking. I wanted mine to be a bit more fuzzy....but if you want a clean cut look then skip this step completely.

Here is one of my favorite parts because I am the hot glue QUEEN! LOL! It's instant gratification :D I will hot glue anything, and call me weird but I love the smell too! Open your pom pom until the center is exposed a bit, dab a bit of hot glue and fasten it to a twig from your yard, a popsicle stick, craft wood, a piece of rusty wire...or whatever you think will best achieve the look you want. Hold the pom pom tightly onto your 'stem' until the glue dries and..presto! You've got an adorable, budget friendly vase or mason jar filler :D

I must say the shadow on my wall is giving the illusion that my flowers are a bit bigger than they actually are, and like I said before, I think thin yarn is the way to go :) When I do my ruby colored flowers with thin yarn..I will post pictures of the difference. But the directions I provided will give you the basis on how to make the flower, and you cut and shape them however YOU like!

Have fun!

Good Golly! Great Finds at Beyond the Rack

2011-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

So I have been looking for some T Strap Mary Jane's such a these for quite a while. Like, a long time. Sigh...I have not found them yet :( While searching for them today I stumbled upon Beyondtherack.com where they have tons of amazing deals on shoes and clothes and they have sales that last for a certain amount of time where you can snag the best deals on these items. Today I spotted these boots (that come in many different colors) for just $19.99 :O

I LOVE this top!!!!!!!!!!

They also have some awesome finds for babies and kids! I hope I don't find myself getting into any trouble browsing at Beyond the Rack!!!!!! Hehe ;)

Go here to check out some of these deals:

http://www.beyondtherack.com/member/invite/B8506102

Just Say Spahhh...Spa Inspired Bathroom

2011-12-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

It would be pretty sweet as a mom to get regular spa treatments (at least thats what I think!) Every time I walk into an Aveda salon to buy Shampoo or tea I just want to float away...the soothing music, the candles, and the SMELL: heavenly! But, alas, getting pampered at Aveda is just not in my schedule OR budget! Im guessing thats the case with most of us, right? Thats why I decided to recreate that amazing spa atmosphere at home. Sometimes as moms, the ONLY place we get alone time is the bathroom. I found myself wanting to decompress at night but didnt want to sit in a dingy tub overloaded with foam alphabet letters and rubber duckies. So here are some of the ways I decided to make our bathroom more like a spa retreat! (This is a great way to utilize an area thats already in your house for a "Mommy and Daddy Only" area ;)

It took me a while to collect all the soaps in this wall hanging basket but it was worth every minute because it smells SO GOOD! No need for a reed diffuser or scented plug in, these soaps create that earthy, clean spa smell. What I did was buy soaps (the Aveda ones I got for FREE!) whenever I saw them on clearance or sale, and I bought a few fancy bulk packs at Marshall's and Ross. Keep your eye out for unique bars of soap to start your display. A few other ideas you can do are add plants (like I did) loofas, sea sponges, or glass jars of bath salts. Even wash cloths in colors that match your bathroom are great fillers!

The next thing I would suggest, to stick with your Spa atmosphere is to use earth colors (or if you like Ocean theme, blue hues with browns and tans). Green is my favorite color so I chose to use wrap my green towels in a twig roll (purchased at Michaels crafts) and I stuck a faux fern leaf in each one.

Now heres the illusion..save all the packing from your personal hygiene products to create a spa 'product' display in a hurricane vase or extra large mason jar (I call this "UPcycling!"). So dont throw that pretty soap box away, or the empty jar to your hand cream. Make it look like you have a big display of spa worthy stuff. I added dried artichokes, fern leaves and wood pieces as fillers :) *Hint* this is ALSO a great way to use those mini travel size products you have laying around in that drawer somewhere!

The next step: Splurge on a nice soap (or shampoo set, or bubble bath either way) for you and your hubster. It will only cost what you might pay for a trip or two to the fast food drive through (but it will be MUCH more enjoyable for some married people bath time..LOL) You can thank me later!! So skip the drive through trips this week, cook at home and set aside the dough you would have spent and buy a nice product that the kids are NOT ALLOWED to use!!! A few suggestions are anything Aveda..

The California Baby products (yes adults love them too!!!)...

And the Zum Bar goats milk products smell amazing...

The last touch I added was a spa inspired display above my mirror (or you could achieve this by doing it on a small shelf) I leaned a clearance saucer and a few faux plants against the wall. I bought a cascading faux plant at Michaels that hangs down...and I love the end result! Its not quite as relaxing as hanging out at a posh day spa, but this is a very close second because it was done on a budget and I can come whenever I want!!! If you are inspired to do something similar in your home I would LOVE to see pics!

Oh and I almost forgot, to add the finishing touches...add a fragrant candle, a nice towel for you and your hubby to use, or maybe even his and hers robes. So put the kids to bed, put on a pot of tea, turn the ipod onto something soothing and UNWIND! Enjoy :D

And the OPI goes to...Find Out Who Won!

2011-12-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to CaChalker you are the winner of "Go My Own Way" By OPI! I will be messaging you on Facebook tonight with the details :)

Well there's my first giveaway..that was SUPER fun! Thank you all who entered and shared on Facebook...

Stay tuned for whats next! :D

Nail It (Giveaway!)

2011-12-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

I do my own nails, saves money. Plain and simple. Since I don't go to a salon to get my nails done every few weeks I can afford to spend a few extra bucks on nicer polishes that wont chip. My favorites are OPI. I like Essie as well. Also, playing the harp means my nails have to be cut as short as they will possibly go. meaning no falsies!

I L-O-V-E orignal ideas like these newspaper print nails. Gosh who thinks of this stuff? Downright adorable!

Experiment with not-so-ordinary colors. This Jade by OPI is just so pretty!

Then there's Crackle or Shatter...

And every girl needs a pretty, neutral nude color!

And of course there are the shimmers...oh the possibilities are endless!

So here's the deal..to get this blog rolling I think it would be awesome to do a fun, girly giveaway..YOUR favorite nail polish!

1) Figure out your absolute favorite nail polish brand and color (as long as its not discontinued) then come back here and leave a comment to tell me what it is...

2) "Like" The Vintage Fern on Facebook (if you haven't already)...

3) Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter with a link...

and VOILA! You're on your way to some spruced up nails a la` The Vintage Fern :D Happy Polishing Girls!
Find out who wins on December 14th :)
( PS: I REALLY hope someones favorite nail polish isn't some 60$ bottle of Chanel or something. Cuz if so, I may have gotten myself into some hot water!! LOL lets play nice here people!!! ;)

The All Natural Christmas Tree

2011-12-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas, and Im pretty particular about my decorations...only because I've been fighting eager little hands for the last 4 years (and it felt like every year we added a new set of hands!) to guard and protect my Christmas tree from them and vice versa. Some of the most attractive things to a baby or toddler are twinkle lights, shiny tinsel, and glittering ornaments and all those Christmasy things that dangle and entice them. This year I wanted things to go differently. No mess, no missing keepsakes, no broken ornaments, no babies unplugging lights, and no threat of an 8 foot tree falling onto my kid. I am so excited to share these ideas with you!

I started with a small tree (I got mine at Home Depot for $19, which is quite a savings compared to the $55 we usually pay for a full size tree) and potted the tree with something I had laying around the garage. (You can use anything that will support the weight of your tree, get creative). Solution #1, I saved money. Solution #2, tree is on my formal table out of reach from curious hands. Solution #3, I still have a living tree that smells like Christmas :)

Here's the fun part. Choose natural ornaments to adorn your tree. These will most likely be home made, saving you even more money! And if the kids DO get ahold of one of these, there will be no shattered glass, electric parts, or toxic things they can put in their mouths. For these lovely little orange ornaments I took California Clementine Cutie fruits (traditional oranges are too heavy) and pushed whole cloves (.99 a bag at any grocery store) into them in a pattern then hot glued on a twine loop. Helping insert the cloves was so fun for the kids as well. And I cannot describe how wonderful these smell...after Christmas they would make the most amazing fillers for a potpourri bowl or glass vase! Also pictured, you could hang plain pine cones from your yard or cinnamon ones to compliment the amazing smell of your clove oranges :)

Another cheap and natural ornament idea is sliced, dehydrated citrus fruits. Slice, and bake directly onto your oven rack. Punch a hole after they've baked and string with twine...BAM! A totally unique ornament!

This one is great because you can go to your local Home Depot or Christmas tree farm and get the Christmas tree stump scraps for free. They are usually found in a big discard bin near the purchase area. And heres what you do...

Decorate them with newspaper cuttings, scrap book paper, or whatever your little heart desires! Have the kids help for a fun Christmas craft :D

Acorns with holes drilled thru and strung are free, simplistic and naturally beautiful. Or...

Or dress them up with felt and and twine and you've got yourself some all natural garland!

If you love burlap like I do, you could create some of these little lovelies as a natural ornament...and burlap is SO cheap and versatile. Check your local hardware store. You can also use burlap as a primitive tree skirt!

You could also hang small cinnamon bundles for your tree....

OR make them into a star as your new, all natural tree topper!

I hope you enjoyed some of these ideas. I love the fact that they are cheap, household items or stuff you could find on a nature walk. get creative with bringing the outdoors in. The smells and colors are so beautiful and it will compliment your tree and home decor in the most amazing way. Best of all, all of these things are safe around your littlest loved ones (and pets!)

Merry CHRISTmas! :D

Don't Let the Cold and Flu Bugs Bite!

2011-12-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

Last year our family spent most of the winter (and spring) at the mercy of some sort of illness. I can't describe how frustrating this was and how it took a toll on almost every aspect of our lives. Someone in our family of 7 was sick at almost any given time. No joke! That meant no church, no social gatherings, and grouchy exhausted kids and parents :( So this year I decided to take charge of our health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure right? I think so... here are some simple and healthy ways (and some of our favorite products!) you can use to keep your family from getting sick this cold season:

1: This one is a no brainer. When you don't have access to a sink, sanitize! This EO Lavender is our favorite. It smells SO good and doesn't dry out your skin. Almost everywhere we go, I sanitize my kid's hands. And ALWAYS wipe down your shopping cart handles, I cannot stress this one enough! When my youngest son was teething, he always tried to chew the cart handle, and he was ALWAYS sick :P Wipe down public high chairs or carry a cloth cover with you. You never know who or what touched the things we all touch on a daily basis, and there are over 300 variations of the common cold out there. Wash and sanitize!!

2: I just purchased this tub of Immune Boost loose leaf tea at Whole Foods Market. It tastes yummy and contains so many immune supporting herbs such as Echinacea leaf and root, Ginger, Elderberry, Orange and Lemon peel. Another great immune boosting tea that you can find at a regular grocery store is Traditional Medicinals Organic Echinacea with Elderberry. Be sure to drink your tea with raw, organic honey (not the kind you find in the teddy bear bottle! All the of healing properties have been eliminated by processing and refinement) which is known for its amazing antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Make your immune supporting tea even more potent with some vitamin C rich lemon slices :)

3: Since most of our kids do not like to drink hot tea, I highly recommend juicing. I know buying a juicer can be expensive (I was lucky enough to find my Breville on clearance at an outlet store, my sister found hers at a yard sale!) but its definitely worth its weight in, um, plastic and aluminum ;) We use ours all the time and I could write a novel length post on the benefits of juicing...any and every time I dont feel my best I juice organic carrots with apple or ginger root and its almost unbelievable how fast it zaps the nasty stuff out of me! If you dont have a juicer, keep your eyes peeled for a clearance or used one. If you do own a juicer, dust it off and use it, OFTEN! (ps, juices that you buy at the store are dead juices with almost no nutritional value. Don't waste your money on these or fall for the marketing gimmicks they use!)

4: The whole family should be taking an immune supplement. The Natures Plus brand shown above is great and I think I got mine on Amazon for under 6 bucks! For Mr. P and I, we take Natrol's immune support or Emergen-C

5: This one my kids L-O-V-E! Stonyfield Farms organic yogurt squeezers. I freeze these little babies and not only does that cut down on mess (have you ever seen 3 toddlers walk around with squeezable yogurt? No bueno) my kids think its a 'popsickle'. It also soothes teething gums or a sore throat while providing their little bellies with the important, friendly bacteria necessary for proper digestion and a strong immune system!

6: RAW Garlic. Yep, it stinks. And its not very tasty. But as a powerful home remedy, if you feel that cold or flu coming on (yes even the flu VIRUS, garlic is antiviral as well as an antibacterial :) Swallow some crushed pieces of raw garlic in a spoonful of raw honey and do it as often as you can stomach it. It would take me all day to talk about the benefits of garlic, but a few are antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties, its used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, and allergies....It can even be used as a wart remover! Garlic is awesome!!!

So I hope you find these few tips helpful...I would LOVE to hear about your favorite herbal or home remedies for prevention or cure. Happy Cold and Flu Season (happy because hopefully you wont be sick!)

Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" God gave us herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even animal meat for food and healing. Educate yourself on some of these amazing healing aspects of God's creation.

Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food"

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"

Tomato Asiago Soup

2011-12-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

We love to eat soup during the winter, and since Mr. P loves Broccoli Cheddar Soup I decided to put some in the crock pot last night so it would be ready for lunch today. As I was putting the finishing touches on the soup I made the horrifying (and disgusting) discovery that several ants came to their demise in my crock pot during the night :O I guess you could say I'm one of those snooty types that doesn't like to eat bugs, so sadly, down the drain went the Broccoli Cheddar :(

So I had to improvise. I had four hungry people craving something, anything from a sourdough bread bowl over here! So I loosely followed the same method that I would use to make any other cream based soup. I took a few small tomatoes and chopped them, threw in a small handful of chopped onion for good measure (although this ingredient is optional). I sauteed the tomato pieces and onion in a tablespoon of butter until the onion was soft. I also added a dash of garlic powder and dried basil.

After the previous step, I added 2 6oz cans of tomato paste, then 2 14.5oz cans of chicken broth. I let all this simmer for about 15 minutes. Add a cup of shredded asiago cheese and a cup of half and half (you could also use heavy cream which is actually the proper ingredient for a cream based soup but I didn't have any! Half and half worked great) If you don't have asiago cheese Im sure shredded parmesan would taste just as good :)

Let this mixture simmer for about another 5 minutes. If you like your soup thicker, add a bit of cornstarch and mix well. Serve in a sourdough bread bowl (I got mine from Costco) or a regular bowl. You can garnish this with fresh chopped basil for a chiffonade, top with extra cheese or croutons. Cuddle up on the couch (yes, I eat on the couch!) and ENJOY :D

Ingredients

2 or 3 chopped Roma or Amorosa Tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)

1 tablespoon of butter

2 6 oz cans of tomato paste

2 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth

1 tablespoon of crushed dried basil (optional)

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 cup of shredded asiago or parmesan cheese

1 cup of half and half or heavy cream

Serve in a toasted sourdough bread bowl & garnish before serving

2011-12-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

Williams Sonoma Inspired Pine Cone Tree

While browsing around Williams Sonoma in Salt Lake City last week, I stumbled upon these gorgeous pine cone trees! I quickly discovered that they were $40-$60 each! :O No thanks. So...I thought to myself "Why cant I make these??" So I went out to the craft store today and gave it a go!

So I had Mr. P cut some pine cones in half for me

Then I bought one large and one small size foam craft cone and glued moss roll onto it with hot glue. Then, I place my pine cone halves onto the mossy cone one by one. For the smallest cone that I made, I glued on miniature craft pine cones.

While at Home Depot today, I saw a discard bin near the Christmas tree cutting station where they dispose of tree stump and branch cuttings. I asked an employee if I was free to take from it and he said yes! So I cleared it out and used these tree cookies for the base of my pine cone tree (this is not necessary for completing the project but I thought it would be a nice touch :) And....

Here is the final product for only a fraction of what I would have paid at Williams Sonoma! This is such an easy Christmas decor project. You could either utilize pine cones from your front yard or for and extra special touch use the cinnamon scented cones and your cute table trees will double as air freshener!

Let me know if any of you decide to tackle this project, I would love to find out how you like it :D

Under Construction

2011-12-05T11:57:00.000-08:00

So here it is! The Vintage Fern was named as such because number one I love vintage, and with that I also love to bring the outdoors in. All things mossy, woody, stone covered, distressed, and imperfectly beautiful are what I look for in decor, along with anything else that looks old and unique (oh and earth tones, earth tones, earth tones!!). The Vintage Fern is going to be a place we can share unique and thrifty ways to decorate, DIY projects and tutorials, cook, do fashion, herbal and natural remedies, and most importantly walk with Jesus and encourage one another in our faith. Being brand new to the blogging world and a bit technologically challenged, I hope you can bear with me while I work out some functional and aesthetic kinks here :) Im so excited and I hope you enjoy!