Happening's Around The Re-Invented Household.: Work Outs, Baby A, Garden Damage, and More!

There has been a lot going on here. I have been super busy with Baby A. She has been learning new things daily. She says "shoulder" "baby doll" "bye bye now" and "help me". I love that she  says "help me" because it is easier to know when she needs my help with things. 

She has been coloring a lot with crayons and side walk chalk. Her brain seems to  be developing at such a fast pace. 

Her baby doll goes everywhere, even the bath tub.

I feel especially good about her development knowing that she is still getting breast milk from a bottle and we are feeding her whole foods, and not the processed kinds.

She will be 18 months old tomorrow~!

Keep an eye out on my blog for my 1 1/2 year progress pictures! I am fitter than ever, although it doesn't show as much as I would like. The reason it doesn't show as much is because the skin on my stomach still has not snapped back. Any other mommies of 1 year old+ dealing with loose skin still? I am feeling a bit self conscious of this issue.

I have been working a lot on organizing our home and our paper work. Getting our life in order has been such a rewarding process. It is not only the physical process of sorting but also the emotional freedom of getting rid of unneeded things. It also feels good to know where everything is at. I was super organized before Baby A, but since her birth my organization went south. Now I am finally getting back on track and it is wonderful to be my organized Type A self again.

I have been working hard in the gym, as has Hubby. We both have changed up our routines and upped our weights. Seeing progress again is so rewarding.

Loading up the weights, not all on yet, but I leg press 250#.

I suffered from acne for years....bad acne. I recently discovered that even natural  sugars make my acne worse. I have long gotten rid of all processed sugars. I noticed a correlation between when I would eat honey or a high sugar fruit and when I would get a major breakout. Now that I have drastically limited my natural sugar intake, my skin is clearing up and I am not getting the major breakouts that I used to.

My skin isn't perfect, but it is getting there! I don't have to wear foundation anymore.

I now keep my sugar intake to 2 bananas a day, and not much else. I chose bananas because they are great for before and after workouts...muscle recovery and limiting soreness.

The garden is doing well despite the roofers dumping shingles all over it! I will be continuing to update you on that. No progress on the avocado trees though, I am thinking the pits we have are duds...that can happen. We will try growing some more pits and see what happens. I would love to have an avocado tree indoors,

The damage left behind by the roofers! This is AFTER first time I cleaned up their mess.

It was supposed to thunderstorm the past several weeks, and still has not stormed yet. The humidity is horrible, but thankfully it is not taking a huge toll on my fibromyalgia!

I honestly think that the Immortal Velvet Hubby and I started taking 2 weeks ago has really made the difference. I feel that it is very anti-inflammatory. It is still too early to tell yet how extensive the benefits are, but it is definitely doing something. I do not feel the muscle fatigue in my work outs like I used to, I am feeling stronger.

We buy this from Surthrival.com. This is the Immortal Velvet Silver.

I quit taking my allergy medicine (Allegra) I have pretty severe allergies and asthma that is flared by my allergies. I however really want to see if I can get my body to build its own defenses. I really feel that the allergy medicine was holding my body back on being healthy. I am completely medication free ( someone who 7 years ago was taking 8 pharmaceuticals a day!). I am living proof that going off medications can improve health. It is not for everyone, but it is working for me. 

How are you? 

What is going on in your life?

I would love to get to know my readers. Though I do not know you, I care about each and every one of you. 

Please comment below if you would like to share some exciting news or even depressing news about your life. I am always here to listen.

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

PS- The measurement for the lemon juice in the hummus should be 1/4 not 1/3. I apologize for the typo. I will correct it in the recipe.

Diaper Rash Cream Recipe {CD safe}

We buy and have bought California Baby's wonderful diaper cream. Even though it does not seem to harm our cloth diapers, and works wonderfully...it IS a bit pricey to buy all the time.

Baby A is prone to diaper rash as she absolutely loves spicy food. Even when I was pregnant with Baby A I craved spicy food. Unfortunately, the spicy food and Baby A's bum do not get along. She ends up with a rash after the goes #2.

I decided to come up with a diaper cream (zinc oxide free) that would work for her little bum to keep it from getting bad rashes.

It has not caused problems with our diapers, we have everything from hemp to cotton to bamboo to microfiber. I will say though that I cannot guarantee whether it will or will not work with your cloth diapers. Please check with your cloth diaper manufacturer before use, and use at your own risk.

In addition, this diaper cream contains essential oils. Some babies may or may not do well with essential oils. Please talk to your health care provider before using essential oils on your baby's bum.

All that aside, here is a recipe that works fantastically for Baby A's diaper rash. It makes a pretty large batch!

Lolli's Coconut Lavender Diaper Cream 

What you will need:

8 oz cup

Lid for cup

Spoon or Stirring Stick

Coconut Oil

100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil

100% Pure Tea Tree Oil

100% Aloe Vera Gel ( not juice)

How to make it:

1. Put 6 oz. of semi solid coconut oil into container
*if it is easier you could also lightly melt the coconut oil to mix, then resolidify, but doing it this way is just quicker and easier for me.

2. Add in 2 oz of aloe vera gel

3. Add in 2-3 drops of lavender and 2-3 drops of tea tree. Adjust essential oils for child's sensitivity. As little as 1 drop will work for some kids. Omit and just use coconut aloe mixture if your child is really sensitive.

4. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly!! 

5. Place lid on container

6. Keep in a room that is approx. 70, more than that it will melt and cooler tham 65 it will become completely solid. I keep it in Baby A's room and it is just fine.

I hope this recipe helps your child as much as it has helped mine!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Please see my disclaimer page. If you use this recipe you do so of your own free will, I (author) & ReInventing Lolli blog will not be held responsible for any outcomes resulting from you making this or any other recipe on my blog. Use common sense and talk to health care provider and manufacturers whenever necessary. If gluten free please verify all products are gluten free before using/consuming.

(TT):Awesome Shopping Finds and Tasty Kitchen Treats!

Yesterday was a great day! Hubby and I took Baby A for walk, it was a gorgeous 79 and SUNNY outside.

On top of that, we went shopping and found some AMAZING deals.

I just had to share.

I am so hard on  my spatulas, so this set of 3 at just over $1 was an amazing find!

I found the Mortar & Pestle I had been wanting! Score at $4!! These 2 shirts, normally $10.00 each, I got for $1.99 each! Can't beat that! Love the color too, I don't have many items that color in my closet. I found these two items for Baby A, normally $5 each, I got them for $.99 each! Another great score as she is growing out of her clothes quickly! I was really excited to find these when we were shopping around. They were all items we have been looking for, but we got them at a fraction of a price. I love to shop around and find deals whenever possible. I don't see a reason to pay full price for something you want if you don't have to. Thank you to my hubby for buying everything but also for letting me wander around and look for deals, I can take a while and we all know that guys aren't as much for browsing.... :) We went grocery shopping too and had a coupon for organic produce.....$.75 off. That was nice. Coupons for healthy food are a rarity. Have you gotten any great deals lately? I would love to hear about them! I have also been experimenting with recipes in the kitchen lately, and I am currently working on perfecting 2 recipes. Here are some pictures to drool over....I will be posting my ReInvented Recipes soon! Spiced Sweet Potato "Donut" Bites Mildly Spicy Hummus These were a hit in our house, I am still working on the ratios to make sure I get the perfect flavor every time. You can be sure to see these recipes posted on the blog in the near future! Hubby and Baby A make great taste testers ;) Keep reading ! Have you found any yummy recipes lately? What are some of your favorite home-made snack foods? Be Happy Healthy & Strong, Lolli If you like what you read please vote, just one click & done!

Lolli's Re-Invented Buckeyes!

Before I got healthy, one of my favorite things to make around the holidays was BUCKEYES! 

Since they are nothing but sugar, I had to figure out a way to make them healthy....and I did.

I  hope you all enjoy what started out as a kitchen experiment.

These buckeyes are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.

Makes approx: 17-18 buckeyes

You will need:

Peanut Butter Part:

1 cup of brown rice flour or almond flour

3 1/2 tablespoons of a natural peanut butter 

( mine was Krema Natural made with nothing but peanuts)

2 packets of Stevia

( I used stevia in the raw)

1 tsp coconut oil

1/8 cup of raisins

dash of cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating:

2 1/2 tblspns coconut oil

3 level tblspns cocoa powder

1 1/2 tblspns honey

( diabetics could use liquid stevia or Honeytree makes an imitation honey that is sugar free**)

( make a double batch of the chocolate to handle all 18 peanut butter balls)

The reason I have a half batch of the chocolate for the recipe, is I tend to make all of the peanut butter balls, and freeze them, and I only dip half at a time. If I make the whole batch, we would eat them up right away. 18 is a lot for two people! 

1. Put all of the peanut butter ball ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth ( it will form a dough).

2. Roll the dough into even size balls, I usually measure with a tablespoon.

3. Place the peanut butter balls on a tray in the freezer for at least 1 hour before dipping in chocolate.

4.  Place all of the chocolate ingredients into a bowl and mix until turns liquid-y ( not too liquid-y though, you want it to stick to the peanut butter, it should be a similar consistency to what honey is).

5. Using tooth picks, dip your peanut butter balls into the chocolate and then place on a tray.

6. Put the tray in the freezer for at least 15 minutes so the chocolate can harden.

That's it!

Enjoy the buckeyes!

Be Happy Healthy & Strong,

Lolli

Note: If the buckeyes are left in the freezer for a long period of time ( a couple of hours) they will get a whitish waxy appearance. Do not worry, that is just the coconut oil, and the whiteness will disappear after a minute or two out of the freezer.

See my disclaimer page. Make all recipes at your own risk. Do not copy or use my recipe for profit, you do not have permission to do so. If you post my recipe on your blog/site/book please give me credit by linking back to this post. I spent many hours in the kitchen coming up with this recipe on my own. You saw it on Re-Inventing Lolli blog first.

** ONLY GLUTEN FREE IF MADE WITH REAL HONEY, I do not know the GF status of Honeytree Imitation honey. Always check labels before using any ingredients.