Babblewell.com

06
Jan
2015

Can we entertain our kids with no technology?

categories: family, Kids, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized

When we were younger we did not have tablets, iPads, Playstations, Xboxes, Nintendo’s. And still we were not bored and we were able to entertain ourselves.

It is winter and it is getting colder outside. My little Maharadja does not want to play outside. It is too cold he told me the other day. There are a lot of activities kids can do during the cold winter months. They don’t need to go outside and no TV, tablet, IPad and so on are involved! Yes, we can entertain our kids with no technology.

Coloring

Almost all kids love to color. And it is such an easy activity to set up. All you need is a coloring book and pencils. You don’t have any coloring books? Google for free coloring pages or buy some cheap coloring books at stores like Dollar store, Action. Where do you buy your coloring books. Please share your tips with us.

Playing with Lego or Wooden Blocks

My little one loves to build, with Lego, Wooden Blocks or Kapla. It is a great way for kids to use their imagination. If they are clueless what to build, give them some tips what to build. An house, aircraft or…. The options are endless.

Moon Sand

It is winter and the kids can build sand castles. What more joy can they have? It is easy to make Moon Sand. Don’t rush to the toy store to buy any. You might need to rush to the grocery store. The recipe for Moon Sand is as follows:

8 cups of flour

1 cup of oil.

Mix these Ingredients and voila you have Moon Sand!

Give the kid some plastic cups and let them build castles.

Painting

Get some paint, brushes and paper and let the little artist start.

Bake something

Baking is always a hit with kids. Ask them in advance what they want to bake. Search for an easy recipe on the internet. Let them help you weigh the ingredients, mix the batter and help you clean up.

Salt dough

Make some salt dough with 1 cup salt, 1 cup flour and 0.5 cup water. The kids could make shapes using cookie cutters. If you don’t have cookie cutters you could use plastic cups. They could make Christmas, Easter, Divali, ____Ornaments. Bake them on 200 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. The next day the kids could paint the ornaments. Or you can make the ornaments in advance and have the kids paint them.

100 cup challenge

Buy cups at a dollar store and have the kids make a tower cup.

Indoor camping

Kids just love the idea of camping. If you have a small tent put it up. No tent? Just throw a sheet over your kitchen table and the tent is ready. (if you don’t want to put up the tent this is an excellent alternative!). Let the kids pack the things they want to take with them for their camping trip. Give the kids a picnic basket to enjoy their camping. If you really want to, let them sleep in the tent!

Playdough

Which kids doesn’t love to play with Playdough? What fun it is, to build a zoo or a fruit basket with good old fashioned playdough. Let the kids imagination go wild!

Making Greeting Cards

Start with folding a colored piece of paper in half and let the kids start decorating. There are many ways to decorate Greeting Cards. The kids could decorate them with glitter, ribbon, stickers, colored paper, fabric. In short there are many option to decorate Greeting cards.

There are many more options to entertain our kids without technology. These are just a few. How do you entertain your kids?

11
Dec
2014

5 Easy dishes to cook when you don’t feel like cooking

categories: Food, Food Pictures, My babbles, Uncategorized

Sometimes we just don’t feel like cooking. Are you familiar with this feeling? We-just-don’t-feel -like-cooking-dinner. We don’t want any take-out either or go out for dinner. And we want to eat something healthy. That leaves us only one option. If we want to have a proper dinner we have to cook it ourselves. Yes, it is possible to cook a proper dinner in less than 20 minutes. Ask your family members to give you a hand since you are already in a lazy mood.

5 Easy dishes to cook when you don’t feel like cooking at all. These dishes come in handy when you don’t have time to cook.

Fried rice

Fried rice is real simple recipe to make. It only takes a few ingredients. The best part is you can add (almost) any ingredient you like to this dish. Make it the way you like it.

Ingredients:
Rice, eggs, vegetables of your choice, oil, salt, white pepper (or black if you don’t have white).

Directions:
Cook some rice and let it cool.
Heat up a pan or a wok. Add some oil to the pan and make scrambled eggs. Don’t forget to season them. Take them out.
In the same pan add some oil stir fry your veggies and season with some salt and pepper. Take the vegetables out.
Time to assemble the dish.
In the same pan, heat some oil. Add the rice, the eggs and vegetables and stir fry. If you like you could add some soy sauce at the end.

Pasta salad with tuna and tomatoes

Pasta dishes are easy to make. And they really fill you up.

Ingredients:
Cooked pasta, tuna, tomatoes, salt and pepper

Directions
Mix the pasta, tuna and tomatoes together. Season with some salt and pepper. Add some fresh basil or grated cheese if you have any. This dish can be served hot or cold.

Salad with your choice of canned fish

Ingredients:
Salad, cucumbers, tin of corn, grated carrots, boiled eggs and homemade dressing

Grab a bowl combine all ingredients, season, add dressing and enjoy!

For an easy homemade dressing try this recipe.

Fried or boiled egg sandwich

Ingredients:
Eggs, bread, tomatoes, mayonnaise

Method:
Fry or boil the eggs and make sandwiches. Spread the slices lightly with some mayonnaise add the egg, sliced tomatoes and seasoning.

Homemade noodle soup

Ingredients:

Noodles (soba or any kind you like), (organic) chicken cube, green onions.

Make the chicken broth. If you like you could use a vegetable cube. Season it with some pepper. Add some cooked noodles of your choice. If you’re in the mood boil an egg and add it to the soup. Add Some finely chopped green onions and your meal is ready.

Make these recipes the way you like it. Add or omit any ingredient(s).

What do you cook when you don’t feel like cooking. Please let me know!

02
Dec
2014

How to “prepare” your body for the Holiday Season

categories: Food, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized, Working out

The Holiday Season is all about joy, fun lots of laughter and of course love. Spending time with our family, friends and our beloved ones. And…… lots of yummy foods which we should absolutely enjoy, in moderation that is. One cookie is yummy, two cookies are super yummy and three cookies are a no-no. In moderation a word we should remember especially during the holiday season. We should absolutely sample all dishes. After all the cook did his/her utmost best to cook you a lovely Christmas dinner. It would be an insult to the cook if you did not sample all dishes.

Lots of people go on a diet to prepare themselves for the Holiday Season. Losing a few pounds, to fit into that nice dress or to enjoy all the food during the Holiday Season. Atkins, low carb, South Beach, Cambridge and so on.

The truth is we don’t want to go on any kind of diet. And we really don’t need to. Try to change your eating habits by adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet now. We all know that fruits and vegetables are healthy for us. They contain vitamins and lots of fibers. The good part is that they fill you up. So next time you have a food craving go for some fruits or vegetables. And (try) to squeeze in a work out for 30 minutes. Keep in mind, it is for a good cause. That extra piece of pie, some more turkey or …..

Prepare your body now so you can indulge during the Holiday Season, in moderation that is. With your family, friends, beloved ones and food.

Happy preparing!

04
Nov
2014

Ignoring yourself? It’s time for me time.

categories: Hair, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized

Do you allow yourself 7 minutes “me time” every day? Me time? I don’t have time for me time. I don’t need me time. These are a few random answers given to this question.

There is so much going on in our life’s. That we just forget to look after ourselves. All the other things in our life are so much more important. The kids, work, household, the garden, TV et cetera. Most of us are so occupied with that we just ignore ourselves. Ignore? Yes, dress without a second thought, comb ones hair and start the day. That is ignoring yourself. Did you know that ignorance can lead to unhappiness. Unhappiness can have many “side effects” like not knowing how beautiful you are, eating disorders, not wanting to look into the mirror because you don’t like what you see. Therefore “me time” even if we are so super busy is important.

Do you just throw some clothes on in the morning? Quickly brush your hair and rush to whatever you have to do? Would you like to change that? Then please keep reading.

First step. Get yourself a great haircut. Browse on the internet for inspiration. Ask your hairdresser what style would look good on you. What hairstyles do women around you have? You don’t have a hairdresser? Ask your friends or relatives which salon they go to. Once you’re at the salon tell the hairdresser (or should I say stylist) what kind of haircut you would like. Make sure you get a low maintenance haircut. A great haircut is just a start.

Second step. Now it’s time to declutter your closet. Get everything out and sort everything out. Make a pile of the clothes you would like to donate. Then sort all the skirts, trousers, jeans, t shirts, cardigans et cetera. Once this is done it is time to mix and match. For example, which skirt goes with what top(s) shirt(s). Make notes in your head or take pictures.

Third step. You already have a nice face. Yes, because everybody is beautiful in their own way! So why don’t we put on a little make-up. Make-up is a bonus to your face. First of all after your shower cleanse, tone and moisturize your face. Then apply some foundation, add some mascara and if you want to some eyeliner. Add some lipstick, lipgloss or lip balm and you are good to go. You really don’t need expensive skincare or make-up. You can buy your skincare or make-up at your local drugstore.

Fourth step. Do you always wear sneakers? Just because they are comfy and easy to wear. Why not buy a pair of nice comfy shoes. Maybe with a (little) heel or stylish flat shoes. Buy them when they are on sale and save money.

7 Minutes me time in the morning starts now:

Hair and make-up 6 minutes
Put on your clothes – 1 minute ( lay out your clothes the night before).

Now look in the mirror. Everybody can look pretty. Just allow yourself 7 minutes of me time!

You deserve me time, don’t you?

04
Nov
2014

A battle between two wolves inside us all

categories: family, My babbles, Uncategorized

An old Cherokee told his grandson, “My son there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth.”

The boy thought about it, and asked, “Grandfather, which wolf wins?”

The old man quietly replied, “The one you feed.”

– Author unknown

30
Sep
2014

Was it easier In the “old days”?

categories: family, My babbles, Tips, Uncategorized

Not so long ago, once the children were born mom stayed home. Dad would provide for the family. It was mom’s responsibility to raise the kids and to take care of the household. Now this has all changed.

Nowadays it is normal that both parents work. Some of them want to because they enjoy working. And some of them have to because they need the money. Life is getting expensive. And we all notice this. No matter which part of the world you live.

When both parents are working a lot of organizing needs to be done. Who will pick up and drop of the kids. Where will they have the lunch. And then who will make the lunch boxes? In Holland for instance it is normal that children have lunch at home if they are in primary school (age 4 -12). So there is another pick up and drop off moment. ( Although this is changing, some schools end at 14.00. The kids have lunch at school.) Where will they go after school. Who will bring them to the soccer practice, who will help them with their homework. Things get even more difficult when you’re a single mom or dad.

And then there are chores to be taken care of. Once you arrive home after you picked up the kids, you start with dinner and tell the kids to do their homework. Meanwhile husband comes home and he may help you. Several studies have shown that most men do not help around the house.

Then there needs to be vacuumed, bathrooms to be cleaned, bed linen to be changed, laundry to be done, floors to be scrubbed and….. well the list is endless!

How to manage all this effectively? First of all we must acknowledge the fact that we cannot do all chores at once. There are just too little hours in a day.

Would you like to have some bonus time during the weekends? Extra few hours to spend with your family. Or just some time for yourself (to try out that new make-up tutorial) ? Without feeling guilty. Without thinking I have to do this or that. The only option to do that is doing some extra chores during weekdays. You can for example do 10 minute chores during the morning and 10-15 minute chores during the afternoon. What? 10 Minutes chores in the morning? We are already very busy! True. If you really want more free time during the weekend you have to wake up 10 minutes earlier. I totally agree with you. Waking up in the mornings is hard. And getting out of bed earlier is even more harder. But remember practice makes perfect and we do get free time during the weekend.

A few morning chores examples: cleaning the bathroom, emptying the dishwasher, load the washing machine or ______. Fill in the blanks. And let us know what chores you do in the morning.

A few afternoon chores examples would be: changing and washing the bed sheets, vacuuming, sweeping dusting, unload the washing machine or ________.

Ask your hubby to help you with the chores. Together Everyone Achieves More.

Be creative with your time. You could do chores during commercials, 10 minutes before you will have dinner. Let the kids help you. Let them shine the microwave or oven for you. When they are bigger they could even unload the dishwasher for you or some other chore.

Set a time for each chore. Did you know that you can get a new load of laundry in the washing machine and fold the washed laundry in 15 minutes? You can for instance iron for half an hour. Or pluck weeds for 15 minutes.

Do you do all your chores during the weekend? Please comment and let us know.

29
Jun
2014

Are carrot or celery sticks your only snack options?

categories: Food, My babbles, Recipe, Uncategorized

Changing your eating habits is not easy. Especially when it comes to snacking. There is temptation everywhere. The hotdog stand, the French Fries cart, the ice cream parlor and the list goes on.

When you fall into temptation, don’t give up! We are human we make mistakes. Pick yourself up and try again. It is an art to resist temptation. It is an art which can be mastered over time. If you really want to, that is.

Here’s a list of snacks you could have. Pick one for each day.

1.One slice of watermelon

2.Small bowl of strawberries with a scoop of low fat whipped cream. (Great dessert for family dinners)(Don’t be tempted to eat all the whipped cream.)

3. 2 to 3 tablespoons of raisins

4. Small bowl of salted popcorn (homemade, no microwave popcorn!)

5. One piece of fruit like apples, pears, oranges and so on

6. 2 Marie biscuits

7. 10 Plain almonds

8. 15 Salted sticks

9. One rice cake lightly spread with peanut butter, Nutella or jam

10. Small bowl of pineapple

11. 2 Ladyfingers (Sponge fingers)

11. What would you recommend? Please leave a comment.

One small bowl = 100 grams or 0.2 pounds.

Allow yourself to have a piece of cake, muffin, kids size fast food menu or any other unhealthy items every 3 weeks. If you really are craving for it. Oh yeah please do not overeat. Your body is your temple, do not torture it.

Happy snacking!

23
Jun
2014

Yes, you can have chicken nuggets!

categories: Food, My babbles, Recipe, Uncategorized

Sometimes we crave for some snacks. Most of us (including myself) will not settle for a healthy fruit salad or sticks of cucumbers. We want a real snack that makes us happy.

Unfortunately the snacks we are craving for have a lot of added sugars and fats. So the cravings stays. While working or for example reading a good book the only thing on your mind is eating a tasteful snack. A snack with a lot of satisfaction!

I am always on the search for good and much more healthy recipes for my craving moments. I saw this recipe for baked chicken nuggets and thought this is what I need to make. To make it a whole meal just add some roasted potatoes and veggies to it such as roasted broccoli. Absolutely yummy yummy, can you already feel it in your tummy?

So here’s my recipe for a healthy baked chicken nuggets:

Recipe “chicken nuggets” baked

1 kilo or 2.2. lbs. chicken thy filets

250 grams or 0.55 lbs. flour

2 eggs

Salt to taste

Garlic powder

Paprika powder

Black pepper

2 Spoons oil (I use sunflower or olive oil)

A non-stick baking pan

Pre heat your oven at 180 degrees or 350 Fahrenheit
Rinse the chicken and cut it in pcs. Put them on a plate with paper towel. Make sure all the chicken pieces are dry.
Add flower into a bowl add spices to taste: salt, garlic powder, paprika powder and the black pepper.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt
Coat the non-stick baking pan with oil. (Make sure the pan is well coated).
In a bowl add 3 spoons of the flour mixture. (Make sure you keep the flour mixture clean, you can use it again when you have some left).
Put the eggs , flour and baking pan next to each other
Take a piece of chicken, dip it in the egg then in the flour. Then carefully put it in the pan
Put the pan in the oven en gently turn the chicken after 15 minutes. The chicken should be somewhat baked now.
Bake the chicken for another 15 minutes
Now check if the chicken is ready
If the chicken is ready but the crust is not golden brown just turn up the oven for a few minutes. NB: not too long or your nuggets will turn out dry!

You can easily triple or double this recipe.

Bon Appetit!

10
Jun
2014

Losing weight is hard

categories: My babbles, Uncategorized, Working out

Fact: most people who want to lose weight FAIL. Why? Because they tend to overdo it. If you really want to lose weight start “slow”. Take it step by step. After all you did not gained weight overnight! Or did you? Losing weight is hard.

Gaining weight is very easy. We just eat all the yummy food. Do little or no workouts. Within a few weeks we will be happy to notice our body has changed. Your underarms are flappy, they look like wings. Your butt is bigger. Your jeans will not fit. Or any other garment in your closet for that matter. Time to buy new clothes……. Then you come to this point, enough is enough. You want to lose the extra weight!

The day you decided you wanted to lose weight. You just ate everything you could find because tomorrow you are going on a diet! (More calories to burn…… but just don’t think about it. Makes life much more easier!)

The next day you go to the supermarket buying healthy food like salads, fruits and vegetables. Maybe even soy milk because they say it is good for you…… For two weeks you are so motivated. You are one healthy fruit, veg lady. Then comes the point that you are craving for something sweet. You buy a bag of candy promising yourself to eat one only. Or maybe two. In the end you ate the whole bag. You are now so not motivated that you chuck the whole idea of losing weight in the bin.

What happened here? Well overdoing it, happened here. Most people cannot just change their eating habits overnight. One needs time. So take it step by step.

Eating habits? Yes to lose weight one really needs to change the way they eat. And you have to add some kind of exercise to your lifestyle.

Are you ready to change your lifestyle? Step by step?

Step 1

Write down ALL the things you eat, a food diary. Do this for five days. (No cheating please and yes write down e v e r y sugar cube). Include one weekend, during the weekends we tend to eat too much! Yes I know, not all of us…. While making the list add some exercise of any kind to your daily life. The exercise should be at least 30 minutes. Exercise 2 times during these five days.

Exercise…… (please don’t huff and puff you are not the wolf from the three little pigs). Yes they are very important if you really want to lose weight. And exercises are good for body and mind. You really don’t need to go to the gym. exercises you could do:

A walk for 30 minutes
Ride a bike for 30 minutes
Skeeler for 30 minutes
Cardio workouts for 30 minutes
Go to the gym for some workouts
What exercise would you recommend? Please leave a comment.

In short: Take it step by step.

02
Jun
2014

You

categories: Uncategorized

If you are happy with

The way you look

Be proud and carry it

If you are not happy with

The way you look

Keep yourself motivated and

Do something about it