In The Garden

Today we were in the garden getting our garden bed situated and prefilling the box with grass cuttings, branches, and leaves, and peat moss. We continued filling it up with garden soil and compost. Unfortunately we didn't buy enough garden soil so we will have to buy some more tomorrow to finish it off before planting my seedlings and other seeds. After they continue growing, I will install a trellis to help the beans and peas vertically.

Here is an update on the beans I started indoors.  I transferred them into cinder blocks by the wall. A few of them are getting too much sun in this location and need more watering than the others.  I have a raspberry bush growing in another area, a lemon tree, and a pomegranate tree as well. All of these plants and trees are in different areas of our yard, so now I have an expandable hose to be able to reach everything. I got the 100 foot expandable hose, which is more than enough for our yard.

Expandable Hose 100 Feet Green

Strongest Hose Available at 100-PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) Working Pressure

300-PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) Burst Pressure

Starts Out 33 Feet and Expands to 100 Feet with Water Pressure, Release Pressure and Hose Returns to 33 Feet

Lightweight will Not Tangle, Twist, or Kink

100% Money Back Guarantee For A Risk Free Buying Experience

Check out the 100 Ft Expendable Hose on Amazon. 

I've seen similar hoses sold on TV, so I knew I wanted something similar. I remember my dad used to have a pretty heavy hose when I was a kid, and it was a drag to carry around. I knew I needed something that wasn't heavy because of my mobility issues. This hose is very light and easy to carry around, but at the same time it is strong. I have not experienced any leaks in the past three weeks I have used it. I was also able to use it without a handle. It has a little switch that releases the water depending on how far the switch is open. When the hose is in it's original form, it is about 33 ft long, so it is easy to store. The hose expands rather quickly as the water fills it. Check out this Instagram video...

Review will be up tonight for the 100ft expandable hose! Check out the vid! #expandablehose

A video posted by valerie moreno (@hippie7love) on Mar 31, 2015 at 8:12pm PDT

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions stated are my own.

Toddler Series: Food Pouches

Convenience foods are incredibly .....convenient. When you are a mom on a rush, prepackaged foods are a must. String cheese, juice boxes, fruit gummies. There are a ton of prepackaged foods out there that help the everyday busy mom. The only problem is that most of them have unnecessary chemicals that a little body does not need. Not only that, but you run the chance of machine malfunctions by the companies that make these products.When Aiden was younger, I had given him a food pouch that had mold inside. Luckily Aiden didn't eat it, but if he did, who know what might have happened. I won't name the company, but I did post pictures of the accident on my personal Facebook when it happened. After this accident, we are very careful about what prepackaged products we do buy. We rarely buy juice boxes, but we drink out of them first when we do to make sure there is nothing wrong with it. We also now make our own fruit and vegetable pouches ourselves. While this takes a little more work in the kitchen, I can still have convenience foods for whenever is needed.

Eco-Friendly Reusable Baby Toddler Kids Food Meal Packing Pouch

BPA Free and Phthalates Free

Freezer Safe

Dishwasher Save

Eco-Friendly

Allows for easy meal tracking 

Find the Eco-Friendly Reusable Baby Toddler Kids Food Meal Packing Pouches on Amazon for $12.99!

Using food pouches is extremely easy. You simply fill the pouches with your own food. You can make the same variations of food mush as there is on the grocery store shelf with a food processor.  Now if time is a problem, you can buy a jar of premade applesauce to pour into individual food pouches. I also pour some of my smoothies into one of the pouches and freeze it for hot summer days. Taste just like ice cream! I use the food pouches myself when I am in a rush. It is an easy way to get some vegetables in on a busy day or into a picky toddler!

I do have a few problems with this food pouch. First, the cap completely comes of. If it was semi attached, I wouldn't lose it all the time.This is specially stressful with a toddler who throws everything. The other problem is that the place to put the food inside is small. So sometimes it makes a mess while I'm filling them up. Aside from that, these food pouches are a really great product to use instead of buying prepackaged overpriced food pouches from the store.

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Kitchen Supreme Spiral Vegetable Slicer

In the home culinary world, there are many gadgets that come in handy to make some tasty meals. I have had a few favorite items and a few items that I use regularly but aren't completely great. The Kitchen Supreme Spiral Vegetable Slicer is one of those items. This vegetable slicer is like any other $15 Spiral Slicer. It gets the job done. That is not to say that the spiral slicer is a bad product. Not at all. I make delicious lunch salads with it and have made zucchini noodles with them as well. I do like that it comes with a brush to help clean it because it is difficult to clean the metal without it.

My favorite thing to make is a cucumber salad. The noodles come out great until the middle of the cucumber is reached. The middle starts getting stuck in the blades and the middle of the handheld device. But I just add those pieces to the salad and eat it. This device is also great to make healthy, low carb pasta. Just Julienne some zucchinis and add some sauce! A spiral slicer is a must have kitchen product. 

Check out the Kitchen Supreme Spiral Vegetable Slicer on Amazon!

SUPERIOR VALUE for the Complete Spiralizer Bundle: The Kitchen Supreme Spiralizer + Flexible Cleaning Brush + Storage/Protective Bag + Spiral Slicer Recipes Physical Cookbook + Rapid Results Digital Guidebook - 101 Power Tips for a Fitter, Healthier You !

VERSATILE: Create NOODLES and JULIENNE SPIRALS from a great variety of vegetables: Carrots, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Squash, Radish,


Sweet And Regular Potatoes, and lots others. 2 Julienne Sizes (1/16" x 3/32" and 1/8" x 3/16")

RELIABLE: Built from BPA-Free ABS Plastic and Heat-Treated Stainless Steel. Two High Class Japanese Razor Sharp Blades, guaranteed not to rust or loose sharpness qualities in time. Built-In Finger Guard Protection And Safety Cap. | CONVENIENT & USER FRIENDLY: Comes assembled and ready to use ! No Annoying Extra Attachment to set up, that take up your space and time. It's Dishwasher safe and Compact, easily stored in the kitchen drawer. Super-easy to use !

THE BEST CHOICE: Best spiral slicer for anyone on a Raw Food / Low Carb / Gluten Free / No Wheat / Paleo / DIET ! A PERFECT GIFT for Moms, Cooks and healthy-conscious people, making their life fun and easy. Most important for parents, it makes vegetables fun and attractive for children. PERFECT GIFT for FAMILY and FRIENDS !

HELPS YOU TO: ENJOY YOUR MEALS, even if you are on a DIET (Raw, Vegan, Low Carb, Gluten-Free, No-Wheat, Paleo, etc.), REPLACE HIGH CARB Pasta or Noodles with healthy and colorful veggie ones, Get your picky CHILDREN and FAMILY to EAT plenty of healthy VEGETABLES in disguise, SAVE TIME from slicing, dicing and conventional julienning methods, CRAVE for VEGETABLES ! Your veggies will look mouth-watering and still keep nutrients and minerals alive. Buy with confidence: We have thousands of Happy Customers and over 500 positive reviews! 

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a postitive review. All opinions are my own.

Francois et Mimi 700 Thread Count Luxury Soft Cotton Silky Sateen Sheet Set

Here is another great product from Francois et Mimi. These 700 Thread Count Luxury Soft Cotton Silky Sateen Sheets have been amazing. I rarely buy new sheets. I think the last time I bought a sheet set was 5 years ago. But when I buy anything for my home, I make sure it is the best quality I can afford, which usually ends up being flimsy material that doesn't last long. Francois et Mimi sent me their brown colored sheet set, and I am not looking back. Now I know what all the fuss about thread count and Egyptian cotton is really about. These sheets rock! Now, I don't have a King sized bed, but that doesn't really stop me from getting a bigger size. Let's face it, it is easier to make the bed with bigger sized sheets! The set comes with one fitted shit with deep pockets for deep mattresses, One flat sheet, and 2 pillow cases. I suggest tumble drying them for 5 minutes to loosen them up when you received them because they are stiff from being packed up.

These sheets are so comfortable and soft, which was a welcome change from my previous sheets. The best part about these sheets is that they keep their temperature, unlike other kinds. I once had jersey sheets, and I would wake up sweating! Horrible! And since I have been having hot flashes, these sheets have helped me get better sleep since I don't have to twist and turn to reach the cold side. I did not get to chose the color the company sent me, so the brown doesn't really match my bright colored comforters, but that doesn't really matter to me. If I had chosen, i would have gotten the lavender because that would fit me better. But since I cosleep with my son, the brown ones might get a little more life out of them.

Check out these sheets on Amazon.

I received this product in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am not required to give a positive review.

My Plant Based Diet

I announced on Facebook a few days ago how I am starting my "new diet." It is called Raw Till 4, or 801010. I first came across this lifestyle when I saw a Youtube video of the famous Banana Girl. While highly unconventional to today's way of eating, a lot of it made sense. Freelee the Banana Girl is dedicated to show everyone this raw vegan lifestyle. I was on this diet for most of last year and it greatly improved my energy levels and gut health. After a few months of going back to organic, but regular American Diet, I gained weight and now I am looking to go back to this lifestyle. Here is how it works.

A photo posted by valerie moreno (@hippie7love) on Jun 9, 2014 at 4:34pm PDT

Raw Till 4

Eat only raw fruit and vegetables for Breakfast and Lunch (or 4 pm)

For dinner, eat a high carb, low fat, vegan meal. This usually entails of:

Rice, Pasta, or Potatoes.

Low Salt

No calorie restrictions. If you are hungry... Eat... Grab the nearest spotty banana.

80 % of your daily calories should come from Carbs

10% should come from Fats

10 % should come from Proteins

Lunch #fruit

A photo posted by valerie moreno (@hippie7love) on May 10, 2014 at 1:57pm PDT

While this may seem boring to be eating a mostly raw, I have fallen in love with food. Real food. I always HATED mangoes, but after switching to this diet, I couldn't get enough. My taste buds started surprising me, as I became craving fruits and veggies I never used to eat. Bananas, mangoes, potatoes, rice, and pasta became staples in our household. After a few weeks, we lost our cravings of fatty foods that we used to love. My skin cleared up quickly, and my energy levels were on a regular level almost every day.  Then our favorite farmer's market place closed down and the nearest one is about half an hour away. We slowly went back to adding cheese and meat products into our diet and the effects have been horrible. Now I'm choosing to get it back. It will be hard, but it will get done!

I have already started easing my way into it. I got these beautiful 20 oz soup mugs to put my chopped up fruit in to eat while I work, and to eat our rice in. I have been trying to use up and give away all the products in the house that will temp me. So for my first day, I started with an apple, bananas and grapefruit. For lunch i made 2 soup bowls of fruit to eat! In one bowl I fit an apple, a mango, 2 bananas, and a handful of strawberries. Amazing! 

Later on, for dinner I made rice and chili beans. Since I still have a few items that I need to use up before they go bad, I added a little shredded cheese on top. Cheese was the hardest thing to give up last year. I'm hoping it will be easier this time!

These soup mugs are by the same company that makes my favorite water bottles. Francois et Mimi makes great products, and I have loved all of their products. The soup mugs are vintage style and hold up to 20 ounces. Find these lovely soup mugs on Amazon. 

About Francois et Mimi Soup Mugs

 ~~Includes 4 Jumbo Mugs

•Lead-free product

•Dishwasher and Microwave Safe

•Made of Stoneware

I received these products in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Playing Catch Up + Surprise Spring Giveaway!

I have been very sick lately, and it has taken a toll on my blog. Sometimes life throws you a curveball. While I am still awaiting a diagnosis of my current condition, I am finally feeling a little better to where I can move on with my usual life and tasks. To kick off, I will be throwing a Giveaway just to say I appreciate the love and patience! But first, lets talk a little about what I have been up to.  I have moved! .... Right down the street.... Haha. We moved into a small one bedroom apartment that will help us start saving for our future.  With that aspect, I have also welcomed Spring. While the change in Seasons isn't really simple to distinguish in Florida, we have planted some Vegetables and herbs. Unlike the rest of the states, there is not much that will grow this time of year here, unfortunately. So due to that reason, I will not have my dream garden yet. What i can grow a lot of right now is beans and peas!

I planted some beans and they were growing steadily for a few days. One day i woke up and the had a growth spurt overnight! They grew so high that I couldn't close the lid to the seedling box! They were beautiful and healthy. Unfortunately, the yard was no where near ready to be planted in. The previous tenant left the yard completely trashed. There were rocks and garbage everywhere. So we set out to clear the yard, and all we find underneath is sand after feet of sand. To find some dirt, I have to dig in about 3 feet down. That is not happening.

So instead of being able to fix this dirt, we have to find a way around this problem to be able to plant anything. We dug down 3 feet in one area and placed leaves and other compostable materials and then topped it with organic dirt. Now we are making a 4x8 garden bed to place on top. I think this will be a great start to our yard. As far as the rest of the yard, we are not sure what to do about it yet.

While working on the yard, the beans grew very quickly. Now i transplanted them into a few cinder blocks outside. We finished making the garden bed last night, and will transplanting the rest of the veggies into it tomorrow. I made it a little taller than normal due to our horrible sandy lot. I will be layering it so I don't spend a fortune on soil.

Now inside the house, I have been growing a few herbs on my windowsills. The basil has been growing fantastically, but the parsley never sprouted. The Thyme has started sprouting recently, and I am very anxious to grow some! I am also growing some Jalapenos that have been growing beautifully. I have been trying to grow a few others, but they haven't sprouted yet.

   

So that is a quick rundown of what I have been up to. Now we can move on to the Giveaway!! One winner will win a Surprise Spring Box filled with .... Surprise items! Haha. You will for sure be receiving some seeds to start in your home, and some surprise items. Of course the seeds will be nonGMO, so you do not have to worry about that. Since this post is full of "green", I made one of the entries to post a picture of something you planted this year on my Facebook Page! Remember to come back to this page daily for extra entries!

Spring Surprise Box

The Need Of A Decent Water Bottle

While living in Florida, I have bought a ton of different water bottles only to be disappointed by one thing or another. My main issue is that the water won't keep cool in this goddamn Florida weather! Did I mention I hate Florida weather? Aside from two weeks of acceptable weather, most of the time it is a chore to keep liquids cold when you are out and about. I remember having to freeze my water bottle for school the day before so I can get a few hours of cold water, only to end up refilling it in water fountains with lukewarm water. Now as a parent I experience similar problems when out and about with my son. My water bottle doesn't seem to stay cool in our car, even if I leave it in the glove compartment while I go into the store. I usually end up freezing half of the bottle with water and filling the rest with cold water. Sometimes this is enough, but I end up hating using all that plastic. I have used many insulated water bottles, but I usually find problems with them. Some have included being too big, too small, spill easily, or difficult to clean. I have also used a few infuser bottles that are great to drink at home, but horrible to use when I'm out because water leaks so easily, and it never stays cold.  My favorite water bottle that both Hubby and I use are the Francois et Mimi Sport Water Bottles.

The Mimi water bottles come in a set of two and are stainless steel, double wall insulated,d leak proof! The perfect water bottle for me.  It is so hard for me to attach myself to a water bottle, but I even use this water bottle while I'm sleeping. I wake up in the middle of the night thirsty, and having a cold bottle to drink from is a luxury! Now I don't have to get up to get cold water. The bottles hold 20 ounces and are tall; Therefore, they fit in almost all water bottles holders easily. This was an issue I had with other water bottles being too wide, and I don't have that problem with the Mimi water bottles.

They are also very durable water bottles. My son ended up throwing one on the ground extremely forceful for a toddler, and it rolled under the car in a dingy parking lot. It survived with minor scratches! And can I just say the aluminum inside is just the cherry on top?? It keeps the water cold and is easy to clean. I haven't had any leaking problems what so ever, so I even let my son drink out of it on occasion. My  only problem with these bottles is that Hubby keeps taking mine, and he puts tea in his, so I don't like the straw having that tea taste. What I do now is I put a chalk label on mine to remind him which one is mine... and I hog it.

Check out these Francois et Mimi water bottles on Amazon!

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Potato and Split Pea Curry

Every now and then, we like to mix it up. Well.... I like to mix it up. Hubby and Aiden are perfectly happy eating rice every night. I need constant change. Whether that is changing my furniture around every two to three months (Hubby hates this) or switching up our nightly meals. We usually stick to our vegan spaghetti recipe, or rice and beans. Of course this always comes with salad or vegetables on the side. Now that we have moved into our new apartment, I wanted to try something a little different. Indian food.  Honestly, I have never cooked Indian food because we rarely ever eat it. But I've been needing something quick, easy, and healthy. I've been trying to eat more beans, but I've never really liked porotos negros. Black beans seem to be a Spanish staple but in my home country, Chile, it is not even sold. So I have never grown accustomed to those spanish dishes. Now lentils on the other hand are huge in Chile, but I've never really liked them either.

Curry has many benefits; helps alzheimers, blood pressure, and inflammation to name a few. So finding a dish that fit my taste buds was not that difficult since there are so many curry recipes out there. I took my search to Pinterest and found Potato and Yellow Split Pea Curry from Spicie Foodie. I tweeted the recipe a little to make this dish.

Yellow Split Peas are a legume with a significantly high amount of fiber that is rich in Vitamin B. It also is great at helping lower cholesterol levels. So this dish was heaven on Earth to me. What's better? It's Vegan!

Potato & Split Pea Curry

Ingredients
5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup Yellow split pea
1/2 cup Chickpeas
1/2 medium Yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped Spinach
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp Jiva Organic Curry
1/3 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cups Vegetable Broth + 1 Cup Water
freshly chopped cilantro to taste
1 Cup Adames (optional)

Instructions
1. Soak the Yellow Split Peas and Chickpeas and rinse. Chop up your onion and garlic. Peel your potatoes and chop them up to even cubes.
2. Heat the olive oil and add the onions. After onions are cooking, add the minced garlic. Add the Jiva Curry and the turmeric and cook for two minutes while mixing with the onions. Add the potatoes, tomato, split peas, chickpeas, vegetable stock and water.
3. Stir well, and add a few leaves of Cilantro. Cover for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Serve with warm rice  and adames. Decorate with chopped up cilantro.

I used Jiva Organic Curry Powder. The color and taste are completely different than the kind you find in the store. I try to cook as close to natural as possible, so finding a great quality and organic seasonings is really important to me. Now the price is great too! It cost under $10 for a whole pound of curry!

Check out Jiva Organic Curry Powder on Amazon. 

Features

Certified USDA Organic Curry Powder - made from a blend of Organic Indian Spices

All Natural, No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives

NO salt, NO MSG, NO GMO, NO Ethylene Oxide (ETO) treatment, NON-Irradiated

Product of India - packaged in a double sealed, resealable jar to preserve purity

Perfect for your next curry!

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own. 

Long Eyelashes with LashIQ!

I have never really worried about having extra long eyelashes since I have a pretty thick set. But after using the Younique 3D lashes, I have been wanting longer and fuller lashes. I decided to try out LashIQ! I started using it a few days ago and I will keep you guys updated to see how it works out! I've never heard of a serum to make your lashes grow longer, but it's simple once you think about it. The ingredients from the serum are applied right to your roots. LASHIQ comes with a 365 day money back gurantee! It should work within a couple weeks though.

Check out LASHIQ on Amazon!

Features

✔ NATURAL & EFFECTIVE: The ONLY 100% Natural Eyelash Growth Stimulator that is clinically proven to increase eyelash density up to 82% in just 4 weeks. No SLS (Sulfates). No Parabens. No Chemical Preservatives.

✔ EASY TO APPLY & GREAT VALUE: LASHIQ is a very easy to apply eyelash stimulator serum. It needs only once daily usage in the evening before bedtime.

✔ FOR ALL SKIN TYPE, WOMEN AND MEN

✔ PROPRIETARY FORMULA: LASHIQ contains a robust formula of handpicked ingredients designed to transform thin and short eyelashes into luscious eyelashes in one month. It has Biotin, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Retinyl Palmitate, Pumpkin Seed Extract,Cucumber Fruit Extract,Hyaluronate, ect, a total of 15 effective ingredients.

★ 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE: 365-day money back guarantee: We are so confident that the product will work for it; we offer unprecedented 365-day money back guarantee. If you are not 100% satisfied with the product, or the customer service, or the color of the product, or even the package of the product, or for ANY other reason, you will be refunded 100%. Yes, your shipping fee will also be refunded. No question asked. No complicated form to fill out for the refund. All you need to do is to send us a simple email that can be as simple as "refund, please".

You simply apply the serum with the enclosed brush directly to the roots of your eyelashes and keep your eyes closed for a little bit until it dries off. A good way to think about it is like adding liquid eyeliner. Another great thing about LashIQ is that they do not test on animals! So stay tuned soon to see how this product will work for me!

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own. 

HotelSpa® Showerhead Review+ Giveaway

We're finally moved in to our new place! Ok, there are boxes everywhere and furniture still needs to be put in place, but we're here!! I have been waiting to move for a while now because I have been wanting to build a garden for so long, and now I can! The next few days will be filled with looking for a new couch, unpacking boxes and finding a place for everything in this new place. I told Hubby that I wanted to paint each room a different color and he thought I was crazy! Ha ha! I'd love to paint the walls bright and happy since we are planning on living here a while, so I want to make this place look and feel like home. What's my first step? Installing my wonderful showerhead! I need this thing. Get your mind out of the gutter. It makes me feel like I'm taking a shower in a spa. It's so relaxing.... and cool! And I can install it all on my own!

This HotelSpa hand shower changes color depending on the water temperature.  The LED lights are powered by the running water itself, so you aren't wasting electricity or batteries. When the water is cold, it will turn blue. It will turn green when it is warm, and red when it's hot. The shower head also has 7 different settings, so I can have the pressure I need, while my son can have a calming water when I'm shampooing his hair. The settings are: Power Rain, Pulsating Massage, Hydrating Mist, Mist/Massage, Rain/Mist and Water-saving Economy Rain & Pause modes. It is also comes with a 1 year warranty if needed. My only complaint was that the hose is too short for us, which makes using it on my toddler a little difficult. I'm going to see if I can add an extension within the next few weeks.

About the HotelSpa Showerhead

• Powered by running water, no batteries needed 

• Luxurious 7-setting High-power LED Hand Shower 

• Can be used as Overhead or Handheld shower 

• Extra-large 4.25" Chrome Face 

• 7 Settings include Power Rain, Pulsating Massage, Hydrating Mist, Mist/Massage, Rain/Mist and Water-saving Economy Rain & Pause modes 

• 3-zone Precision SpiralFlo Dial with Rub-clean Jets & Click-action Lever 

• Color of LED lights changes automatically according to water temperature: 

BLUE - Cool under 95F (35C), GREEN - Warm 95-108F (35-42C), 

RED - Hot 109-122F (43-50C), FLASHING RED - Warning Hot over 122F (50C) 

• LED lights have long life of 100,000 hours (over 10 years of heavy daily use) 

• Includes Angle-adjustable Overhead Bracket and Super Flexible Stainless Steel Hose with Dual Conical Brass Hose Nuts for easy hand tightening 

• Connects in minutes without Tools 

• 1-year Warranty

And what's more amazing? One of my lucky readers will get to win one of these awesome showerheads! Just in time to spruce up your bathroom for Spring! Click on the Giveaway widget below to enter! And remember to come back everyday for extra entries!

HotelSpa

I received this product in return for an honest review. I am not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.